Charis
Realms Beyond
He declares war! These Europeans 'of the Book' are so predictable!
Let's pause to consider the tech situation. We're now in the age of Crusades,
in deep need of Lost Roman Secrets and Heavy Cav, plus the Smithing we're working
towards, are four techs from next age, and can/should ignore west and arab trees.
England, France and Abaddids offered us maps and so know Map Making. More important,
they can sell communications to other civs. We buy from cheapest seller, England,
as we meet five civs for WM+6gpt. England along with France and Abassids also know
CoL and Early Siegecraft, as do Danes. I can tell who has Map Making by whether maps
can be traded. Abbasids lack iron, btw. Even in tech, and broke, are: Norway,
Poland (lacks iron), Magyars, Bolgars, Castille, Fatimids, Celts (two workers).
Byz lack Siegcraft but know CoL and Lost secrets. They're still insulted and want
fully 300g for peace. (*NOT* a good rebuff btw, giving up our best and a necessary
trading partner to save 26g 8-\ ) Cordova and Sweden have only CoL.
Horses are on the road connecting our core and south, but in neutral land. We need
a city or colony to hookup horses. The Bulgars are standing on a spot next to the
horses where they just may settle next turn. If so, we WILL for sure want to
capture this city.
Most important, the Turks are BEGGING to stop the war, and will gladly give up both
Early Siege and CoL for it, along with one minor city and some gold. They have 8 cities
plus their capital, not insulted at thought of any. (King and troops would jump)
There is a brokering opportunity to buy Siegecraft and trade it for CoL. I recheck
to see if anyone lacking siegecraft has maps... yes! Sweden has maps. So we could broker
to get that tech as well. (Byz have maps) I can't tell how much Secrets is, but since
it's monopoly, pricey. Over 28gpt anyway. Of course, we can accept the two techs from
Turks instead of buying siegecraft. If we don't take any techs we get three cities,
Kafa, Izmit and Antalya. Any other way to get Siegecraft? Well, France has 3 settler
pairs in our territory!?
We could broker assuming we'll need to pay, then kick
them out just to see if she bites. It's not cheap, around 31gpt, but won't totally
bankrupt us either.
The opportunity to get all those techs is very slim, as any one country close to
one could ruin it for us. Let us deal... we indeed buy Siegecraft+TM from France for
39gpt. Then, in ever so brusque a voice, we tell her to get her no-good sleazy tramp
hide out of our lands. She gasps, faints, curses in French... then declares war.
All that and war happiness to boot! To Cordova, Siegecraft for CoL+30g, then
to Swedes we give Siegecraft+WM+11g for MapMaking+TM. To get out of our 300g trading
hole with Theodora we get peace+TM+6g for Siegecraft. We get Norway's WM for CoL.
WM goes all around, picking up new regions here and there, and a worker from Magyars,
two workers from Celts (we're past 50 turns), and drain every single gold coin out of
the lesser nations. After picking up the rare Fatimid map, we sell again, getting even
more gold from the richer nations. Lost Secrets is an insult at over 500g+43gpt.
We'll need to self-research or steal that one as it will stay a monopoly.
In the end of this trade lovefest we have 528g+28gpt and we've not had to take any
techs from Turks to do it, plus virtually the whole world map is exposed for us.
Best for us is probably Konya+Kafa+WM+92g. No one has any more visible techs.
Our VP are top in the world, 3730 (although I don't want it so high! 2200 is from
city conquests). England is 2nd, Abbasids 3rd.
We get an embassy with Constantinople to see how it's doing, but to prepare for a
future steal. They're working on cataphract (eep), tis a well built city, 15spt,
8 spears, queen. Horses, iron and quarry, 4 lux. Not ready for steal attempt, 510g.
Hey! We can move over rivers on roads now, yay! I'm a tad unsure on Aydin situation.
I can make two elite attacks this round, but if I do or not one zerk is in trouble
on the counter. Or I can stack them and hope to bombard, but might lose two that way.
The bombard value is good, so I'll try that rather than give up on the hurt zerk.
(I've been trying hard to not let them get attacked much, but to be on offense)
Five towns start a much needed town hall. IBT - Bulgars move on past horse
BTW, several single vikings on the move through our lands for quite a few turns.
