1050AD (0): Notice Samarqand SW of Satsuma (our island town). Just something to be aware of in the upcoming battle.
Turn research down to 90% for less negative cash flow, still finishing Engineering in 2 (I want some cash on hand for upgrades). Kublai's got a galley with a settler/archer pair on our coast NW of Kyoto. I cancel Open Borders, hoping to send him back to his home waters. Unfortunately it only pushes him one tile to the west, but a settlement south of England is going to be tricky for him pretty soon, I think. I change builds to have greater military emphasis, including a couple of galleys -- I want the flexibility to attack across the bay, to take Samarqand, or just to defend from a counterattack from the sea.
1060AD (ST): Mansu comes asking after the clams we just stopped trading to KK, offering silk -- I accept.
1060AD (1): Kyoto: spear->galley. Osaka: cat->horse archer (for pillaging raids/general mobility). I send our advance units across the Mongolian border, triggering this war! I put a couple of workers near Satsuma to sleep. Nothing for them to do at the moment, but I didn't want to move them back to the mainland yet as they could be needed to repair some pillaging or to improve Samarqand after we take it.
1070AD (2): Engineering comes in and I start on Theology (for Theocracy, of course). Can't upgrade spears to pikes until we get iron. I am leaving a few spears back home to deal with any mounted units KK might send at us. Kyoto: galley->longbow. I think I know that this means:
1080AD (3): Nara founded on grahamiam's proposed spot, starts on lighthouse. Advance moves into position outside New Sarai.
1090 (ST): Barb warrior near Nara attacks and loses to our archer. Mansu comes proposing Compass for Civil Service -- as the latter is worth about twice as many beakers as the former, I turn him down.
1090 (4): Kyoto:longbow->longbow. I'm fortifying these defenders without using their promotions -- City Garrison seems most likely, but perhaps Drill may be useful if they are used in an active defense. Just don't forget about the promotion. Imhotep (Great Engineer) born in Tokyo -- the only wonder we can build at the moment is the Hagia Sophia (workers improve 50% faster), which isn't spectacular but is nice in that it produces Great Engineer points. Since there is nothing spectacular on the horizon, I decide to build it in Tokyo, where we are already pulling in GE points with our regular engineer specialists. Begin shelling of New Sarai -- down from 50% to 27%, so should be ready for first wave of assault in 1 or 2 turns (one more to finish wearing down defenses and maybe another to send in some suicide cats). Our galley pillages some nets outside Old Sarai.
1100AD (5): Kyoto:longbow->missionary. Osaka:horse archer->missionary. I want to sneak in a couple before our civic swap in 2 turns. Edo:temple->cat. Satsuma:galley->galley. Tokyo:Hagia Sophia->resume galley. I pillage some nets outside New Sarai -- this is probably not smart as we should take it before the lack of food hurts much, but I wanted the cash. Our cats finish reducing the defense of New Sarai, and odds are in favor for our elephants, but I think I'll wait and soften them up a bit more with some collateral damage.
1110AD (6): Tokyo has WLTK day. I promote a cat to City Raider I and send it in, hoping the promotion will increase it's odds of survival (by the way, a keshik just showed up in New Sarai -- too bad we have elephants on hand). Cat gets wiped out, and doesn't even do that much collateral damage (probably because I didn't take Barrage).
Second and third cat also die, but do much better.
I save the fourth cat for the next city. At this point, it's just mopping up. We get a worker for our troubles.
1120AD (7): Theology->Guilds. Kyoto:missionary->elephant. Osaka:missionary->cat. Tokyo:galley->cat. Use missionary to spread Buddhism in Kagoshima. Promote axe to Medic to help heal the elephants. Send two healed elephants north with cat, spear, and horse archer (not stacked up yet).
1130AD (8): Edo cat->cat. Trying to build things that won't be obsolete in a few turns when we finally get iron. Kyoto has WLTK day. Continue moving towards Turfan. KK gets a Great Engineer.
1140AD (9): A Mongolain galley came swooping down out of the fog in the IT, but inspection reveals it to be empty. KK uses his Engineer to complete Notre Dame -- thanks! Pilage some nets outside Karakorum. Last two elephants finish healing and head north to join raiding party. One axe left to defend New Sarai for now, but I started an archer cascade to help out. Pillage a farm outside Turfan.
1150 (ST): A keshik takes out our pillaging horse archer.
1150AD (10): Kyoto:longbow->longbow. Osaka:cat->cat. Edo:cat->elephant. Satsuma:galley->resumes library. I left some moves on the galley by Tokyo and the elephant there. I planned to load another cat on the galley next turn and then head for Turfan, but if the next guy would rather load up the elephant now and go, feel free.
Summary: Workers loaded on galley, ready to improve around Nara. Galley set to sentry duty east of Satsuma. Two more galleys headed for ferry duty on the north coast of our main penninsula. First wave nearing Turfan. Missionary ready to convert New Sarai once it comes out of rebellion. Think that's about it.