1405
Objectives:
Get troops through the jungle into Germany's heartland.
Accumulate gold for bribes and/or thievery.
Keep the citizens happy and productive.
Put some hurt on the Zulu and get Abe Saltpeter
Military census: 9 muskets, 2 knights, 9 cavalry, 9 cannon, 1 army. All attackers are healing.
Population census: Mostly happy.
1-1410
Arabs begin withdrawal from east. Most healthy cavalry are heading back NW.
Zulu archer and settler move onto plains of Lugdumum.
Begin assembling Invasion force at borders of Germany. Needs some more beefing up and healing before the move on Hamburg.
Check with the diplomats and we have no active deals with the Zulu. Time for a little extortion. First I sell him Banking for 15g and his maps. He is willing to move rather than declare. Settler and archer move onto hill east of Ibabango and he won't give us Ibabango for continued peace so...war is declared. Cannon fire cripples the archer and a musket from Lugdunum takes them down.
Cannon move onto moutnain above Ibabango and are joined by two cavalry and two muskets.
Lots of Arabs moving around in the east. Troops west and settlers east. Carhage is also moving troops into position against Germany.
2-1415
Cannons kill a couple of Zulu at Ibabango but don't scratch the Impi. Cavalry attack and kill an Impi. One more to go.
German LB shows in jungle. Arabs move cavalry to west and decide to pay a courtesy call. He wants Protection, Passage and 50gpt. No!! When that message is delivered his cavlary turn back east.
Carthage has built a ville on the SE coast forcing the healing army to move.
3-1420
Continue the barrage of Ibabango cripple the lone Impi who drops to cavalry attack. Will hole the city briefly until I can contact Abe. Give Abe the village.
Call up Monte and buy some wine and his maps for banking and reduce lux to zero.
Elite knight kills German longbow and the invasion of Germany resumes.
4-1425
Two cavalry attack Hamburg, kill two spears and the city burns.
Elite pike kills a cav and retreats the second at Konigsberg.
Healing army and cavalry move into position to attack Konigsberg next.
German slaves move to blockade Arabs
German longbow kills cav at Konigsberg
5-1430
Army kills elite pike at Konigsberg
Start assembling force in forest south of Alesia.
Konigsberg falls to Arab cavalry. Arabian rifles show up in our territory.
Frankfurt also falls to Arab cavalry.
A lone Zulu bogey potholes a road east of Entremont.
6-1435
Zulu impi is accompanying a settler. Cavalry from Lugdunum saddles up and captures two more slaves.
Arabs take Berlin
7-1440
Repositioning troops in east to heal.
Build a couple of spice colonies.
Arabs destroy the Germans
8-1445
Healing troops in the east and trying to get an accurate count on the Arabs.
There are at least twelve cavalry and a rifle either within our borders or heading east. A couple of longbows and two more cavalry are in the Mongol lands. There are also at least two settler pairs on their way east.
9-1450
Positioning troops at the saltpeter colony. When the attack on Arbia comes Hama must fall first as it threatens our source of saltpeter. THe forces in the far east are healing and we probably outnumber the Arbs down there for the moment and they have no defenders worth noting yet, though I expect to se rifles soon. Berlin and Leipzig are held by cavalry only.
Ship Abe iron and spices for Navigation and 50g then try a safe steal for 1500g..we succeed and take ToG. The iron and spices are safe from encroachment for a least long enough to get the deal complete. I'm more woried about our saltpeter anyway.
We can buy Magnetism from Arabia or Carthage if we want, or wait ten turns and go for another steal. If we buy from Arabia we could do the dastardly of paying gpt then asking him to leave or declare.
Shaka will give his last two cities and 8g for peace. Leave it for the next player.
10-1455
Building forces at the saltpeter colony and find some really bad news. Arabia has infantry in the garrison at Hamas!!
There is a Zulu settler pair heading north toward Ibabango
The problem of what do about Arabia has gotten really ugly. There is at least on infantry in Hamas and who knows how many elsewhere, though none in old Germany that I can see.
I don't even want to offer any suggestions. Our population is happy and productive but we are so far behind the big dog I don't know how to get back in the hunt. I may have met the objectives for this set but I'm not sure where to go from here.
Next far better player.
Screenshots to follow.