Hi folks. I agree that it's way too late to change to SS launch, we would have been playing a very different style.
@mad-bax: welcome aboard!
Here are my 5 turns. And a terrible confession: I automated the workers. I just couldn't stand it any more, moving them to the next bit of tundra. If I've deeplyoffended anyone's playstyle, I apologize in advance.
Turn 0, 850 AD
- hit enter, completely trusting my teammates.
IBT
- Barbs get regionally intense. Our 3 Muskets kill 13 Barb Horse. Musket promotes to elite (all 3 are elite now). Muskets down to 3 hp each.
- Shanghai Musket-Settler.
- Tsingtao Aqueduct-BH
- Also produce 2 BH, 1 Caravel.
- French building Magellan.
Turn 1, 860 AD
- Russia, Vikings, Arabs, France have NAVIGATION. Russia has 572 gold for her efforts. France asking price 580.
- Bombard stack of 32 Barb Horse. Not sure if Muskets will hold out, but they'll do a lot of damage at least. Move a BH and a Korchin there.
- Capture Arbela, Susa. Temples. Lose a vBH in Arbela to sheer stupidity.
- capture Leptis Minor. Bombard destroys temple. 2 BH promoted.
- Man, that Bombard-Attack-Attack sequence is deadly!
- unload Caravels E of Carthage on to Nora. BH inland, Caravels around S coast to make bridge.
- load Caravel with 3 BH, send towards Toku island.
- Rush temples in 13 conquered cities.
IBT
- Barb War! Muskets kill 2 Warriors, 23 Horse. 2 Musket killed. Turgs kill 16 Horse, 3 Turgs promoted. BH kill 4 Horse, promoted.
- a number of riots. I think WW increased - that or I got lazy & didn't check.
- Vikings & Khwar sign peace.
Turn 2, 870 AD
- Capture Samarkant. Harbor destroyed, no troop losses. Khaz still around, they must have a settler. I suspect Galley in far East - will chase.
- capture Carthage after bombing down to 6 pop. Destroyed Marketplace. No troop losses. Gain 2 workers and a Catapult.
- capture Sabratha. Lose a BH. Get another Catapult.
- I'm Automating (Shift-A) workers back home. Sorry if this offends anyone - but their marginal usefulness and amount of time to manage is just too annoying. Feel free to reverse on your turn.
- Down to 1 Musket on Barb Island, and 45 Horse in striking distance. Time to withdraw, heal, and bring reinforcements.
IBT
- not much, but another candidate for Khaz remnant appears. This one's a caravel (2 defence), so I'll just shadow him.
- Neocarthage Knight lands back near Magna. How cute.
Turn 3, 880 AD
- declare war on TOKU. Land troops on his island, Owase. Capture Mishima. Capture Shizuoka. Oops, missed an island!

- rush Barracks, Sikar, so invasion troops can heal there.
- killing errant Neocarth Knight creates a GL, Tolui! I'm gonna send him home to create Bach's Cathedral.
IBT - not much. Left Catapults undefended, they get captured.
Turn 4, 890 AD
- capture Owase. BH promotes. Leave Owase undefended, head for Ina.
- capture Hippo. Harbor destroyed. Lost a vBH to RGN (not to poor tactics this time, he was attacking a redlined Hopilite.
- get Cats back.
- put GL Tolui on boat for home.
IBT
- both a Viking and a Neocarth settler, with military escort (Galloglass for the Viking) land N of Leptis Magna, at E tip of the ex-Neocarth lands. This should be interesting! I'm inclined to see who wins, let them settle, and capture the city once it reaches pop2.
- Bach's Cathedral built in Paris. Drat.
- Barb Island - Muskets kill 1 Warr, 7 Horses without a scratch, aided by defensive bombardment. And now they can fortify!

- Khwarizmia Spear lands near Kota. Nice to see ya! Bring your Settler friends!
- Viking city of Malmo built on Southern Barb Island. Best of luck...
Turn 5, 900 AD
- bombardment on Barb Island. Move another Musket there. 4th Musket in Caravel waiting to land, which should do it.
- capture Utica. BH promoted. One BH redlined to a redlined Hopilite, but no losses. Leo's Workshop acquired.
- Ferry troops over for Viking Invasion from East. I haven't entered their territory yet. Note the Vikings have Muskets and Galloglass. Should be able to attack by boat from E, and by land from the N via Myrtos (Neocarthage city).
Hand-over
- hey, we can trade World Maps now. Haven't done so yet, for no apparent reason - over to you!
- there are 2 Settlers in New Baruun-Urt, waiting for Barb Island to be pacified. 2 more on the way.
- I've been gradually switching some production to Ordu Archers. Military Tradition still seems like a long way away.
- GL is sitting off Nora. No Wonders available but Copernicus (hah!), so you'll probably want to make an Army with him. I had to recall him from the sea when France built Bach.
- Next priorities look to me like: finish Carthage, invade Vikings, pacify Barb Island. Toku should fall next turn. I wish we had ships with attacking power to track down those pesky Khwarizmia, but I guess we'll have to wait for them to land their settler.
- everyone's probably noticed this already, but wounded BH make amazing cannons! 3 bombard attacks or 2 regular attacks - that's almost an unbalanced unit compared to its peers in this era.
- NOTE: please check happiness in cities, I think I forgot to before saving. Sorry!
Screenies to follow.
The Save, for next, better player