Vikings III (Deity)

[Sandman2003]

OK, this is my third and final crack at the game as Ragnar on an 80% water archipelago map, standard size, 5 billion years, temperate, wet, 7 random opponents. In our last attempt, the English snuck off with an unlikely diplo win. They were too scared to face the Vikings in combat! This time I am going to up the aggression levels, and pursue my opponents vigorously. There will be opportunity for the AI to recover from our attacks. As usual, there is no gurantee that this will be a victory to the author. In fact on past Deity record, it probably won't, but it should be an enjoyable ride!

My first random map since the last start, produced this:

No fresh water, but it does have a lux, a bonus food in both the game and the fish, and gold after the cultural expansion. Not exactly ideal for a settler factory, but then, I think settler pumps are a little overated in an 80% archipelago map - you run out of room to expand real fast.

Our first builds were two curraghs for exploration and contacts, then a granary aided by the game tile forst chop. We start min science on writing. Goal is to be first on philosophy, but this time use the slingshot on to republic. Even though we are going to be at war for a long period of time, if we stay on the offensive, war weariness should not be too great a problem, and the lesser corruption model with republic will quickly pay for itself, I think.

3600BC - We meet Japan. It looks like they are on our landmass. Visions of my first Deity attempt flash through my mind. No, not this time! We trade warrior code, alphabet and 27 gold for pottery and the wheel. We do this trade early, mainly to ensure that we can build that granary!

3000BC - We meet Russia. Fortunately it seems that there is some water seperation, although the Russian lands are reachable simply by coast tiles, so the water will not stop them for long. Alphabet nets us bronze working and 10 gold.

2750BC – The Wheel and 63 gold buys masonry from Russia
Masonry gets ceremonial burial and 62 gold from Japan

2710BC – Sell Russia CB for 90 gold. Meet Inca.

2110BC – Alphabet gets iron working and 60 gold off Babylon

1790BC – Alphabet nets me mysticism and 36 gold off Inca

1150BC - This map highlights our early quandry very well. Here we are with four cities and we are basically out of expansion room.

The Japanese just beat me to the Nagoya site, and the other bordering city is Tokyo. Just to make matters even more fun, the Japanese are building the Temple of Artemis in Kyoto. If they finish that and hold it for a while we will be absolutely culturally swamped! We have been aware of the risk Japan is to us for a while, and so have started a massive (for four cities) military buildup. It is time to make the AI our settler pump!

Our military is:
1 settler
3 workers
14 warriors
1 archer
6 swords

Our cities all have a barracks and Trondheim also has a granary.

We are weak versus the Japanese militarily, of course. The AI gets no less than 12 free units to start the game with as a little bonus to go along with their extra settler and two extra workers, and of course their build discount. So of course the 11 city Japanese are going to be strong against the four city Vikings! Oh, in case I forgot to mention it, we are also at war with Babylon whom we have met as well.

We don't care! I said I was going to be aggressive, and that is what we are going to be. The Japanese probably have all these many units scattered across their empire, so an early strike can gain us some land before they have time to get to the front. When it gets too hot, we will sue for peace, continue the buildup and have another go in twenty turns!

We declare war. Philosophy tech has to be reduced to the min so we can afford to upgrade warriors to swords.

The war, as expected is short, before overwhelming Japanese force appeared on our borders. We were able to snatch Tokyo, and cut the defenders at Nagoya down to a single sword. We also found another coastal desert city. No point having the settler hang around costing unit support! The Japanese pay us all their treasury and about 6gpt for peace. The temple of Artemis was completed in 1075BC, so peace will only be for the 20 turns.

900BC - We are finally able to trade for code of laws. 75 gold and 17gpt gets us this vital tech. We then put the pedal to the metal on philosophy and can finish in 3 turns. Not good enough. We free up some pop to act as scientists and we can make it two turns. This will do. Code of laws gets us map making and 63 gold of the Inca.

Philosophy comes in and we are first. We get republic as our free tech, and revolt immediately, drawing five turns of anarchy.

