My Huge Sid Milk Run

IBT – Babylon and Ottomans each sink one of the other’s galleys off my east coast.



370 AD – There are only 8 Ottoman units in that lead stack, so all of them are easily redlined and killed with elites. The next 2 stacks are a bit intimidating, so I close the gate for a turn to buy some time.



Remember to borrow all the Mongols gold to stay solvent – I’m expecting to get most if not all of it back once I complete Chemistry.

IBT – The Ottomans sink another Babylonian galley. Interestingly, when I close the western pass, the Ottomans don’t seem to head toward the eastern as I thought they would. Maybe they are heading for a different AI – I’m going to try to keep the western pass closed for a few turns to see what happens.



380 AD – 15 Ottoman knights killed with 6 losses (2 of which were elites); 2 elite victories, no leaders and not a single vet promoted – not a very kind RNG this turn.



IBT – The Ottomans ignore me entirely. I wish I had known they would ignore the eastern pass 10 turns ago :wallbash:!

390 AD – With this new knowledge, my armies start congregating. I will start attacking with them – as long as there is a healthy one on top, the others can attack all they want. I don’t need to destroy Ottoman improvements if I can just eliminate their cities! There is always the possibility that they will return to me when they make peace with whoever, but for now :hammer:.

I stop building bombardment – any military from now on will be MDI for armies or mounted warriors for MP. Cavalry will be coming soon enough, and my armies can carry me until then. Some coastal cities start galleys – they’ll be useful eventually, and maybe I will dare to explore a bit and see if I can meet the apparently isolated Incans. I wonder if they have Alphabet yet :lol:.

I start picking out towns on hills that I expect to be permanent and try to plan around them a bit. I’m not taking it too seriously yet, but if a city is on a hill with nothing but grass/plains around, I might as well start building infrastructure no matter how corrupt it is right now. It’s more because I find that part of the game very tedious, so I’m going to try to plan a bit each turn so that when the milk phase comes, hopefully I’ll have most of it figured out.

Finally, I continue my determined effort to get all towns except the tundra towns to size 4 at least – I may even start to add workers to cities just to get them to size 4 since I am pretty much out of work for now.

Score at 390 AD = 3458

 
IBT – The Ottomans continue to ignore me, but I catch my first glimpse of an Ottoman galleon *gulp*. They haven’t started building Magellan’s Voyage yet, and we can’t trade maps – shouldn’t they get Navigation before they get into the Industrial Age? It would really be nice if they took a side trip to Free Artistry too.

The Russians get a knight within range of my gifted Babylonian city. I complete Chemistry and sell it to the Mongols via the Big Picture for 198 gpt. I’m only giving them 154 gpt, and they still have a lot more gpt available – I checked 400 gpt, and he would be insulted, but he didn’t say never.

400 AD – Give Adab back to the Babylonians before I forget. I want to keep my Russian war happiness.



I use my stack of artillery to redline the 8 Ottoman units north of it, then the remainder of the stack heads toward New Edrine – that city will be razed next turn. I could raze it this turn, but I might as well wait 1 turn for the artillery stack. The stack of 8 Ottomans is killed with 3 elites and losing 1 vet.

I irrigate a tile in Ottoman territory to bring water to my thirsty cities. Borrow the Mongols gold and rush a couple settlers and an aqueduct.



IBT – Nothing of note.

410 AD – As promised New Edrine is razed.



141 gold ain’t bad either.

My troops split up. Three armies will stay back to block the pass until I’m ready to meet the Ottomans in the open. I’m not going to wait too long because I want those dyes. A “slow stack” consisting of a couple armies, all my bombardment, and my elite mounted warriors will head north for Urfa and Aydin since I can only go 1 tile per turn through those hills. My “fast stack” with a couple armies and my veteran and elite* mounted warriors will head toward Mugla. This stack will undoubtedly see heavy casualties and need a steady stream of reinforcements, but hopefully I can start razing some cities along the southern coast. Istanbul I am keeping for its wonders, so I need to clear some space around it before attacking it so I can hold it.

