[PB59] Ramkhamhaeng — Cyrus dry citrus search

[Ramkhamhaeng]

turn 85:
   
In turn 85 arrived a second galley on the island and Mjmd whipped again. Here I was not sure if he had enough overflow from the previous projects for another ship.
This would give him reasonable chances to trap my ships.

In the current position I can load three units and hold the blockade. (One chariot can directly reach a ship on the fish. Two needs to be loaded 3 of fish)
I decided to go one field forward, allowing him to move his ships 9-9.

With bad luck his ships are loaded and he puts an axe on the fur, too. Then I could try to sail clockwise around the island. Maybe I can treat two target at the same time.

turn 86:
   
   

Ok, he didn't build a galley and placed this ships between the two cities, allowing unit movements in one turn. So I can easily shift a spearman on the island and I decided not to land on it.

My stack between Whiskey and Donkey is currently spited into two parts. If I move both parts '1' the rear guard maybe could be attacked over the corn plot.
So I choice the secure way and move the units '2-1' on the pigs. This weakens my thread again Whiskey but due his amount of units I need to destroy the street between both cities as first.
Otherwise it's not possible to split his units and maybe generate a local majority.

turn 87:
   
   
In the next turn Mjmd joins his galleys again. So unless there are hidden units on the ships he can not directly shift units between both cities.
So I unload my units now and lifted the blockade to converting any hammers from a potential warrior build into a spearman build. If I re-establish the blockade next round the hammers will be 'lost'!
Try to build an unit if you had copper in every even round...

This was a stupid idea because this allows him to upgrade the warrior. :-( The trick had to be start one round earlier!

It would also be nice to directly load more units on the ship, but I stopped to build more attacking units ATM. The cities build archers as city guards, a galley and two settlers.
   
   

[Ramkhamhaeng]

turn 88:
   
Time to say goodbye to my start scout . He made an excellent job! Just some new contacts by finding scouting workboats was missed. 


   
He upped the warrior

   
GKC force 10 rounds peace with Lazteuq
I move both stacks '1'. The forest plot is ideal to put some pressure on three cities. The river in the south delays the movement of his units between the cities.


turn 89:
   

I saw two options: Directly moving towards the corn in two turns with all units or destroying the road '8' of the rice. I decided for the second option but maybe made an error: I moved 3 axes, a spearman and a chariot on the hill. Provoking an attack on this hill by just using 3-4 units was a variant with good counter attacking chances in the next round.


turn 90:
   

The first time in this war Mjmd allows an attack on unprotected axes! But moving 7-1 costs time and it is just one tiny hit…

I decided to move south wards. Plundering rice speeds up the iron research one turn . Three workers can not await to remove the jungle on the gems...

Overview with both new cities:
   

I do not know if it was clever to found a city on an island at this stage of the game. At the moment I had already trade routes with GKC and the city will not be very useful except from inner trade routes.
If Mjmd outproducing my and send galleys the city is garbage.

[Ramkhamhaeng]

turn 90 (cont.)

   

The ships heading towards the clams and also threatening Whiskey.

turn 91:
On one hand Mjmd spotted this threat and secured the bay of Whiskey with two galleys and a work boat. On the other hand he moved the whole stack from Whiskey southward and sends a peace offer.

   
   

Its impossible to tell if he wants trick me with units on his ships or just oversee my galley attack option before moving his land units.

Let's test it out 

   

This third galley of him is a bad sign. If he has loaded units somewhere the units could be '7' of Whiskey and will not be blocked out by my ships… During my turn I missed that and thought the blocking with my ships is a good idea.

Maybe there is a fourth galley hidden in the dark west sea?!
((Screenshot from turn 85.)
   

[Lewwyn]

I appreciate the great reports of your war. 

[Ramkhamhaeng]

Most exciting turn of this game.

   

A new spearman (or upgraded warrior) greets me from Whiskey. The viewing directions indicates that the unit doesn't moved into the town.
So the only scenario with realistic chances would be a hard hit on the axeman with my first axe.
If the spear defends against the second axe, the city will fall. Due to Vodka battle simulation tool the chances are approx 45%.

Did I wrote the only case with realistic chances?! Yes, but not the only one!
   
A 11,1% win! Whiskey Johnny falls and is burnt to the ground.
   

