Antwerp is mine!!!!! I repeat, Antwerp is mine!!! It only took 132 turns of war with a CS, but I took him down and now KSM is all mine!!!
I had to pump out a couple of extra Xbows and it took a lot more strategy and stupidity on the AI, but the unbreakable walls finally fell. We shall sing songs for generations about the stubbornness and bravery of the mighty Antwerpian (now Incan) fighters. Poetically, the moment the city fell, 7 of these brave units disappeared in a puff of smoke, almost as if they had been swept off to the Halls of Valhalla (or wherever the Antwerpian warrior cult sends its heroes).
I sent 2 semi-useless catapults and a pony North of the city where they did very little damage but served to distract 4-5 Antwerpian units at all times, which kept those units away from the Logistics Xbows who were using the the hills to whittle the city's defenses down. I rotated 4-5 less experienced Xbows in and out of the Dyes, where the silly city and its ranged unit kept targeting them, only to be replaced by fresh Xbow-bait the next turn while the first went home to heal. Roads were paramount in this assault and I'd not have taken the city in as "timely" of a manner if it weren't for the Pyramids. I lost one unit, a Pike, on the last turn before sacking my prize.
This came exactly 10 turns before the WF, so I had time for Antwerp to get out of resistance and build a Courthouse just in time to participate in the WF effort.
Elsewhere in the world, Izzy had wiped out Portugal completely and most of the world wasn't very happy about that. Sadly, I had signed a DoF with Izzy just before she let her warmongering tendencies be known, so several of the AI's were less fond of me that they previously had been. The DoF expired right around the time I took Antwerp (should I rename that city Valhalla?). I was then able to bribe the other AI leader Shoshone to DoW Spain (who was now at war with Pedro).
Shoshone and Hiawatha hadn't done much besides sending troops to our mutual borders so they could watch my assault and occasionally let me know that the other one was plotting against me. Pacal is no longer willing to give me DoF, but I just sent a TR to him and will denounce Spain once my exploring Trireme clears her territory (and satisfy a CS quest), so maybe he'll forgive me for my earlier poor choice in friends. Monte has been way too quiet, and he's got all of the military Wonders so far.
I won WF so easily I didn't even have to burn a GA. I even stopped working on it altogether 2 turns before completion once I had passed 1200 hammers. A natural Golden Age hit the very turn it ended, so culture is flying now. Also, on the turn it ended I got a natural Social Policy, so that was 2 immediate policies, tons of culture, and Cusco is 2 turns from finishing Oxford to Radio for 2 more policies. This will be more social policies in a short period of time than I've ever had, and I'll likely be taking Freedom (Pedro was first and took Order, but he's unlikely to survive Spain's assault, even with Shoshone flanking). I am not ready for war with Spain as even experienced Xbows won't do much damage to a horde of Tercios and Conquistadors. This is Spain's sweet spot in the game and I'd rather wait them out. Maybe Monte will accept some gold to add a 3rd flank on her.
I sent a couple of units to try to block Spain from taking Wittenberg, but I'm thinking I may let her have it eventually (if she doesn't take it on her own). I'm thinking I could liberate the CS and have a nice cheap base to bombard the land formerly known as Portugal. Perhaps when my FLeas come on line (FLeas is my new name for Foreign Legions).
Plan now is to lay low for a bit while teching hard for Labs (after grabbing Archeology). I'll need to get some museums up and I'm going to open Exploration so I can GE Louvre on the next Social Policy (2nd natural GE just spawned and I'm pumping out good FPT so should be able to buy a couple more). I'm less than thrilled with my Iron and Aluminum supply (a big fat ZERO.....who made this map anyways?). I need Aluminum ASAP as all 5 cities would benefit from Hydro Plants. Perhaps some CS work is needed.....
Cusco is a freakin monster of a city and I'll send the hammer TR's there as food as soon as they expire. I'm thinking I have a shot at 45+ pop achievement but I'm going to run out of slots to work as the ocean tiles are completely barren of fish. This map isn't done with surprises/challenges I guess.
..Thanks for explaining. I havent played map yet but if Brazil is closest neighbor it makes semiwar cultural victory sometimes easier if you start war after they have Brazilfood camps. If they are far away then its different.
and [7]. My DP caused [3] to backstab [4], and I expect [3] to eat [4]. That should at least keep [3] busy for a while.
