Best Civs for Age IV & V Supremacy?

[stubbo]

Which are the best/most OP civs when it comes to age IV and V.

Most games with my pals end up as Supremacy games, but with none of us particular rushers, it tends to be a race for Age IV and then the attacks start, especially trying to stop one of the players who is always France getting to Age V and spamming Gendarmes repeatedly.

So what do you think? Prussia are good at stopping the Gendarmes waves for me, and I like the Swedish. I've always played Ports pre-NE as the Dragoons countered the Gendarmes brilliantly, but eventually the French economy would grind me down.

Also there's much talk of India being good in the late game, but how about the late-late game?

What say you all...who is best when it comes to Ages IV and V?

[Silmariel]

Prussia is surely the best to counter gendarmes and a very good all-around civ.
DHH can train instant and have and insane multiplier of x4,5 against cavalry if the sabres tech is researched at the arsenal. Their Schütze heavy infantry owns other heavy infantry.

Sweden has very a strong, quick spawning army but their eco will suck in late-late-late game as you cannot use your wood mass except if you are teaming with Austria who can put it to good use. I'm not sure, do they have a exchange shipment like turning all wood into food/coin? Then it could be useful, even though that's more of a treaty strat.

I particularly like Austria, even though it's not that strong. Esp. on maps with few wood you cannot really win, as all infantry units train too slowly except Grenzers which cost wood. Instant Dragoons can keep Gendarms at bay, while sneaking with your explorer behind enemy lines and train instant hussars there allows some solid harassment.