[Spoilers] rho21 follows the works of Homer... D'OH!

[rho21]

Turn 171

Score tracking
Aztec income dropped significantly again. No obvious reason for it, perhaps more military units that haven't been reflected in the strength totals.

Military
My engineer in the arctic ocean got kicked again.

In the south, one of my knights was attacked by the barbarian ranger for middling damage and, handily, a promotion. I'll swap it out for an undamaged, unpromoted knight. That was a bit surprising, though. I was assuming that a barbarian ranger would have the same AI routines as a barbarian scout - avoid conflict and find cities - until its camp was destroyed. Apparently not.

Anyway, two attacks kills the ranger, bringing another promotion into the bargain. Should be easily able to finish off the camp next turn.

A scout in the eastern ocean spots an Aztec caravel not far from my coast. Handily I do now have a caravel so I can point at it and see it doesn't have any support bonuses. Phew, probably not an invasion force.

This does pose a quandary though, as it's in range of both a frigate and a caravel at Dinostratus, but I can't afford to lose either.
If the caravel has battleships close behind, my ships off the coast of Dinostratus are in severe danger whatever I do.
If the caravel has battleships some distance behind, I'm best off keeping my ships at home ready to upgrade next turn.
If the caravel has no friends around, I do best by crippling it then falling back next turn for upgrades.

The clincher is that the caravel can see my scout (for some reason caravels can see 3 tiles) and will have the option to seriously damage it. I'm happy to leave it as bait: if an attack is brewing, the delay an attack on the scout would entail would actually be great for me as ideally I'd be avoiding any naval engagements here until I have 2 battleships and an ironclad rather than a caravel, a frigate and a quadrireme.

So my fleet stays at home, for now. I do wish I could hide them all in port though!


Housekeeping
First things first, the caravel is complete so I switch both technology and civic research, to Steam Power and Natural History, both due next turn.

Dinostratus gets started on a privateer next. Could be handy to upgrade to a submarine erelong, and if I can get three of them it will boost Electricity.

At Perseus, I take the opportunity to chop a forest through the frigate that was due to complete this turn. That gives 119119, providing 223 of overflow. Hmm, that's actually a number. It's only 30 short of enough to finish another frigate. Sadly no point putting it to that or to a caravel, as they will become obsolete before the unit will be completed. I decide on finishing off the harbour instead.

A rainforest chop at Aristaeus provides 5959119, completing a builder with 43 overflow. Best I can do, and I want to get the tile mined. Aristaeus grows to size 8 as a result, too. The overflow goes into a monument, because yay culture.

Euclid has finished a builder and gets started on its arena, due in 6.

Menaechmus has also finished a builder. They're coming thick and fast now. It builds its encampment next, expected in 7 turns.

[rho21]

Oh dear, it's all gone wrong: the Aztecs have killed my caravel. I guess I should have guaranteed its survival, but with a known Aztec caravel about that would almost certainly have cost the quadrireme. But now I can't boost Steel, can't get any battleship upgrades this turn and can't hope to defend Dinostratus. At least there's a chance I can run the frigate to safety and upgrade it later.

I guess the Aztecs had to get their timing right at some point.

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

Why can't you boost Steel without a caravel, again? Sorry, I've lost track of your micro plans, just wanting to make sure I understand the situation here.

[rho21]

The boost for Steel is ironclad + coal mine. I have a coal mine, and the plan was to upgrade my only caravel to an ironclad this turn as I've just finished Steam Power.

I will now develop Steel at full price in 4 turns (it would take 9 turns to build an ironclad).

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

it's not just a coal mine? When did that change?

[rho21]

Turn 172

Score tracking
The Aztecs finished a civic.
Kongo finished Printing and Nationalism.

Military
As mentioned, disaster in the eastern ocean. My caravel, in the harbour at Dinostratus ready for upgrade has been destroyed, apparently by 2 battleship shots. Those were slightly above average attack rolls for the Aztecs, as they were only attacking at a 10-point advantage. I know it was only two battleship shots as the third battleship killed my scout.

