The Hardly surviving empire

[The Mass Leader]

The Hardly surviving empire

I was playing as the Truthwarriors, a small civilization in a very
large continent.
I was surrounded by the Russians on south and east front, the Sioux to
the west, and the sea to the north. In that sea, going north, there was
an island in where the Babylonians lived happily.
This game is to be remembered as one of the mos exciting ones I ever
played.
Difficulty level was Warlord, or Prince, I do not remember well.

There were 3 major conflicts in which my civilization conquered world
supremacy.



CHAPTER 1 - WHEN THE WEAKER DEFEATS THE STRONGER


PART 1 - PRELUDE

The known world is at peace, or almost it.
The Sioux were the largest civilization, with 15 cities or so, a very
prosperous monarchy led by King Sitting Bull. There were the Russians,
with something like 10 cities, making revolutions and changing from
Monarchy to Republic, and vice-versa. Between these two great nations,
there was the happy and relatively prosperous but not so important empire
of the Truthwarriors, a 7 cities country in where people was happy and
The Mass Leader (title I gave myself) Fabio led this great nation. And,
to the north, in a small island, lived the Babylonians, with their 3
golden cities of happy citizens and great culture.
The Babylonians lived like in ancient times, having some chariots,
horsemen, phalanx. The Truthwarriors had Elephants, phalanx, and were
slightly more developed in science than Babylon. The Russian and Sioux were
already in the middle ages, the Russians having some Crusaders and
Knights.

Peace reigned over the known world as these 4 great cultures
flourished. Some day, King Lenin came to the Palace of Eternal Truth, to talk to
Fabio. The King and the Mass Leader chatted for a while, but in a
certain moment, Lenin dis a joke: he asked for a tribute, which Fabio would
have to pay in exchange to the peace and existence of his country.
This, looked like a joke, a prank, but Lenin was not laughing anymore. As
soon as Fabio noticed that the tribute request was for serious,
disagreement started, and war was declared.


PART 2 - THE RUSSIAN WAR

Russia advanced with a small force of crusaders, expecting to conquer
some cities with that. Instead of just defending, I, the leader of the
Truthwarriors, decided to counter-attack, using elephants to kill the
tired knights after they destroyed completely the Maginot Line, a tiny
border defence I created in all the borders of my country, with Warriors
(the Maginot Line existed since the primitive times, when I had no
phalanx).
The same thing happened a few times again, giving me time to build an
army that, considering my possibilities, was huge. But, comparing to the
russian forces, was a small brigade.
I tought it was time to destroy one Russian city, steal technology and
go to the attacking role. I tried to conquer Yakutsk, the border city
that was a logic choice. Bad mistake. Elephants vanished and
Truthwarriors lands became citually defenseless, unless for some 2 or 3 phalanx in
each city.

Then I noticed I was unable to destroy Russia with the resources I had.
The only way to get some plus resources was to invade Babylon, but I
was not willing to attack a peaceful and always friendly people, and was
not so sure of the advantages of that action - if I fail to conquer the
babylonian empire quickly, I would open a new front, sealing my fate
for sure.
I decided to call for help.

Meeting Sitting Bull, leader of the Sioux, I was supposed to receive
some help in the war against Russia. But Sitting Bull was agressive, and
did not agreed to make this war.
Next turn, some red skins were seen doing war exercises in the west
borders of the Truthwarrior empire.

I decided to adopt a new tactical scheme. The city that made nearest
borders with Russia had some 3 phalanx. I sent all the phalanx of the
other cities to that place, leaving only one phalanx in each of the other
6 cities. Russian army sieged for several turns the city.
When almost all of the defesive forces had died, and the Russian forces
were still very strong (they did replaced some destroyed units - the
siege was a continuied action!), I produced 4 elephants. Enough to lift
the siege and put invading forces in retreat-or-die situation. But not
to destroy Russia. There was the increasing risk of a Sioux attack.

I started thinking: If I destroy Russian expedition, what will I do
with the next attacing waves? If the Sioux decide to attack, what chance
do I have? This country is lost. The only solution I saw was to fill a
boat with settlers and restart in a new land. As there was no unexplored
land nearby, the only way to go was north - to Babylon.
My idea was to fill one trireme with 2 settlers, populate the untamed
part of the baylonian island, end there live in peace. But I had a
better idea. Ordered the elephants, there were near to the Russian front, to
return no the capital (a beach city). Spent the last money I had on the
building of 2 triremes, embarked troops and departed to Babylon empire.

