Maintaining Tech or Destroy Neighbor?

[ICNP]

Okay so I'm playing Mali and trying to stave off my rival Asoka from taking the Space victory from me. He isn't teching as directly as I am so I've got a decent lead but I'm sure that if I fall any farther behind then I'm a goner for sure. He's off on another continent and I have excellent relations with him but my power and production are very low. I also have a colonized vassal and just incorporated Sid's sushi (4 Food for 4 Gold anyone?).

Then there is my other nagging and tempting issue of Frederick... He's just so behind in tech that I can't send him off to fight his "Worst Enemy" china and his culture is butting up right next to mine. I have some privateers robbing him of 9 Gold a turn but I just feel like I should be bringing Infantry on his poor little Longbowmen. But a war with someone with my religion will bring loads of Unhappiness and I don't want to have to cut back on my science slider.

So what should I do? It's only a Warlord game but I don't think I can match Asoka when he's that far away. Although maybe with the added land and resources I could make away with the victory...

Attached is my most recent save. (For anyone looking for a laugh check out Fredericks Trireme Navy eying up my one Privateer)

http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/124013/Mali-Space-290.CivBeyondSwordSave

 

[Refar]

SS is still a long way to go (you have not even started yet ) You have plenty of time before Asoka Launching becomes a Issue, but at your current tech-speed, he mightt actually catch up and take over.

4 cities is not enought. At standard size you should allways aim for 6+ (6 will unlock important national wonders.)

Steamroll Fred - take all cities, dont raze. And don't pillage - you want those mature cottages.

Build your 6 universities, get Oxford up and running in your best science city.
Bring 2 good production sites online for the Expensive SS parts. Launch.


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Those triremes are hilareous. Got to be like 30. Why don't they just sink the Privateer ? Sure would loose a couple... maybe 5... but they would bring it down...

 

[ICNP]

Ahh well this stinks...

I went to war and brought a good size stack of Infantry and Bombers out but just as I declare Asoka finishes the Appolo program as I'm researching Rocketry. Now I'm really worried. I don't know how to stop Asoka from winning if he's already starting on the Ship!

http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/124013/Mali-Space-332_War.CivBeyondSwordSave

 

[r_rolo1]

Capture the Asoka capital....

 

[Catan_Settler]

Yeah you gotta burn some of his powerhouse cities down. Quickly.

 

[Dier]

Can't you sabotage with spies?

 

[nbcman]

Capture/raze his high production cities. Use spies to sabotage aluminum mines which are used to accelerate producion of SS parts as well as sabotaging the production of SS parts in cities.

And if all else fails him.

 

[ICNP]

All of those sound extremely difficult considering his expansive Espionage on me and his insanely high Power and Production. At equal Tech and only close production what are my chances of getting a good invasion squad to take him down?

I do like the idea of Nukes and Aluminum Destruction. I'm not sure where his Bunkers stand so I may be able to hit him hard if I build the M Project and devote one of my cities to ICBMs and a strong navy.