They seem exploring, as they pass up a chance to strike towns defended by a warrior.
I do not, and *would not* give them the boot, as we can't defend against Zerks.
Ok, this is ODD behavior from Turks. Their *spear* goes on the attack, losing to
our warrior, and their archers *do not attack* our Zerk stack. The top one was elite,
did they think the odds too poor? Underneath was the 1hp elite. French settlers all
turn tail and go home. Too bad, we need more workers
[8] 1005 - IBT - No attacks. keep an eye out for German and French and Burgundy troops.
[9] 1008 - Perfect! We saved that zerk by covering and congealing into a stack, and
now we can them all with a spear, and vs a three-archer stack can try to pop a few
and fish - all in a way we do NOT move up and further expose ourselves. It took almost
the whole round to see this happen, but it's nice now that it does. No leader, but
two safe kills.
We go around selling the world map for cash. (If you have patience, this is like
a bonus +15gpt income for the diligent! We got 50g + a worker from Poland this round!)
I pause a moment after getting enough gold off Theodora that now I could try a steal
attempt. The irony is so overwhelming I try it (before she actual has a Cataphract
army) and... we now know Lost Roman Secrets
I realize Uskudar is now our (only) port city, and rush a spear. There alone can we
build longboats with which to punish Balkan offenders. Army advances on Izmit,
killing two archers w/o a scratch.
Sensing teammate thoughts that we should start to have *SOME* homeland security,
and feeling now we have what we need to finish the job down south, I spread out
3 zerks up in the core to provide that sense of well being and harmony.
Kiev, Smolensk, Pslov. There's one more just south of Suzdal' which could be recalled
but which I hope can join up with the army and fill it. IBT - Nothing.
[10] 1011 - with the decent number of slaves we're getting, we can spare one Turkish
slave for a horse colony, so we don't feel compelled to waste a settler.
Pskov will grow next turn and hit 15spt, so he may want to make a few horses at one
per two turns. At a bare min build three to fill a future cataphract army. You might
also want to mine Pskov's last BG tile. When the high total shield high corruption towns
like Vitebsk finish their town hall, and later a smith, we'll actually have a strong
production base!
At Izmit we attack and take the... no we don't! We advance towards our REAL goal
of Khazar, crushing two archers underfoot in the process. A third one is fished by
an elite Zerk, who wins.
Sell around maps, a penny here, a penny there, 6g+3gpt from Norway.
IBT - Sweden must be at war with someone, there is a SW trickle of troops.
The Turks have no counter attack, move some archers, and get hit by army ZoC.
[11] 1014 - We move up to Khazar. I'm so close, and having some come so far out of
a despearte and bleak situation, I beg forgiveness for going on two extra turns.
(I can give them back next turn )
Pskov got one more red shield, so it does need a mined BG to hit 15spt (or town hall)
It's fishing time outside Khazar as they have (like an AI) moved out TO US.
Three elites vs archers. All win, no ldr. 8-\ One heads to Izmit in hopes of
capturing the town, presumed to be covered by two spears, while main stack
steps next to Khazar. IBT - In good news, Byzantines declared war on Burgundy.
[12] 1017 - Our workers complete a road just as a turk spear steps next to us, with
a Rus zerk behind them Thwap! At Izmit a spear killed, but he got in some lucky
hits. Probably just one left, should be killable next turn, else step back and heal.
Of course, if the AI rushes an archer, it will look silly to have gone after Izmit.
At Khazar, two elite kill spears, notthing special. We also had an elite healing in
our territory at Aydin and an archer stepped up IBT. He shoots... he scores!!
Igor, a new MGL, appears! [dance]
Army beats a spear at Khazar. No more! (See!! There's no boogie man in king cities,
one extra spear is all they could muster) It's an archer on top. Heck, their spears
attack def 1 units, why not ours? We get hurt, but win and promote to vet. Bah,
a horse is now on top. Our army turns him into glue. Indeed, no more attackers, and
there is a worker on top -- tis the King!
Alas, I can abuse the turn length only so much. With the king naked and exposed at
Khazar I must pass it off. Twas enough to see that we could, and that there is enough
on hand to continue to Ghuzz and put these guys out of their misery once and for all.
