Preturn: Turn Lux down to 20
Bought Philosophy from the babs for 130. Sold it across the board to every civ with more than 20 gold that needed it. Now have 346 gold.
Looking at the map: the prospects here are real slim, our nation only produces 11 shields so combined we have enough for 1 horseman each 3 turns. I think we need a little more space plus we are wasting the availability of spice. I'm going to change the horseman in Zimbabwe to a settler and build a city. I would have liked to build that city on a one square diagonal to have but I'm sure that would be frowned on so I'll build on the other spice so it can be frowned on there.
The Russian wants war, he will have to bring it to me right now and see the sting of our Impi warriors.
1500 Couple minor little trades.
1475 Hlobane established and warrior started. Lux down to 0.
1450
1425 St. Petersburg has expanded it's borders. Taking this city would split the Russian and allow us space to move a road out before moving on Moscow. Start to combine a force to move in for a strike. Scout near Kiev is currently occupying a few Russian forces away from the fray.
1400 Buy Polytheism for world map and 250 from ottomans. Trade it for map making, literature, code of laws, world and territory maps
1375 Shut off research, can't keep up anyway. 229 gold
1350 Win St. Petersburg - Lost an impi and also started the Golden Age. Survival boost at least. Russians are willing to talk but don't have anything to offer for peace, I'd need at least a city to consider it at this point. Oh, and we now have water!
1325 Japan tries extortion, the declare war and then they start the Great Library.
1300 We caught up to Korea to tie for last place.
1275
1250
1225
1200 Kiev is ours. Most of the other civs are hamstrung for space now so even having puny cities in desert can aid our cause by providing units for war.
1175 The Russian forces outside Kiev (that had been chasing my scout) 3 warriors and 1 archer impale themselves on our Impi, Mpande wins a great victory, and heads the construction of a wondrous library to store the knowledge that we acquire in the township of Kiev. A couple more workers come on line, roads and irrigation back to our troop producing cities become their focus.
1150 Great Library at Kiev. Gather forces toward Moscow.
1125 Take Moscow, make peace and acquire Minsk in the settlement. I would have pressed on with Russia except I see no reason to have them eliminated just yet and have out rep soiled. We will have time for that.
So, I declare war on the Germans.
1100
1075 Setup for first attack on Germans.
1050 Germany down to 4 cities, they are still pretty strong but disjointed.
1025 725 gold. Germany is ready for peace but are not yet willing to surrender a city. Berlin should not be too hard to take and then we may get a better settlement package from them.
I did not spend money on embassies cause I don't yet know which are worth the investment, I have some good ideas but no body else has any real cash reserves. I did not harden any peace treaties other than settlements from the Russian war and Japan from our non war, so that table is open and we are gaining power ranking, Japan is our only competition on that power front. Germany and Carthage both have iron well within range and are good prizes to extend to. The possibilities are still pretty wide open, our Golden Age last another 6 or so turns. Troops are resting up in Moscow and we have 3 luxuries now.
Way too crowded in 1025 BC
No way to get a defender there - we have none and can't rush 
