[SPOILERS] A threesome becomes a twosome

[DaveV]

I logged in and flew a couple floating eye missions. Nice army you've got there, Team Boozer. It looks as though they're still staging, though, so we ought to have time to finish up Gibbon.

In the north, there's another settler on the move. It seems to be all Elohim cities in the north: Sanctuary play coming?

[plako]

I suggest moving adepts safety from Saltus. Fill it up with puppets+other replaceable units. Those cats are just 2T from Saltus. Losing the city is not that big deal. Losing Mage level adepts would be. I offered you also Earth mana. You should promote 1 of your less experienced adepts and cast Wall of Stone.

We might want to use some gold to hire Mercenaries. I gave you money to hire 1 especially, if they get 5exp. Do they?

Also Barnaxus can start his retirement. He got to Combat V this turn.

[plako]

Also please move 2 adepts (e.g. from Lakis and Thrax) near southern mana node and keep at least 1 near northern one. Next turn should go so that I dispel the northern mana then Ilians play their turn after which both of the nodes are improved to Meta. We could then on your turn cash rush Gibbon. Your middle node is not optimal, but you'll have 4 Meta that is most important at this point.

[DaveV]

We might want to use some gold to hire Mercenaries. I gave you money to hire 1 especially, if they get 5exp. Do they?

I don't think I can recruit mercenaries: the button isn't there. Maybe it only works for the civ that built it, not the team?

Here's another list of what we see with aerial reconnaissance:







It worries me that the civ for which we see the fewest units is the one showing the most power (maybe they're all Soldiers of Kilmorph?):



Surely all those troops have to be hammering their economy? Not so much:

[plako]

We had to retreat all non-replaceable units from Saltus to Liti. No need to puppet spam Saltus either. They would be free experience. So basically we should leave only Ice Elemental behind.



We want to cash rush Gibbon this turn. That will make an obstacle that will stop their invasion. Please cover Mud golem W from Liti with sword. Everything else should go to Liti. Thraxis in danger too so you should leave some defenders there+ puppets.

More to come.

[plako]

I've played Ilians turn now. You can improve the nodes you can to Meta. Please let me know how much gold you need and I try to make it. Had to go now.

[DaveV]

I actually have 21 gold to spare. Metamagic mana from the new nodes didn't show up until I left and rejoined the game.

Here's the situation at Saltus. It's grim.



In one of the all-time moves, I have one of my two promotable adepts sitting in the city. I'm not even sure how that happened - probably I was trying to move in a puppet and had the wrong unit selected. In another dumb move, I sent out what I thought was a 3-move swordsman to kill a barb warrior at the "3 moves" sign at the bottom of the picture. He turned out to be a two move unit, and is stranded outside the city. I should have just left the barb there; he would have done us a favor by pillaging the road. I also attacked a warrior just west of Saltus. That one is somewhat more justified: I didn't want him removing the Stoneskin promotion from my Freak. Anyway, .

We have no prayer of holding this city, and now they'll be on our road network. I think it's best to leave my units in the city, to force them to use as many catapults as possible. It might be best to move out your chariots, though. They can hit both of your mud golems on the jungle tiles.

Edit: I checked techs, and they went for Animal Handling instead of Feudalism. For hawks, presumably. I guess I'm in no position to question their strategy for this game .

Edit2: I didn't end turn yet.

[plako]

Catapults won't die. Most of them will withdraw.

We need all the units alive to survive. Snowfall is nothing, if we don't have units to take advantage of the weakened units. I strongly recommend leaving just minimal defenses there.

[plako]

Blinding Light would have been very useful. Can you make 1 Mage to Sun II?

[plako]

I was considering long and hard what to do with your units and with heavy heart I think you should dispand all the puppets. Withdraw swords and freak and just leave warriors + unlucky Adept behind. Final desicion is yours so I paused so you can make it.