PART 3 - THE FALL OF BABYLON

The elephants, landed, took a city, took another, and the 3 surviving
units surrounded Babylon, the shining star of the world. The other 2
cities produced catapults. A siege started.
While that, I tried a suicide attack with horsemens on Yakutsk, which
was obviusly repeled easily.

While there was military success in Babylonian front, the continental
war was going bad for me.
The Sioux made a sneak attack, as I known they would do sooner or
later. They sent a small force to try the attack, and were stopped just in a
border city with 2 phalanx. The Russian siege of my border city was
almost victorious. I had one phalanx there.

Then, I took the hardest decidion of this game. I made all citizens of
my two border cities (the city the Sioux attacked and the one Russians
were attacking), to entretainers and taxmen. And, sent the phalanx
there to the inner cities. Then, sold all city improvements while filled
those cities with warriors I still had in some places.
The resistance in those abandoned cities, with those weak units, was
pathetic. Sioux quickly conquered the city, but it was so poor, that did
not worthed the cost of armies they used. The Russian made a quick
advance, taking the city and advancing more and more, taking a second city.
I had 4 cities in the continent and 2 on the island.

JusT the first turn after the Russian advance, Babylon had fallen to my
hands.


PART 4 - BACK TO THE CONTINENT

With babylonian isle in my hands, I started producing phalanx there.
And as I produced, I embarked them to the continent. The crusaders of
Russia and the Sioux knights were a deadly foe to my forces. My soldiers
died in hundreds. Inside the cities of the continent, the corpses piled
as the defendig soldier died and were replaced by new ones, coming from
the island.

Then, Sioux stopped attacking for a while. That was the time I needed
to put heavy defense in the city they more often attacked.
The Russian front was not going well. Attacking waves from the
ever-militarist Russian overpowered my denfensive capacity, and even replacing
was slightly slower than the needed.

The only way to survive, I believed, was to attack Russia in a way they
did not tought I was going to do. Back to the island, I produced some
elephants and catapults, and filled the triremes again. This time, I
wandered on the north border of the continent, until i saw Russian
beaches.
The beautiful russian women did not understood when they were taking
some sun, and saw those boats with some hungry, ragtag soldiers with
obsolete weapons. They did not understood when thos soldiers made landfall
in that small city of a remote and almost worthless small city of the
Russiam empire.
The troops defeated the city defense quickly. I attacked Russia by the
easter side of the country, taking 1 city. Now, Lenin had to split his
troops, in order to attack both west and east front. I've got
monotheism.

Sioux raid came next, but was repelled at the cost of many lives, and I
had almost no more defensive troops in the continent. But, Russians
concentrate forces in retaking their lost city on the far east beaches.
So, continental Truthwarriors empire was able to make war only to the
Sioux.


PART 5 - SIOUX AGAINST RUSSIANS

A have no way to explain that. In it's worst military crisis, Lenin
declared war on the Sioux. Or vice versa, I do not know for sure. This
gave me some relieve.
Against all expectations, Russia did conquered some Sioux cities during
that war. But I did had some advantage too.

Let's talk about my war. Their war was runnig at the same time.

I prepared another attack wave in the islands, the triremes came back
from the russian beach. this time, I filled one trireme with crusaders.
Troops disembarked in the Sioux-Truthwarriors north beach.
With a quick action, and before the inner Sioux empire could send
reinforcements, I took a city of them. My sole surviving crusaders did not
stayed in the conquered city - I sent a phalanx from one of my
continental cities - the crusaders fortified side by side to a huge and
important Sioux city. They came with a cease fire offer. I accepted. This cease
fire was of great advantage to both of us. I had the chance to recover
from my war costs and rebuild my razed empire (war took all national
resources, there was almost no army, and cities came to low population
levels and had almost no improvement, since I sold some of them to pay
war expenses).

Russia was still a deadly enemy. And Russian empire was growing.


PART 6 - SIOUX WEAKENED

During the war on Sioux, Russians reconquered the city I took in the
east beach. The Sioux kingom showed weaker than I tought. Russia has
grown a lot. Then, Sioux and Russians came to a cease fire. And Russia
concentrated its atentions to my side.
I had time to make a great number of phalanx. The island produced some
crusaders. All of them were transported to the continent. I
concentrated all phalanx in one city. Russians attacked that city, lost some
units, killed some of mine, and then came my turn. Crusaders attacked the
russian attack force and destroyed it completely. Then, we regained
control of the 2 lost cities, and surrounded Yakutsk. The attack came to an
end when Yakutsk fell to my hands.