Notes to next ldr...
- The victory screen comments on regicide are useless. I think it gives max kings left,
not kings remaining. We DID kill the king at Patnizak, so it's just Khazar and Ghuzz.
- So far the army has done fine with two units in it, and extra not inside for extra
attacks. Fill it or continue like this as you see best (just don't lose the army )
- Crush Khazar and kill the king next turn. *If* you keep the city, don't garrison it
other than maybe the spear on hand. Send all the rest, after a heal turn if needed,
W/NW to Ghuzz and eliminate the Turks - there can truly be no other outcome to this
campaign now.
- You can keep any newly built units at home in core and prepare either for defense if
foes ever show up, or finally amass a division capable of crushing the Magyars and
reclaiming all our first and second ring land. Do *NOT* start that however until
the Turks are gone (which will be before the end of the next players turn), as the
Magyars have a lot of unit, a lot of land, and unlike the HRE nations are right there
next to us.
- The MGL is awake in town. Up to you whether you turn it into an army now and put
2-3 zerks in it, or whether you stay in MGL form and run much faster back to Kiev,
where it can wait either for homefront trouble or (even better?) a Cataphract army
- If you can, sell maps each turn, watch the tech scene, and continue min research on
Smithing. At 22 turns away, don't throw away the 20 invested, but use any such money
to save up and steal Heavy Cavalry. Be secure on the home front first, and be ready if
it fails for an attack, and they will have Cataphracts on hand now. Heh, but by that
time we'll have longships! In about 15-20 turns will be a great time for this, when the
Byz troops have all gone far afield to Burgundy.
Our look at the terrain...
RBC13D Rus 1117AD
Charis
Jabah <-- UP
Grimjack <-- on deck
Akots
Good luck! We still have a massive uphill fight ahead of us, but we're now beginning to
look like a real empire, about to eliminate our first of 17 opponents, and with the hope
of an actual production base beginning to appear on the horizon.
Charis
Let's pause to consider the tech situation. We're now in the age of Crusades,
in deep need of Lost Roman Secrets and Heavy Cav, plus the Smithing we're working
towards, are four techs from next age, and can/should ignore west and arab trees.
England, France and Abaddids offered us maps and so know Map Making. More important,
they can sell communications to other civs. We buy from cheapest seller, England,
as we meet five civs for WM+6gpt. England along with France and Abassids also know
CoL and Early Siegecraft, as do Danes. I can tell who has Map Making by whether maps
can be traded. Abbasids lack iron, btw. Even in tech, and broke, are: Norway,
Poland (lacks iron), Magyars, Bolgars, Castille, Fatimids, Celts (two workers).
Byz lack Siegcraft but know CoL and Lost secrets. They're still insulted and want
fully 300g for peace. (*NOT* a good rebuff btw, giving up our best and a necessary
trading partner to save 26g 8-\ ) Cordova and Sweden have only CoL.
Horses are on the road connecting our core and south, but in neutral land. We need
a city or colony to hookup horses. The Bulgars are standing on a spot next to the
horses where they just may settle next turn. If so, we WILL for sure want to
capture this city.
Most important, the Turks are BEGGING to stop the war, and will gladly give up both
Early Siege and CoL for it, along with one minor city and some gold. They have 8 cities
plus their capital, not insulted at thought of any. (King and troops would jump)
There is a brokering opportunity to buy Siegecraft and trade it for CoL. I recheck
to see if anyone lacking siegecraft has maps... yes! Sweden has maps. So we could broker
to get that tech as well. (Byz have maps) I can't tell how much Secrets is, but since
it's monopoly, pricey. Over 28gpt anyway. Of course, we can accept the two techs from
Turks instead of buying siegecraft. If we don't take any techs we get three cities,
Kafa, Izmit and Antalya. Any other way to get Siegecraft? Well, France has 3 settler
pairs in our territory!?
We could broker assuming we'll need to pay, then kickthem out just to see if she bites. It's not cheap, around 31gpt, but won't totally
bankrupt us either.
