Civ 6, Let’s Play, Scythia, L-U-D-I-C-R-O-U-S MAP SIZE, Marathon Speed, Deity

[BarbarianHunter]

I've never seen one of these with a domination victory goal on a ludicrous (200x100) map size, so I figured why not?

Tomyris finds the most fearsome early game warmongers (Gilgamesh) has enslaved her favorite city state (Kabul) and launches a proactive defensive action against what was sure to be a surprise war from the dreadful backstabber (thought crime), Cleopatra!

"DAH!!!" --- Commander Kurn, Star Trek ???Redemption???
ALL IS LOST......but......then...we chop out 3 stable trained 2 for 1 horses, and head for Kabul. There does seem to be a slight glimmer of hope if we can leverage a few victories.
*I would have liked to wait to chop until there was only 1 turn left on the horse production (for the overflow), but Gilgamesh had other ideas.

REDEMPTION PT. 2
-The treachenous Gilgamesh's warcarts prove no match for the legendary Scythian horse brigades!

Well, being the suzerain of Kabul and all, I figure I’d best go out and get myself into a position where I can take advantage of the +100% experience bonus.

Gilgamesh’s campus districts should get us to the cavalry upgrade in a reasonable time frame, but corps are also quite nice for deterring any treacherous shenanigans our unruly neighbors may have in mind. Unfortunately we don’t have any theatre squares :-(. I was thinking, I might have a solution…

Speaking of treacherous shenanigans, why would Qin Shi Huang take over the fine city state of Kumasi? Does he have any idea the cultural output that is being lost on a map of this size? Clearly there is something wrong with his thought processes and intelligence suspects he may be a danger to the whole of the region!

TICK TOCK...TICK TOCK...HELP, I'VE FALLEN INTO THE KUMASI CULTURE TRAP AND CAN'T GET OUT!!!
-There Shaka was, unwalled, next to the Mount Roraima, relative low tech. But then there was Kumasi, right there for the taking (and the string of our early game victories misleading us to believe these guys were pushovers).

I seem to remember hearing somewhere about long supply lines and light vs. heavy cav was not such a good idea. I think perhaps I should have just garrisoned up and waited. But it was Kumasi!!! And we are Scythia!!!

Then again, we just researched Stirrups, and there's this 14600 gold EMERGENCY for the (re)liberation of my 2nd favorite city state (after Kabul).

**I am not exactly technologically savy, but was able to get this link to work and adjust the playback speed to my liking as I rewatched my game on YouTube. You have to use the Chrome browser.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/video-speed-controller/nffaoalbilbmmfgbnbgppjihopabppdk​

 

[BarbarianHunter]

THE RELIBERATION OF KUMASI (and a few Zulu cities as well)
...ONWARD TO ZANZIBAR!!!

*I'm thinking with this LUDICRIOUS SIZED MAP (200x100), so long as I can hold Kumasi I should be able to save a bundle by not building many theatre squares. Instead devoting resources to commercial hubs and TRADE ROUTES that will garner +4 to +12 culture per route depending on city of origin.

I SURRENDER.
-The Kumasi culture trap was only the beginning of this Kobiyasi Maru scenario (reference classic Star Trek Wrath of Khan movie). As my units implode around Zanzibar, high intrigue Genghis Khan shows up (?China ally?), to rub it in.

I probably (well definitely) should have just waited for cavalry. I will pull back and regroup. Zanzibar will have to wait for the cavalry upgrade. That's assuming any of my units make it back to upgrade.

THE WESTERN FRONTIER TRANSITIONS TO THE WESTERN BOUNDARY
-First Kumasi, then Zanzibar, now the Chinese Pike & Shot, and the Mapuche golden age catapult/crossbow contingent...This area continues to distinguish itself as one of the more consistent, unabating, deathtraps I've ever seen.

The eastern frontier had the makings of a bloodbath as well; However, having sidestepped Saladin, it has proven anything but.

TURNING THE CORNER!!!
-It's beginning to look like Scythia can corner this L-U-D-I-C-R-I-O-U-S map size domination victory before the AI garrisons become too firmly entrenched.

AND THE BEAT GOES ON...
But maybe not so much longer for the elusive Mapuche.

 

[BarbarianHunter]

...AND ON...
IN THE NEWS THIS EPISODE:
-THE PEOPLE OF THE LAMD LIE DOWN OFF BROADWAY.
Lautaro's guerilla operations are forcefully ended as the last city loyal to the elusive Mapuche falls before Scythian liberation forces. We had seen the sporadic flareup of guerilla activity and believe it was an attempt to reforge the long defunkt (and nearly forgotten) Mapu imperium! Yes, Ima-Pire-al Mapu will harass the peacable citizens of the greater Scythian empire no longer!
-Maybe 10 or 11 more cities join with Scythia (but who really knows).
-Geneva is liberated from Russian aggression (Kilwa should give us another 15% science per city I think).
-The Military Academy in Pokrovka is able to kick out a modern armor army in around 30 turns due to the synergy of Kilwa, Warlord's Throne, and multiple militaristic city state suzerianships. With 10+ civs still in the game and resurgent barbs, I think we're going to need them.
-On the Western front: Germany eliminated. Saladin almost done, and Cyrus up next.
-Eastern front: The Mongol war proceeds, but who knows what's out there, or where it is? We do know the Aztecs are sitting on a sizeable number of cities, and the last mystery civ (the Cree) has just made contact.

...AND ON...
-Norway and the Mongols fall, Russia is all but done, Persia as well. Barbs are still a problem.
-The Estádio do Maracanã is going up in Ra Kadet in 40 or so turns, that will get us +6 culture per city and will significantly expedite our civics research toward globalization and social media.
-Other than that, we took a bunch of cities.

THE TRUCKER'S EYES READ OVERLOAD
In the news this episode:
-The Estádio do Maracanã ends any worries about war weariness and adds 1226.9 to our culture. Taking us from 1107.5 to 2334.4 culture per turn.
- One city after the next after the next joins the roles of the Scythian roster!

HEY WAIT A MINUTE HERE, I HAD MORE CITIES TO CONQUER
-I had been kind of curious what the French had going on behind those mountains.