[AAR/report] Tasunke's Crusade against his Former Self: A High to Low game

[Tasunke]

So I'll start off this report by saying I am using a self modded version of the Fall From Heaven mod, using the High to Low custom variant.


So I start out as the Sheaim, playing a high to low game on Emperor. I figured it would be a challenge to get top score early as the Sheaim but it got kind of rediculous ... with my first settler dying due to a griffon :/ I probably lost my only chance to get an early game shift.

The fact that all my neighbors started on the other side of the continent (see not found), I didn't get any bonuses to teching on this large map

Therefore ... it wasn't until about turn [SIZE="4"]250[/SIZE]!!! that I was anywhere near switching.

Thus I had a long time to build a pretty scary Sheaim (even scarier due to my buffed Planar gates)

Granted, I also made Pyre Zombies harder to get to (Warfare+Elementalism+Necromancy) and gave them 'Twisted Men' as an Axeman UU instead. (starts with Stigmata)

So no idiotic Pyre Zombie stacks of doom (which a human player would tend to avoid in SP in favor of magic summons)

I might later add Collateral to Pyre Zombies, and reduce their 'death damage' or at least put a cap on it.

--> Compared to previous personal mods, this personal mod is quite 'light' and the main changes are just some Sidar tweaks, and a few overhauls to Sheaim planar gates and Bannor Crusades.

As the Sheaim I summoned Hyborem and started a two front war.

I only started the two front war because I had slingshoted to Eidolons after building the Runes of Kilmorph wonder for the Iron, so I knew I could handle it in SP.

Another reason I started the two front war is that the easiest way to get top score is to take/raze cities from the Runaway Amurite AI (who are spamming Firebows and Fire2 mages by the way).

I didn't 'want' the other side of the war, but the Vampires felt like invading, and as they were stuck in a peninsula otherwise surrounded by jungle, so hey, who could blame him.

I had a pretty bad start, but the game was fun so I wasn't going quit and re-roll under more favorable settings. So I played it mostly like I was going SP Sheaim, and slingshotted Eidolons for some end-game crunch. And I figured I'd need it to topple the Amurite armies, either that or plenty of mages ... and I didn't want to sit around all day waiting for adepts to level.[SPOILER]move along, nothing to see here.[SPOILER]I started this game at approximately 18:00 GMT on Tuesday afternoon, iirc.

[/SPOILER][/SPOILER]


So finally, after razing a few Amurite cities and spawning the first Horseman, I switched ... to the BANNOR!

I was surrounded by tiny pre-bannor cities under clowns influence, no doubt gobbled up by Loki. Therefore my first order of business was to declare war with my giant stack of demagogues and ... axemen ... to retake these cities which were deservedly MINE!!!!

After that, My entire army died trying to kill a stack of Mimics ...

I popped my Kilmorph priests into temples (yes bannor founded Runes and I stole his wonder from him along my way to the Veil).

As soon as I could I switched out of citystates + Conquest into Aristocracy + Agrarianism.

I also farmed over most of my villages into aristo-farms (starting before the switch).

I later switched to Currency when I felt I didn't need the upkeep/happy boost anymore, but it was hairy for a little bit.

So here I was, with almost no army, and entire STACKS!!! of Balseraph Mimics coming at me. I ended up sacrificing my level 6 axemen to buy a few turns, as I teched to Empyrean and worked my way towards Chalid.

It was pretty close, and I lost a few cities, but the AI was stupid and got distracted by a Barbarian town on my borders, so I didn't lost my Capital.

Finally I get Chalid ... and now my FORMER SELF Dows me xD ...

MY former self was quite busy (lets just call him Tasunke), and had Vassalized the Calabim, and summoned 2 more of the Appocalypse Horsemen.

(I cash rushed Ragnarok and Heroic Epic in my Shrine'd Veil holy city) ... and due to the number of Tasunke Casters, I can only surmise he switched from Warrior Spam to Adept Spam.

