[SPOILERS] Suboptimal's Arabian Adventure

[Emperor K]

Never give up, Never surrender!

[suboptimal]

Never give up, Never surrender!

If I was going to do that it would have occurred about 15 turns ago.

The game isn't continuing until tomorrow evening so I've got some time to figure out how to inflict maximum pain with minimal units.

[suboptimal]

Turn 88



As expected the Americans have attacked. What to do here in order to inflict maximum pain before Glenkinchie falls next turn? First, some minor movements….

- Scout in the east moves out of harm’s way. Going to enter American territory down by Ohio to see if there’s any pillaging to be done.

- I pillage the Library at Stockholm for the science. That leaves one turn on Machinery. I switch research to Horseback Riding and start an Archer at Tomatin. If I’m lucky I’ll finish it in time to upgrade it to a Crossbow right as Rowain comes knocking on the capital.

- I have 193 gold. I can revolt to build and finish the archer in 5 turns for 50 gold. That drops me to 143 making 11.6 per turn. 11.6 x 5 is….58. That gives me just enough. I do it to change out Strategos for Agoge. I do have a government change coming in three turns, but that count will go up once Glenkinchie falls. After making this change the Archer is complete in 4 turns, not 5. Throws off the timetable a little bit, but that’ll let me complete the chariot while I wait for the last bit of gold.

Back at the main battlefield I move the chariot SE of Tomatin out of the range of the Archer. The chariot W of Glenkinchie can’t do anything. My thinking here is to attack the swordsman twice – that might weaken it enough where I could kill it next turn and threaten the ram. However, he can just move it. Alternatively I could kill a horseman with two bombards, flank with the chariot and attack with the swordsman. Neither of these is a good option but I think killing the horse makes life at Tomatin a little easier. Chariot advances, city bombards first for….16 damage. Yeah, this isn’t happening. The Encampment can’t see over the hill so hits an Archer for 29. Swordsman attacks the damaged horse for another 20-something. Flanking complete the chariot moves back to the west of Glenkinchie. I’ll have Glenkinchie for another turn at the most...it’ll be American by Turn 90.

[suboptimal]

Turn 89

Open the save and….



I still have Glenkinchie.  It’ll be American next turn.  As for those war notifications on the right, Ichabod has decided to take  Jerusalem.  Right.  Scout moves towards Ohio, sees an archer and walls in the city and backs away slowly.  Over at Stockholm I continue my mischief and pillage the Campus.  Horseback Ridingis down to 2 turns.  .  

At the main battle theater the puzzle continues to be what to do to maximize the damage I can do to American units.  The Encampment takes another shot at the archer in the woods, bringing it down to redline.  I move chariots around at Tomatin to get the injured one into the city to heal and position the other one to possibly threaten Rowain’s injured archer next turn.  Swordsman does what swordsman does and attacks the American one.  Heavy Chariot falls back to Tomatin and will cross the river next turn.  My best bet here to slow things down is to use the river to my advantage since Rowain will need to cross it.  The swordsman is toast (with Glenkinchie).  Since the city will fall I teleport Boudica to Tomatin now rather than letting the computer do it for me (just in case ).

[suboptimal]

Turn 90

As expected:


Wait, what?  I still hold the city?  Ah, Rowain is not using his swordsman to attack.  If I use mine to attack, though, it will die.  It stays put.  I move Boudica back to Glenkinchie as I realize (too late) that heavy chariots are ancient units and not affected by her.  Encampment potshots the now-promoted archer, heavy chariot moves adjacent to it to attack next turn.  


(Picture taken after my moves, not before.  I blame the surprise.)

Out at Stockholm the warrior moves to a farm.  If it survives to next turn (possible given AI incompetence) I’ll pillage to heal and decide what sort of trouble I want to cause.  In the east my redlined scout runs away from an archer.  It can’t go far enough and will most likely die next turn.  Horseback Riding is due in one turn.

