2.0 grams - The Whip and Saddle (C3C)

Gram2.0 – 250AD – All looks as good as it could possibly be. I fix Chengdu and do a little MM’ing. Get a scientist to work. No trades available. No that I would with the GL in place.
IT – Nanking, Bejing and Shantung build 3 new horses. Galley is lost down the rabbit trail. Aztecs send 4 MDI to the gates of Sugar Hill and 1 next to Canton.
[1] 260AD – At Canton a Bejing horse retreats inflicting 1hp. An E horse from Canton finishes him off. At sugar a vet horse loses taking MDI to 1hp.We kill one, retreat another and we still have a 4,2 and 1 hp at Sugar. Aztecs will talk but nothing good coming from his yapper. No new techs out there. Since we nw have zero boats I swap Pompeii to galley and rush it for 104g. More contacts would be nice and there has to be land to our west. New mine near Beijing allows 2 turn horses.
IT – Ouch, both spears go down in Sugar Hill and Scouts rout kills the 1 hp MI. A LB and a pike show up while Sugar builds a horse and the Pompeii hastily assembled galley crew prepares for a suicide run.
[2] 270AD – At Sugar a vet horse retreats leving the pike with 3 hp. We then kill 2 MI’s and the LB with elite’s, no leader. A horse I had coming up to Sugar Hill takes care of the pike. Nankings spear goes to Sugar in exchange of another horse I had heading there. Sugar swaps to a spear in 2.
IT – Lovely, 4 MI’s and a LB arrive at Sugar. Canton-Temple>Horse, Veii-Horse>Horse, Chendu-Horse>Spear, Kaifeng-Wkr>Wkr.
[3] 280AD – Our galley spots borders! If we last one turn we have another continent. At Sugar, lose a vet horse to LB volley and MI. Lose a vet flawlessly, promoting, ouch. A retreat knocking 2 hp from promoted MI. Scout rout does the job losing 2 hp. Another elite wins, a borrowed Canton horse wins and then another borrowed Canton elite wins but can not return to Sugar! I don’t see a river and he should have had 2 moves left after attacking. All is cleared from Sugar though. Still no new techs. Come on galley!.
IT – Lose the injured E horse to a new MI and LB next to Sugar. Shanghai and Nanking re-up horses, Sugar re-ups a spear and Pompeii is hit with disease. After all that there are no gurgling sounds. Let’s see who is there.
[4] 290AD – It’s Cathy with 5 cities and we are up a bunch. She is also broke. Well, there is coastline. We kill both the MI and LB losing a horse. No techs out.
IT – Great, the Aztecs sign up Korea on us using engineering because Korea starts Leos. I smell an FP swap to Leo’s coming. The Aztec forces leave Sugar alone and are see running east. There is only a pike near Sugar and Canton. The others high-tailed it.
[5] 300AD – Russian galley spots another border. After vets soften up the pikes and retreat we kill them with an elite and a vet. There was also a LB near Tietsin which needs a vet retreating and then we have a vet promote killing him.
IT – Rome-Horse>Court, Veii riots and I had checked. Nanking-Spear>Horse, Chengdu- Spear>Spear. Aztecs are bugging out. We didn’t get Eng?
[6] 310 AD – Rest the troops and see it will take another turn to get to the border on the other continent.
IT – The Aztecs return a bit with a LB near Tietsin, Sugar and an MI near Canton. We get Feudalism as Korea declares on Carthage.
[7] 320AD – We say hello to Sapa-Inca and see we are up Lit, Construction and Repub. He has 17 cities so I’m heading back towards Cathy since she only has 5 and there is more rom up there. Aztecs are only up Eng so I swap our tech tree to Chivalry and head at 70% due in 13 turns. The Tietsin LB wipes our Elite horse out promoting. Tough guy. A vet horse takes on his 4/5 status and wins. Both others are killed. I upgrade frontline spears to Pikes. Rush the Tatung temple to get people back to work. Fix 2 cities from rioting.
IT – Shantung-H>H, Tatung-Temple> Galley. Witness 6 MI heading East out of capital. 3 LB’s at Sugar and 2 Pikes at Canton.
[8] 330AD – Kill all 3 LB’s with no leader or promo’s. Our luck is foul in Canton losing bubba and a vet horse and only killing one pike and leaving the last one at 2hp. Looks like 3 MI’s rolling into Sugar next turn. Galley heads north up the west coast of new continent. 2 more galleys are building that try to make the crossing and go up east coast.
IT- 3 MI’s and a LB at Sugar. Beijing-H>H, Veii-Horse>Wkr, Nanking H>H. Shantung-Horse> Market.
[9] 340AD – Our horrid run continues in Sugar. Retreat 3 horses and then lose 2 elies including Scouts rout. Finally with last horse kill the pike. 1 promo, no leaders. Galley continues North. No new techs.
IT – Sugar-H>H. One pike near Canton.
[10] Vet horse loses to pike and then vet horse wins.