However it was not Tasunke's army I was facing, but that of his Vassals ... an army of Vampires and Cultists to be exact (although oddly they weren't using Tsunami ... even though I have evidence that the Amurites WERE using there fireball spells)

So I had to use Chalid and some Drafted Radiant Guards to hold onto my pants and not flat out die.

Had max gold running, and started to upgrade some Guards to Rathas.

Eventually Balseraph decided to crank up the Pain ... So I was forced to sign a penaly peace with Os-Gabella (Tasunke).
(I had to give her 200 gold, 30 gold per turn, and some penalty techs)

After that it was mainly cleanup with the Balseraphs, though one wrong move and I'd get crushed and pummeled into the dust.

Therefore after some careful warfare which I would liken to walking on Eggshells, I finally captured 2 Balsraph cities, and managed to kill Kithra Kyriel to boot.

Now however, the 4th and final horseman is summoned, and then the AC shoots up to around 80 before Ars Moriendi dies.

Its around this time that Tasunke re-declares on the Amurites ... this time using his ENOURMOUS army of mages (buffed by emperor difficulty bonuses no doubt), and of course my ironically VALOR'd Eidolons.

I tweaked possible Mobius Witch spells to include Valor in the list, basically I just made all the spells useful, and Valor was the only one that was non-flavorful. And Ironically, a Valor witch was the second one to pop out. So then I valored my Twisted Men and my Ritualists ... and I upgraded three highly promoted Ritualists (with valor) into Eidolons ... and the Valor promo stayed on

So now I have to decide ... do I continue my War on Perpentach? Or do I help to Chalid-Stomp a runaway Tasunke/Os Gabella AI.

Oh wait, Perp won't consider peace ... not even a peace where I gift him stuff ... oh well

So now, the race to kill Perp before Tasunke destroys the world

AC at 80 .... lets see what HAPPENS!!!!!

also current turn (normal speed) is Turn 404

[Tasunke]

So things have been pretty hairy. I never had to load a save as the Sheaim ... but as the Bannor? About once every three turns.

And thats not to keep super units, thats to survive ... for I have maybe a stack of 20, and they have stacks of at least 200 xD


Its cool though ... I've whittled the Sheaim down to about 150 units, and with blinding light, etc, he usually walks around with them split into 3 groups of about 50.

meanwhile, stacking up into a 20 unit army, I have maybe only 2 units in the rest of my cities (or 1, depending)

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So back to the story. I was ABOUT to clean up the Perpentach so I could then fight the Sheaim along side the Amurites. But only a few turns after I continued to stay in Balseraph lands ... the Amurites vassalized. ... So I then 'took my time' with the Balseraphs but it was still pretty rushed.

Eventually I traded Ironworking to the Sidar for Feudalism, Divination, and Stirrups.

The VERY next turn, EVERYONE dogpiled me.

The Sidar,
The Sheaim and two vassals,
and the Infernals

and I was already at war with the Perpentach.

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Both Chalid and Assassins are the only chances I have against the tide. First to pillar them, then to use the assassins to kill of their support troops. Sometimes an Assassin lands all Pitbeasts, which is fine I guess, but usually its a Mage or a Ritualist.

In the early stages of the massive war, I had to retreat ALL my units to the core, losing about 2-3 cities. (I was later able to take one back)

Then I wailed on the enemy that was sitting in my former cities. I was able to kill about 4-5 mages per turn, and then retreat, using my body1 adept (I don't have body mana, but I dominated him from the Balseraphs xD ... via Chalid's command promos), my now 3 move army was able to severely cripple the AI casters and then get out of their hair. (as somehow being 2 tiles away affected their targeting more than being 1 tile away, and plus less units could have hit them as well)

So I reduced the AI casters by about half ... I think from 60 total to 30 total iirc. But thats just on the front lines of course, because their planar gates will be popping in reinforcements faster than a cat's meow.

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In the meta, I have reached a point in the game where I do not have to reload like a silly fool. Luckily my gambits have roughly succeeded and the majority of my attacking units are averaging level 8 or higher. My assassins are at level 5 or so, with the highest at level 8, and my primary 7 champions are anywhere from level 5 to level 11.

So back to business. It is turn 478 and the OVERCOUNCIL is kicking some evil butt.