[suboptimal]

Turn 91

Is Glenkinchie gone?



Yup.  It’s gone.  Rowain left a redlined horseman in range of the Encampment so I take my shot, doing 14 damage but not killing it.  

Time for the One City Challenge portion of the program.  So, what to do now?  Sit rep:

- Horseback Riding completed
- Archer in Tomatin completes next turn 
- One turn left on Machinery 
- 178 in the bank, making +12 per turn.  I’ll have 200 turn after next unless some pillaging happens.
- Games & Recreation completes in one turn.

I change techs to Currency just to delay Machinery by one turn.  Turn after next I’ll upgrade the archer to a crossbowman That will give me a higher city defense and something that can do some damage against the forces arrayed in front of me provided I still have a city on Turn 94.  Heh.

Warrior at Stockholm survives.  I keep moving around towards the pasture because why not?  Scout is still alive, heads east and finds a redlined barbarian scout.  At least it's not American...

Something I should have thought of, oh, a while ago (oh wait, I did in my Turn 79 report ).  Dunno if I’ll be able to pull it off in the limited time I have, but...

[suboptimal]

Turn 92

Games & Recreation completes, as does my archer. Switch tech to Machinery, civic to Defensive Tactics (18 turns, why not?). The Encampment has been pillaged by Rowain. Two turns until the battering ram arrives. That’s enough time to get the crossbow upgrade completed. Zanzibar’s strength is up to 22. Chariots ride north. Archer and city both attack the horseman in the Encampment, bringing it down to under 30 damage. Theoretically I could repair the Encampment...in one turn. I’ll wait until it’s unoccupied and then give that a shot. Don’t know if repairing it will also repair its walls. That’d be a bit of a surprise. I have one turn left on another chariot so I resume that.

Warrior at Stockholm was redlined last turn, pillage a farm and it’s back to full strength. Scout in the east is still alive and continues looking for the coastline.

[suboptimal]

Turn 93

Open the save, Machinery is completed and I’m in the Medieval Age. Chariot completes and heads north with the other three. It’s slow going. America has moved in on Tomatin and taken down the walls – I probably won’t last the turn. Nevertheless I upgrade the archer to a crossbowman and set production to repair the Encampment. The likelihood of a Turn 94 is slim at this point.

Out east the scout discovers The Pantanal north of Brussels. I’m a bit surprised that no one has settled over here. Research back to Currency because why not at this point?

[suboptimal]

As of this post Rowain and Bacchus have both competed their turns and PYDT is indicating that I'm in the game. Looks like I might just get a Turn 94 after all.....

[suboptimal]

Turn 94

So, I get a Turn 94.  How close to elimination am I?  Let’s see (and make this post the “death mask” of my PBEM 3 misadventures):



68/200 health left on my garrison.  Hey!  I get to use my shiny new crossbow to do something!    The encampment is rebuilt but has an American archer right in the middle of it.  I queue up a heavy chariot, that’ll be done for Turn 96.  Up in the north my chariots are being met by a welcoming party from Zanzibar and a brand new barbarian camp.  They continue moving north despite Zanzibar being at 27 strength and my game likely ending before Turn 95 gets back to me (but I’ve said that before :crazyeyes.  Warrior at Stockholm pillages for the because why not?  

Back at the capital it’s time to take my potshot.  The GUI indicates that I’ll kill either of the redlined horses so I shoot at the one NE.  It...doesn’t die and looks to have one hit point left.  The one chariot in the area I forgot to move (the one closest to the city in the screenshot) can’t reach the horse to finish the job.  It moves north to catch up to the others.

I suppose, looking back a few turns, I should have barricaded myself in with the chariots.  I’d probably had lived to see Turn 100 if I did that but, OTOH, after a point my survival here becomes a mix of spite (look at me, I’m still alive!  hahahahah!) and “make this end”.  In that sense the horseman’s survival is fitting (I can kill it!  No I can’t).

Hit next turn and I think the warrior at Stockholm just died.