Civilization V - Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar II)

A guide to the Babylonian Civ led by Nebuchadnezzar II in Civilization 5. Includes information on civ Specials, Unique Units, and Buildings. Offers tips and ideas for workable strategies.

• King Nebuchadnezzar
• Civilization V - Babylon (nebuchadnezzar Ii) Full
• Civilization V - Babylon (nebuchadnezzar Ii) 1
• Nebuchadnezzar Babylon Empire
• Civilization V - Babylon (nebuchadnezzar Ii) 3

Civ 6 might be the hottest Civilization game at the moment, but I can’t help but love Civ 5.

I don’t know if it’s the game’s art, or if I just found the gameplay so smooth, but this is easily in my top Civ games ever.

And I know that there are many people that still play it to this day, and absolutely love it.

So if you’re firing up another campaign and you’re looking for help on leadership, I’ll be ranking all the best leaders here. So you can make the right choice on your next Civilization V playthrough.

My picks are organized by victory type and civilization, so this should be easy to skim as well.

Best Leaders for Science Victory (Civ V)

Science victories have always been the most fun, because they allow you to research crazy technologies many ages after they existed in the real world.

1. Nebuchadnezzar II (c. 634 - 562 BC) was king of Babylon for some 43 years (605-562 BC). He is best known for his military conquests and his restoration of th.
2. Previously available exclusively as part of the Digital Deluxe Edition, the Babylonian Civilization Pack and their ruler, Nebuchadnezzar II (c. 561 B.C.), is now available as a separate download.

There’s nothing more hilarious than seeing canons in the second century, at least in my opinion!

Here are my picks for the best leaders for a Science victory, if that’s your kinda thing.

Babylon – Nebuchadnezzar II

Although not as well-rounded as Korea, Babylon has a bunch of small improvements that will help you go for a science victory, and advance in technological discoveries much quicker than other civs.

With Babylon, you can build an academy very early on.

This makes it one of the best civilizations in general (well, for a science victory). They lack a strong military, though. So fair warning.

Korea – Sejong

Korea is arguably the best civilization in the game if you’re looking to get a science victory.

They have a special ability where all Great Person improvements, as well as all specialists, get a +2 bonus to science.

This will allow you to turn a ton of your tiles into science-oriented ones.

King Nebuchadnezzar

You should also look to build science-oriented wonders above anything else, too. You can use the improvements on them to boost the science yield even further!

Best Leaders for Culture Victory (Civ V)

Whether you’d like to sell your soul to the devil and become like Dubai, or follow a more traditional cultural path a la Europe, you’ll want to pick one of these leaders (and/or civs) to start your new game on the cultural side.

Brazil – Pedro II

Brazil will see you getting more tourists than any other.

Mostly thanks to their bonus for doubling all tourists in the region, as well as the unique ability to summon extra Great Persons when a Golden Age arises.

If you want an easy win and you’re going for a cultural victory, you’ll want to give the Brazilians a try. They will not disappoint.

Besides, they do have some rather strong units that will help you defend your territory against any incoming foes, should the chance for war draw close to your touristic borders.

Egypt – Ramesses II

Even though Egypt is seen as a powerful militaristic civilization in the game, it allows for various playthroughs that make it a well-rounded civ as a whole.

Egypt’s ability to create wonders faster than anyone else is probably the main reason why so many people love them. And that’s exactly why I think they’re the best for a cultural victory.

Spam those wonders and win, my son.

Best Leaders for Diplomacy Victory (Civ V)

Honestly, I never found it entertaining to play for a Diplomacy victory.

Why play peacefully when you can nuke the living crap out of your enemies? Virtually, of course.

In any case, these are my favorite leaders for a Diplomacy victory.

Venice – Enrico Dandolo

Added in the Brave New World update, the Venetian civilization is one of the best for a diplomacy victory, thanks to its unique gameplay strategies.

Civilization V - Babylon (nebuchadnezzar Ii) Full

These are far too complex to go into details, but the way the Venetians build up their diplomacy is, alone, a fantastic reason to give them a go when opting for this path.

If you’re interested to learn more there’s actually this guide, well worth a read.

Siam – Ramkhamhaeng

I always found it great to play with city-states as your allies.

And I have to say that there’s no better way to do it than with the Siam.

You’ll be able to increase your Food, Culture, and Faith by becoming friendlier with city-states, which can be done easily thanks to the diplomatic bonuses of the civilization.

City-states will also help you build up a strong military so you can focus on your diplomacy all you want, without forgetting about your armies.

Best Leaders for Domination Victory (Civ V)

Ah, Domination.

Destroy cities, conquer your enemies, and annoy Gandhi to the point where he’ll decide to nuke you and start the most dangerous war in the history of Earth.

But which Civ 5 leaders are best fit for the role?

Poland – Casimir III

If you love cavalry, you’ll want to use Poland.

Not only do they have unique Winged Hussars, but also a unique type of stable that’s way superior to the average one in the game.

Poland is not only one for the best civilizations for a domination victory, but it also stands as the best rounded-up civilization in the game.

You can actually pick Poland and go for any type of victory. That’s how awesome they are.

Zulu – Shaka

The Zulu have a unique unit that makes it one of the coolest civs out there, as well as a powerful military bonus that will have you looking for a domination victory as soon as the game starts.

You’ll be able to make it pretty far into a Civ 5 campaign if you opt for an early rush strategy. But the mid-game is where the Zulu becomes the most powerful here.

