SM1 - Sid challenge

[Smart]

I think, persians will settle near 2S hill before we could build next settler.
We should found next town on hill 2E from SoI ASAP, to contact with civs on second continent.

And one tip, zerksees: rename your saves before attaching - usually [SG_Name]_[Date], for example SM1_1910BC

 

[Beorn-eL-Feared]

About the coastal town: wouldn't be better to found it on grass to the NW ? It'd be closer to everything, there.

 

[zerksees]

About the coastal town: wouldn't be better to found it on grass to the NW ? It'd be closer to everything, there.

Once we get containment of the Persians we can optimize this way. In the meantime I would sacrifice the distance for a hill location. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Smart]

found it on grass

We must use hills first of all, 50% defence bonuce is big advantage

 

[Beorn-eL-Feared]

If you think they'll attack that far, fine

 

[Smart]

Maybe... But noone knows, what way is more fast and safe

 

[zerksees]

In general the AI algorithm will look for the weakest link and attack that. I don't know all the variables but clearly an empty city is a target. Time and time again I see the AI walk past well defended border towns and go after empty towns in the center. The problem is their units never actually make it to their target. I assume that if all things were equal, the AI would go after the city on grassland before the city on a hill. I am sure distance is a factor, but weighted much less than strength of defense. I think the only reason they would not go that far is if there was a weaker target nearby. If nothing else it means we don't have to stack quite so many units in the back towns to get the AI to attack the towns at the front. I am hopeful the great EWall will convince them to attack the towns in the wall - where we can be ready for them.

 

[Whomp]

Pre-turn: Decide we can crank up science and lux up a bit since cash doesn't do us much good. Turn science to 90% and lux to 10%. Alpha in 8 and growth in FoS in 3 with EW in 1 plus SoI gets EW in 4. Establish Screen Door County on the hill and start an archer. Move a couple EW's towards FoS since there's 4 immortals headed that way. Scream Ikes and hit enter.

IT EW's defend at SoI and one promotes on archer attacks (2-0). 2/4 immortal attacks our fortified EW on the spices, redlines and wins (2-1). A spear pillages our cow. FoS EW --> archer

1870 --Decide to get a little offensive up north. Take an archer with elite EW and whack the 1/4 immortal with a vet (4-1). Lucky Move an archer to FoS for some bombard against the upcoming onslaught.

IT Nice. EW flawless with archer help vs. vet immortal (5-1)
1830 Prepare troops for a barrage at FoS. Protect our roads too.

IT Weewho. 3 immortals attack FoS and all 3 lose (8-1) and we get an elite EW too. Then a reg warrior attacks our 2/4 EW and loses (9-1)
1790 Re mm. This needs to be done every turn since the persians are always stepping in the wrong spot.

IT 2 more immortals get a archer arrow and we get another elite (11-1). Archers under EW's are a big help. FoS archer --> archer SoI EW--> EW
1750 Archer promotes taking out a warrior then a 2nd archer whacks a archer and the east coast is clear. (13-1) It seems Screen Door County will be the new focus. Re mm again.

IT At Screen Door Elite EW wins but a vet loses but redlines a immortal. (14-2)
1725 nada mucho

IT Phew...nothing
1700 Fortify for next onslaught.

IT weird no attacks. SoI EW -->EW
1675 Elite archer knocks out a roaming archer and a vet archer is flawless against another (16-2). Change FoS to settler.

IT hmmm...seems they're shifting back towards FoS.
1650 MM and feign attack at Sardis to see if they'll follow.

IT Immortals chase me at Sardis. Alpha comes in and set it to writing. Not sure if this or IW is better. Immortals are everwhere. I leave it to Lil Grasshoppah to decide. Oracle finished by the Germans.
1625 Play hide n seek with the immortals

 

[Smart]

Well done, very good kill ratio for this level
Are we still survive?

And few comments. Since we aren't going for GLib or Philosophy free tech, we could research Writing later. Current goals are Math and IW. We have high chances to get iron, because there are many hills around, and i suggest to research IW first.
IIRC Own currently is out, so I'm next...

 

[Beorn-eL-Feared]

On techs: I'd be more tempted by catapults right now. The offensive bombard against slow movers can really make a difference. Plus, we're 100% certain we have woods and rocks at hand, not so with iron, even if it is likely. Last time I said to myself "there can't be no iron in a 3 tiles thick mountain chain", I had to whack a whole civilisation to get some ore. Not counting the pillage it can receive.

I'm wondering, mr Whomper, why TF are those perses going N-NE?

 

[Whomp]

Barely surving but hopefully with all the elites we can get a MGL soon. IW sounds like a good plan.

 

[zerksees]

Nice action Whomp! I forgot putting a unit in their territory is a good way to get their attention. I wonder if you step back out if the immortals will head toward our cities. Maybe invade/retreat can work the same as the city open/close.

I like researching writing in hopes to get Great Library though I am apparently outnumbered. Problem is we may need catapults to survive that long, but I still think the Glib run is the way to go. Archers, hills and walls can help EW defend.

