Right I've been slack at updating all week, probably because of equal parts time issues and sulking slightly because people are burning my stuff, but I can't burn theirs
.
Anyway lets start out with turn 119;
It had a very bad start, my third city Jaw Hurting had been razed by a Galleon filled with Grenadiers, just one turn before I was going to reinforce it with a few more troops.
Since my wisdom teeth had now been pulled out, I got a bit reckless; firstly attacking the offending grenadier with a mace out of OHP. Someone else would have been there to clean up, but happily my mace won at 17% odds.
Emboldened by the positive RNG I moved some troops up to threaten both Joao II in the jungle and Hannibal in the Tundra.
Hannibal
My Stack
3 Maces
4 Knights
5 Pikes
13 Hwachas
1 GG medic Chariot
Sians troops
In front of the city
5 Knights
2 Crossbows
Longbow
In City
Grenadier
Knight
Crossbow
2 Longbows
Spear
Archer
Basically it looked like once I'd got through his strong defenders with the knights, cats and maces the pikes could finish off his horsies
Joao II
My Troops
12 Maces
2 Pikes
8 hwacahs
Sian's Troops
2 Crossbows
Unfortunately, the fog of war is mysterious.
Additionally this turn, I finally clicked that maybe actually having an economy that could run at faster than 10% research was a good idea. Consequently, I've been trying to build some markets and couthouses over the next few turns or so.
Turn 120
I was cowardly in the Jungle, limping my stack away after it was beaten back by a charge of Sian horses.
Joao II
Remaining in my stack was:
7 Maces
2 Pikes
4 Hwachas
In Sian's City
2 Grenadiers
5 Knights (shock promoted)
I didn't think I had good enough odds to take down the 5 knights and grenadiers while losing only 2 units (bar catapults), and those troops were valuable for my defense.
Hannibal
I did advance in Hannibal, because I saw he'd moved his knights out of flanking range. However, he'd also brought 6 grenadiers in.
Which led me to retreat my units on turn 121, he had 15 troops to 19 of mine, and I had 13 hwachas, behind 60 cultural walls with troops of strength 22.20 making up the first 7 fighters. I didn't think I was getting through even with the collateral.
More uppdating may follow later today.