Square Leg is Garrim Gyrrrrrrr - An Angry Dwarf

[Square Leg]

The manual is good, but very out of date unfortunately.

Yeah - It is a great start but needs updating in a lot of areas. I guess that no-one is taking that forward right now.

T123

Eventt log first:



So Bob founded CoE - no idea where as it doesn't show until the shrine is built - lets hope it isn't in a city about to get smashed, for Bob's sake anyway.

Now that I have trade I can start to figure out all the techs that everyone has. Unfortunately that isn't going to be today, but I will do it soon. For now though, here is a shot of the tech screen:

One thing of note is that Serdoa has KotE - I should imagine he is building the Catacomb Libralus or working towards it. It is a good wonder for the Sheaim, especially Os Gabella who is Industrious.

It grants a Mage Guild in all of your cities and also has the side benefit of +4bpt, +4cpt +2GS gppt and allowing 1 sage to be run. 600h on normal and it doesn't have a doubler so that is 402h or 201h for Serdoa. Of course he will need to build a Mage Guild in the city first.

After building it he should probably start building Planar Gates to spawn some Mobius Witches:

Str4, Mv1

•Can Build Mana Nodes (300% Workrate)
•Starts with 14 Experience, and is Level 4 (Promotions
Spent)
•Small chance to start with each Rank 1 Magic Sphere
Chances are per sphere, so could rarely have every
sphere, can fairly commonly have none
•Starts with: Channeling 1&2

Insta Mages - can sometimes be awesome, can sometimes be a bit weak. Regardless - fun!

I also had a quick peek at the trades screen:

Iskender is getting Boday Mana from the Clan... poo.

Here are the Demographics:

And the standard F1 screen:

The last thing that I did this turn was offer OB to Serdoa for some foreign trade routes and also I asked for a loan of his horses. Neigh.

[Sciz]

the pictures don't work

[Jkaen]

do for me

[Square Leg]

the pictures don't work

They do for me too - I know sometimes there is trouble with dropbox being blocked though...

[Square Leg]

Two very interesting chats:

Firstly with Bob:

11:47 Bob: woo downloading ffh now
btw some bad news about pbem V
11:48 iskender is in the Clan's pocket
he won't declare on them, and he might be joining them vs. me soon, although that's so stupid I hope I'm wrong
Square Leg: Yay!
and
boo
11:49 Bob: yeah, it's a shame cause' the clan has like nothing defending their back line
I don't get his play at all.
11:50 ally with the conquest civ
don't attack them when you have a chance of stopping them
run some sort of weird elven hybrid game
idk maybe it will all make sense when I read his spoiler thread whenever. Or not :P
11:51 Square Leg: well, I don't get it either...
I wonder if their nap is only until T130 or not now
Bob: iskender said 130 in chat, but yeah he could have been lying through his teeth
not like he was under any obligation to tell me the truth
he did outright say that they were allied
11:52 Square Leg: urgh
what does iskender get from it?
he won't get land
Bob: said it was "too late" to help, and when I asked what that meant (genuinely had no idea), he said that he had chosen sides
Square Leg: maybe he has been promised my land or something
Bob: probably
11:53 he also did mention that the clan was sending him body mana
but that seems like a really lame reason to join with them
Square Leg: yeah - there must be more
11:54 Bob: it doesn't make any sense though. He has to fight them, unless he doesn't want to win the game. Even if they have a Forever NAP, Clan will win via Dom before Iskender can pull off a tower win, which idk if he even has the nodes for
Square Leg: I have been fairly friendly with Iskender in the past and we do have an active NAP - i wonder if I can get something out of him in chat - he can be pretty cagey when he wants to be though.
Bob: if he's splitting territory, he's just going to lose it later
maybe he's going to religion
that would be my guess
clan is allowing him to spread it everywhere, inquisition away the veil maybe
11:55 Square Leg: perhaps - don't know that religion is that easy in MP tbh
surely the clan will be able to prevent it
11:56 Bob: yeah, easily, unless they have an agreement that iskender will be allowed to spread leaves to all their cities in return for assistance or something
11:57 that would inevitably result in a clan loss, though
Square Leg: yeah - but the clan will just spread AV or something else everywhere too
Bob: yeah, there would have to be a seperate clause about that if they have a pact
honestly, it doesn't make sense either way
11:58 Square Leg: Have you got hunting?
nm - you have a magic eye
Bob: either the Clan would be giving Iskender a free religion win, since he could spread leaves faster than they can win by Dom, or more likely Iskender isn't thinking right and is being played like a fool once again
and yeah no hunting
Square Leg: wtch out for invisible troops...
11:59 Bob: hmm
yeah
Square Leg: Iskender has a few PoL for sure - I have seen them
12:02 Here is something - if he casts into the mist - or whatever it is called - and then summons a tiger - will that tiger be invisible? No - his stack will be easily spotted in that case! lol
12:03 Bob: I think the tiger wouldn't be covered- unless he just summons it before popping the spell :P
12:04 hmm do you remember where we save patches?
like, just in the FFH folder?
or in a particular part of it?
Square Leg: ?
Bob: patching to O
Square Leg: can't remember
I CAn't check now either
Bob: np
Square Leg: remember zombie fix
12:05 How long are you away from gibbon?
12:06 Bob: not sure
depends on if I whip him
12:08 Square Leg: I would get him asap tbh - the quicker he gets promo's the better.
12:09 Bob: yeah, plus I sort of need him fast
Square Leg: lol

