King of the World #16: Julius Caesar

[Supp]

The number one threat to Roman Hegemony? BEARS!

This is officially the best thread in this forum.

Anyway, China is looking like it might actually be a threat this game!

I'd advise keeping Qin pleased while invading Africa and the Middle East. Preferably the middle east first though, as you want to keep Cyrus from mass vassaling. He already has Mansa Musa.

The other (warminded) option would be to take out Cyrus right now, maybe getting Sal first though since he's in between you two. That would give you a non vassal border with the China Bloc and would also prevent Cyrus from becoming a powerhouse.

 

[Silv Something]

Nice writeup, as usual!

Russia as a slave, or Russia as dead . . .

Hmm. I don't know. I play vanilla Chieftain or Warlord, so I wouldn't know. But if I had to guess, I say let her live. Someone else will build cities there if you won't and then you will just have to take over the region again. Catherine's also a nice bumper between Cyrus and yourself, just in case he gets a little anxious while you are down in N. Africa.

But what do I know?

 

[IPEX-731BA5DD06]

Bribe Qin, to attack Cyrus, whilst you attack Arabia, Swinging into Egypt, then your left with Mansa in Africa, or a Cyrus dog pile with Qin. Genghis could be a useful attack dog.

I'd just vassalize Catherine, as has been mentioned before, attack and vassalize Arabia, and hopefully you can pick up Egypt easily, or if waring with them, Mansu hopefully will fall into line.

Well played, you make it seem so easy. Moai in Rome, seems a great idea, Mediterranean lake, Iron works in Novgorod (taking steel from liberalism) and pop a Great Engineer for Mining corp.

 

[madscientist]

Vassal the Russian babe and divorce the Spanish wife. Let Caesar enjoy live's best, and cathy is alot better than the jealous Isabella.

Regarding the next conquest, I say the protective sal followed by the Persian core. Egypt may be you tech competitor but it's also one of teh easier empires to take out later in the game.

 

[Absolute Zero]

I think you should vassal Cathy. No point in wasting time (and troops) just to raze some predominantly tundra cities.

I suggest attacking Cyrus next and taking his best cities, but knowing Cyrus he probably has cities all over the place, so vassalize him soon. Saladin isn't going to expand much out of Arabia, so you can take your time building up an army to take him out. From there I'd go for Hatty. Interestingly, unlike most Earth map games I've played, she hasn't expanded much, and should not be too difficult to conquer.

From there you could peacefully tech your way to Space Race or continue for Domination by building up to attack Qin and his vassals. I personally have not had much success attacking China on this map as a European civ due to the fact that it's relatively far away, so while you're conquering neighbors, Qin's training defenders and teching quite well, but it's definitely doable.

(Just out of curiosity, what happens to a vassal when you vassalize the vassal's master? In this case, Mansa Musa and Cathy. Does MM become Neal's vassal automatically?)

 

[Neal]

You can't become a vassal if you have a vassal. In the "Mansa Musa realized that Catherine wasn't the winning team," screenshot, he broke vassalage from her and bought his way out of the war. Hence my ability to capitulate Russia.

 

[Supp]

I think you should vassal Cathy. No point in wasting time (and troops) just to raze some predominantly tundra cities.

I suggest attacking Cyrus next and taking his best cities, but knowing Cyrus he probably has cities all over the place, so vassalize him soon. Saladin isn't going to expand much out of Arabia, so you can take your time building up an army to take him out. From there I'd go for Hatty. Interestingly, unlike most Earth map games I've played, she hasn't expanded much, and should not be too difficult to conquer.

From there you could peacefully tech your way to Space Race or continue for Domination by building up to attack Qin and his vassals. I personally have not had much success attacking China on this map as a European civ due to the fact that it's relatively far away, so while you're conquering neighbors, Qin's training defenders and teching quite well, but it's definitely doable.

(Just out of curiosity, what happens to a vassal when you vassalize the vassal's master? In this case, Mansa Musa and Cathy. Does MM become Neal's vassal automatically?)

