[SPOILERS] Iskender and the Sidar

[Iskender]

The witch event confuses me. The way it's set up you'd think there would be consequental events based on your decision in that matter. At least i haven't recieved one.

I hope that at least the RNG apprieciates burning witches. There's a ~85% battle coming that I would rather not lose.

Oh and another thing regarding assassins; Aeron's chosen. Granted to the first assassin (non heroes) that reaches level 6. Gives you immunity to fear and first strikes, heals your unit after killing a living one and gives it 2 unholy strength. Something to keep in mind.

I might have the Aeron's chosen Ghost pretty soon - if the first Divided Soul manages to kill the scorpion and all the bears I could upgrade him immediately after discovering Poisons. The drawback would be that he'd have one semi-useless promotion (Subdue Animal)

Turn 98 & 99:

I asked and received the Copper Sareln owed me.

Hawked south to locate the prey for the Divided Soul and also check out on the Udenrat garrison. Doesn't look bad. It seems that Sareln's plan is to redline/eliminate Clans Archers and then hurl everything else at SoI.




Tredje asked if I could scout Amurite lands for the Clan, which I refused as promised to Sareln.

EOT 99: Discovered Animal Husbandry


Turn 100:

Yet another (fourth) Son of the Inferno appeared:



EOT: Discovered Priesthood

[Iskender]

Turn 100 overview:

Cities:

Demographics and graphs:

Military:




Territory:





Known techs:

• Ancient Chants
  
• Agriculture
  
• Exploration
  
• Crafting
  
• Mining
  
• Calendar
  
• Festivals
  
• Animal Husbandry
  
• Education
  
• Mysticism
  
• Code of Laws
  
• Archery
  
• Hunting
  
• Way of the Forests
  
• Cartography
  
• Philosophy
  
• Priesthood
  

[TheBagelProblem]

I have found Mr.Yellow's house, who would have thought that he lives in my town. :neenernee

[Ichabod]

That's a very impressive tech list for turn 100, Iskender. Congratulations.

Don't you have cartography too? Or the open borders with the clan and amurites are using their cartography tech?

[Ilios]

Priesthood was bulbed? Did discovering Philosophy change the GrProphet preferred bulb tech from RoK to Priesthood?

[Iskender]

That's a very impressive tech list for turn 100, Iskender. Congratulations.

Don't you have cartography too? Or the open borders with the clan and amurites are using their cartography tech?

Thanks! Yeah, I've forgotten Cartography (and apparently Festivals as well).

I expect my tech rate to flatten out for a longer period as I'm going to focus on hammer improvements (lumbermills + mines) instead of developing agristocracy (ie. by getting Construction and Sanitation).

Priesthood was bulbed? Did discovering Philosophy change the GrProphet preferred bulb tech from RoK to Priesthood?

Yes, I bulbed Priesthood. RoK is relatively low on the Prophet's bulb list:

1. Corruption of Spirit
2. Priesthood
3. Religious Law
4. Commune with Nature
5. Hidden Paths
6. Infernal Pact
7. Malevolent Designs
8. Way of the Earthmother
9. Way of the Forests
10. Deception

[Mr. Yellow]

How's it going so far Iskender. Anything interresting going on?

[TheBagelProblem]

Which one Mr.Yellow, which one?

[Iskender]

I'm a terrible threat updater, I know. Sorry

A brief recap:

I've discovered KotE and then took a few turns of 0% research. Two cities are trainings Priests (got 2 already, 3rd next turn). Wokers are building farms/lumbermills. The Divided Soul defeated a Scorpion and two Bears and has now 12xp.

Current F1:




Trardoc demolished the Amurites as expected, the Clan didn't lose any of the Sons:



As a farewell gift Sareln has decided to offer Bob Metamagic and Body mana probably making a trade connection through my lands. I had a chat with Tredje on how it'd affect our attack

Iskender: i accidentally sent an unfinished msg

sareln is giving bob meta and body mana

Tredje: Ouch

Iskender: :/
17:02
Tredje: That's bad news

Iskender: that makes me regret my fencesitting in the conflict

Tredje: Yes, having Haste will make Bob's army much more dangerous
17:03
I was hoping I would be able to stay out of range while summoning Elementals

Iskender: floating eyes reveal hidden units

Tredje: Yeah

Iskender: so no Into the mist

...

still, I'm up for it

i'll have 6 priests

Tredje: That's good to hear.

Iskender: do you have a minute?