Looking back at turn 404, I was dogpiled by everyone, being invaded by a stack of Mages/Skeletons/Pitbeasts/ Mardero/ and Eidolons.

The only hope I had was using my Empyrean super units AND retreating to the core of my territory.

So I let the AI take my cities, and then attacked them from the safety of my own lands ... I used my assassins to wreak havoc on their mage numbers, which lessened the amount of painful Spectre Summons. If all of the Spectres has smart attack AI, I'd probably be dead right about now. Luckily, staying 2 tiles away from the enemy lowered my priority in their algorithms, or something.

I was forced to Adopt Crusade .. and I adopted Apprenticeship alongside it cause I NEEDED new recruits to have mobility 1.

Early on, about half my forces were mercenaries. And by half I mean 2 mercenaries vs 2 champions.

I started building up a glorious army of ... 5 demagogues by the time I switched out of crusade

The turn before switching back out of crusade, I sent all of them out on a Suicide mission to kill as many enemies as possible. Only ONE survived the turn in order to abandon me.

I also found a gems near one of my cities

Turn 404, when I got dogpiled, was also the turn after I got Ironworking!!!!

The extra +1 str for my melee n rathas, plus the ability to city-build demagogues, was a really nice bonus.

Eventually I routed the invading Sheaim force ... while losing about 7 or so units offensively and I don't know how many defensively ... another 5-10? I killed the first wave after losing quite a few cities, although many mages and Ritualists retreated to rejoin on the second wave.

(I might of lost more soldiers, because I only remember the important events. I'll tally some losses later)

In any case, the majority I lost to the attack was to wear down Hyborem himself. He arrived on his own, but with DrillIV and the Gela, it looked like even my entire army might have not been able to kill him. So I sacrificed 4 demagogues and 2 champions to wear him down. I forget if Chalid or the Hill Giant gave the finishing blow ... but come to think of it, it may have been a a third champion at low odds.

There were several instances where my entire army died (usually all but Chalid and possibly the Hill Giant survived) ... these were cases where I reloaded, because otherwise I would have had to hole up in one city and only a matter of time before death.

Of interest to note, I never actually lost Chalid, save scum or no save scum. Just the army surrounding him

Total Sheaim units killed

Ritualists: 127
Adepts: <57 (some were Balseraph)
Skeleton: <54 (some were Calabim)
Mobius Witches: 24
Mages: <23
Spectres: <18
Pitbeasts: 13
Succubi: 9
Twisted men: 4 -------> axemen UU
Longbowmen: 4
Eidolon: 3
Assassins: 2


Total Infernal Units Killed

Manes: 65
Horse Archers: <43 (some were Calabim)
Axemen: 23
Chariots: 23
Imps: 6
Champions: 5
and Hyborem: twice


Total Balseraph Units Killed

Puppets: 78
Tigers: 66
Archers: 61
Adepts: <57
Mimics: 41
Catapults: 36
Priest of Leaves: <29
Taskmasters (Assassins): 21
Warriors: 19
Hunters: <9
Herlequins (rangers): 8
Swordsmen: 4
Settlers: 2
Kithra Kyriel: 1
Yvain: 1
Valin Phanuel: 1 (he founded order, and switched some turns later)

--> however I captured Valin and he 'abandoned' next turn, so can be rebuildable I think


Total Calabim Units Killed

Skeletons: <54
HorseArchers: <43
Cultists: 15
Vampires: 13
Hunters: <9
Shadows: 4
Catapults: 3


Total Amurite Units Killed

Adepts: a few (<10?)
Skeletons: a few (<10?)
Wizards: 12
Firebows: 12
Fireballs: 1


Total Sidar Units Killed

Ghosts: 11
Rangers: 2
Druids: 2

Cities Razed: 1 Balseraph City Razed, 1 Infernal city Razed (Both had the Taint of the Ashen Veil)

the Infernals are far away, but they captured one of my cities and built it up to size 20 with manes. It was a distant border city surrounded in Amurite culture that I had captured from the Balseraphs during phase 1.5 of the Perpy wars (the second 'real' balseraph city I captured ... AKA after I took back my edge cities)