Summary

- Iskender seems to be "allied" with the Clan.
- Iskender has always said that his NAP with the Clan is to T130. That is fast approaching and could have been extended meaning that the Luchuirp or Sheaim are next on the "Death List" ™
- Bob is pretty pissed at Iskender - not for the first time!

Next with Iskender:

14:05 Square Leg: Hey iskender - I have thought of something I'd like instead of the blooms.
14:06 Iskender: hey
i'm all ears
Square Leg: 10t trade of you Enchantment mana for my Silk (so you don't have happy trouble)
14:07 not for a little while yet though - maybe in about 12 - 15t?
Iskender: hm, sounds good
ok
14:08 Square Leg: great
it's a shame the blooming didn't work actually
I really wanted some forests...
Iskender: yes, i hoped it would
14:09 but it's even in the popup text
that only the owner's territory can be bloomed
i missed that
Square Leg: lol - should have checked that!
Iskender: i guess you'll have to cottage it. not a bad deal for FIN
me too
14:10 Square Leg: yeah - or workshop it one day
Iskender: i've got some news
you'd better hear it first hand from me
i've joined the Clan vs the Balseraphs
Square Leg: I know already - but I appreciate you telling me at your first opportunity.
14:11 bob told me he thought you were based on a chat you had
Iskender: i declared last turn and entered his land with a couple of priests
you're probably wondering wtf am i doing
14:12 Square Leg: I must admit - supporting the clan is a strange decision - they aren't going to go peaceful in the long run and settle for a tower victory....
they will turn on your at some point
Iskender: in short, i'd rather eventually fight units spammed via warrens and even SoI than spammed summons and Gibbon
14:13 Square Leg: I can hear that
Keelyn is a monster if left alone so I guess it makes sense
14:14 Iskender: i've made that decision quite a long time ago
even before SoI i think
Square Leg: I am hoping that they stall against one another to be honest and give the rest of us some time to come up with counters to the SoI's - They are going to be the best units around for quite a while...
14:15 but with you helping maybe Bob won't last as long.
Iskender: i want to feed my priests with xp for as long as possible
14:17 Square Leg: Bob is going to be able to spam a lot of units via puppets and skeletons - I guess I should wish you good luck but secretly I hope you all stall beating on one another for long enough to let me grow and tech!
Iskender: congratulations on getting Trade btw!
14:18 i crashed my economy with that priest stuff
permanent summons are bloody expensive
Square Leg: It benefits you too in that you now kow all my techs!
lol
yeah - delete them when you don't need them!
14:19 Do you know where Bob founded Esus?
Iskender: yes
he seems fascinated with earth elementals
14:20 Square Leg: is it going to be easy to destroy? I understand he needs the religion present in the city he builds Gibbon - not for it to just be state
14:21 yeah - i am sending him earth mana for 10t starting - was it 1t ago or 2? I forget.
Iskender: he managed to get 4 sources
Square Leg: It was alwyas a place mana - I expected him to take life tbh to deal with the sheaim
Iskender: if he builds gibbon he'll get Earth III
14:22 Square Leg: earth elementals are big muscle
Iskender: illusions though, but still
Square Leg: oh really?!
Iskender: if summoned by gibbon
14:23 Square Leg: what about if summoned b a puppet?
Iskender: still
Square Leg: hmm
interesting
14:24 Still - they will make awesome top defenders and will be able to redline top defenders and expose those Sons. I am assuming that is his plan for them
14:25 Iskender: i'd gladly share my pov on that but there's still that confidentiality agreement with the clan