Tredje: I think it's either now or never

Sure

I got time
17:04
Iskender: there are a couple of things i'd like to discuss if we're to hit bals

Tredje: Ok
17:05
Iskender: i don't have time to do detailed C&D but i'm pretty sure that bob has

recently discovered KotE, Way of the Wicked and Writing

he's aiming either at AV (Ritualists) or deception (gibbon)
17:06
both tough nuts to crack, but he's not quite there yet

got writing 2 or 3 turns ago, if that wasn't someone elese
17:07
Tredje: Hmm, I see. Both of those would be annoying, but I am not sure how many

ritualists he could train/when Gibbon would be finished.

Hopefully he would not have gotten to where he is really dangerous by T120.
17:08
Iskender: i doubt he will - he needs temples for ritualists and turns to get exp on

gibbon
17:09
by T120 he probably will have just researched the techs

Tredje: That should give us a decent advantage

Me having Sons and all
17:10
I also have some highly upgraded troops now, and will get Bronze Weapons soon.

Iskender: yes, the sons make it a whole lot easier. i had no idea of them when i first

made the offer

Tredje: Hehe, I know

Without them the task would have been much more difficult.

Not saying it's gonna be easy, but we have a good chance I think.
17:11
I was trying to keep them a secret for as long as I could.
17:12
Iskender: well, there's been some speculation that you might have gotten sons from FtH

i think Square Leg was the first one to get the idea

everybody's been wondering what's the rest of your power graph spike
17:13
anyway, going back to bals, i have a few proposals for your consideration (not necessarily on the chat)

here they go
17:14
Tredje: Go ahead
17:15
Iskender: if we attack, bob will probably try to negotiate with one of us, offering

boons for leaving the other in the field. it happened in some previous dogpiles. i'd be best if we agreed not

to negotiate with bals separately

Tredje: I agree completely

Any diplomacy will have to be done with both of us present, sound ok?
17:16
Iskender: ok, sounds perfect

next thing - spoils of war. you'd be getting all the land and cities, so i've been thinking what i'd gain

other than weakening bals, but that benefits everybody

Tredje: Yes, that question has crossed my mind

Iskender: here's my proposal
17:17
i'd like to grab orthus axe

and

capture gold from cities (i'd capture them and gift to you or raze)
17:18
Tredje: Do you mean capture gold from every captured city?

Iskender: and experience from already won battles - ie. if there are leftovers i'd do

the slaughtering feeding my priests with exp

Tredje: Just calrifying

Iskender: yes, every city we manage to capture
17:19
i'm not sure how much is that. the formula was 10*pop or something

Tredje: I'm not sure that is correct.

Iskender: and that's pretty much all for me
17:20
Tredje: I got 100+ from udenarat, which was size 5

Iskender: no need to answer now

so maybe 50+10*pop

Tredje: Could be something like that.

I think your proposal is reasonable, but i'd like to think about it.
17:21
Also consider that the turn order is Me -> Bob -> You

Iskender: yes, that's unfortunate

Tredje: So it may happen that I need to capture a city or kill a unit before Bob can

react

But if we agree that I will pay you the capture gold, I will do that.
17:22
But it would be easier if I could soften the city up with Elementals before you captured it.
17:24
Iskender: it all depends how well the attack will proceed. if we manage to get a city

down to a couple of warriors i'd gladly finish it off

Tredje: That's true. I think the beginning will be the most difficult part.

After that it should be manageable

Iskender: if it's obiovus that you'll have to conquer the city in your turn before bob

sends in reinforcements, no biggie
17:25
and one more thing

my priests are slow, due to me being bloody industrious/defender

Tredje: Hehe, those great traits =)
17:26
Iskender: well...

i could really use haste

take time to contemplate what would you want in exchange for body mana

Tredje: I will.

Iskender: i could offer my palace mana, luxury resources, fol temples etc
17:27
Tredje: Yes, I'll consider it.

By the way, can I ask you what your relationship is with SL/Serdoa?
17:28
I'm thinking Bob might try to recruit them to his cause

Iskender: NAP to T130 with SL and blooming some of his tiles in exchange for milking

exp on Ultigar. no relations with Serdoa

Tredje: I see
17:29
I have a NAP until T140 with SL, and no relations with Serdoa

So only Serdoa is a possible threat

Iskender: i think i'll ask SL to extend our NAP

fortunately summons are a good counter to PZ

and we should have plenty of those
17:30
Tredje: Hehe, yes that will be our trademark

Iskender: i'll keep training priests and even if i don't send them into battle they'll

rise the tiger summon cap
17:31
Tredje: Good idea. The more expendable units the better.

