SGOTM 06 - Xteam

[ShannonCT]

From Alex's and Hannibal's power graphs, I'd say neither of them started with any warriors. Alex has built/found 2 or 3 warriors and 1 archer or barracks (very recently). Hannibal has built/found 1-2 warriors and 1 archer or barracks (around turn 36). That should mean that Alex would be sending at most 1 warrior to attack us.

 

[leif erikson]

Thanks, that was enlightening. I never could understand what the power graph was telling me. And no wonder...

It will be very interesting to see what our Axe discovers upon his arrival...

 

[Jimmy Thunder]

I noticed that there are only 5 passages through the southern and eastern mountains. If we connect these tiles with road it might be possible for a couple of units to deny access to approaching archer stacks. Good point, those mountain ranges can definitely work in our favour.

When do we resume play? I might be able to play before Christmas, but we could also stick to the original plan and pause the game until beginning of January.

OK. I will probably post a draft plan today and then play sometime during the weekend.

Please play your set before Christmas , I couldn't bear to have our axe 5-6 turns away from juicy Timbuktu without knowing the outcome for any longer..!

If we want to slow down, that would be good. I probably won't be able to play until after Xmas since family's coming in this weedend and I don't want to rush through before then.

Sounds good to me, rrau to post her tentative plan at her leisure after Christmas and discussion to ensue for those who are still around.

I have deciphered Mansa's power graph based on this article: http://www.civfanatics.com/civ4/strategy/demographics.php.
Wow, impressive deciphering ShannanCT.
(While you are in the zone... I also want to know if New Zealand will win the next Rugby World Cup? )

Godspeed to our axeman, and may Mansa be too foolish to whip a skirmisher.
Yes yes yes! - remember to approach on the diagonal (incase it makes a difference)

 

[ShannonCT]

While you are in the zone... I also want to know if New Zealand will win the next Rugby World Cup?

I would try if I knew anything about Rugby.

 

[Jimmy Thunder]

I've thought a bit more about the power graph. If we have interpreted it correctly (and I think ShannonCT has) then we are in business! After two military police the AI will build either a worker or a workboat right? He isn't building a worker otherwise the manufact graph will show more than the base number since the food will be counted as hammers for that time [Edit: Actually, from looking out our manuf graph I don't think this is the case, food is always counted as food and hammers always counted as hammers]... which means he is building a workboat using all food tiles which is going to take him 45 turns to build! [Edit: Or he built a worker and now has started working on a skirmisher] So our axe will arrive with him 1/2 way through a workboat and two warriors in the city - yipee! [Edit: Or our axe will find 2 warriors, a worker and a part built skirmisher that might be whipped -boohoo!]

It's all conjecture - but it's fun!

 

[leif erikson]

Please play your set before Christmas , I couldn't bear to have our axe 5-6 turns away from juicy Timbuktu without knowing the outcome for any longer..!

It's all conjecture - but it's fun!

Hate to ruin your fun by finding out too quickly!!

 

[Frederiksberg]

Please play your set before Christmas , I couldn't bear to have our axe 5-6 turns away from juicy Timbuktu without knowing the outcome for any longer..!

Easy now - I have a plan. And here it is:

City and worker management:
45: Start pasturing cow. Tech is Wheel. Work Copper an bananas (After killing the annoying scout). Axe approaches Timbuktu along the famous diagonal.
48: Worker finished -> Axe. 2nd worker goes to cow tile.
49: Cow pasture done. Work Copper and cow.
50: Workers go to banana tile....
51: ... and start farming.
55: Bananas farmed workers go to gold hill. Wheel -> IW.
56: Work cow and bananas to get pop 3 to coincide with gold mine. Axe -> Axe.
58: Pop3, gold mine finishes, work gold, copper and cow.
59: Move workers to adjacent forest and...
60: ...start chop.
61: Axe -> Settler.
63: Move to NW forest..
65: ..and chop
68: Settler -> Axe
69: York settled, starts work boat. Tech slider to 90%. York works the cow
70: Workers start improving the rice.
73: Tech slider to 100%
74: IW discovered. Axe -> ?

War plans:

Kill scout. Our 1st axe does the famous 45 degree attack from the north . If he finds Skirmishers in Timbuktu he will do some pillaging and after that fortify near the city. Our woodsman warrior goes south looking for Hannibal and Alexander. When he has found them both he will fortify in a forest near the capital to keep the enemy workers idle. The 2nd Axe (turn 56) will then go to the capital that was found first by the warrior. 3rd axe (turn 61) can also go for one of the capitals depending on the information at that time. I think we get the 4th axe in time to handle any barbs and straying enemy warriors - at least that was what I saw in my test game.

