[SPOILERS] A new Thread [SPOILERS]

[spacetyrantxenu]

If Furungy's cannon are in cities you wouldn't be able to flank attack them, I'm pretty sure. If he were to leave a stack on a coast accessible tile, though...

[Mardoc]

If Furungy's cannon are in cities you wouldn't be able to flank attack them, I'm pretty sure. If he were to leave a stack on a coast accessible tile, though...

Not only are they in cities, they're in inland cities. Honestly, it's not Flanking his cannon that's the vital bit - it's tactical offense to deny the collateral. Just about any unit I have or could have can kill cannon 1v1, if I can set up the battlefield to let me get the first strike.

I was thinking something more vague and hopeful . I know I don't have a plan yet, just ideas bouncing around in my head.

An actual plan would look something like this, probably. Take his islands, take the narrow parts of Rome, and wait for him to try to counterattack. Plan to have the main big fight in neutral culture, near cities I've taken from the sea. The use of cavalry is more for the 6 tile reach in neutral culture than for the Flanking bonus - although that's handy too.

I would basically be relying on galleons for my mobility, never ever marching through Roman culture. If done right, that would mean I get to pick the battlefields, and guarantee tactical offense.

Definitely not an easy or straightforward plan, though! Just...perhaps doable.

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In other news, 2metra did another very deep set of whips last turn. Maybe what I really need to be focusing on right now is flexibility, and look to pile on wherever he goes next. Which would argue for going Railroad next anyway, and focusing my builds on airships and galleons for a few turns.

Edit: And would also argue for doing something conspicuous and helpful. Like, say, sending him a pair of airships . Make it clear that he's got an ally, if I can do that without talking

[Mardoc]

K, Railroads due in three, also 2 Airships in 2metra's hands. Hopefully he finds a weak spot in Zanth or Furungy and takes advantage

For the moment we're caught up to Zanth in GNP; I guess Corp really was worth a lot. He's going to keep pulling away, though, unless we get our hands on more land.

We're up to something like 110 EP/turn, which is catching us up to Zanth (although it's also inflating our GNP to make that a difficult comparison). OTOH, pretty soon he'll have to either give up on vision or run the slider again. And it's starting to give us vision on a few BaII cities.

Will try to do a better report sometime this weekend. I've got a fair bit on my to-do list, though, so no guarantees.

[Mardoc]

I gift the Airships, then 2metra updates his thread, logs in and out four separate times in one turn. Maybe it's a coincidence. Maybe he just has time on a Sunday morning to think about the game.

But maybe....maybe I sparked something by giving him firmer information on both his neighbors' troop dispositions and my intentions.

I need to start moving troops away from BaII and toward one of 2metra's potential targets (Furungy and Zanth). I'm not ready to hit BaII anyway, so that won't cost me anything. If 2metra gives me a second opportunity this game, I need to be ready to actually take it. I don't know if I could forgive myself if I let two golden opportunities slip away from me.

And if I'm wrong, and it's just a coincidence after all? Well, then it's a good drill for the troops .

[Mardoc]

Huh. 2metra gave me back one Airship, on Furungy's border. I don't quite know what that means

- No thanks
- Sure, you attack here
- Maybe, if you go first
- Just a misclick while scouting?

Also, the Golden Age is delayed . Popped a second Great Prophet at 20% odds instead of the 'anything else' that I needed. Guess Angkor Wat wasn't a perfect deal after all.

14 more turns, unless I can find a way to hurry it.

Dunno what to do next. Just going to keep on keeping on for the moment.

[Mardoc]

Alright, well. Keep doing what I've been doing = lose. No GA to bail me out, no guarantee of help. That means I've got to hit someone and make it count.

Therefore, mid-term plan is to build a lot of airships and cannon and research up to Assembly Line. Also a few machine guns and build a rail network. Then revolt to slavery/theocracy, whip a bunch of infantry, turn science off, upgrade all my Janns and Rifles to Infantry, and go hit someone. And that someone probably needs to be Furungy - he's got the Town density I need to get back in this. Hope for 2metra to join in, but don't count on it. I'm still going to keep the other options in the back of my mind, particularly BaII.

Why infantry? Because Rome's got a ton of rifle/cav/gren forces. 20 + 25% vs gunpowder, can make things happen. Even strength, probably not. Plus, I'm close to infantry anyway.

Need to revisit the tech comparison again soon. Doublecheck who's vulnerable and who can just match my tech by the time I've got an army built and staged.

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

Also, the Golden Age is delayed . Popped a second Great Prophet at 20% odds instead of the 'anything else' that I needed. Guess Angkor Wat wasn't a perfect deal after all.

20% you say? So THAT's where it went!

[Mardoc]

Heh - has someone been rolling non-Prophets somewhere? I console myself with the thought that I wouldn't have a GP yet anyway if I hadn't built AW.

Random relevant info:

Upgrade cost: 20 + 3*Hammer diff.

Jann: 80
Rifle: 110
Infantry: 140

Jann - Inf: 200g
Rifle - Inf: 110g

I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but we've something like 30 Rifles and 15 Janns. Could therefore absorb 6300g usefully.

[flugauto]

Sorry for no posts. I was busy.

How about keeping Cast, switching into Universal Suffrage and Nationhood and Theocracy for 5-10 turns, 100% gold slider, rushbuying and drafting infantry. How many infantry could it be? 50-100? Would it be enough to go after Furungy?

[Mardoc]

Oh my goodness. Gawdzak declared war on dick76, and apparently took two cities!

I think I have a new target. Dick's got Redcoats, and they aren't obsolete. Sure, he's not got as much army, and he's apparently taken by surprise. But I think he's likely to be a tougher nut than Gawdzak anticipates.

On my end of things, China is extremely vulnerable. Most cities are guarded by axes, and he's got one modest stack of modern troops. Presumably because his army is elsewhere...but that means I'm likely to be able to get a fair distance in before any counterattack comes. Gawdzak's got cannon and railroad, so there's a limit to how far I might be able to push, but...he can't rebalance too very much, not right after he picked a fight.

Tomorrow I need to look at logistics and timings. Need to decide if I move right now, or wait until Assembly Line finishes and I get a railroad in place and so on. Pros and cons to both - on the one hand, Infantry really are a big jump. On the other hand, if I get land now, then I might well be able to make the main battle on my own terms.