Like a hot wind Varn Gosam of the Malakim [SPOILERS]

[Sciz]

You're right, i didn't think about the desert strength we have. Gotta check that out when I get the save next. I couldn't move the lightbringer this turn anyways, since a barb scorpion is in the way in the east. Good job square leg

[Square Leg]

The desert's are our friends! It may be worth sending a warrior to find the barrow down there are xp farm in the desert. Could quickly get a high xp warrior that is always useful.

We get 20% nomad bonus on attack and defence remember but we still get the -25% on defence also in desert. Always attack if possible while in the desert's is the answer!

[Sciz]

So the turn arrives and I check out what you mentioned:



And you were completely correct! I don't really want to waste that many turns moving that warrior there though, so instead I move out my capital defender to the southeast. There's nothing else nearby anyways, and with an 89% win chance I don't see him losing (this is obviously something I shouldn't have said, since he most definitely will lose now )

The skeleton moves one tile closer when I send the turn on, so next turn i'll be able to attack it.

In other news, the lightbringer has started scouting after the warrior took his spot on the barrow! This is what he found:



Fertile lands to the east! Might be able to place city #2 one tile east now instead, on the plains hill, for less overlap. But then it'll lose both the wheat for early growth and the cows, so maybe not.

[Square Leg]

Woohoo - glad to of been some help! Obviously with more scouting it will be easier to place but here are two spots that might be worth considering for city 2:



forum ate my post!!!!!! argh!!! Dag nam it!

Yellow:

Pros: 2FP's, cow, hills for production, gold

Cons: now a lot of food to work those hills...

Red:

Pros: At least 4FP's, Gold, hills for production

Cons: Founded on desert- will want springing in the fullness of time. Means -5% combat modifyer when defending... No cow although that isn't that big of a loss. Animal food is meh and we will get the health eventually when culture envelopes it. Less hills but more food/commerce. still decent though.

I think red is slightly better in the long run. The extra commerce and food is what swings it for me. What do you think?

BTW - hope you are feelnig better!

[Sciz]

First thing to do when I get the turn is to move our Lightbringer up ontop of that desert hill to see what is in the distance:



A bunch of interesting stuff here. Lots and lots of desert, which sucks. Pyre of the Seraphic or whatever, which is decent, too bad it's in the middle of a wasteland. Thirdly, there's a barb goblin coming out way

Actually a barb goblin on its own is no big deal, but when I only have one warrior defending the cap, and when it's going out to attack a barb skeleton, it is a fairly big deal. So I actually decide to withdraw the warrior instead of attacking the skeleton. Not sure how smart this is, but I didn't want to risk injuring him too much or even getting a loss. The desert shrine will complete when this turn ends and then it's a warrior or two for protection. Two turns for a warrior, I think, which should be enough time until the goblin arrives anyways. I dunno if I should move the warrior on the barrow back or not. I mean I want to for protection, but i don't want the barrow to spawn a skeleton and fuck us up. Is it completely random how fast a skeleton spawns or does the barrow have to be not-occupied by player units for an X amount of turns before one spawns?

[Sciz]

Blitz session today, and a whole bunch of turns played. Let's see how our peaceful nation faired against the onslaught of barbarian hordes! But first, our little disciple-scout goes further east:



Contact! It is Sir Yellow of the Bannor. I send along a generic pleasant message, and get the info that he has met the elves to the east, and that he also knows that the Elohim are "somewhere there as well", so i'm guessing they're further east of the elves, that the elves have met the Elohim and told the Bannor of there general whereabouts.

Back home I nearly get a heart attack, but all goes well:



Phew! If that skeleton had won, we had been dead now. The immortal words are now applicable: Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good! Trouble isn't over yet though, as we have two (!) goblins coming our way. The worker has to stay put in the capital because there's not much he can do without getting killed by goblins. I produce a few warriors during the next couple of turns, and the first goblin suicides against GLT, poisoning a warrior.

Crafting is also completed, and I revolt to pacifism to get the great prophet out faster. Research starts on mining, should be 13-14 turns until completion. Around the same for the great prophet. I suicide a warrior on the remaining goblin and then clean up with another. I could've just waited but I wanted my worker to finally start farming some flood plains, to get out the settler a bit faster. Yeah, I started work on a settler. Currently have three warriors in the cap, and the one on the barrow. Settler will be done in 11 or 12 turns, around the same time that mining and the great prophet is. Also somehow the health cap for GLT grew for some reason, I have no idea why, it certainly wasn't the wheat since it isn't connected, and no forest grew. Our disciple-scout is still alive and running away from a lizardman to the southeast. Has only found more desert and some floodplains.

[Sciz]

Guess what I just found? A hut! And not only that...



If you look at the westernmost part of explored land in this picture, to the left of the goblin, you can see a sign. And i'm pretty sure it says "pass". And the only unique feature I know of that has pass in it is "Guardian of pristinus pass". And THAT's a nasty unique feature! It spawns three (I think) barbarian gargoyles when someone gets too close, which is one-tile range I think. So the lightbringer should be able to grab that hut and run away from the goblin and still not activate it. We really don't want gargoyles coming our way.

[Sciz]

Our brave little lightbringer so far away from home. What new discoveries will be bring us today? Well he explored that hut seen above and..... got a map However one interesting thing WAS revealed!



And I don't mean the eastern part of this picture which is what the map revealed. No, I mean the western part that the sentry lightbringer found himself. The Remnants of Patria! Obviously the guardians of pristinus pass was set up there to protect the remnants of patria from being settled very early. The remnants of patria is an unique feature that gives a lot of hammers. 4 hammers from the start I think, and then two different techs give it 2 more hammers or something like that. It's a good tile anyways. Now our lightbringer must flee from the chasing goblin, so he can live to see another day.

On the homefront one of those Fawns have finally shown up!



However when I took this picture I didn't notice that the Fawns have two move, so when I sent the turn on he moved up to the plains hill southwest of the sheep. Not sure if he can reach the worker or not next turn, as there is a desert in the way which should halt his movements right? I might have to build another warrior soon though, and put a hold to my settler production for a turn or two. Sigh. Also there's a wayward skeleton just to the east of this picture, moving to save his friends in the barrow where I currently have a warrior fortified. The warrior should be safe on that hill though, hopefully.

Also here are some demographics, because I haven't posted them for a while:



GNP is obviously inflated by the great merchant, but i'm still liking our stats. Only reason we're low on food is because of the priest specialist we're running, we'd be on top there otherwise too. Looks good!

[Sciz]

Also I am aware that the picture says Guardians of Pristin pass, but it's apparently supposed to be pristinus

[Sciz]

Ugh second Fawn appeared now too. Definitely gotta make another warrior now, maybe two, and I have to move away the worker, so no farm will be completed for a while