1110AD-1200AD: Crappy luck and cracky whips
T171:
Trade Paper+200g for Optics from Joao
Change Bibracte to Caravel
Attack Stalin, starting by suiciding all the 3 Cats... and getting horrible, horrible RNG rolls for the few critical attacks. I don't like that all the Gallics are upgraded to G2, maybe it was in order as a precaution if Stalin had decided to attack, but it's kinda hurting right now. They're useless for attacking when the big boys couldn't even scratch the only Shoxbow left. Duh. Maybe I'll get yelled at, but I don't see a choice but to upgrade some LBs (indeed losing the fortification bonus) and end turn. There's no one to heal so I move the M3 to a safe distance.
Not that much to micro now that we're not going to be in Slavery for 5 turns (until the SW crab city pops borders).
T172:
And... Stalin attacks with a single Knight. I thought he'd go all in for sure. If he stalls for another turn the Jumbos are healed and can snipe something again.
Pericles breaks free from Stalin and converts to Judaism. He'd capitulate to us, obviously I don't take up the offer. It'll take forever and a day to dislodge him from that island of his, so I take peace for his whopping treasury of 20g to keep our precious Clam safe. However, I was stupid enough to miss that the peace blops the Bagacum WB to the wrong side, now taking 17 turns to go around. Also trapping the Worker in Bagacum but that's slightly less important. Anyhoo, this means lights on in Portugal...
I move the M3 back to Tolosa... I'll eat my socks if he defends and dies, lost fortification bonus and all...
Sury seems to also be the WE of SB in addition to Joao. He also spent all his juicy 230 cash from last turn, so I broker Optics to KK for Alpha + 100g. Either Sury is in a foul mood or he's researching Optics currently
Pericles' Clam-eating Galley seems to have doubts, as it didn't move at all. That's weird, never seen behavior like that before.
Sparta is 67 hammers from Market so I swap to Treb to set up a whip. This won't delay the Market but should distribute some hammers better.
On a side note, am I the only one profoundly confused by these city names scattered around the archipelago? Durnovaria, Durocortorum, Camulodonum, Verlamion... I put up notes like "remove durocortorum artist" and proceed to spend 2 minutes searching for the bugger.
T173:
The big showdown... Goes 10-5 in our favor, losing 2 Gallics, 2 LBs and a Jumbo. Could be worse I guess. And no amount of funky dice can save the survivors of his now puny stack. Still, I miss an opportunity to get a freewin->level3 Catapult. (Why do I keep mentioning these mistakes? Not like you guys would notice this 7 turns later
) We also get some G3 Gallics, can't upgrade though due to lack of metal.
Theology costs Optics + 60g from Sury. I'm still not sure if he's actually researching it so I decide against taking the trade, trying to save enough cash to get Guilds with Optics + gold. Theo could actually be useful since we'd stay at Friendly even without OR (as far as I can tell) currently thanks to the event last round.
I settle Nemetocenna (sup with these names) in the icy crab waters. There's a fog tile on that island but only one and there has been an unit in a 2tile radius for the last turns. AFAIK barbs don't stand still just for kicks. Also those borders mean the deadline of Caste System.
Also got a GG, I guess Tolosa is still the long term settling-place of choice, despite Bibracte having a monster production at the moment.
T174:
Ahh, the awaited news from the AP. Holy war on Joao. Well, certainly not worth defying but I don't see this passing benefiting us at all. Optimal situation would be Sury and Joao deadlocking in a duel, holy war might make him cave in soonish and capitulate and that would be horrible. Voted no.
Stalin gets a GA from Taj, which kinda sucks. Though it means he has been using tons of production for non-military, which was a good thing
Probably the reason Yaroslavl looks like this currently:
Sury definitely not researching Optics, we should get Guilds soon with Optics + gold if KK doesn't make some weird trade.
T175:
Joao founds Islam, holy war vote fails (only Sury votes yes).
Siege of Yaroslavl begins, puny garrison and still no walls.
Settled GG in Tolosa.
T176:
Stalin completes Sistine in Moscow, with a GE he popped 2 turns ago. Oh Josif, you
shouldn't have... Works as a christmas present I guess.
Finally Nemetocenna pops borders, it's Slavery time! W-w-whipping spree! Mo-mo-mo-monster whip...whip...whip... (yeah, I finally noticed that my "optimization" in Sparta totally forgot OR and the Forge
)
Also, Guilds finally opens itself to us. +-0 hammers for Workshops this turn
Athens changed to Grocer, going to whip next turn. Appropriately it would become unhealthy next turn as well.
T177:
Yaroslavl falls at the price of 5 Catapults. I manage to lose a 98.6% mop-up fight but G3 saves the unit
I make a Theo trade to SB. As you can see he was already well into researching it himself.
T178:
Saving cash for Banking, the big one. Gunpowder is also available but not needed really; Pinch would be useful but not essential since Stalin really sucks at fighting this war.
Whips all around and the army moves to heal.
I'm hard-pressed to find anything to build in Bibracte as its production is simply monstrous. Opting for Castle after Grocer, even that should be about 9gpt.
T179:
Copper finally hooked up. All that gives us is Maces though. I should probably have concentrated on the Iron instead even though it's in a very precarious position. In any case it doesn't matter much since Jumbos are the kings of the battlefield here.
Cracked the whip more these last turns than in a whole average game of mine.
---
So, the war is entering its mop-up phase (was it ever anything else?). Thanks to Stalin building wonders instead of units in the few cities of his that have production. 2 Caravels are heading in opposite directions in hope of circumnavigation and juicy Astro-huts. I put Bibracte on a Settler, not sure if we want more of those right now. I guess there's the crappy crabby city and the crappier-than-ever 2lake city on the bigger island.
I didn't hook up the Iron, because it would have required Jumbo effort that wasn't available 5 turns ago. The next guy probably should do that to open Xbow/Pike just in case, even though Gunpowder is around the corner. Definitely should go for Banking next though.
The stack is ready to depart towards St. Pete (the Gallics from Tolosa can catch up if you'd like with G2). A little short on siege (4 treb 3 cat ready to go) but should suffice.
I didn't micro this very last turn (fresh from enter) so keep that in mind if there seems to be wonky citizen placement
EDIT: Might also want to upgrade those G3s to Maces this turn and catch up with G2 while the stack mobilizes. Last location with a trade link before Moscow probably.
).
), but noobies... 
