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

[Mardoc]

Yes, that is Yggdrasil and Marble...

Yikes! And Sciz is not able to contest it with you, if he's really hiding out in his cities.

[Ilios]

Yikes! And Sciz is not able to contest it with you, if he's really hiding out in his cities.

Well, actually no. Sciz has a Settler and a Mudgolem 1N 1NE from Mutanbo. Because it is Dwarven, the Settler could move NE on the plains hill and found on the same turn.

I'm hoping he's just moved both non-combat units out of Mutanbo to save them from destruction in the event Mist can take the city, but I'm afraid Sciz is desperate enough to found a city without any protection.

While exploring the area around Yggdrasil, Dappa has spotted a Baby Spider, a Griffon and a Skeleton, so it's not actually a safe area.

I'm now torn, because I don't want to warn Sciz that the area is dangerous, and then proceed to claim the area for myself.

I am equally torn with another issue, namely God King vs Aristocracy.

Ending last turn (T79 - for which I still owe you an update ) finished Education research. I hadn't noticed it is a requirement to research Priesthood, so I had planned to get it before heading down the Philosophy -> Priesthood line.

Education opens up Code of Laws for Aristocracy ofcourse, and seeing that got me thinking.

Aristocracy will give me a massive commerce bonus.

Here's the breakdown, per city, pre- and post Aristocracy:

Note: Floodplain farms only increase net commerce by 2, as they already get the Financial bonus, because of the Malakim desert bonus.

- Helios (2 floodplain farms, 3 grassland farms)

net commerce gain: 4 (#fpx2) + 9 (#glx3) = 13

- En-Kai (4 grass farms)

net commerce gain: 12 (#glx3) = 12

- Ra (2 floodplain farms)

net commerce gain: 4 (#fpx2) = 4

- Horus (1 rice, 2 grassland farms)

net commerce gain: 9 (#glx3) = 9

So, with the farms I've got at the moment, I'd get a net commerce gain of 38. That's pretty sweet, actually...

Anyway, I don't mind losing the God King Bonus, but I do mind the food lost!

But still, 38 commerce..., and I've still got to transform lots of jungle into prime grassland...

As I'm writing this down I'm becoming convinced that ArAg is the way to go. Agreed, Settler will take a little longer to finish, and I won't be able to run as many specialists as I'd like. [38 commerce, Ilios] Also, my rivals will hate me even more! [38 commerce, Ilios!] And new cities will take longer to set up ... [38 commerce, Ilios!!]


Sold, to the handsome gentleman talking to himself!

[pocketbeetle]

Sold, to the handsome gentleman talking to himself!

For 38 commerce?

[Ilios]

For 38 commerce?

Exactly!

However, I think I might take Philosophy first so I can quickly get Priesthood in case of an emergency.

This will also allow me to bang out another Settler taking advantage of the extra food and the hammer bonus.

So the current tech plan looks like:

Philosophy -> Code of Laws -> Priesthood -> Hunting -> Way of the Forest

[Ilios]

T80:

Finally, an honest-to-Varn turn update by yours truly! Aren't you lucky?!

Because I haven't been as thorough with the updates, here's a little tech overview. Since discovering Bronze Working on T68 I've discovered:

Festivals (T70)
Cartography (T72)
Animal Husbandry (T74)
Archery (T76)
Fishing (T78 )

This turn:



And Serdoa makes the obvious move after plopping down his sixth city last turn:



Good news from the northwest:



A skeleton has forced Sciz to move his Settler/Mud Golem pair back to safety. Sciz told me that he managed to take out the top Son of Asena with his Wood Golem, and that Mutanbo is probably saved. He thinks Mist will start withdrawing his troops.

This has allowed me to draw up this plan:



I'd really like to steal Yggrasil and especially Marble (Marble next to an Industrious civ?). It is a pretty good site with two river grass and plains hill, and a lot of ice which I'll scorch to Tundra, making it pretty decent tiles to work post Sanitation/Aristocracy.

The Settler will follow the arrow. Two Workers will move on the forest tile and road on T82, allowing the Settler and his escorts to move outside of my borders on the same turn.

I'm not sure, but I think the grass forest hill southwest of the skeleton will give him view of my little land grab party, but hey...

Initially, I had refused Uberfish' Open Borders request, because I wanted to be sure about the non-scouting provision. The two extra commerce actually shaved a turn of Philosophy research.

Ending the turn finished a Lightbringer in En-Kai, an Elder Council in Horus and the Settler in Helios:



Another Settler will be started next turn, which should finish in four turns, just in time for the switch to Aristocracy.

It will grab the northern dot, claiming Horses, Crabs and Gold. I figured, with coastal access, gold and lots of forest, it seems like a good candidate for an Irish/Celtic Sun God...

I haven't decided on a name for the Yggdrasil site yet (and I'm still not sure to get it!).

Demographics:



Rival best Soldier count was over 100K last turn, so Mist did lost a couple of units methinks.

Any questions?

[DaveV]

I haven't decided on a name for the Yggdrasil site yet

Is there a Norse sun god? It seems as though that would be appropriate.

[MorganaNox]

Is there a Norse sun god? It seems as though that would be appropriate.

Not really. The belief was that the sun is Odin's (god of the heavens/main god) eye. Odin would be a very fitting name though.

[Ilios]

Is there a Norse sun god? It seems as though that would be appropriate.

Not really. The belief was that the sun is Odin's (god of the heavens/main god) eye. Odin would be a very fitting name though.

I googled "Norse Sun God" and found 'Sunna', which admittedly doesn't have the same panache as Odin...


T81

Lots of things happening:



As mentioned, Uberfish had offered Open Borders, which I accepted. But apparently, he didn't get the trade routes and I did, so he declared war to get rid of the Open Borders.

Serdoa had a friendly soul build him a Pasture.

Amelia/Bob switched to Agrarianism/Apprenticeship.

I wanted to show you the Settler, Workers and escort, together with the target site, and I managed to do it, by tilting the screen:



Looks cool huh?

Don't mind the 'Found T83' sign. I'm founding T84 ofcourse!

I'm pretty sure Sciz will be able to see my Settler, but a Skeleton and a Doviello army should be sufficient to hold his attention.

That Lightbringer En-Kai finished last turn was upgraded to a Thane for 5 gold:



He'll be exploring the border areas of the Empire till I can get Hunters/Hawks in play. Notice how he kept the neat Sentry promotion.

I am now n° 1 in soldier count, which means Mist has lost some more troops to Sciz, who now is almost bankrupt...

[Ilios]

Turn hasn't reached me yet, but here's a little diplo update.

Luchuirp:

You all probably know it, but Sciz told me Mist had his raiders pop a dungeon near Mutanbo, releasing a Giant and four Fawns!

One Son of Asena died, two were badly injured.

Sciz told me he'd try to catch the remaining Doviello troops, and hopes to destroy them before they reach Doviello lands.

Balseraphs:

Serdoa told me he expects war with the Calabim soon. Apparently relations are not very good, and the vampires keep telling him he needs to stop expanding or there will be war. In any case, the Balseraphs will be declaring if the Calabim don't do it first.

Now, this could still be a very clever ruse, and for all I know I could be swarmed by Mutated Balseraph troops soon, but it does seem that more conflict will be initiated, to the greater pleasure of Lurkerdom!

Having discovered Code of Laws and switched to Aristocracy, Serdoa will now be heading to Construction so his workers can start chain irrigating.

[Mardoc]

to the greater pleasure of Lurkerdom!

Isn't that why you're playing?

Thanks for the detailed updates; they've been clear and concise and interesting.