Well, this defense is getting a little tedious but until we get riders I think we are stuck with it. Chivalry is due in 9. Play with specialists and possibly get it in 8. The fun begins then. Our prebuild is down to 7 and at around 4-5 I would start slowing it down even more. Leo’s would be really nice to have for the upgrades coming up.


gram2.0-350AD.jpg
 
I presume we finally got Engineering around turn 8? Korea already has Invention. Ouch. Great job playing D again and nice job on the contacts. Too bad they don't currently help much.

Isn't it weird it took so long to pull Feudalism? Aztecs had it, and with Korea building Leo's, they obviously had it as well. I'm now curious if Eng did come in for us or not. I thought we should pull the tech the following turn its known to two civs. :confused:

I hate to do this at this point of the game as things have really heated up, but I have to skip. There's just no way I can find the time this week to play my turns before I leave for Europe on Sunday. Too much prepping around the house is needed, especially to prep the wife for Mom duty without my help. So consider me a skip until August 5. :( I'm sure by the time I'm back the Aztecs will be merely a footnote.
 
No, I must have been mistaken. But Korea does not seem to be building it and it did not ever come from the GL. We are still down Eng but will be mounting riders very soon.
 
Ouch, I missed the skip and have to skip myself, or swap until medweek next week. I have a big presentation to work on.

Sorry guys.
 
With all this skippin' and swappin' going on... I think I follow Gozpel in this one...(or is it in another? :crazyeye: )

@grahamiam: Do you want me to pick this up?

Edit: Got it.
 
Pre-Flight Check: We're no longer using the irrigated cow in Beijing... I wonder if I ought to build a settler or two for raze-and-replace operations...Chengdu looks like another town that'd be good for a settler pair...borderline unhappy with growth due next turn...

Swapping Tax Collector to Scientist in Chengdu brings Chivalry in 8... but at -51gpt, we won't be able to afford any upgrades...

Roaming around the countryside hiring Specialists, I'm able to get Chivalry in 7 at 70%(-51gpt) or 9 turns at 50%(-30gpt). Leave settings at 0.7.3 for Chivalry in 7 (FP due in 6...)

Fingers crossed, press <Enter>

IBT - Mongol and Korean galleys shuffle, Aztec troops advance
Beijing Horseman>Horseman | Veii Worker>Horse | Canton Horseman>Pike | Chengdu Pike>Horseman | Tientsin Library>Horseman

Aztecs are building Knights Templar (Oh Joy)

Turn 1 (360) I upgrade a couple of swords to MDI at Tientsin, Vet horse clips Aztec longbow at Canton

Whoah Horsey, that cannot be the end of the turn...'slinger must've forted some stuff... Back to Sugar Hill...Lose a vet horse to MDI, Elite Horse kills MDI, Vet Horse kills Longbow, Vet horse kills longbow...

...thinking I would get the city zoom, I hit Enter, only to advance the turn before I had a chance to wake anything in Tientsin to deal with the threat...

...oops. :blush:

IBT - Korean Galley fights something off the coast of Carthage, a Mongol Galley advances, Aztec troops advance. Our 2 pikes in Tientsin do a nice job of fending off Aztec Longbows and MDI, both are now Elite.

Turn 2 (370) Lose a horse and promote a horse at Sugar Hill, Sail the Galley north, and see a baby-blue border (good call on going north from Inca-land with the galley there 'slinger) Swap Sugar Hill to a Pike..

IBT - The usual advancing of Aztec troops...Nothing advanced on Tientsin this turn...
Beijing Horseman>Pike | Nanking Horseman>Horseman

Turn 3 (380) New Beijing horse redlines killing an Aztec MDI at Canton, 2 Horses retreat to pike, 2 Horses die to MDI,

Lose a horse at Sugar Hill, Kill a couple of MDI, Kill a longbow, take 2 horses out of Sugar Hill to deal with the Pike at Canton

Our Galley sails north to meet the Americans. Abe is broke and down Writing and Currency.

