1075 (0)
A treaty is signed between the mighty Vikings and the pathetic Romans. Rome has nothing to give worth taking, but we settle for Antium. It is promptly renamed Tarkenton some sort of archaic reference to a mighty Viking warrior from the past who could hurl a stone better than anybody, but whose hometown was often sacked. The Romans insist that the evil Gothmog be put in retirement. The Vikings reluctantly agree and thus begins the reign of JR. To show good faith to the Romans, he changes the emphasis of Viking research from militeristic application (horseback riding) to something a little more scholarly (writing). JR then forgets about the Romans and looks towards a more serious threat the dirty Persians. Gothmog is sent to Trodheim where he trains the first batch of swordsmen and begins training another. The Temple of Oslo is completed and a barracks is begun. While celebrating the victory over the Romans, a great tale is told about how there is an Oracle at a mysterious place called Mecca. The first question asked of the Oracle is What do these bull entrails tell us about our people? The answer is This is no bullsh*t, but Mecca will be like the bulls eye, causing our enemies to go beserk.
1050 (1)
Make a point to keep an eye on iron mountains. Plan is to take Arbela and Gordium and see what is left for an attack on Susa and beyond. Interturn, military units produced.
1025 (2)
Plan to try to build a road across the neutral desert between Odense and Gordium to faciltate troop movement. Part of me wants to take Susa on the way to Gordium, but the most important objective is to deny Persia iron. After that, we can take Persia at our will. Since Birka is at its population limit, begin building a settler to move into area now occupied by Arbela should I get in an autoraze situation. I have let SlayVeii complete the swordsman it was building. See no compelling reason to abandon it just yet. There is no tile sharing situation that I cannot work around and I have no problem with the potential downside while letting SlayVeii build troops.
1000 (3)
One millinium left until the end of time. It looks like Persia may be interested in tangling with Rome. Meanwhile, our troops are getting in position to attack Arbela. Trondheim can build a swordsman every 3 turns and Wunderstatt can build a swordsman every two. Thebes completes the Pyramids, a clear sign that the world will self-destruct in 1000 years. Persia moves unprotected workers onto both iron mountains.
975 (4)
A few turns from being ready for war. Resist the temptation. If Persia protects its workers on the mountains, it will means less defense within the town itself. Will wait until my stack is together. Move a spearman into Persian territory next to Gordium. Will place on neutral mountain and then take worker (if unprotected) on the turn that the war begins.
950 (5)
One turn from declaring war and moving troops in. Primary invasion force ready to go. Swordsmen not close enough to the action headed towards Susa/Gordium region. Will be able to respond to either pattern of conquest Arbela/Susa/Gordium or Arbela/Gordium/Susa. Barracks of Oslo completed. Persia moves archer/warrior pair near Tarkenton which is defended by a veteran spearman.
925 (6)
Ask Persians to remove troops or declare war. They declare war. My peaceful builder reputation stays intact. Capture worker on each iron mountain. Persia invaded. Warlust inspires people to greater happiness. Arbela expected to be attacked on the next turn. One of our workers is captured. MyVeii completes barracks. A mysterious border appears across the water to the southwest of Fahrbootstadt.
900 (7)
We attack Arbela. Our swordsman defeats a spearman, our archer defeats a spearman, and our elite archer defeats an archer. No units on our side lost. Arbela was only population 1 so it is destroyed. We have a settler on the way to the region. A settler in Arbela converts to two workers for us. We recapture our captured worker. Whip production of spearman in Tarkenton. That border is apparently the Celts. We make contact. They have horseback riding (the only tech they have that we dont). They have iron, but not horses. They have incense, but no extra incense. They have 34g. Will wait until we have writing to see if they are isolated or if they know anybody. We are four turns from writing. We lose one archer during Persias attack. Rome is trying to send a settler/spearman/warrior trio to found near the iron. They lost their chance at a wonder when the Pyramids were built. Guess that gambit failed. Tarkenton survived an attack and is now defended by two spearmen.
875 (8)
What to do about Rome? Decide to let them to do as they please for now. We can make sure they dont get iron hooked up and polish them off once Persia is weakened. We have twelve more turns of peace with them anyway. Will give us something to do during the 20 turns we are at peace with Persia. Position troops for attack on Susa on the next turn. Road is in place to quickly get to Gordium thereafter. Persia is sending in warriors. Tarkenton loses a spearman from attack by Persian archer.