Total Bannor Units lost in the Crusades (thus far)

Axemen: 69
Demagogs: 36
Warriors: 26
Mercenaries: 19
Archers: 8
Tigers: 6
Radiant Guards: 6
Rathas: 6
Stonewardens: 5
Champions: 4
Galleys: 4
Horsemen: 2
Scouts: 2
Adepts: 1
Chariots: 1
Hawk: 1
Vicar: 1
Donal Lugh: 1

Granted, I had to have lost at least 20ish Axemen and 10 Demagogues in the early (city capture) wars against the Balseraphs ...

but I lost my only water1 adept, and my only hawk, in some of the surprise city captures.

I also lost Donal Lugh during the Perpy wars, however the Shrine of the Champion has seen some good use since then

Most of the melee units were lost while defending "abandoned cities" while my best troops retreated. Although some were used to soften up an attack.

All the Rathas lost were pure mistakes, or bad luck while attacking.

The Stonewardens were used to temple cities, although a few were lost attacking the Clowns.

9 turns ago, on turn 469, I switched out of crusade in an attempt for diplomacy. I tested some options during diplo with the AI. Had 5 demagogues at the time of the switch.
(but only 1 survived thanks to the suicide mission I sent them on )

Ultimately I bought peace from the now ORDER RELIGION Perpentach after killing his Valin Phanuel

Also, killing Valin put Chalid at level 15, and Brigit was within my borders ...

peace was bought with a couple techs (including Religious Order) and about 10-20 gold iirc.
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A couple turns later, I managed to win the Sidar over by giving them Corona ... a 'filler city' I aristofarmed during phase 2 of the Perpy wars (before the Dogpile) due to the extra space that happened to be there. Likely the gap was there because of previous Basleraph/Bannor conflict, and it DID have some overlap with other cities, but was still worth it imo. So yea, that is the city I gave them.

by the time I gave them the city, it had been reduced to size 1 due to being CONSTANTLY captured ... being the AI's favored target, and a city I wasn't willing to lose troops to 'save.'

What was good about peace with the Sidar? I mean they only attacked me like, ONCE right?
Well yes ... but one small detail happend between turn 404 and turn 469 ... the Sidar SUMMONED THE MERCURIANS!! BOOYAH!

So yea ... the Sidar summoned them, and after this not only were they at war with ME ... but also with MY ENEMIES!!

I figured that Basium could become a useful ally, and I DEFINITELY did not want him as an enemy while I took the crusade to the true evils of this realm.

See, The Sidar/Basium team AND Perpentach are kind of on my BACKSIDE ... if I am facing towards the Amurites/Sheaim/Calabim/Infernals. They are to my North-West, while everything else is to my East/NorthEast.

The Bannor Core cities are on a fat peninsula which justs out to the south, while the Sidar and Balseraph cores are on a fat peninsula that juts out to the northwest. With the Balseraphs in the West and the Sidar in the East of that peninsula.

Where these two bodies of land meet, is where the land is contested between Bannor, Sidar, and Balseraph. To the East of this intersection is ALL of the evil civs, lined up like dominoes (although the Calabim are on a Peninsula in the far North East, and the Infernals are where that peninsula meets the rest of the landmass, in between Calabim and Sheaim roughly).

So I win peace with the Sidar/Mercurians with my single city gift ... a peace otherwise only achievable by giving all my techs AND all my GNP in gold offerings. (silly AI )

After this, I convince the Mercurians to adopt Empyrean and the Overcouncil.

I also bribe the Balseraphs to join the Overcouncil.

These actions take Basium from Cautious to Pleased to Friendly

and they bring Perpentach from Furious to Annoyed.

So now ... the Overcouncil is UNITED!!!

[Tasunke]

Holy Armies of the Bannor. Vassals of Capria: Leader of the Empyrean League, and residing Head Chair of the Overcouncil.

---> We have both born citizens of the Bannor feudal states, AND loyal converts who worship the teachings of the grand Luridus Chalid.