IBT - Abe complains of our trespassing Galley, the aztecs don't advance much this turn (I suspect they're building Knights)
Neaopolis Court>Library | Sugar Hill Pike>Settler | Tatung Galley>Horse | Ningpo Galley>Galley

Turn 4 (390) Most of the units get a rest...I experiment with firing the scientists and hiring tax collectors, but it adds a turn to Chivalry.

IBT - the usual Aztec advances...
Beijing Pike>Horse | Nanking Horse>Horse

Turn 5 (400) I don't lose any horses in the skirmishing this time... moving the new galleys southward. If Temujin won't take Monty's Horses away, we might have to...

IBT - Celts want to end the alliance v. Aztecs. I try to talk him into renewing it, and he won't at any price. Temujing will renew it for a tech. I sign him back on for Philosophy.

Veii Horse>Pike | Canton Pike>Horse | Tsingtao Court>Horse | Chengdu Horse>Pike

Forbidden Palace completes in Hangchow, and we go from -59gpt to -60? (!)
Hangchow starts a training stable..
Shantung Market>Horse

Turn 6 (410) Science to 50% gets Chivalry next turn. At 2.5.3 we are at -31gpt, with our Army using 17gpt support. That will soon change.

Most of the Horses need a rest... I knock a few hp off an Aztec Pike... Advance a Pike north of Canton, hoping to build a road for the coming invasion.

IBT - Aztec Longbow kills pike N of Canton, the first Aztec Knight appears N of Canton. Chivalry comes in. Roam around the empire firing scientists and hiring tax collectors, set queue to Theology, and leave one scientist employed in Chengdu for Theology in 50 (Engineering is known). Set treasury to 7.0.3, +85gpt.

Carthage starts Knights Templar. I guess Theology is known too... Celts start Sistine.

Turn 7 (420) I upgrade one horse to a Rider at a cost of 120g (ouch).
Lose an Elite horse to an Aztec longbow, 2nd elite kills longbow, fails promotion. Retreat a vet to a pike... I am starting to really hate these Aztec pikes.

IBT - Aztec Knight falls to our pike
Sugar Hill Settler>Rider

Turn 8 (430)
Elite Horse kills Aztec Pike 4/5 fails promotion.
Upgrade a horse at Sugar Hill.
Send our first Rider after an Aztec reg Pike, and...

Gram2_GoldenAge.jpg


We are now at +158gpt. We will soon be able to afford to upgrade some horses.

IBT - Aztecs and Celts sign peace; Korea declared war on the Mongols. Koreans are building Knights Templar. (Do we want it?)

Beijing Rider>Rider (tempted to build a settler) | Veii Pike>Settler | Shanghai Market>Rider

Turn 9 (440)
Celts and Aztecs both have Theology...
At Canton, an Elite Horse retreats to pike after a longbow shot, second Elite redlines killing pike, upgrade a Veteran, Rider from Sugar Hill takes out the other longbow and promotes.

Load a Rider into our Army and move it to Canton...

IBT - Carthage and Aztecs sign peace, our pike in Canton retreats an Aztec Knight.
Theology comes in, set queue to Engineering.
Nanking Rider>Rider | Chengdu Pike>Rider (we need some settlers for Raze&Replace) | Ningpo Galley>Rax

Turn 10 (450)
We're up Theology on Carthage and Korea. I'll let the next better player decide what to do with that in pre-flight.

Our now 3-strong Rider Army in Canton whacks the Aztec pike covering the wounded Knight, whacks the Knight, then clips a pike NW of Canton. Take a Rider out of Canton and whack the Longbow on the mountain. We can see a little better in that direction now.

Dangit. I hate the end of Turn 10.

Gram2_Canton_in_450.jpg
 
After action review:

The good: Riders have taken the field.

The bad: I did an F10 check, and I think we've met everybody. We're not going to get much more help from the Great Library.

The ugly: We didn't have enough gold for a mass upgrade. See military notes.

Some jungle chops started paying off at the end of my turns...the next player might want to scroll through our cities... paying particular attention to the areas around Chengdu and Hangchow (FP). I think there was a BG cleared 2SW of Chengdu, that could be used by either city....

Military status: We've got 18 Horsemen and 6 Riders (3 in the Army). With the gold we're currently bringing in, we should be able to upgrade 4 horsmen to Riders over the course of 3 turns. If it were my call to make, I'd play the next 6 turns a little on the conservative side, and gather strength. Play this to maybe take (sack) an Aztec city on turn 7 or 8, and try to set the up the following player for a really nasty rampage across Aztec lands.

