Sounds like a valid gamble to me. From PBEM #10 and PBEM #8 I must admit that players seem to be in a very builderlike mindset even in the face of a clear milpowerspike.
Beats me why that is, inexperience like my PBEM #1? Was CIV IV that easy to be a builder? Thinking about slavery, probably yes.
Researched HBR, I'm the first to a Classical tech. Will have the game's earliest Horseman, probably. Russia has two horses, though, fancy that. Ichabod just got everything.
Switching out of Agoge was potentially a mistake, I'm losing the multiplier on chopping in Proxy Hatch. But then, production in the capital which is benefitting from Maneuver is really high — soon to be 20 cogs, so maybe it's a wash.
Here's to hoping that my horse will get a chance to smash into a strength 10 city.
Ichabod has built an encampment and a ton of military, he also has iron connected. No smashing of strength 10 cities, I guess. Emperor K has gotten to Political Philosophy (we still lack inspiration).
Also, Ichabod declared war on Germany, maybe for a forced peace treaty, I don't know. Maybe they are closer to each other than I assumed, or Ichabod's expansion was directed strongly north-west.
I'm not sure whether I'll have enough money for a Warrior -> Legion upgrade straight out, but I'm going to go ahead with an attack anyway. Warriors will be meat shields.
To be frank, the position your are in is quite bad. I am kinda suprised as you would have torn into me for doing the same stuff in PBEM #2.
- Scouting has been abysmal, I would even go as far as suggest building a scout to get out there and see what is up. Repairing the PP boost is too late, but going in blind into a war like this is not really optimal.
- You are close to legions, the issue being where do you get the money to upgrade warriors and the Iron to do so.
- If you plan to rush, 4Rax should really build an archer or anything else.
Hmm, I would actually build a builder near 4RAX all in and plantation both bananas +4 gold with its final charge going into plantation the coffee near Cannon Rush, for +6 gold and asap.
I would also use the horseman to scout out the situation south and get a feel for your surroundings. Maybe after storming a barb camp.
Also the I would push for the great general, you might not get this one but surely the next one, which should be classical even in vanilla (post expansion patch) I think and aim for about 5 legions, 3 archers and a solid push. The biggest issue that you have now is the 110 gold.
Also is the war Russia vs Germany real? Judging from the power it is a stalemate, so it is a quick worker grab or something else?
In any case. I would suggest:
- Get 3 plantations. Maybe with the eastern builder?
- Clear the barb camp.
- Finish the second encampment.
- Get maybe a second horseman as support and as a scout.
- Settle either the silver down south for monies (and a iron in the first ring).
- or settle the 3 stone harvest site in the southwest.
- If you need the Iron get the -20% on buying tiles, in your situation it may be actually worth it.
- Use your small army to actually conquer Carthage (the AI is easy to kill with 2 archers, 2 warriors and 1 horseman - after clearing the camp)
Right now I think you are rushing into a war you can not possible win. And your position I think is still salvegable.
Those legions are still good into late medieval so I do not see the rush and seeing Russia at war he is prepared for something to come his way.
But I am getting a strong vibe of I am already done for from you.
I am happy to assist with theorycrafting. I actually think a stint in Classical Republic would be smart ( to get -20% tile purchase, 50% settler and the GG card) and then switch over to Autocracy for better card distribution and Agoge/Conscription (direly needed).
All true, the question is all about trade-offs. Finish encampment (with chops) vs getting plantations (and money), get a horseman next out of the capital or a settler. 4Rax will be building a builder for sure next, but I think granary was still the right choice as the opener.
Don't need Iron for Legions upgrades, only for Eureka.
I'm not yet committed to a war with Ichabod, these troops could alternatively just conquer Carthage or Jerusalem, it's precisely because of the variety of vectors to apply that army that I assembled it.
As for 'I'm done for', I do think that left to his own devices, Ichabod will grow faster than we would, I don't know what exactly is going on with his start, but its clearly much, much better than ours -- he is making more culture, he has three districts down, and equal milpower, and an extra city. He will have first religion and first, the only classical great general. Which is why, incidentally, waiting for all this gold to save up for upgrades was never really on the cards, too slow. I do hope to upgrade a Legion to defend the takings, whatever they will be.