 
IBT – The Ottomans cleverly land 3 units behind my front lines using their boats.



420 AD – I lose one mounted warrior (and get one elite win) killing the trio of Ottoman invaders.

I claim 1 more inch of territory with a new city. I have 22 mounted warriors under the protection of armies within range of Mugla.

Borrow 500+ gold from the Mongols to rush a couple aqueducts/harbors, and start a prebuild for the Military Academy :drool:.



IBT – The Ottomans land 4 more knights behind my lines in an amphibious assault.




430 AD – There is a new contact to buy – the Russians know both the Incans and Printing Press. I can’t sign peace with Russia, so the Incans will have to wait.

The bombard stack moves closer. I also realize that I should move my units up from the eastern pass near Owego 2 – I really should have done that last turn.

The 4 Ottoman knights are slaughtered without loss, and the great battle of Mugla takes place. Mugla’s 4 pikes take out 4 mounted warriors and force 5 others to retreat before succumbing. The city is razed for 5 slaves, and a trebuchet is captured.



Injured units have to head homeward to heal since the Ottoman territory still extends everywhere.



IBT – Aztecs and Babylon sign peace – no war declaration from that, but I don’t have to pay Babylon 12 gpt for the next 13 turns.

The Ottomans kill the mounted warrior on the ruins of Mugla of course, but are otherwise pretty quiet. They have a lot of large boats sailing along my southern coast which make me nervous :scared:.



The Russians want to talk peace, but that’s not happening.

440 AD - I set up the siege of Aydin for next turn. My southern “fast stack” takes turn off for healing and waiting for reinforcements. I ping one of the Ottoman boats that came too close to shore with a trebbie so hopefully it will turn around and go home.

I’m starting to set up a bit of a ship chain to be able to get at least some units to the front faster.





IBT – Not much.

450 AD – Aydin is defended by 3 pikes – all are redlined with artillery to spare. Those 3 are killed with elites, and I pick off a couple other stray Ottomans with elites for 5 total elite wins.





 
IBT – Not much, but I swear I saw a Sipahi running around… yes, the Ottomans do have saltpeter now, and they have contact with the Incans. If the Incans are trading them saltpeter, then there’s not much I can do about it. And there are muskets guarding Ottoman cities now.

460 AD - I still have a couple active alliances with the Mongols, and I am not ready to lose my rep just yet considering how much borrowed gold has been helping me, so I sit tight for a bit. My “fast stack” of mounted warriors without artillery can now return home since I won’t fight fortified muskets in cities with just them. My bombard stack will continue to try to raze cities. All armies that are not needed to defend the choke will go back to being pillagers.

Actually I have a decent number of bombardment units still working their way to the front. My fast stack moved a bit in the wrong direction by Istanbul, but I think I will try to get 2 slow stacks together – the Ottoman cities must not stand.



IBT – nothing much.

470 AD – Urfa is guarded by 5 muskets. I didn’t do enough damage with bombardment to attack this turn, but hopefully I will have enough bombardment there next turn.

A little more pillaging done – Istanbul will be cut off next turn :evil:.

 
I wasn't really planning on posting one - I can't have people know more about the map than I do :). This game probably has at least a year to go.
 
IBT – An Ottoman sipahi attacks my musket guarding the eastern pass. A veteran musket fortified in a fortress in no longer sufficient now that sipahi are around. My musket promoted to elite, and next turn that will be a barricade, and I’ll plant a forest there, but I’m going to move an army in that direction just in case it’s still not safe.

I complete Metallurgy – trade it to the Mongols via the Big Picture for 326 gold and 177 gpt. Research set to Military Tradition – due in 7 if I can keep borrowing from the Mongols.

480 AD – Kill 2 Ottomans with elites after redlining them since they wandered too close to my line – one gets me leader #8. This one will be saved to be my first cavalry army :drool:. Complete the isolation of Istanbul.