Orders was to take money from russian national treasury. Soldiers
should not attack civil houses. No women should be raped. The soldier that
raped a woman would be killed in public execution, after being lashed
until fainting.

Then, I sent all phalanx of the continental empire to the new Russian
borders. A settler made a fortress, and phalanx went there. The
Russians, very stupid, attacked that fortress, losing many units, while I
builded a new attacking force, all made of crusaders. I lest the island
cities undefended, and sent all phalanx from there to te continent. Then, I
made quick advance with crusaders, destroyng every resisting force in
the way to Moscow. This crusade ended when my forces were defeated in
the siege of the russian capital. But, a path was opened to Moscow.
Phalanx, coming from the babylonian island, occupied all the "road to
Moscow". During several turns, Russians tried to destroy the "Road to
Russia", as I called this phalanx line. The plan was to produce catapults and
crusaders, then send all of them safely through the Road to Russia,
take Moscow and celebrate, steal money and technology, increase the empire
glory and power - still no raping allowed, we are not barbarians!

The truth is that my Road to Russia almost failed. Some phalanx were
killed before the Road could be used. Anyway, 3 catapults and 5 crusaders
advanced. Moscow resisted. The siege began. As my troops died, I
replaced them through the Road.

The same time, I sent boats with crusaders from continent and island,
to the far west beach of Sioux empire. Made a sneak attack, conquered
some cities, and, from those cities, I produced some units to continue
attacking. Then came the time when I found Russian forces. But then, my
units turned north, right to Little Big Horn. By that time, Sioux had
some 8 cities. Russians had conquered many Sioux cities. Then, Siege of
Little Big Horn started, my troops coming from south-west. I sent
another attack force from continental empire, that arrived Little Big Horn by
north-east. Little Big Horn fell. Sioux kingdom's fate was sealed.
Then, came the surprise: A Sioux city, just between Little Big Horn and
my own empire, was surrounded by the Russian Army!
The battle was a massacre. Russian knights laughed as they cutted off
the heads of the panicked Sioux. Children crying on the dead corpses of
the parents and a virgin girl crying for help while being violated by
many russian soldiers that had no mercy and made the same thing to her
little brother. The smell of burning flesh and houses turned to flames.
The horrors of war got the Sioux entirely defenseless, and created a
new problem to me: I had Russians to the south, Russians to the east, and
Russians to the west. That could not be. Forces from the just occupied
Little Big Horn came and destroyed the Russian conquered city. Sioux
souls would be hapy to see the russian war atrocities been punished. No
prisoners, no bribing, no russian survivors.
I was alerted of the Russian danger, so I conquered the other Sioux
cities quickly, and the Russians got only one of them. My plan was that
they whould not take one, but one was not enough to scare me.

The Road to Russia was now just 3 phalanx, that were upgraded to
Pikeman (I had the Workshop), one near to Moscow and 2 near my empire.
Russians thrown attack to the Road, and destroyed the units that held the
path open. But, I had a new force of crusaders. With the field clear
(Russian Army lost many units destroying the Road), I sieged Moscow, and a
miracle happened: Defense was fierce, attack was more, and Moscow was
destroyed. The Russian empire did not splitted as I expected! Now I was
in danger. But, with no capital, Russian kingdom started to get weaker.
I conquered each city, one after one, until Russia disappeared.

To be continued - >

 

[The Mass Leader]

CHAPTER 2 - WAR ON ENGLAND


PART 1 - HIGH SEAS - PEACE

Russian republic (former Kingdom) disappeared a long time ago. Lord of
my own continent with island, I decided to dare the sea with new and
just developed sail ships. I would go so far as no man has gone before.
Being the strongest empire in the world, and lord of the seas, I would
have a happy life being the world ruler, obbeyed by the weaker powers.
Oh, I was so wrong. So, so wrong. the world was bigger than my small
town.
As soon as my first Sail reached the high seas, I noticed that the
waters already had an owner... ENGLAND!