850 (9)
Susa captured. Renamed Susa-Elen (after Sue Ellen JRs wife on the tv show Dallas). Contains a barracks We lose one swordsman. It was defended by two spearmen. Troops moved into position to attack Gordium on next turn. Enough troops mingling around to maybe consolidate and launch an invasion into the heart of Persia. Mystics learn the secret of writing. Research set for literature.
825 (10)
Attack Gordium. Does not go well. Lose four archers and only take out one spearman. Reinforcements will attack in two turns. Persia willing to make peace, but Im not ready. They have map making, but no other tech that we dont. The Celts and Persians have contact with the Greeks and Chinese. The Celts dont want to give up horseback riding for writng. Will try to extort communications from Persia after I am ready to make peace. We have our first elite swordsman in an offensive battle in the war zone near the central iron mountain. Rome founds Neapolis near central iron mountain. Persia petitions us for peace, but is unwilling to give up map making.
800 (11)
Move reinforcements outside of Gordium. Should be able to take on next turn. Doing a little bit of pillaging in inner Persia. After Gordium, want to sue for peace and align forces to polish off Rome, so I dont expect to take any more Persian cities after Gordium. That will be left for a second war with Persia. The positive happiness effects of the war have disappeared. Have to move luxury slider back to 30% from 20%. We lose a spearman and archer that were pillaging near Persepolis. Rome moves a spearman and warrior up onto the iron mountain, but no worker yet. Rome becomes upset by our elite archer hanging around Neapolis.
775 (12)
Gordium destroyed (it was population 1) by two swordsmen. One of them is promoted to elite. Basic objectives with war with Persia achieved. Now it becomes a matter of getting the proper price for (temporary) peace while being in a position to succesfully knock Rome out of the game and horde all the iron to ourselves. Persia can then be reduced to rubble. Hopefully, they wont get iron through harbor trade. Begin to consolidate on neutral hill between Persepolis, Neapolis, and Susa-Elen. Persia now has code of laws, but not common sense enough to give up map making. One of our elite swordsman was killed off by an archer. Our swordsman was on a hill and across a river.
750 (13)
We avenge the death of our elite swordsman by killing off the offending archer. Our attacking swordsman gets promoted to elite. Aarhus completes temple. I was hoping to have had map making and converted project to a harbor, but it was not to be. Rome has abandoned defense of the iron mountain.
730 (14)
Advancing troops toward Persepolis. Sidon, Persia has a harbor. Dont think they will be able to trade for iron, but keeping an eye on their resource box each turn.
710 (15)
Still advancing.
690 (16)
Now on the footsteps of Persepolis. Persia has horseback riding, but of course, no horses. Our elite archer is killed off by an onslaught of Persian archers. It was protected by a spearman, but the spearman substained significant damage during the the first archer attack.
670 (17)
Persepolis captured. Was defended by three spearmen, a warrior, and an archer. We lost one swordsman and two of our archers were promoted to elite. Six workers captured. Persian capitol moves to Antioch. Persepolis comes equipped with a granary. Someone sold communications with us to the Greeks. The Persians, Celts, and Greeks all have mathematics. Only the Perians have map making, which they are now ready to surrender. Still, were fishing for a great leader for the Great Library (literature is four turns away) and we might as well keep warring for now. Persepolis survives counterstrike. Temple of Stavanger complete.
650 (18)
Another archer promotes to elite. We are probably powerful enough to take on Rome and still keep at war with Persia when our 20 turns of peace ends with Rome. SlayVeii riots. Knew I should have abandoned that town.
630 (19)
Consolidation.
610 (20)
Nothing significant, except I accidently moved an archer into Roman territory. Literature is one turn away and we have enough troops to wipe out Rome and keep on with Persia. If we can get one of the elites to produce a great leader, we can rush the Great Library and have no need for a Persian technology surrender. My biggest fear is that the unknown world could be garnering a tech lead.
As mentioned, JR foolishly orders a group of archers into Roman territory thus delaying a renewed war with Rome by one turn. From out of nowhere an arrow finds it target and the reign of JR ends. The only question left is who shot JR?
Zany Zerkers - 610 BC
). I have only played on a huge map once and never (there I go again 
If I did get leaders I would use them in the typical ways, armies, rush wonders, rush factories in my corrupt areas, etc. I also use the prebuild but never (whoops) for all the wonders, just the critical few. Because I play at diety I almost never have a tech advantage until after I get ToE.
