[Spoilers] Cometh the Messiah - Varn Gosam and the Malakim

[Ilios]

I'm pretty sure I've done the disciple thing before, so yeah it works. The revolt part is weak really, as long as you know about it beforehand and have a disciple ready. The city also loses population, which matters a lot more.

Great, thanks! The population loss isn't that of a big deal if you're running the right Civics.

And yeah, you didn't mention the T140 NAP.

What insolence! Mark my words, those responsible will be punished severely!

But seriously, I am more at ease with the Elves, with whom I have no NAP, than with the Calabim, with whom I do!

T127:

Splashscreen:



Incidently, I didn't know that once built, you can have a unit "read" the Grimoire. Haven't really tested it yet.

Anyway, ten turns have passed, so it's time for another Civics change:



Let me show you the effect of Sacrifice the Weak in a smallish city.

Before:



A 6-food surplus.

After:



A 12-food surplus!

Let's see the food situation of the whole realm:



Alotta food surplus...

An overview of the core cities:



Horus, Ra and En-Kai will whip their excess (angry) population next turn. I have set Helios to the Grimoire, but I should probably build something first and whip it (Inn? Public Bath?).

The Ritualist will convert Helios next turn, which should remove two unhappy faces (one from state religion, one from the Reagents that will come online next turn, via the AV temple).

You can see the Great Sage next to En-Kai, who will build the Stigmata next turn.

Short news:

- Uberfish has converted to Ashen Veil, turning evil, and making him elegible for the Undercouncil civic (he told me he'd switch on T129)
- The Calabim have taken a Doviello city previously held by the Balseraphs. The way it's looking now, I think we're going to have another elimination...
- Darrell has also razed the Balseraph city on my northeastern border. Now I just need to build a Settler...
- Uberfish continues his military build-up. I'm getting nervous, and vow to start building troops. Soonish...

Tech path:

I want Iron (for the bonus strength and the abilty to build Eidolons) and I want Forges. Now I could get either of them from a wonder (Mines of Galdur for Iron, Guild of Hammers for Forges), but I think the next twenty turns will be crucial, and I don't know if I'll have the time to build them.

So Smelting it is, to see whether I have Iron in my borders. Then on to Fanaticism, so I can take Malevolent Designs as a free tech once the Infernal Grimoire finishes. If I do have iron, I guess Iron Working will be next.

I also need to slot in Military Strategy (which is halfway researched, so only 200 beakers needed I think), and Mathematics, for those ultra cheap Gambling Houses (once the Undercouncil resolution has passed that is).

If it still available, I'll want Honor, for the Empyrean religion, and Religious Law, for the Theocracy civic and Chalid "Napalm boy" Astrakhan!

[Ilios]

Alright, I've finally found some time to analyse my opponent's tech situation!

Serdoa:

Ancient Techs: all minus cartography

Classical Techs: Drama, Archery, Bronze working, Construction, Sanitation, Warfare, Code of Laws, Currency, KotE, Divination, Way of the Earthmother

I have on him: Cartography, HBR, Sailing, Trade, Deception, Philosophy, Priesthood, Writing, Way of the Forest, Way of the Wicked, Corruption of Spirit, Infernal Pact

He has on me: Drama, Divination

Conclusion:

- Decent play, but lack of focus and a clear target has hurt him.
- Overexpanded, lack of workers.
- Managed to piss everyone off

Uberfish:

Ancient Techs: all

Classical Techs: Bronze Working, Sanitation, Warfare, Military Strategy, Code of Laws, Writing, HBR, Trade, Deception, KotE, Philosophy, Priesthood, Way/wicked, Way of the Forest, Corruption of Spirit

I have on him: Archery, Construction, Sailing, Way/Earthmother, Currency, Infernal Pact

He has on me: Military Strategy

Conclusion:

- very solid beeline towards Way of the Forest (diverted only Education, for cottages
- handily grabbed the free Commander from Mil Strat (used for golden age)
- only a couple of techs behind me
- only possible contender for Infernal Grimoire

Darrell:

Ancient Techs: all minus Masonry

Classical Techs: Bronze Working, Sanitation, Warfare, Code of Laws, Writing, HBR, Sailing, Trade, KotE, Philosophy, Way/wicked, Feudalism

I have on him: Archery, Masonry, Currency, Construction, Priesthood, Way/Forest, Way/Earthmother, Corr./Spirit, Deception, Infernal Pact

He has on me: Feudalism

Conclusion

- also very solid beeline towards Feudalism (only detour, Sanitation)
- has a lot of gold to deficit research now
- also heading for Corruption/Spirit - Infernal Pact (Sacrifice the Weak seems to be tailormade for the Calabim)

Amelia:

Ancient Techs: all minus Cartography + Seafaring

Classical Techs: Archery, Bronze Working, Sanitation, Warfare, Code of Laws, Writing, HBR, Sailing, KotE, Philosophy, Stirrups, Alteration, Message/Deep, Mind Stapling

I have on her: Cartography, Currency, Trade, Way/Forest, Way/Earthmother, Way/Wicked, Deception, Corr./Spirit, Inf. Pact

She has on me: Stirrups, Alteration, Message/Deep, Mind Stapling

Conclusion:

- beeline for Message of the Deep has hurt her (before Crafting/Mining)
- very solid techer compared to size of empire thanks to financial power of sea tiles/pirate coves
- plans on building an army of Horse Archers and to go on the attack from T150 onwards (against me), or T175 onwards (vs Calabim) - I don't think she has the production capacity to build a big enough army, even while running Conquest civic

Mist:

Anicent Techs: all minus Cartography, Fishing, Hunting, Masonry

Classical Techs: HBR, Archery, Bronze Working, Code of Laws

I have on him: A lot!