 

[Sandman2003]

510BC - The Japanses peace has run out. We refuse to renew, and the Japanese advance with force into our territory. We are still weak versus them militarily, though much stronger than before because we have continued our single minded pursuit of military over any building. Techwise, we have use philosophy and the republic to get all AA techs except construction, currency and literature (which is optional of course). We have been doing min research on lit, but now other civs have researched literature, so we change to min on currency. Also Russia had the tremendous gall to ignore our boot order, land troops and declare war. We were unable to destrot them, and they won an unlikely victory to take Reykavik. We have taken it back, of course, but in the process we lost the barracks, and so had to start over on this.

In the first turn of the second Japanese war, our kill ratio is 9-2. This is enough to knock the military advice from saying we are weak, to saying we are average to them. However, do not forget that they still have many more cities, and a much faster build rate. But, you have to love the militaristic trait -

Our first army, naturally, and it is quickly filled with swords. Our forces at this time are:
3 workers plus 7 Japanese slaves
2 warriors
4 spears
19 swords
1 galley
1 army (containing three of the swords)

490BC - 450BC - Japanes culture has reached about 7 times ours due to the multiplicative effect of the Temple of Artemis across at least 14 cities. That by itself is worth at least 28 cpt. I still jave no culture buildings other than the palace! So our military effort is aimed at Osaka. The sword army escorts 6 swords there, while other units attack the Japanese advanced forces. Our galley ferries over two full strength units just as the main force arrives within range of Kyoto, bringing our assault force up to eight swords and the army.

In more minor news, we are able to overwhelm Nagoya and let the citizens there join the mighty Vikings. And, as our troops clear up the exposed Japanese, they are advancing on Kagoshima, as well. We have also brought the Inca in on our war with Russia. This will help to slow the tech pace, and hopefully hurt those opportunistic ruskies. Mark my words Catherine - you are next after Tokugawa!

430BC - Seige of Kyoto - Vet spears are showing. We attack with a vet spear, but he dies. Then the first (and only) sword army comes into the fray smashing two spear units but is redlined in the process. Next up the Japanese find a super spear who dispenses with three vet swords in a row. Finally, we only have elite swords left in our SOD. One attacks, kills the super spear, the leader the super spear produced and

Our troops heading for Kagoshima have had to beat a retreat after killing numerous Japanese units. They simply need to heal.

After a couple of turns of healing by Kyoto, and a reinforcing galley sword drop, our army and some three swords move on Nagasaki. The victory gives the army an opportunity to provide support on the Kagoshima assault. Kagoshima is on a hill, and so needs a bit of a firepower boost.

350BC - Seige of Kagoshima - The army again kills two units, and supporting swords are sufficient to take the city, with one loss. Babylon decides to step up and demand gold. Get real, Hamurabi! He declares.

This is our whole starting landmass showing the totality of our empire, but only part of the Japanese empire. As you can see, the starting landmass is well blessed with resources. In addition to our iron and spice resources. the Japanese have horses, gems and silks available. Our plan is to sweep across to Satsuma first, and then back to the hidden gem city so as to cut off troops coming from here, and bring gems on line. It also takes the local iron, but the Japanese have access to iron on both their island holdings, so I doubt that this will make a difference.

 

[miRageR]

Good luck this time. Nice beginning.

 

[Vanadorn]

I hope this one works out for you. Will continue lurking.

V

 

[steviejay]

lol, I respect the speed in whcih you've thrown yourself back into the fold. I took a break of several months to ensure I was ready, but then again, I'm not that good.

I'll be lurking. Good luck man!!!

subnote- re-read the story again, congrats on bringing the to the Japs. My heart sank when I noticed you had been well and truely squeezed in.

 

[Tappara]

Nice work again .

 

[IroquoisPlisken]

Good luck! I've read all your other stories and greatly look forward to this one.

Originally posted by Sandman2003:
430BC - Seige of Kyoto - Vet spears are showing. We attack with a vet spear, but he dies.

Uhh...I hope you meant swordsman...

 

[GR8Madmax]

Nice start Sandman. Good luck and I'll be lurking as always.

 

[Sandman2003]

Uhh...I hope you meant swordsman...

So you spotted my deliberate slip, just to see if anyone was awake (not really). Yes I did mean sword, nice pick up IroquoisPlisken.

Thanks for the input miRageR, Vanadorn, steviejay, Tappara, and GR8Madmax.

 

[El Loco]

Wish u the best of lucks and i know ull get it this time. Oh and, what are ur thoughts on the great lib?

