Inherited turn (1750 AD): I stagnated growth in Madrid (happiness limit) and hired two Merchants from the saved citizens. In Barcelona, I started growth by firing an Engineer. We were due a Scientist(86%)/Engineer(18%) in 5 turns. I put Karakorum on a starvation diet, hiring a priest and two scientists to help it get over its unhappiness.
IBT: Mansu counterattacked hard at Timbuktu, losing a Catapult, 2 Knights and 2 Riflemen. We lost a Conquistador.
Turn 1 (1755 AD): Toledeo trained a Cannon, started a Rifleman. Beshbalik trained a Cannon, started a Rifleman(3). Karakorum constructed a University, started a Coluseum. I hoped I could remember to whip it next turn. Turfan trained a Cannon, started another(5). Ning-hsia trained a Cannon, started a Frigate(10).
At Timbucktu, I used 2 Cannon to weaken a Grenadier on the forested hill north of the city; one of them withdrew. Our medic Conquistador killed a wounded Mali Rifleman.
At Djenne, I sent in all 5 Cannons available, losing 3 of them. Our Conquistadors mopped up the defenders, saving our Grenadiers to garrison the city and move to the hilltop mine north of the city, hopefully to pillage the road and make it harder for counterattackers to reach the city.
At this point I wasn't certain we could hold out against Mansa if his second round of counterattacks were to be stronger than the first which was likely the case as more units from far away cities were rushed to the froht. Qin would take Steel in exchange for declaring on Mansa. It's unlikely he would ever take a city on Mansa's island, if he just sent pillagers to the eastern side of the island, it might draw some heat from us. I made the deal with Qin. He had Infantry by that time; let him put them to good use.
While scanning the map, I came across 2 galleons sleeping on the western edge of our empire along with a Frigate escort. I had no clue what they were intended for, but I dispatched them to the eastern side of Mansa's island. Their journey began. We expected them to arrive at Walata, the Christian Holy City on an island east of his main island. It's unlikely they can take the city without cannon but they could do a good job of pillaging.
IBT: Hmmm, I either greatly overestimated the Mali power or Qin opened a massive can of whoop-a*s on the Mali east coast. I suspect the former. Mansa hit us only with the wounded Grenadier north of Timbuktu -- he died.
Turn 2 (1760 AD): Madrid trained a Cannon, started a Colosseum(7). Seville trained a Cannon, started a Buddhist missionary(6). Toledo trained a Rifleman, started another(1). Santiago constructed a Christian Temple, started a Conquistador. Ningbo constructed a Forge, started a Buddhist Temple(14).
I whipped the Colosseum at Karakorum, ending the unhappiness there momentarily. Beshbalik had both grown unhappy. I whipped a Theatre there.
Our units healed at Timbuktu and Djenne while reinforcements journeyed east, bringing plans to capture Kumbi Saleh.
IBT: Uh oh, guess who's coming for dinner.
And yes, that's our Workboat I was stupidly moving south without an escort. (I covered him with a Frigate and they both survived).
Turn 3 (1765 AD): Toledo trained a Rifleman, started another(2). Chinook trained a Cannon, started a Taoist temple(4). Karakorum constructed a Colosseum, started a Barracks(4). New Sarai trained a Cannon, started a Conquistador(6). Beshbalik constructed its Theatre, went back to work on a Rifleman.
I whipped the Colsseum in Madrid.
I revolted to Nationhood and drafted 3 Riflemen in the north of our east island. I diverted 1 Galleon from the landing at Kumbi Saleh to head north west to help defend our eastern island. The other 2 galleon loads were delivered to a forested hill south of the city.
At the opposite end of Mali, our landing force arrived at Walata. Qin had a small stack there too.
IBT: Mansa's invasion force landed but not at Old Sarai, but 1 tile south of Turfan. Riflemen defenders at Kumbi Saleh hit our invasion force and wiped us out (I had intended to land 3 galleon loads but only got 1 :smoked: ). Mali riflemen killed a Conquistador/Grenadier pillaging team north of Djenne. That was a bad idea.
Turn 4 (1770 AD): Madrid constructed a Colosseum, started a Rifleman(4). Salamanca constructed a Theatre, started a Rifleman. Beshbalik trained a Rifleman, started another(3). Murcia trained a Cannon, started another(4).
I recalled our remaining pillaging team to Djenne to turtle up down there.
I sacrificed 2 cannons hitting Mansa's stack at Turfan and garrisoned the city with reinforcements.
IBT: Mansa attacked Turfan and lost some Riflemen. Two knights captured our 2 workers (that Mansa had built for us originally) as they were building a road between Karakorum and Djenne in neutral territory.
Turn 5 (1775 AD): Barcelona constructed a Harbor, started a Buddhist Stuppa. Cordoba constructed a Market, started a Rifleman(3). TOldedo trained a Riflemean, started another(1). Samarqand trained a Rifleman, started a Buddhist Temple(6). Old Sarai constructed a Lighthouse, started a Barracks(4).
At Turfan, we eliminated the Mali invaders and we now have some decent garrison units for that island.
At Kumbi Saleh, I sent in a ton of Cannons, some of them amphibiously to preserve our foot units and took the city.
At Walata, with no big help from Qin, we also took that city, killing 2 riflemen and a cannon.