its whole point was this joint attack
14:27 but i believe Balseraphs will fall rather sooner than later
ah bloody CA
it doesn't matter now
14:28 Square Leg: sorry - I had a visitor
Iskender: promise you'll keep that one for youself:
Square Leg: back now
yes - I promise
Iskender: Esus had been founded in Ocells
and tredje just killed the nightwatch
Square Leg: goes to thread to find that city....
14:29 Iskender: the little one in the north
Square Leg: near the SS
Iskender: yes
Square Leg: well - he won't be building gibbon any time soon then!
14:30 Iskender: there might be a natural spread of esus. or not. i'm not sure
14:32 Square Leg: I am hazy on the spreading mechanic for esus - if bob builds a unit in a city with Esus - that unit can then be used to spread the religion - is that correct?
Iskender: yes, i think so
14:33 Square Leg: what about puppets? can they spread the religion?
14:34 Iskender: i think they can
14:38 Square Leg: Can I ask something - I must admit, I am not too upset that you have gone after bob at all really - what does concern me though is that you have sided with the clan, as such my fear is that once Bob has been neutered - the 2 of you will gang up on me and/or Serdoa. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I'd encourage you not to deal with the clan too much beyond what you have already - not because I'm going to do anything about it or threaten you, because i'm not - its more that, the clan will need to be dealt with - and I think that the world is going to need to pull together against him after this current conflict to achieve that.
14:39 Iskender: in short: my alliance with the clan is an opportunistic one
14:40 i don't want to make him any stronger
Square Leg: cool - that is really comforting to know
14:41 Iskender: i was considering making a move against serdoa, possibly using my world spell (at last), but there's to little to gain
14:42 Square Leg: yeah - I'm not sure what you can use it for now really... I'm probably the most vulnerable to it! Best get hunting before our nap expires!
14:43 Iskender: i guess the only option if bals are defeated would be to organize a coalition vs the clan
Square Leg: That is exactly what we need to do.
Iskender: i'm not sure how would serdoa fit in, but your rathas suplemented by my assassins wouldn't be bad
14:44 Square Leg: indeed - and serdoa can provide fodder in the form of PZ's
14:45 He may even have some of those Mobius Witches by then too if he is doing the smart thing and building the Catacomb
Iskender: though after reading PBEM2 standing with Serdoa in one stack would eventually give me a heart attack
14:46 Square Leg: lol
14:47 yeah - although when it comes to fighting the clan - I think the key is going to be to hit them in every direction possible and the split our forces up
one big stack for dealling with the sons and lots of otherbits and bobs to raze the shit out of his core
14:48 that would all need to be hashed out later on though.
Iskender: yes
14:50 Square Leg: I have to go now - I'll catch you soon - have fun in the land of big tops!
Iskender: cheers!

Summary

- I am going to be getting Enchantment mana for Silks for 10t from Iskender to make my adepts Enchanment 1 for free.
- We are both noobs and should have realised the blooms weren't going to work in the first place...
- "in short: my alliance with the clan is an opportunistic one" Lets hope so because giving them a safe border while they stomp around with the Sons is not a good play...
- He raised the idea of a post Balseraph alliance against the Clan! Ok - so this is actually good IMO as it is what we will have to do so I'm encouraged by the fact that Iskender isn't perhaps as "in their back pocket" as Bob thinks.

