Brennus Thirdly

[krikav]

Spoiler Tech and overview at T116 :

I get full value from philo.
Could get CS from Hanny and Feud from Nappy if I pay up some gold.
Should probably go masonry now because I can probably trade CS for construction with nappy next turn.

Have not yet swapped civics, but here it's probalby time to go into caste+paci and get two GScis out to bulb half of education and lib.
I want to get a lot of small stuff before going into librace though... want poly->litterature for the national wonders before i lose marble, and I want masonry and construction... would also be neat with archery to start buliding HAs, but I think the majority of cuirs (if thats what it ends up in) should be whipped, not upgraded.
Sailing to connect that northern city (soon roaded though). Sailing would also enable me to go for compass if I want to trade for something more.
Calendar for that incense would neat too, but likely too irrelevant.

 

[krikav]

@Jarno (and others) also don't be afraid to ask for how I reason around decisions, in case something is unclear.

 

[earthy]

that city placement in the last screenshot is very visually pleasing

 

[krikav]

that city placement in the last screenshot is very visually pleasing

I think so too! The Celtic empire goes all along the river, very nice.

 

[krikav]

Minor detail, there is Buddhism in the northern city, so I have the option of swapping to buddhism too, possibly getting some good trade for philo from WvO.
Possibly even music...?
That would delay GPfarming 5 turns though.

Philo is also enough to make Toku stop the war he has with nappy. But not sure there is any point in doing that.

 

[krikav]

Still T116, but playing on now.

Spoiler :

Ofcourse I want this right away, what is the point of setting up a burocracy capital with academy if I'm not going burocracy when I can... >_<

I whip the barracks in that desert city before I swap.

Hmm... I'm going to get GPersons quicker than I thought.

Hope they don't trade too much inbetween turns. I don't want to pay the 80g that nappy wants for feud if I give him philo.

 

[Pedro78]

I don't want to pay the 80g that nappy wants for feud if I give him philo.

Or maybe you don't want feud at all? You won't need it for a very long time, I see no reason to advance Napoleon any more than he should be. And he probably won't get Philo for a while either.

 

[krikav]

Thats so true @Pedro78 I'm not at all comfortable with just chilling out and be relaxed in the confidence that I can get it later though. I probably should be, but I'm not.

Anyway, the trade was made, T117 I got feud+MC+165g for CS+Philosophy.
In this perticular situation, when Nappy is locked in a feud with Toku and both are at 5 and 6 cities, I don't think there is much harm done...? But I'm surely abit too frivolous when it comes to tech trading and boosting the AIs in general.

 

[krikav]

Spoiler Toward T128 :

I do this trade, because I didn't wait for @Pedro78 's advice, and because I'm greedy and what everything right away.
This turn, capital and that incense city pops borders at the same time. Now they are both putting serious culture on the iron plot.

The two guys continue their stalemate.

I'm no longer WvOs worst enemy, don't know why, but now he is trading me music even though he is annoyed at me, what a wonderful guy!
Is this another case where I should have just traded for the gold, and worried about music later...?

Litterature is in, and the proper places for the two national wonders get first dibs on the marble. Cities working for failgold get to continue when they are close to completion.

A myriad of trades going back and forth. I trade away my wine and my both fishes, and trade back both wine and fish. Free diplo points, and it keeps the AIs from trading with each other, keeping the power with me where it belongs.

T121 Hannibal finishes Chichen Itza.

Paper is in, and WvO reaches it the same turn, just as we did @Drama. We seem to think alike alot today.

One bulb into education, now I cash in on paper.
Compass+40g from Hannibal first.

Doesn't look too good for Toku. Napoleon has muskets and Knights. (My horses, sorry Toku!!)
So, peace with Toku and 115g from Napoleon for paper.
(Next turn I trade compass and 25g for calendar with Napoleon too.)

 

[krikav]

Spoiler T128 :

Noone has beakers into education it seems, WvO just finished guilds. I bet he is going for banking. With his gold flavour he seem to go there often.

I want to be in caste for one more turn to get that scientist out. Next turn it's enough with the two library dudes.
I want to hopp back to slavery (perhaps also theocracy) and whip HAs for overflow into national epic.
Had to finish heroic because I was loosing steam. That was very unfortunate because I'm lacking libraries in many cities, so whipping into national epic isn't avilable.
Can finish natepic T131 with aprox 400g failgold but I want more.
In the race I was starting to fear I would have to get nationalism from lib, but it looks like I'll manage to get MT.

