ALC Game #25: Celts/Boudica

[iamnleth]

You don't need to answer your opponent's questions to win a political debate.

Ignorance is no argument!

No. Since she has no economic traits, you've got to get your economy the hard way. It's war that she makes easier.

All I'm saying is that, because Boudica is aggressive and charismatic, you emphasize production in order to leverage her traits. You're correct, she has no economic traits, so you use her militaristic traits to simply enlarge your empire. As an analogy, you don't have the best crop around, but you do have the most, and that is why you make more money than all of your farming friends!

 

[Sisiutil]

Ignorance is no argument!

No, in American elections, it's apparently an asset.

 

[Gliese 581]

I would get Sailing next, you have time and money for one more tech before you should switch the slider to 0% to pay for the army and Sailing could net you some foreign trade with MM at that point unless a barb city pops up on the coast between you. You wont have time to build libraries yet anyhow and AH will do you little good.

I think the axes should be out and about getting xps for that extra promotion before the attack, they are not doing anything worthwhile camping in the cities.
One unit should also be sent to scout out Saladin's land asap. I see he has iron within his borders but is it hooked up yet, we should get some intel on what units he is producing. We also need to know if Mecca is on a hill and the lay of the land further north.

EDIT: There's also increased numbers of barbarian galleys in 3.17 so getting one of these out yourself to protect the crabs can be good once the rush has been prepared.

 

[Gorrable]

I realise you literally wrote the book (er, pdf) on rushing, and I'm a Monarch player who'd get destroyed attempting Immortal, but I'm worried you're leaving this a bit late. I agree with whoever said to scout ASAP - Mecca will have good cultural defenses, and you definitely want to know if it's on a hill. Just taking Medina then being forced into peace would be very bad, what with cultural pressure and diplomatic demerits with Mansa.

Also - is that a Skirmisher/Settler pair on your border? I don't use Better AI... please tell me the AI doesn't know how to block now!

 

[Fetch]

No, in American elections, it's apparently an asset.

Hey, ease up there Captain Canada, or we'll drop a bomb on you.

 

[Dr Yes]

Hey, ease up there Captain Canada, or we'll drop a bomb on you.

As usual, wrong country.

As for the tech path, since you have Pottery and BW, why not tech MC for the forges? An alternative is AH, not for its direct use (although horses may be useful, but then Horseback Riding is required to utilize it), but it opens up Writing (build libraries to increase tech speed).

Edit: sorry, you don't need AH for Writing, since you already have Pottery.

 

[vicawoo]

I think I have to root for Saladin now.

 

[Joshua368]

1675 BC. I'm no expert for early rushes but it's getting a bit late, isn't it?

 

[Gliese 581]

For a swords rush it's pretty ok, though chopping should be intense.

 

[Stuck in Pi]

use the gallics... should be fun

And a note about the UB: the dun DOES NOT provide guerilla one to units who can not normally recieve it (such as axemen).

 

[kazapp]

For a swords rush it's pretty ok

An axe rush would have been faster, hence better. With Copper you don't need Iron Working.

 

[Bandobras Took]

You're correct, she has no economic traits, so you use her militaristic traits to simply enlarge your empire. As an analogy, you don't have the best crop around, but you do have the most, and that is why you make more money than all of your farming friends!

That only works if the tiles around the city are already improved. The earlier you declare war, the less likely it is. Taking out Saladin will make the economy drop and recovery will be the next step before conquering somebody else -- overexpansion will kill unless you're planning the economy from the first.

 

[Gliese 581]

An axe rush would have been faster, hence better. With Copper you don't need Iron Working.

I think it was worth it. Saladin is protective and almost always goes for religions/wonders so his capital is usually a pretty tough nut to crack. The delay in this case has not been extensive as it's very possible to perform successfull axerushes at this level by 900-1000 BC still and the start had good commerce with silver+crabs.
GWs will do much better than axes against cg2 archers and reinforcements can move at double speed compared to axes within Saladin's territory. I would still bring a proper SOD though, nothing less than a dozen swords all but 1-2 of the axes and a spear though we will know more once Mecca has been scouted.

 

[madscientist]

I say Masonry next, then AH/writing.

Now that's out of the way.

BUILD MILITARY AND ATTACK.

I would also consider just steamrolling into Mansa after Sal too if you can, just make sure you have writing for libraries. Tech trading with Mansa or vassaling??? Come on, this is Boudica. Your economy is stable enough, the woman should simply take what she wants!

 

[Gliese 581]

Masonry, what for? There will only be time and money for one more tech before the economy crashes if there's going to be a rush. We should make it count.

 

[madscientist]

Masonry, what for? There will only be time and money for one more tech before the economy crashes if there's going to be a rush. We should make it count.

I am thinking for the UB for illustration purposes. The gold from capturing the cities will allow him enough time to tech AH and writing I am pretty sure.

 

[iamnleth]

That only works if the tiles around the city are already improved. The earlier you declare war, the less likely it is. Taking out Saladin will make the economy drop and recovery will be the next step before conquering somebody else -- overexpansion will kill unless you're planning the economy from the first.

This is leading nowhere. You're 100% correct, I'm just saying Boudica's focus is war, not the economy.

 

[DMOC]

Found at least 1 more city, get at least 1 great scientist settled (not academy) for research, and make axes along the way while teching to catapults. Catapults will help soothe protective archers and skirmishers but we won't be focusing on Mansa of course.

1675 BC is too late to start preparing for a rush, so it's best to declare at around 500 BC once you have catapults and a larger economic basis to rebound from the war.

 

[sophie]

No, in American elections, it's apparently an asset.

Hay! We lyke our prezdents gud and dum, that way we kan connekt wit theyum

(On a side note, I'd like to say that ignorance is not, nor has in any way, ever been any semblance of bliss. It's an affliction which has been sweeping the nation, and needs to be dealt with immediately. That is all, you may now return to your regularly scheduled ALC.)

 

[Validator]

A few more turns to chop/whip the rest of the army, and then I hit Saladin. Make sense?

Define "few". As of now you only have a couple of axes available to attack Saladin. Your cities are building granaries. Bibracte has 11 turns of whip unhappiness left. Vienne doesn't have enough food to whip. Your two workers are busy chopping forests, not mining hills.

I don't see how you can have a rush force ready in under 20 turns. Will it be too late?

One good thing is that Saladin only has two cities, and he's been spending all his s on wonders.

OTOH Saladin does have a source of iron (although it's not hooked up yet) so he won't be defended by only archers for long.