Many Leaders Game 3 - Prince Domination

i replayed my first 100, but escorted the settler this time ~ VASTLY different game

razed 2 of shaka's cities, captured Ulundi; he still has 3 more cities, though!! unbelievable expansion, no?? I wonder if that's one of Blake's AI routines. HOwever, they aren't defended by a skeleton garrison either ~ 2 archers and an axe are the norm!!

Yeah - I hit him in the current round - he was a really tough cookie - had to raze or capture 6 cities. If I hadn't been going flat out war focus, don't think I'd have managed it. Seemed a lot for Prince level - felt a lot harder

Think he managed to leverage that amazing capital properly. Nice to see!

Ouch
Will you play on to show us all that you can make amazing comebacks?

Great minds think alike!

I was pretty lucky in my campaigns, given that Shaka had only three cities, and did not settle copper yet. On top of that, Izzy had only TWO cities, and Barcelona was sorely defended by a single warrior.

indeed, i WILL play on, if only to see what can be done. to be honest, though, if it wasn't for the play 50 turns, then wait routine, i probably wouldn't have the gumption to keep going. Now I can come back with a plan . . . pray!!

When last we left our hero, the workers were just finishing up a copper mine north of Utrecht. Interestingly enough, the copper mine, which was adjacent to Utrecht, could not supply it with copper, although it was able to use two rivers to get said copper to Amsterdam. The plan was build Axes, tech to alphabet, trade as much as possible with Shaka and Isabella, settle near the plains gold, and then smashie smashie.

On the way, it seemed like a nice idea to get Oracle. It seemed even nicer to someone else in a far away land 2 turns before I would have gotten it. To add insult to injury, I lost a mine at Amsterdam the same turn, but was unable to save it because I didn’t get the cash from it until next turn.



I ended up continuing with the Temple of Artemis, which was built in Amsterdam in 550 B.C.



Alphabet achieved, ring up Shaka and Isabella, both think I am a heathen. They’re probably right. On the bright side, they’re not terribly fond of each other, either. I like how Isabella doesn’t have mining yet. Grabbed iron working next, right now I have literature selected, but I think I might start after the Optics techs instead.



Built about a half dozen axes and a couple of bonus spearmen, and they are poised on Shaka’s borders. Iron is being hooked up in my third settled city, The Hague (which was founded by an unescorted settler :shock for Swordsmen, but I’ll hopefully start the invasion with the Swordsmen still under construction.

Here is the southern map in 375, with placement of Shaka’s troops. You'll notice that he has at least one more city in the tundra down south:



And the north, with The Hague, and some indication of Isabella’s territory:



Domination percentage:



and Demographics:



I’m looking forward to the smashie smashie early next turnset.

I have never tried Praetorians rush before ( first time I ever play Rome ), that's why I had to play this way. When I've seen Zulus next to me getting Slavery in turn 25 or so, I understood that I must go faster than waiting for Iron.

As in your game Kodii, Zulu hasn't expanded like in the other games - it's gonna be a tough one for you guys. Anyway, should I've waited for a few more turns, it was going to become impossible.

When I attacked him, first axes were getting built in his cities. Ulundi had already four military units, not to mention other cities.

On the other hand, I felt almost sorry for Izzy. It's pathetic - starting next to Shaka, not being able to pump anything else than two archers ( one in the capital and one next to it!!! - staying on the stupid forest hill while Praetorians are coming close to Madrid ), one warrior in Barcelona and one scouting warrior...

Now it will be very funny - I have 8 cities and no CoL, no Currency and very little chances to land GLight...

I continue to expand peacefully for the time being, researching Construction and Currency, while building workers and axes.

1720: Dur-Kurigalazu founded to block Isabella and claim gold and rice.
1520: Mathematics is in, Currency started

1200: City by the ivory founded. Just in time, Shaka had a settler only one tile away
1120: Gold connected, research rate 80%. Later elephants are also connected, letting me grow my cities.

575: Shaka, true to form, declares war. I have lots of axes and spears but no catapults, so I mainly defend myself for the time being.
525: Construction in, starting catapults in all cities.

With catapults I should be able to attack Shaka. Isabella is no threat, and she will be the next target.

so far, looks we're the only 2 Shaka got the drop on ~luckily, you were more prepared than i

Not much to say, so I'll give you the Comic book:




Map375 BC
F8

F9 - power
Demo screen
Shaka spread agressively, bu not as much as I expected ( maybe heading other way ?) Izzy does not look like being expanding at all.....

Shaka is not ploting against no one ATM ( he's willing to DoW Izzy )....
Next stop: MC, forges, Collosus. Construction, cats, bye Shaka
Will settle near the northern phants ( not spetacular but has a FP to give food )

Put off playing this for several days. Basic choice was chasing Glight and expanding slowly or axe-rush Shaka. In the end I decided to go for the axe-rush. Kept the two cities I had at the beginning of the round, they built nothing except axes. 20 of them in fact, of which 8 have died so far. Shaka had quite a few axes as well as impis and archers. Declared war about 900bc, captured three Zulu cities, looks like there's two remaining (copper city and new founded city).


Meanwhile my workboat was exploring up north, there's a lot of islands up there and no obvious link to another continent (though culture bridges could appear later I suppose).
Techwise its been pretty slow which is hardly surprising, picked up IW and Compass for Cothons which might help the economy. Great Lighthouse still hasn't been built anywhere, so that's one to consider.