The opportunity to get all those techs is very slim, as any one country close to
one could ruin it for us. Let us deal... we indeed buy Siegecraft+TM from France for
39gpt. Then, in ever so brusque a voice, we tell her to get her no-good sleazy tramp
hide out of our lands. She gasps, faints, curses in French... then declares war.
All that and war happiness to boot!
To Cordova, Siegecraft for CoL+30g, thento Swedes we give Siegecraft+WM+11g for MapMaking+TM. To get out of our 300g trading
hole with Theodora we get peace+TM+6g for Siegecraft. We get Norway's WM for CoL.
WM goes all around, picking up new regions here and there, and a worker from Magyars,
two workers from Celts (we're past 50 turns), and drain every single gold coin out of
the lesser nations. After picking up the rare Fatimid map, we sell again, getting even
more gold from the richer nations. Lost Secrets is an insult at over 500g+43gpt.
We'll need to self-research or steal that one as it will stay a monopoly.
In the end of this trade lovefest we have 528g+28gpt and we've not had to take any
techs from Turks to do it, plus virtually the whole world map is exposed for us.
Best for us is probably Konya+Kafa+WM+92g. No one has any more visible techs.
Our VP are top in the world, 3730 (although I don't want it so high! 2200 is from
city conquests). England is 2nd, Abbasids 3rd.
We get an embassy with Constantinople to see how it's doing, but to prepare for a
future steal. They're working on cataphract (eep), tis a well built city, 15spt,
8 spears, queen. Horses, iron and quarry, 4 lux. Not ready for steal attempt, 510g.
Hey! We can move over rivers on roads now, yay! I'm a tad unsure on Aydin situation.
I can make two elite attacks this round, but if I do or not one zerk is in trouble
on the counter. Or I can stack them and hope to bombard, but might lose two that way.
The bombard value is good, so I'll try that rather than give up on the hurt zerk.
(I've been trying hard to not let them get attacked much, but to be on offense)
Five towns start a much needed town hall. IBT - Bulgars move on past horse
BTW, several single vikings on the move through our lands for quite a few turns.
They seem exploring, as they pass up a chance to strike towns defended by a warrior.
I do not, and *would not* give them the boot, as we can't defend against Zerks.
Ok, this is ODD behavior from Turks. Their *spear* goes on the attack, losing to
our warrior, and their archers *do not attack* our Zerk stack. The top one was elite,
did they think the odds too poor? Underneath was the 1hp elite. French settlers all
turn tail and go home. Too bad, we need more workers
[8] 1005 - IBT - No attacks. keep an eye out for German and French and Burgundy troops.
[9] 1008 - Perfect! We saved that zerk by covering and congealing into a stack, and
now we can them all with a spear, and vs a three-archer stack can try to pop a few
and fish - all in a way we do NOT move up and further expose ourselves. It took almost
the whole round to see this happen, but it's nice now that it does. No leader, but
two safe kills.
We go around selling the world map for cash. (If you have patience, this is like
a bonus +15gpt income for the diligent! We got 50g + a worker from Poland this round!)
I pause a moment after getting enough gold off Theodora that now I could try a steal
attempt. The irony is so overwhelming I try it (before she actual has a Cataphract
army) and... we now know Lost Roman Secrets
I realize Uskudar is now our (only) port city, and rush a spear. There alone can we
build longboats with which to punish Balkan offenders. Army advances on Izmit,
killing two archers w/o a scratch.
Sensing teammate thoughts that we should start to have *SOME* homeland security,
and feeling now we have what we need to finish the job down south, I spread out
3 zerks up in the core to provide that sense of well being and harmony.
Kiev, Smolensk, Pslov. There's one more just south of Suzdal' which could be recalled
but which I hope can join up with the army and fill it. IBT - Nothing.
[10] 1011 - with the decent number of slaves we're getting, we can spare one Turkish
slave for a horse colony, so we don't feel compelled to waste a settler.
Pskov will grow next turn and hit 15spt, so he may want to make a few horses at one
per two turns. At a bare min build three to fill a future cataphract army. You might
also want to mine Pskov's last BG tile. When the high total shield high corruption towns
like Vitebsk finish their town hall, and later a smith, we'll actually have a strong
production base!
