[spoilers] Gaspar and Commodore welcome you to the islands, mon!

[Gaspar]

@work, so I won't get a chance to play until ~9 my time. If you can grab beforehand probably best for expediency.

[Commodore]

Okay, expedited things. Looks like the Vikings berserkers are becoming Troll berserkers.

[Commodore]

All in all I like the plan, particularly the part where you try for shock and awe and concessions rather than a conquest with 15 berzerks. I agree it's going to be tricky, but it'll help that Rego's used to wheeling and dealing. And that you've got to both slow him down and get more cities if you're going to get back in this.

It's hard to say much on the tactics without seeing the save, especially since this map is toroidal. One comment - if I read pindicator's delivery plan correctly, he's planning to deliver the galleys mostly to Sen'jin village. It might be quicker to head SE rather than NW, especially if you take into account transit time inside Troll lands.

Also, especially with the ex-Viking galleys, you'll have an enormous mobility advantage, 4 movers on our part vs 2 movers for Rego. That's combined with Caravels being very good stack defenders that can keep up. Whatever tactical plan you come up with ought to include lots of forking and flexibility. Don't let him anticipate a target until you're ready to start the extortion. He can't be strong everywhere, even with warning.

Any chance of a diversionary force doing something obvious, on top of that? At least send empty galleys around, or galleys loaded with the Sian-crushing force, to give Rego lots to think about? I'm sure that a berserker force arriving at his Moai city will be a lot scarier if he had no idea it existed.

All good points about the diversionary needs. The Regeneration has been swimming around here for a while, and is now is menacing the reinforcement galley Sian is trying to punch through. I hope he thinks Rego's borders will protect him...caravels ignore borders.

In Gurubashi Arena, there is the C2 trireme to upgrade, plus after next turn another caravel can be whipped. Controlling the seas around So Skinny is vital, these caravels should be enough to hold it for the zerks.



The new caravel Hex needs a friend to help cover the north-Aztec front, but a little pressure here should also help to distract Regoarrarr from the big punch. We can get rid of a lot of seafood, if nothing else.



It was really tempting to not punish Rego for his arrogance this turn, actually, but as much as our theme is going off half-cocked, this would be more like quarter-cocked, and that would make a royal cock-up of everything.



Plus, there's this little annoyance. We're settling the excellent corn island spot, hell or high waters...I moved the Hex to cover against that annoyance.



Knights are an option now too, once we get the lines rolling. I hope we don't need a lot of them, but if nothing else those final annoying Sian cities can get punched out with some good longbow/mace counters.



The swarm of Nav I galleys is growing, although the last will be here not this turn, but next.



This is our staging tile, just behind the Cape of Hidden Fleets. I hope Rego avoids checking his charts for the cape's name. We'll have four caravels shielding this particular fleet.



Here's the plan as I see it. Lack subtly, but has some nice strength going for it. We can route north some additional galleys for longbows to take control of the two nice near cities, if we want it. I dunno, if we care to sweep the waves of recapturing galleys (moving speed 2, remember) it might well be worthwhile.



Sian is still being annoying, spamming all those maces and longbows...we need to kill this stuff sooner or later, but really this crappy little rump state is more a distraction than anything else.



The border cities are pumping out a few more units. Zul'Farrak needs to be hit next turn for another caravel, of course, and Sandsorrow can whip a sword for defence next turn as well to get at least one Str-6 defender before the balloon goes up.



With each turn, our power waxes greater and greater!



Happy New Year!

[Gaspar]

I took a quick look at the save, looks like Sian landed a galley with Archer/Longbow pair on that forest. This war is like gangrene. Or something.

Anyway, I feel a bit out of sorts with the save truthfully. I think we need to resolve to play a few turns together over chat or something. If you want to grab this one and we do that the next or if you want to hit me up for this one and start here, either is fine, but as our empire gets more moving parts I'm less confident in divining your intentions.

I'll be around later this afternoon, but if you can get it in hopes of a 2nd turn today that works as well.

[Commodore]

I took a quick look at the save, looks like Sian landed a galley with Archer/Longbow pair on that forest. This war is like gangrene. Or something.

Anyway, I feel a bit out of sorts with the save truthfully. I think we need to resolve to play a few turns together over chat or something. If you want to grab this one and we do that the next or if you want to hit me up for this one and start here, either is fine, but as our empire gets more moving parts I'm less confident in divining your intentions.

I'll be around later this afternoon, but if you can get it in hopes of a 2nd turn today that works as well.

Hum. Okay, I'm sending this one along then and we'll resolve to play this afternoon...it'll be the invasion launch turn, so we'll need to coordinate anyway. I have a gift for you, at least:



One more septic bit lopped off.

[Commodore]

Well, the Gangrenous Empire has a new capital, it's Hagar the horrible. Need those amphibious knights online post-haste, but at least it is the two weaker cities that remain.



Those final two cities are going to be really nice, not to mention the ability to make the five excellent cities already captured much better. Zeb'Halek, for instance. This amazing city is laboring under +4 unhappiness that will disappear the second we exterminate this stain upon the world.



Gearing up for more war would be utterly foolish right now, of course. So what are we doing? Gearing up for war with the best player in the game, currently running away. Gundrak, for instance, can whip in this caravel next turn, then whip a longbow the turn after the turn for more security.



At least caravels are still useful. Rego, gunning so hard for Liberalism, is going to be very vulnerable for a little while. Not that I'm not sure someone as competent as Rego won't immediately gun for Optics the second we go to war.



Poked my head over to the Rego city, with any luck we'll have another turn of 10% defenses before smashing in to him.



I got the big stack right here, here's hoping Pin can gift the remaining three in a good position next turn. Should be fun, or else a really sad failure. Nice to have four-movers here though, and once Astro finishes these can all be upgraded to 6-move galleons.



Defensively, the wooden walls are going up. With any luck, two triremes can be popped next turn at least in this quadrant. The new corn city will have a missionary for culture on turn one, so it should pop and cover our borders quickly.



I think Pindicator isn't too worried about attacking us. Note the amazing work boat garrison! As you can also see, we have marble online now, and these workers can load up next turn, then the turn after we can toss them onto the bananas to really make this city worth something.



Hopefully we can chat together on the next turn, there's going to be a lot going on I think.

[Commodore]

*spoiler, wrong thread.

[Gaspar]

Nice work on the capture, Commodore.

I'll be around if the turn flips to us.

[Ceiliazul]

What city did you capture? Sian only has 2 left, right?

How much gpt did the mercenary army cost you?

[Gaspar]

We captured Zabra'jin.

I see the save came in but I'm having some technical issues. Hopefully I'll get them sorted shortly if you happen to be around to play.