That's my $0.02. Here's > > The Save < <

Edit: I built a settler or two, with one or two in the queue. I think Raze & Replace makes sense for the first few Aztec cities we take. I don't know if we ought to try to take his spices from the former Roman city in the South, or if we ought to move against the towns near Sugar Hill first...
 
Alas, we shall gain the upper hand. I think we should raze and replace all of his core saving the wonder rich capital for last to keep. Next army would be great for pikes to disconnect his capital and then as a forward unit on the next capital. those spices sound really interesting and a side job settler should bag those for the income/happiness. My $.02 would be as Scout said to build forces and concentrate in the north sending pikes to the south to play D and perhaps a few riders when opportunity permits an advancement on spices.
BTW, Scout, you can reload, if I remember rules correctly on the type of misclick you had. GREAT JOB! Engineering is a great call for the riders. I might have even taken it before Theology. We should be able to nearly cross our entire country in one turn. We will soon see light at the end of this tunnel. It's Rider time!
 
@Barbslinger: Thanks for the compliment. I didn't reload because the results around Tientsin were okay - everything Aztec died attacking/promoting our pikes, nothing got pillaged. I didn't want to re-do all that micromanagement, and Monty doesn't seem too interested in moving on Tientsin now that it's defended by 2 elite pikes.

I went for Theology thinking we'd get Engineering from the GL. It turned out that it went the opposite way.

Some comments on your army thoughts... In C3C, Armies can pillage without losing a movement point...if we had a second army, we could pillage everything around Tenochtitlan in a big hurry... I respectfully disagree on an army of Pikes. Riders (Knights) defend as well as pikes...I like the idea of pillaging Monty's capitol. Cut it off, crash its population...

I forgot to mention something. I stuck a couple of galleys down in Antium, in case we want to go after that island that's roughly halfway between us and Mongolia.

On a somewhat related note, do we have a harbor? If not, we need one somewhere...

It should be possible to rock Monty back on his heels in another 6 turns, and then simply give him no rest. The next 2 players should be able to push him into the sea.
 
@ scout - You're right, with the defense 3, a Rider army would be better. My thoughts were that we will soon be able to relieve the pikes of their duty and a pike army may be easier to load while we are sending riders everywhere. It won't be too long before we will only need zone defense and MP's for ourselves. It really depends on leader luck. Just had this thought. At DG level the capital is liable to have 10+ units in it. Apile of trebuckets would help but a concentrated double Rider army should be able to knock it off in 4-5 turns, when we get to that point.
Here-here on the harbor.
 
Preflight check: I think I will take Cumae soon as we have the troops to do it. It will take a lux away from Monty which could cause his economy to crash.

IBT: Our ¾ rider on the Mountain N of Canton survives a Longbow attack and promotes. Aztecs move about 4 troops towards Tiensen.

T1: 460AD Near Tiensen: Rider retreats from pike without scratching it; vet MDI kills said pike flawlessly; vet horse retreats from elite* MDI (upgrade that horse); vet horse retreats from 4/5 MDI and gets upgraded; vet horse kills that darn MDI and promotes (3/5); elite pike kills longbow but no leader.

Near Canton: elite Rider redlines but dies to knight; elite horse kills 2/5 knight flawlessly; Army heals and will go pillaging next turn.

IBT: An Aztec Knight kills our elite horse near Teno; 2 elite longbows are required to bring down our elite pike near Tiensin.

T2: 470AD Near Tiensen: 3/5 elite horse dies to elite* longbow; reg MDI kills it
Near Teno: Army starts pillaging, disconnecting the horses.
Near Canton: vet rider kills ¾ knight.
Move 4 vet riders, 4 horsemen, and 1 MDI out next to Cumae.

IBT: Aztec Knight retreats @ Sugar Town, Archer dies near Cumae; Engineering comes in.

T3: 480AD Attack on Cumae: Rider retreats from pike (3/4); Rider kills reg pike and promotes (2/5); Rider kills reg pike (3/4); Rider kills ¾ pike (1/4); horseman kills longbow and we take the city + 4 workers + 3g. Install a new governor for now but will abandon next turn. Move settler up to the town.
Between Sugar Hill and Canton: elite horse kills longbow; Elite Rider kills ¼ knight flawlessly

IBT: Celts demand Engineering and I tell them to stick it! He declares on us.

T4: 490AD Sell of Cumae’s market and abandon the city. Found Paoting in the exact same spot.
Near Teno: elite Rider kills a longbow and we get MGL Sun Tzu
Near Paoting: Rider kills vet knight; Horseman kills longbow
9 Riders are gathered in Sugar Hill so we can start taking cities next turn with the new Army.

