[Spoilers] Commodore as Washington of the Mongols

[Ceiliazul]

Yeah, but the output of an artist is at most 4x3=12cpt, whereas those nice Free Speech towns are 7x3=21cpt, if I'm running the 100% slider, plus the hammers for culture building/buildings. I might do a mass starvation if I need that last artist, but otherwise, Manticore is relatively safe.

That culture calculation does not include the yield from an additional great artist... also, it appears from your post that Manticore is the safest of the 3, while Sphinx needs more Great Artist support.

You've done a great job on the plannig, I'm just throwing out ideas.

How safe are you from Gaspar's wrath?

[Commodore]

How safe are you from Gaspar's wrath?

Dunno, okayish? I have twice his power right now, which is frankly kind of sad. Mackoti is going to be gearing up to take on Gaspar, I'm 58% sure. I'm trying to encourage such things.



TT is certainly crumbling at this point. Mack took let's get loud and probably has the reinforcements to prevent recapture, although a TT hiveswarm is heading over to contest things.



This Mack cavalry stack is dangerous too, I'd rate chances about 50/50 that TT can wipe it out, but if the port holds, the bell has tolled.



My preparedness isn't great, but I turned up tech to 20% to get Communism. We'll swap to State Property at the end of this golden age and relish the near-zero expenses...allowing a buildup of cavs and rifles (mostly cavs).



Here's today's build setup: Lots of wealth builds already as the empire is going into the death spiral/culture boom, the big three are concerning themselves with the last few administrative things.



Sphinix is just about perfectly making enough hammers for the mosque, it's going to move off the mines and onto artists after thing (gold excepted, naturally). Culture building is more efficient than finishing Versailles, sadly.



Both Golden Age artists are securely in the pipeline, with Jackalope's coming in in two more turns.



...and Naga's in in three, with a good deal less starvation. My word but I like this little city, in a pinch it could probably be bombed into the third cultural city, the other prospect being Mermaid the Moai. Not ideal, but flexibility is vital for this plan.



Any questions, comments, snide remarks, oracles of despair? I still do not expect success, but I think I am going to be giving cultural victory the nearest run on RB this side of PB1

[Ceiliazul]

Mack has already shown why Mermaid is not a good legenary city candidate. Defend Sphinx with your life, yo.

Why more cavs than rifles?

[Commodore]

Mack has already shown why Mermaid is not a good legenary city candidate. Defend Sphinx with your life, yo.

Why more cavs than rifles?

Mackoti and Gaspar are both focusing on infantry, machine guns, and eventually marines, all of which tear up rifles, but Pinch cavs (which I can make out of the gate no problem) actually do okay against them. Mack's fast-mover force of cavs will also be countered by formation cavs of my own, which thanks to Chm/Mongolia is only one combat win away for my starting horses.

[yuris125]

Not sure about pinch Cavs vs Marines, RL7 were killing them without problems in 19. Don't see why they would do good, strength 15 vs Rifles' strength 14, but no defensive bonuses mean Rifles are much better on defence

Are you far away from Infantries?

Happy new year!

[Commodore]

Not sure about pinch Cavs vs Marines, RL7 were killing them without problems in 19. Don't see why they would do good, strength 15 vs Rifles' strength 14, but no defensive bonuses mean Rifles are much better on defence

Are you far away from Infantries?

Happy new year!

And same to you! :2dance:

Infantries are far, far away, too many techs to really swing in an efficient time, alas. Even MGs are too much, I think I'll be ending at cannon here. Rifles are going in as defenders, cavs are just the supplemental mobile "retakers". Poor TT is beyond even that help, I think.



The fortresses will be bloody to tear down, but now it's definitely kill-able.



TT retook his port, but after exchanging another half a million soldiers I think it'll be Mackoti's again in the end. That's going to be a lot of dead invaders though.



But that's not the real reason you're tuning in here, right? It's really all about watching Commodore vs. the Mongolian people. Everyone in Jackalope was forced out of the fields and towns and into the sweaty art studios of death.



Hit a Homer!



Next up, just a little belt-tightening in Naga for the fourth Great Artist. After next turn, 4 down, 5 to go (ideally).



State Property isn't going to be all that and a bag of chips now, but I fully expect to lose Wolpertinger and its Forbidden Palace very quickly in any war. Plus, all those lovely towns are so much dead weight once I'm in 100% culture mode, so no food loss, +4 hammer workshop are going everywhere.



