Dhalphir makes a stunning return in a blaze of adequacy [SPOILER THREAD]

[RefSteel]

Oh, and here's a picture of MSGT Steel, just to provoke more comments. The 47% tile is now 49%, so should be mine next turn...

The only comment this provokes from me is that it's very appropriate for this city to be building a Musketman: Gunpowder is still the most explosive substance yet devised by the Mayan people!

[Old Harry]

I'm scared.

Oh, come on. You're looking forward to the fun of seeing how many turns you can hold out really .

Oh yeah.    Although it may not be as many as I'd hoped, see below...

Oh, and here's a picture of MSGT Steel, just to provoke more comments. The 47% tile is now 49%, so should be mine next turn...

The only comment this provokes from me is that it's very appropriate for this city to be building a Musketman:  Gunpowder is still the most explosive substance yet devised by the Mayan people!

Hey, how do you feel about Grenadiers?

Turn 149

Thoth showing Rifling in 4 turns now. And I voted for me vs him in the AP election.

Ah, looks like Auro does want a city or two... I've been neglecting this border, expecting the attack from Thoth, so I'm going to trundle some cats back this way and I might have to upgrade some old trash to be Grenadiers. Delaying Steel isn't ideal, but spending the cash here may slow Auro down enough for reinforcements to arrive. If all three neighbours attack on the same turn who do I defend against?


In two turns I'll switch back to Slavery and probably pair it with Theocracy. Wish I'd thrown the golden age a turn earlier...

[RefSteel]

Hey, how do you feel about Grenadiers?

Considering we haven't invented rockets yet? I'm thrilled!!! KABOOOOOOM!!!

...

Although...

Delaying Steel isn't ideal

You can say that again! Not only is it a tech with the same name as my city, it means propelling massive projectiles through the air thanks to even more explosions!!! Seriously: We've got new explosive weapons coming on the scene at every turn! It sounds like there might be lots of opportunities coming up to use them, too! It's a great time to be alive! Or ... you know ... to be a city, I guess? Also I guess maybe the "alive" thing is not guaranteed to last? Well, as long as it does, you can bet I'll be rooting for my favorite team:

X-COM!

...

Er, the Mayans? Whatever. Anyway, KABOOM!

[Old Harry]

Turn 150

WAR!!!! I got a little unlucky with the two 35% withdrawals (20% win/15% withdraw) - but he had enough Cavs to take the city even if they hadn't happened. Gavagai shouldn't fall this turn, but I'll be hard pressed to defend it next turn...


I was a little surprised by this stack. :oops: Muffin and Ier will complete Grens and then fall this turn. I decided against upgrading an Archer for 173 gold, just to try and take out one or two Cavs, but I think the money can be spent better elsewhere. MSGT Tourist and CAPT Nowhere aren't threatened yet but will fall sooner or later, so from next turn I'll just whip them to bits.


So where to defend - there are 25 Cavalry + 1 Rifle down south and 13 Cav, 2 Rifles, 2 Cannon, 4 Cats up north. My reaction force consists of 9 cats, 4 Muskets, a Gren and 25 Horchers. I'll keep whipping Grenadiers, but I don't know where I want to make my stand just yet. I'm poised to defend Gavagai, but the reaction force can reach GSGT Astley instead in a couple of turns. Except that Auro can get there sooner... I think I'll need to set Gazglum up as the defensive line in the south, and hope to hold Gav in the north.

Slightly disappointed that Thoth didn't pile on straight away, but it makes more sense to wait until I've moved most of my stuff to confront Auro before he starts. Actually, he got rifling this turn, so he'll spend next turn upgrading units before attacking on my t152. I'll try to surprise him with some defences.

[mackoti]

Man they waited so much to pile on you.To bad you didnt got gree 4-5 turns fastor to have a atash of 20-30 of them...

[TheHumanHydra]

In the end, all men die. The only question is -- how many come with you!!

[wetbandit]

We'll miss it when it's gone. Good fight.