He has on me: Nothing...

Conclusion:

- killed his economy due to botched rush on Sciz + non-economic traits

Sciz:

Ancient Techs: all minus Animal Husbandry, Cartography, Fishing, Hunting, Mysticism

Classical Techs: Bronze Working, Construction, Code of Laws, Warfare

I have on him: A lot

He has on me: Nothing!

Conclusion:

- on the receiving end of a failed rush, never recovered
- lack of workers has hurt him a lot
- has now finally researched Bronze Working, but only to clear jungle (Luchuirp don't have Axe/Swordsmen)

[Ilios]

T128:

So, Hyborem is in the game, and guess what, he switched to the Undercouncil (has has all techs I have when he was summoned)...

Because there are now two civilizations running the UC, we get the leader election event:



I obviously voted for myself, but I have no idea if Hyborem will vote for me (we're up to +18 relations), nor what happens when there is a tie break.

I think there's only a election every 20 turns, so if we do not get a leader, it will be a long time before we can start passing resolutions.

That would seriously piss me off, because that means I've invested 700 beakers in a tech I won't be using otherwise for nothing!

The Great Sage moves into En-Kai and builds:



Already up to 7 base beakers (multiplied by 75% thanks to the Academy and the Library). The Ashen Veil shrine is the first to be built, there are still a lot of cities on the map without a religion, and AV (together with Order) has the biggest chance of spreading of all the religions. This means we'll having a lot more AV cities in the near future (especially if Darrell decides to convert to AV as well).

I whip most of the big cities for health buildings. It is never smart to whip away population during a golden age, but i mostly whipped away unhappy or specialist citizens, or citizens working unimproved tiles (the horror!).

I decided to squeeze out a quick Ritualist before the Infernal Grimoire in Helios to convert Horus, figuring I have a very healthy lead on any potential rivals. If it looks like I could delay it a bit more, I might whip out a Forge once Smelting comes in.

Ending the turn brings great disappointment:



I already have enough Gold, stupid game, give me Gems! (I'm getting an increased chance of popping metal thanks to the Earth Mana from the Standing Stones Unique Feature)

[NobleHelium]

I'm pretty sure you're the first person in the history of Civ4 to describe popping gold as a "great disappointment."

[Mr. Yellow]

I'd say it's a sign you've been quite spoilt as well.

[Ilios]

I'm pretty sure you're the first person in the history of Civ4 to describe popping gold as a "great disappointment."

I'd say it's a sign you've been quite spoilt as well.

I was kidding ofcourse, working another 10 commerce tile will certainly help my finances.

T129:

We have the result of the Undercouncil leader election. Hyborem votes for himself, but I win the tie-break, making the Malakim the leaders of the UC for the next twenty turns. Uberfish will switch right on time for the resolutions to start passing.

On the city front, I'm kind of struggling with the massive amounts of food my core cities are producing every turn.

Horus is set to a 3-turn Settler after finishing a Temple of the Leaves.

En-Kai will probably 5-pop whip its Desruptus Brewing house next turn. That will stack whip anger, which should disappear by the time it has grown back to its current size. After that it will be producing Lightbringers and/or Ritualists, because I am under the impression Darrell continues to build up troops.

Helios will start on a Forge next turn, and whip it out the turn after (I'm going to guess 6 pop).

Ra has finished its third Temple, which gives it a total of four Priest slots to work with. It will either build a Moneychanger or a Granary.

The other cities are growing like weeds, and are still working improved tiles, so I haven't had the hart to whip them yet. I need to figure how to configure them in the next couple of turns.

Ending the turn finishes Smelting (enables Forges), and allows me to see if there is any Iron on the map. Sure enough, I've got a source, near Al-Shams, where I was planning to build Fort to prevent Raider Lanun from entering my lands with impunity. I'll need to figure out a way around it, maybe just build a fort on the Iron. Or build a Mine, then almost finish a fort, so I can finish it in a turn should Amelia go hostile by turn 150.

Chatted with Uberfish, he's set fire to the jungle between him and the Luchuirp, and plans to move in next turn.

I don't mind if he beats the Dwarves, as long as I can get 2-3 Dwarven cities to cover my Core cities from the west.

Picture update tonight, promise!

[Ilios]

T130:

Smelting Splashscreen:



A couple of turns back, I had asked Sciz if I could station a hawk in his lands, which he refused, officially because he didn't want to piss off the Elves. Since the Elves were going to invade soon, I figured I'd take a peek:



Yeah, the Luchuirp are goners...

Ah well, Sciz will have learned this important maxim: "Never trust an Elf"

Here's picture of Uberfish' small stack in the south:



My Priest killed a Giant, after softening him up with a Tiger, giving him enough exp for another promotion. You can see my only source of Iron on the right.

The east:



You can see a barb city has sprung up near the Calabim. It had sent an Axeman over, which I killed with a Priest.

The core:



I decided to hold off the whips this turn, but will do so next for a Forge in the capital (6 pop), and the Brewing house in En-Kai (4 pop). Mostly unhappy citizens will be removed in this way...

A couple of graphs:

Notice the sharp power drop for the Calabim, wonder what is up there.

[NobleHelium]

Note the sharp power gain for Hyborem.

[Ilios]

Note the sharp power gain for Hyborem.

I wondered about that as well, and apparently, Hyborem's power is inflated artificially, making him more prone to declare war...

[NobleHelium]

Oh, really? I thought his starting units were worth that much, even though that seemed unlikely.