Alhambram toast his first PBEM game with Russian vodka

[Alhambram]

Turn 27:

   

Nothing special happened in this turn, my units are just moving towards their destinations and St. Petersburg is producing builder. 

Checking TheArchduke after my confusion yesterday: he got 3 tech and 2 civic.
Oledavy just got his 2nd civic, further no other news for now.

[Alhambram]

Turn 28:

Had to play this turn quickly since I just arrived home and need to leave soon, so no screenshot. My promoted warrior fought with barb slinger who is standing on hill with deer NE of barb camp south west. So attacking that barb camp is delayed with one turn.
Further no real news, maybe Woden did produce a warrior, his military count rises from 30 to 52.

[Alhambram]

Turn 29:

   

My warrior killed barb slinger and I shall look next turn whether my warrior can attack or he should heal up a bit.
My settler is going reach his settling location next turn and settle at turn 31.

Speaking about settlers, for now I know Woden and oledavy also got settlers, but they too have yet to found their second city.
Meanwhile Woden's treasure is 255 gold now, maybe Woden is planning to reach 340 gold and purchase settler.

Oledavy already got his 5th tech, that is fast. Next turn I finally get my 3rd tech: bronze working. Then I do know whether I do have iron or not. 
When latter is the case, that mean I can't build horseman, knights and swordsman. I have rely on archers and crossbowman in classical and medieval age.
Cavalry also requires horses, I however gets Cossacks instead cavalry because I am playing as Russia and unique units don't need strategical resources. 

After bronze working, I continue researching Astrology (6 turns) to start building lavra's. I already mentioned Vilnius request to clean up barb camp.
The other culture city state request is to trigger eureka of State workforce, which mean all I need to do is build district before I complete researching State workforce and cheap lavra is ideal for that task.
With this I should suddenly get 4 free culture that soon and hopefully it is start of my keeping up with other players since I am dead last on score ranking.

[Alhambram]

Turn 30:

Past days I noticed activity of lurkers: an increase from roughly 50 views per day to over 100 views per day in my thread, so it trigged my paranoia and I started to think that Woden is really aiming for one of my desired city spots. And when I opened my save for turn 30, my fears have been confirmed.

   

Damn you Woden for stealing city 2 spot.   This means war!

Sigh things don't look good for me, I did not play an strong start and that bites back to me now and I am very last on score ranking now. But I shall not give up until very end!

On positive side: Iron did indeed appear in my area, one next city 3 which is my next settler spot since city 2 is taken. Other Iron is located nearby Vilnius, by becoming suzerain there I can gain that Iron. Alternatively I can also capture it. Researching Astrology now due in 6 turns.

I need archers and warriors (probably swordsman) and likely ram too since Woden can mine stone now to boost masonry for early walls.

At side note, oledavy also founded his second city, I am going do that in next turn. Then I shall start planning how to deal with Woden.

[Alhambram]

Turn 31:

After calming my mind after war rhetoric at previous post, I am starting to think that I shouldn't rush to Woden's new settled spot.  

   

Founded my second city: Astrakhan. It is going work at monument until I got agoge and ilkum (turn 34) then my cities shall produce builders and military units and grow to total of 6 population for early empire eureka. 
Woden renamed his second city in Jungle Cruise, maybe he do plan to build Cichen Itza with that many rainforests at later point. He already sent trader to build road to his capital likely and the road points to northeast.

Woden built an slinger and his military is par with mine now. Maybe I should give up city 2 spot and try ride this until end with remaining cities. Also I shall keep expanding my military and attack Woden if he is off guard and try take Jungle Cruise from him. Since this is Pangaea map, maybe all other players are at corners similar as me with Woden in middle, that would leave him very exposed for aggression from other players, but I need more map information. Woden himself just have one front line city against me and it is behind river at hilly area which make for him easy to defend. I need help from city states if I decide to go on war path.

The suzerainty control over city states is likely going be the key for the outcome of the dispute between Woden and me.

The settler map became complicated with Woden's city.

   
 
I am considering to settle on spot where I did plan to place lavra for city 2 first. I should able to pick up several wood and rainforest tiles from Woden. When I found an city there, together with Astrakhan that two cities are going become my front cities while all others cities of me are laying in backline. Without settling that lavra spot, my city 4 and St. Petersburg also becomes front line cities themselves.
At this moment city 3 gets priority with some nice tiles.

