Tech deficit: I'm not counting Mono and Theo because they have no effects that we do not already have through SP, and drama isn't relevant much either so not counting that as a positive for us. Tech costs will be in spoiler underneath the player lists.
Simply put; Artist bombs are fucking useless, but I'm glad we had two artists.
novice, I only see one solution that doesn't end with us giving up Willow Lake, and that is bombing it with the second Artist. There is a stack of cav north of WL that will destroy any stack we put in dtays territory and then retake WL. Artist bombing again will get us atleast the first ring, and the first ring tile adjacent to Avendale so we can safely take that city next turn without putting any units in danger.
I know this completely fucks up any long term strategy but frankly it's all fucked anyway.
I can't play the turn tonight, but if you agree with dumping hte second bomb into WL, then I imagine you should be able to play the turn tomorrow if you have an opportunity in the monring, or I can get it when I come back from work before I visit my parents for Xmas eve (I'll be back home on evening of the 24th).
My civ access is rather limited atm, so I'll leave the turn to you. If burning the second artist gives us the chance to keep WL and take Avendale, go for it.
If this entire attack fails, it was worth a shot anyway.
The game is still paused, I need to grab a shower and something to eat, but I'm thinking we just sit tight and build as much culture in WL as possible. Tech Music this turn at 100%, then finish Astro>PP with nothing spare. WL is actually a very defensible city, rivers on every side and on a hill. Even Cav are not going to have much luck with that city and it will not gradually increase back up to 80% cultural defence. If and when we get the tiles adjacent to Avendale smack it with a cannon stack. We put 88 culture per turn into those tiles, I believe that Avendale at 40% would only put in 40+culture per turn. We could end up being able to attack in as little as 2 turns, and then we raze it, or hold it with a nominal force because it will be one moveable from the north. We could replace it with a city 1S though if we built a settler. I don't quite see the point as we would have to give the food away from WL as the crab will never be ours so long as Bell Preston stands. Better off just razing it and splitting dtay in half.
