I'm a gambler and I'm a fool but god damn it, I'm lucky.
Who here took into account the fact that the Luchuirp don't in fact use regular axes but Wood Golems with 6 strength without promotions? I sure as heck didn't.
Anyways I didn't change techs from Cartography (no-one wanted to trade maps though) and started on HBR as instructed. Celo kept on building the Great Library, chopped the forests there and hired another scientist. I settled a city in the north 1S of the corn - didn't think we'd need coastal and that has a bit more production and is healthy. Production cities finished their Yards and started on Axes. Lots of forests were chopped in the process.
Anyways, I turned slider to full cash as I started to promote the superman and I did my math and concluded that I would be ok to go with one strong escort (was provided) so I did. I first hesitated with the declaration but recalled the proverb "luck favors the bold" and marched on.
So, marching on Ithralia there were 4 warriors (1xc2+g1, rest stock) and one fresh out of the studio Wood Golem with it's spiffing 6 strength. Well, realistically I thought that was that and I had doomed us by my action in that a declaration would lead to Beeri spamming units so I decided to give it a shot with the escorting warrior - why not. Well, honestly against all odds he won the wood golem and gained 15 experience in doing so. I didn't attack with the superman that turn because I didn't wanna get overwhelmed by counterattacks.
And since you wouldn't believe me otherwise:
Beeri got another one of those Golems and Axe got it without too much trouble. In the end though:
Not a bad tally - I figured he'd be way less developed and the settled Bard is certainly going to help in securing the city and fighting off Balseraph influence. I'd stop the advance here for a bit until we can bring in some garrison troops and maybe a few axes to throw at wood golems since he might have more and just march over what's left of the Luchuirp.
The score difference to Perpentach is miserable and I'm strongly advocating a continuation to our Luchuirp conquest by marching on the Balseraphs afterwards unless the technological situation looks too dire. I believe the Balseraph capital is directly south of Ithralia given how it's influence reaches there and if I understand the fog correctly, no city down there is on a hill which is a big deal if we want to start wearing them down.
Anyhow, first things first and the Luchuirp should definitely be the ones to go during the next set or at the latest the set after that.
NOTE There is a great scientist that popped on turn 277 - I have no idea on what to do with him. He could bulb KotE but there's also the option of an academy or settling, neither of which are bad either. For pure score, KotE is pretty sweet.
) next.
