[SPOILERS] Four Score & Seven Dynasties Ago: Pindicator plays Lincoln of China

[pindicator]

Turn 118

So with the idea of doing an all-in attack off the table, I switched Hammer Bros to Wealth and ran the slider up to 70%. Monarchy in 4. What I plan on doing is finishing the CKN in Birdo and then having it build a forge or Wealth. Bob-Omb is going to put 2 turns into a forge and then have a a tree chop come in on t119, setting me up for a 2-pop whip on t120. Originally I was going to 2-pop whip this turn (it just grew into unhappiness) to get a barracks and overflow into a partially built CKN. But now I'll get the forge in place, finish those half-built units, and then go to Wealth.

What do I do with those CKNs? I'll have 4. I plan on flashing one to sunrise, probably somewhere inside my borders that he can see. I want to reinforce the notion that attacking me is not something he should be considering. But I want to keep them away from Moogle's sight. Yes, i run the risk of sunrise saying something in the thread but I'll take that chance.

With those CKNs guarding Bob-Omb and Bullet Bill, I'll move up the axes and spears to let me claim a border city north of Bob-Omb and east of Bullet Bill. I want to put a spear head up here, a city that I can use to either attack Proxy or head north to cut off Moogle's horses. Just have to figure out which city is going to build that settler.

I have graphs on most of the western world, so let's take a look at those:

GNP



MFG



Crop Yield



Power



The one that really surprises me is Rome. They must have been choked or just had some awful, awful land. Last in everything it looks like. But if the land is bad why wouldn't they just beeline for Iron Working? Or maybe they did and they don't have iron. That would suck.

Looking at my GNP it's easy to point out where I was saving cash for Currency, then where I was researching Currency at 100%, then the Wealth Build plateau, and finally the recent production spike lowering my GNP.

And I know I've already pointed this out, but I do love seeing Moogle's GNP in the gutter like that. I know he's a nice guy, and nothing against him personally, but it's going to make an attack down the line all the more impactful seeing how much his GNP is hurting now.

Thought I grabbed demos but it appears I did not. So the cliff notes version:

• I am #4 in GNP. Willing to bet that Ichabod, Sunrise, and Lewwyn are 1, 2, & 3 although who knows which order.
  
• Still #1 in MFG by a wide margin.
  
• #3 in crops. But #1 is 138 and I am at 137. So either someone later in the turn order (Moogle?) is tied with me, or someone earlier in the turn order (Ichabod?) is tied with Sunrise at 138.
  
• #4 in soldier points. I think thats a healthy spot.

[Injera]

Oh, and as I said before I'd love to hear what you guys would have done. Post in the lurker thread if you think it's spoilerish, but it's certainly an interesting problem.

Well, take this with a grain of salt as you're a lot better at MM than I am, but...

I don't know how I would have played it as the situation was unfolding, but I think cottaging yellow (with a plains farm 1w to irrigate the corn just before CS lands) and then farming the tile 1e of blue instead of cottaging it would have ended up being better in the long-term.

I think the mines vs. windmills thing mostly comes down to how often Birdo is going to get that sheep.

It's a really tough position, if it were me I'd probably ask myself if Hammer Bros is really going to need that grassland farm SE of it. I think I looked at the city screen before and counted that it would need it to work all of its mines, but I can't remember if I counted the future irrigation of the rice in that.

[pindicator]

Well, take this with a grain of salt as you're a lot better at MM than I am, but...

I don't know how I would have played it as the situation was unfolding, but I think cottaging yellow (with a plains farm 1w to irrigate the corn just before CS lands) and then farming the tile 1e of blue instead of cottaging it would have ended up being better in the long-term.

I think the mines vs. windmills thing mostly comes down to how often Birdo is going to get that sheep.

It's a really tough position, if it were me I'd probably ask myself if Hammer Bros is really going to need that grassland farm SE of it. I think I looked at the city screen before and counted that it would need it to work all of its mines, but I can't remember if I counted the future irrigation of the rice in that.

