SGOTM 08 - Smurkz

[Niklas]

I suppose that settles the issue then. Methos, I realize you're at work now, any chance you could play out the turn when you get home so we can start tomorrow with a fresh look? Basically that would mean a) switch build in Harapura to Catapult, b) move our explorers, c) make sure all relevant units are in place for an incursion near Kwa next turn, and 4) press end turn.

 

[CommandoBob]

Just an update.

I've been reading the thread and have gotten up to page 16. Lots of new stuff to absorb, digest and try to understand. I think page 16 is still Turnset 3.

And I haven't tried to keep up with current events; I'm sure that would only confuse me.

Two MTDGs and one SGOTM have really sucked the time away.

 

[unkle]

But CommandoBob, we need you now !!!!


BtS install on the way ???

 

[Niklas]

Happy reading CB!

Methos, any news? I really hate to use the , but we do need to keep moving here.

 

[ChrisShaffer]

Hm, am I too late to advocate for the library? I'm with Niklas on this one. The beakers will be useful later.

Darn forum keeps canceling my subscription notification for some reason. It's annoying.

 

[ChrisShaffer]

By the way, I notice we're falling behind the other teams. How much time do we have to complete? How many teams are already reading our thread?

 

[Niklas]

Still nothing from Methos?

rolo, if you have time to play today then please post that you got it.

 

[Xcalibrator]

c) make sure all relevant units are in place for an incursion near Kwa next turn

While we're waiting... what exactly does "all relevant units" mean? We still have several cats, axes, and a phant(?) that haven't moved this turn--shall we move them next to Kwa now so they can attack next turn? Or is the plan to leave everything (except the spear, who's in the jungle after taking out the last of Shaka's units) where they are for safety and then move TBD units next turn?

BTW, since my turnset was relatively short, I could selflessly volunteer to play a bit more if Methos and Rolo don't respond soon.

 

[ChrisShaffer]

I vote for Xc to play, since we need to get things moving. The decisions for the rest of this turn have already been made.

We can only get one oliphant and two cats adjacent to Kwa this turn. Perhaps move the oliphant adjacent to Kwa and see what is defending it, and then decide whether to bring up the cats?

 

[Niklas]

I think Xc playing is a great idea. Please go ahead.

I hesitate to send a lone Dumbo when we're up against Impi. We should have at least one Axe in any stack that moves, IMO. I'd rather sit tight this turn, and move in all "relevant" units next turn.

To me, relevant means undamaged, with the exception of the catapults. Still not sure what to do about a Medic, we do have that one Axe. Would it really be so bad to make him our temporary Medic, until we have a better candidate?

 

[Xcalibrator]

OK, i have the save and am starting. I'll leave the units where they are, apart from explorers, etc.

 

[r_rolo1]

A axe will be almost always a better defender than a phant in the enviroment we're fighting in and with the foe we're facing ( this is , jungle and Zulu ). As we want that the medic to see the lest fight possible, it would not be better to use a phant for that?

 

[Xcalibrator]

I've moved the full-strength unpromoted spear SE of Kwa. He has one Combat I Shock sword and one Garrison I archer. City defense 20%. No visible Shaka moves IBT.

I moved the warrior into Pura and moved everything else last turn so they could join the spear next to Kwa--nothing other than the spear has been moved yet, though. Our unit tally is: 3 phants (all with 2 unused promos, all full strength), 5 cats (all full strength, 2 with Barrage I 4/5 XPs, 3 with no promos 3/2 XPs), 1 basic axe, 1 axe (3/2), 1 axe (1/2), 1 3.0/5 axe with Combat I awaiting another promo, 1 4.2/5 axe awaiting promo, 1 2.6/5 axe awaiting promo. Yo just finished a cat (which doesn't match the build plan in post 979).

I'm saving and stopping here for discussion.

[Edit: Unpromo'd phant vs Kwa's sword is 64% odds.]

 

[Xcalibrator]

We're on turn 128. Espionage says Shaka will have HBR next turn. And above, when I said "save", I meant I've stopped playing but havent' submitted the save--does anybody need to open the save itself? The pics in post 1080 show the field of battle.