So, what is there left to do militarily? The battleships will presumably be attacking Dinostratus, with the caravel in support to raze it. I don't have the ranged units on hand to try to sink the caravel in revenge (or the battleships, but they'd mostly be out of range anyway. None of my other cities in the east are coastal, so while they can be bombarded, it won't do much unless there are troops on the way over too. Kongo has a couple of coastal cities though.

My quadrireme in Dinostratus has no real chance but my frigate a little to the south can hope to run away. There's a chance I can slip it past the battleships and join up with my other frigates in the arctic. If I can get it all the way to Perseus, that would at least give me 3 battleships to match theirs. The scouts are expendable and go with it for advance warning of anything in front.

In aid of this, my frigates at Perseus are going to be advancing cautiously. They have 4 turns until they can become battleships, and I'm going to try to use that time to sink that caravel the Aztecs have patrolling. I'm pretty sure there can't be more battleships up that way.

Housekeeping
Steam Power and Natural History are done. Rotten timing, all told. There's now nothing to change in the government, even. I continue Steel and Nationalism, both due in 4 turns. At least those work together to let me switch into Professional Army then, assuming the loss of culture from Dinostratus doesn't slow things down.

I hate it when a plan fails to come together.

The doomed Dinostratus switches production to an acropolis project, just for the little trickle of extra culture. It also hands over as many tiles as possible to adjacent cities.

Perseus has finished its harbour and starts on an ironclad: I will need one anyway if I ever hope to conduct raids from the sea.

Aristaeus has finished its monument and gets going on an archaeologist, due in 9 turns. For once, the dig sites aren't massively in the way of all my plans.

[rho21]

Turn 173

Score tracking
Kongo has upgraded a fifth field cannon.

Military
The Aztecs sank my quadrireme and destroyed the walls of Dinostratus. My frigate continues its run towards safety.

In the arctic ocean, I locate the Aztec caravel and position my frigates just out of range of a potential attack. The caravel has embolon promotion (+7 against ranged attacks), so won't be a push over.

I cleared the barbarian camp near Pataatje Oorlog. By walking in, as the Kongolese field cannon had already killed the spear in it. I decide to send Kongo the 50 proceeds.

At Near Wild Heaven, the Aztec bombards have reappeared, as a corps. There is also a field cannon corps. Just to the north, the knight that has been sat on the wooded ridge for 30 turns has moved, perhaps to form another corps there.

Housekeeping

Not much to report this turn. I think I may end up delaying Steel by a turn to let Xenocrates finish the second bombard.

[Garath]

How do Corps and Armies work in this game? I'm not entirely sure I've ever used one, and I can't remember.

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

Corps combine two units and add +10 combat strength to the unit. I THINK you keep the highest promotion, but it might have something to in the order in which you select units, not sure. Armies take three units and add +7 (on top of the corps bonus, so +17 total). Maintenance cost is the same, so it's a way in the late game to keep up your combat power while saving on gold.

Due to the way combat works, a +10 strength gain means you do about twice as much damage and take half as much in return - so it's about as effective as having two units. A +17 bonus is close to one-shotting a regular unit, I think. I'm fuzzy on the details, though.

[Quagma Blast]

Corps combine two units and add +10 combat strength to the unit. I THINK you keep the highest promotion, but it might have something to in the order in which you select units, not sure. Armies take three units and add +7 (on top of the corps bonus, so +17 total). Maintenance cost is the same, so it's a way in the late game to keep up your combat power while saving on gold.

Due to the way combat works, a +10 strength gain means you do about twice as much damage and take half as much in return - so it's about as effective as having two units. A +17 bonus is close to one-shotting a regular unit, I think. I'm fuzzy on the details, though.

+10 strength is "deal 1.5x damage, take 2/3 damage"; it's +17 that's "deal double, take half". Typical damage at equal strength is around 30, an average damage roll oneshots targets at about +30 combat strength.