Executive Summary:
Lost Hispalis after my first turn, Viroconium flipped to us near the end of my 10 turns. Viro and Cumae are pretty well defended now and we can reinforce in 1 turn from Umfolozi. Got 6 great leaders, used for Iron Works, Military Academy, 3 universities, and a bank. All cities are on the rail net except Isand, Cumae, and Viro. Rail work is progressing pretty well. We have an ironclad navy patrolling the coast. I figure its better to sink them in their ships than let them land. We got Communism and are awaiting the next AI advance. We lost 10 units, they lost 78 total but that doesnt include any that may have sunk on ships.
1450AD Preturn: Goals:
build up military
extend rail net to southern cities
build Zulu navy to protect the coast
watch AI research to jump on anything they get
get Hispalis connected
capture Caughnawaga if possible to get Isand connected
Casualties:
Zulu (us) 10
Iroquois 3
Russian 23
Greek 34
England 5
Rome 4
Aztec 3
Egypt 3
China 3
State of the world:
Zulus (us) = even tech, 27 cities, Monarchy, even military
Russia = even tech, 18 cities, Monarchy, weak military
Iroquois = -Steam Power -Nationalism, 13 cities, Republic, weak military
China = -Steam Power -Nationalism, 9 cities, Republic, weak military
Rome = even tech, 11 cities, Monarchy, weak military
Greece = even tech, 18 cities, Monarchy, weak military
England = even tech, 24 cities, Democracy, weak military
Aztecs = -Steam Power, 34 cities, Monarchy, strong military
Egypt = ?, 14 cities, Democracy, weak military
Summary of changes since my last turn (1300AD):
Russia = we've caught up on tech
Iroquois = lost 1 city, we've passed them on tech, and are in Republic
China = lost 2 cities, we've passed them in tech, still in Republic
Rome = lost 4 cities, we've caught up in tech, moved from Republic to Monarchy
Greece = gained 1 city, we've caught up in tech
Russia and Greece are the ones to watch out for, as confirmed by Sirian's history, and looking at troops on the ground. Viroconium used to be a Roman city on the coast but now the Aztecs have it. Did it flip to us and then the Aztecs took it, or are the Aztecs at war with the Romans also?
I decide to start moving some unused cannon from the south up north.
Also killed a lone Iro longbow in the south, promoted vet cav to elite in the battle. Micromanage Zombabwe and Ulundi to 20 shields/turn (cav are 80 shields).
1450-1455AD Lots of ships move, lots of troops move but nobody attacks us. Ulundi builds a cav, starts another cav. Yakutsk builds a courthouse, starts on marketplace.
1455AD I decide to rush 2 ironclads in Umtata and Swazi. Mpondo will finish on its own next turn also. That will give us 3 next turn to fight off the Russian, Greek, Aztec, and English ships off the coast. Also I hurry Hlobane's cav to get it back on track for 5 turns per cav instead of wasting 14 shields on the last turn. We fight some minor battles and kill 4 enemy units without losing any ourselves. I make a big push for rails in the south to get our 4 cities down there on the rail net. AI's did not research anything new this turn. Greek SOD (9 rifles, 2 longbows) heads north to New Zimbabwe.
1455-1460AD Romans take Hispalis with 2 rifles and 2 cav on the attack versus 1 rifle and 1 knight. They lost 2 rifles but it was still a bad defeat for us. It's very hard to defend cities that aren't connected by road to the other cities. I had a rifle on the way from Yakutsk but he did not make it in time.
1460AD Workers put rails into 3 southern cities, only one left, should be done next turn. Navy goes out and sinks an English galley. Another ironclad sinks a Greek frigate and goes elite. Last ironclad sinks a Russian frigate and goes elite. Greek SOD moves next to Bapedi. I gather 15 cannons there and shoot at them, wounding every one. I also move 7 rifles in because Bapedi was empty. New Zimbabwe is also threatened by 6 rifles, but its on a hill and size 7 so its less of a concern.
1460-1465AD Greeks attack Bapedi and lose rifle and longbow. Romans attack Cumae and their 1 hp cav retreats. Romans land cav near Swazi. English land 2 pike, sword, and archer near Tugela.
1465AD We destroy the Rome and English landing. Decide to change the library in Cumae for a cav. The Romans are getting restless and the library doesn't do any good if the city is gone.
1465-1470AD No attacks or landings. Russians move 6 rifles and 1 knight into the open. The Greeks move 1 rifle and 1 longbow into the open.
1470AD All those stacks are killed although I lose 2 cav and almost run out of fresh cav in the process. Sink 3 more enemy ships this turn.
1470-1475AD Lots of troops moving out into the open. Romans attack Intombe with 2 cav, they retreat. Russians and Greeks each move 4 troops out into the open.
1475AD Sink a Russian ship. All AI's now have communism so I turn research on to get it in 4 turns with 64gpt. It's an optional tech and we're not going to switch to communism, but it does give the police station which helps with corruption. Lost my first ironclad attacking a wounded caravel. Sometimes it happens. Killed a Russian rifle and Greek rifle that were on grassland after softening up with cannon. Cannon on rails are great! Also take potshots at a few more stacks.
