Which Nations Are Best for Turtling?

[AreaOfEffect]

A nation who's troops have high resources and low costs have to build up their army while at peace. That is terrible for turtling. Yet those with very low resource costs, like Hydras, can horde their income and pay for armies on the fly. It means that when you do build an army, it will be bigger then if you built one up during peace because you saved a lot of money on upkeep costs.

[Illuminated One]

@K

Well, your points are valid, however mostly so when you already have an advantage.
If you are making SCs only your enemy can make more this doesn't help you much. Same for research, only when you are going to have a good income already (or skull mentors), otherwise you just fall behind.
Chance is that early on is your best bet to fight a bloodless fight with/against the right nations (Hinnom vs. Ulm for instance).
Even if you loose 2000 gold but take provinces worth 500 gp per turn it pays off very early and you can then more than catch up on research.
And if you are turtling through this with a third nation if you wait until they catch up through income you haven't gained that much.

[Agema]

Originally Posted by AreaOfEffect

A nation who's troops have high resources and low costs have to build up their army while at peace. That is terrible for turtling. Yet those with very low resource costs, like Hydras, can horde their income and pay for armies on the fly. It means that when you do build an army, it will be bigger then if you built one up during peace because you saved a lot of money on upkeep costs.

True, but in my view very unsafe.

Without a substantial, standing military, the first thing an aggressor would consider would be to drop thugs/SCs or heavy unrest on all the fortresses. Thus he'd be facing a nation with no army and at least a few turns before he can build one. The turtler should be able to clear his fortresses and build an army eventually, but by then half his empire might be occupied.