Here we are, with Jamesds save, to continue our advance in China. Lets take a look on what we have and consider some short-term goals :
- Conquer Beijing
- Defend Beijing
To do so, we will need three galleys, 3 cats and a nice pack of axes/spears. So :
- Research Construction
- Whip cats with overflow in axes
- ATTACK!
Before hitting end of turn, I changed several things ( to fit the plan ). First of all, I changed CoL research to Construction. I whipped the first galley in Dur, switched Aqueduct to an axe in Akkad and switched Moai to Barracks in Borsippa. Also, I decided to go for a Great Scientist and put 2 citizens as Scientists in Akkad.
The galley embarked the scout and went to the Chinese territory. I met Qin next turn, who tried to get a deal with us :
Well, the answer was NO WAY. Never strengthen a future war target, especially if you dont need what he proposes. On the same turn, our galley discovered Guangzhou north to Beijing ( defended by an axe and an archer ). The scouting party went inland, and provided us with some knowledge about the Chinese capital :
It was defended only by an archer and a sword. But the cultural defenses were at 40%, so the cats will be necessary. Shanghai, the last Chinese city, was defended by an archer and two warriors. This initial scouting made me think ITS TIME TO ACT. We have to change the invasion spot due to culture the new one is on the western shore of a plain hill, three tiles south of Beijing.
In our country things went pretty well. The sheep got connected in Sippar, Barracks was done in Borsippa, and everyone was joyfully producing axes ( and one spear ). Babylon got two Scientists it got pretty decent size ( 8 ) so I decided to boost the research and generate another GS. Our spies provided us with some info about Qin he went for economy rather then military. Great news for us.
Another galley was up in Dur we started the third one asap. Some more axes appeared here and there. Sippar built the monument. My karma followed me pretty well since my first turn, so I wasnt at all surprised when :
Well, nothing to be done, especially when you are running at 0 gold. On the same turn, Confucianism was FIDL. It makes me think that, after we have conquered China, we should grab a religion ( Christ / Tao / Islam ? ).
When we finally get Construction, everything speeded up a bit. Research went on Currency ( to amplify the Great Lighthouse effect ), and two cities went for cats ( Dur, which has just chopped the last galley, and Babylon ). On the following turn, both cats were whipped. Babylon went back on a spear, while Dur started the Garden ( for happiness and health ). We met Suryavarman of Khmer, with whom we traded Monarchy for Alphabet. Two turns later, while we reached the end of the Chinese island ( another island
sigh ), our scout met Toku.
While we were pretty busy in our invasion preparations, I overlooked badly a pretty big threat near Sippur. A lone wandering Archer killed our worker on the hill next to the city, and was well placed to attack the warrior inside. An axe has been dispatched asap, but it was too late. Sippur got captured and lost its monument. We still conquered it back on the next turn, still we had to restart the monument  ( poor move of mine ).
In the meantime, a third Cat has been whipped in Akkad, and we were almost ready to go. Here is the situation in the turn before the war :
Our first wave is onboard : three cats, two axes and a spear. Six more axes wait for the second wave. We cancel open borders with Qin and attack in 300AD. Here is the China on the first turn of the war :
I upgraded the troops near Beijing giving CR promotions to the axes, medic to the spear and 2 combat and one Barrage to the cats. While the cats lowered Beijing defenses to 16%, the reinforcements were already in route :
Oh yeah, I almost forgot, the Temple of Salomon ( Jewish shrine ) was BIDL. Now, get back to the real stuff.
In 350AD, when Beijings defenses went down to 0, it was time to attack. This turn Qin whipped a sword in some vain try to avoid what couldnt be avoided. Our first axe took the Chinese axe at 66%. The second one took the sword at 77%. I decided also to suicide a cat to get some collateral damage and attacked with a spear to soften some more. At the end of the turn, Beijing was defended by a 0,8 Archer and 1,4 sword.
Next turn, all the brand new six axes were ready to fight. First axe took the archer at 98%. Beijing was captured by a CR 2 axe ( the same one which got Sippar back ) at 99,9 %.
With the nice war tribute ( 138 gold ), I set the research @ 100%. Two cats and undamaged axes went after Guangzhou.