 

[T-Money]

Good luck on this one Sandman. I will be lurking around.

 

[Sandman2003]

Oh and, what are ur thoughts on the great lib?

I have no specific plans around the great library, just yet. El Loco. Needless to say various AI are already building it, so I have no chance to actaully build it myself. Interestingly, the Temple of Artemis and the Great Library share the same obsolence tech (education). So I will say that I am in no hurry to research education.

270BC - Seige of Satsuma - the sword army claims one defender, but reserves a move point. A vet sword dispenses with the other, and Satsuma joins the Viking cause. We have had a rethink on the next target within the Japanese holdings. The Gem city is buried deep in Japanese cultural borders, and will take four slow turns to reach. Also, we will probably get gems in our cultural borders in one turn, when he Temple of Artemis expands Kagoshima's borders for the first time. Also, in five turns, Satsuma's borders will expand, and the gem city will only take three turns to reach and attack. So instead, we can turn our attention to the more startegically significant destination to the east, the horse city.

Just a note on culture, and the Temple of Artemis. If you recall, at the start of the second Japanese war, we were at about 1/7th of Japanese culture. Well now Japan is no longer the cultural leader (Babylon is instead, of course), but our culture is greater than 1/5th of Babylons, and greater than 1/4 of Japans. We will certainly try and milk the value from the temple of artemis to make up for our usual cultural short comings for as long as possible. (Without it, we would be at about 1/8th culture to Babylon).

We are now strong against Japan, but average to everyone else. (Because they are wasting time building wonders, instead of getting ready for the Viking scourge). We are at war with Japan, Russia and Babylon. The Inca are locked in an MA with us against Russia for another five turns. We are down Literatur, Monarchy and Construction to Russia, but up the republic.

We have started to build the Heroic Epic in our capital Trondheim. Before Magnetism, armies are only able to operate on the landmass on which they are built, so we will need many leaders in this conflict - just another disadvantage of the archipelago concept! We still have not started on a forbidden palace, but have recently had the message. Hopefully the next leader will come soon, and we can rush one in former Japanese lands!

The army kills a lone Japanese Sword. Troops move up to advance on the eastern Japanese cities.

IT - The unknown tribe of 'Germans' has been destroyed. A Japanese archer steals two of our slave workers back by Nagasaki. There are no less than three Japanese Galleys sailing by Nagoya.

250BC - As expected, cultural expansion brings gems into our control, the second lux! The army expands five hp killing a vet sword on a hill, and is now down to 4 hp! The unit is safe from Japanese attack, however. An elite sword kills a Japanese archer near Kyoto, and another kills the evil archer that robbed us of our two slaves. No leaders however.

230BC - Another elite sword victory against an archer. The horse city has been revealed as Osaka, home of the Masoleum of Mausollos, and the location where Japan is racing to build the great library. I think I would like to own it before Japan finished the great library!

IT - The babylonians are building Sun Tzu. They must not only be in the MAs, but have also finished feudalism!

210BC - We have first level war weariness, and have to raise lux tax, even with our second native lux. Two Japanese galleys have sailed right up to Reykavik, by our iron source, so we protect it with a sword, just in case. The mountain passes to Kagoshima have been blocked by spears, so Japan stupidly trys to walk a regular spear around through the dessert. AN elite sword ends this guys dreams of Japanese conquest! The army is still recovering, but task force Osaka can strike next turn.

190BC - Seige of Osaka - Regular spear showing in the size 6 city. Vet sword goes one up. Let's try leader fishing here. We lose an elite, but on the next guys go-

Isn't it great when a plan comes together! Osaka will make a good location ofr the forbidden palace, I think, but first we need to quell the stupid resistance. The remaining sword party advances towards Edo. It looks like they can handle themselves against the Japanese defences, so the army and reinforcing swords will make a second front at Gem city. Another archer is killed in the Edo forests.

170BC - A bab galley enters our waters for the first time. This could have pikes and MIs, but they want 100 gold at the moment. Let them come, after we kill the invaders, they will pay us! We kill another sword near Satsuma.

IT - Incan MA against Russia ends. We let it rest. We may as well take peace with the Russians for 20 turns. This will give us time to finish the Japanese. Then it is Catherine's turn. The babylonians drop off a bowman near Kagoshima, hahaha.