At Izmit we attack and take the... no we don't! We advance towards our REAL goal
of Khazar, crushing two archers underfoot in the process. A third one is fished by
an elite Zerk, who wins.
Sell around maps, a penny here, a penny there, 6g+3gpt from Norway.
IBT - Sweden must be at war with someone, there is a SW trickle of troops.
The Turks have no counter attack, move some archers, and get hit by army ZoC.
[11] 1014 - We move up to Khazar. I'm so close, and having some come so far out of
a despearte and bleak situation, I beg forgiveness for going on two extra turns.
(I can give them back next turn
)Pskov got one more red shield, so it does need a mined BG to hit 15spt (or town hall)
It's fishing time outside Khazar as they have (like an AI) moved out TO US.
Three elites vs archers. All win, no ldr. 8-\ One heads to Izmit in hopes of
capturing the town, presumed to be covered by two spears, while main stack
steps next to Khazar. IBT - In good news, Byzantines declared war on Burgundy.
[12] 1017 - Our workers complete a road just as a turk spear steps next to us, with
a Rus zerk behind them
Thwap! At Izmit a spear killed, but he got in some luckyhits. Probably just one left, should be killable next turn, else step back and heal.
Of course, if the AI rushes an archer, it will look silly to have gone after Izmit.
At Khazar, two elite kill spears, notthing special. We also had an elite healing in
our territory at Aydin and an archer stepped up IBT. He shoots... he scores!!
Igor, a new MGL, appears! [dance]
Army beats a spear at Khazar. No more! (See!! There's no boogie man in king cities,
one extra spear is all they could muster) It's an archer on top. Heck, their spears
attack def 1 units, why not ours? We get hurt, but win and promote to vet. Bah,
a horse is now on top. Our army turns him into glue. Indeed, no more attackers, and
there is a worker on top -- tis the King!
Alas, I can abuse the turn length only so much. With the king naked and exposed at
Khazar I must pass it off. Twas enough to see that we could, and that there is enough
on hand to continue to Ghuzz and put these guys out of their misery once and for all.
Notes to next ldr...
- The victory screen comments on regicide are useless. I think it gives max kings left,
not kings remaining. We DID kill the king at Patnizak, so it's just Khazar and Ghuzz.
- So far the army has done fine with two units in it, and extra not inside for extra
attacks. Fill it or continue like this as you see best (just don't lose the army
)- Crush Khazar and kill the king next turn. *If* you keep the city, don't garrison it
other than maybe the spear on hand. Send all the rest, after a heal turn if needed,
W/NW to Ghuzz and eliminate the Turks - there can truly be no other outcome to this
campaign now.
- You can keep any newly built units at home in core and prepare either for defense if
foes ever show up, or finally amass a division capable of crushing the Magyars and
reclaiming all our first and second ring land. Do *NOT* start that however until
the Turks are gone (which will be before the end of the next players turn), as the
Magyars have a lot of unit, a lot of land, and unlike the HRE nations are right there
next to us.
- The MGL is awake in town. Up to you whether you turn it into an army now and put
2-3 zerks in it, or whether you stay in MGL form and run much faster back to Kiev,
where it can wait either for homefront trouble or (even better?) a Cataphract army
- If you can, sell maps each turn, watch the tech scene, and continue min research on
Smithing. At 22 turns away, don't throw away the 20 invested, but use any such money
to save up and steal Heavy Cavalry. Be secure on the home front first, and be ready if
it fails for an attack, and they will have Cataphracts on hand now. Heh, but by that
time we'll have longships! In about 15-20 turns will be a great time for this, when the
Byz troops have all gone far afield to Burgundy.
Our look at the terrain...
RBC13D Rus 1117AD
Charis
Jabah <-- UP
Grimjack <-- on deck
Akots
Good luck! We still have a massive uphill fight ahead of us, but we're now beginning to
look like a real empire, about to eliminate our first of 17 opponents, and with the hope
of an actual production base beginning to appear on the horizon.
Charis
your amazing comeback.
As for the Turks, sheesh, they sure are holding out as long as they can. (btw, was second army helping the first or defending the homeland?)
No matter, they will have problems when I tell them to vacate their cities, and war is declared.