1475-1480AD Disease strikes Yakutsk. Romans attack Cumae with 2 cav and kill both rifles there. Our lone cav holds the city now. Luckily I brought a caravel to Umfolozi just to be able to transport troops to Cumae. Greeks move troops next to New Bapedi, 4 rifles, 3 longbows, a knight, and a stack of 8 rifles that are 2 tiles away. Russians also move 3 rifles and a Cossack near Isipezi. Greeks and Egyptians each move up a Frigate/Transport combo near our coast.
1480AD Defeated 3 Greek longbows and Greek knight near New Bapedi. After bombarding a group of 3 Russian rifles near Isipezi and attacking with cav we get our first Great Leader, Mpande! He is rushed to New Zimbabwe to build the Iron Works there. In the SAME group of 3 Russian rifles the last attack gets another great leader, Zwelithini! I decide to rush the Military Academy in Ulundi. Its only 1 culture but its better than nothing.
Sunk 2 Greek ships and an Egyptian ship, but lost an ironclad to an Aztec frigate.
1480-1485AD Romans attack Cumae again but lose a cav. Cumae is now guarded by 3 rifles and a cav. We complete the Military Academy and Iron Works.
1485AD We sink an Aztec caravel. Our ironclads are keeping busy. Also defeated a stack of 4 Greek rifles, 1 Iro longbow.
1485-1490AD Viroconium has revolted over to our side. Intombe was attacked again. A stack of 7 Greek rifles is heading between New Bapedi and Anyang for Ngome, good target for cannon this turn.
1490AD Sunk a Roman galley with ironclad. Lost an elite ironclad to a Egyptian caravel! I rush walls at Viro and send the cav at Cumae over (the only unit that can make it in 1 turn). Also upgrade our caravel to a galleon so it can make the trip from Umfolozi to Viro in 1 turn. Killing a Russian rifle produced our 3 GL, Dingane. I go for a University in Swazi. On the next attack on a Russian musket near Yakutsk, another GL Cetshwayo is found (GL number 4). Hes going to found another University at Tugela. A battery of 15 cannon is formed on a hill near New Bapedi to bombard a stack of 7 Greek rifles. They fire and get 8 hits out of 15 shots. No need to attack yet, theyre deep inside my territory with no where to go.
1490-1495AD Russians pillage saltpetre near Anyang, we have 3 more sources. A lot of ship and troop movement, but no attacks. We build 3 universities, a bank, and lots of smaller infrastructure this turn. No attacks on Viro. It builds walls and I can reinforce this turn! We learn Communism and the AIs dont have anything new, so were back to accumulating gold.
1495AD I shell the stack of 7 Greek rifles again and then attack with cav. During cav attacks I get GL number 5, Mpande! I rush a bank in Zenguin. In defeating the Cossack that pillage the saltpetre, I get GL 6, Zwelithini! I rush the university at Isipezi. Another small stack of 2 Greek rifles were also destroyed, making the total 9 Greek rifles this turn. I lost 1 elite cav during these attacks. Then I get cute a lose a cav to a Roman rifle near New Ulundi. Our Galleon takes 2 more rifles to Viro so it has 3 rifles and walls now.
1495-1500AD Russians attack Yakutsk and lose a Cossack. Russians move a stack of 5 rifles blocking the rail at New Zimbabwe. Greeks move a stack of 8 rifles into grassland next to New Bapedi. There are 5 ships right next to Viro, 2 Aztec, 2 Greek, 1 Egyptian. We have what I think is our first pollution 2 tiles south of Isipezi.
1500AD Sank a Aztec frigate. Also sank an Egyptian frigate and galley. Killed the stack of 5 Russian rifles after bombardment by 15 cannon, but lost a vet cav doing it. I put 12 workers on the pollution to clean it up in 1 turn because its on the path the enemy usually takes. Bombarded the stack of 8 Greek rifles but did not attack. I blocked their access to mountains and hills so next leader can bombard some more an then maybe attack.
Notes:
Empty army in Zimbabwe, I did not fill it because you lose some flexibility.
There is a lot of naval activity off our coast, keep an eye on it.
Many interior cities have no garrison, so be careful.
Ive been building more cannon since I find them to be the most useful unit. With rails, they are usually all used every turn.
AIs have not researched anything new since Communism, but it has to be checked every turn.
Coast: hot zone, many ships on their way over.
Rome: cool, not many attacks but watch for cavalry hiding under rifles.
Russia: very hot but seems to be cooling off now.
Greece: burning, where do these guys get all the rifles?
Iroquois: cold, these guys are a joke, 1 longbow every 3 turns or so.
China: cool, also 1 unit every 3 turns or so, but at least theyre riders.
Here the save file and the screen shot.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads/lotr2-1500ad.zip
I plead for some report on who you got techs from, gold situation, interesting wonders/buildings rushed, # of GLs, navies, etc. Certainly not a requirement, but I'd like a bit more....
). So ALL of our cavs saw action that round, and very few promoted. I lost one cav in there somewhere. Many more ships are coming.
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