[Spoilers] The Golem Factory: Beeri Bawl of the Luchuirp

[Sciz]

If I survive, I wonder if i should try summoning Basium. It's fairly off our tech path, we definitely would have to wait a while until getting it (engineering and maybe even sorcery first) but having the mercurians could help us get out of our bad position a bit I think. Maybe you could play them if you had time, Selrahc. This is just idle speculation though. Would be fun to see Basium & co rampaging through Doviello land.

[Sciz]

Okay then, another turn completed, another turn closer to my demise? Only time will tell!



There is also a scout on my southern cotton plantation which makes my research even slower, and a scout to the north. I was trying to decide whether to retreat my warrior on the hill between mutanbo and ithralia back to mutanbo or not, but I decided that the scout to the north needs insane luck to be able to take Mutanbo. 3 base strength vs 2, plus 10% cultural defense and 25% city defense. So I moved him down to Ithralia as well. Clay is building a mine to the NE of Mutanbo, when it's completed Mutanbo will grow and be able to work two plains hill tiles, which should complete that Wood Golem soon. I might switch to warriors after that, depends what happens down in Ithralia. At the end of this turn I had 8 warriors in Ithralia (the 7 in the picture + the one on the hills) and another completing on the turn's completion. He only has 8 units to attack. If he tries attacking soon, then I'll prolly build warriors in Mutanbo. If he hangs around, i'll build more WGs, so I can use them to strike back, since my warriors are never gonna be able to beat his sons of asena outside of my cities without big casualties.

You can also see the Thane of Kilmorph to the east, I sent an open borders request to Ilios, he's gonna accept it when his turn arrives, and the Thane should be in Ithralia by turn 74.

[Sciz]

Oh and I also just realized that he can use his wolves 1NW of Ithralia to 2-move to the hill tile 1NE 1N of Ithralia, where the warrior is standing in the above picture, and they'll be able to hit Mutanbo 2 turns after that. If those wolves move there I'm gonna have to attack them with warriors from Ithralia, or i'll lose Mutanbo.

[Selrahc]

I think we'll survive. I'm not sure in what state though. If we get forced into vassal hood/occ I've got a few ideas for Golden Hammers...

[Sciz]

What's new in Luchuirp lands? Well first of all Ithralia is now starving, courtesy of Doviello troops occupying my farms:



The grassland tile just to the west of the city previously had a farm which has now been pillaged And the FP farm to the SW can't be worked because of Doviello troops standing on that tile. So I only have one farm running right now. Not in big trouble yet, since I'm only losing 2 food per turn, but if they occupy that next farm, which they certainly will, I'll be a tad fucked. With that in mind, i've decided to make one more warrior in ithralia, then make a sculptor's studio and wood golems. Or would it be more worth it to make a siege workshop and catapults?



Here's the current situation. He has 9 troops in reach; 6 sons of asena, 2 wolves and a scout (to the south). It's one of the wolves that has the pieces of barnaxus I desperately want back.

I have 9 warriors in Ithralia, 10 next turn. That should be enough for me to defend myself, and I should be able to start creating stronger units (Wood Golems) to attack out of Ithralia with. Maybe I could dial up Ilios for a loan of copper... He only has one source I believe, but maybe I could borrow it for a bit.

[Selrahc]

Yes, if Ilios has copper, get it off him. That's far more helpful than sending a thane. If we've got copper warriors in the area, we can maybe even think about retaking cotton valley.

[Sciz]

If I borrow copper for one turn, and then give it back, does the copper stay on my warriors?

[Selrahc]

Yep. I don't think you can do one turn trades without declaring war to break them, but copper definitely stays with you after the trade is over. You can break the trade peacefully after ten turns... so as long as Ilios doesn't have a pressing need of it within that time he *should* be willing to help you.

[Sciz]

That's right, I forgot about that. But he shouldn't be needing the copper for anything except barb fighting or something, so hopefully he'll be okay with loaning me it. I said that in return he can borrow a palace mana for 10 turns, or something else if he could think of something better.

[Sciz]

Ugh I forgot that I need Bronze Working to get bronze weapons

It's gonna take a while to get there since I lost CV. Maybe I could switch to aristocracy in a few turns when i'm not in as much danger anymore. That would require me to get rid of his troops around Ithralia though, as with aristocracy Ithralia would starve even more than it is now.