I press enter and the barb archer suicides against our phalanx, earning him a cover promotion without getting hurt. Our northern phallanx gets a bit hurt defeating a warrior and trades places with fresh troops from the capital to heal.
121 - 975 BC Sparta finishes its library and appoints two scientists to sort the new books. It starts a phalanx before a barracks: there's an archer down there as well. Two workers start chopping jungle near Sparta, worker starts cottage near Athens.
122- 950 BC Move phalanx to our beaver-spot to prevent the archer pillaging there.
123- 925 bc: Archer dies on our mine near Sparta, warrior dies to our healed phalanx in Athens.
We get an event: 59 beakers for Alphabet (already due in 2) or pay 70g for a permanent plus 1 beaker in Sparta. I choose the long term bonus and pay 70 g. I turn down science to replenish our emergency fund (alpha still due in 2).
124 - 900 BC One phalanx to combat III, one to combat I. Athens grows to 7, -1 health. Whip is 1 pop so I'll save that for maybe a library or settler.
Turn 125 - 875 BC
Alphabet is in, think hard on our next research. Math for the trade routes, but that won't give us much in this stage. Choose Metal casting for the forges and workshops (extra production), plus the extra happy from gems. Due in around 30 turns. I open borders with everyone, I believe it's too early for negative modifiers, later on we may cancel some if necessary. I hesitate since we obviously didn't do this before.
No serious deals to be made: only mysticism to be had.
Turn 126 - 850 BC Mansa offers masonry for alphabet: no. We enter chinese lands.
Turn 127 - 825 BC Phalanx finished in Athens. Library or a settler? I opt for a settler even if we only build one extra phalanx, since I've seen no more barbs the last 4 turns. I'll whip it for two pop when possible in Athens. I start moving our two workers from Sparta to our new city site they finished a cottage in Sparta and it has enough developed tiles for the next 3 growths. Do the same with two phalanxes.
Turn 128 - 800 BC Nothing much
Turn 129 - 775 BC, Barb warrior near Sparta, no problem for our veteran Phally.
Turn 130 - 750 BC barb archer near Sparta, first barbie defeated.. Justinian has the great wall.
Turn 131- 725 BC Barb archer moves to our rice, Can't prevent pillaging except with our archer. Careless, careless. I take my chance with our Combat II archer (73%) and win! Phew.
Turn 132 - 700 BC Whip the settler in Athens for 2 pop. Set to library.
Turn 133 - 675 BC Move settler to blue dot (3 to 2 decision). Sparta Phalanx-barracks. Then maybe we can build cg archers.
Turn 134 - 650 BC Great scientist in Sparta. he can research Mathematics (585 beakers), but that maybe tradeable later on. I'll save him for discussion, since it's near the end of my set. Settler in place 1w of original blue dot. It misses fresh water, but can start developing faster with grasslands. One more jungle cleared near Athens means no more unhealthiness from jungle there. I move it to Sparta to start chopping jungle there.
Turn 135 - 625 BC. Found Corinth, start a granary. Can be changed of course, since no hammers. Barb archer moves to Athens, send Phally to protect our cottage there. Workers start roading towards corn at Corinth (sounds corny). Great scientist still in Sparta. We have two phalanxes per city, plus two archers in Sparta, one in Athens and a warrior and Corinth. We might drop science some more to get more gold. We're at 60% at -1 with 52g.
Our lands:
Mao:
Carolus Magnus:
Tech screen:
Athens: