[NFP] Shadow game - help me beat Emperor

[Noble Zarkon]

How the heck did we suddenly skip like 180 turns?

The game was all but won, the wife went out for the evening 2 new Civs to play once I'm finished, 180 more turns .....

 

[Buktu]

Well done

 

[KKirrin]

congrats on the win!

 

[cylenalag]

Good job! I was lurking in the background reading everything. Taking out Spain was definitely a power play. It was also neat seeing how others compared and contrasted. A most enjoyable read.

 

[lotrmith]

Hello! I played through blindly / no spoilers and won a CV on T199. I tried my best to take detailed notes each turn and a screenshot at the end of each turn so I can explain and illustrate my thinking and moves. Full disclosure: I micro manage a lot in the early ages then not so much in the later ages. That's just my attention span. So much so that even trying to be detail oriented I let my governors take over and I missed some screenshots, so the later turns will get truncated (sometimes there's not much of import going on anyways)... the end of the game will likely end up like cliffs notes. The game itself seemed won to me somewhere around T100 anyways, but I'll post up everything I've got and hopefully you can glean some strategy.

My first thought as Egypt, who I don't play much as, was that I obviously want to try to leverage chariot archers to conquer my home continent, which would likely be 2 rivals given the map settings (small map, continents).

I don't have a lot of free time while I'm home these days so it took me a while to finish and so I apologize for any formatting here as well as if this takes me a while to post (I've discovered I can only attach max 10 screenshots per post so this may take a bunch of posts). Cheers.

Opening Action:

Spoiler :

I elect to move the warrior NW up the river, due to Egypt being made for floodplains... stronger sphinxes, immunity to flood damage, bonus to river productions.

Moving to the sea will boost Sailing (continents), Turn 1, instant access to the honey luxury to sell, 4 food 4 production total. Harbor + Commercial triangle.

Move warrior first. Reveals Amber. Mining (Amber) -> Wheel (Chariot Archer) is a good tech path target... I'll want to try to leverage chariot archers anyways, else what's the point? Move towards the Wine/Amber, possibly settle next to the Amber city 2. Aim for Craftsmanship (Maize, Amber, ?). Tundra is unappealing and can lead to dead ends especially on Continents. We are on the South Pole, we must move explore and expand North. Settle the Honey. Start on Scout.

Turn 2

Spoiler :

Nothing. Let's move up along the River. Full movement 2 spaces. Reveals even more honey but not much. Good production tiles for expansion. At this point the terrain seems obvious to lean me towards commercial hubs for Free Inquiry, as we're on coast and there's no immediate Reefs or mountains so campus locations seem extremely poor. This leads me away from a Faith game as I won't be using Monumentality and also towards a Gold Economy as my production seems to be poor too.

Turn 3

Spoiler :

Move Warrior 1 of 2 movement NW, see nothing. Fork in road. Move West (Scout will come up North/NorthEast). Reveals more wine, stone, tobacco, goody hut! (Scout's first move will end up on Maize, not across second river, so will be heading mostly North). Image illustrates the choice laid before me to go west or North East. Turn 4 image will show what we found to the West.

Turn 4:

Spoiler :

Illustrates another pathing choice. Moved warrior Southwest then Northwest for full movement plus reveal the most tiles while still ending next to the hut so I can grab it next turn. (Relative to the image we started the turn one step NE from where we are now and we have already moved 1 step SW).

Turn 5

Spoiler :

Hut gives 40gold (bleh). "ER" in vision on the map, Breathtaking appeal on yet another Wine. This can only be Crater Lake!

Turn 6

Spoiler :

Warrior to Hill. Scout to Maize. Start on Slinger. I haven't met any barbs yet and no neighbors, I'm seemingly in a some sort of corner. Without finding any mountains yet it would seem odd to me to not have some mountains to either the north or northeast. Directly east is Tundra and so unlikely to have an AI. I feel comfortable in my position to build a Slinger to try to Eureka Archery while exploring East. Another Scout wouldn't have a great direction to go at first and so would be redundant.

Turn 7

Spoiler :

Barb scout appears from Tundra (it came in with two moves NW from the SE Tundra). It's Across River. Hit it for XP and try to scare it off, or move away? Tough choices. I have a slinger on the way so if it spots my city at least I can defend, I don't have any districts or improvements, and barbs can't take my capital, and I'll be moving settlements away to the north/northwest for now, so I went North, found Hut, boosted Writing (bleh). Sorry for the weird crop.