[Old Harry]

Man they waited so much to pile on you.To bad you didnt got gree 4-5 turns fastor to have a atash of 20-30 of them...

Yeah, I could have been out of my misery 20-30 turns ago. Earlier grens or not revolting to Caste five turns ago would both have helped a bit. But not much... Read on.

In the end, all men die. The only question is -- how many come with you!!

Valar Morghulis.  

We'll miss it when it's gone.  Good fight.

To fight is to live. Or perhaps to live is to fight.

Turn 151

To my surprise, after taking Ier and Muffin, Auro isn't advancing on GSGT Astley. Looks like he's going for CAPT Nowhere and GSGT Gavagai. He can have the former, but I'm going to do my darnedest to defend the latter.


And over here Thoth has done his upgrades. I now think he'll be putting his stack on the desert windmill and saving the great artist in case he has competition from Cairo.


Cairo who cancelled our Iron-Iron trade this turn. Perhaps this stack of Cavalry explains why Auro didn't head for GSGT Astley...


Molach is the city with the Statue of Zeus, so it becomes my priority for keeping - Assuming Thoth has C2 on a bunch of his Cavalry then in a direct attack into Molach's culture my Muskets with >15% fortification get odds and any with City Garrison 1 and full fortification mean his Cavs only have 30% chance to win. Meanwhile he only gets 35% against my 7 Pikes. Unfortunately you then add on the 30 ~15% chance to withdraw and there's a good chance of a big stack of his units surviving - even though they *shouldn't* take the city - but then my cats and Horchers clean up. I think that means Thoth will bring his 21 Cats and 3 Trebs along, traipse onto the hill SE of Molach and bombard the culture away. I'll have to use my cats to hit him there and see what damage I can do.

I revolted to Slavery/Theocracy this turn, bringing costs down by 70GPT. Then started whipping in earnest... Even the capital.


Looking at my army, I don't think I can hold off Cairo, Auro and Thoth. So I have to decide who to throw my stack at. Unfortunately for Thoth, his telegraphy means I'm far better placed to stop him. I'm going to wheel most of of my cats and all my Horchers back to the east and protect my core. Gavagai isn't going to get that darnedest defence after all - 8 cats, 4 Muskets and as many Grens as I can whip before Auro arrives (perhaps 5?)

[shallow_thought]

Looking at my army, I don't think I can hold off Cairo, Auro and Thoth.

What, given your position when you joined the game you can't hold off the top three powers at once? . Shame, shame!

Oh well,  this should be quick and clean, at least.

[Old Harry]

Turn 152-3

Surprisingly Cairo and Thoth didn't attack yet. Cairo is poised to sweep through Hazard, Spirits, T-Hawk and Astley, but I think I stuffed enough units into Hazard and Spirits to put him off.


I really don't know what Thoth is up to, perhaps he's waiting for the 53% tile to flip to him? Might be too late then mate...


Auro took Capt Nowhere and put two stacks north and south of Gavagai.


I piled a bunch of cats into the southern stack on t152, hurting it enough that he didn't attack Gavagai straight away. Instead he put stacks of Cav to prevent reinforcement and brought his Cannons up.


Unfortunately Caledorn is in trouble now. I had to 5-pop dry-whip the Gren in Gavagai and I also threw a Cat against the smaller stack of Cavalry.


Down south Auro hasn't reinforced MSGT Ier very well - two scratched Cav and a Catapult, so I send a couple of exploratory flanking 2 Horchers that way - one survives, and both do enough damage that a C1 Horcher gets 61% odds and wins.
Then C2 HA vs injured C2 Cav - 70% - withdraws!


C1 HA vs injured C2 Cav - 93% - WINS!
HA vs Cat - 98% - WINS!


And now he's going to struggle to get reinforcements in...


I decided I couldn't do anything else with my three great people so I launched my third golden age to get more hammers into units. I'm expecting Cairo to attack this turn as he got some airships into position, but I've expected that for a while, so who knows... Meanwhile I just can't work out what Thoth is waiting for. So perhaps he's not going to attack at all?