Finally, I've pillaged the corn and can tech writing in two turns.
   

And this wasn't the only good battle:
   

In the south, Mjmd didn't moved as expected. I thought he will put many units on '7' of Cousin Jack and move the Whiskey stack towards Donkey Riding. I can not attack Wellerman as good as the other two cities.
But he decides to open the route towards Cousin Jack. Probably because this city got it's 40% culture defense in this turn. This was not visible for me because it was his fourth city. On the other hand this is the city with at least units...
Moreover the four workers nearby Wellerman (two in the city) can't build any road to speed up his units towards Cousin Jack.
I could even move 4-3 and the Whiskey stack is still too slow.

   

His movement variant have in my opinion an issue. In Wellerman was one spearman present. Thus he can not protect both, the city and the stack '3' of Wellerman. The 5 axemen are just protected by two chariots, one with combat 1 and one without.
I attacked this stack with all chariots (55%, 71%, 97%, 97%) and even won the coin flip. 6:0!

   

The new stack position is incredible good. Same options as last round, but now treating his copper (This isn't an AI game … someone will lend him copper)  and the (undefended) city in the southwest!

Edit: Did I missed an opportunity?! In Cousin Jack are Axe+Spear+Chariot. I could put 4 Axemen + Spear nearby the city and still defend the chariots with the other units (3 Axmen + Spear). Only five of his axes (2 over the river) were able to reach my chariot stack and his units had no combat 1...
If I thinking more about this, I came to the conlusion that this split doesn't work. He could attack over the copper plot the other stack. Then I can not attack the city next round.


Will this turn drag down Mjmd or will the pendulum now swinging back?! The military power indicates that he will soon take the helm. But after this turn I'm very optimistic to drag him more down, see next post...

[Ramkhamhaeng]

   

In the last post I didn't mention that the battles leads to a Great General. This provides a lot of tactical options! Unfortunately you can only select one of them.



1. option 'ships are important on this map': Settling in the capital. This is the only way to get ships with combat and the city has great whip potential.
Counter argument: Against triremes the combat will not be enough.

2. option 'the stinking standard plan for GGs': Settling in Gobi. This city will never be in the position to use cottage. Thus it is a good unit producing city. Axemans with 2xwoodsman and swordmans with 2x city raider are really nice units in the next 30-40 turns.

Woodsman-units will be nice to check if Mjmd planned something on my peninsula. Our enemy likes to plant cities and probably thinks that this would be a nice outpost.
Moreover this well promoted units could block the jungle bridge. Someday Mjmd will wipe my stack in his territory and finally send units towards my.
   

Counter arguments: ‽


3. option 'My personal preferred GG usage':
Whip a ship in the inner ocean and generate a fast galley with 4 or 5 movement points. I didn't see Mjmds cities in this area but the other visible cities aren't contain any units. The ship can be whipped next turn and this attack could be destroy one or two more cities.
I think this will hurt Mjmd at most, but I could simply run into a defended city.

In an other game, five years ago, I already made such attack:

This was in civforum's PB73, the predecessor of 88 on a big world map. I conquered South America and tried to razed the capital of the Aztec. The ship moved around Florida


The city was just defended from one archer, but my crossbowmen failed  The war ended in a stalemate.

Counter argument: 'The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.'

4. option:
Similar to 3. I could try to attack his capital. With 5 movement points I could start on the edge of his penisula.

Counter argument: One single galley on his coast will blocking such attack. Here, I'm a charismatic leader and 20 EXP are 5 promotion, but it is still a 50% chance to loose three units and a gr. general .

   

5. option:
Currently I'm blocking his two galleys. I could promote two ships with combat 3 and gain longterm(?) control over this region. Maybe I could also use this units to block his trade routes to other continents. Currently I'm not know where the connections are located. Would be stupid if I missed this behind the horse island.

Counter arguments: Could be a totally waste of the general. Maybe the control over the region is totally irrelevant.

[Ramkhamhaeng]

Turn 93:
   

Gems mine online Next improvement has to be the iron mine at the border.
I can defend the workers by a spearman, but decided to stay in the city with this unit.
Probably too cautious and there isn't a Mongolian galley. His renaming scheme feared me a little bit He is now "BARBARBAR" and some cities were renamed to 'Barbar1', 'Barbar2' …
And he sends a scout into my territory, now.

