WOTM 60 First Spoiler - 1AD

[Deckhand]

WOTM 60 First Spoiler - 1AD

Reading Requirements

Stop! If you are participating in WOTM 60 (Khan), then you MUST NOT read this thread unless EITHER

• You have reached at least 1ADin your game, OR
• You have submitted your entry, OR
• You have abandoned your game and will not submit.

Posting Restrictions
Please do not discuss anything that happened after 1AD.
Please do not discuss modern era resource locations (Copper and Iron are OK).
Please do not identify any civilizations not reachable by galleys.
Please do not divulge your final result if that happened after 1AD.
Do not post any savegame file from the game. Discussions and screenshots are fine but not actual games.

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Well, was this easy for immortal?
Were you scared when you met Alexander and Caesar?
Were your keshiks able to conquer Asia?
Did any civs pop metal in a mine?

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I settled in place - there wasn't really any reason not to! And if I recall correctly, built 2 workers, then a warrior, then another worker, then barracks, ger, and then basically nothing but keshiks. The keshiks circled round a loop west-south-east-north, taking most of the cities of Peter, Alex and then Mao. So by 1AD I had about 10 cities, in roughly a ring pattern, with Russia, Greece and China all occupying bits of land in the middle (ie. South of the starting point - not very good land there so I left those cities in place.). All my cities except the capital were captured.

Techwise, I beelined alphabet, then basically switched off research to pay for my army. Most of my 'research' after that until 1ADish consisted of techs extorted for peace, which seemed to be keeping me level with most of the other AIs.

This is a very good game for trying a different strategy: I've never really gone for horse-archer wars before now, because I was too worried about high casualty rates without catapults, but had to try it in this game because of the way it was set up. I was quite surprised how effective it is - the high casualties are hugely ameliorated by the fact that you can hit cities before the AI has had a chance to build up defences. Maybe it would be less effective if I'd had to research horseback riding first, though?

The plan for after 1AD: Hopefully, finish off Russia, Greece and China, which I'm hoping should leave me big enough to survive peacefully with the other AIs.

 

[MarleysGh0st]

I usually don't even try to play at Immortal level, but since the write-up said this would be an "easy" game, I gave it a try.

I settled in place and built two more cities before declaring war on Peter in 1400 BC. I razed a border city (only one pop--I should have let it grow) before marching on Moscow. And there I found a huge stack of archers behind the walls. I chopped and whipped as many keshiks as I could, but Peter was pumping out more archers. With my economy stagnating, I attacked Moscow with everything I had in 625 BC. It was a dismal failure.

I retired from the game and decided to try again (unofficially) with the Adventurer save.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Taking a capital can be hard. I actually left Peter's capital in place because I figured there were too many archers in it - but I took all his other cities instead before moving on to Alex. That was annoying because it meant I didn't get the silver in Moscow's BFC (which was the reason I picked Peter for the first war!). However, since I'd reduced Peter to one city, I was able to come back later on with enough keshiks to take Moscow (as I recall, by then I had some swordsmen too, which helped).

I'm not an expert at horse-archer wars, but I get the impression to take a city without siege weapons, you basically have to arrive with a big enough stack in the first place. If your stack isn't big enough and has to hang around for reinforcements, then it's almost impossible because the AI will pump defenders as fast as you can bring reinforcements. I think the reason I took so many cities early on in this game was that if I felt I didn't have enough keshiks for a city (2-3 keshiks per defender, depending how big the defence bonuses were), I'd immediately move on to another city instead.

 

[zbgayumn]

I went with SIP, and then went worker, workboat, warrior, settler (I think). 2nd city was just west of the capital. That's when I built barracks and Gers and started turning out Keshiks. My tech rate stayed up for a little while, but after I DoW'd Peter and started taking cities it was really hurting. I must have got going later than DynamicSpirit because by the time I was done with Peter I had 9 cities (took 6, founded one more). I left Caesar and Alex alone, which I may come to regret.

I did crank out a couple of swords to help take Moscow. I saved it for last, but even so, it was a really close thing. One less victory at 60-67% odds and I probably would've been screwed.