The siege of Urfa – Urfa is only guarded by 3 muskets, so all are redlined with plenty of artillery to spare. It still costs me 4 mounted warriors (including 2 elites) to kill the 3 redlined muskets since that city was on a hill, but Urfa is razed. My spare bombardment destroys another couple Ottoman roads just because.



IBT – Of course the mounted warrior that razed Urfa is killed. The Ottomans send a settler/pike pair into the middle of the combat zone. The big news:



The Ottomans have gone Industrial – no rifles visible this turn, and hopefully it will be a long time since they can’t import luxuries and half their core roads are torn up.

490 AD - Attack teams assembled for the next assault:
 
Maybe I missed a hint to this or something, but what do your core cities look like for the most part? I mean, I feel sure enough you have barracks in them. Do you have libraries or marketplaces up anywhere (not that you should mind you)? Sorry if it seems like I pry too much... after all it's your thread.
 
I don't mind questions at all :).

My core cities almost all have both marketplaces and libraries (and barracks). The marketplaces were built while I was waiting for the AI to get Gunpowder for me (and will be useful again once I reach Military Tradition and shut down research), and the libraries were built as close as possible to when the AI learned Gunpowder to speed my way to Military Tradition.

I also have many more courthouses than usual. On lower levels, I don't bother with nearly as much infrastructure, but since I know this game is going on for a lot of turns, I think more structures are likely to pay for themselves before the end.

I'll try to post some city views later.
 
Strange I thought you had some luxuries.... although maybe that recently changed. That really sucks for your happiness, doesn't it? Salamanca stood out to me with its 7 extra food. What's your worker situation like? I ask, because you have 6 regular grasslands and 2 cows... all of which could get forested to give you an extra shield. For a 70 shield knight you can get one in 4 turns at 18 spt, or in 3 at 24 spt. For an 80 shield cavalry, you can get a 4 turn cavalry at 20 spt, or in 3 at 27 spt. If you consider that in combination with Alleghany, which currently works a BG and has an extra food in the filled box, after foresting Alleghany could have 20 spt, and Salamnca 27 spt exactly. Sorry, don't know if that fits the overall plan or you just haven't gotten there yet or whatever.... but if that helps, I'll take the credit :). Oh... and remember to anything I say... you're playing Sid and I'm not!
 
I have had no luxuries at all this game. There is a source of dyes not far away, but it would require me to defend against the Ottomans without being able to rely on armies to block the way if things got too hot for me. I will be claiming them "soon", but I don't know exactly when.

I have 84 native workers and 60 slaves most of whom are bored. I have been adding native workers to cities just to get them to size 4 for the happiness boost and doing important stuff like foresting the tundra in corrupt territory.

Salamanca will get forested to get to 27 spt when I get Military Tradition (I had planned on that, but thanks for pointing it out in case I hadn't :thumbsup:). I don't even have Monotheism yet, so knights are never going to happen, and 20 spt is as good as 27 spt for the things I can build.
 
Bored workers??? I guess either you've planted and worked the forests and have some plan for doing that later.
 
IBT – The Ottomans land 4 knights by St. Regis. That’s not fair – that’s not the designated landing zone!

At least I know I have oil :lol:.



500 AD - I attack the 4 knights with the 3 mounted warriors I can use to reach them and lose all 3. So I’ll lose a few towns, but I should be able to contain the damage.

My southern stack heads for Edrine since that is the nearest city that doesn’t have a wonder I want to keep – it only has the Mausoleum of Mausollos (Istanbul has the Pyramids, Temple of Artemis, and Knight’s Templar; Bursa has J.S. Bach’s). My northern stack heads into the fog and finds Konya.

I start my first cavalry prebuilds in 16 spt cities with Military Tradition due in 5.

IBT - The Incans declare war on the Mongols. The Ottomans capture St. Regis 2, and raze New Oil Springs and New Onnontare. They also attack (and kill) my fortified elite musket in a barricaded forest in the eastern choke, so I guess I need an army to block that pass.