If you choose a war tech over writing, I would go with mathematics over iron working since the benefit is a sure thing.

I'm wondering, mr Whomper, why TF are those perses going N-NE?

Check out our EW just north of Sardis.

 

[nerovats]

Don't think we can build GLib anymore, better to capture it.

 

[Smart]

Got it....

 

[Smart]

Pre-turn
MM in FoS to save 3 shields
Starting research of Math (32 turns)

IT
6 Immortals follow to our EW.
GA is ended. Math in 38 now

Turn 1
MM in FoS for archer in 3 turns after GA ends.
MM in SoI, worker in 1 turn.
MM in SDC, rax in 20.
Move EW N out of immortals. Will they follow him?
Settler will wait one turn to see if immortalls will come back to Sardis. If they will, I'll build next town on 3NW hill from SoI.

IT
Immortals were moved back to FoS.
SoI worker>EW

Turn 2
Lower science to 50% because of unit support, math in 43... We need 4th town.
Move Settler and EW to 3NW hill. Move new worker to BG NWW from SoI.
Move elite EW S with hope that immortals will come back and follow him again.
Combat calc said, that elite EW in FoS will win vs veteran Immortal in 59,3% cases. Attacking archer will win only in 44,8%. So it's better to hit Enter and wait...

IT
Two immortals were died attacking FoS. [2-0] Others were moved to elite EW near Sardis

Turn 3
Worker builds road to the next town.
Move EW back to hill.
MM in FoS because of moving persian units.

IT
Immortals again were moved to FoS.
FoS Archer>EW.

Turn 4
There are 5 immortals near FoS.
See immortal and archer 2 tiles from SDC. Pop-rush walls...
Rename elite EW near Sardis to "The distracting idiot", and move him to forest again
Port Arthur has been founded. Starting curragh
Science up to 90%, Math in 19 turns.

IT
Persians asked for peace! On Sid! But I have to say "NO"
Kill 4 immortals, got elite EW. Lose one EW [7-1]
SDC walls>rax.


Turn 5
What we can see now? 2hp-spear is ready to pillage FoS-SoI road, 2hp-immortal want to leave to Sardis. Archer and immorlal are near SDC.
Kill spear, archer and immortal [10-1]
Move archer to SDC for def bombardment.
TDI was moved to Sardis.

IT
Immortal was killed in SDC, but redlines EW [11-1]

Turn 6
Worker roads BG near SoI, other worker mines BG in Port Arthur.
Move TDI out of Sardis.

IT
Persians attacks SDC. [12-1]
Archer loses to elite EW, and....

Turn 7
Use leader to build army. If we have iron, we will fill it with swordsmans
Move TDI to FoS, because there are many immortals near Sardis and they can kill our EW.
We must pay for unit support again, lower science to 70%.

IT
3 Immortals moved to SoI, and 5 to FoS
Settler pair appears from a fog

Turn 8
Have to move worker, that builds road, to SoI.
Move TDI to FoS. MM in FoS and SoI.

IT
Persians attacked FoS and SoI, got elite EW [18-3].
Settler pair was moved back.

Turn 9
Regular immortal is near FoS. Attacking with Elite archer and win. Kill redlined immortal with archer, promote it to elite. Kill archer by vet archer [21-3]
Open SoI.

IT
5 Immortals and archer were moved to SDC.
Oops, SoI riots...

Turn 10
Move few units from FoS to SDC because of persians SOD.


Screen of our empire, 1375BC:

Roster:
Smart
Beorn-eL-Feared - UP
nerovats - on deck
zerksees
Whomp
Own - skips till futher notice

SAVE: SM1_1375_BC.SAV

 

[Whomp]

Great ratios Smart! Screen Door County will be quite a fortress to attack since it's on a hill and has walls!
I think we should consider a EW army since IW won't come in for a long time. I know they're not the greatest armies but we need to press the persians by pillaging their improvements.

 

[Smart]

EW pillaging army - sounds good... We have many elite EW's, and we will get second leader soon. But for second army we need 8 cities, and so we should disband EW army after pillaging mission, to build army of swordsmans

 

[Beorn-eL-Feared]

Wow.
EW pillage army is what I had in mind as well. We just need to get them back to stone age if we want to win, and especially their iron. Once we get a 2nd leader, I'd rather have the HE rushed in a border town to prevent flips and increase MGL odds. We'll need it.

Got it.

 

[zerksees]

Nice kill ratio - you make this look easy!

I'd rather have the HE rushed in a border town to prevent flips and increase MGL odds.

I agree with this completely. If a third comes quickly we can figure out what to do with it but we should be able to get up to eight towns fairly quickly, particularly if we take out Sardis.

I was thinking archer army but the EW army taking out their iron and getting a look at the rest of our landmass would be even better. How many iron do they have? If they have only one, then I say it would be worth our while to park it on their iron until they are no longer a factor (once the rest of their roads etc have been ripped up).

 

[nerovats]

First of all
Would a city with HE not just flip the same, netting us a lost leader?
Agree on a pillaging army.
@Smart what do you mean with disbanding an army??