The northern city that doesn't fit into the overview:

 

[krikav]

Spoiler T138 :

T129 Nappy demands 70g, ok buddy!

I swap to this to do some minor whipping, and to get forges/stables up (they are not whipped, but mostly slow-built).

Here is one of the crucial whips, very annoying that I have not had time or neglected to spread hinduism here. I have rolled two chops inside research for quite some time, now I whip the library for more overflow.
I also start to delete some units, something I should have done way earlier, at least something I should have thought about when entring pacifism.

First I lose at least 7 hammers by not having hindu in the whip, then I forfeit hammers here too, aprox 30 failgold lost.

I check tech trading, and it becomes clear that WvO and Nappy are going for education. Hannibal I see going for nationalism. Sully I don't know,

Here I put the bulb into liberalism. Having postponed it since the GSci spawned because I had some cities that where growing.
(Bulb value increases by 3 beakers for each population point in the empire.)
But then I whipped that city for national epic.....
But now even more whipping are scheduled, so here goes the bulb.
This turn, Toku has 60g so he gets compass for that.
I'm not getting to 100% research now which is annoying, but I don't want to panic finish national epic right away either, too much failgold left to claim.

Nappy is closer than WvO, not much time left...
T136 he wants to give me 5g for education.

Swap again, I'm not ready for running specialists right now, but I will soon, and I'm not whipping anymore and building wealth now, and research next turn all around the board.

I could not shave of a turn as I thought so cities are set to wealth instead of research again. This was even more risky than I wanted. But the failgold in now.
Nappy holds a vote to stop trading with sully. I vote "No".

I renew all trades with Sully.

I do the trades I can with him (He and Hannibal is lacking education only). Then I also close borders with him.
I also pay Nappy 130g to have him adopt caste-system, giving him a turn of anarchy, as a insurance for Lib.
Not sure this was necessery, he is teching slowly and isn't even in burocracy.

Well... the culture went up, but now it's turning down again. Oh well... I have to buy my iron it seems.

 

[krikav]

Spoiler T140 :

This was a suprise to me, as I renewed the trades and closed borders, I had no deals that could be canceled, so the election was canceled!
This is abit weird, no? Forgot to check when the election was held, but I can see in screenshot that Hannibal had christianity too, (and at T140 they have OB with each other). Are the AIs excempt from this AP nonsense somehow...?

Only he and Toku (obviously) is lacking it.
I want theology too, but that have to wait it seems.

Would be nice to get guilds before starting gunpowder, but I'll wait.

Lib->MT, just spawned a GSci thats intended for a golden age. Haven't done the math to check if I can get a GMerch in time, and ToAr is on the other side of the continent too.
Haven't done any micro yet here, and still one turn left untill I can swap civics again. (In HR+bur+caste+paci now).
Cimmerian will produce elephants and workers should move there to watermill the farms Tolosa and Gergovia (with natepic) will try to work on a GMerch.
I'm getting a longbow to move to the northern city as it will be isolated.
Capital will make a try for Taj, but that will probalby result in failgold but thats almost as good.
Rest of the small cities will build elephants and HAs to near completion, but will likely hold them into the queue untill swap to vass/theocracy.

Should probably remain in burocracy while teching to gunpowder, but after that probably vassalage when saving cash to upgrade elephants to cuirs.
I have academy but no wealth-multipliers.
I want theology for when I'm swapping to vassalage too, as that would give me 9/8xp elephants being lvl4 guys right out of the gates.

Some poor isolated sod is deprived of religion, only wonder that is not on our continent it the parthenon.

WvO is moving west with a caravel, will continue to buy his map at intervals. But getting a caravel of my own moving east would ensure circumnavigation.

Nappy is most eager to attack WvO, requesting nationalism+liberalism and 200g for war against WvO + theology.
The other two I can also afford.
If I DoW WvO myself first,t he price would drop alot I suspect.
What I want, is to get Hannibal to move his units toward WvO so I can backstab him.