The Babylonian bowman in my core unfortified and moved :hmm:.

510 AD - I lose 1 more mounted warrior killing 2 of the knights that have invaded my south. The city of St. Regis 2 still belongs to the Ottomans, but I should be able to get it back next turn. I rush a couple settlers to replace my razed cities ASAP.



IBT – The Babylonian bowman moved again, but he is still not threatening anything :confused:. He is probably heading for Salamanca before declaring – too bad the Babylonians don’t have any gold to borrow.



The Ottomans sent 2 sipahi at my eastern barricade, but my units killed one and forced the other to retreat – my army will be there soon. An Ottoman galleon sailed by St. Regis 2, and now there is a spearman showing on top.



520 AD – I am gathering a lot of bombardment and units on the front line again, so I think I’ll leave the gate open and see how many Ottomans come. I could really use more armies, and I’d like to know if it is safe to settle the dyes and capture Istanbul yet, or if the Ottoman units would still overwhelm me.

The Battle of Konya takes place – it is guarded by 1 vet and 2 regular muskets and a veteran pike (and 1 cannon). The bombardment does its job, but I still lose 3 mounted warriors against redlined muskets. I win with an elite over the pike but no leader. Nonetheless a successful siege:



I lose 1 mounted warrior to the 2 spears in St. Regis 2, but the city is mine again. I guess the knights got back aboard a boat.

 
IBT – Ottomans and Mongols sign peace. That won’t last :satan:.

530 AD – The Babylonian bowman fortified on the mountain. Military Tradition is now known by the Mongols and the Russians as well as the Ottomans. I’m 1 turn away from Military Tradition using only scientists at 0% science.

Time for some “diplomacy”. Goals – get the Mongols and Ottomans back at war and get the Mongols to declare on me at some point in the not-too-distant future. The Zulu are down to only 4 cities, so sometime soonish I’m going to sign peace with them and give them a sanctuary city to save their war happiness for later. I need the Mongols to become my fourth source of happiness until then – I also owe the Mongols a lot of gold. Unfortunately we still have 3 turns of a peace treaty to go. The Mongols also now have contact with the Incans.

I decide to wait the 3 turns before resigning the Mongols against the Ottomans. The Mongols were probably getting beaten up pretty badly by the Ottomans and Russians combined – I’ll give them 3 turns to concentrate on the Russians first. However, I would like contact with the Incans, so I pay the Mongols with gpt (12 to be exact) for that. Of course I establish an embassy right away:


The Incans are at war with the Mongols and the Aztecs. They don’t know the Zulu or Babylonians. Maybe they should be my fourth source of war happiness. The Incans lack Chemistry, and they have 20 gpt available so I can make a profit staying at peace with them, whereas I still owe the Mongols money. I think I still want the Mongols to declare on me which would make the Incans’ declaration irrelevant, so I might as well stay at peace with them for now and take some gpt without renegotiating peace.

I start by promising I will help them against the Aztecs if they declare on the Ottomans – it costs me 18 gpt, but hopefully I will get that back. I was hoping to get 38 gpt for Chemistry (the 20 they had available before plus the 18 I just gave them), but they have 45 gpt available now - they must have been paying gpt to the Ottomans :dance:. Chemistry goes to the Incans for Monotheism :dunno: and 45 gpt.

The Americans and Babylonians lack Theology and Chivalry. I guess I won’t be trading for the Babylonians’ luxury anytime soon :sad:. I consider buying the techs for them, but it is a little too expensive considering the Babs would still have to get through Education and Astronomy on their own.

I rush a barracks in the front line city of Owego to start upgrading mounted warriors next turn. Interestingly the Ottomans seem to have moved their muskets toward the gap in my armies and left a pike on top in Edrine.

My armies move a bit closer to Ottoman cities. My northern stack is a little light on mounted warriors, so I prepare a ship chain to bring cavalry upgraded in Owego to meet the stack at around Zonguldak.