[Square Leg]

T124

Hey SL,



Had some weird stuff happening when I played (popup if I want to change my civics to Undercouncil, but I am not even near Deception...). Not sure what that was all about, maybe some error due to Bob getting the Esus-Holy City in Ocells which is nearby? Don't understand it, but whyever, if you encounter something strange as well we might have to think about replaying starting with Bobs turn, just to be save.



Oh, and let me know if that message even reaches you



Kind regards,

Serdoa

Of course I couldn't adopt it and the game functioned fine afterwards. Maybe I'll post something in the tech thread about it.

Something else quite funny:



So because I'm in apprentiship Barny got +2xp when he was re-built meaning he lost only 1xp! Less than half his xp Darrell!!!

Here is the event log confirming what we already knew:



Finally F1:

Notice WotW is due in 1t! Yay - my first 1t tech! Honor will actually be done in 3t so eot 128. 12t before my nap with the clan finishes.

[Square Leg]

Ok - so I need to look at army composition and how to get there.

My current military:

8 Warriors
1 Barnaxus
7 Mud Golems

To say that I am running paper thin is a complete understatement! Don't tell anyone!! Seriously though, this is the only way I could have afforded to bend my empire into economic mode and research up to Honor so quickly.

In this post from T114 my tech path had a couple of mistakes, but the numbers were showing:

Sailing 4t
Trade 6t
Philo 4t
WotW 4t
Honor 9t
Carto (not on that shot) was 3t

Total: 30t So eta T144.

I will have done the above by T128 a whopping 16t sooner. I know that just clicking on a tech in the tree ala Gingereagle isn't a good idea and doesn't give an accurate eta, but, I have to draw some positives from a game in which I was rushed and almost killed early on, and one that has 4 Sons of the Inferno running around breaking the back of everyone.

Actually - this just goes to show how balanced ffh is. Without the Sons of the inferno, Bob would have completely owned everyone. Seriously, the more I have thought about Keelyn, the crazier she becomes. Gibbon alone can summon something like a million water elementals.................. I don't care what world you live in, that is bonkers. What about mind III? let puppets risk losing the promo and you have a stupid unit that can get away with casting domination with no drawbacks! So you get something crazy for one civ and it is countered by something else crazy in another civ, the thing is, some civs, don't have something crazy unbalanced to start with, so they have to make do with just dying!

Anyway, back to army...

So the following cities have infrastructure to build units of use:

Totoro: Studio.
Valley of the Wind: Studio, Siege Workshop.

Nothing else! How am I going to do this????

Well - I am really hoping that Empyrean gets founded in Kobe. It is the only city without a religion in my empire and so I think that means it has the best chance. Kobe has pretty good production and so will build Radiant Guard non-stop from to go. Said Radiant Guard will walk to Valley of the Wind and be upgraded to Ratha.

Totoro will build a combination of warriors and Wood Golems only pausing to slip in a Mage Guild and some adepts once KotE is researched. I would love to get the city to produce 30hpt again since that is a magic production number!

Valley of the Wind will produce a couple of Catapults. If I can freeze the Sons, dealing as much collateral as possible is going to be essential for killing them. The trouble will be getting the catapults into position to strike. Fortunately Mud Golems can build 1t roads so I have a little trick up my sleeve in that.

Everywhere else will finish infrastructure as far as: market. Yeah - nothing else is essential. I will then spam warriors for upgarding to chariots in Valley of the Wind.


Tech-wise, after Honor there aren't too many more techs I need before I can go onto cash only. I need: KotE, I want: AH, HBR, Sanitation. I am thinking that Sanitation is actually a need and not a want, so much so it may even be next after Honor...

Other than that... I can't think of anything else for now....

[Square Leg]

Turn 125

Does exactly what it says on the tin.



So here is what Ameilia confirmed earlier - "A player has cast...."

World spells:

Mine - gone
Serdoa - on deck
Bob - gone
Sareln - gone/dead
Iskender - on deck



Iskender discovered Warfare - I reckon it is a pretty big shout that he will nail form of the titan soon...

And lastly - F1:

[Square Leg]

T126

Not a lot to say this turn - Honor dialed up.

Here is F1:

Oh - anyone know what the crack is here:

[Mist]

This glow? That's a halo from Inspiration.