 

[krikav]

Spoiler T140 actions :

First pulling the trigger on the GA, maxing specialists in the two cities where I want GPeople, as I'm likely to swap to slavery I want to get them going while in pacifism. No time to fill upp food bars.
It doesn't look like either of them will be quick enough to give me a merchant for some cash though. Oh well, getting some points while I can.

I trade with WvO because guilds is nice.

Checking what Nappys price is.

Then I go ahead first.

Then I remember that oh... yes he was my source of marble.
Well, no more marble for me.

I think he was about halfway to MT.

Now he is my superbuddy!!

Thats much more reasonable Napoleon.

Have moved units so I have visibility of all of hannibals cities, and most of his land.
This is his units before his march toward WvO.

Now it's just a question of timing.
My objectives is:
Reach gunpowder.
Whip vass/theo elephants.
Stockpile a huge stash of cash.

Then:
1) Trade for iron for one turn by offering Sully or Hannibal alot of resources and a ton of gold per turn.
2) Upgrade elephants to cuirs.
3) Pillage copper to cancel the outrageous deal the next turn.
4) Move cuirs in position -> DoW -> profit.

I really hope I can take on Hannibal as he is so large, and his culture is annoying.
If he falls, Toku will be a tasty snack, and the rest of the continent should fold easy.

 

[krikav]

T140 save:

 

[krikav]

Spoiler T151 :

I get something for guilds. Getting a caravel ready in Tolosa so I can whip it once I get to slavery too. Just one though and mainly for a shot at the circumnavigation.

I notice that I'm losing the tile I want to attack through, I try to hire two artists but I lose it the next turn and give up that attack vector.

T142 it's vass/slavery/theocracy time.

Hannibal is now one turn away from Guilds, so I cancel the deal with horses. Don't want him to have a bunch of cuirs of his own soon!
Sully also has horses for trade, but WvO have them.

WvO finishes Taj, but noone puts up a juicy stack of failgold for trade.
I'm getting too little gold and too many elephants, have to readjust attack plans and be less ambitious. Was planning on striking Hannibal from Napoleons land as well, but cancel those plans.
Sully is bribed into the war against Napoleon by WvO.

My caravel meets Zara, and I trade calendar for his map, he has a HUUUGE continent to himself.
I also make peace with WvO for 55g.

St. Augustine reminds me about whom I'm putting myself up against.

Napoleon seems to be dying, so I help him out. Was also hoping that I would get fair trade here so I would get up to annoyed from furious so I could get his map for circumnavigation, but no.
My caravel is delayed too, because I had it loaded up with an explorer, and I send it back home because I want that explorer as a medic later on.

I do the nasty trade...
Will pillage the copper so this cancels right away though. Why have they made iron so ridiciously expensive...? O_o

Not much less units, is it...? I guess he started to spam units when entering a war as well. Could have been a mistake.

I'm not getting anywhere with just 0% slider, I need more cash. Only heroic epic builds units now, rest build wealth. And civic swaps to try speed up the arrival of a GMerch.
Not good planning, I'm stuck with too many elephants and too little cash.

 

[krikav]

Spoiler T154 Gotime :

I got back that plot I was looking at earlier. I think Incense-city popped borders and claimed it while I wasn't watching. Now I hire max artists and build culture and re-reoute cuirs there.

Sully is losing against Nappy, but I can bribe nappy of Sully, and then I can likely get his company against Hannibal, if I want that...
WvO and Hannibal are probably making peace soon.
With the 70g from Zara I could reactivate the iron deal and upgrade two more elephants this turn.

3 attack vectors. All against hilled cities... :'(
Here I have a spy with 84% chance to start a revolt. 3 cuirs to kill or damage the longbows+mace.
Then there is 6 gallic warriors with guerilla2... ^_^ (What not to love with the celts?!)

Here there will be cuir blood. Pike and longbows in a hilled city with 85% culture.
I'm thinking that I should try with some flank promotions here.
If I get this city and the first one, I have my own source of iron and can start whipping cuirs straight which would be lovely.

An attack in the north as well, to connect my empire. But thats 4 strong defenders..

I feel I have too few units.

Not getting much help from these cities either. 6-7 turns to a GMerch, but I would have to walk to a city too, feels too slow.

Overview. Calm before the storm.
I feel that I have prioritized wrong, that I should have positioned units to spearhead stright toward his capital and juicy flatland cities, which would likely give me a ceasefire easy.
But here I am... And I'm not sure it's wise to stall much longer either.

