DocT01e- Bulgars

[SesnOfWthr]

Good news, I guess.

The tuns trip got canceled due to inclement weather. So I should be able to get turns up tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Admiral Kutzov]

delurk:

please forgive presumptuous question. The guys from Jerulsalem are huge, so are the turks. what VC are y'all attempting? I've been lurking whole game and would appreciate edification, if'n y'all would descend to my level.

 

[SesnOfWthr]

Hmm, don't rightly know. I'm too single minded to think that far ahead. Me just likem bust head!

Doc does seem to have a soft spot for dom in this scenarion though. Realistically, we'll probably hit VP before anything else.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

@Admiral: In Middle Ages, Domination above Emperor seems impossible, unless you start with a Viking Civ (Danes especially, the easiest Civ to win with surprisingly), and kill off a couple of Civs by decapitating all Kings. So, we always go for VP score.
And since we're pretty familiar with this Scenario, we now don't need silly relics or wonders for that, just kill stuff and capture cities Right now, we have a solid VP lead (something like 15500 to 11000, but the only AI Civ that can be really a competitor is Byzantium, and they won't live long enough to defeat us that way )
Except for Sesn, we play that scenario the umpteenth time; and given Sesn's preferred playing style is exactly what's needed here to win anyway, it wasn't necessary to enlighten him about the details

Btw, don't underestimate our power; we have several cities that produce a MDI or Pike a turn, drawn in resources, have a good defensive position, are in sight of the tech leaders, and have 2 Armies running around. Realistically, we are the strongest Civ around now, with only the Abbassids and France somewhat comparable - but the Abbas cannot reach us due to being at war with Theo, same with Turks.
For more strategic guidance, see DocT01a (Castile), b (Celts), c (Magyars), d (Mongols, though this one was heavily modified), or the RBC SGs.

 

[SesnOfWthr]

IHT – Couple of minor unit movements. We already have a Sheriff building in Vidin, so I’ll just use that for the FP prebuild. Change Vel Pres to Arab Medicine.

IT – See a crapload of Rus units headed for the last two cities.

1221 ad (1) – Pick off a spear with an elite MDI. MDI army kills vet spear in Gyor. I have a settler who seems to be in a city-like spot in the south, so I settle Rousse.

IT – The Rus complete Robin Hood in Pskov.

1224 ad (2) – MDI army takes Gyor. City of Shumen is founded.

1227 ad (3) – I count about 70 Rus units headed for the last Magyar town. Pick off a couple Magyar strays. I can take Pest this turn, but I’ll wait until I get that little city first.

I get tired of looking at the screen here, and off to bed I go.

IT – The Rus declare on the Turks.

1230 ad (4) – I move our MDI army to capture the last city. I’ll only get one shot at it, or the Rus will take it.

IT – Paris builds Notre Dame. Repton builds Krak de Chavaliers, or something like that.

1233 ad (5) – Three cities riot because we lost our furs. Strangely, we can’t trade anyone for them again. MDI army goes 2 for 2 at Szombathely, but an archer still shows. Attack and kill about 5 units in Pest, beating up both armies in the process.

IT – Ummm, didn’t we say there was no flipping in this Conquest? Because Szeged definitely just did.

1236 ad (6) – Army finally captures Szombathely. I heal the armies outside Pest for a turn.

IT – A crapload of MA’s/DoW’s.

1239 ad (7) – The armies knock out the spears defending Pest, though the MDI’s are left with 1 hp. Elite MDI finishes them off, but no leader. The Bulgars are no more.

On a side note, it suddenly seems as though waiting to take Pest was a mistake. The French are rapidly approaching our VP total, though they haven’t gained any obvious land. I sure hope the Byz war will give us a nice boost…

BTW – The Byz now have Rel Persecution, but aren’t interested in trading.

1242 AD (8) – Montana founded on the ruins of Pest. Move armies into city to heal.

1245 AD (9) – Vraca founded on ruins of the flip city. Sword army heads for the Byz front.

1248 ad (10) – Not much, one army reaches the Byz border.

Recap: To be honest, I didn’t realize that there weren’t VP locations in this scenario. I would have been more concerned with killing units if I had, and would have declared on the Byz a few turns ago. As it was, I didn’t want to declare at the end of my turns, so I’ll leave that to Doc. The sword army can reach the front next turn, and the other MDI army should be pretty much healed next turn. Hopefully, the Byz will have a bunch of units to kill, because our VP lead shrunk a LOT during my crappy set. It is now down to about 2k.

