[SPOILERS] Whosit Plays Alone for Fun (and Profit?)

[Whosit]

Well, looks like it's nearly well and truly over. I'm saving the last of my reserves to try and pounce on Grimaces army if I get the chance (last turn I retook Brotherhood with a single jag at 35% odds). But at this rate, those reserves will be killed by Dreylin. I wanted to bleed Grimace more to make him exceptionally easy pickings later. I'm still not totally sure if he made a deal with Dreylin, but if he did, gonna try to punish that. I already did what I could to bleed Dreylin's advance. It wasn't much. For the record, I could probably have taken on Grimace 1v1. But Dreylin would have jumped on me anyway.

Well, no hard feelings Dreylin. I'd have done the same in your position.

Is there really any harm if I start to read the lurker thread? It hasn't even updated in a month, and I'm probably eliminated in 6 turns max.

[Whosit]

Capital lost, down to 5 cities (including two ivory islands). Grimace retook Brotherhood (now renamed Beginnings, lol) and stuffed it with units. I killed 13 of the 14 units in garrison. I should have pulled some garrison from... I don't even recall the city's name, lol, but I could have reinforced my attack stack with a few muskets. It's not like any amount of garrison will save the city from Dreylin. I've no idea how much I've bled Grimace, but I bet if I had a few turns I could burn a few of his cities.

[spacetyrantxenu]

You should wait until after you're eliminated to read other threads.

[Whosit]

Down to my two islands, I should fall this turn, or maybe the next, depending on Dreylin's combat luck.

I wiffed a bit with Grimace, suiciding my remaining units to no effect. Only after that I realized I should have just wandered and pillaged. Won't make too much of a difference, though. Grimace shouldn't have enough of an army left to do much of anything right now, and all he got out of the war was a single city of mine (I also razed his moai city so that's a laugh). I guess the main question will be is how long Dreylin waits to conquer Grimace.

I was considering doing a post-death analysis, but I don't really feel there's all that much worth saying. What I probably will do is check Dreylin's archives to cross-reference that "Well played" message he sent me, since I've still been wondering about that. I wonder what opportunity I squandered, even though at the time it seemed he had still out-maneuvered me.

[Whosit]

Finally went back and looked at Dreylin's perspective on the ancient-era war between us. It seems he really did think that my Chariot stack would break his lines. I did, too. Dreylin, you were surprised when I did not attack. Well, I had believed you would be building only axes to counter my axe/jaguar force, but you got two Spearmen in Arkose, and my sims told me that two spearmen can hold off 8 chariots. Unfortunately. I think even in my luckiest sims I didn't even manage to take the city. I think if it had been only one spearman, I could have taken it.

I also found out where you were getting horses from. Early sailing really does pay off.

So, yeah, as I already knew, that war was where I lost the game. I really thought that I had amassed enough overwhelming force to make enough early gains to offset the cost of raising the army, but I think a mix of good tactics on your end and poor choices on mine gave us the results we saw.

[Dreylin]

Hey Whosit, no hard feelings about the earlier proper war, though I was a bit put out by the earlier threatening of Breccia where you played a split turn (though after explanation from TBS I calmed down). The earlier war I was trying to divert you without coming off as too desperate; the way I read your thread and with the benefit of hindsight I think you were too invested to be diverted by then - I think I was mostly disappointed that you hadn't at least responded to my messages. Anyway, sorry about the hiccough with the Cease Fire when you did attack and also for the confusion that my "well played" message created.

Your thread was an entertaining read; the detail from the other side of the conflict was interesting to see. And I think you underestimate how well things were going for you by the end (before the war); I was starting to get really concerned with your tech rate outpacing me so I think you made a great recovery from insolvency. Although maybe some of those Banks /should/ have been Knights....