HNDY01 - Kingdom Come
50 AD (0)
Well, we're in Anarchy, so no MM needed. (Note to
Slinger, since no trade is collected during Anarchy, raising the lux tax will not help keep cities from rioting. I believe only Happy buildings and luxury goods work during Anarchy).
Have to see what the economy is like after we emerge, to decide on build path. Have to lean to (1) Get enough cheap MP to not have to run a lux tax, (2) Get enough Bows so we don't worry about landings, (3) Get Harbors, Markets, and Aqueducts built. Then some cheap Cathedrals to continue the culture push. My initial feeling is not to go north of the Mountain on my turns, but we'll see. Oh, and get the reg. Warriors doing shore-guard duty and the vet Bows back onto the road network to kill stuff.
There's still two folks we haven't met, so another Galley would be nice. Shuruppak swapped from Barracks to Harbor.
<Return>
IT - See lots of boats, most of which are retreating? Portugal can reach us with the G.Lighthouse. Anarchy ends, I pick Monarchy.
70 AD (1)
At 100% taxes, we are losing 13 gpt.
Nineveh swapped from Aqueduct to Market, Northern Gap to Harbor, Nippur to Harbor. Babylon has to run a tax man. Now we're only losing 8 gpt.
Hmmm, have to fix this. Build Zariqum on the SE of Northern Gap, starts a Harbor. Put reg. Warrior on MP duty in Babylon, put taxman back to work. Now we're losing 5 gpt. We are 22 units over our support limit.
Well, no time like the present: Two cat shots red-line a fortified Spanish Spear, and a Bowman shoots ... and loses.
Second Bow gets the job done. Now we're making 33 gpt, and can get our cities growing and economy working.
Goody, now I can re-MM the cities. Babylon pulls 20+ spt during the GA, so Market (4 turns), Harbor (3 turns), Cathedral (4 turns, less MP) can be built, +9 Bowman/Spears. I'll alternate units and buildings. Nineveh gets 19 spt. Looks like a good place to disband reg. Warriors, to get the equivalent of two turns of 20 shields for each. City needs Market (1 turn), Harbor (3 turns, with 1 Warrior and 4 gold), Granary (Same as Harbor), Aqueduct (5 turns, 2 Warriors, 4 gold). Then 8 turns of building for some wonder (152 shields). Ashur does 12 spt, don't want a Settler from there now. Swaps to Spear, will send reg. Warrior MP to Nineveh next turn. Then an Aqueduct. Just noticed the second Bowman promoted, so we have an Elite Bow. There is going to be some tile-dancing between Uruk and Ashur.
90 AD (2)
Hittites want to talk. They won't take straight Peace. Good-Bye. A lot of boats running around, but nothing is getting accomplished.
Nineveh: Market --> Harbor.
Ashur: Spear --> Aqueduct. Once 'duct completes, will grow to 7 and give us two more unit support.
110 AD (3)
Eridu: Cat --> Harbor
Portugal has Chivalry. Knights Templar would be a nice wonder to have. Sink our first Spanish Galley. Nineveh rushes a Bow for 4 gold, swaps to a Harbor, a Warrior is disbanded, and the Harbor is due in 2 instead of 3. Change my mind and swap to an Aqueduct, due in 5 (need another Warrior, and another 4 gold). Nineveh can work the Gems mountain at size 7 w/0 food surplus, but ~23 shields. We can build all the other improvements (+ some cats or a Barracks) @ >20 shields
130 AD (4)
Our victorious Galley doesn't get attacked.
Ellipi: Harbor --> Granary (Grow from 2-6 twice as fast.)
Uruk: Barracks --> Spear
Shuffle tiles between Ashur and Eridu. Aqueduct still in 6 at Ashur, Harbor in 8 at Eridu.
150 AD (5)
Shaka comes by for a chat: Our African Brother is painfully backwards, and is gently guided to the door. Hmm, somebody dropped off a couple of Archers. Too many Blue-Green guys.
Babylon: Market --> Bow
Samarra: Barracks --> Spear
That was Spain that dropped off units. One cat shot, vet Bow goes Elite by winning, Elite Bow wins.
Warrior disbanded in Nineveh to bring Aqueduct in 2. We now make +48 gpt.
170 AD (6)
Our Dinky fends off a vet Spanish Galley and promotes to Veteran!
Babylon: Bow --> Harbor
Bomb a couple of Spanish Galleys. Scrambling to get Morining Cloud back to port. Short rush Habor in Ashur (32 gold), and swap tile around to get Aqueduct in 3, not 4.
190 AD (7)
The AI finally shows a competent Naval Invasion. 5 Archers and a Spear land between Northern Gap and Zariqum. Abandon Zariqum, and fall back into Northern Gap. We are very well protected there.
Nineveh: Aqueduct --> Barracks
Uruk: Bow --> Bow
210 AD (8)
Win 4, lose 1 at Northern Gap. Elite Bow wins vs. red-lined Archer, then another Elite Bow bites it against an unfortified, red-lined Spear on flat ground. Vet Bow cleans up that mess, and promotes. The pRNG is hosing me on victories, but giving it back in promotions. We now make +56 gpt. Rush the Harbor at Northern Gap for 64 gold.
230 AD (9)
Heh-heh, moving troops off the mountain made the Spaniards choose a land route instead of getting on a boat. Being stoopid is no fun.
Babylon: Harbor --> Bow.
Nineveh: Barracks --> Bow
Ashur: Aqueduct --> Market
Northern Gap: Harbor --> Walls (no use taking chances.)
Samarra: Spear --> Spear
250 AD (10)
Lose a Galley running for cover.
Babylon: Bow --> Cathedral (Can't forget culture
) (No, really, we need this to grow above size 8)
Nineveh: Bow --> Harbor (Bigger is better, but eminently vetoable. Would strongly consider going Palace as a pre-build for Sun Tzu's)
Uruk: Bow --> Bow
Elite Bow whacks invading Spanish Archer. Those Spanish units turned around, and are going to get in a boat.
Final Notes:
The military situation is fairly stable. Once Babylon runs out of buildings (after its Cathedral) it can do 1 unit/turn for the balance of the GA. I was following a plan of letting the marginal southern cities (Uruk, Eridu, and Samarra) build troops while the three larger cities built infrastructure and the tundra/plains cities tried to get some food. When Babylon comes off of its buildings it should be possible to get some GA production to a building in each of the southern cities. Samarra could do with a Court or Market, the other two with Harbors. Samarra may only grow to size 6 by poaching a tile from another city (think Shuruppak).
The GA should end on Handy's first turn. Since we are not running a lux tax, we do not have to worry about riots, but build times will be screwy. We are distinctly not getting any techs out of the GLib. I think
Ted should start a Wonder in Nineveh on his turns, as Feudalism has to show up sometime soon. It may also be a good time to think about an expedition to raze Pamplona, giving the Spaniards a much longer trek back to port.
I did not try to build Warriors for upgrade, that can wait until after the GA. I would not be too aggressive with spending, as although we will be in the black after our GA, it won't be by a lot.
I believe we have to plan to go on the offensive immediately after our GA. Our best unit has an attack of 2, and the Spear era is drawing to a close. We can certainly mass some troops to go on a razing rampage in 10 turns. Plus, if we go north the AI will likely abandon most of the amphibious assaults. [So by the end of
Handy's turns, it should be go-time.]
Culture: 63 cpt.
A Gilded Epoch
Only one Wonder has been built on the other continent(s). 
Monarchy will be nice.