Turn 8

Spoiler :

The barb scout followed. My warrior moves west towards the river away from volcano. Scout sees blue borders, 1st meet Hatusa, who wants me to Eureka Bronzeworking. Slinger when finished will go East to find the barb camp.

Turn 9
A turn of consequence that formulates a more definitive gameplan and victory path.

Spoiler :

The barb scout will likely meet and die to Hatusa. My Scout sees coast, movement is partially blocked, having to go through a Hattusa warrior. I discover Buenos (not 1st) who wants a trade route (do-able). Caguana is a 1st meet, and wants eureka for foreign trade. Tough but potentially possible (continents map). Capital Border growth to crabs

Caugana makes Bateys for a CV. I will plan to conquer home continent with chariot archers, settle a proxy on any foreign continent(s) to make trade routes. Spam bateys and sphinxes. Target is Exploration (batey buff) and flight (tourism activation), then radio and computers with conservation and etc.

See here above illustrated the potential movement of my scout. If I go through the warrior to the northern desert tile, I cannot proceed further to the NW, NE, or E... I can see connecting hills on the E which explains that direction, but to the NE and NW it means there's some sort of feature I can't yet see blocking the 3rd movement point.

Here above is illustrated some additional information before I move. Settler lense reveals coastal water on the desert tile, meaning the movement to at least one of the NE or NW tiles is a coast. The Honey tile is also invalid to settle, meaning it is near to a city, so I'm going to want to move through the Hattusa warrior in a line 2 moves NW to the Honey to see what appears and then likely move one more tile West (as the prior picture illustrates I should be able to do). If I chose to move through it NW->NE I could very well end up in a dead end by coast wrapping towards Hattusa.

And here's the end of the turn. Moving to the honey did reveal the coast and the hills that prevented my 3rd movement those directions. Glad I didn't go that way! I did take the 3rd move to the West. Now I've begun to put tacks all over to strategize city, district, and improvement placement. Bateys get more culture for being next to entertainment districts, so I plan to plop those down which also means I have a good spot for the colosseum. Sphinxes get stronger on floodplains and next to Wonders. Bateys can't be next to Bateys and Sphinxes can't be next to Sphinxes so together they give me really good tile saturation. I like to label my stuff with letters corresponding to which cities they will belong to so I don't lose track. The numbers on the improvements indicate which are higher priority based on placement (favorable stacking adjacencies, etc). Pyramids are a must-build in every culture or science game, so you can see my pyramid city plan too. After I get Wheel for Chariots I will want Masonry for Pyramids.

SPOILER ALERT: The wiki and civilopedia betrayed me with slightly incomplete wording and information, so I don't find out until much later when I try to build them that Bateys can't go on floodplains. All my plans seem ruined and I almost rage quit. However, due to the recent Entertainment District buff to provide major adjacency to theater squares, my primary batey tile plans actually make for very good theater squares. This was some great luck, both bad and good. One planned Batey has an ED and a wonder adjacent. Another has to EDs. I'll also, I believe, end up clearing the Maize for a 3rd double-ED TS. ((The wiki lists restrictions of cannot be built on hills and cannot be next to another batey. The civilopedia shows the valid tiles as being plains, grassland, and desert... so you could I suppose have seen that additional Floodplains tiles are not listed on the valid tiles and that's my mistake but damn if it says no Hills it should say no Floodplains! grr))

Turn 10

Spoiler :

My scout cross river to west. Warrior cross river to West (moving across SW would put me closer to Caguana and back towards the south pole, which I want to move away from). This reveals coast to south and a mountain directly west blocking movement. I will go Northwest next turn rather than Southwest for all the same reasons.
Side note: I am saving my gold, as I typically do, to buy a builder when I get to 200.

.

Turn 11

Spoiler :

Barb camp spawns by Hattusa. 1st meet Fez who wants trade route (which I definitely won't be able to do). Scout movement West (following a path of max movement.. .you can see movement is limited to 2 if I go NW towards Buenos Aires, and there's little point in exploring so close to a CS anyways).

Turn 12

Spoiler :

A Barb scout by Buenos (which is damaged) moves North. Our scout pursues (max movement). Slinger finishes, and goes East to find camp as planned, revealing a hut! Start on Settler. Will buy Builder later.