150BC - Peace and the republic gets us construction, literature and 9 gold. Of the AA techs we now lack only currency to get to the MA, and monarchy. We still have 40 turns left on a min currency gambit. I suspect we will want to do a trade.

A vet sword kills the Babylonian incursion. Seige of Edo - A size 6 city with a vet spear showing. We use an elite* sword first, and he is only just successful. Now a reg spear is showing. Our vet sword perishes, but then the two elites step up and two victories later, Edo joins the Vikings. Note the horse resource still needs a cultural expansion before it will be in our borders, but Osaka will do that in three more turns.

Our forces are in range of the gem city Izumo for an assault next turn.

130BC - Seige of Izumo - A size four city, protected by a reg spear in grassland, surrounded by mountains and a volcano! We attack with the first sword army, killing both defenders and Izumo is Viking. It appears that the Japanese have built a road through the marshland. How nice of them! This will mean that our troops will not have to muddy their boots on their way to conquer the silks cities of Yokohama and Shimonoseki in the SW.

IT - The Inca request an alliance vs the Russiand and an ROP. We give them an ROP for 4 gold.

90BC - The horses are now within our borders, so we change all sword builds to horsemen. Four of the victorious swords from the Osaka/Edo force hitch rides aboard galleys to land next to Nara.

70BC - Seige of Nara - This is the new Japanese capital, a size 4 city defended by a regular spear. AN elite* goes first, then a vet , then as we are out of vets we use elite swords. Three reg spears up, three down, and Nara is Viking. We kill another archer in the forest.

50BC - We kill another forest archer. Seige of Yokohama - The army kills two spears, but there is both a catapult and an archer here. A vet sword promotes on the archer, and another archer is revealed. Another vet sword steps up, and Yokohama is now Viking. This also brings a third lux on line.

30BC - Seige of Shiminoseki - The new capital, and size 5, with reg spear guarding. Our new catapult takes a hit. As our vet sword steps up, the Japanese respond with another cat, but we still are victorious. Two elites then finish the job against the remianing spear defenders.

The Island now belongs to Scandinavia, but Japan is not finished yet.

 

[T-Money]

Good job, I don't believe I've ever seen any one civ get cleaned up so fast. Just a question though, do you plan to elminate the Russians or take the other Japanese Island?

 

[GR8Madmax]

My guess is he's going to exterminate Japan. Excellent job taking it to the Japanese, Sandman.

 

[biggamer132]

Great new story, Sandman. I've been reading your stuff since the Netherlands story, and this is on par, if not better, than all the others.

 

[Sandman2003]

30BC cont - This is the remiander of the Japanese lands.

Just before the order is given to load the galleys (all two of them), we decide to see what the Japanese might offer in a peace deal.

Yep, thats all of his cities except the size 2 capital. OK Tokugawa, saves me wasting time and units going after them. I will let you live for 20 turns. Now we can turn to Russia, except that we have given them a peace treaty, and there is 14 turns remaining on that treaty. If I attack earlier, I will wreck my rep and not be able to trade gpt for techs when I need to. On the other hand, at the moment they are in the AA along with me, but they are a scientific civ, so when they get currency they will also get a free MA tech. I don't want to have to smash through pikes without the aid of my army! We also need to find the other three civs. Maybe I can risk tarnishing my rep with these guys, as long as the others do not find out?

On the other hand, by the time we are ready the peace treaty may be over.

IT -

10BC - The resistance in Osaka ends. Time to build the forbidden palace. We give Babylon peace for 40 gold. We could have brought currency at this time, but hold off for now. It will cheapen the tech to the Russians if we were to do that.

IT-

10AD - We were getting war happiness from the Babylonians, and unfortunately a handful of the more productive cities rioted after the peace declaration. It is OK, my war hungry populace, we will soon be invading the evil Russians. The Russians have founded a city on the island of Fukushima. We rush a spearman there.

30AD - Troops moving

50AD - Russia has currency now. Probably time to trade. Silks and Gems and 57 gold gets us Currency off the Babylonians. As feared, the Russians have picked up feudalism as their free tech. My horses builds may have to change back to swords, unless chivalry comes along quickly. Horses are not good against pikes reinforced in cities. No one will trade us for feudalism, and the Babylonians also have engineering, so we start research on monotheism.

