I take Nationalism for free.
Only Peter is willing to trade and wont offer us a worthwhile deal.
Ill wait for the monastery to finish in Madrid, then start a GA build for Taj while also swapping to free religion.
With the change to free religion, Ramesses is now completely neutral towards us, Shaka is at +4 but not pleased and Peter is up to +7. Darius still doesnt like us.
I take the weakly defended Izumo with no losses. Despite discovering Feudalism (finally!) the previous turn, Toku hasnt upgraded anything to Longbows yet. Taking Izumo also added an extra turn to his research.
Shaka randomly decides to cancel trading us gems + gold for clams and fish. I cant get him to part with the gems for anything less than 3 resources so I dont agree to anything.
Peter demands we cancel our deals with Darius. I agree. Since we only have open borders with him.
Engineering --> Guilds
Ramesses uses a GE to build Taj. Notre Dame is built the same turn.
Toku moves a stack to retake Izumo, should be safe but I upgrade a Spearman to a Pike just in case.
The stack splits up to pillage. I take out an isolated catapult. I move our stack towards Shimoseki.
The stack, bolstered by some catapults in the fog, attacks Izumo. Aside from one HA withdrawing, they are all killed. At the same time he attacks our stack but again with little effect. All this gives us a GG in Madrid, Ill let the team decide how to use him.
I destroy all but one unit in Shimoseki after 2 softening catapults. The next player has the option to take it next turn. I dont take it because wed only have 1-2 units in there this turn.
And thats the final turn. Many of our cities are building temples or other happiness related buildings as were suffering a bit there. Guilds finished on the last turn and the next player can decide where to go techwise. Toku has started upgrading to Longbows now, but so long as we knock the defences down, our highly promoted Praets/Maces/Berserkers have no problem.
Heres the south at the moment, the stack shown is 1NW of Shimoseki.
Were also up to #1 in GNP and production, albeit by a small margin.
Archduke is UP!