[SPOILERS] PBEM 8 - WarriorKnight's Spoiler Thread

[WarriorKnight]

Well it looks like I got paranoid for nothing, the Mausoleum is now mine.

Serdoa is stacking spears in that latest city of his. It's a good way to counter HA's but they're almost obsolete now. Knights can usually get the better of them. Still I don't have the numbers yet to consider attacking so for now I'm just waiting.

[WarriorKnight]

What's this?




You know what happens next right?




Unfortunately has to delete the last HA along with the workers, as he would have been dead next turn regardless.

ad also has a Longbow in my territory, as shown in the first shot. Can't do much to it on a jungle hill though. He's promoted a lot of Longbows to Gurrelia 3 (whatever the hill promotion line is) despite the 3rd promotion only helping on attack.

Also did the long-awaited revolt to Hinduism, now that the Mausoleum is done.

[WarriorKnight]

Serdoa left me a message in-game:



(Sorry I can't kill you yet because we're both using Medieval units, nor can I leave you alone since then you'll just get Cataphracts).

Along with an IBT attack:




He's left those units exposed, so let's pick them off.






And killing the last defender with a sentry HA gives me sight into his capital.




(capital only has a warrior/worker in it)

Both my HA and 2 knights are likely dead thanks to that mini stack. Constantinople only has a warrior inside, but I can't get there in 1 turn (can barely get there in 2) thanks to its huge culture. Plus that CG3 Longbow will stop anything before Renaissance units.

Shoot the Moon is sliding into 1st place. My battles with Serdoa have left me 2nd in power, he's now 1st there and is still leading slightly in food and MFG. I still have the GNP lead though but still, that isn't everything. Mistake on my part? Probably. Wish I knew what he was doing over there.

Also, to Serdoa after the game, sorry about repeatably attacking you. Choosing Byzantium is a double edged sword, you get Cataphracts but you have to survive until them. I didn't want to have to face them, hence the continuous attacks on you (to prevent you getting iron). Settling Trebizond on the iron would have made it much more difficult for me to win there.

[WarriorKnight]

OK well I think I'm done with Serdoa for the time being. Almost all of my mounted units are gone. However, I did one last thing and killed one of his Great Generals.

ad hoc has founded a coastal city near me. My 6 move galley is going to check it out, but chances are he's protecting it with Gurellia Longbows.

Next thing for me to do is build an army again and keep plowing ahead in tech. Education is almost done and now I need to consider what to take with Liberalism.

[WarriorKnight]

Highlight of the turn:





Also ad hoc's naval colony only has a single unpromoted crossbow inside. If he doesn't improve the defenses soon, Swiftboat will strike again.

[spacemanmf]

If he doesn't improve the defenses soon, Swiftboat will strike again.

Go Swiftboat! The city-razing boat!

[WarriorKnight]

Go Swiftboat! The city-razing boat!

Unfortunately, he put an extra Longbow in there. I don't have odds against that using only 2 units, so I'm afraid Swiftboat won't strike again.

Got Shoot the Moon's research, he's heading for paper. It leads to Printing Press or Education which must be why he's going for it.

I'm either going to take astronomy or Nationalism with Liberalism (assuming I get it first, but no-one else has paper and I have education, so that's unlikely). Astro would be more effective militarily but I'd have to research compass and optics plus it obsoletes my colossus. Nationalism would guarantee that I get Taj, plus is instantly available. Doesn't do much else though.

[WarriorKnight]

Shoot started a golden age and is researching meditation so he might be trying to race me for Liberalism. Fortunately he still needs 3 pre-req's (that's why I got meditation back then, so when it matters I would be ahead) which requires at least 3 turns so I think I can still get it first. It will have to be Nationalism from Liberalism though. (although it's not that bad, I will likely get Taj with my GE unless someone else goes for Nationalism first)

[WarriorKnight]

Turns out India is just heading to Printing Press, leaving Liberalism mine for the taking. I could sandbag Liberalism for Steel or Democracy but I'll just take Nationalism with it next turn and then rush Taj. India also built the AP, and might build Hagia Sophia. I don't really need Theology thanks to Shwedagon, so his only competition is rego.

After Nationalism, there are lots of choices. PP for cottage boosts leading to rifles, Constitution for Rep, MT for Cuirassiers, Astro for Frigates/Galleons, Econs for the free GM, Gunpowder leading to Chemistry and rifles. Too many choices to decide from.

[WarriorKnight]

India was researching Economics, so I had to pick that up earlier than planned. Aside from that though I've picked up PP and Compass so far.

The plan is to beeline Cuirassiers, upgrade my Knight army (Knight to Cuirassier is cheap, only 40 gold on quick) and then maybe attack someone if I can. ad hoc has a largge garrison of Longbows, Crossbows and Spears in his border city that's asking to die, or I could try for Constantinople to cripple Serdoa (he's going for Grenadiers, although I don't know how he's going to be able to build them fast enough).