I slogged my way through CoL at 20% science. I might have run out of money to deficit spend, but then I lost out on the Parthenon 4 turns from completion. I got some trades for CoL, and with courthouses my maintenance became bearable. I got Currency after that and clawed my way back up to 50% science. I still seem to be a bit behind and now I'm seeing a lot of "We fear you are becoming too advanced".

I'm still chasing my first win on Immortal. Given the handicap on this one, I should really be able to do it, I'm just not sure what the VC is going to be at this point. If it's domination, the Keshiks aren't going to be effective all that long past 1 AD, so do I go for guilds or bypass Knights and go straight for Cavalry?

 

[Jastrow]

I settled in place (was there a reasonable alternative), and decided to initially skip Agri, and go striaght for AH-mining-BW, to get pig, gold, and start to chop. I built up a little before doing the Keshnik thing... A city near Horses to the west, and a helper city to collect beavers and hepp grow cottages to the East. I also put a city to the south to share the corn.

I built barracks and ger in the capital and horse city, and start cranking out the Keshnick. Took almost all of Peter (A city to the east of Moscow, then Moscow, and then 3 more cities southwards), leaving him with two seperated and useless cities which I will whip out later when there is nothing better to do. I then turned on Alex, and have taken two of his cities... His capital should fall in about 6 turns from now, and two more cities will fall shrotly after that.

So, at 1AD, I have 11 cities which are turning out 200 bpt @100%, which I expect to be able to sustain for a while with selling techs and taking cities. 6 of my cities have libraries, and I will get Education in about 11 turns, and should get the GS for my acadamy in 10 turns. I am running Beuraucracy of course.

3 civs (incluidng myself) have alphabeth, and from what I can see, I am on tech parity with Wang (I have paper which he does not, but he has compas which I dont), and significantly leading the others. Unfortuntaly Wang is WHEOORN, but he is +2 with me, and -2 or 3 with a couple of AI, so hopefully I am not the target. As long as I am indeed not being hit, then I should be able to keep the tech edge to liberalism... I also hope to get to close to 20 cities before the Keshnik rush stalls (which will of course hapen instantly once a single longbow appears), which I hope wil make be big enough to compete against the immortal bonuses. Time will tell...

Victory? Immortal on Warlords... Anyone I can get!

 

[FiveRings]

I played very much like DynamicSpirit with very much the same outcomes. I seem to be teching somewhat slower than DS/Jastrow, though. Anyway, HBR was a huge handicap and it will be a pity if I don't win this IMM.

 

[lymond]

ha..it certainly easy when the AIs don't have metals lol

Domination is very easy with this map and Keshiks. However, I think I want to try Space here. Unfortunately I came so close to tripping Dom early that I had to gift some cities to Fred.

I SIP and went straight for Keshiks, settling just 1 other city to the south initially. I took out China and Russia early. Man, the AIs expand like rabbits in Warlords. I think I take there last city and the settle another one.

I ended up vassaling Alex as the unhappiness was killing me as I was fight two wars (Korea). Glad I did really - again, forgot about Dom and the stupid inability to gift cities to vassals on Warlords. (and not being able to trade techs with the either sucks)

Currently I'm picking at Rome and Korea with Keshiks and cats now that they have Feud. I plan to take all of Korea - they are almost done anyway and he has several wonders including GLH and TGL - but I can't take much more than that. I might try to hopefully get Alex to take some of Rome's city. Not that Alex is going to help me much, but Rome will be a threat later if I don't cripple or eliminate hm.

 

[shulec]

I went for Peter first, then Alexander, who built me about 15 workers!! No metal for AI!!! Mao's capitol is ripe for a two turn keshik attack. That will get me the pyramids.

14 cities. Poised to take last Alex city. Just finished construction. Will be whipping Markets soon for happiness from fur and silk and to increase cash flow.

140 bpt at 100%.

 

[zamint3]

11 cities at 1AD.
Expanded to 6 cities, took 3 from Wan Kong and 2 from Mao
Mao expanded NW and actually claimed the southern horses and then declared war, big mistake!
He's got loads of archers in his remaining cities, so I'm pillaging every single tile he improved and will leave him for later....
179 bpt at 100% , break even is another story (but I do have 915 g in the bank)