I don't think you can vassal a vassal's master. I believe their vassals have to break their chains first.

 

[jamescat]

Neal, you are a fantastic writer. I especially enjoyed the Notre Dame football references... very well crafted

I say vassal Cathy. Tundra cities won't be worth your while with all of the rich Middle Eastern lands joining the vast Roman Empire

 

[Fei Kelei]

Catherine's remaining territory is pretty marginal, right? So what would you rather have there? Your own cities, someone else filling in the space who you'll eventually want to fight, or a vassal so that you don't have to keep a garrison on your eastern border?

 

[Tiepolo]

You need that buffer state. I played a shadow on monarch and, after taking all of Europe, created buffer states everywhere. I used Ethiopia to block off the zulu, russia and persia and india to block off asia.

 

[weekend_warrior]

I think I would push into Arabia next, your stack is right there after all. Take the 3 citys he has in the north (assuming they're worth taking), vassallize the rest. Then push right into Africa and with one final HA-ZA! from your Praets, take what you want from the Egyptians. Vassilize the rest. At that point gunpowder units and cannons should be coming up, and poor poor Cyrus won't know what the hell just hit him.

 

[IAM]

Vassal Cathy then run through the Middle East into Africa taking prime cities and then vassal for buffer states.

Oh... you're king of the world no need to divorce Isabella. Take them both and simply execute them if they displease you. See problem solved.

 

[Infantry#14]

i agree to attack saladin. You can follow up by invading egypt and mali w/ one stack and persia and india the other stack.

 

[pigswill]

You're playing fairly blind at the moment. Try trading for more maps and send some cheap units out exploring.

Taking weak vassals can make it harder to capitulate other civs later. If you vassalise Cat then you could consider gifting back a couple of her less important cities, less maintenance for you and makes her more useful (don't forget that you can tell her what to research).

 

[silentounce]

Definitely take the city that Cathy offered when you vassalize her. You can either gift it right back to her for a relations boost, or give it to someone else who might want it. Genghis maybe, depending on location.

 

[UWHabs]

I don't think you can vassal a vassal's master. I believe their vassals have to break their chains first.

Not true. But given how power works, you have to be pretty dominant to vassal someone who's a master. I'd done it in one of my games late where at that point I was probably like 5X their power. If you vassal a master, their vassal just breaks free.

 

[r_rolo1]

Definitely take the city that Cathy offered when you vassalize her. You can either gift it right back to her for a relations boost, or give it to someone else who might want it. Genghis maybe, depending on location.

That is the point... we don't even know where the city is ( dead horse beating .... you need more maps, Neal ).

I am not sure if it is a good idea to attack Saladin before Hatty, and this because of the geography. Saladin borders neal, true, but it only has 2 cities in easy reach ( the one north of the Caucasus and the one in Syria ). Capturing those cities most likely will not assure a capitulation and then you would be forced to a long march to Mecca ( pun partially intended ) to vassal him, and who knows what can happen in between ( read: Sal vassaling to Cyrus or QSH ). Hatty , as long as you attack both from Tunisia and from sal's territory, will be easier to break fast and after being vassaled , will give a better launch platform to attack Sal. And obviously hatty has little cities of relevance on hills and it is not protective

 

[mfie]

I'm for vassaling Cathy; but don't vassal Saladin :O. Afrika is not so bad territory (except for the desert )

 

[r_rolo1]

I'm for vassaling Cathy; but don't vassal Saladin :O. Afrika is not so bad territory (except for the desert )

True, but probably not good enough to invite the possibility of WW before the time.... and given the time that would be needed to take Sal down ( he has a good bunch of cities, most likley scatered in East Africa/madagascar ( WE NEED MORE MAPS ) ) they vassaling to someone else in between is a strong possibility.

 

[shyuhe]

I'd just continue steamrolling Cathy. Let's see the old world domination!