I will gladly leave Moscow to advisor Haki, as deed for his glorious warring past.
I still would like to claim Yekaterina, and the future russian coast - Vladivostok and Novgorod.
I leave Rostov at your disposal, as I think some advison will be interested in this production monster.
During my duties, I tried hard to execute your orders. Should I have failed in one way or another, please do not feed the crocs with my person
The empire was at war with Cathy's phants when I get promoted to guide it through this period.
Two stacks were ready to go after Yekaterina, while a lesser stack could make it way to Phoenician. The goal was to take both and merge the stacks for Moscow and Rostov.
Cathy prooved to stack many units inside the cities, so causualities are rather heavy.
Thanks to our cities, we still have a pretty impressive army, though it needs regrouping.
As I said, at first I enacted the name change and St Petersburg became Pawelograd.
I decided to foresee caste system a few turns later, to execute some whips.
It hadn't the results expected, as some revolts continued or restarted (Kish, Yaroslavl, Pawelograd... ).
T212
@Thebes: Cat - Confucian Monastery
@Memphis: Mace - HA
@Heliopolis: Mace - Heroic Epic
@Paris: Elephant - Elephant
@Wen Amon: Forge - Spy
IBT
Russian HA kills our Treb near Yaroslavl
T213
@Orléans: CBow - University
@Bombay: Lghthouse - Harbor
I send a pike from Pawelograd to bring justice to the treb-killing russian HA
Our small stack menages to take Phoenician, the less defended russian city, without losses :
City available to claim.
T214
@VoK: Treb - HA
@Memphis: HA - Conf Missionary
@Heliopolis: Heroic Epic - Conf Missionary
@Paris: Elephant - National Epic
@Elephantine: Conf Temple - Conf Monastery
We have vermin in Thebes - I pay 27 gold to keep the food.
Attack on Yekaterina ( forgot the pic, sorry... ):
Suicide 2 cats for nice CD.
I lost two maces, an elephant, but we are still victorious and Wen Amon captures the city ( as I said, copy/pasting problem made me lose the pic...)
T215
@Memphis: Conf Missionary - Conf Missionary
@Heliopolis: Conf Missionary - HA
Whip forge @ Pawelograd just after a revolt and before another one.
Cyrus prepares a sneak attack, though no one explained him new military tricks:
T216
(IT) Divine Right - Nationalism
Research drop to 20% - lack of funds
@Thebes: Conf Monastery - University
@VoK: HA - HA
@Memphis: Conf Missionary - Colosseum
@Heliopolis: HA - Spiral (due in
SIX turns!)
@Wen Amon: Spy - Library
@Lagash: Forge - Temple
@Pawelograd: Forge - Courthouse
Great Scientist born in Thebes. I put him asleep in Paris, our research master. To be decided by the group what to do with him.
Revolt to Caste System for GM.
Conf spread in Pawelograd
Russians found St Petersburg 2, the Return, with a single HA to defend it. I dispatch a HA and two maces of our own.
T217
@Rheims: Conf Monastery - Forge
Conf spread in Yaroslavl
IBT
We lose a caravel one turn before circumnavigation to a russian caravel...
T218
@VoK: HA - HA
@Paris: National Epic - Colosseum, set 5 GM in Paris
Russians discounts us St Peter 2 leaving it undefended :
T219
@Memphis: Colosseum - HA
@Elephantine: Conf Monastery - Stable
@Lagash: Conf Temple - Conf Monastery
Conf spread in Yekaterinaburg
IBT
A CBow dies near Moscow while grouping with our SoD
T220
@Memphis: HA - Conf Missionary
@Paris: Colosseum - HA
@Bombay: Harbor - Market
IBT
Pawelograd attacked during a revolt by a HA. Defending Elephant is victorious.
T221
Moscow @ 0% defenses - time to move on
@VoK: HA - HA
We win Apostolic election ( 312 votes out of 316 - Cyrus abstained

)
I suicide 4 cats on very heavy defenses on hill.
It's enough to preserve (almost) all units from the stack - we lose only one mace, and russian capital falls to us:
I started to move after Rostov.
IBT
Due to the "best defender" rule, Wen Amon dies in combat near Rostov ( surely at very little probability ).
He shall be mourned for his glorious achievements against France, India, Sumer and Russia. Never a general has been as glorious as Wen Amon.
T222
@Memphis: Conf Missionary - Stable
@Heliopolis: Spiral ( to the Wen Amon's glory ) - Stable
@Paris: HA - HA
@Elephantine: Stable - HA
@Agra: Conf Monastery - Moai
IBT
A lonely cat attacks Moscow and dies pituously
T223
@VoK: HA - Conf Missionary
@Heliopolis: Stable - Colosseum
@Rheims: Forge - Barracks
@Lagash: Conf Monastery - Courthouse
@Yaroslavl: Granary - Forge
T224
(IT) Nationalism - Gunpowder
@VoK: Conf Missionary - University
@Memphis: Stable - University
@Heliopolis: Colosseum - Taj Mahal ( if ok with the king )
@Paris: HA - University
We finally achieve circumnavigation:
On the same turn, Rostov is @ 0%, so I order to attack.
At first, four CR2 cats suicide to CD on defenders ( across the river - to gain several WW turns it was necessary ).
On the following attack we lose a mace and a HA, achieving to win the city (general Pawelo wins it

):
On the same turn, before handing over the reigns of the empire, I settle for peace, backfilling some lacking knowledge:
Here we are.
Please check your cities for GP points, as the war caused much unhappiness, limitating heavily the CS effect.
I would continue for GM. Finish GPowder, go for Liberalism, slingshot Military Tradition, mass upgrade HA to Cuirassiers and crush Cathy and Gigli
Nice plan no ?
I leave to someone else the eco / culture buildup!