Turn 13

Spoiler :

Barb scout sacced into buenos warrior. Code of Laws complete: I choose God King (to secure a pantheon, the earlier the better in many cases) and Discipline (for barb combat). My warrior continues to move NW around Fez and following the direction of the nearby Coast. Slinger crosses river East towards the Hut.

Turn 14:

Spoiler :

Barb scout appears (damaged) from East. Slinger kills it for Eureka! Barb scout appears at Fez. I can see an AI's border. This is a piss poor screenshot, I'm sorry.

Turn 15

Spoiler :

Fez barb camp found.

Turn 16:

Spoiler :

Disocover a Hut by Fez barb camp as I move my warrior over to clear it. My Slinger's hut gives me a Builder!

 

[Noble Zarkon]

Hello! I played through blindly / no spoilers and won a CV on T199.

Great, will read this when I have more time - always good to see the differences.

 

[lotrmith]

Turn 17

Spoiler :

Meet Spain. Sell him Honey for 42g. Buy Maize tile. Clear Fez Camp. Slinger finds Tundra camp.

T18:

Spoiler :

Farm on Maize. Spearman comes out. Slinger hits.

T19:

Spoiler :

Warrior spawns in camp. Spearman hits. Slinger hits. Fez camp clear. Buy monument. (Builder from hut means I don't need to buy one anymore)

T20:

Spoiler :

Barb scout spawn. Spear hits = promo. Warrior moves East away into fog. Slinger takes upgrade / heal. Switch off wheel > husbandry. Builder scouts a little.

T21:

Spoiler :

Warrior finds another hut. Slinger hits Scout, spearman retreated.

T22:

Spoiler :

Hut gave masonry Scout moved towards capital. Slinger skips / heal. Move builder towards Amber.

T23:

Spoiler :

My scout finds another AI border. Slinger heals again.

T24:

Spoiler :

Barbarians have spotted your city! Slinger moves to Spear camp. Warrior is behind it. Settler completed and moves towards Amber. Begin work on another Settler.

T25:

Spoiler :

Spear sacs into Slinger. Warrior moves into camp. Slinger moves away. Scout finds Netherlands at -3 relation. Animal Husbandry completes > Archery (for archers, Artemis).

T26:

Spoiler :

Barb Warrior pursues my slinger. Scout returns. Slinger moves away. Scout finds continent, boosts Trade for Caguana just in time to prevent any overflows. City B founded. B will chop Artemis with Magnus.

 

[lotrmith]

T27:

Spoiler :

Scout approaches Slinger. Slinger kills Scout. Warrior will hit Slinger next turn. Mine Amber, finishes Wheel. Trade finishes > Early Empire. Phil will give 58 for Amber (max he currently has) so we will wait til he has more.

T28:

Spoiler :

Warrior hit slinger. Slinger flees across river (will go back to capital). Phil gives 64g for Amber.

T29:

Spoiler :

Slinger to capital. ((Around this time I got a notification that a city state had been defeated))

T30:

Spoiler :

Warrior approaches. Slinger heals. Scout finds a camp.

T31:

Spoiler :

Warrior diverts towards builder. Archery finishes. Slinger upgrades to Archer.

T32:

Spoiler :

Warrior didn't move. Meet Muscat wants a General. Archer hits Warrior. Switch off Empire > Mysticism.

T33:

Spoiler :

Warrior to Maize. Archer moves out and kills warrior. Builder to honey.

T34:

Spoiler :

Honey completes Crafts. Honey to dutch for 35g. Not great but better than nothing

T35:

Spoiler :

Someone did Stonehenge. Barbs at Netherlands. Warrior finds another hut!

T36:

Spoiler :

Phillip wars Fez? Good luck. Hut boosts Empire and Mysticism! Archer hits a barb slinger.

 

[lotrmith]

T37:

Spoiler :

Slinger hits Archer. Archer kills Slinger. Mysticm complete > go on Early Empire.

T38:

Spoiler :

Nada. My scout retreats from barbs rampaging Amsterdam.