The English lived in a huge continent, destroyed all opposition and
beace the greater empire in the earth. I did not know that. In fact, I did
not know where the english lived. I saw the many boats they had, and
compared to my 3 boats navy. I had no chance. Being such an oportunist, I
decided not to challenge them right now. Landed settlers in a far away
island and began the colonization of the new wolrd my navigators
discovered. A wonderful land of beaty and nature. A new chance to all of
truthwarriors to be happy Paradise on Earth, in fact.

But...

The island was not an island. The unoccupied place was not so
unoccupied. The English were not so far from me. I founded my city, and when I
moved one Diplomat to make visible and productive the squares around, I
found myself inside England. Two cities, each of one 3 times bigger
than my regular cities, appeared in my city's productive area. English
cities.
If that place was an island, I would bribe the english cities to get
that island. But, the huge army that came to my new colony was so huge,
so huge, that I saw it was not made in any island. England was a giant
land, and I was inside it.


PART 2 - HIGH SEAS - WAR

English did not wanted much of peace, so the war began. I sent quickly
some Sails filled wit Crusaders, Knights, Cannons. I found that english
had Musketeers, and was comparable to me in technology, if not more
developed. I defended well my colony on the east of England, and sent the
coming forces to the south beach of english empire. This was quite
difficult, in part because I did not known where was that beach -
Navigators had to discover the untamed waters and lands - even small unoccupied
islands that made me lose some time. I found there primitive tribes
(players that ressurrected from Sioux and Babylonian deaths). After the
troops made land fall, I noticed that many cities of England had foreign
names - imagine the horror perpetrated by the savage english soldirs
when those cities were conquered and those civilizations disappeared.

I had to destroy those warmonging british mosters. When I found english
beach, I conquered one city. It was lost just the next turn. Then, a
new disembark was made. Destroyed the city i previously conquered and
lost. Advanced, and was overpowered by counter-attack of english forces.
Then, the worst happened: English boats have been sighted on the coast
of the Sioux side of my empire. They disembarked, and as expected from
those bandits, they ruined my roads, irrigation, and mines. My great
infraestructure was lost all over the west coast. I was not able do repel
those forces, while they were not able to takeany of my cities.

My desperate manuever was to send ships from the babylonian island and
try to destroy the cities from where the english invaders came,
disanding the units. I made landfall with pathetic forces and tried to bomb
city defense from my ships. All my sails were destroyed. Counter-attack
by land came, and only 3 knights remained alive. I entered deep english
territor with those troops, saw London, and saw other great cities.
Made a siege to London but lost one unit. The other 2 tried to retreat to
the beaches, in order to be rescued or receive reinforcements.

In my continent, I destroyed all but one unit of the english army. The
survivor was a Musketeer. They landed 2 more units. I did not achieved
to destroy them. England took my colony, and they got my knight units
on the way to beach, killing one. I used the surviving one to destroy
anew small town. This made the Queen of England have some fear of me, I
think. She offered peace. I accepted. I bribed the 3 units in my
continent, disbanded them, and rebuilded infraestructure.



CHAPTER 3 - THE SPLIT OF THE ENGLISH EMPIRE

PART 1 - PRELUDE

Soviet Socialist Republic of the Truthwarriors was prosperous. Science
advanced quickly. I had Flight, and was developing Mobile Warfare. I
was the 2nd power of the world.
Republic of England remained as the ruling power of the world. They had
Mobile Warfare.
Small civilizations in islands were still small, some were in the
middle ages, some were still in ancient times. None was in pre-history
anymore.

Having no money to bribe the english cities, and no technology to
challenge them to another war, I created some defensive systems. I had the
"Safe Sea", my lands were surrounded by Ironclads and other ships of
war. I had the "Maginot Line", a line of troops closing all beaches in
where the english had landed any time before. And I had the "Neutral
Independence" program, I filled the waters around small civilizations with
my ships, so the England could not invade them. Or, at least they would
have some more difficulty to do that. Anyway, I was an important
reinforcement to the small conoutry's defenses. This, without taking any
tribute and without exercising imperalism of any kind over them. Around the
small nations and my own, I had ships. The english ruled all ove the
rest of the seas.

