MM5: One City Smackdown Redux: Greek Glory

[LKendter]

I do not think we can press a major offensive ATM

We are very much trapped between a rock and a hard place right now. We have crippled Germany, and probably Portugal, but this isn't enough. The trouble is we really need the GL to fix the tech picture, but it is a very late start for it. However, if we fix the tech picture, then we may risk the AIs getting to strong.

 

[bed_head7]

Sorry about the tardiness of my pick up (still not a pick up, actually, as the other computer isn't on).

 

[bed_head7]

Played my turns (well, actually played one of akots' turns as well by accident, though I suppose he can always steal from the next to make up for it). However, have to leave for work in a few minutes, so no time to get all my screenshots and put thoughts in order, so the save will have to wait five to six hours (or maybe less, depending on how busy the restaurant is).

Important news: GL in 14 turns, iron and spices hooked up, and we are still have the strongest army in the world.

 

[akots]

Sounds very promising. So the current goal seems to survive for 14 turns to get the Library built.

 

[bed_head7]

Our colonies:

Pillaging progress:

Interestingly enough, what is now our iron colony and the source of iron near Boston were both pillaged during my turns.

I think we should keep a few units up north to stop the flow of units from Portugal, England, and Arabia into what used to be Germany. There are four cats, a hoplite, and two archers, with an AC on the way. I think another AC would be helpful. Our horse colony will be destroyed next turn, by the way, but we have enough slaves that a wasted one on that colony isn't a big deal. Also in conjunction with the above, the old German source of iron was right where I left the stack after my last turnset. Maybe akots was right about turning that into an article...

Here is the force in Russia, which just finished off Rostov:

And our great city:

Not sure that my post was worth the wait, but I had a lot of fun playing these turns, and wanted to do them some justice.

 

[akots]

Got that, will be playing shortly.

 

[akots]

Preturn. We are building TGL but can mine 2 plain tiles and get 2 extra shields per turn. Not that it matters much but still it might be a close race. Looks OK, hopefully we can survive for 14 turns.

[1] Arabian horsemen appear up north and America spear encroaches to pillage our iron and spice colonies. Kill a few units, mostly healing.

[2] Kill 2 Arabian horsemen and a few archers.

[3] Lose 4hp AC to archer in the open, kill assorted units from all over the world. Raze New York at a price of elite archer but gain 12g in the process as a plunder and a slave. Two English and two Portuguese horsemen spotted in the north. 10 turns to go for the Library. I hope we can survive this.

[5] Library ready in 8 turns. I wish these plains were mined sooner. There are lots of units coming from the north and mostly horsemen. It does not look good without a choke. Total our scouts have spotted about a dozen assorted units coming our way. England landed a horsemen near Athens which has been dispatched of promptly.

[7] Kill assorted units but we are not doing very good. There are a few enemy horsemen in our backyard, still too far away to pose a real threat though. Russia is becoming a bit too powerful, I dispatch American pillager hoplite over there to wreak havoc.

[10] It is a tough situation, really many units running around. Not that we are in real trouble but it is just annoying. We actually have no contact with Mongols. Cats were not very efficient during my turns, bombarded mined hills near Ekaterinburg for 3 turns with 4 cats and failed to destroy improvements. Library ready in 4. I was tempted to play to its completion but will leave the joy of finally rushing the market and revolting to Monarchy for the next player. Apparently we would need to mine the cows near Athens and then can make over 30 spt or at least 30. Beware, Russia has a few horsemen!

Here is the Russian front:

And the northern mountain army group:

SAVE: http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/MM5_350AD.SAV

 

[bed_head7]

I guess I really should do more detailed turn logs. Not that it would have helped your turns, but it would have helped you understand why the situation was as it was.

A few units were dropped off the same turn as a couple of Americans and a couple of Russians entered. I couldn't deal with it all in time, so a couple of tiles had been pillaged, including a cow. Meaning the slaves had been busy getting tiles back to where they had been, and only in the last turn did we even have surplus food.

 

[akots]

We can block all the worked tiles near Athens with hoplites after we finish TGL and revolt. Also, we hit 1000 culture in a few turns as well.

 

[bed_head7]

I don't know if it is necessary to do all of that, but once we get TGL we should be in very good shape, I would imagine. One turn swords for awhile, and maybe some one turn horsies to keep our AC company, and we'll be able to roll over our nearest neighbors.

 

[bed_head7]

Mark1031
bed_head7
akots
LKendter <- up
romeothemonk <- on deck

 

[LKendter]

Got it.

@bed_head7 - thanks for the roster. I didn't even realize I was up.

 

[bed_head7]

I figured that that was the case, since you are so prompt in your pick up most of the time.

 

[LKendter]

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/MM5-450AD.zip

350 AD
(IT) We lost our stack of workers and catapults that was left without escort when I got the game.

We may have a large American Stack coming our way.


360 AD
I recover the catapults at least. I kill the offending Portuguese horseman. (1-0)
I kill an American Sword. (2-0).


380 AD
This is getting ugly. I count 12 archers getting close to the capitol, and I don't have much in the troops to deal with them.
I kill 2 English horsemen. (3-0)
I spot 3 Portuguese horsemen and our AC is over exposed.
I kill 1 American archer. (4-0)
(IT) We do lose the exposed AC. (4-1)
The Great Library is completed.
American completes the Great Lighthouse (was this a cascade?).


