Season 9 Game Four!

Sullla’s AI Survivor is an annual competition of all Civilization IV AI Leaders by long-time Civilization enthusiast and streamer Sullla. CFC is very excited to announce that the popular series returns after almost a two-year hiatus with Season Nine. AI Survivor has become quite an event over the years for both old and new Civ IV fans.

Game 3 Recap (click for write-up): In an unprecedented streak of upsets, the season’s top-seeded leaders have faced a brutal “curse,” with the #1 rank in the first three games becoming a literal death sentence. Not only have these favorites been eliminated, but in every instance, the top seed was the very first leader to be wiped off the map. Game three saw the highly favored Pacal of the Mayans crushed in a lightning-fast conquest by Qin of China, who used the seized Mayan lands as a springboard for a ruthless campaign. Qin didn’t stop there, steamrolling through Pericles of Greece and Julius Caesar of Rome to claim a commanding Domination Victory. While Sury of the Khmer and Sitting Bull managed to survive in a desperate scramble for second place, it was Sury who narrowly held the runner-up spot—clinging to life even as Qin’s late-game war machine began closing in.

This week, our Warrior Queen Mylene (aka Fippy) led all Fanatics with a 3rd-place Game 3 finish. Meanwhile, in the overall contest to date, a-pen-dragon was finally able to pull the sword from the stone, and now holds the #1 spot, exclusively, while Plains-Cow, lactose-free, now stands in a tie at the #3 position!

GAME 4 ON APRIL 24TH (noon EST)

Game 4 Welcome to the Land of the Peacemakers, a map so dominated by high peace-weight leaders it feels more like a diplomatic gala than a battlefield. In this sea of civility, Boudica of the Celts is the lone shark circling the waters, yet even she refuses to strike if relations remain “Pleased.” While the usually inert Roosevelt and the opportunistic Peter are the only ones willing to plot at “Cautious,” all eyes are on the top tier: #1 seed Darius and the powerhouse #2 seed Charlemagne. Darius may hold the crown for now, but with the “top seed curse” looming and fans starting to doubt his dominance, the stage is set for an upset. Will this game dissolve into a passive love-fest, or will Boudica find the spark to ignite an unpredictable, high-stakes bloodbath?

Season 9 Game Three!

Sullla’s AI Survivor is an annual competition of all Civilization IV AI Leaders by long-time Civilization enthusiast and streamer Sullla. CFC is very excited to announce that the popular series returns after almost a two-year hiatus with Season Nine. AI Survivor has become quite an event over the years for both old and new Civ IV fans.

Game 2 Recap (click for write-up): I’m not one for hyperbole—well, actually, I am—but Game 2 last week may have been the best single game in AI Survivor history. It was certainly one of the top-tier finishes we’ve ever seen. Not only did the match come down to the very last turn for a Spaceship Victory between Joao of Portugal and Victoria of England, but the final result hinged on a deep-layer probability factor. The early and mid-game were absolute bloodbaths; the “crazy warmonger” crew was sent to permanent naps, while a weakened Willem of the Netherlands launched a surprisingly impactful backstab against Joao. Joao managed to survive, eventually turning the tables to wipe Willem out completely with some late-game assistance from Vicky. Leveraging his massive land acquisitions, Joao grabbed a tech lead and, at one point, looked like a sure bet to reach the stars first. However, Vicky utilized the power of the Financial trait and an expertly timed Golden Age to surge ahead in the final stretch. She launched her spaceship first, forcing Joao’s hand. He did the only thing he could: frantically, he launched an unfinished ship. Because of the travel times, both ships were slated to reach the stars on the same turn. This setup typically forces a coin flip to determine the victor, but Joao’s odds were even worse due to the risk of mission failure. And then, the unthinkable happened: Joao’s ship exploded. The voyage failed, handing the English a dramatic, narrow victory.

This week, our CFC Knight of the Round Table a-pen-dragon achieved a 2nd place finish while Plains-Cow, Chik-fil-a enthusiast, holds a strong #4 position in the overall contest!

GAME 3 ON APRIL 17TH

Game 3 is shaping up to be the most balanced match of the season, featuring a perfect, volatile split between ruthless warmongers and calculating peacemongers. Leading the charge is the legendary Pacal of the Mayans—a certified “AI Survivor” powerhouse—closely shadowed by the unpredictable Suryavarman of the Khmer and a recently downgraded, yet still dangerous, Julius Caesar. They face a scrappy underclass of wildcards: Pericles of Greece, who remains a persistent dark horse capable of stealing a win under the right conditions; Qin Shi Huang of China, a resilient survivor whose traits often keep him in the game long past his expiration date; and the enigmatic Sitting Bull. While the Native American leader famously lives up to his name by doing nothing, his shocking victory last season proves that in this field, even the most passive player can seize the crown. Underestimate this group at your own peril—this match is anyone’s to lose.

CivFanatics user Blake00 has released his Command & Conquer Tiberian Africa Scenario for Sid Meier’s Civilization 2. His remaster takes Wonx2150’s original Civ2 CnC Africa scenario containing CnC1&2 units and overhauls its graphics & expands the unit lineups using assets from CnC2 Tiberian Sun and some of the best CnC fan projects out there! Many parts of Civ2 have been changed making this one of the larger Civ2 Gold total conversion mods made (although no match for the recent Civ2 Heroes of Might & Magic modpack) and it’s even bigger sister project the Civ2 Red Alert 2 Siege of New York scenario will be coming soon too. It’s a few decades late but he did it anyway! Check it out here.

Season 9 Game Two!

Sullla’s AI Survivor is an annual competition of all Civilization IV AI Leaders by long-time Civilization enthusiast and streamer Sullla. CFC is very excited to announce that the popular series returns after almost a two-year hiatus with Season Nine. AI Survivor has become quite an event over the years for both old and new Civ IV fans.

Game 1 Recap (click for write-up): Did I say peaceful leaders?! Well, this game proved far less peaceful than expected. Surprisingly, our good friend Mansa started the first ill-advised war in this game, and it all just got worse for him as he shockingly became the first leader to bite it. Meanwhile, our favorite underachiever and connoisseur of fine headwear, Hatsepshut (Hatty), got off to a reasonably promising start but failed to capitalize on any advantages. Hatty did survive the game, though, so she will get another chance to get that first win. Ultimately, Asoka pulled off a well-played and impressive Turn 298 Spaceship victory over a fierce challenge by Elizabeth. Cyrus of Persia and Kublai Khan were the other casualties.

I’m pleased to mention that our favorite resident CFC bovine, Plains-Cow, finished second in the Game 1 picking contest!

GAME 2 ON APRIL 10TH

Also, note that our favorite CFC Warrior Queen, Mylene (My), hosts her own friendly betting competitions (with fake ducats, of course..ha): a standalone single-game challenge and a season-long tournament. Make sure you join in the fun S9G2 Single Picks and S9G2 Contest Picking.

Sullla’s AI Survivor Season 9 continues Friday, April 10th, on Sullla’s Twitch Channel at noon EST. You make track the completion with the Current Bracket & Standings.

We welcome you to join the fun by discussing here.