In other fields of activity, non-wars I mean, Confu was FIDL ( turned out to be Toku ) and Pyramids were BIDL. We got our first Great Scientist in Babylon. He immediately built the Academy in capital, boosting pretty well our overall research.
On the next few turns, some troop movements were done in the chinese territory, in order to defend Beijing and attack Guangzhou. An axe took out a spear, which wandered next to Beijing ( sole attack formation that tried to come close to their former capital. In 450AD, attack has been ordered on Guangzhou ( two cats, four axes ). Barrage cat suicided in first turn, causing some nice collateral dammage. Having a nice streak of luck, three axes took an Archer ( 80% prob ) and two axes ( 71 and 99,9% ) capturing the city in the same turn :
On the same turn, a monument was whipped in Sippar and Nippur got the lighthouse.
Code of Laws discovered in 475AD. I choose Philosophy, so that we can get Taoism and run some religion. Dur gets its garden and starts a library. Sippar goes for an axe ( its still undefended I dont want to lose it twice ! ). Some happy civ ( not ours ) gets Hanging Gardens ( It ought to be ours! ).
On the chinese front, an axe took a spear near Beijing, while troops march on Shanghai. Beijing finished the revolt and we start to chop the monument. Chinese spy caught in Beijing wonder why they send spies instead of sending troops ??? Christianity FIDL.
Some axes terminate in the homeland ( we start a market in Babylon, granary in Sippar and garden in Akkad ) as Im not sure about the ourcome of the Shanghais battle ( city on the hill
), we get as much troops as we can. Chinese pump swords in Shanghai ( WHY? Are they defensive units???? ), while we get the defenses down to 0%.
Toku drops by in 550AD, asking for Monarchy ( no way buddy ). I start a courthouse in Nippur ( axe done ), while Beijing finishes the monument ( chopped ) and starts a courthouse.
Surya comes on the next turn to ask for open borders ( no problemo ). While we are on it, I get corn for clam to enhancen our friendship ( I think that our next objective is likely to be Toku ).
Shanghai is heavily defended in 575AD ( an archer, an axe and three swords, fortified and on a hill ). We have a cat and 6 axes ( plus 2 nearby ). I decide to take my chance Shanghai pumps troops, while our reinforcements are not as fast. Also, war weariness starts to rise
So, I order the attack. Every axe on field attacks, and we suffer severe damages ( two axes lost, two heavily wounded ). Defensive forces at the end of the turn : Sword @ 3,1 strength and Axe @ 2,3. But hey, we got a great general in Borsippa ( Military Academy? )
On our last turn, we have three full axes available to attack. I decide to suicide our last cat there are no more chinese cities and we have no war to come. Shanghai gets nice collateral damage leaving the axe @2,8 ( it almost recovered since the last turn ) and the sword @ 3,1. Two axes attack and finish the troops at more than 98% prob. And here we are :
Chinese are out of the game, on the last turn of this turnset. How handy!
Time to present our actual empire :
Babylon is on 2 scientists. Yes, it starves a bit
Akkad & Nippur are ok, Akkad going on a scientist of its own. Some land improvements appeared here and there.
Dur is working on a Library ( finish on the next turn ) and Borsippa has almost finished Moai Statues. We should go for the IW soon some useless jungle to be cleared in the north.
Let me present you Sippar, heavily attacked ( once even lost
) babylonian outpost. It is almost working the deer tile ( had to retreat the worker because of barbs ).
And now, our Chinese acquisitions :
Monument done in Beijing, Courthouse due in next turn ( chopped ), monument on its way in Guangzhou. Shanghai still revolting. And to the north, we have :
Some potential cottaging. A nice spot would be in the eastern coast, where all the resources are ( rice, silk & gems ). Still, nice space to expand. Toku is very close on the island just north of this map.
As for the next plans :
- Found Tao and spread it in our cities for happiness
- Get IW and clear jungles
- Get our economy up ( courthouses )
- Get Civil Service for Bureaucracy
- Expand two more cities to come on the main island, start colonizing former chinese territory ( someone wants to do some dotmapping? )
I felt tempted to reload, but that would be one of the cases where it wouldn’t be fair 
! No units lost! Economy now returns to a better state with the GL.
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