IT - The babs must have researched Invention, because noe they are building Leos.

70AD - One galley has been set to explore, and has located another city of ... the Inca!

150AD - There are still five turns on the peace treaty, but ... we declare war! The landing site -

We landed two catapults, a spear and sevem swords, and we have plenty of reinforcements in Yokohama.

170AD - Seige of Novgorod - It is a size 3 city with a vet pike showing, located in dessert terrain. The catapults prove useless, but a vet sword kills the first defender leaving a regular pike. This time we lose, but the pike is redlined. Time to leader fish again - we could use an army on this continent. The relined pike sees off one elite sword, and almost a second, but the city falls!

Our expolring galley finds a new landmass, but is still in a sea square.

190AD - There is still only a spear showing as the defender of Moscow. 10 swords and two horses land north of Moscow. Other troops advance up from Novgorod. Our galley survives the crossing, but so far has seen no sign of habitation.

IT - Russia lands a warrior right next to undefended Sapporo.

210AD - We rush spears in our other new conquests. We decide to abandon Sapporo. Seige of Moscow - there is still only a spear showing. Time to strike the size 7 city. An elite* sword dies without causing a scratch. Then a vet sword dies. Then a vet sword victory, and a second, and a third, and now there are injured spears left. Time for the elites. It only takes one, and Moscow is unshackled from the yoke of Russian control.

IT - Russians and Inca sign peace.

230AD - We make a second landing by Yaroslav, and see our first Russsian MI on a mountain. We advance across the plains towards St Petersburg.

IT - Three Russian MI commit suicide against our units.

250AD - Seige of Yaroslav - As our spear and one sword is injured from the landing party, we must use only one sword, and then horses. The first sword is victorious, leaving a regular spear. Two horses die, but then we finally kill the spear, and an archer is revealed. The next horse unit attacks, and Yaroslav is ours. Our troops have now advanced to St Petersburg.

IT - The Incans complete the Great Library.

260AD - We sell spices to the Babylonians for 260gpt. Seige of St Petersburg - This is the new Russian capital, and it is a city, but is is defended by a spear, so I attack with an elite sword, but he dies. The second elite sword is successful, though, as is the third, and St Petersburg falls. This brings our fourth lux, wines on line.

270AD - Troops advance

280AD - We advance to Rostov and Yekaterinburg.

IT - Babylon demands wines. You will get yours soon enough culture boy! We cave for now.

290AD - Seige of Yekaterinburg - A vet pike is defending the town. The cat fails, and the first vet sword dies. But an elite sword is successful. Now there is a regular pike showing. A second elite sword dies, but a third takes the city.

Seige of Rostov - One catapult takes a hit on a vet pike, but a healthy vet pike still defends. Two vet swords die, but the third succeeds. There is now a wounded pike and a vet archer defending. We use a horse, but it is retreated. Then the pike shows, so we use the elite. Finally the only unit we have left is a spearman facing up against a wounded archer. We use him anyway, and Rostov falls.

 

[Sandman2003]

T-Money, GR8MadMax, I take it that the last post answered your questions. I will be looking ot take the war to the Babylonians as soon as possible. They are the arch nemesis emerging in this game. If you recall, I mentioned that they ahd started on Leos a while ago, meaning they are at invention at least. My mistake in the last game was certainly letting a civ run away with it when they got a head start.

biggamer132, thanks for checking in.

 

[T-Money]

Yeah, the Babylonians would definitely be a good target at this point. Looks like you're off to a good start. And btw, am I correct in believing that war happiness is when instead of your people rioting because of a war, they throw WLTKD? And this only happens when you're defeating your enemy, right?

 

[steviejay]

yup. Sometimes it happens if you'd had wars with them in the past. it can be very useful sometimes.

Good set of turns. I'm really worried about your rep though, however I do know what its like being forced to wait

Its always really annoying to see a runaway Civ (unless its you )

Good luck!!

 

[El Loco]

As steviejay said, be careful with ur rep. Since you get your techs by trading a tarnished rep will be trouble. Great campaign agianst the Japs and Russians i see you have taken a more agresive posture. Good luck!