T39:

Spoiler :

Empire complete > State Workforce. Magnus to B (Thebes) to chop Artemis. Settler complete > start Trader. Pantheon... Settlements is available! Masonry complete> Pottery. Slot in Agoge. Mysticism complete (for founding Pantheon). Envoy to suzerain Hattusa (I will collect their horses rather than build Bateys at the moment, since I can sell off the Horses every turn)

T40:

Spoiler :

Builder complete. Start a chariot archer (switch to Artemis next turn, buy honey tile for the necessary Camp). Warrior finds horsehockey Zhange Daxia. 1x Diplomatic Favor sold to dutch for 7g. 2x horses for 4g. Open Borders for (35g?).

T41:

Spoiler :

Trades made (practically every turn from here on out, as long as I remember). Archer clears camp.

T42:

Spoiler :

Trades. Found C (Iwnw). Start Pyramids. Buy horse tile too. I declare war on Muscat at least 10 turns before the era ends so I can make peace and get a new quest in the Classical Era (no way am I getting a great general so that quest will stick around FOREVER otherwise).

T43:

Spoiler :

Pottery complete > Writing.

T44:

Spoiler :

Magnus established.

T45:

Spoiler :

one chop performed for Artemis. Paititi discovered. trader complete > route to Buenos for quest.

T46:

Spoiler :

nada. hard building through State Workforce.

 

[lotrmith]

T47:

Spoiler :

writing complete > currency

T48:

Spoiler :

Fez loses to Phillip. Another chop on artemis makes it T-minus 1 turn.

T49:

Spoiler :

Artemis complete. State complete > Poli Phi. Magnus moves to Inwe for pyramids (should have moved prior turn). Appoint Pingala to Thebes (artemis growth will make a big city). 26/25 for golden age in 4 turns.

T50:

Spoiler :

Switch off maraynnu to save era score. Thebes to build plaza near capital districts (CH / Harbor).

T51:

Spoiler :

Wilhel goes to 6g per DF but 3g per horse. I dunno, I thought this was relevant =p

T52:

Spoiler :

Netherlands sends delegation. Buy a watermill in Iwnw. Peace w/ Muscat before Era ends.

T53:

Spoiler :

Golden Classical Achieved. Free Inquiry taken in anticipation of commercial hubs and harbor.

T54:

Spoiler :

Switched and finished Maraynnu for war w/ Phillip and Era Score.

T55:

Spoiler :

Currency complete > astrology - sailing - celestial nav. Heading to liberate Fez. Dutch will give 109g 16gpt for joint. Lock in commercial hub costs.

T56:

Spoiler :

Joint War w/ Dutch on Phil for 126g + 16gpt! Poli Phi complete: Choose Autocracy for military slot and wonder 10%. > Military Tradition.

 

[lotrmith]

T57:

Spoiler :

buy a builder in Iwnw.

T58:

Spoiler :

Harold finds me exchange capitals. Miltary complete > Drama. Plaza complete = pingala science. > Ancestral Hall. Norway 71g honey, 73g amber, 4g horse, 14g for diplo favor buy a mill in thebes.

T59:

Spoiler :

troops finally clash with spain

T60:

Spoiler :

kill a chariot, pasture eureka

T61:

Spoiler :

kill a slinger

T62:

Spoiler :

pyamids chopped, kill a scout, buy a builder in thebes for fishing boats.

T63:

Spoiler :

kill another chariot. a hut gives 20 faith switch celestial to irrigation

T64:

Spoiler :

land surveyors slotted in after finishing drama & poetry. more kills.

T65:

Spoiler :

boats finishes celestial navigation. Harbor started. Sphinxes being built.

T66:

Spoiler :

Moving on Fez

 

[lotrmith]

T67-79

Spoiler :

Attacking Fez. buy mill in capital

T68: finish horseriding > Math (goal is cartography, need to explore and find the other civs/continents to in order to gain tourists to win a CV). kill warriors. pillage plantation.

T69: pokes

T70: pokes pillage HS

t71: maritime, colonize > defensive tacts. pokes.

t72: hall complete > hubs. pingala culture promotion

t73: repositions, pokes. off mathematics > shipbuilding

t74: pokes, campus start

t75: buy builder in city 4, will do walls for eureka

76: magnus to thebes, pingala to capital. next turn limes chop walls. post comm hub will build settlers w/ provision + Ancestral Hall. swap to apprenticeship

77: walls > campus. delay galley (buy lighthouse next turn).

