MB4 - GOTM24 Redux [civ3] Roster A

[Sir Bugsy]

I should be working, but I can't stop playing.

1705 AD (con’t) Mapstat over by 45 tiles.

Upgrade the Shanghai cannon. Maybe I can use it next turn. Abandon Kaisugi 2, Suzuka 2

At Tsingtao: Bombard 3 infantry defenders to red. Lose a tank. Capture Tsingtao and an artillery piece. That frees several units that were stuck in the mountains in culture hell.

Pretty much out of artillery now. Decide to press on and take Kuson. Lose a tank. Retreat two, kill the four infantry defenders, capture the city and two cannon.

Abandon Tsingtao, Shanghai Valley III and IV. Mapstat says we’re 15 over. So I need to decide whether to press on and take Shantung without artillery support. I have 6-12 (-1)hp tanks that I could use on the attack. Remembering the words of karasu, “this is the end game.” Everything I take out now is less I need to do on the last turn. And unless we have a huge misfortune the two islands, that will be the last turn.

 

[AlanH]

Originally posted by Sir Bugsy
Mapstat says we’re 15 over. So I need to decide whether to press on and take Shantung without artillery support. I have 6-12 (-1)hp tanks that I could use on the attack. Remembering the words of karasu, “this is the end game.” Everything I take out now is less I need to do on the last turn. And unless we have a huge misfortune the two islands, that will be the last turn.

You don't need to abandon cities as you go except where you need room for an adjacent tile combat settler move. Wait until end of turn to worry about Mapstat. Then you can abandon cities where you can best lose them until you get below the limit. Then hit next turn. Abandon frontier towns that are not holding back the culture any more and don't have happy-face wonders, or corrupt seaside resorts on our homeland north or south coast. The Han aren't going to give us much trouble at home now.

Use those -1 HP tanks. There's a leader and an empty army somewhere as well. If you haven't already, load up wounded tanks into a couple of armies to make two more strong units.

 

[Sir Bugsy]

On our western island. We bombard the sole defender to redline. Our marine in the transport wins and razes the city. Han is now down to five cities.
At Shangtung: We find a few more artillery pieces and knock a couple hit points off the defenders. There are at least three. Win 1 Read Alan’s e-mail. Find the Army and load it up. Lose a tank. Shangtung is down to one defender. But I don’t have anything left.

I’ll check the cities and Mapstat before I move to turn two, but I'm done for today.

 

[AlanH]

Great progress! Do I count eight cities in one turn? And one reduced to a single defender? Magnificently planned and executed.

There was a leader hiding in the same city as the army, along with a big Han worker stack. I assume you found and used him? If he's available to build an army he might be able to put together four damaged tanks and make enough of a unit to take out that last Shantung defender. Four tanks with one or two HP each in an army are probably good enough.

 

[Sir Bugsy]

That's exactly what I did with him. I created a 6 hp tank army. I think one of the tanks lost a movement point somewhere because I was unable to attack with the army.

If anyone would like the save at the end of this turn let me know.

I will load up the game and complete it in a little while.

 

[AlanH]

Originally posted by Sir Bugsy
That's exactly what I did with him. I created a 6 hp tank army. I think one of the tanks lost a movement point somewhere because I was unable to attack with the army.

Arrrrggg! Another lesson learnt - check the movment points! 'For want of a nail a shoe was lost' ... Never mind, we're not going to lose this war!

 

[Sir Bugsy]

1705 (con’t) Check Mapstat 17 tiles over. Abandon Izumi (pop 5) in former Shimazu lands. Abandon Yokkachi 2 (pop 3) on the Han Peninsula. That put us to two tiles under the limit. Experiment with moving the lux to 90%, but that won’t even gain us one more happy citizen.

IBT – As expected we lose our transport off Han Island. A marine assaults Chizu on our southern island and kills a Samurai. A something jumps from a transport into the northern city on Han Island (Sangju).

