Three post in a row... that must be a major faux pas on my part, but who cares?
*** I know I wrote a lot, but try to read it... ALOT happened ***
Turn 0 (950AD) - Save says 850, but oh well.
Preturn thoughts: We've over extended ourself. 'zerks should be used in galleys, and only for attack. Put one in a city, and it's not much better then throwing in a spear. Remeber to move in a pike in a newly captured city.
Damn it! My side button on my mouse isn't working, and I'm having to actually double click everything. I hate Logitech sometimes.
Wow! China has about troops inside, or very near our borders. Not good. Tell them to leave or declare, and they move... doubt that would have happened if he wasn't Gracious.
MM, shaving some turns off builds. No research was being done, so change one of Narjan's clowns to a sci-guy.
Change most builds to infra. No reason to put golden age shields into units that'll die to quickly.
IBT
Narjan has Civil Disorder even though they were content. Weird.
Spanish start Newtons
Turn 1(960AD)
Wake pikeman and move him to protect the narrow one bridge tile that should prevent the mongols from landing near it and cutting it from rest of the empire.
Ahhhh... messed up with Narjan. Have to put science on 10%... we need to have a min research going at all times, even if it's a sci guy.
Make peace with Arabia for Theology, 2 gold, and an aliance against Mongolia. No reason for a 2 front war right now... and we need techs BADLY. Besides, it gives Mongolia another target besides us.
Tech situation as best as I can see:
Printing Press, Education, Chemistry: England, Russia, Mongolia, Spain.
Printing Press, Education: Arabia, China
Wonder if...
Trade England Chemistry for 30 GPT and 973 Gold.
Trade Arabia Printing Press and Education for Chemistry and 25 GPT and 45 Gold.
Now everyone but us has Music Theory, Banking and Astronomy.
Go to China. Trade them Banking and Astronomy for Chemistry, 70 GPT, and 22 Gold.
We now have Carvels instead of Galleys. We can truely use our 'Zerks!
Go back to Arabia and get our gold back by selling Banking for 31 GPT and 45 Gold. All they have.
Wonder if it was worth it all: 94GPT 995 Gold, or 2875 gold over the next 20 turns for Chem, Priting Press, Education, Banking,Astronomy, and another ally against Mongolia and peace with Arabia, who can't be killed for a while because of where their last city is... And it is during our golden age which is a about 1/4 over... Oh well, we needed a jump start in techs, and there it was.
The only source of Salt Peper that's close is already in Chinese hands. Our best bet is that Russia goes for it sometime in the near future and we can take it from them without pissing off China before it's time. I don't see it happening during my watch though.
Upgrade 1 galley, and I am 1 gold short of upgrading 2. Also load up a small invasion force, and plan to bring a little bit of pain to Mongolia finally.
IBT
We lost our Spices. Get them back for 14 GPT and 9 gold.
China moves all its units away from Baghdad... I think Mongolia is attacking China on the east.
Trondheim Carvel - > Bank
Narjan has order return. Harbor - > Carvel This should be our ship building city at all times.
English start Newtons
Turn 2 (970AD)
Upgrade 2 more Galleys to Carvels and fill them up.
Found Odense near the Sea.
Set it to, as always, a worker on first build.
IBT
Spain demands our 15 gold and a map... I give in... they'd love to declare for it.
England and China make peace.
China continues moving the invasion force that was for us back towards the east... wish I could send someone along to see where.
We get a Palace Build!
Turn 3 (980AD)
Upgrade and load our last Carvel. We'll launch next turn, land in 2, and dominate mongolia in 10.
Change Trondheim from bank to Carvel. It'll build next turn and we need just 1 more for the Mongolian Invasion.
IBT
Trondheim Carvel -> Bank
Oslo Courthouse - > Zerk
Copenhagen went unhappy somehow on the IBT... Must be WW. Fix it.
Rey Courthouse - > Bank
Turn 4 (990AD)
Our invasion force is now complete, and within 2 turns we will have our first Mongolian city.
Upgrade 3 of the remaining 4 swordsman to MDI. Will Upgrade 1 more plus a Spearman next turn.
(GASP!) Find a Settler FORTIFIED in Kufah AND BASRA! Wake the one in Basra and settle him next the source of Silks down south. Wake the second Settler in Kufah and make a fishing village 2 spots to the east. Is called Hareid and I start a Barrack inside of it.
Also found a little cache of units inside of Basra, just fortied doing nothing... How long has they been sitting there... about 6 MDI and 3 workers... 2 zerks and a Galley in a Pear Tree.
IBT
England declares on Spain. Oh this is nice.
WW gets Trondheim now. I think Luxuries will have to go up soon.
Bergen Courthouse -> Bank
Copenhagen restored.
Spain starts Newtons
Turn 5 (1000AD)
I'm sorry but I'm a bit irked by this... I settle the city next to the Silks, and come to find out we didn't have a source of silks yet. There was a settler forted within 3 spaces. It's name is Molde BTW.
Upgrade the last galley, and a cat.
*** Battle of Uliastay ***
VZerk vs EMusket - We win, but redline.
Vzerk vs RSpear - We win, capture the City. Unload a Pike to hold down the fort. Set city to Worker for now.
Talk to them to see what they want for peace, and see they're in the AI, and I think several others are as well. This war should fix things for us.
IBT
Aarhus Courthouse - > Aqueduct
Turn 6 (1010AD)
Use a Carvel to sink a Mongolian Galley. Send the rest towards Har-Ayrang for battle next turn.
