HAI! I am going to post the three different custom-versions of Cultists that I've the most success with as well as some ideas about how the cultists should be played.



I have three builds planned, but the others require more testing. Here is the first. Endless Difficulty Tested & Approved.



I've been toying with a number of builds for the Cultists I would like to share them with any players starting out that would be interested in playing the Cult.

I feel like the cult just isn't the cult without Conversion and Weapons of the enemy, so I don't quite have any multi-city builds. (That might change with future testing, however.)



Warning---There is some light roleplay to the backgrounds of these factions, but not enough to negate efficiency! ]In fact, I designed the faction first and wrote the roleplay around the design!



Essentially, each of these factions will still be the Cult of the Eternal End. However. They are based around a disciple of the Queen and how that disciple would influence what strategic emphasis of the Cult and it's metropolis if she chose her or him for that task. Kind of like a choose your own story-book scenario!



How I think the Cultists should be played:



First things first. Let's talk about the cult and their FIDSI generation. Most factions want industry. We are 4x gamers! WE LOVE INDUSTRY---build build build, build all the things. Right?



FOOLISH FOOL! **Slaps your hand** NO! WRONG! BAD! SIT!



As the Cult building the things is your secondary goal, foolish heretic! You get your biggest FIDS increase from villages. You get your the FIDS from the tiles around that village, you get pop from that village.

Before you even look at that Mill Foundry foolish fool! I'm no scientiscian, but them looks like bigger numbers! Right?! Yeah! You better focus on influence and indoctrinate some of those savage loathsome scumy villagers on the loathsome hive of scum and villainy that is Auriga into your Cult.



After they see the Queen's light, they'll know. Oh They'll know. And if they don't? You gotta burn em. Just a little. On the back of the hand. So they know. (Oh they'll see, they'll ALL see!)



Anyway. Yeah. Just. Early game structures and districts are completely secondary to getting at least two if not three villages under your belt. Trust me.



So prioritize Science and Dust in your starting place. Everything is the cherry ontop. Or something. Or not. Probably not. Something else is fine too if you don't like cherries. (I don't like cherries.)



-=Eyes of Andom=-:



Gameplay Focus: Perfect Early Game/Best City Location/RAPID PACIFICATION OF ALL THE THINGZ/Scouting and Intel.



=Lore=:



Andom, perhaps the most influential and charismatic of the Queen's disciples, makes the audacious claim of having seen the End of the Eternal Crusade itself during his daily meditations. He proclaims that if true Eternal End is to flower it's purpose across the stars---that if we may one day witness that glorious conclusion, then first we must first strive with even more fervor to find converts! To have them bare witness to the Queen! When you allow the Queen inside she changes you; Contorts your mind! Transforms your very heart! Newly exalted, worth more now than you could have ever have hoped to be before, you receive a new mission! To bring testimony and witness to others.

This is our calling. NAE! Our eternal purpose.



"If we are to ensure the survival of our Queen's glorious and everlasting covenant it is IMPERATIVE that we secure the best possible location for the seat of our Queen's Eternal Throne. We must be fleet of foot to seek new converts, we must forsake bulky materialistic armor in favor of this strategy. ARMOR IS FOR THE FAITHLESS! The Queens embrace shall be our armor, brothers and sisters! Her word will be my divine blade! Oh Queen see me kneel! Watch me from within the all seeing chamber of your eternal casket; For I walk only where You would bid me! Stand only in places You have blessed! Sing only the words You have placed in my throat!"



=Traits=:



Positive:

Conversion

Weapons of the Enemy

Fast Movement 2/2

Meticulous Analysis 2/2

Landscapists 1/1

Dust Archeology 2/2



Negative:

Weak Defense 1/1

Fragile Health 1/2

Brace Yourselves 1/1



Gameplay:



These seem like oddball choices, I know, but bare with me.



This is the faction I beat my first Endless Difficulty game with!



Meticulous Analysis, Dust Archeology, Landscapists, and Fast Movement all combine to make the early game cake.



This is designed with strenghs in mind:



"Make your Weaknesses not-so-weaknesses and forge those weaknesses into brass knuckles to punch the enemy in his throat!"



-----Sun Tzu, Art of War.



Disclaimer: Might not actually be what he said verbatim. But he did say something. At some point.