2. 1710 AD – Start Han Island Phase Two: In Bombarding Sangju, a Cav Army momentarily comes to the top, now we know what the something was. This may be tougher. In the first attack with a 5/5 tank the Cav Army defends but is killed. A Vet tank takes out the two Infantry defenders and Sangju falls.

Found and abandon Han Island City II. Found Han Island City III. Begin the assault of New Beijing. Two tanks raze New Beijing with even losing a hp. We own Han Island.

 

[AlanH]

Two down and three to go. Or did we lose a city to that marine on our southern island? Bummer if so, it could take a while to get troops there to retake it if I recall.

 

[mad-bax]

The score graph has been updated.

 

[AlanH]

Originally posted by mad-bax
The score graph has been updated.

Thanks MB, and Space. I was wondering why we were stalled at 1450 AD for so long.

 

[Sir Bugsy]

No, we didn't lose the city. Someone had the foresight to put more than one defender there.

 

[AlanH]

Yes, I just opened the 1700 AD save and checked. As the AI is supposed to know your strength in each city it seems a pretty desperate gesture for them to attack with a single unit. Let's hope you can take them out this turn and we don't have to worry about whether they have any more where that came from. If we do need another turn to finish it might be prudent to redistribute the cavalry on that island now to two per city.

 

[Sir Bugsy]

1710 AD (con’t) – Just a question, since we won’t be given a victory until after the next IBT, will I need to disband some cities to stay under the domination limit?

Shantung is now pop 11. They must have drafted a citizen. There are now four defenders there a vet infantry, a marine, and two conscript infantry. Regardless, all are knocked down to red and promptly dispatched. Shantung falls.

Continuing the campaign, Xinjian is abandoned, and Western Han IV is built. Again, no cultural surprises.

Chinan was pop 13, and is now pop 12. Another draft. All seven defenders are redlined and four citizens are killed. At the loss of two hp, Chinan is razed.

 

[Sir Bugsy]

1710 AD (con’t) – On to the Final Frontier… New Xinjian. It was pop 6, now pop 4.
The three defenders are redlined.
In we go, and New Xinjian is razed. Then we get this message:


[dance]

Since I'm not sure what the game will do between turns, I'm going to raze the captured and founded cities.

 

[smackster]

We did it, great finish Bugsy, I thought it wouldn't take long. Great effort everyone, big team hug (sorry I just got back from a team building exercise).

 

[Sir Bugsy]

1710 AD (con’t) – Abandon enough cities to get below the domination limit. Kill the three barb camps on the Han Peninsula. Check our cities.

Press enter and get....

And the score....

Thank you gentlemen for a great experience. I've learned a lot and will gladly play with you again.

I suppose we can now read the other threads and see what our chances are.

 

[smackster]

Doesn't look like we have much chance against Roster B. It would be interesting to see if we can work out what made them win quicker.

Smackster

 

[AlanH]

Well done, Sir Bugsy. That was a superb piece of planning and you deserve the victory ceremony. Congratulations and warm thanks to the whole team. I think we did a good job and I really enjoyed the game and the team discussions. I know I've learnt a ton of stuff.

@Sir Bugsy: I agree it's safest to go under the domination limit during the inter-turn, unless someone knows the order in which the victory conditions are checked. I don't think a few tiles for one turn is going to make a critical difference.

Based on the score graph I believe we'll probably beat PTW because they have too big a score deficit at 1550 AD. Team B is very close, and they can beat us if they finish soon after 1550 AD.

SG23 discussion died pretty quickly after the game. It might be educational to review the key decisions, or lost opportunities, in this one that made a big positive or negative difference in our finish date. Maybe some of the silent lurkers out there have some suggestions?

 

[Sir Bugsy]

Yes, it looks like they will finish before 1650 AD. I wonder whether our higher score will give us the edge. It will be a nail biter.

 

[mad-bax]

Great score, great game guys. Well done