Rhye’s and Fall of Portugal
UHV
Portugals unique historic victory conditions are:
- Have the most explored map of the world in 1500 AD
- Have open borders agreement with 12 other civs in 1650 AD
- Found 15 extra-European colonies
The first goal directly competes with the Netherlands, but the AI normally gives away it’s map easily. Also with your unique power exploring is piece of cake.
Unique Power
Scouting: Increased visibility range for all naval units.
Playing Rhye’s and Fall Portugal this is a very useful treat – you’ll need less ships just roaming the seas for exploration and can focus more on bringing your settlers to the sweet spots.
Unique Building – Feitoria
Unique Unit – Carrack
Such a tiny little ship… And nonetheless Portugal built an extremely big colonial empire based on Carracks. What makes the Portuguese unique units so special and useful is the fact that they can carry settlers and military units while nobody else can! The Carracks replace caravels so you can start colonizing as soon as you research Optics. A powerful technological advantage! Use it!
Portuguese Strategy
Here’s as quick summary:
- Research Optics ASAP
- Never piss off Spain
- Settle in your historic areas for stability reasons (stay out of N-America)
Winning Rhye’s and Fall Portugal is incredibly easy. One of the smoothest, even slightly boring UHVs. Mainly because getting the most explored map is not a challenge. Founding some cities is not either. The biggest difficulty if you want to call it that way, is getting other civs to open borders with you.
Rhye’s and Fall Portugal: Open Borders
Let’s do the math: In Europe, playing Rhye’s and Fall Portugal there are (in the order you most likely meet them):
- Spain (convince them with tech in doubt)
- France
- Germany
- The Netherlands
- England
- Russia
If you’re lucky, Rome is still around and Greece might be, too. That would make 8, but let’s say 6. In Africa you’ve got
- Mali
- Ethiopia
Then there’s Inca (9) spawning in South America plus you can pick between Mongols and China (10, because getting both will be hard if they’re at war), but there’s still India (11) and Khmer (12). It’s close but pretty much doable.
Civs I haven’t mentioned are: Turkey, Egypt, Arabia and Persia, because normally they don’t like Europeans. Japan also never ever ever opens borders with anybody, I’ve found.
Good spots for colonies (while not messing with your European “friends”) are South America (Brazil), South Africa and Madagascar (okay, that’s not historically correct), Indoniesia, parts of India, Australia.
The usual official strategy guides are still here:
http://web.archive.org/web/20090514073418/http://rhye.civfanatics.net/wiki/index.php?title=Rhye%27s_and_Fall_of_Civilization_-_Portuguese_strategy
As usually I continued playing Rhye’s and Fall Portugal beyond the UHV and the result was quite nice. Portugal ruling the world, overcoming Spain and predominating Europe, South America, South(ern half of) Africa and most of Southeast Asia!
