Summary:
The Chinese declared war on my first full turn after I ordered
their ships out of our territory. The war has been brutal at
times. Riders are very tough units, especially if they get
behind the front lines. We have captured Tokyo and held it
against a swarm of riders.
I am stopping after 7 turns because we have come to a crossroads
and I'll let Charis decide which way he wants to go. We can
make peace with the Chinese and get a 2 for 1 deal with
Banking and either Gunpowder or Astronomy, or we can continue'
the attack and try for Nanking and establish our own city down
there and control the spices.
I slightly favor taking Nanking, founding our own city down there,
and then getting peace. The Chinese are probably gassed out and
they haven't finished off the Russians yet. They have largely
retreated the last turn, I am not sure if they just ran out of
troops or they have urgent business elsewhere, but either way
it sounds like an opportunity. Just be wary of the Babs jumping
in. That caused a lot of worry during my turns.
(0) Preturn 250AD
I am very happy to see 2 pikes in every city. Great job Architect
on freeing up the samurai.
Veto barracks in Pisces and change to temple. It's already on the edge
of happiness. I'd like to go for walls, but there's a forest chop
due next turn and it will probably go to Pisces.
MM Kagoshima from +2 food and +9 spt to +1 food and +10 spt and
change from samurai to walls in 1. There's a Korean galley on the
way and I want to feel safe with the samurai away at the front.
Change Edo from samurai to pike. It can get to 10 spt.
Diplo check
Russia: refuse to talk, no threat with everyone except Mongols
at war with them, and they're down to 4 cities.
America: even tech, 2g, I give WM + 9g for their WM. Korea has
founded a new city on newly discovered land off their west
coast.
Korea: +Gunpowder, 4g, insulted by peace. We need to get peace with
them because they're our best 2 for 1 trading partner.
Mongols: -Theology, -Invention, 10g, doubtful for peace.
Egypt: -Invention, 21g, I give WM for their WM + 2g. Can only pay
19g for iron or horses. I decline, trade route is too risky
and they don't have enough gold.
Babylon: +Gunpowder, +Astronomy, 29g, we trade WMs.
China: +Gunpowder, +Astronomy, 744g, I trade WM + 1g for their WM.
We have a peace treaty with them for 11 more turns.
China is running away with this game so far. I don't think we can
wait 11 more turns to attack them because
1) Russia is falling fast and then their troops will turn around
head back in our direction.
2) China has Gunpowder and will probably upgrade its pikes to
muskets soon. So far Nanking is defended by a reg pike showing.
Can't see Tokyo bu probably the same there.
3) Tokyo is size 6 already and will probably get to 7 soon.
There's a big difference attacking pikes at size 6 and muskets at
size 7.
4) Time is against us here. China is growing faster than we are so
I think any delay is in their favor.
We can't attack both Tokyo and Nanking at the same time, because we
lack enough samurai attacks. I want to use samurai because they can
attack without having to spend a turn getting right next to the city.
I will send the cats and MDI back to defend the backline cities from
the Korean and Chinese galleys there (3 Chinese and 1 Korean galley
are visible). The samurai will gather in Kyoto this turn.
Next turn I will order the Chinese out and hope they declare war. If
they don't, I will declare war and attack Tokyo. The pikes and
all samurai will move in and hold the city.
Next turn the samurai will move out to the hill just E of Nagoya.
They will attack the following turn and then guard the settler and
the new city. Then I will try and hold on until I get peace with China.
I'm not sure how much our rep will suffer from declaring war with 10
turns left on the peace treaty. At least there's no per turn or other
goods traded on the peace deal.
From the nationalistic viewpoint, I'd rate getting Tokyo back as more
important than our international rep from what Charis said at the
beginning.
(I)
Russia down to 3 cities
Korean and Chinese galleys move around
Kyoto sam -> sam
Kago walls -> pike
(1) 260AD
Russia is doubtful for peace. Doesn't matter, they're going down fast.
Trade WM around for 9g
Demand that China move its ships or declare war. They declare war (yeah!).
Now we're at war with Russia, Mongolia, Korea, and China (feels like AW).
I'd like to get Gunpowder from the Babs to get some insurance from them
attacking us, but its 78gpt and there's no 2 for 1 opportunity so I pass.
