[Spoilers] Gavagai, Bacchus and Elizabeth Form a Romantic Trio

[Gavagai]

Alas, I don't know how I can communicate to Slowcheetah that I'm ready to loan him gold or offer any other help he needs to help him win Liberalism race. It would bring intrigue back into this game.

[Gavagai]

Sent him this. It's an unreasonable deal by itself, of course, but, I hope, it shows to which kind of trade I'm open.

[Gavagai]

God, Noble/Serdoa are truly annoying. Once again, forgot to take a picture before I moved a workboat away but he has a galley 1SW of 1-tile island and a vulture on this island. Theoretically, he can ferry this vulture to my island holdings where he can force a crossbow whip (or a crossbow upgrade from an archer) and delay the Pig city.



This is completely puzzling. Nakor whipped something in the city for three pop but nothing appeared. On the contrary, an axe disappeared. It looks like he evacuated units on a galley - this is the only explanation. Also, he didn't try to move up three catapults from the Rock. I have no idea, what he is up to, but I'm taking the city next turn.

[Gavagai]

Prediction for the next turn: Serdoa will research Paper and take Education immediately after. I'm pretty sure, he has two scientists saved up - or he wouldn't take the luxury to deviate to Music. Then... he will need 5 great people to have three GAs in a row. He already has an Artist, he can take a Merchant from Economics and two GAs are more than enough to generate three more GPs. That will be pretty brutal...

[Gavagai]

OK, Serdoa didn't get Paper, he got Guilds instead. Most probably, this means that he is going to surrender Liberalism race to Slowcheetah and start to convert his economic advantage into land right now. Frankly speaking... of, course, it's premature to speak before I know their geography but I just can't see how this decision can be right. I think, if they took Liberalism, I may have immediately suggested concession. Because, really, three golden ages would make their lead just ridiculous. And the problem with wars is that you never can be completely certain, how it will end up...

[Gavagai]

Nakor is suddenly doing something. Three slaves and a city settled. Also, three slaves from Serdoa, as expected. I guess, next turn I won't be the first in power anymore, good riddance!
Logging in...

[Gavagai]

Nakor attacked out. Killed my 2-movers stack (Morale mace and two chariots) at the cost of five cats out of seven. I got really unlucky - one of his catapults not only survived 4.4% battle but thoroughly trushed my GG-mace. And this sealed my 2-movers stack doom. Yes, I definitely had to give the second GG morale.

Bombed down his defenses with first three cats. Now attacking with a city raider cat at 19% odds:



Catapult died but brought his archer down to 1.6 health.

Barrage catapult at 13% chance goes next:



Died, his top archer is at 2.2 health.

Now, this guy:



Maces didn't have good enough odds. Died but brought his archer to 0.3. And here goes the cavalry:



IT DIED! At that point it stopped being fun. I will just show you this:



Cleaned up with no further losses. Losing two GGs was brutal. Of course, I could wait a turn or two and take the city with no losses but I think that time is rather important here: I need these new cities to start contributing ASAP.

Did this:



Covered with an axe and another spear.

Final disposition:



And still losing two GG units sucks. Definitely not the best played war in my career...

Serdoa's front:



I keep forgetting to take a pic before moving a workboat but he has a galley 2N from a WB.



He can unload a vulture on horses next turn, so I'm going to do this:

1. A galley which carries a worker and a settler, proceeds as planned and unloads them.
2. A worker goes 1NE of Horse goes to a hill 1N of lake.
3. Next turn - if he unloads a vulture - I will upgrade my archer, load a worker on a galley and move it towards Halapandur. This way I'll be able to finish a road on horses next turn (via unloading a worker inside the city) and kill his vulture wherever it would want to go.
My net costs is that Pasture on Pigs will get delayed by one turn but worth it, I think.

And yet other news. I set up a proper sentry net in the South at last and oh, fuck!



Well, these guys shouldn't be my problem... For now, at least.

Also did this:



Why? Because this:



They also have more EPs invested in him than in anyone else. I will gamble on an assumption that he is their target. At least, others seem to have better chances. On the other hand, BaII is two techs away from Engineering and is sitting on a pretty heavy pile of gold already. So, worth a shot, I think.
Serdoa is going all-in here. If he wins this war, he will be declared a winner, I think, but if he fails, he'll be drugged back into the pack - at least, he will lose his first place to Slowcheetah who is now going to take Liberalism. Of course, Serdoa's chances are high but he didn't have to take even this low risk. However, I made this point earlier.

[Gavagai]

Another reason why Serdoa should have gone for Liberalism is to deny Slowcheetah this advantage. Now, I think, even after a successful war Slowcheetah will remain a competition.

[Gavagai]

Look at SC's techs. If he just researches Alphabet, he'll be able to bulb Liberalism itself. Also, Yuri is sitting on a huge pile of gold. Will he be smart enough to help BaII out?

Edit: disregard the part about Liberalism Printing Press will block it.

[Gavagai]

BaII at least doing something. He made some whips and turned on research. I jumped back in game and offered him this deal:



Could also have asked for pigs but I'll have them myself in a few turns.