Austria In Civilization 5: A Comprehensive Guide

Austria is a unique and interesting civilization to play as in Civ 5, with a range of abilities and advantages that can help players expand their territory and achieve victory. Led by Maria Theresa, the Queen of the Habsburg Empire, Austria has a unique ability called Diplomatic Marriage which allows players to spend gold to annex or puppet a City-State after being their ally for five turns. This ability is key to playing Austria effectively, as it enables players to instantly acquire fully developed cities in remote locations without having to conquer them by military means. Additionally, Austria's Coffee Houses provide a significant boost to gold and Great Person Point Generation, making it easier to acquire the gold needed to buy out City-States. Austria also has a hill start bias, providing production advantages and increasing the chance of starting near mountains for extra science. With a strong economy, unique units like the Hussar, and the ability to purchase City-States, Austria is well-suited for domination and scientific victories. However, players should be mindful of the drawbacks of using the Diplomatic Marriage ability, as it can lead to the loss of certain benefits and bonuses provided by City-States.

Austria's unique ability

However, it is important to note that using this ability too frequently can have negative consequences. City-states acquired through 'Diplomatic Marriage' will lose their status as a city-state, resulting in the loss of various benefits such as culture, faith, or food boosts per turn, bonus resources, and science acquired from social policies. Additionally, it can negatively impact happiness due to the extra citizens. Therefore, players should use this ability sparingly and strategically, considering the potential advantages and disadvantages.

The 'Diplomatic Marriage' ability also encourages other playstyles. For example, focusing on a strong economy and completing city-state quests can help players accumulate the gold needed to buy out city-states. Additionally, Austria's unique building, the Coffee House, provides a boost to Great Person generation and can be constructed everywhere, aiding in generating the necessary gold.

Overall, Austria's unique ability in Civ 5 offers players a unique playstyle and strategic options. By leveraging the 'Diplomatic Marriage' ability and managing its impacts, players can pursue domination and scientific victories effectively.

Diplomatic marriage

In Civilization V: Gods & Kings, Austria has a unique ability called Diplomatic Marriage. This ability allows Austria to instantly puppet or annex city-state allies by paying gold. The cost of annexing a city-state depends on the era and ranges from 500 gold in the Ancient Era to more than 1000 gold in the Information Era. To use this ability, Austria must have been allies with the city-state for at least five consecutive turns.

When using Diplomatic Marriage, it is important to consider the type of city-state being annexed. Militaristic city-states, for example, can provide a significant boost to Austria's military strength, while mercantile, maritime, cultural, and religious city-states may carry an extra burden as the bonuses they offer may be lost. It is also crucial to keep in mind the impact of acquiring a new city-state on Austria's Global Happiness score.

While Diplomatic Marriage can be a powerful strategy for Austria, it may not be the best approach for players aiming for a diplomatic victory. Annexing allied city-states can result in losing delegates, making it harder to achieve a diplomatic victory. Therefore, players aiming for a diplomatic victory should use this ability sparingly and consider pursuing other victory conditions, such as domination, scientific, or cultural victories.

Coffee house

The Coffee House is a unique building in the Austrian civilisation in Civ 5. It replaces the Windmill and can be built in all cities, including those on hills. Coffee Houses give a 25% boost to Great Person generation, which is a significant advantage in the midgame. This bonus applies to all construction projects, including the training of units. The Coffee House also provides a production boost to everything its city produces.

The Coffee House is especially useful for cultural and scientific victories, as it enhances Great Person generation. This is further improved by the Garden, a building that is restricted to specific cities. The Coffee House's bonus to Great Person generation can be increased to 75% if your capital is on a river and has a Garden and a National Epic.

The Coffee House is a key part of Austria's strategy in Civ 5, allowing players to generate lots of gold and Great Merchants, which can be used to buyout City-States. This, combined with Austria's ability to instantly annex City-State allies, makes the Coffee House a powerful tool for expansion.

The Coffee House is based on the famous coffeehouses of Austria, particularly those in Vienna, which have long been a sanctuary from everyday life. According to legend, the first coffee house in Vienna was opened by a Polish soldier who discovered a cache of coffee beans left behind by the retreating Ottoman-Turks after the Battle of Vienna in 1683.

Annexing city-states

However, it is important to use this ability sparingly as annexed city-states will lose their status as a city-state, resulting in the loss of various benefits such as culture, faith, or food boosts, bonus resources, and delegates for the World Congress. Additionally, you may experience a decrease in happiness due to the extra citizens. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully consider which city-states to annex based on their strategic importance. For example, city-states that provide a foothold in new areas or those that are located between you and a rival Civ can be valuable targets.

To facilitate the annexation of city-states, it is recommended to focus on increasing your gold income. This can be achieved by prioritising economics and taking advantage of unique Austrian buildings like the Coffee House, which boosts Great Person generation and production. Additionally, utilising Great Merchants and planting them in customs houses can provide a steady gold income. This wealth can then be used to buy influence and annex city-states.

Another strategy to consider is liberating conquered city-states during war. Doing so will reduce warmonger penalties and automatically grant you their alliance. After five turns, you can then peacefully annex them into your empire. This approach can help improve your relationship with other Civs while still allowing you to expand your territory.

Great Person generation

Playing as Austria in Civ 5 offers a unique advantage when it comes to Great Person generation. The Coffee House is a special building that can be constructed in any city, providing a significant boost to Great Person generation. This bonus is in addition to the building's production bonus, which applies to all construction projects, including unit training.

The Coffee House offers a 25% boost to Great Person generation, which is a substantial advantage. This bonus can be further enhanced by building Coffee Houses throughout your empire, generating gold and Great Merchants, which can then be used to acquire City-States. Additionally, the extra cities you acquire through Diplomatic Marriage will provide more Great Works slots, allowing you to make even better use of your Great Person generation capabilities.

While the Coffee House provides a powerful boost to Great Person generation, it is important to note that it has a lower production bonus compared to the Windmill, offering 5% versus the Windmill's 10%. However, the Coffee House's bonus applies to all construction projects, giving it an advantage in terms of flexibility.

To maximize your Great Person generation potential, consider adopting the Commerce policy tree. This tree provides benefits such as increased gold gained from trade missions, enhanced Great Merchant generation, additional gold for land trade routes, and reduced purchasing costs in cities. These bonuses will help you generate the gold needed to acquire City-States and further boost your Great Person generation through the Coffee House.

Overall, Austria's unique abilities, combined with the strategic use of the Coffee House and the Commerce policy tree, provide a powerful toolkit for generating Great Persons and pursuing various victory conditions in Civ 5.

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