[BTS] Shadow Game #3 for @guyyee - MONARCH

[coanda]

It's pretty late in the game for an axe rush. Might work this game, but "it's 1800 BC and I'm feeling crowded, maybe time to start thinking about axe rushing" is not a habit I would recommend forming.

Elepult warfare looks pretty attractive here though. You've got the Ivory, you're not far off from Construction on the tech tree, you'll have plenty of forests to chop, and your neighbors are at pretty much the ideal distance for an elepult breakout war - enough land available without war to get 3-4 good cities as a foundation, but not so far away that you'd spend forever just moving the units around. Might even be able to double up, take out two AIs in a row.

 

[Pangaea]

Like the idea of elepults too. Bit late to start thinking about Axes, and copper is in awkward positions to be quickly worked anyway. You have the commerce to get to elepults pretty quickly. Can probably take out all those AIs with them too. They won't get to longbows for a long while.

One way of thinking here is that the AIs are building settlers and workers and developing the land for you. Sure, you kinda get squeezed, but that's perfect for when you take over all those cities. Nice and compact empire with 4 dead AIs.

Probably grab the clams next (chop forest into workboat) and maybe one more city. Then haul ass towards construction and HBR. If Willem doesn't have metal, you can go at him with only elephants. Chariots are dead meat and elephants eat up archers for breakfast, at least on flatland (the city we see is on flatland).

Keep an eye out for that barb spearman in the south tho. Your warrior has just seen combat and is half-dead, so won't be able to luck out a win (probably).

Also, whip the granary in York.

 

[guyyee]

This is tough, AI expands quickly!

Turn 110/500 | 125BC

1. Elepult attack on Dutch empire
   
2. Captured Utrecht and Amsterdam

I don't think I played well. Whipped my 3 native cities to oblivion churning out units to fight the war.

What do you think? Any advice? Thanks.

Spoiler state of affair :

 

[WLanky13]

Is there a reason you attacked Dutch instead of Carthage? I think attacking Carthage is a much more natural expansion. Carthage is in the corner of the map right? So attacking Carthage would secure your east side allowing for you to focus entirely on the west and north sides of your empire for future conquest.
3 cities is also not enough. I would have tried to grab at least 4 before mass whipping.