There seems to be a lot of sets in this game that we’re just not thrilled about. Hope it doesn’t change the end result….

BTW – I saw the Orange drop off what looked to be a knight army just south of Constan during the last IT.

Also, a question – would an assassin army be invisible still?

>>>SAVE<<<

EDIT: Found this to be VERY funny, even if this set didn't show it:

Except for Sesn, we play that scenario the umpteenth time; and given Sesn's preferred playing style is exactly what's needed here to win anyway, it wasn't necessary to enlighten him about the details

 

[Admiral Kutzov]

would an assassin army be invisible still?

inquiring minds really want to know

 

[romeothemonk]

Im really certain that they do. I used a Ninja Army in Sengoku and that lost its Stealth attack, which was good I guess, as a stealth attacking Ninja army would just own Shoguns. It also got attacked in the open, and the Assaian and the ninja are very similar units.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

Got, btw. (We need a smiley to indicate 'Too short')

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

Bulgars, 1248AD



First, build an Embassy in Constantinople, to check what we have to expect – 11 units, oh well. But Theo is at the receiving end…she’s at war with nearly everyone.

Sell DR to Castile for WM, 30gp and 4gpt. They won’t give Improved Siegecraft, but are about the only Civ lacking DR. Hawk around WM. Try to figure out where Theo gets here Iron from. Must be either Sweden or England. Establish Embassy in Chippenham – no, they have all 3 of their Iron. Establish Embassy in Sigtuna, bingo. Sell Wines to Poland for 126gp.
France, Rus and Abbasids know Education. Buy it from Abbasids for WM and 21gpt. Education to Turks for WM, Invention and 8gp. Ship Germany Horses and Education for Professional Armies. Invention to England for Mercantilism and 30gp. Invention to Poland for Improved Siegecraft and 45gp. Get Furs from Sweden for Education.
Theo has a monopoly on Religious Prosecution, but we’d have to throw in gpt, so I don’t make that deal.
Upgrade a bunch of units. Switch Plisska to University.

Start on Parliament, but will collect money first.

Hire a lot more Taxman. Switch Adrainovdiv from SO to Granary. Larissa to Hospital. Redistribute a lot of tiles for Commerce.

After an hour, press ENTER.
IBT:
Nothing affecting us, Theo lands 2 Inquisitors outside Constantinople?
Couple of WltKDs.

Turn 1: 1251AD
Abbassids have Exchequer, England and France know Rel Prosecution. Now we’re talking.

Sell Theo Education and Professional Armies for Religious Prosecution, WM and 73gp (all she has, makes about 40gpt). Byzantines are not at war with Sweden, England, Cordova, Fatimids, Burgundy and us. Well, that will change
Sell RelPros and WM to Abbassids for 1330gp.
Get Lost Roman Secrets from Rus for RelPro, WM and 6gpt.
Do an immediate steal on Byz. Succeed, Heavy Cavalry.

We are now at 18670VPs without a single combat .

Declare.
Sign MA with Sweden against Theo for ProfA. England wants all our economy, will have to pass here.
Build Embassy in Tripoli.
Buy in Fatimids for Education. Cordova for Medicine. Burgundy for Invention.
Now everyone except for England is at war with Byzantium, an unless I’m completely wrong, England has no longer a trade route to them. Also, since a couple of Dromons where in our territory, I think Theo’s rep is trashed.

Slay the 2 Inquisitors with Elites, no luck. Move in our stack of 9 Trebuchets + cover.

Part-rush University of Pliska. Adjust production to match the new units available. Start joining our native Workers, we’re at 26gpt unit support and have lots of Slaves. Upgrade our only Horse. Kill that Byz Archer in Greece.
IBT:
England drops off a Spear next to Constantinople :crazeye:
Byz land a Cataphract next to undefended Bourgas.

Turn 2: 1254AD
Trebs at Const fail miserably. Kill the Sword with an Assassin, and a Pike with the MDI Army.
Kill the Cataphract in Greece.
IBT:
A single Byz Longbow shows up.

Turn 3: 1257AD
Byz managed to upgrade all Pikes at Constantinople? WTH! Don’t get it. Barely manage to kill one with the Army. Kill the Longbows with Assassins.