On the other hand… who would warning his opponents by such a move?!

       


I still see only one chariot of Mjmd, but he revealed the iron plot a few rounds ago. He can see that the yield of the plot is bigger than normal and that I researched iron working.
So, if he landed a second chariot and placed it 2-2 from the iron, workers needs protection.

   

Mjmd giving up all influence in the northern part of his land. I decided to pillage the roads and than the two improvements. Moving the right chariot '1' was an stupid error and wasted a tempo. :-(
Pillaging the roads also threatening a cheap trick… … but Mjmd didn't blunder and  he keeps a spearmans in range of Donkey

   

Mjmd lined up at the river. I pillaged the copper mine and decided to protect this chariot with two axes and a spearman. Now I do not see a chance to attack Cousin Jack anymore.
Last attack option is All for me Grog. He probably didn't whipped there and losing the two chariot last round prevents him from bringing more units into the city.
Maybe as last chance he could protect it by a galley.

   

[Ramkhamhaeng]

turn 94:
   

No new unit in Grog. The city is toast!

   

Now I made a blunder by moving the spearman on the mine.

   

Seeing this amount of units was a totally surprise for me. The permanent view on his cities gave me a wrong sense of security, I assume. Why didn't I re-checked screenshots first?!
I put two axes on the hill, hoping for a 2:3 trade. The shock(!) chariot won his battle without getting a hit, but a spear had 83% winning chance. I deleted it in fear of giving him easy GG points...
It would be a nightmare if a GG would be born in BarretsPrvteer.

The other units moved into the forest. No good position but it would keep some pressure on his copper and maybe I could break out to southeast. It was possible to move the second chariot nearby Grog towards south hoping for another empty city. I take the small bonus and pillaged the village instead.


   
I shifted the blockade with the galleys one plot forward. Could this already blocking trades?! Probably not because he's still passive on sea.
I planned to reveal the city on the island but now I think the plan is risky. Someday I need to move back, collecting the four heroes.
After he build a galley in BarretsPrvteer, the loaded ships are in danger.

[Ramkhamhaeng]

   
My unit magnet in his land shrinks. :-( Well defended, axeman's!

   
=> Mjmd can still build metal units. The #1 or #2 in power got support 

   
New ship from Wellerman loaded axe and spear. One turn time to reveal the island city 1-1-2 from my galley.

[Ramkhamhaeng]

Returning to the question about the Great General. I've decided to use it for the inland sea galley. Slowing down Mjmd's Tech pace looks more promising that build units with less developed cities myself.

For extra EXP I could also bulb Theology with the Oracle's GP. Unfortunately I need to research Masonry, Polytheism and Monotheism first and this delays Mathematics + Currency. Maybe I simply settle the first priest and take the second one for Theology....
I collect gold first and think about this later.

Going back to turn 94:
I re-viewed old screenshots to evaluate his unknown inland sea city positions:

   
=>

• Here, my scout returned from the tongue. After this turn Mjmd founded a city on the island. The culture border is only possible if its founded on the hill. Why didn't I go back to clear up the city?! Would now be very useful.
  
• The coastline have no bottleneck, thus a single ship can not block an attacking galley.
  A problem is the island's river. Culture+hill+river is a horrible combination.
  
• The culture nearby the whale indicates that the next city is placed on the languet. This is also proven by the movement orientation of the galley.
  

   
This screen shows culture on '2' of the wine. This plot is not in the ring of the visible cities. Thus we found his (first) harbor on the inland sea.
I assumed(*)  the city is located '1' of the fish sharing resources with Cousin Jack.

___________________________________________________


I shifted the garrison out of W5, attached the GG and collecting the axe from Thar. To reach the both eastern cities on one turn out of the blue need all five movements points.
   

I planned to move along mongols coastline, but...
   

…a portuguese scout lurking around! Note that both players have no open borders anymore. If he's watching the whole time there I'm lucky that he's not shifting this unit '6-8' in every turn.
The monument in Barbar5 will drive him away in a unknown amount of turns.
Maybe this is beaming him on the other side of the ocean. It is still the same landmass…


___________________________________________
*) Now I know it better. The text was written two rounds ago