I was actually looking at the blue farm thinking how I wished it was swapped with the cottage to its east. As for irrigating the rice, I'm going to bring that in from the north via Thwomp so we don't need to worry about it comes from here. But I remember thinking Hammer Bros does need extra farmland down the line, or even if it doesn't then Birdo will. Because as I run more specialists in Piranha that sheep is going to be less and less available. So I probably will farm over one of those cottage tiles later on the road. Still, it's not something I have to do until I need the extra food.

[pindicator]

Oh yeah, you see that scoreboard?



Lincoln sees the scoreboard and you know what Lincoln says?

Right back at ya, Lincoln.

[Ceiliazul]

Oh yeah, you see that scoreboard? Lincoln sees the scoreboard and you know what Lincoln says?

Right back at ya, Lincoln.

I don't see the scoreboard.

[pindicator]

I don't see the scoreboard.

Whoops! Fixed that; go check again

[pindicator]

Turn 122

So with Monarchy coming in last turn we took over the top spot in the scoreboard. I'm also up to 60 pop, and most of my cities are at the happy cap. Wines can't be hooked up fast enough, but sadly I only had 3 workers in the area so they will be online next turn. 10 cities and 15 workers; I could use a few more.

Oh, and is it too much to ask for an event this game? I still have yet to see one. Meanwhile Moogle keeps getting the good ones:



My next tech is Aesthetics, due in 5 turns. I took the capital off of Wealth and it's building a spear. I want at least 3 spears in the capital to guard against any sunrise galley drop-offs. Right now it only has a warrior. Speaking of Goomba, it is 3 turns away from telling me if I bulb Feudalism or if I get a Great Merchant.



I know I mentioned bulbing CS before, but I may not do that now. If I bulb CS that means I need to wait for after Engineering is bulbed. Right now my best estimates on tech are Aesthetics (127), Alphabet (132), Construction (138). Maybe that goes down a turn or two. Anyway, then I would need to research Code of Laws (142) before I can bulb CS. So the merchant would stand around twiddling his thumbs for about 17 turns before I bulbed. Or I could settle him... I'm thinking about settling him in Goomba and giving the 2nd corn over to Piranha Plant permanently. Although, bulbing CS would help a lot of cities grow by being able to pull in irrigation. Oh well, no need to fret this because I'm going to bulb Feudalism with a GE

This was also the turn I hired Great People back in Piranha



It will gain 2 more happy next turn when the wines are hooked up, so the unhappiness is short-lived.

Take a peek at what's going on over at the Moogle border:



He's hooking up his iron but he's moved his entire garrison out of Proxy Pylon to do it. So I moved my pair workers E and roaded the tile north of Bob-Omb. Then I'm going to double move Moogle and take out that stack: those workers plus a third are going to road the desert, and I will move my units in Bob-Omb 2NE on the first turn and then engage him on the 2nd. I have 2 CKNs, 2 axes, and 2 spears. I believe the CKNs will take out the archer and the axe, then the axes will get odds on the spears. Then I have 2 more workers and Moogle is denied iron Hopefully it's his only source.

Also, does he not realize that sentry chariots can see past hills? I could try to double move his city with that chariot; it would be 35% odds but that's still a good risk he's running.

Demos

[pindicator]

Well, I slept through my turn last night and thankfully find I have time this morning. But wait, sunrise didn't also play and he usually plays in my evenings? Maybe I'm just paranoid but I think I'll whip that Spear I'm building in Thwomp.

Edit: And I come in to find my sentry chariot killed and Moogle's workers & stack gone. He double-turned me to kill the chariot... but where did the stack go and why did they leave everything incomplete? Could he have spotted my troops in Bob-Omb?

[pindicator]

Moogle & I have been doing some double moving back and forth. He killed my sentry chariot, I killed the offending spear. Then he chose not to kill my axe so I pulled it back. Wish I had a few more CKNs, I would go after the stack he has by Proxy.

And I popped the merchant So I need to decide: settle or save for CS. And if I settle, which city?

[Rowain]

How about a trade-mission to moogle