This is a shadow game inspired by Verto1's Prince of the World #1: Frederick. In his game, based on DMOC's http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=8477406&postcount=8suggestion, he started by settling on the copper hill and pull off an axe rush on several european civs. After studying his screenshot, I did a little calculation and figured that I could actually get a much earlier axe rush and hit the neighbors hard before they even get archery. So, I gave it a try on the almost same settings except I chose to use normal speed which is my preferrence.
So here is my game, and the settings are World Civ18, Frederick, Prince/Normal on BTS 3.19 with BUG 4.0.
Also, a note here: I haven't got the habbit of taking screenshots while playing the game. However, I do keep all the autosaves in most cases. So was this game. All my screenshots except a handful ones were taken by reloading the autosaves. So, what cities were starting to build could be different from the actual game later on as i don't remember them all.
Turn 0:
Starting move, scout heads west to claim the hut and settler heads SE for the copper mine.
Turn 1:
Build the city, start building worker, nothing much.
Research BW
However, due to huge map, i need 16 turns for BW instead of 13 or so on a standard map. This means the worker couldn't do much until BW is researched. Well, I'll leave with it. The worker and the chop are way more important in my strategy.
Turn 2:
Popped a Masonry from the hut. Scount turns to get another hut to the SE of Berlin.
Turn 6:
Berlin culture grows. And looking back from now I'm kind of regret I actually used the pig hill rather than the 3F1C tiles because this slowed down the research of BW 1 turn. I was thinking when I was playing. Just thought more prod was better!
And the scout popped AH from the 2nd hut. This is cool!
Turn 14:
The worker is out. And we still have 3 turns to waste. Can't build a cheap warrior, it'd turn to a useless spear guy right after the BW is researched. Another worker or settler will slow down the city growth. So I picked the Barracks, just for 3 turns.
And, the scout popped yet another tech, The Wheel. This is now rather humiliating.
All 3 techs were actually on my research path, not my immediate rush plan, though. But it take down the game to another easier level, I had to admit.
My next research plan, Fishing -> Sailing. I might have gone for AH/Masonry before Sailing if I had not been lucky with huts.
Turn 16:
The turn before I got BW, I moved worker into a forest. This saves one turn of chopping.
Turn 17:
BW! Now let's talk about the business. The citizen back to pig hill again and worker started to chop. First axe expected to appear in 4 turns (4H*4 from city and 1 chop from worker every 4 turns (1 turn move in and 3 turn of chopping) for 20H is 36H for a 35H axeman).
Turn 21:
Axeman 1
Let's wait for an another axe before we started roaming. The concern was single point of failure. The risk was more time for neighbors to get archery.
Turn 25:
Axeman 2
Let's go!
Turn 27:
Invasion of France. Let's draw the first blood from the warrior!
Turn 28:
Axeman 3
No archery from France means the fall of Paris to the all-mighty axe. A worker was captured hiding in the city together with 55 gold.
The city is still focused on pumping more axes after population rise to 2.
Turn 32:
Invasion of Roman.
Turn 33:
Fall of Rome, for 1 worker and 77 gold. Nice return!
Turn 34:
Invasion of Greece, with a single axe. The reason is, to beat the archery, and if an archer showed up the next turn. I'd just choke Alex to death by denying his way out and waiting for my axe army to arrive.
Isabella has a warrior out scouting after both Paris and Rome culture collapse. This is good and bad. The good is one less defender in the city and bad is this roaming warrior could cause trouble as it did in Verto1's game.
Turn 35:
Fall of Athens, with a worker and 78 gold.
Now I can turn my focus on Isabella and sending new axe to east.
Turn 37:
With the worker captured from Paris joining chopping at Berlin. One of the worker started to work on the river pig for city growth.
Tech wise, after Sailing, most cities are connected due to watery routes. I should have gone for Mysticism as the SH would be a good wonder to grow all the newly conquered city back to full strength. However, in reality, I wasted a few turns in Writting before i noticed Mysticism was more urgent than the libraries. So don't be confused from the screenshots because it was taken by loading the autosaves.
Axe 4 and 5 now head NE, supposedly to rush Cathy.
And, invasion of Spain
Turn 39:
Spanish might put up a flight with 2 warriors in the city face a lone axe. Because the 2nd axe was left behind guarding Rome for the roaming warrior Isabella sent out.
Turn 40:
Or not. One of the warrior went out with the worker, which left only one warrior in the city. So there was the fall of Madrid with 70 gold and a holy Hindu city.
So, in 40 turns, I've sacked 4 capitals with just 3 axemen. Axe 4 and 5 turned out eventually empty handed in the east because Cathy simply showed me some archers inside her border which was enough to stop my invasion plan.
Turn 50:
A quick summary time.
The 5 cities. Note that the paris is building a galley because London was still just showing warrior(s).
Tech path, after Writing, went for Alphabet.
On the diplomatic front, notice that I haven't sign OB with many civs yet. Because there were many worst enemy relations out there. I don't want to be bothered this early.
My scout survived all the way through south Asia jungle and eventually got cocky and died in the Gobi dessert. Among the old world civs only Monsa and Toku were missing. I know Monsa would eventually show up and as for the Toku guy, I don't expect anything from him, not even OB.
I have chopped SH in Berlin on turn earlier. A little late, but beated everybody.
And I'm building Moai Statues in Rome. Also sending 2 of the workers to Madrid to mine the silver there to improve happy cap by 1. Well, at this stage, every one counts!
To Be Continued.
So here is my game, and the settings are World Civ18, Frederick, Prince/Normal on BTS 3.19 with BUG 4.0.