At Djenne, we killed the 2 worker-stealing knights.
Karakorum had grown unhappy so I whipped a Frigate there to ease things and help deal with some Mali frigates threatening our Toledo-Beshbalik ferry.
A great scientist was born in Barcelona. I sent him to Seville, our number 2
city to build an Academy.
We've put a hurt on Mansa but war weariness was catching up with us. That's the downside of sacrificing so many cannon, I guess. Rather than whip our population smaller than it was already, I asked Mansa what he'd give us for peace:
Thank you very much. "We'll be baaack." I took another tour through our cities, converting to peacetime economy, promoting growth and commerce where I could.
Turn 6 (1780 AD): Toledo trained a Rifleman, started a Lighthouse(2).
Turn 7 (1785 AD): Chinook constructed a Taoist Temple, started a Bank(17). Turfan trained a Cannon, started a Confucian Temple(4).
Turn 8 (1790 AD): Madrid trained a Rifleman, started a University. Seville trained a Buddhist Missionary, started a Grocer(22). Toldeo constructed a Lighthouse, started a Rifleman(1). Beshbalik trained a Rifleman, started a Drydock(3). Karakorum constructed a Barracks, started a Bank(16). Murcia trained a Cannon, started a Lighthouse(3). Karakorum came out of revlot and I whipped a Library there.
Turn 9 (1795 AD): Cordoba trained a Rifleman, started a Buddhist Missionary(2). Toldedo trained a Rifleman, started a Drydock(4). Santiago trained a Conquistador, started Rifleman(8). Libyan constructed a Library, started a Barracks(12). Old Sari constructed a Barracks, started a Rifleman(5). Karakorum completed its Library and I whipped a Theatre there to ease the starvation.
Turn 10 (1800 AD): We discovered Democracy and we revolted to Universal Suffrage, Free Speech and Emancipation. We started Corporation(3) to get to Assembly Lines.
Turfan constructed a Confucian Temple, started a Library(6). Karakorum constructed a Theatre, started a worker(7) to replace the two that I lost. Djenne came out of revolt and I whipped a Library there.
Turn 11 (1802 AD): Cordoba trained a Buddhist Missionary, started another(2). Salamanca trained a Rifleman, started a Lighthosue(5). Samarqand constructed a Buddhist Temple, started a Library(11). Murcia constructed a Lighthouse, started a Bank(10). Ning-hsia trained a Frigate, started a Lighthosue. Djenne constructed a Librarys started a Theatre(14).
Turn 12 (1804 AD): Beshbalik constructed a Drydock, started Ironworks(26). New Sarai trained a Conquistador, started a Confucian Temple(5).
Turn 13 (1806 AD): We discovered Corporation and started Assembly Line(~9).
Cordoba trained a Buddhist Missionary, started another(2). Toledo constructed a Drydock, started an Ironclad(1). Ningbo constructed a Buddhist Temple, started a Courthouse. Walata came out of revolt and started Forge(14).
Turn 14 (1808 AD): Toledo trained an Ironclad, started a Rifleman(2).
Turn 15 (1810 AD): Cordoba trained a Buddhist Missionary, started another(1). Turfan constructed a Library, started a Confucian Monestary(5). Old Sarai trained a Rifleman, started a Bank(13). Kumbi Saleh came out of revolt; I whipped a Library there.
Turn 16 (1812 AD): Cordoba trained a Buddhist Missionary, started another(2). Toldedo trained a Rifleman, started another(2). Salamanca constructed a Lighthouse, started a Bank(12). Timbuktu trained a Worker, started a Hindu temple(6).
Turn 17 (1814 AD): New Sarai constructed a Confucian Temple, started a Confucian Missionary(4).
\Well, I figured it was time to take Awdahost, Tadmekka and maybe even Gao away from Mansa. Unfortunately, we had a Mali revolt in Kumbi Saleh and our garrison was wounded now. I needed to wait a turn.
Turn 18 (1816 AD): Madrid constructed a University, started work on Wall Street. We would have to fight this next war without Madrid's military output. Cordoba trained a Buddhist Missionary, started another(2). Toledo trained a Rifleman, started another(1). Santiago trained a Rifleman, started a Drydock(10).
Turn 19 (1818 AD): Toledo trained a Rifleman, started another(2). Turfan constructed a Confucian Monastery, started a Confucian Missionary(2). Ning-hsia constructed a Lighthouse, started a Barracks(8).
The garrison at Kumbi Saleh was healed so I re-declared on Mansa. We landed a stack of doom at Awdaghost. Mansa had a bit of stack there himself:
If he turtled up, we had a shot of wiping out his Army
and his Navy.
IBT: Well, he didn't turtle-up. He hit our stack with an Artillery (artillery?!?!), 3 Knights and a Grenadier. We suffered no losses and his fleet stayed in port.
Turn 20 (1820 AD): Cordoba trained a Buddhist Missionary,s tarted another(2). Chinook constructed a Bank,s tarted a Rifleman(10). Libyan constructed a Barracks, started a Rifleman(15).
War weariness kicked right back in. I revolted back to Police State.
We sacrificed 4 Cannons taking Awdaghost. It's pretty well garrisoned along with a stack of wounded units in the forest outside of town. Get them all healed, load them on the transports and move on to Tadmeka.
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