[Spoilers] Fintourist and Old Harry have nothing to see here

[Fintourist]

What's the tech-situation looking like vis-a-vis each potential opponent?

We don't know too much about the actual techs of our opponents apart from what visible units indicate and civic choices give away (I haven't done any C&D and I think OH has not being any for a while). On general level it's fair to say that by the time of a potential attack we will have tech parity with dtay, Ichabod & mackoti and would have tech edge against suttree (and maybe TBSJ). Of course it's possible that someone of our stronger neighbors skips the bottom part of the tree and goes for Education etc, which gives us a some kind of an opening.

Also you didn't mention attacking TheBlackSword, or just settling (if he hasn't already) that weird sub-continent behind him. Not that either of those are particularly viable ...

Attacking TBS core via land is highly impracticle, because we don't share that much of a border and we would create an enormous border with dtay. However, attacking suttree and then continuing with an invasion towards the island holdings of TBSJ is actually a relevant scenario to keep in mind.

I think the relative tech-balance will be the most important factor in determining a target,

Yeah, I think I agree somewhat but not completely. I believe that the possibility of surprise is the most powerful war tool. Suttree will probably be the weakest target tech-wise, but he is already on his toes and has a stack of 15+ cats and 15+ axes and ~6-10 spears. Even with tech edge it will not be too easy to kill him (maybe even impossible in economical way?). How many Knights do you think we would need to kill even his current units?

and that fighting mackoti both would be ideal and is inevitable (so might as well do it on our terms). Let's face it, we can't win the game with him alive; if we choose to attack someone else it should be with the understanding that by doing so we are building up a better base with which to attack mackoti later. So I say we attack mackoti if technologically possible. If not, I'm not sure.

Yeah, the problem is that we need to reach more than land parity with mackoti (at least eventually), because reaching land parity will already be costly even in the best case. We just don't have our own m_h or slowcheetah sitting next to us. Suttree's long-term prospects are probably even worse than what those guys had before being attacked, but he is ready for blood.

So yes, I agree with you, we need to improve our position a bit while weakening also mackoti or we need to improve our position a lot.

Also we must remember any one (or more) of these opponents may be plotting to do the exact same thing to us. I don't know how to apportion resources so as to have both the overwhelming amount necessary for the offence and the amount necessary for a robust defence simultaneously.

I think the starting hypothesis is that this won't be possible.. If we do something radical it will gambly in any case

Terrific post Fintourist, one of the clearest strategy musings I've seen on this site. Best of luck with whichever plan you pick!

Thanks! It's maybe even too polite to call the above "plans" as strategy musings, because as you surely noticed they were all written with a tongue in the cheek and also very much just for the fun of it. We completely understand how difficult the execution of any of those described scenarios would be, but on the other hand, when possible, I like to consider briefly even crazy options. Maybe they wake up some ideas in Harry and help us coming up with something more concrete..

Wait, you're attacking all 4 at once? Props to you!

The end result might very well be the same regardless how many of those "operations" we select..