Turn 4: 1260AD
Not worth reporting.
IBT:
Inquisition finishes. Arab Medicine finishes.
A completely minor Swedish city completes Hanseatic League.

Turn 5: 1263AD
Off the Longbows at Constantinople. Wonder why Theo isn’t drafting.
Start Magna Charta prebuild in Veliki Preslav.
IBT:
Byz drop Inquisitor in Greece.
Abbassids get Parliament.

Turn 6: 1266AD
Constantinople:
Trebs go 4/6.
MDI Army kills SM.
Elite Assassin kills SM.
Longbow kills SM.
Longbow looses to SM.
Cataphract kills SM, Elite.
Elite MDI kills Spy, and spawns a MGL called ‘leader’.
Vet MDI kills Spy, Elite.
Vet MDI looses to Spy.
Vet Assassin kills Spy.

Stop for that turn. Form Cataphract Army.
Kill the Inquisitor in Greece.
IBT:
Another Inquisitor lands near Athenovdiv.

Turn 7: 1269AD
Constantinople is drafted down to size 11. Notice Theo doesn’t have another Harbor .
Trebs do their job.
MDI army kills ¾ SM
Cata Army kills 2/4 SM
Cata Army kills Conscript SM
Elite MDI kills Conscript SM
Vet MDI dies to Vet Spy
Elite Assassin kills Vet Spy
Elite Assassin kills ¼ Spy, and Constantinople falls.
IBT:
Byz Inquisitor impales on SM in Const.
Sweden and Germany sign peace.
Resistance in Constantinople ends. Note our culture matches the Byzantines.
Abbassids start Magna Charta.

Turn 8: 1272AD
Capture Nicae for the loss of a MDI.
IBT:
France and Rus start Magna Charta; our prebuild is at 153sp already, we should have it (Abbassids build it in Bagdhad).

Turn 9: 1275AD
Capture Varna without losses. Rush Settler in Constantinople. Temple in Nicea.
IBT:
Celts want MA against Castile, decline.
Usual Byzantine Inquisitor lands. Resistance in Varna ends.

Turn 10: 1278AD
Approaching.

NOTES:
• There’s a Settler near Nicea, should settle on the red dot.
• Keep enough units in the Fortress on the polluted tile between Nicea and Constantinople to deal with flips.
• Research Intelligence Operations next; if we miss the Magna Charta, keep the prebuild shields and use it for the IA.
• Cities are optimized for units, should require very little MM.
• Always attack with an Assassin first, this tells you all about the defenders (target a Longbow or Spy).
• Capture Ancyra last, obviously.

VP status: 22145 vs France @ 17560.

Don't think I see this again.

Nice relaxed game, gentlemen

I'll attach the screenies form the investigated cities, for the reference.

The upload server seems down, and I cannot attach the save and most screenshots due to exceeding the size limit. WIll try later again!

 

[romeothemonk]

Doc, you could also Email it to me. I will PM you my email.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

Server is back:

The Save

Tripoli

Sigtuna

 

[romeothemonk]

The Save
IHT: Not much to do.
IBT: Turks and Franks sign against Denmark.
Turn 1: Assualt Ephesus, Take same no losses. Get a pult which for the low price of 30 gold becomes a trebuchet. Rush a few temples in the former Byz lands. Burn a dromon.
IBT: Castille and Celts sign peace. Byz want peace, I say no.
Turn 2: Redline an army without killing a swiss merc. Bummer, Parliment comes in, magna carta in 1. IO in 9 turns.
IBT: England and France Ally against Celts, say goodnight Brennus.
Turn 3: Varna flips to the byz, Magna Carta comes in, Cathedral started. Recapture Varna. Found Haskovo on the Red dot. Heading out to take more cities.
IBT: Not much.
Turn 4: We are pumping military very nicely. Capture Smyrna, burning some more dromons. Build Kazanlak. Kill a few baddies at Sinop.
IBT: Lose a MDI to a longbow
Turn 5: Kill a few units and capture Sinope. March on the next city.
IBT: Cordova and Norway sign peace. Burgundy and Norway sign peace. Jimmy Carter seen leaving the building.
Turn 6: Abbassids have over 12,000 gold. Capture Naissus. Move on Ancyra. Tired of messing with the Byz, and Patience was never a strength of mine.
IBT: Fatimids and Cordovans have signed peace. English put down the Celts. Burgundy and Rus ally against Cordova.
Turn 7: Decide to move up trebs versus Ancyra.
IBT: Stuff.
Turn 8: Capture Dyrachhium. Abbassids are climbing the Byz Tech tree. Kill 5 Swissies at Ancyra, lose 10 units. Hmm Try again next turn I guess.
IBT: Byzantines and Castille sign peace. Castille and Denmark sign peace.
Turn 9: Kill another 5 Swiss in Ancyra, lost 4 units. His best defender is now an unfortified conscript spear. Also killed a conscript spear, and a reg sword and a vet Spy.
IBT: Castile and Sweden sign peace. Cordova and Germany sign peace. We lost our furs.
Turn 10: Whack the Byzantines, get a leader on their king. We have 28,000 VP. I will now pass off with most units unmoved. I think we can go after the abbassids, or declare on them and let them come to us.
Next guy should finish this in 4-6 turns.
Enjoy, and clean this up. This was an ugly set, but the business got done.
Whacking a king with an Elite nearly always gives an MGL, and I was glad to see it come through again for us in Spades.