Hunnic – Attila

Atilla and the Huns are the most offensive civilization in the game, run by one hell of a leader.

Civilization V - Babylon (nebuchadnezzar Ii) 1

They have siege units available earlier than any other civ, while also having Attila as their Leader, who’s the best conqueror the world has ever seen.

As a Hun, you’ll want to rush your enemies in the early game and take full advantage of your early-game siege and powerful infantry.

Wipe the floors and conquer the world before the game is even halfway done.

Learning Objective

• Describe the key characteristics of the Second Dynasty of Isin

Key Points

• Following the collapse of the First Babylonian Dynasty under Hammurabi, the Babylonian Empire entered a period of relatively weakened rule under the Kassites for 576 years. The Kassite Dynasty eventually fell itself due to the loss of territory and military weakness.
• The Kassites were succeeded by the Elamites, who themselves were conquered by Marduk-kabit-ahheshu, the founder of the Second Dynasty of Isin.
• Nebuchadnezzar I was the most famous ruler of the Second Dynasty of Isin. He enjoyed military successes for the first part of his career, then turned to peaceful building projects in his later years.
• The Babylonian Empire suffered major blows to its power when Nebuchadnezzar’s sons lost a series of wars with Assyria, and their successors effectively became vassals of the Assyrian king. Babylonia descended into a period of chaos in 1026 BCE.

Terms

Assyrian Empire

A major Semitic empire of the Ancient Near East which existed as an independent state for a period of approximately nineteen centuries.

Nebuchadnezzar I

The most famous ruler of the Second Dynasty of Isin, who sacked the Elamite capital of Susa and devoted himself to peaceful building projects after securing Babylonia’s borders.

Elamites

An ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of modern-day Iran.

Kassite Dynasty

An ancient Near Eastern people who controlled Babylonia for nearly 600 years after the fall of the First Babylonian Dynasty.

Marduk-kabit-ahheshu

Overthrower of the Elamites and the founder of the Second Dynasty of Isin.

Kudurru

A type of stone document used as boundary stones and as records of land grants to vassals by the Kassites in ancient Babylonia.

Following the collapse of the First Babylonian Dynasty under Hammurabi, the Babylonian Empire entered a period of relatively weakened rule under the Kassites for 576 years— the longest dynasty in Babylonian history. The Kassite Dynasty eventually fell due to the loss of territory and military weakness, which resulted in the evident reduction in literacy and culture. In 1157 BCE, Babylon was conquered by Shutruk-Nahhunte of Elam.

The Elamites did not remain in control of Babylonia long, and Marduk-kabit-ahheshu (1155-1139 BCE) established the Second Dynasty of Isin. This dynasty was the very first native Akkadian-speaking south Mesopotamian dynasty to rule Babylon, and was to remain in power for some 125 years. The new king successfully drove out the Elamites and prevented any possible Kassite revival. Later in his reign, he went to war with Assyria and had some initial success before suffering defeat at the hands of the Assyrian king Ashur-Dan I. He was succeeded by his son Itti-Marduk-balatu in 1138 BCE, who was followed a year later by Ninurta-nadin-shumi in 1137 BCE.

Nebuchadnezzar I (1124-1103 BCE) was the most famous ruler of the Second Dynasty of Isin. He not only fought and defeated the Elamites and drove them from Babylonian territory but invaded Elam itself, sacked the Elamite capital Susa, and recovered the sacred statue of Marduk that had been carried off from Babylon. In the later years of his reign, he devoted himself to peaceful building projects and securing Babylonia’s borders. His construction activities are memorialized in building inscriptions of the Ekituš-ḫegal-tila, the temple of Adad in Babylon, and on bricks from the temple of Enlil in Nippur. A late Babylonian inventory lists his donations of gold vessels in Ur. The earliest of three extant economic texts is dated to Nebuchadnezzar’s eighth year; in addition to two kudurrus and a stone memorial tablet, they form the only existing commercial records. These artifacts evidence the dynasty’s power as builders, craftsmen, and managers of the business of the empire.

Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by his two sons, firstly Enlil-nadin-apli (1103-1100 BCE), who lost territory to Assyria, and then Marduk-nadin-ahhe (1098-1081 BCE), who also went to war with Assyria. Some initial success in these conflicts gave way to catastrophic defeat at the hands of Tiglath-pileser I, who annexed huge swathes of Babylonian territory, thereby further expanding the Assyrian Empire. Following this military defeat, a terrible famine gripped Babylon, which invited attacks from Semitic Aramean tribes from the west.

In 1072 BCE, King Marduk-shapik-zeri signed a peace treaty with Ashur-bel-kala of Assyria. His successor, Kadašman-Buriaš, however, did not maintain his predecessor’s peaceful intentions, and his actions prompted the Assyrian king to invade Babylonia and place his own man on the throne. Assyrian domination continued until c. 1050 BCE, with the two reigning Babylonian kings regarded as vassals of Assyria. Assyria descended into a period of civil war after 1050 BCE, which allowed Babylonia to once more largely free itself from the Assyrian yoke for a few decades.

Nebuchadnezzar Babylon Empire

However, Babylonia soon began to suffer repeated incursions from Semitic nomadic peoples migrating from the west, and large swathes of Babylonia were appropriated and occupied by these newly arrived Arameans, Chaldeans, and Suteans. Starting in 1026 and lasting till 911 BCE, Babylonia descended into a period of chaos.

Civilization V - Babylon (nebuchadnezzar Ii) 3

Sources