Also, a note here: I haven't got the habbit of taking screenshots while playing the game. However, I do keep all the autosaves in most cases. So was this game. All my screenshots except a handful ones were taken by reloading the autosaves. So, what cities were starting to build could be different from the actual game later on as i don't remember them all.
Turn 0:
Starting move, scout heads west to claim the hut and settler heads SE for the copper mine.
Spoiler :
Turn 1:
Build the city, start building worker, nothing much.
Research BW
However, due to huge map, i need 16 turns for BW instead of 13 or so on a standard map. This means the worker couldn't do much until BW is researched. Well, I'll leave with it. The worker and the chop are way more important in my strategy.
Spoiler :
Turn 2:
Popped a Masonry from the hut. Scount turns to get another hut to the SE of Berlin.
Spoiler :
Turn 6:
Berlin culture grows. And looking back from now I'm kind of regret I actually used the pig hill rather than the 3F1C tiles because this slowed down the research of BW 1 turn. I was thinking when I was playing. Just thought more prod was better!
And the scout popped AH from the 2nd hut. This is cool!
Spoiler :
Turn 14:
The worker is out. And we still have 3 turns to waste. Can't build a cheap warrior, it'd turn to a useless spear guy right after the BW is researched. Another worker or settler will slow down the city growth. So I picked the Barracks, just for 3 turns.
Spoiler :
And, the scout popped yet another tech, The Wheel. This is now rather humiliating.
All 3 techs were actually on my research path, not my immediate rush plan, though. But it take down the game to another easier level, I had to admit.Spoiler :
My next research plan, Fishing -> Sailing. I might have gone for AH/Masonry before Sailing if I had not been lucky with huts.
Spoiler :
Turn 16:
The turn before I got BW, I moved worker into a forest. This saves one turn of chopping.
Spoiler :
Turn 17:
BW! Now let's talk about the business. The citizen back to pig hill again and worker started to chop. First axe expected to appear in 4 turns (4H*4 from city and 1 chop from worker every 4 turns (1 turn move in and 3 turn of chopping) for 20H is 36H for a 35H axeman).
Spoiler :
Turn 21:
Axeman 1
Let's wait for an another axe before we started roaming. The concern was single point of failure. The risk was more time for neighbors to get archery.
Spoiler :
Turn 25:
Axeman 2
Let's go!
Spoiler :
Turn 27:
Invasion of France. Let's draw the first blood from the warrior!
Spoiler :
Turn 28:
Axeman 3
No archery from France means the fall of Paris to the all-mighty axe. A worker was captured hiding in the city together with 55 gold.
Spoiler :
The city is still focused on pumping more axes after population rise to 2.
Spoiler :
Turn 32:
Invasion of Roman.
Spoiler :
Turn 33:
Fall of Rome, for 1 worker and 77 gold. Nice return!
Spoiler :
Turn 34:
Invasion of Greece, with a single axe. The reason is, to beat the archery, and if an archer showed up the next turn. I'd just choke Alex to death by denying his way out and waiting for my axe army to arrive.
Isabella has a warrior out scouting after both Paris and Rome culture collapse. This is good and bad. The good is one less defender in the city and bad is this roaming warrior could cause trouble as it did in Verto1's game.
Spoiler :
Turn 35:
Fall of Athens, with a worker and 78 gold.
Now I can turn my focus on Isabella and sending new axe to east.Spoiler :
Turn 37:
With the worker captured from Paris joining chopping at Berlin. One of the worker started to work on the river pig for city growth.
Tech wise, after Sailing, most cities are connected due to watery routes. I should have gone for Mysticism as the SH would be a good wonder to grow all the newly conquered city back to full strength. However, in reality, I wasted a few turns in Writting before i noticed Mysticism was more urgent than the libraries. So don't be confused from the screenshots because it was taken by loading the autosaves.
Axe 4 and 5 now head NE, supposedly to rush Cathy.
Spoiler :
And, invasion of Spain
Spoiler :
Turn 39:
Spanish might put up a flight with 2 warriors in the city face a lone axe. Because the 2nd axe was left behind guarding Rome for the roaming warrior Isabella sent out.
Spoiler :
Turn 40:
Or not. One of the warrior went out with the worker, which left only one warrior in the city. So there was the fall of Madrid with 70 gold and a holy Hindu city.
So, in 40 turns, I've sacked 4 capitals with just 3 axemen. Axe 4 and 5 turned out eventually empty handed in the east because Cathy simply showed me some archers inside her border which was enough to stop my invasion plan.
Spoiler :
Turn 50:
A quick summary time.
The 5 cities. Note that the paris is building a galley because London was still just showing warrior(s).
Tech path, after Writing, went for Alphabet.
On the diplomatic front, notice that I haven't sign OB with many civs yet. Because there were many worst enemy relations out there. I don't want to be bothered this early.
Spoiler :
My scout survived all the way through south Asia jungle and eventually got cocky and died in the Gobi dessert. Among the old world civs only Monsa and Toku were missing. I know Monsa would eventually show up and as for the Toku guy, I don't expect anything from him, not even OB.
Spoiler :
I have chopped SH in Berlin on turn earlier. A little late, but beated everybody.
And I'm building Moai Statues in Rome. Also sending 2 of the workers to Madrid to mine the silver there to improve happy cap by 1. Well, at this stage, every one counts!
Spoiler :
To Be Continued.
Maybe I was looking for Construction next for the catapults for Cathy? Or just for Calendar to improve happy cap?
Neal. 
