[SPOILERS] Commodore, Mist and the Weed. A Farce in three acts.

[Commodore]

I figure I'll start off with the big-picture shot today, here's the lay of the land. The empire has become very eastward-biased, which might well have been Serdoa's objective (well, that or just simple oppertunism). The replacement settlers are being IMP'd out quickly, so no issue long-term. I'd rather have them settling 11 and 12 than 9 and 10 though.



Hungry MacDonald sure can squeeze out the hammers when its needed. Consider it a "whip" to 1-turn a settler with a chop and minor overflow. I need to get in more troops out of here afterwards, not getting caught pants-down again.



Here's the situation out west, with the Serdoa raiders in full retreat. Fie upon them and all that. I'm debating moving the Kipling site back from the coasts to the plains hill up north, the security would be really nice although that makes it a very marginal long-term site.



The economy is still in the toilet, although GNP is back up to average at 100%. Serdoa is leading all of the Big Three, by the way, just played an amazing game thus far. Still, need only two more techs until Guilds is open and sweet sweet cataphracts are open. Horse archers are an option in three turns.



I'm regretting popping the Scooter chariot, actually. I think the silly bugger wants to be friends, and given Serdoa's absolutely massive lead it would be suicide to lock horns with Scoot's elephants. I wonder if by moving the archer back I can show friendliness.



One safe zone, weirdly enough, is out east. Carroll needs to get devoloped fast, and a fort down there will help us claim the ivory/Moai spot. Tragically, we can't claim too much more northwards without clashing with Lewwyn, which would really be a bit much.



Serdoa owns the GLH and HG as well as the 'mids and 'henge. If there is one (other) wonder we need to shut him out of, it's the Colossus. Two turns until forge gets whipped for max overflow into the Colossus, then a wrok boat -> Colossus and another chop ought to get the bloody thing into whipping range. Either a lighthouse or a galley can also be used to whip into it if needed.



This is survivable, but the margins are a lot narrower. We need to get out some horse archers to scout the optimal invasion routes to Serdoa, on this huge map its going to take approximately forever to get to him. Despite the exposure its still probably important to settle Kipling in its old space to get a solid naval hold on the 'tween sea. 2 move triremes versus 3 move galleys...fun.

[Commodore]

So I really don't want to get into a slap fight with Scooter here, but if he adds another chariot or heaven fortend a keshik I might not have much choice. I moved the archer in a hopefully non-aggressive signal and now we see Brian is here too. Need a trireme in the water soon.



Lewwyn took a bit score dip and Serdoa gained a great general...ho boy, that's another asset I'd really rather he didn't gain. The buzzing lurker thread, coupled with another Seven backslap in Serdoa's thread, means he's continuing to gain pillage gold we do not need him to receive. My own shattered west is getting resettled next turn, and the gems blocker Wilde down south will join it as quickly as I can get a spear/crossbow pair there.



Bleh. Dogpile needed badly guys...I sure hope Lewwyn is pissed and goes into berzerk mode at Serdoa.

[Ilios]

Oh man, I hadn't noticed Verne was gone as well. Oh well, Settlers are cheap I guess?

I hope your cities are a bit better defended now.

Has anyone got Alphabet yet? Who do you think has Metal Casting already?

[Commodore]

Oh man, I hadn't noticed Verne was gone as well. Oh well, Settlers are cheap I guess?

I hope your cities are a bit better defended now.

Has anyone got Alphabet yet? Who do you think has Metal Casting already?

Capital Verne is still intact. Whew, that would be terrible...Melville is the ruin you see, only one chop went to waste there. Crossbows are defending everywhere now.

No ABCs yet so its not certain, but I think we're still in a monopoly with MC.

[Commodore]

Not even sure if I mentioned it last turn, but we had a Lewwyn chariot poking around up north. This turn he predictably poked his head into our borders to take a look-see. Thanks to Serdoa, though, we've been on a bit of a military spree of late...



Yeah, what do you think the outcome was? I have very mixed feelings about pushing forward. Lewwyn has that chariot in the area, covering a worker, but he might damage it by hitting the warrior. I want two things: A GG (2 more Imp-doubled XP to go!) and to punish the aggressive plant. I also, conflictingly, want Lewwyn focused on Serdoa (or Brian or Scooter if one of them razed something), not me. So it's a bit of a choice being faced.



I'm running a risky play in lush south Scooterborderia, trying to match his chariot's westward little push. If he's got combat workers and a keshik or chariot on the floodplain, this could be a lost worker pair. But it's worth trying, otherwise Serdoa is killing us all.



Thackeray, anchoring the Mongolian Front, is going to be an insanely strong city. Need to share out half these awesome tiles, stat, I think with a city going east at least. Wet rice, fish, lighthouse Fin lakes, riverside windmills...yikes. Its next build is going to be a galley to pillage the town for Feudalism funding.



Except for the continuing Serdoa domination, it's been pretty uneventful around here. The blow of Kipling and Melville dying wasn't crippling, but it might have slowed us just enough to screw the cataphract critical mass. Right now the plan is for three big stacks hitting him from each side...one trouble with that GG is that if Serdoa makes, say, a super-pike, he can airlift it to any front.



We're rebuilding, though. Melville and Kipling were resettled, and the Great Western Expansion can now begin. Wilde and Twain need to be settled in eight turns or so, then it's towards Viking lands or bust.



Ho boy, this is going to be very, very bloody.

[pindicator]

Ho boy, this is going to be very, very bloody.

[Commodore]

So guess what happened this turn, that hasn't happened in a long time? I heard Spock again.



Lewwyn worked to cover his new gems city as best he could, moving the chariot cleverly to ensure that our workers were threatened if the crossbow moved forward. Also, the move-forward-now plan is needed to enable me to reach his city before the spear joins.



So, I'm going to play "Tacitcal IQ Test". I'll ask the lurkers this one, why did I move how I did? There is a worker sitting on half a road underneath the spear by the way. What is the one move I do not want Lewwyn to make, that buys his city the best shot of living?



To cheer his own spirits, he founded a religion, his third. Except for us, Lewwyn has the religions locked up thus far. Think he can go 6/7? The editors will refrain from asking if he should.



Lest this seem all-Lewwyn as an update, we got a new annoyance in the form of an Aztec chariot this turn. We're absolutely fine, just had to send the worker flock north to avoid being captured. Unless he retreats or moves 41 next turn, we've got him.



All quiet on the western front, which is worrisome in the extreme. Southern Scooter front seems thus far stable...we'll have to keep a wary eye out, but I'm fairly sure Scooter knows a needed dogpile when he sees one.

[Nicolae Carpathia]

Wait how can Lewwyn's chariot threaten your workers?

[Commodore]

Wait how can Lewwyn's chariot threaten your workers?

Sorry, not shown: Worker under crossbow at the start, trying to get in a chop.

[Ilios]

So, I'm going to play "Tacitcal IQ Test". I'll ask the lurkers this one, why did I move how I did? There is a worker sitting on half a road underneath the spear by the way. What is the one move I do not want Lewwyn to make, that buys his city the best shot of living?

Worker under the Spear finishes the road. Another Worker pair moves in, connects the city, allowing the Spear to reinforce the city in time?

Your Warrior blocks that move (assuming Lewwyn doesn't have other units able to kill your Warrior).

How badly damaged is your Crossbow?