T5: 500AD Form Army in Sugar Hill and Load 2 Riders in it.
Near Canton: Rider kills pike;
Attack on Xochicalco: Rider retreats from vet pike; Rider dies to vet pike and promotes it; Rider is redlined but kills elite pike; Rider kills vet pike (2/4); Rider retreats; Rider kills vet pike and we take the city + 3g. Install a governor for now but will raze next turn. Move settler up to the spot.
Near Sugar Hill: elite horse kills vet longbow (3/5); elite horse kills 2/4 archer on mountain (3/5)

IBT: @ Paotung: Pike defends and kills lone knight, promoting to elite

T6: 510AD Sell assets in Xoch and raze the city, Found Yangchow in it’s place. Let other riders lick their wounds before continuing. 2 unit army continues pillaging and will cutoff the Aztec horses next turn.

Trades: Korea gives us 18g and 4gpt for Peace.

T7: 520AD Aztec horses are completely cutoff. Between Sugar Hill and Canton: elite horse kills longbow (1/5)
Attack on Teot: Army kills vet pike (12/13); Army reg pike (9/13); vet Rider kills pike; vet Rider redlines but dies to 3/3 pike, promoting it; Rider kills 2/4 pike and we take the city +GLight + 0g.
Near Neapolis: reg galley sinks Aztec vet galley flawlessly, promoting to vet.

T8: 530AD Attack on Teno: 9/13 Army kills elite pike (7/13); 8/8 Army retreats from pike (3/4)); 4/5 elite* rider retreats (3/4); rider retreats from pike (3/4); rider redlines pike but dies; Rider retreats from pike (2/3); rider dies to ¾ pike (2/4); rider dies to pike and promotes it (3/5); rider redlines but dies to pike; rider retreats from pike; rider kills 2/3 pike (finally); rider attacks 2/4 pike and redlines it but dies. Attack stalls.
Near Teno: Elite Rider kills longbow, rider kills longbow; rider kills longbow and promotes
Near Teot: Rider retreats from Longbow; 3/5 horseman kills ¾ longbow (1/5)
Attack on Calix: Rider retreats from pike; kills pike and promotes; Rider kills pike and we take the city + 3g
Attack on Atzcap: Rider retreats from pike; rider redlines but dies to pike; rider loses 4 in a row to 3/3 pike and promotes it; attack stalls.

T9: 540AD Attack on Atzcap: Rider retreats; Rider retreats and this RNG is getting all my nerves!!!
I decide to hold off on Teno and Atzcap as this is getting ridiculous. At least the next player can have 2 army’s and we’ll see how they do. I hope Teot doesn’t flip.

IBT: 1 horse is killed by a longbow, an Aztec Knight shows up so maybe the horses are reconnected; We get Invention and Education from the GLib

T10: 550AD Near Canton: elite horseman kills longbow;
Near Teot: rider kills pike on mountain; rider dies to knight on mountain; rider kills knight on mountain; elite rider redlines but kills longbow on mountain, giving us another leader [party] I move him back to Sugar Hill so the rest of the team can decide what we want to do with him.

The Glib is done and we are pretty much done upgrading riders. I’ve set research to Gunpowder @ 50% and we can get it in 12T @ +14gpt

Teno should be able to be captured next turn (especially with a 3rd army) once all those units in Canton and Sugar Hill are healed.

2gram-550ad.JPG
 
Beuatiful! One question. T10 you were attacking knights on mountains? Obviously it turned up roses with the leader but the combat calc shows it at 29% if they are unfortified which I am pretty sure they were. Big cohones Grahamiam! I'm glad it turned out the way it did. Nice work! We are well on our way.
 
I just realizedI may be up. Though I am in no 'mental' condition to play tonight I'm wondering where we stand on the roster. Great work all. Scouts settlers worked out nicely timed and Grahamiam put them to optimum use. We're looking good guys.
However, I would hold off on the Teno seige so that we can keep it. Unless we want to trade property rights for a few turns. I would really like to keep all the wonders there. I like razing the Tlacopan iron town so they are down to bows, finishing off the rest of "our upper continent" and getting all techs and cash. We have to get to harbors and ships soon.
 
thanks barbslinger. we are currently making more units (riders) than we are losing, which always dictates whether or not i take risks. while it looks risky, in reality, if we keep monty to longbows and pikes, we will end this sooner rather than later.

Roster update:
scoutsout
grahamiam <- just played
barbslinger <- UP
spikeit <- on deck but out of town this week so will be skipped
gozpel <- on deck but busy @ school
 
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