1555 AD:
Making final preparations for war. Moving all available units to key areas in case Bismarck wants to start the war before Japan does. I notice Germany has a large group of units in Miami, so Japan puts up another city nearby for fodder (named it Fodder). Start putting up radar towers at strategic locations and backing them with a couple MI. Start organizing workers into larger stacks so they can finish their jobs and get to a safe place. Build cash to use to buy alliances or MPP with other civs.
Sell dyes to China for 40 gpt.
1575 AD:
Preparations are complete. The ROP ends next turn.
China destroys the Romans. I suspect Caesar realizes he should have given in to Bismarcks demands. Fortunately Rome was so short on units that they did not invade Chinese territory and force Japan back into the war, dealing her another rep hit.
Bismarck requests renewing ROP, Japan says no thanks. Now he is furious. I am not watching the reputation that closely, I am surprised he is not just annoyed.
I keep seeing potential holes in my defense, so slowly I reduce my defense on the China border to one or no units per city and move them to the German border.
1580 AD:
Japan signs MPP with Indians, to augment current MPP with China and Arabs. I think this MPP cost about 300 gold.
Germany has units in Japanese territory. I tell him remove your forces or declare war. Bismarck chooses war. Germany is in trouble now but it is about to get worse.
Japan pays 930 gold to sign MPP with Mongols.
Japan pays 50 gold and 100gpt to sign MPP with English (chose gpt because I was afraid she would quit the war early)
Japan now has MPP with everyone left except Germany. Note that two MPPs were signed after Germany declared war on Japan, but before Japan invades.
Now, Germany still has MPP with the Mongols and the Arabs. Knowing this Japan chooses not to invade German territory. Instead Japan takes about 15 workers who were passing through at the time, and hunkers down for the German assault.
I pressed the enter key and waited. It seemed like eternity. Would the Germans be smart enough to stay out of my territory?
Nope. They invaded Japan. As soon as they did, all 5 other civs immediately declared war on them! I felt like Japan had hit the jackpot, and the foreign advisor announced all five declaring war on Germany. Bismarck liked war, now he will be up to his ears in it! This is a good example of using the
rogue state strategy, which I use as often as possible to make my wars easier.
The German assault began. I lost three cities with a total population of 9: Gatorade was razed, Fodder was destroyed and New Incense was captured. I lost a couple radar towers. Just about everything he attacked was fortified MI with radar tower support. He assaulted my position defending the aluminum near Buffalo, but ran out of units. After the assault I had one cavalry left under the radar tower there!
1585 AD:
Now it is Japans turn for offense. Japan promptly destroys an MA army and a panzer army, and every last unit Germans brought into Japanese territory. There were probably about 25 modern armor and some guerillas. Of course he lost a bunch of MA in his initial attack as well. Japan used artillery against the armies and MA on hills before taking them out with MA. Japan had to take down some German radar towers to help these attacks.
Further, Japan began acquiring German territory. Dortmund, Dallas and Richmond were taken, greatly simplifying the border defense. New Incense was recaptured.
All this war generated a great leader.
I rebuilt radar towers where needed and adjusted defense. I am sure Germany will try again.
I think Japan cleaned up the German units a little too well, as India took Miami from Germany. That was followed by a significant flow of Indian and Chinese units toward German (former American) cities just off the southwest corner of Japanese territory. This is fine with me since I dont want the AI taking any of the prime territory just east of the forbidden palace. These cities are so far from the Indian and Chinese capitals that they will be totally corrupt anyway.
Germany had a chance to return fire but they had few units to attack with, so the counter was weak. No cities were lost.
Cant wait to play again tonight!