Justinian's University: Defeating the Deities

[Unconquered Sun]

Unfortunately, I need to bribe Sul right away if I trade MT to Mansa; otherwise Mansa and Roose will sign certainly sign Def Pact.

Update on the way.

 

[MrFelony]

I guess such foresight and planning is needed to make the jump to Prince difficulty.

I can win pretty easily on monarch and some on emperor and i am just as amazed at his knowledge as you are.

 

[Unconquered Sun]

Update

Chapter II: War On Deity



Trading Military Tradition and Liberalism to Mansa for Constitution and 1000 gold leaves me in the perfect position to research Gunpowder and field Cuirassiers in several turns.

I bribe Suleiman to attack Mansa and to adopt Hinduism for the steep price of Nationalism. I also bribe Ceaser to join the Hindu club, however Mansa leaves under FR and Roose revolts to Christianity.

Next I review my resource trades and soon cut horses to Mansa. Then I bribe Ceaser to stop trading with Mansa in order to get his rice and cow instead of the ones Boudica offers me. I do this to minimize the trades I need to do with my main rivals: Mansa and Boudica, while retaining maximum resources. To them I give happy resources which are useless for deities under Hereditary Rule.

I adopt Representation and also Slavery and Organized Religion and build the Taj shortly after another switch that comes post-Gunpowder.

The war civics are Representation - Nationalism - Slavery - Mecantilism - Theocracy. Whipping many cuirassiers and three spies to utilize the EPs I've been placing on Roose since the dawn of time. My numerous courthouses give me city visibility. Roose main SoDs are north, as expected, looking out for Boudica attack.

In fact, Boudica does attack, but Mansa, which is great. Suleiman sues for peace tho.

Anyhow, my own attack commences. I expect the war to be over in three turns.

The cavalry:

Spoiler :

The plan is simple: three turns to capture Washington and capturing New York on the way (turn 2).

My spies also have a key role: causing revolts that negate city defense for a turn:

Spoiler :

Spies succeed and I capture both cities as intented, losing only a cuirassier. Behold the spoils of war:

Spoiler :

 

[Unconquered Sun]

Meanwhile, Roose's SoD camps outside my iron city. I suppose him having units next to my city is the reason he refuses to sign peace on turn 3.

However, with the cultural influence of Washington gone, my units move rapidly about. On turn 4 of the war i capture another city and destroy numerous units and capture more workers. Roose agrees to peace but declines vassalization. I guess I need to defeat his army, but part of the reason to attack him is to use his SoD v. Mansa.

The war ends with me losing 2 cuirassiers; and gaining 2 great generals, 3 cities, and forcing Roose back into Hinduism (he is pleased to me atm).

Meanwhile Boudica demonstrates her superb military prowess. Despite crossing an ocean, she has more success v. Mansa than Suleiman and captures a major city. In another part of the world, Ceaser and Saladin sign peace after centuries long stalemate.

Spoiler :

Nice SoD: CRer, siege, defender v mounted, defender v melee.

The current situation:

+Good:

my army is effectively improved by the war, and I didn't need to up the culture slider at all. In theory, my empire can sustain a lot more whips and WW. Mansa still has no rifles as he pursued Economics and Democracy.

after many turns of 0% research I'm still #2 in techs. This means no AI but Mansa can compete v. my peacemongering.

-Bad:

the economy is only 1/10 of what it can be considering technology and resources.

I've hit everybody's WFYABTA

Spoiler :

 

[Unconquered Sun]

I can win pretty easily on monarch and some on emperor and i am just as amazed at his knowledge as you are.

This makes me think fewer turns inbetween updates are better for showing all the considerations in the game.

 

[MrFelony]

I feel like I didnt really know what I was doing up until monarch, and only really started learning what to do when I moved up to emperor imo.

I look forward to when you finish the game to see how Mansa settled early on. I think the problem with Roose's expansion may have been that the AI can be pretty dumb when it comes to where it expands. what may have happened is that Roose was planning on settling west, and when that was thwarted, he may have settled (pun intended ) on going vertical allowing mansa to take the area to his east

 

[obsolete]

GS was settled.