78: back to galley (x2 total will be built), start on entertainment>arena>colo

79: lost hattusa a couple turns ago = no more iron. spain settled crater lake a couple turns ago too. It is already losing loyalty, easy pickings but not my preferred location (I'd have settled on the wine adjacent to Coast). 23 turns to flip, 14-34 turns in the era. Once I liberate fez that will speed up, I decide I can eliminate Spain entirely then hopefully liberate cartagena from a free city back to spain by levying caguana? big era score, friend for life, horsehockey civ for life because he will work the Crater Lake tile like a champ. their prophet hasn't established either.

T80-84

Spoiler :

80: almost have Fez.

81: our sea is locked (figured it was possible/probable)

82: military training complete. shipbuilding complete. slot in raid and diplomatic league, 2 envoys = suzerain of muscat (amenities too! yay!)

83: finished shipbuilding. era ends in 10.

84: liberate fez. +100 DF.

t85-93

Spoiler :

85: spain did found religion. worried about era score. builder and tile in iwnw for iron working to upgrade warrior. theology for the envoy to get buenos aires.

86: moving to barcelona, cartagena 2 turns from flip

87: iron mine, upgrade one swordsman for era score. will soon faith buy a general

88: zhang qian merchant recruited. horseman in thebes for era score

89: suzerain buenos aires for era score. slot in corvee for wonder building. levee military for even more era score.

90: faith buy general for era score. 1 pts from golden.

91 movements. horse finished. golden age threshold met.

92 movements

93: movements. golden age. free inquiry again. 35 -> 58.5 science.

T94-101

Spoiler :

94: world congress.. failed both (taoism combat str, trader to harald). purchase arena, start colosseum. 3rd archer complete machinery.

95 boost naval tradition.

96 record history completes. assign liang.

97 refuse Cartagena flip

98 metal casing boost.

99 boudica wins a battle.

100 moving on cartagena

101 Madrid falls. feudalism completes.. engineering. stirrups. slot serfom. liang finished, buy a builder and a mill.

T102-106

Spoiler :

102 moves

103 moves, lumber mill boosts

104 find niter

105 moving on remaining cities, niter mine rifling boost

106 fall of barcelona. fall of cordoba. spain defeated. caguana now mine. batey time.

t107-110

Spoiler :

107 colosseum complete. artemisia.

108 moves

109 buy a catapult. almost have cartagena

110 bateys can't go on floodplains

batey sites are now theater square sites (this is the rage turn I talked about way earlier)

liberate cartagena, ressurect spain, trade away max DF, insta friend, insta Ally

t111-119

Spoiler :

111 moves to harlemm to prepare to invade Dutch

112 moves

113 madrid repaired holy site and shrine, run prayers. Apeldoorn settled to North affords same strat with Dutch as with Spain. Turns out I will end up taking way too long to flip Apeldoorn

114 Irene, merchants complete > envoy to hattusa (control all 5 CS)

115 pillages, kill a catapult, hut gave 20 DF

116 moves. amani to caguana. town charters. colonization.

117 moves

118 barcelona is going to chop harbor and mausoleum, will faith buy Isodore for wonder building

119 switch to cartography (caravels to boost exploration)

 

[lotrmith]

t120-133

Spoiler :

120 isodore to barcelona. levy expired

121 have been moving around to groningen... horsehockey location. aqueduct?

122 harbor complete. cartography boosted complete. upgrade 2 caravels. exploration boosted. mausoleum plopped down. isodore activate 1x.

123 era ends in 10. 86 of 89 (normal) 103 (golden).... can get t2 gov. religion full. I faith buy marco polo.

124 capture gronigen, upgrade a musket, score jumps to 97/103

125 mausoleum complete, builder completes moves liang to groningen which buys +2 turns of loyalty

126 moves

127 meet china dunno how, 101/103

128 dutch would have ceded groningen but I refused, started Huey activated 1 charge

129 groningen goes next turn, repaired tiles, positioned units for pillages, prayers completes next turn for prophet?

130 yep prophet (+1), religion(+2), converts madrid(+4), +7 total era score 108/103.with 3 turns left in era.

chose work ethic and cross culture (1 science per 4 followers).. neither are great but it was last religion, did it for the score.