Darn, Tokyo just grew to size 7. Well, its now or never for attacking so
here goes.
Samurai army loses 5hp but takes out vet pike.
Next sam retreats doing 0 damage.
Next sam wins, taking 2 hp damage and Tokyo is ours.
Tokyo has 4 resistors, 2 japanese citizens, order a temple.
That was easy, now comes the hard part. Hanging on to Tokyo.
Sam attacks Korean spear on hill next to Tokyo and wins, then goes into
Tokyo. I love these fast troops. I pickup 1 russian slave around Tokyo,
other one gets away due to lack of troops.
Move other troops around to prepare for Korea and Chinese landings.
(I)
Galleys move, no landings.
Resistance in Tokyo ended, I am starving it down.
Edo pike->pike
Nagoya granary->marketplace
Chinese reg MDI shows up just outside Tokyo.
(2) 270AD
I rush temple at Pisces
Wounded sam and sam army from attack move into Tokyo for healing.
Vet sam attacks MDI, does no damage, and retreats.
Another vet sam attacks MDI, and dies.
Finally 3rd sam goes out and kills it!
Boy, this war is going to be painful if it's all like this.
Sell WM around for 2g
(I)
New Chinese MDI takes out my pike on mt next to Tokyo
Chinese rider dies attacking army in Tokyo
Tokyo starved to size 6
Still no galley land
(3) 280AD
I hurry walls in Tokyo
Cat Bombards 3hp MDI on mt next to Tokyo, miss
Sam from Osaka attacks MDI on mt and wins, goes to elite
1st sam from Tokyo attacks nearby rider and dies.
2nd sam from Tokyo attacks another rider and wins
3rd same attacks rider and wins
Sell WM around for 2g
(I)
Chinese don't attack but instead move troops up.
6 riders and MDI on mt next to Tokyo
2 riders on hill next to Tokyo
1 longbow on another hill by Tokyo
pike and spear on grass next to Tokyo
Korea lands a sword along coast
We build 2 sams, pike, and a temple
(4) 290AD
Sell WM around for 2g
Hurry walls in Pisces
Now for the attacks.
Elite MDI attacks landed Korea elite sword and wins
Cat in Tokyo fires on rider on hill by Tokyo and misses
11/13 army in Tokyo attacks rider on hill, wins but now 8/13
Sam attacks 3/4 rider on hill and wins
Other sams attack killing longbow, spear, and pike.
The rather large stack of riders on the mt is still untouched
(I)
Chinese riders kill pike and sam on hill NE of Tokyo
They also kill sam and MDI on hill S of Tokyo
Chinese caravel shows up along with galleys
(5) 300AD
Trade WM around for 2g
There are 6 riders I want to kill and only 5 sams available
3 cats attack rider on hill NE of Tokyo, 2/3 hit.
Elite sam attacks that rider and wins
Another elite hits 1/4 rider in same stack and wins
Reg sam dies attacking 1/4 rider on hill
Vet sam kills another rider between Tokyo and Kyoto
I hurry sams in Osaka and Satsuma for about 400g
6 workers have to flee into Kyoto because of 2 riders in jungle
between Tokyo and Kyoto.
(I)
GA over, down to 85gpt
Super sam on hill kills 2 riders before dying to 3rd
Chinese retreat, either gasses or maybe regrouping for attack elsewhere
Chengdu and Nanking have muskets now
(6) 310AD
MM all cities after GA end
Elite sam attacks vet MDI next to Chengdu and wins
Move troops around
(I)
Rider kills sam on hill NE of Tokyo
Galleys and caravel sail round our coast
(7) 320AD
Elite sam kills the offending rider
Reg sams covers the wounded elite
Trade WM round for -1g
I decide to stop here and let Charis decide whether he want to continue
the war or stop. The chinese will take peace and even offer a discount
on Banking @2 price. You can then trade that to Babs for Gunpowder or
Astronomy. Other choice is continue war and attack Nanking. There is
a settler in Edo to replace Nanking as spice city.
Comments:
The chinese are probably gassed.
No sign of Russian or Mongolian troops
Korea landed one sword on the coast
China has not landed anything
Tokyo was never in danger of falling, but riders are tough
Save File
Having two is nice, iron sells VERY well even late in the game. 