A. Utilize Vision/Speed/Landscapist to find absolute best starting location within the first three turns.

B. Convert. Convert. Convert. Find ruins grab cash, bribe villages, repeat. Spiral out of control quickly as possible.

C. Use Vision/Speed bonuses to ensure that your patrols protect your villages until you cleans Auriga of nonbelievers!

D. ?????????? --- No wait I remember! GENOCIDE! YAY!

E. Profit.. Or Prophet



The first thing you want to do is break up your starting army, as per usual, to let your preachers scout about for a great location with at least a couple of anomalies with at least a few more within district reach. Ideally you want to settle within turn 1-2, but, don't be afraid to hold off until turn 3 if it means getting THE perfect spot. Due to Landscapist and not starting with any free tech your first tech will almost always only take one or two turns. You'll also be generating happiness, science, and dust. Yay Landscapist. Situational, but Potent. Thankfully your vision and speed have great synergy with it to make it less situational and more in the realm of ERMAGAWD-OP.



That first tech should be Search Party. Put your hero in your city and immediately start influence production unless you can get pop in one turn by working food. If yes, work food then influence. If no, just work influence for now.



So why? Why Dust Archeology of all things? Because Dust Archeology combined with Search Party you can and will bribe your first village within the first 4-7 turns depending on other starting factors.

This is far more reliable and recommended than Parlay, which will be your second tech as you can't bribe without it. Ideally though, you'll have it around turn 4-5. Once again, use your vision and movement speed to grab one of the villages in your capital's surrounding territories that isn't a border village for the biggest potential FIDS increase as early as possible.



After Parlay grab your mill foundry and after that pump out a couple more preachers. Scour the map for more ruins and converts. You'll snowball out of control based on how efficiently you play the Cult's main strength; conversion.

Mid-Late game your speed and vision will will help you bandage your main weakness; your inability to be everywhere at once to defend your villages.. Thanks to Meticulous Analysis and Fast Movement combined with empire plan your patrols can now see attacks coming sooner and intercept them with blinding speed!



Your fragile units won't be as big of an issue as you may think; -15% hp isn't the worst negative trait in the world though combined with -20% defense it be pretty hefty. Thankfully you'll have numbers on your side. Alternatively, you could found your city in a place with glass steel and titanium or just sell units and buy it to manufacture tough cultist specific units with the Icons of Isivar item from the main quest. Just to play to your strengths. You can now out-rove the roving clans! Be everywhere at once! Overwhelm! Gang violence!



Alternative builds include trading dust archeology in favor of grabbing the Drakken's Advanced Diarchy trait to unlock the increased movement speed from empire plans an era sooner. You would have to take a trait that gives -1 additional point. One level of Anarchists is manageable and you could trade it out for your choice of one of the other -5 negative traits you already have. This will slow you down only marginally depending on how well your start goes.

Interesting build. Have you ever thought of using the Endless Excavation trait? You typically have one ruin to settle beside and the three influence give you quite a lot of headstart for the first empire plan and the first village conversion(s).

Yay! <3



Yus. I have considered it. I suppose it would have to replace meticulous analysis and/dust archeology, if anything!

>.> I have come to really enjoy that vision though. It's not a bonus that really pays for it's point cost if you don't use it ---and that was one of my concerns--- but as it turns out, it's invaluable when I do!

The early dust from Dust Archeology can sometimes be over kill, but sometimes get you a leg up a turn or two or three if RNG hates joo. But I suppose that would be my other pick for the chopping block to make room!



There are so many good traits for the Cult to choose from! The sort of alien nature of the cult means many of them have pretty extreme effects.



The next build I post will be based around Cellulose Mutation + Endless Recycling and Endless Excavation is defiantly on the table for that!

The idea is to capitalize on the amazing synergy between Cellulose Mutation and Endless recycling to become a science superpower.

This will propel you towards Mercenary Corps super-fast with all that science. In the meantime you play a super-defensive game. Convert your villages, patrol, ect.

Play politics. Be a good quiet neighbor. Then Suddenly unleash a hilarious massive free Privateer army on your allies. <.< Less aggression than a normal playhtrough, but still seems very culty!

Not done yet though. More ingame testing and tweaking required!