Mongols Strategy Guide

Learn how to conquer Humankind on the highest difficulty with this Mongols strategy guide. Discover early game tips, combat avoidance, and late-game scaling strategies.

Hey there! So you want to tackle Humankind on the hardest difficulty, huh? Smart move wanting to get a handle on the Mongols. This guide is all about helping you beat the game on 'Humankind' difficulty, drawing from my own experiences. Keep in mind, the game's still pretty new when this was written, so some of this might change with updates, but the core ideas should stick around.

Let's break down what the AI gets on the highest difficulty. It's pretty hefty:

• Food: +3 per Farmer in all cities.
• Industry: +3 per Worker in all cities.
• Money: +3 per Trader in all cities.
• Science: +3 per Researcher in all cities.
• Stability: +60 on all cities.
• Combat Strength: +2 on all units.

Now, those FIMS (Food, Industry, Money, Science) bonuses might sound huge, and they are early on. Think about it: early in the game, with a small city and just a few workers, that flat bonus is a big deal. But as your cities grow and you get more workers, that bonus becomes less impactful compared to what you can build. For example, an early +9 industry bonus might take you a while to match with districts, but a late-game AI city with a +45 industry bonus can be countered by just one or two advanced buildings.

The +2 combat strength bonus for AI units is no joke, either. It's basically like they have their own special units from the get-go. You're not going to be winning many fights in the early eras (Neolithic/Ancient) against them, so the best strategy is to just avoid combat altogether. As you get further into the game, though, things like the 'Professional Soldiers' civic and leaning into the 'Homeland' ideology can help you close that gap.

That stability bonus is a bit trickier to pin down, but it definitely makes things harder early on. The best way to deal with it? Trade for luxury resources. It's a lifesaver.

So, here's the general game plan:

1. Avoid Early Wars: Seriously, don't pick fights until at least the Classical era, and usually, it's better to wait until the Medieval era.
2. Trade for Luxuries: Get those luxury resources coming in. They're key for stability and keeping your people happy.
3. Go Wide, Not Tall: Grab early cultures like Agrarian and Builder. Focus on expanding your empire (building wide) rather than just making one or two cities super powerful (building tall). This helps you scale better into the late game when the AI's FIMS bonuses start to fall off.
4. Focus on Stars: Your main goal is to rack up as many stars (Fame) as possible. The game is won by whoever has the most Fame in the end.

Stick to these principles, and you'll be well on your way to conquering Humankind!