If you could only have 5 GBs in your city

[ffblackice]

I was wondering what are the best 5 GBS to build

Hi, what is the conclusion? I have the same question. Thanks.

 

[Lady Gato]

LOL @ffblackice requested a conclusion - so here goes. This is a small sampling so take that in mind. The numbers don't always add up as some people made some alt suggestions or different suggestions depending upon whether you fight or not.

--Drum Roll Please--

Arc
Zeus
Castel
Chateau [added 7/21/20]
Himeji
Assorted other GBs

Spoiler: In Depth Statistics (NOT!)

Arc - but I've been warned by a very experienced player not to put it down until I could consistently generate 100 FPs or more daily as it sucks down the
FPs. Slurp

Zeus - early military bonuses, most people recommended

Alcatraz - loved by all but ODragon pointed out that if you aren't into fighting you might want to skip this one.

Castel - most people recommended

Chateau - a little more than half recommended [added 7/21/20]

Himeji - a little more than half recommended

Arctic Orangery - a little less than half recommended

Aachen - 3 people recommended and @Emberguard made 2 alt suggestions for this GB (Kracken or Arctic Orangery)

Lighthouse - one person recommended

Basil - one person recommended

Other interesting GBs:

Blue Galaxy
Terracotta Army
Hagia Sophia

Spoiler: More Info:

Blue Galaxy - added by @Anne Boleyn the Happiest Boleyn
According to the official wiki, this building gives you a chance of getting double collections (on the first number of collections) on all your buildings
except military and GBs. Anne Boleyn says when it "hits" her hippodrome she can collect about 120 FPS (total).

Terracotta Army (TA)
I have read about this GB and think it's neat. According to the official wiki, this building increases (by a %) both your attacking army's attack & defense AND your defending army's attack & defense.

Hagia Sophia (HS) - recommended by heavy questers - thought of as "junk" by others. However @ODragon pointed out that when leveled to 80 it gives 48 Fps/day as well as happiness in just 42 spaces.

Thanks to everyone who replied. Just because I have "concluded" my study doesn't mean that I am not interested in knowing other GBs that I might
want to add beyond the 5 basic GBs.

P.S. The following GBs you might NOT want to have and/or keep in your city. Thanks to @Emperor XX for pointing them out:

Colosseum
Space Needle
Oracle of Delphi
Gaea Statue
The Capitol

EDIT (7/21/20): It was pointed out that I overlooked the Chateau -- my bad, it was in my notes but when I typed up my conclusion I over-looked it. Sorry. I've added it in. Thanks @mintbunnies

 

[Emberguard]

@Lady Gato the interesting thing about these GBs is deciding how much you’d be willing to substitute it with special/event buildings instead. If you’re already wanting Himeji for goods and FPs then Alcatraz could potentially be replaced on the units side. Himeji for rogues and then Timeless Dojo and Royal Bathhouse for regular unit production.

 

[Emberguard]

Oh yeah. Might not want Innovation Tower if you only have 5 GBs unless you’re ok with a grumpy population. Alcatraz on its own isn’t ideal for hyper lvling Inno. Cape would be interesting but rather limited to have a single use GB when you only have 5 GBs and the Arc is already a powerful FP generator

 

[Lady Gato]

@Lady Gato the interesting thing about these GBs is deciding how much you’d be willing to substitute it with special/event buildings instead. SNIP

Oh thank you ! I love the event buildings I have already got and I'm working thru the Egypt Settlement now so hopefully I will finish it & get the Royal Bathhouse (level 1). And just looking - it looks like I'll have to go to Japan to get the Dojo. I already have a certain big house from beta that I have maxed out that provides me units (at least in beta).

 

[Emberguard]

One thing to note with the Royal Bathhouse, units don’t have motivation priority so it’ll be grouped with coins/supplies/happiness.