Iskender: do you mind if i hawked bals next turn?

Tredje: Not at all.

Go ahead

Iskender: F8 says coombe view expanded to 4rd ring

Tredje: That is correct.

A couple of turns ago
17:32
I can still hit Coombe View on the first turn of war.

with Elementals

Iskender: i'm curious what constitutes Bals quite high power rating, maybe hawking

would tell
17:33
Tredje: I am thinking it is mostly Swordsmen and Warriors, but it would be nice to see

for certain.
17:34
If Bob has an army, I'm not sure he would keep it in Coombe View though

Probably hiding it further east
17:35
Iskender: i'll try to train a hunter ASAP

and get it close to CV
17:36
the one I have is busy hunting bears

but once I build another I'll be able to get him near Bals borders in no time courtesy of Sever Soul
17:37
Tredje: That's good. Now that Bob might have Haste I think scouting will be even more

important.
17:38
Iskender: try to sever all sareln's trade connections, maybe Bob will have to promote

one adept with both body and meta

the tile NE of Sareln's copper is probably the culprit
17:39
or they have coast connection

Tredje: Unless Sareln settles another city next turn, he will be dead.

Iskender: i'm lost when it comes to trade routes

Tredje: He only has 2 Warriors left in his capital

That I can see, that is.
17:40
Iskender: ooh, that's fast

Tredje: But if I don't capture it I will try to sever the connection.

Yes, after the big battle all that was left was cleanup.

and Hasted Sons with Elementals can strike far away.
17:41
Iskender: so it seems you could strike bob right away and i'm a bit late for the party

Tredje: I can't actually
17:42
We have a NAP that runs out on T120

That was agreed upon 60 turns ago or so

When I started choking Sareln

Iskender: aah. did he offer extending it already?
17:43
teehee

Tredje: I said I couldn't agree to anything since he might become a possible runaway

etc
17:44
So he will be alert when the time comes, but he can't be sure anything will happen.
17:45
Iskender: he might expect sons at his door at T120, but hopefully doesn't have a clue

about my priests
17:46
Tredje: Aye, hopefully that will be an unwelcome surprise for him =)

The chat is all meat, no smalltallk, IOW worth reading. Still tl;dr though, so here's the summary:

• We're attacking around T120 (Clan-Bals NAP expires then)
  
• I'll bring 6 Priests of Leaves and a Divided Soul
  
• Bob is probably aiming either at AV or Deception, but not likely to be able to support his defence with Gibbon/Ritualists in the T120's
  
• We agreed that neither of us will do diplo with the Balseraphs on his own
  

We also discussed the division of possible spoils of war. Considering that the Clan would get all the land and cities I asked for the following:

• Orthus Axe
  
• Capture gold from all Balseraph cities
  
• Training for exp on garrison leftovers in defeated Balseraph cities
  
• I also asked what the Clan would want for Body mana, I want it to haste the priests
  

[Iskender]

T110:

I hawked Coombe View as agreed with Tredje.



No sign of Adepts. I wouldn't rule out though that Coombe View has already built one and sent him east for some odd reason. If Bob has an Adept capable of casting Floating Eye he'll likely sent him west soon to scout on the Clan.

Those two unpromoted warriors are an interesting sight. Balseraph power graph has been rising steeply over the last several turns:



No doubt in preparation for the SoI. Tredje believes that Bob's defenders of choice are Swordsmen and Warriors. If that's the case, the better for us. Bob may be hoping to overwhelm 4 SoI + 4 Elementals with sheer numbers, the way Sareln tried to. He might even succeed if not for my Priests - I doubt he will be able to outspam both SoI and Priests, that is, ten fresh summons a turn.


The end of the Amurites is also the end of our Cotton-Silk exchange. I hoped that I could make the same deal with Square Leg, but it seems that he's already trading his Silk for Balseraph Cotton. A pity, Bob's already got a lot of resources:



(There's also Copper and Horse that didn't fit in the box) How did he got all these? Creative helped a bit for sure, but I'm also having an impression that the Balseraphs have got a nice fat piece of the continent for themselves. Clan's and Luchuirp resource distribution is similar to mine:

In other news: third Priest of Leaves was trained this turn. Operation Milk the Spider shall commence soon.