Trebuchet worth waiting for?

[tigerden27]

Are trebuchet worth waiting for?

The Germans started the war. Just about the time I was going to wipe out the Romans. I have my offensive power at the other end of the continent. Fortunately, Kyoto is the nearest city they can attack and it's heavily defended.

We went to war for a couple hundred years (~15 turns) and I end up taking Stuttgart. I sued for peace and got Brandenburg and Tech in the process.

However, now they have their Swordsman on mountains inside my territory. If I demand that he remove them, Bismark declares war. Actually the one in the jungle is the big pain, since I can't build a road to Brandenburg.

Here's the situation, right now...
I've got 8 turns until I can declare war again, I've got 12 Ancient Cavalry, 4 Horseman, 1 Spearman and 3 Swordsman in Stuttgart right now. There are also 3 Catapult in Kyoto that I can move up.

I've got 6 turns left on Feudalism, then 20 turns to learn Engineering (Trebuchet). Is it worth waiting for Engineering and building more Catapult to upgrade when I discover it? Or should I push the war right away hopefully before the Germans get Feudalism (they went to Engineering first)? I'm pretty sure I can't wait until I get Samuri. I've already used up my Golden Age with Statue of Zeus anyway.

I know I'm going to have to conquer Germany before too long anyway, so I think it's either now, or at Chivalry or maybe I can hold out to Military Tradition. But I doubt it will wait that long.

So what do you think?
1) War NOW!!!! Reputation be damned.
2) War after peace treaty expires.
3) War after Engineering.
4) Skip Engineering go for Chivalry, try to hold out until then.
5) Grovel under the heal of the almighty Germans.

Carthage to the south is pretty much under by heal so I can take them out as soon as the Germans are dealt with.

Hopefully the map will attach below. Do I have to upload the map image somewhere before I post it?

 

[lbhhh]

If you think you're ready for a war then by all means ask germany to remove his swordsman. Bismark will delcre war, and he will suffer the reputation hit. Then you can enlist carthage and some other civs in an alliance against Germany.

 

[Mercade]

I'd say wait at least till you can declare war without the rep hit. Don't worry waiting for trebuchet. Cool as they look, you can always upgrade your catapults later.

 

[tigerden27]

It didn't even cross my mind that Germany would take the Reputation hit. That's a good idea.

I decided to go to war right after the treaty expired. My catapults worked out OK, but they got bogged down right away.

I waged a war of extinction and took the Germans out. I ended up with 3 armies of Ancient Cavalry. Pretty amazing when the best unit Bismark has is Pikeman.

 

[skorn]

Grovel under the heal of the almighty Germans! Saurkraut ist gut, ja?