Once you've run out of “when motivated” buildings you can actually change the order the rest of the buildings are aided in. First the system will aid highest age, then it’ll aid in the order you placed the buildings down. So if you delete all your residentials, supply buildings and store the event buildings that also don’t require aid to produce it should change the aid priority for that bottom section

Note when I tested this on the Hippodrome it was on a city that only had residential and supply buildings to test with. I didn’t have other events to try it out alongside so there is a little bit of assumption on it also working with other events if stored

 

[Lady Gato]

So leave the hippodrome down then delete residentials and supply bldgs, & store those event buildings that don't require motivation? Then rebuild residential and supply bldgs. And put back the event bldgs from storage. That resets the aid order?

As an aside, if I had to store the Hippodrome - you would need a store for each track plus one for the sphendone and one for the carceres?

 

[Nicholas002]

So leave the hippodrome down then delete residentials and supply bldgs, & store those event buildings that don't require motivation? That resets the aid order? As an aside, if I had to store the Hippodrome - you would need a store for each track plus one for the sphendone and one for the carceres?

not the tracks, unless you want those motivated.

I think an easier way to go is to get a friend or two, and agree to manually motivate each-other's hippodromes every day. before I did that, I even had neighbors and guildmates motivating it manually without me asking.

 

[Lady Gato]

Thank you -- all tips are greatly appreciated !

 

[Emberguard]

So leave the hippodrome down then delete residentials and supply bldgs, & store those event buildings that don't require motivation? Then rebuild residential and supply bldgs. And put back the event bldgs from storage. That resets the aid order?

Correct.

As an aside, if I had to store the Hippodrome - you would need a store for each track plus one for the sphendone and one for the carceres?

I didn’t go for tracks but yeah, if you want the main parts to have priority over the tracks you’d need to store the tracks and place them after the main pieces

 

[Emberguard]

One thing I haven’t tested is whether aging up all the buildings in that category would keep or change the order they’re aided in. So if you intend to age up some time that’s something you could test by comparing the order buildings are aided in before and after aging everything up.

 

[Lady Gato]

I know this would be on DNSL - but perhaps a new great building - a very large pyramid - where on level 10 you could change the order of polivating by category list and then when the building is maxed out you can specify the first 20 buildings you want motivated. And the rest of your buildings are motivated by the regular priority list

 

[Nicholas002]

i would never build such a GB, unless it was super cheap to level, and was as 2x2 size.

 

[Lady Gato]

Ok, Ok -- but some time there will be the Great Pyramid of Giza which will give as a reward the ring that rules them all (JK).

 

[DevaCat]

Ok, Ok -- but some time there will be the Great Pyramid of Giza which will give as a reward the ring that rules them all (JK).

My Precious! (I'll keep an Eye out for that )

 

[ffblackice]

If you’re already wanting Himeji for goods and FPs then Alcatraz could potentially be replaced on the units side. Himeji for rogues and then Timeless Dojo and Royal Bathhouse for regular unit production.

Thanks, I think this will be my direction, I think Traz is too big, it definitely worth for older player, but not for new player, I will save it for later but not on the "first 5 GBs" list.

 

[The Prince Visigoth]

Arc
CF
Traz
AO
CDM

 

[Lady Gato]

Arc
CF
Traz
AO
CDM

Why do you like the Arctic Orangery?

 

[ODragon]

Why do you like the Arctic Orangery?

It is not token based so it has a chance of working on every attack. It allows you to do more than max damage (later in the game, some units have a max damage of 4, this will let them go to 6 damage meaning you can kill them in 2 hits instead of 3). It can allow you to 1 shot enemies (usually ranged or artillery). A lot of times, with some luck and the AO, you can kill the majority of enemies with ranged units before they can get into range to hit you first. It also works as a defense building assuming they are the same age troops.

 

[Lady Gato]

Very good points ! I am working on the Egypt settlement and those pesky camels are giving me fits. I'm winning mostly the battles on easy/medium but taking large losses to do so which slows me down with the time/cost of rebuilding units. Sounds like AO would be a big help to me when I replay this settlement (assuming I ever get it done).