G-Minor XXVIII

[Ozbenno]

While the general Hall of Fame is an ongoing competition, we like to run time-definite competitions between updates that we call Gauntlets. Standard Hall of Fame rules (*) still apply, but any games meeting the settings will be counted towards the Gauntlet.

(*) Please read the >> HOF rules << BEFORE playing!

Settings:

• Victory Condition: Domination (though all victory conditions must be enabled)
• Difficulty: Immortal
• Map Size: Tiny
• Map Type: Inland Sea
• Speed: Marathon
• Leader: Germany (Bismark)
• Opponents: Any
• Version: SV8 (1.0.1.511)
• Date: 1st to 16th May 2012

The earliest finish date wins, with score as a tiebreaker.

[Ozbenno]

As suggested by vexing in the Gauntlet Suggestion thread.

[vexing]

barb army fun.

extra challenge: win without founding berlin.

[S.K. Ren]

Would that even be possible? You'd need... a lot of luck and... a little bit more luck... and finally a deal with the devil.

[Lord_Bubu]

Isn't "Immortal" a little too hard for a "minor" gauntlet?

[vexing]

marathon pace is at least -2 difficulty,
domination with germany compounds that further.

it's really not too difficult to complete this challenge.

[Arnold_T]

Hey Bubu,
yeah, I thought the same thing, but I think Vexing right. I have more Diety losses than wins, and all of my Diety wins are with Bismark, marathon speed, so this is definately doable at Immortal. I'm going to found Berlin though!

[Ozbenno]

Originally Posted by Lord_Bubu

Isn't "Immortal" a little too hard for a "minor" gauntlet?

Tiny map, marathon speed and a favourable leader makes it a minor fit.

[TyfoonTurk]

just to set a first time, got t112

teched only luxuries

[ColinTH]

By my standards at least, I say well done to you Tyfoon Turk, I managed turn 114.

I only found two ruins the first was a unit upgrade and the second an Indian scout beat me to it! I must say though, I had alot of luck from the barb huts, they mostly gave me units. I can't imagine doing any better than you no matter how many times I try!

EDIT - Ignore what I said about the ruins, I had three attempts at this challenge and got mixed up, I pcked up three or four ruins one of which gave me a useful map which outlined Delhi.

EDIT - I never play games like this and being as I am a stupid old git, I really did think that being on gold income minus would disrupt the fighting capabilities of my troops (der), Now that I know different (through trial and error) I might be able to approach this type of differently.

latest - finnish in 97 turns. I didn't get culture from any ruins, so I imagine the top guys will beat 90 turns!!

[vexing]

that can be improved upon. it's a matter of setting up a sufficient army, then generally you'll want to bait your opponents 3-4 warriors out of their capital and kill them off, then recover and capture their capital. since it's marathon there's little worry of them spewing more units in the meantime.

i recommend archery, since you pretty much have to get through the 3 warriors it's the easiest way to handle it safely. it also opens up barb archer spawning (and they're even stronger than your base archers).

sub 80 is possible.

[ColinTH]

Originally Posted by vexing

that can be improved upon. it's a matter of setting up a sufficient army, then generally you'll want to bait your opponents 3-4 warriors out of their capital and kill them off, then recover and capture their capital. since it's marathon there's little worry of them spewing more units in the meantime.

i recommend archery, since you pretty much have to get through the 3 warriors it's the easiest way to handle it safely. it also opens up barb archer spawning (and they're even stronger than your base archers).

sub 80 is possible.

Good stuff vexing, this is all news to me, I just gather a huge army and suffer unimaginable casualties (this is a consequence of playing dual games), I am sure there is alot for me to learn.

Thanks for the info and good gaming.

[FeiLing]

Just started and ended my first try:
First ruin on a hill next to a bar camp --> upgrade to spearman.
Attacking the barb camp (on flat plains) on the next turn, the spearman takes 8 damage and the brute 5. Obviously he kills the spearman next turn. What are the odds? I think the estimation was something like deal 7 dmg and take 5. Instead I took 8 and dealt only 5.

...

[vexing]

Originally Posted by FeiLing

What are the odds?

rhetorical perhaps... but interesting.

i think you got the prediction numbers wrong. on immortal a
spearman vs a fortified in plains barb should have been
7.7 vs 8.4
7 spearman base * 1.1 barb bonus vs 6 brute base * 1.4 (-10% for open terrain, +50% for fortified)

which makes the expected damage dealt 5.24, 57% of the time dealing 5 or less,
and the expected damage taken is 5.78, 9% of the time taking 8 damage (the max)
the prediction should have said expected to deal 5, and take 6

for the barb killing blow,
there was a 44% chance of the spear surviving, 56% chance of dying. the odds would have been about 79% chance of survival if the spear had been at 7 hp.

[FeiLing]

i think you got the prediction numbers wrong. on immortal a
spearman vs a fortified in plains barb should have been
7.7 vs 8.4
7 spearman base * 1.1 barb bonus vs 6 brute base * 1.4 (-10% for open terrain, +50% for fortified)

(...)

yeah, not really used to the low barb bonus on immortal (10%) or deity (0%).
I guess it still was very unlucky to take the maximum dmg (9% chance) and then the spear not surviving (roughly 50:50), so it was less than 5% chance of this worst case scenario

Anyway, failed with the 2nd attempt.

Finished on turn 90 with the 3rd attempt. Unfortunately didn't settle on a hill luxury. That would probably help a lot to reach the 80-mark.

[Sporaticus]

I'll see if I can get one by the 16th. I wonder if selecting Raging Barbarians would be a good idea......

[vexing]

Originally Posted by Sporaticus

I wonder if selecting Raging Barbarians would be a good idea......

it's about as good of an idea as trying to win without founding berlin.

[ColinTH]

Turn 78, and I have the last City (Delhi) surrounded, I have 9 warriors, 1 scout and an archer, I need two more positioning moves before I attack against their four warriors and an archer (Garrisoned).
I am thinking maybe 83 or 84 (total) turns to finnish, but instead on turn 90 all my units are dead.
The reason I got stuffed is because on turn 78 they aquired City Walls!
I have to say that was very frustrating!

I know this is not up to the standards of the top players but I have managed a turn 88 finnish.

[The Pilgrim]

Turn 76 on first attempt.
Played way too conservative. Shouldn't have waited for the second army to join. Could have sub 70. 2 archers+3 warriors + GG are enough to take a capital.
Fun challenge. No rerolling needed. Gotta try again.

BTW, sorry for noobish question, barely played Bismark before. Can archers from barb camps join you too? Got only warriors. All archers died.

[Tabarnak]

Originally Posted by Sporaticus

I'll see if I can get one by the 16th. I wonder if selecting Raging Barbarians would be a good idea......

Raging barbs don't help at raising the number of camps. Only the number of barbs getting out of camps. So it's only worse.