The stack that I thought China was going to bring back to their core is fortied next to Fustat, with an eye for Bergen and then Trondheim. I send all units I can to protect Bergen.
Upgrade out last Spear and our last cat as well. Only need to upgrade a sword and an archer and we're finally modern!
IBT
China moves those forted units to the east again, but they're out of my radar now. I'm going to keep a mobile force there.
Damn IT!! Copenhagen riots again because of WW. I hate Republic.
Stockholm Courthouse -> Marketplace.
Uliastay stops resisting.
Turn 7(1020AD)
Change Uliastay to Harbor.
*** Battle of Har-Ayrag ***
VZerk vs VMusket - We loose, and he promotes!
VZerk vs 2hpEMusket - we win, redline, and promote!
2hpVZerk vs RSpear (hoping for promo) - We win, no dam and we capture Har-Ayrag. Set to worker
Send our force north to Ereen.
*** Battle of Ereen ***
VZerk vs RMusket - We win 1 dam
VZerk vs RMusket - We loose, he promos
VZerk vs 2hpVMusket - DAMN! We loose AGAIN!
VZerk vs 1HPVMusket - We finally win, no dam. Capture Ereen, and drop down a pike to help defend.
He still won't give anything for peace. Before I'm done he will give everything.
Upgrade a sword to an MDI.
IBT
a Keshik Enters Ereens area.. we have units to defend, and I only see 2 around.
China joins up with England against Spain. Weird alliance.
S*IT! Narjan flips to Arabia. We lost an MDI and a Harbor there. We'll have to wait another 15 turns or so before we can declare and get it back too...
Turn 8 (1030AD)
EZerk vs VKeshik - He retreats... call me foolish, but I want him dead. Send a zerk to finish him him. Hope he lives. He lives, and promotes Elite. I see 2 Keshiks near Ereen.
Move a Pike into Chinese lands just to scout around for units... seems they have moved all of their swords out of range, or maybe into a city to upgrade?
IBT
Mongols and Ottomans sign a peace treaty.
Keshik kills a zerk
another zerk falls as well. Ereen ma be lost.
Pike promots in battles, but it's not enough, he dies. We hold Ereen, but it's close.
LOL! Got this great "get lost message!" I'm gonna submit this for a SSOTD.
Damn it! My keyboard won't let me print screen.
It said "we were conducting... 'routine training Missions'" (Yeah, Right!)
Trondheim looses another one to WW.
EVERYONE riots on me.
Damn it. Let 3 go before I scroll ahead. need 10% lux now.
China starts Newtons.
I really let that IBT go.
Turn 9 (1040AD)
Trade Arabia Astronomy for a worker and 45 Gold. We won't get a better deal for it now.
*** Battle of Batshireet ***
VZerk vs VMusket - We loose, no dam.
VZerk vs VMusket - we Loose 1 dam
VZerk vs VMusket - we loose 2 dam
VZerk vs 3hp VMusket - We win, 1 dam
2hpEZerk vs 3hpVMusket - WE WIN! but redlined
Have to move my final ship into place ot take the city... it won't go as far as I was hoping it would.
EZerk vs 2hpVMusket - We win, 1 dam and take a Treb.
We're spent, and about to loose Ereen. Time to go to the Tables.
We can only get peace for free. Trade Metallurgy for 45GPT and 117 gold. There's no trading options at all, and this will allow us to get Cavs... I don't think Zerks are going to do much now... our best option is to build cavs and go after China.
We're now at peace with everyone, and China is at war with 3 people. When our deals expire, we should go to war. Arabs should be taken out quickly, to get Narjan back. Is a good city.
Oh no! Somehow I declared War on Arabia without trying... I hope I didn't ruin our rep. Oh well, I decide to take Narjan back a bit quicker.
IBT
Oslo Zerk -> Zerk
Order restored around the empire.
Kufah Courthouse - > Caravel
MUSCAT riots!
Turn 10 (1050AD)
*** Liberation of Narjan ***
EZerk vs RSpear - We win, 1 dam, no leader. Take the city back, and send the other 2 up north in the carvel.
I hit enter by mistake. Hope you don't mind if I play it out.
IBT
Ottomans sign an MA against the Spanish.
Coppenhagen Courthouse -> Zerk
Hareid Barrack - > Zerk
Turn 11 (1060AD)
*** Battle of Fez ***
VZerk vs RSpear - We win, and go Elite. 1 dam
EPike vs RSpear - We win, and take the city.
After Thought: Keep starving down any cities that you capture. The reason Narjan flipped was because it was filled with native citizens. Make sure that the old Mongolian cities are starved, because they will flip very easily. I'd suggest selling any culture based improvements if you see them in a new city as well. Use Taxmen to starve them, no scientist. They don't give you anything because they disappear from starvation before science is rolled, but money is taken first.
Do what I did, and keep loading up boats with 2 zerks and 1 pikeman. Try and have at least 5 ships ready for each assult, and wait to start the war until you can declare peace at your choosing. You want to go as far as you can, stretch it then, then declare peace and regroup. Should be able to start another war in less then 20 turns.
Our Golden Age ends in something like 5 turns, so we may run into money issues. We have +35 with all the taxman we have out there, but that won't be enough to cover our debts I'm afraid. Be creative... you may need to use taxman in several cities for a couple of turns.
Bold move, but we needed to catch up somehow. I was thinking about trying to get Theology earlier during my turn, but I was paying for gunpowder. It opened up a lot of options. 
Is this our new (finally) forbidden palace? Or just spiffying up our crib with a new extension?