Who shall we kill next, in Starve That Artist!

[Commodore]

Or, TT could use those mercenaries very well:

[COLOR="Yellow"]Hey,

I know I haven't exactly rung the diplo channels much this game but I felt I may as well give you an update so you don't have to worry when you see the event log.

Basically, I have managed to hurt him badly enough that he wanted peace. I have secured a 10 turn peace treaty plus regained a backline city which would have given him a quick strike at my capital once he boated enough units there.

However, there is no secret deal and I fully expect him to come at me with a likely unstoppable force of Artillery and Infantry in 10 turns time and I may well end up not lasting too long after that. My only hope is to mass cannons in the next 10 turns of guaranteed peace and try and take as much of him with me.

I know you declined my offers last turn but I want to make another plea for any assistance you can possibly spare. I have proven that I can hold him up considerably and with some help I may be able to drag out the conflict further to allow both of your plans for victory to possibly succeed.

I need gold or a few more top quality stack defenders like Rifles/Cavs/Infantry/Machine Guns or even some cannons of your own. In return I can offer you details of what is inside mackoti's cities as I have full EP visibility on them. I can give you details of his military composition as well as what great people he has stockpiled in his cities for bulbs/founding corps/artist bombs.

Up to you guys but thought I'd make a formal offer to you.

TT[/COLOR]

But, given the terms of my NAP with Mack, said NAP being my only chance of survival...

[COLOR="Sienna"]Hey TT,

Thanks for giving us the update, nicely done on wounding him that badly, I hope the mercenaries helped. Unfortunately, the only reason I still have any coastal cities at all is because I agreed to not support you any further than was done, and now Gaspar is starting to tool up his own military, the Pentagon guaranteeing everything coming off his lines with pinch at minimum. I'm truly sorry, but I can't help now.

-Commodore[/COLOR]

Ugh, wish I could help. If Mack does indeed concentrate on killing TT after the 10-turn peace treaty, I'd rate our victory chances up from "snowball in hell" to "snowball in a cooler in hell".

[Commodore]

Bingo! We have success once again!



Counting the four artists currently owned, now at 33% of our goal! Just have 18 more turns until the long NAP with Mackoti ends, plus whatever he adds by not cancelling the roller. Likewise, Gaspar is behind his seven turn 'er.



This was the easy set though. The next [strike]death camp[/strike] city to make an artist isn't going to squeeze it out in time for the GA to end. Still, not a terrible rate overall, only need four more from the starvation pits and the rest can come from Naga.



Well done, my loyal shield and spear, Twinkletoes. Your sacrifice will be commemorated in the newest Mongolian cultural artifacts, etched skulls.



Here's TT's core, somewhat less blue than before. I think I judged the mercenary gifts just about right, Mackoti must be looking my way with black hatred right about now.



Contrasted, here's Core Mongolia. Despite being untouched by war, expect towns to be bulldozed and populations starved in the next dozen turns, we've got a lot to prepare for.



Thus ends another apocalyptic turn on Bob's World.

[regoarrarr]

but I think I am going to be giving cultural victory the nearest run on RB this side of PB1

I think you're already closer. Broker really had no chance at a culture victory in PB1 - the space races were always going to be way faster

[Commodore]

I think you're already closer. Broker really had no chance at a culture victory in PB1 - the space races were always going to be way faster

Huh, I was always somewhat fuzzy on exactly how close he was...once the nukes fly the game gets confusing to archive trawl.

In other news, Godspeed Mr. Toes! You annoyed me with your aggression early on, but your word is ironclad:

[COLOR="Yellow"]Commodore,

Its alright, I have experienced first hand Mackoti's naval dominance. Your help is probably the major reason I'm still alive right now!

I thought I may as well warn you that mackoti tried to convince me to accept a deal for 3rd place where I give open borders and full access for his units to attack you. I declined seen as you have helped me and letting him through without a fight just makes the game boring.

I do expect him to attack and try and take me down in 10t but I hope you have a lengthy and watertight NAP with him because otherwise he may well soon be coming for you. I see with your Great Artist spawning and the victory screen you are looking for a cultural victory so I reckon at least 1 of the other two will soon be gunning for you!

Good luck if you manage it - hopefully I'm still alive to see it though I'd say my chances of that are slimmer than yours of stealing a victory from under mackoti's nose!

TT[/COLOR]

I'm impressed with his generalship more than his early management, but he's certainly made is mark...I think he's invalidated half the mean stuff he said about himself in 28.