131 waiting on hut in SE. attacks on groningen, upgrade one bombard. next in 4 turns (niter)... slotted 50% gold upgrade

132 lost caguana, retook groningen (tiles pillaged)

133 new era. This time I choose Monumentality. Settler spam from Magnus in Barcelona via faith bank from pillaged tiles, and sphinxes.

t134-152
134 chop huey. settler faith

135 settler faith. settler chop. 2nd bombard upgrade. gilgabrolliance. all civs met.

136 move on haarlem

137 zheng h recruitment gives back caguana. haarlem walls down. settler faith

138 expo expo. caguana lost. start work on chapel. reyna to thebes

139 moves, cahoikia met

140 settle, settle, start on kilwa. ally with gilga, trade all DF.

141 buy newton. recruit great writer.

142 pillage

143 circumnavigation. nan mandol met.

144 prep to move on amsterdam

145 moves, next turn policies. 1 settler. 1 final settler needed for 2x @ zhangze for parks

146 limes, gothic architecture, diplomatic league.. dumps into nan mandol. buy university for nan mandol quest. hut gives skirmisher envoy to buenos.

147 a spy has neutralized pingala > <. move on amsterdam.

148 final settler purchased. save faith now. groningen rebels again haha. castle complete > printing

149 moves, looking for city on other continent. may have to swap alliances from spain (culture) to gilga (culture)

150 > natural history. >industrialization

151 amsterdam almost done. pillage buys archaelogical museum in thebes

152 amsterdam and groningen full loyalty captures.

[/spoiler]

t153-162

Spoiler :

153 re-pingala in thebes. liang to edfu

154: World Congress votes +toaism and +seige.

155 nan mandol suzerain

156 recruit Raja merchant

157 Zhang D settled

158 kilwa complete (2x science, 2x culture states)

159 working on EDs to circus apeldoorn

160 walls walls walls build up everywhere for tourism

161 bosch

162 moves (barbs)

163 conservation complete. buy 3 naturalists. suzerain cahoikia (2x commercial states)

164 2x parks created @ Amsterdam and Giza, 162/158 threshold for golden age

t165-176

Spoiler :

165 great writer

166 FLIGHT. park #3

167 fleet. hut = urbanization boost!

168 hut = free economics research

169 settler

170 moves

171 gilgaliance expires. when spain expires we can culture alliance gilga and settle. bought archaeologist

172 moves

173 culture ally w/ gilga, settle mendes, traders move

174 medici, darwin, route to vikings

175 park #4, route to china, darwin activate completes radio

176 resorts resorts resorts

t177-191

Spoiler :

177

178 donatello

179 cervantes

180

181

182 musician

183 park #4

187 computers

189 victory in 10

190 route to gilga. routes to 4/5 civs

191: victory in 4 turns, muscat finally decided to take out dutch city. final city about to rebel. Golden industrial, reform the coinage. park #5

t192-199

Spoiler :

192 Netherlands rebels, is defeated. tourists lost.

193 shakespeare

194 liberate netherlands, tourists restored

195 michelangelo, route to netherlands, "victory in 1" (67/79)

196 "victory in 2" (71/79), naturalist

197 72/79

198 james young, 76/80 "victory in 1". cold war complete. 365/510 for a rock band in mendes. park #6

199 81/80 (victory at end turn?)

200 VICTORY TURN 199

Finished here just before buying a Rock Band to target Gilgamesh. Pre-Steel (no Eiffel), pre-Sports (no Ski Resorts).

So I think I played fairly well given all the circumstances though there's obvious room for improvement. Hopefully you can glean the strategy and pick up some tricks that I pulled along the way. The biggest decision was made early to go for a CV based on what the terrain gave us. The Batey bungle came as a surprise and certainly cost us some time, but later on when I started spamming improvements closer to Flight I put up a fair amount of Bateys, mixed with a ton of Sphinxes. Topped off with Parks and Seasides.

A big payoff was conquering all of Spain after one of his cities had flipped so I could restore him to the game and get a huge +200 DF as well as insta-ally. I tried the same with Dutch but that was a mistake, it took so long that I ended up with too many grievances to declare friendship when I liberated her... I'd have been better off taking her 2nd to last city and making peace with all cedes included.

I do employ the typical strategies of Magnus chops, selling resources and luxuries and DF to the AI (but not abusing the +1GPT exploit.. this exploit is no longer available anyways with the latest patch but I played this game pre-patch.) I am not as efficient in War as I suppose I could be.. I like to take my time, conserve my units, and maximize pillages.