 

[earthy]

Is the flanking promotion actually worth it? I feel like it always disappoints me. Like against pikes for example maybe the cuirassier will withdraw, but it will also do no damage

speaking of pikes, why does hannibal only have one from what I can see?

 

[krikav]

Regarding flanking, yes I'm also constantly dissapointed.
Now with CHA, from cities without stables I get some guys who are 7/8 xp (barracks + vass + theocracy), and since a withdraw yields a xp, maybee it's worth it on those units...?

Spoiler :

First one was flank2, second one was flank2+combat1, when that one died and only took down a longbow to 4.3 I just went combat3 with the rest of the guys.
They died too though.
First one with flank2 got to feel smug now though.

Regarding pikes.
I don't know, thats the first pike I have seen too.
He has two sources of iron (one which he has traded away to Toku) and have had engineering for a very long time.
I don't complain though!

 

[krikav]

Spoiler T155 War :

I start of by bribing Napoleon off Sully for MT (Napoleon does not have his own horses.) but when I check if he wants to attack Hannibal he "Has nothing to gain."
I want to get cash, so I sell my map to Hannibal, he wasn't cruising around with any caravels so I though this was safe, but I actually gave him circumnavigation here. Grrr...

Here I give my cuirs with 7/8 xp flank2. Not much luck with that.

The first flanker survived! The second one died, so after that I just went with combat all the way. Two of those died horrible deaths too though.. The longbow stationed in Carib sprints out to take that worker too!

Had a revolt here, and combat3 cuirs won thier 70%+ fights against the longbows, a shock cuir killed the mace. Then the city is wide open for the horde of gallic warriors to feast upon a stack of unsuspecting catapults.
A horsearcher dies against a treb at 90%+ odds frist though.

I upgrade a gallic warrior to mace to have a strong defender in case there are some roaming numidians around still.

I didn't like these odds at all. So I just pick of stray units and some workers. Then I trade with sully again for his iron and upgrade elephants with the conquest-gold. I was sloppy and forgot to check, and I did not have any unit in reach to pillage the copper though... >_<

Now when the news of all the fun I'm having have reached Napoleon, he is more than eager to become my war buddy.
I do hope that this doesn't teleport any units inside of Napoleons territory toward me though...

Next turn, I wake up in a world of hurt.
First of all I'm broke since I'm paying for iron with gold I dont have.
So I go into strike, first turn of strike is harmless though but I got to be more careful.
Hannibal has removed some defenders from Utica, but since I have now injured my cuirs by picking of units, and I have also moved some of them out of reach, I still don't have enough convincing power to strike at that fortress.

Disaster strikes, as I'm no longer connected to Napoleon, depriving me of my ivory.
Thanks heavens I still have connection to Sully though. This is likely due to Sully having OB with Hannibal, which is bordering ot me.
Now I have to pillage the copper to cancel the iron deal... and wait untill next turn and trade for iron again. At that stage I can then whip a round of cuirs all around.

The north is quiet, 3 cuirs there is at full HP and they can't get south quick enough.

 

[krikav]

Spoiler T164 :

Sacrificing scout to peek abit, he doesn't have much westwards.

Of to whipping civics, I pay through the nose for iron again and do a round of whipping.

Now I'm getting somewhere.
That middle pack is taking up an excellent position, with ability to strike right away at Utica and simultaniously having access to the two spots I have marked with x, threatening both those cities.

Someone bribed Toku to declare on Napoleon.

Now I feel I have enough cuirs to take this with relatively safety

I suffer very heavy losses, alot of bad rolls, but I get Utica and finally have my own iron.

After some healing and resupplies I move forward. I brought with me the gallic wariors but then realize I want all xp on the cuirs.
When I take this, I see Chicken Itza and remember that he built that. Perhaps thats why I'm getting so horrible odds.

I say a prayer that Hadretrum is holding up under the pressure from Nappy and WvO and start to think that it was a mistake having Napoleon join the game.

I thought this city would fall right away, but Napoleon takes his time and bombard, and my units that where eyeing Hannibals northern cities are routed here to either snipe the city or to change focus to Napoleon.

Hannibal flees into the arms of WvO when Napoleon takes the city.