We have 3 wounded axes which can all be promoted. After promotion they'd be 4.0/5 CI+, 4.6/5 +, 3.8/5 +, where + means a TBD promo. If we promote the first to Medic I then we could leave all where they are and heal them all in 1 turn, then probably move them toward uMgung by the road south of the lake to guard our southern flank and protect our ivory. It would probably be a good idea to group 1 phant with them to protect against chariots, which have 100% bonus vs axes.

That would leave 1 spear, 2 phants, 5 cats, and 3 axes (only one promotable, probably to City Raider I?) to move SE of Kwa and attack next turn (129). 3 cats can eliminate the 20% city defense. I'd probably use a CR I axe to take out the swordsman and then a phant on the archer. Shaka might have time to stick an impi in there, though--depending on what he has on turn 129 we may want to soften him up with a cat first.

Before that, however, I need to write out the build/research/worker plan. Before hitting "enter" on turn 127, I swapped a citizen in Rockport from working the mine to the forest (two turns late). Rockport now has a new citizen---which tiles shall we work? Niklas said he had a plan to still get Angkor Wat on time by working the forests some extra turns.

We also just got a new cat in Yo, but the latest build plan I have (post 979) says we should be midway through a cat build--did I miss an axe build somewhere? Pura has 1 turn toward a cat. We'll need to go to 0% research this turn, in agreement with the 979 plan.

[Edit: I just opened the plan from box.net--doesn't look new. Yo was supposed to build an axe 123-126, then a cat 126-131. Looks like we build the cat first. Shall we now build the axe?

I need guidance on the Rockport tile assignments to correct my previous gooferrorscrewup. Otherwise I should be good through the next few turns, or as far as you want me to play. Apart, of course, from how we fight the war ]

 

[Renata]

I'm sorry, I'm sick again; can't think. I'll just say good luck with the wars and leave you to it.

 

[unkle]

Should be online for good in roughly 2 hours.

 

[Niklas]

Hmm. The Archer should come up as first defender vs the Axe though, so we won't have the choice. Assuming my new calculations are correct (and they really should be), a CR1 Axe would have 64.8% chance to beat a CG1 Archer with 10% fortification bonus, and 69.3% chance to beat a C1 Shock Sword without fortification bonus.

But it really depends on their respective fortification bonuses. If the sword has 10% too, that's 64.8% too, exactly the same as the Archer. But the Sword gains more for each 5% above that, so what are the numbers here really?

I would argue that we give the Axe Medic I. If he's killed on defense, all we lost was the chance to give him some other promotion instead. We'll have better chances later, but we need a medic now, and I'm loath to give it to a Dumbo that could really get an attack promo instead.

No idea what's up with the plan for Yo, but it's no big deal, just keep working the right tiles. I'll have a look at that later, don't have time right now. Here's the new plan for Rockport:

 

[Xcalibrator]

I think the Yo build surprise must be because I goofed on turn 123--started a cat instead of an axe somehow. Not all bad, since we lost 2 cats and no axes, and we can now build the axe to get back to the plan.

It wasn't clear to me if I have permission to proceed, since there was no explicit approval of unit movements, nor complete discussion of promos. Is everyone OK with giving one of the wounded axes Medic I and healing all the wounded in place? I'd also leave one phant with them, but everything else would move to SE of Kwa. I'd like to promote at least one of the phants to Combat I just to make them harder to hurt if Shaka attacks our stack before we take Kwa. After moving the exploring units, changing the Yo build to axe, working 2 forests by Rockport, changing research to 0%, etc., I'll hit enter, reduce the defenses to 0% with 3 cats, promote one phant to Shock, an axe and one cat to City Raider I, and report what, if anything, has changed in Kwa, along with what the odds are for the first attack using a phant, axe, or cat.

Is this OK? If so, I should be able to play around 5:30 forum time (45 minutes from now).

 

[ChrisShaffer]

Yes, please proceed. I concur with giving an Axe the medic promotion. We're not committing to make him our super-medic, just getting a little healing when it is needed.

Your other promotions and plan of attack for Kwa look fine to me.

 

[Niklas]

Yes, please go ahead. Your plan for movements and promotions sounds very reasonable.