I remember not too long ago there was a time, where people laughed at me for doing that. Glad to see another deity player doing the same...

 

[cheffster]

wow, using spies to revolt a city for 1 turn while u attack is sheer brilliance, I really gotta try that. And seeing all those wonders you captured is amazing too, I usually build them all myself, but maybe I should explore other tactics

 

[Badesumofu]

wow, using spies to revolt a city for 1 turn while u attack is sheer brilliance

I enjoy doing this as well. Espionage is really useful in war, knowing what your enemy is building, and where his units are is handy also.

This has been a really great game to read so far. I enjoyed your analytical approach to your situation, and the ballsy strats a lot.

 

[uberfish]

Nice demonstration by Roosevelt of why spamming all the mediocre wonders is a bad strategy at high difficulty levels

 

[Unconquered Sun]

Spoiler :

I really hate the "message is too short" thingie.

 

[Johan^^]

"My spies also have a key role: causing revolts that negate city defense for a turn:"

This is something every one should do in order to up their military strategy, though IMO this is a very unbalanced part of BTS, that fireaxis might have underrestimated the effect of.

Though this "trick" is one of the main reasons, why Cavalry still is a very good unit despite the new tech path, if you are the type that goes for quick attacks and peace-signings.

 

[darrelljs]

Nicely done...it seemed a bit risky though to only have one Spy in the city. There is a 25% chance the mission fails and now you are camped outside of a city whipping defenders and with no easy way to remove defensive bonus. I guess you could move on to the next city at that point, but I typically place three Spies in all the cities I plan on taking before declaring war. Probably a bit paranoid but I haven't had an issue yet .

Darrell

 

[Unconquered Sun]

"My spies also have a key role: causing revolts that negate city defense for a turn:"

This is something every one should do in order to up their military strategy, though IMO this is a very unbalanced part of BTS, that fireaxis might have underrestimated the effect of.

Though this "trick" is one of the main reasons, why Cavalry still is a very good unit despite the new tech path, if you are the type that goes for quick attacks and peace-signings.

I had enough cuirassiers to win regardless of the spy effectiveness. But I can imagine this trick turning the tables in a different situation.

Perhaps Firaxis thought base price of 500 is high enough? It's obvious their beta-testing was poor in regard to espionage.

IMO this game is another proof BtS deity is easier. It's my fifth game in a row where I manage to secure a large empire on deity. The only thing BtS deities have going for them is cultural victory which now the AI micromanages better than space.

 

[carl corey]

Thanks for a great thread, Uconquered Sun. Can't wait to take a closer look at the saves.

 

[Giaur]

Excuse me lame question:

What conditions must coexist to have those 2 hammers from temples and monasteries?

btw. That was a swift war. I am not sure if espionage is inbalanced. I'd rather say that it depends on the stage of the game. Earlier it's difficult to earn those points.

 

[Johan^^]

Excuse me lame question:

What conditions must coexist to have those 2 hammers from temples and monasteries?

btw. That was a swift war. I am not sure if espionage is inbalanced. I'd rather say that it depends on the stage of the game. Earlier it's difficult to earn those points.

No you just build the great wall and go for the Great Spy... If you are planning a semi-early war.

 

[MrFelony]

the Apostle Palace (not right name but forget how to spell Aplostolotolic lol) gives you +2 hammers for every building of the AP's religion

 

[Babibo]

the Apostle Palace (not right name but forget how to spell Aplostolotolic lol) gives you +2 hammers for every building of the AP's religion

Note that you don't need to build it to get the bonus. I believe you only need to have the Apostlotlolic Palace religion as a state religion. You lose the bonus if you defy a resolution, btw.
Correct me if I'm wrong

 

[MrFelony]

you are correct about the bonus, but the way i spelled it was purposefully wrong since to a comical extent . looking forward to the next update Un Sun