IBT – The Ottomans land one knight in my core. The Aztecs are using an RoP with the Ottomans to head in my direction. Their units look weaker than Ottoman units – it would be nice if they could reach my stack of bombardment before the Ottomans did. Regardless, I think I’m getting my answer about the dyes – I still won’t be able to defend them adequately.

Military Tradition completes, research turned off.

540 AD – Babylon now has Chivalry, so I decide I might as well get Theology for them. The Oracle is in Inca-land, so I really doubt I will capture that before I need to get the Middle Age techs. I give Metallurgy to the Incans for Theology, and then give Theology to Babylon for Chivalry – go for Education next Hammy…

And then I notice:



How the heck did the Ottomans get Nationalism so fast? They have 2 luxuries themselves, and they can’t import any since their capital is isolated. They’ve had a couple core cities razed and many roads destroyed around others, and yet Nationalism only took 6 turns?! :hide:

Well, I continue moving toward 2 Ottoman cities that now sport rifles, and I upgrade my first few cavalry.

IBT – The Ottoman knight that landed in my core attacked the Babylonian bowman who had been my guest and killed him leaving the knight ¼ for me.

The Russians start Shakespeare’s Theater.



550 AD – I pick up 1 elite win killing the Ottoman knight after redlining, but I have a feeling I will have to close the gate again pretty soon with all those units headed my way.

The Battle of Edrine – I don’t even come close to redlining the 5 riflemen guarding it. I’ll have to try again next turn.

IBT – Nothing much except mass quantities of Ottoman units wandering around…

560 AD – Bombard Zonguldak. I redline the 4 rifles guarding it. I attack first with 2 cavalry that I ship chained over there last turn – they both win handily. Now the mounted warriors – I lose only 1 before I raze the city:



Battle of Edrine II – It is now guarded by 3 rifles and 4 muskets. I redline one of them and go for the attack. I’ll lose lots of mounted warriors, but realistically, I am never going to have cash to upgrade them all, so let’s take an Ottoman city. Unnoticed previously, there are also 2 pikes and a sipahi. I end up losing 13 mounted warriors and 2 MDI but it had a happy ending as Edrine is razed.

4 elites were involved in winning battles there. At the army line, I pick up 4 more elite wins with nothing to show for them.

Finally, I have to take care of diplomacy. I renegotiate peace with the Mongols and tie it to alliances vs. the Ottomans and Russians. I don’t even have to include gold this time.

I suppose I’m making progress by tearing down cities a little faster than the Ottomans are rebuilding them, but I have to admit I’m very discouraged by the appearance of rifles – not just that the Ottomans have them, but the fact that they could still research Nationalism that fast. Meanwhile, some other tribes like the Russians and Aztecs, while still behind in techs, have been growing steadily stronger.

I seem to be a victim of what I liked about this map. I liked the fact that the Pyramids and Temple of Artemis were right next door so I could take them “early”, but instead I have a powerhouse neighbor that I have to expand through.
 
IBT – Aztecs declared war on the Mongols. Ottomans unload 2 knights in my core. The Russians start Newton’s, but they are not Industrial yet.

570 AD – No battles for cities, but my leader fishing by the army wall pays off:





IBT – I spend a while just watching the Ottoman units move. The Ottomans found a city directly next to one of my armies with a stack underneath it – how insulting is that? Zulu and the Mongols sign an alliance against the Ottomans so that the Zulu declare war on the Ottomans as if the Zulu didn’t have enough problems already. Spend a few more minutes watching the Aztecs move units around.



580 AD – Three more elite wins by the army wall and I get a second leader in 2 turns :). I autoraze the reincarnation of Ankara for 80 gold (and another elite win).

My first 2 cavalry armies took off toward the south of Istanbul to pillage down there. Istanbul has been reconnected to at least some of the other Ottoman cities so I execute the guilty workers.



 
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