 

[Jimmy Thunder]

Frederiksberg, I like it.

 

[Frederiksberg]

Hate to ruin your fun by finding out too quickly!!

Like the danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard said: "Of all joys the joy of anticipation is the greatest". (Hope I got the translation right).

 

[Cactus Pete]

Props to SCT and JT -- I didn't know the graphs held such info for those with the knowledge to decifer.

Easy now - I have a plan. And here it is:

City and worker management:
45: Start pasturing cow. Tech is Wheel. Work Copper an bananas (After killing the annoying scout). Axe approaches Timbuktu along the famous diagonal.
48: Worker finished -> Axe. 2nd worker goes to cow tile.
49: Cow pasture done. Work Copper and cow.
50: Workers go to banana tile....
51: ... and start farming.
55: Bananas farmed workers go to gold hill. Wheel -> IW.
56: Work cow and bananas to get pop 3 to coincide with gold mine. Axe -> Axe.
58: Pop3, gold mine finishes, work gold, copper and cow.
59: Move workers to adjacent forest and...
60: ...start chop.
61: Axe -> Settler.
63: Move to NW forest..
65: ..and chop
68: Settler -> Axe Consider only building to point of potential whip and then switching to worker -- roads are needed and, if we capture city, we'll probably need a worker to improve it. In any event, it may be more valuable to us than an axe if nothing is threatening.
69: York settled, starts work boat. Tech slider to 90%. York works the cow
70: Workers start improving the rice. Don't we need to connect cities to get extra two gold and facilitate defense?
73: Tech slider to 100%
74: IW discovered. Axe -> ?

War plans:

Kill scout. Our 1st axe does the famous 45 degree attack from the north . If he finds Skirmishers in Timbuktu he will do some pillaging and after that fortify near the city. Our woodsman warrior goes south looking for Hannibal and Alexander. When he has found them both he will fortify in a forest near the capital to keep the enemy workers idle. The 2nd Axe (turn 56) will then go to the capital that was found first by the warrior. 3rd axe (turn 61) can also go for one of the capitals depending on the information at that time. I think we get the 4th axe in time to handle any barbs and straying enemy warriors - at least that was what I saw in my test game.

 

[Frederiksberg]

Consider only building to point of potential whip and then switching to worker -- roads are needed and, if we capture city, we'll probably need a worker to improve it. In any event, it may be more valuable to us than an axe in if nothing is threatening.

Oh - I forgot to mention in the plan that there are some spare worker turns that can be used to connect London and York. If we capture Timbuktu without capturing a worker I will consider to adjust as you suggest. Note, that we only have 9 units at the end of my turn set and support for 11 so we can build an additional worker without paying unit maintenance.

Actually this save shows what I expect our empire to look like when I'm done:

1780 BC

 

[leif erikson]

Plan looks good!

Should we find Timbuktu ours, I hope a worker comes with it.

Connecting it, and keeping it that way, will be interesting too.
But if it is available, let's grab it!

Good Luck Fred!

 

[Frederiksberg]

Speaking of roads - this outlines a possible defensive road network between the 5 only entry points from the south and the east. My guess is that we could keep out unwanted visitors with only a few units due to the mobility on the road. Notice that most of the red spots are forest/jungle hills.

 

[Frederiksberg]

I'm afraid I can't play today so I expect to play friday evening CET.

EDIT: There may be some chance that I can play tonight if I come home early. Anyway there is still time to post suggestions.

 

[ShannonCT]

Easy now - I have a plan. And here it is:

I give it the Winston Churchill seal of approval.

Connecting it, and keeping it that way, will be interesting too.
But if it is available, let's grab it!

If we did get Timbuktu, it could operate pretty independently until we build city 3 by the horses and stone or somewhere else between it and London. If we leave an axe in Timbuktu, it can handle any threats. Health and happiness aren't going to be problems for a while yet.

Speaking of roads - this outlines a possible defensive road network between the 5 only entry points from the south and the east. My guess is that we could keep out unwanted visitors with only a few units due to the mobility on the road. Notice that most of the red spots are forest/jungle hills.

If it weren't for the unit supply costs, we could just park warriors at the three southern entry points and make archers go around or fight their way through. If archer raids get to be a problem, we could block off certain points and force the raiders into open terrain.