[Alhambram]

Turn 32:

   

Completed the builder, started to build slinger in St. Petersburg for its defense. I changed my mind a bit, my builder is going build southern camp next turn, no need to delay agoge and Ilkum policies for extra 2 turns, when I build northern camp. This builder is going complete other camp and then rice field for Astrakhan. Astrakhan shall start producing builder next turn so it can improve area around Astrakhan. Since it takes forever before I finish Foreign trade and Early Empire, I guess that I should start settler for city 3 after building slinger in St. Petersburg. I can use colonization policy to fill up remaining desert and tundra cities. 

Woden seems have nabbed an barb camp, his income rose with 50 gold. That is gonna happen with me next turn also, barb spear at south west camp has a little life left. 
At barb camp southeast I want prevent that warrior from Vilnius claiming camp, otherwise I miss out 50 gold and 2 free culture from Vilnius.

TheArchduke got his 4th tech.

[Alhambram]

Turn 33:

   

That bloody barb scout is attempting to snipe my builder, so I moved my worker towards rice tile where my builder can improve it under protection of my slinger.
Meanwhile I still refuse to attack barb camp at south east, because otherwise warrior from Vilnius shall claim 50 gold and deny me free envoy, very irritating!   Barb spearman or Vilinus warrior, just attack already!!!

At bit more bright side, south west barb camp is razed by my warrior, almost enough gold for monument in St. Petersburg, only to realize after passing turn that if I arrange tiles a bit in St. Petersburg, I would get 12 gold precisely enough to complete monument next turn (240 gold), d'oh  . I am making too much tiny and big mistakes as such this one to able win this PBEM. But I still keep playing and try to win, you never knows until it ends.

TheArchduke just completed his settler and his 3rd civic. Singaboy settled an city, I didn't see his population decrease which means he made an 'TheArchduke move' by completing settler and growing city at same time. Oledavy completed his 3rd civic.

[Ituralde]

Thanks for the reports and keeping your spirits up. Getting a city spot stolen is always painful. I look forward to see you soldier on!

[Alhambram]

Thanks for nice words, Ituralde.

Turn 34:

   

Farmed the rice and finally eureka for craftsmanship, however still one more turn to research it. Sigh... maybe just one culture left, but at least I got it next turn.
Meanwhile situation around barb camp at southeast remain unchanged, sigh...

Next turn I shall purchase monument in St. Petersburg and start producing builder in Astrakhan.
After two turns, both my cities rises their population and I shall get early empire eureka. Also Astrology is completed next turn which mean I can start tossing down lavra's. What to research next? Most likely pottery-irrigation.

I did poke around with my scout at Jungle Cruise a turn ago and Woden quickly responded with sending his warrior to my scout to scare it off. So Woden is careful of me, I don't think that I am able to launch an surprise attack on his city. I need an force, so most likely an classical age warfare or later. Singaboy got his 5th technology. 

Next several turns are going interesting regarding pantheon, I think that almost everyone is close 25 faith now. What pantheon shall everyone pick? If I am not mistaken Woden or Singaboy are the likely ones to pick it first, Woden got God King policy bit earlier than me and Singaboy did produce an turn with at least 2 faith.

[Alhambram]

Turn 35:

Finally craftsmanship.

   

I didn't swap God King yet, still need it for getting Pantheon, with monument in St. Petersburg next civic should arrive in 4 turns when I can swap it for Ilkum. I swapped Discipline for Agoge, with this I also weaken my military a bit and I send slinger to hopefully somehow break the deadlock around barb camp at south east. However I did accidentally chain my slinger with worker   , the result of playing turn quickly to toss to next player fast.

   

Internationally oledavy got another population in one of his cities, but major news came from TheArchduke, I should have noticed it previous turn, but due playing turns quickly I didn't saw it:

   

TheArchduke is aiming for Great General   , he can put Strategos policy in Greece's wildcard policy spot to generate early Great General.
We saw all in PBEM1 how Great General helped Sulla greatly and in my testgames I attempted having my Great General killed by enemy units. But it didn't happen, instead dying Great General simply transports to closest city in your possesion, with other words they are immortal and an player is almost always guaranteed to have extra 5 strength and extra movement when he gets Great General. 
Well, good thing that I am shielded by Woden and city states, chances that Archduke attacks me with Great General is not really high in first 150 turns. But of course I can always be surprised by moves of other players, as Woden showed me just with his city plant.