 

[SesnOfWthr]

You know, when I got the last Magyar knig, I specifically saved an elite for it. Nada.

At any rate, thanks for putting up with me guys (yet again), and thanks for helping me realize that the scenarios can be fun too.

Good game, all.

 

[romeothemonk]

We aren't done yet Sesn, but we are in the Home stretch. I was recently kicking around the idea of playing the chineses on Deity in WW2. I was lurking in AK3, and came up with the idea. Any of you guys interested in just a major slugfest where we are short of everything but enemy?

 

[Bede]

We aren't done yet Sesn, but we are in the Home stretch. I was recently kicking around the idea of playing the chineses on Deity in WW2. I was lurking in AK3, and came up with the idea. Any of you guys interested in just a major slugfest where we are short of everything but enemy?

Sure. I'm in.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

Did that already during beta, so I won't participate. but thanks for the invitation.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

I'd like to set up an additional challenge for this game:

We all can win this with an arm tied behind the back by whacking a neighbor. A mere clean-up.

But Simeon has decided different. Ashamed by his blowing success in eliminating the Byzantines with her lovely Theodora, while he originally only wanted to make a shopping tour in Constantinovdiv...er Constantinople, he decides to spent the rest of his live in a Monastary and never pick up his sword again.

Now, who can win this fastest without a single combat?

Should be a nice training for those not as familiar with diplomacy than with ...

 

[SesnOfWthr]

Why do I think that's aimed at me as much as anyone else?

I'm really not this bad at trading, I just don't know these techs. No excuses though, I'll pick it up and give it a go, perhaps tonight.

 

[romeothemonk]

I would build as many libraries as possible, and get the first optional techs. The rest of the techs in the tree can be garnered for roughly 100-300 gold. Although each of the techs is only worth around 150-300 VP, and we have 10 techs left total. This might make it hard to Truely win this way, and I would imagine that it would take close to 15-20 turns.
Just my thoughts.

 

[BulMaster]

OMG, sorry guys to jump like that in your great game, but couldnt resist cause heck im bulgarian i cant believe i havnt come across this mod earlier, hehe and i can see you are doing quite well. I have no essensial remarks on it, except bulgars was the name of the tribe under Khan Asparuh and at the balkans they are called bulgarians . Ironicly Czar Simeon's dream was to conquer Constantinople and in fact in the 920s AD the relations had gone so bad for the Byzantines that he openly declared himself ruler of Bulgarians and Byzantines. The reasons we adopted christianity is of the need ot have long lasting treaties with byzantium and to rule easily, as you know everything doen in cristianity can be justified in gods name. During the bulgarian supremacy in eastern europe by order of the czar, the cirylic alphabet was created. As for the origin muslim wouldnt be exactly right, the bulgars at the river Volga were in the Great Bulgaria as it is recorded and due to barbaric invasion were forced to abandon their lands and move. As a result 4 nations were founded which only one survives to bear the name of Bulgaria. Religously they were pagean, believing in god Tangra and were sure that different elements of nature have mystical powers.

If you have any questions i'd be happy to answer them and once more great job on the mod, i will definetly play it