390 AD
I kill 1 American archer. (5-1)
I kill 1 Russian archer. (6-1)
(IT) The GL gets us to Monarchy. To survive I feel we have to risk an immediate revolt. We have 3 MA techs: Monotheism, Theology and Feudalism.


400 AD
Pyrrhus awakes from his long sleep and rushes a marketplace that will complete during anarchy.

I kill 2 Russian archers. (8-1)
I lost one archer. (8-2)
(IT) The hoplites defend Athens flawlessly killing 4 American archers. (12-2).
We do get pillaged, but I didn't have enough units to prevent that.


410 AD
I kill 3 Portuguese horsemen and 1 American archer. (16-2).
Amazing Ancient Cavalry appears giving us a leader. I decide to rush a temple in the capitol while we are in anarchy.


420 AD
Our economy is saved as we are now at +36 gpt. We can start building units like crazy.
I kill 1 American archer, 1 American spear, and 1 Russian archer. (19-2)
(IT) As expected another tile is pillaged.


430 AD
I kill 2 American spears, 1 American archer, and 1 Russian sword. (22-2)


440 AD
I kill 3 Russian archers, 1 Russian sword. (26-2)


450 AD
I kill 1 Russian archer. (27-2)

==========================

Summary:
We have 2 new elite hoplites. One is by our iron colony to start pillaging Portugal. The other is heading toward America to make sure then didn't fix any roadwork.

It is time to get back on the offensive, as I have cleared the unit rush inside our borders. We need to start razing American and Russian cities.

 

[romeothemonk]

Got it. I will really try to raze a few cities.

 

[Mark1031]

Sorry, I was away for the weekend but it looks like you all made good progress. One thing we should try ASAP now that we can field more troops is a 3 city capture for army.

 

[akots]

Looks like it was a close call indeed. If it were more than 4 turns, I'm not sure we will be able to survive. But now the future seems bright.

@Mark: I doubt we need this, we can win without an army imho. It is not worth all the hassle. Having 40 units should be enough to take care of Emperor AI.

 

[romeothemonk]

IHT: MOve some troops across the river. Re MM the tiles.
Turn 1: Kill 3 arab horses. (3-0). kill 2 russian archers, promote 1 AC, retreat a 2nd, find the elusive russian iron.
Turn 2: I spot a mongol city. Will investigate. Lose our elite * archer on a reg spear that would have pillaged our iron/spice road. Kill him witht the elite AC guarding spices. (6-1). Killed an American and a russian archer. (8-1).
Turn 3: Kill 2 english horses, retreated to heal. (10-1).
Turn 4: Kill 2 russian archers, and an arab warrior (13-1). Kill an arab horse (14-1).
Turn 5: Really good news, we get engineering. Yes. No more stupid river. Kill 2 port horses, and an American spear. Just to prove the RnG is still there, we lose a 5hp AC to a redlined arab horse. (17-2). Meet the Mongols, pull the trade, declare war.

Kill American spear. (18-2). Kill port spear by colonies, kill American archer by Philly. I am going to stop Rocky 6 before it starts. (20-2).
Turn 6: Dangit. I made a mistake and the Arabs blow up our spices. No riots though. Nuts. Kill arab archer. (21-2). Kill german archer trying to pillage. (22-2). Bombarding blew up the rax in philly. 2 AC's kill 2 spears and kill America's biggest town. (24-2). +2 slaves. Kill a russian archer as well. (25-2).

Turn 7: Kill German archer, 3x russian archers, and a russian sword. (30-2). Kill another Russian archer. (31-2).
Turn 8: Ports pillage road to iron. upgrade 10 cats to trebs for 300 gold. Kill russian sword and archer x2, but lose a MDI to a reg archer. (34-3).
Turn 9: Kill 3 port horses, get my first promotion in ages. (37-3) Kill port archer and arab warrior. (39-3).
Turn 10: We now make 30 spt. Yay!! Kill english horse x4, arab spear, arab horse. (45-3). Most units have a move left including the trebs. This is to allow the next player to make an offensive move. We really need to kill either the Americans/russians, or the Germans/ports. I was busy playing D and MM'ing but we have 30 spt now, better units, and we really need to take someone out.
My Pillaging means that the Russians have no horses or iron now, and we need to hurt them soon. I am inclined to take out America then russia, while playing defense everywhere else.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/MM5-550AD.SAV

 

[Mark1031]

Wow what a change 395 in the bank and 33 gpt and we can do 1 turn horses. I am a little worried about the tech pace. TGL is almost over and we have not taken anyone out. We really need chiv and I hope we get it from TGL. THis is far from over and I really think an army to pillage the north while we take out the south would be a good idea. If we face knight to knight (or ansanr,keshik) we are in trouble.

Mark UP
Bed Head On Deck

 

[LKendter]

I am inclined to take out America then russia, while playing defense everywhere else.

I agree we need to kill some civs. I got us past the crunch from building the GL, and now that we are building units like crazy. America is weak is is a good first target.

We need to limit our offensive target to one very narrow area.