Oh, and does anyone else notice an unnatural arrangement of mountains? It's almost as if they are spelling out some message. I see a "C" and an "L".

 

[leif erikson]

If we did get Timbuktu, it could operate pretty independently until we build city 3 by the horses and stone or somewhere else between it and London. If we leave an axe in Timbuktu, it can handle any threats. Health and happiness aren't going to be problems for a while yet.

I think your right, as long as a couple of Chariots don't roll over the hill?

If it weren't for the unit supply costs, we could just park warriors at the three southern entry points and make archers go around or fight their way through. If archer raids get to be a problem, we could block off certain points and force the raiders into open terrain.

You know, it is not a bad city site? Rice, Cows, a river and some hills, might make a good production center and block unwanted incursions into our core?

Oh, and does anyone else notice an unnatural arrangement of mountains? It's almost as if they are spelling out some message. I see a "C" and an "L".

Gee, I was looking for a "C" and a "T"...

 

[Cactus Pete]

"You know, it is not a bad city site? Rice, Cows, a river and some hills, might make a good production center and block unwanted incursions into our core?"

Yes, it is, and I think there are also bananas plus forests to chop; moreover, it would allow us to keep working the gold while we grow our capital. Certainly be nice if some iron shows up in that area.

 

[Frederiksberg]

Got home early and will play now....

 

[leif erikson]

Got home early and will play now....

Good hunting!!

 

[Frederiksberg]

Breaking news: Field Marshal Montgomery has announced that British troops have taken the city of Timbuktu without losses. Apparently they only had clubs to defend themselves with says Montgomery in the press release. British forces have also crossed the borders of Carthage and Athens and have taken high ground near both cities.

Turn log:
45: Attack scout on copper tile with warrior and loose 95% battle . Attack with warrior from London and kill the scout. Start pasturing cow. Tech is Wheel. Work Copper an bananas. Axe approaches Timbuktu along the famous diagonal and see bear.
46: Bear attacks axe in forest and does considerable damage. Axe now need 4 turns to heal
48: Worker finished -> Axe. 2nd worker goes to cow tile.
49: Cow pasture done. Work Copper and cow.
50: Axe is on the move again. Workers go to banana tile....
51: ... and start farming.
52: Hannibals scout is blocking the fast diagonal path to Timbuktu. I decide to attack even if it requires some healing since it will give a promotion. Scout is killed and damage is not serious.
53: Promote axe to CR1. One turn of healing is needed so the attack was not slower than going around the scout.
54: The heat is on - move next to Timbuktu and see......2 warriors and a worker in the city . It's on a hill.
55: Still only two warriors inside Timbuktu. Axe kills one and gets 2 XP and very little damage. Bananas farmed, workers go to gold hill. Wheel -> IW.
56: Promote axe to CR2. Still only one warrior in Timbuktu!! Odds for our CR2 axe are enormous - and guess what: Mansa sleeps with the fish from now on . We also captured a worker and got 92 gold. Work cow and bananas to get pop 3 to coincide with gold mine. Axe -> Axe.
57: Timbuktu worker starts chop and the city is set to build warrior. Idea is to build two warriors in order to free up the CR2 axe.
58: Pop3, gold mine finishes, work gold, copper and cow.
59: Warrior locates Carthage about 13 tiles south of Timbuktu (As predicted by leif ). Our 2nd axe is heading due south to find Athens. Move workers to adjacent forest and...
60: ...start chop.
61: Axe -> Settler.
62: Our warrior takes a peek at Carthage. 1 archer and one warrior is inside the city. The axe spots the cultural borders of Athens.
64: Axe see Athens. 3 archers and one worker inside city.
63: Barb warrior is spotted north of London. Decide to keep 3rd axe at home for barb defense. Timbuktu, warrior -> warrior. Move workers to NW forest..
65: ..and chop. Timbuktu, warrior -> worker. CR2 Axe starts heading south.
68: Settler -> Axe
69: York settled, starts work boat. York works the cow.
70: Axe kill bar warrior north of London. Workers start improving the rice.
73: IW discovered.

Iron is not anywhere near London. As I see the situation right now we more or less control the continent. Athens and Carthage are locked down by our forces and Timbuktu has been captured. Notice that Athens can be blocked almost completely by placing two axes in the forests east of Athens. And Carthage is lightly defended so it might be ripe for an axe rush pretty soon.

Save: 1810 BC