Unhappy with my existence, they landed one obsolete Cavalry (obsolete
to english standards - I was using Dragoons and Cavalry as main attack
force). They had Armors, so why to land cavalrys? Well, they landed it
exactly in the beaches of Babylon. A place where I never expected them
to disembark. The troop pillaged some of my infrestructure. I did not
liked it, and bribed the unit. Rebuilded the pillaged stuff, and waited.
Next, they landed Riflemen and more cavalry. This time, they attacked
Babylon. The attack was a huge failure, war was declared, and the
neutral nations would soon have to make an option. Being the English the
nation NO.1, and due to the long lasting friendship and common defense
between us, small nations all adhered to my cause. This happened later.
Let's talk about the war.

PART 2 - A CITY TOO FAR

Next, English landed both on island and on continent. This time, they
had armors. My "beach Maginot Line" was not able to stop them and soon
they conquered one city of mine. It was a small and young city. They
started to siege one of my major cities, taken from the Sioux, Little Big
Horn -now look at that! I had a chance to defeat the siege, by sending
units from te russian side fo te empire. The troops went on quick. But,
they arrived there too late. If they arrived one turn befor, disaster
would have been avoided. but Little Big Horn fell to english hands,
while Truthwarrior men lied dead in front of their crying women and
children.

PART 3 - THE GREAT NAVY

In fact, English army did not landed entirely in my lands. Thay landed
in one of my allies' island, and declared war. This kept some good
units away from me. The war was not anymore only on the lands, but now it
was in the seas too. After a fierce campaign over the high seas, all the
Truthwarrior Navy was sent to the bottom of the seas. I had some
fighters, since my scientists discovered Flight before the english ones. My
navy now was only one ship, far far away from home, in the coast of the
island of a small iron age civilization. I needed to protect my own
beach from the enemy, so I tryed to bring the ship back home to sink the
English navy - now you look at that. I wanted to sink the enemy ships
with only one boat - a crappy Ironclad! The ship slowly came to defeat
the english. Defeated 2 ships in it's way, and arrived home very damaged.
It was sunk in the first battle at the Truthwarriors beach at the place
I called Sioux Ocean. Then I used my Fighters to sink any English ship
that came near my coast (Transports, of course).

PART 4 - THE LAST HOPE

English troops in my territory. Two cities lost. 4 other under siege.
But I discovered the Mobile Warfare. They had lots of armors and troops,
and I had no resources to bouild any armor. I had 1 armor, but lost it
in a very unfair battle near Little Big Horn. 2 armors against 1. No
chance.
The was a last hope. I would try any crazy idea at that time. Filled my
ships with armors, which I known were enough to retake Little Big and
even the other city too, but not to repel English from my lands. I
decided to send them to England.
The armors made land fall near to a small city of England, and
conquered it quickly. I sent many Fighters to that city.

PART 5 - A NEW WORLD ORDER

The time was right. I had only one chance. The destiny of my Socialist
empire was about to be decided. I sent the Fighters right to London,
making Kamikase attacks. The city defense got weaker. The armors
advanvced. It's now or never. The last Fighter died on suicide attack. London
had fierce defenders, not so fierce as before Kamikase Fighters attack,
but still strong. Armors advanced. No resistance in the way. Near
London, I had a fight against one Riflemen that guarded the way to the
capital. Only one Riflemen. The mais defense was into the city. There was a
siege. Almost all my armors were lost. The city received
reinforcements. I had 3 armors, so I got 2 of them and took distance from London,
returned to the siege by another side, surrounding the city and avoiding
the arrival os reinforcements. The attack restarted. The city weakened.
When I had 2 armors, both very tired, the city got defenseless. The
most tired of them, with a small red bar of energy, entered the town.
Be very careful, soldiers! Again, i will admit no abusing or
mistreating on city people. Take care not to destroy any Wonder. Destroy as less
improvement as is possible. London is ours.
Victory! Victory! English ships retreated from Trusthwarrior's Sioux
Sea!

Social unrest in England, due to the tirany of the Queen, led the
country to civil war after the fall of the capital. The Allmighty England
splitted in 2 parts, 2 weak countries.

Soviet Socialist Republic of the Truthwarriors became the No.1
civilization on earth. Both on land and population numbers. Small nations
received many rewards for their help and loyalty. The one the English almost
destroyed regained it's cities (I bombed the defenses in it, then, the
true owner entered towns without resistance).

As time passed, the small friends beacem members of Nuclear Association
(I gave them some nukes). England and it's dissident country never had
a gift from me.

And, as more time passed, conquest of space began.

 

[Nylan]

WOW. Good work. You did well.