(most of the "oddity" units, including ALL the mages , are converts using Chalid's command promotions)


Bannor Forces entering into the 2nd Crusade against the Evils of this Realm.

Champions: 11
Assassins: 9
Rathas: 7
Mercenaries: 7
Warriors: 5
Archers: 4
Axemen: 2
Mage: 2
Wizards: 1
Adepts: 1
Flagbearers: 1
Priest of Leaves: 1
Tigers: 1
Ritualists: 1
Hill Giant: 1
Hunter: 1
Brigit: 1
... and of course ....
...... :drumroll: ....
CHALID ASTRAKEIN!!!

The most important of which include ... 7 Rathas, 7 Champions, 7 Assassins, 2 Mercenaries, Brigit, Chalid, 1 hunter, and most casters with their retinue. (my main stack)
I will be adding a hawk to the (captured) hunter rather shortly.

My hunting lodge city has been spamming nothing but assassins after the first hawk (a hawk which died btw). The rest of my cities have been spamming Demagogs, Radiant Guards, and Money Buildings. I have a few cities building warriors for later Champion upgrades.

The Glorious Treasury of the Bannor government is making 124 gold per turn at full taxes. War Weariness is beginning to become a factor once again, and a 2nd crusade is being proposed along the proper channels.

(I had switched to Consumption 9 turns ago to do some diplomacy. Now that the only enemies are the big 4 and Hyborem, I think another crusade is in order )

Big 4 = Sheaim Overlords + Minister Koun (teamed) + Flauros (vassal) + Valledia the Even (vassal)
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NOW ONWARDS ... TO VICTORY!!!

[Tasunke]

So, the Bannor Crusades ....

plan fell apart.

I ended up killing off Perpentach, Valledia the Even, Basium, Sandalphon, and Minister Koun. Switch will happen on turn 545.

After Basium declared war I switched out of the 2nd crusade to try for a peace accord, but to no avail. Therefore I had not much choice but to kill him off. He was just too close to my burgeoning empire ... I couldn't afford to have an army of angels on my border if they were just going to declare out of nowhere.

Sometime before this, the Balsraphs declared on me for about the zillionth time ... even after all the bribes and concessions I've given them over the decades.

Therefore I have had enough of Basleraph tomfoolery, and decided to kill them off once and for all. Unlike killing off the silly Mercurian AI, the Balseraphs death required a heavy and coordinated investment. (taking on a 10 city civ rather than a 1 city civ)

After squeezing Mercantilism out of a weakened Sidar (before killing them off), I switched back into the Crusade with Mercantilism civic as well for a whopping 260 gpt at 100% gold.

This 3rd crusade will be my final human controlled Crusade for the Bannor, as this turn I have raised my score by a hair above the Sheaim overlords.
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Buildings of note

19 markets, 16 courthouses (some were likely rebuilds after re-conquista)

7 monuments, 6 temples of order, 6 temples of Kilmorph (monuments and kilmorph buildings early on .... Order temples just for the hell of it (and faster units))

6 lighthouses, 5 training yards, 5 elder councils, 4 public baths, 4 money changers, 4 Palisades, 4 temples of the Empyrean (largely core-improvements)

and 3 dungeons (core WarWeariness control, late game towards the end of the 2nd crusade)

3 libraries (core, before switching to primarily all gold strat)

1 Guild of the Nine

Heroic Epic and Shrine of the Champion -> Military city


Standing Army of the Bannor (the highlights) + 15 Workers

30 Radiant Guards
16 Demagogs
13 Champions
13 Assassins (including 1 Ghost and 1 Taskmaster)
9 Mercenaries
7 Rathas
7 Mages (including 1 Wizard and 1 Mobius Witch)
5 Ritualists
2 Confessors
2 Vicars
2 Royal Guards
BRIGIT and Chalid

and an eclectic of other units including 1 Harlequin, 1 Hunter, 1 Skeleton, 1 Tiger, 1 Flagbearer, 2 Axemen, 7 Warriors, et al.

Since the Last update I have lost (the highlights)

33 Demagogs
21 Mercenaries
14 Champions
and 7 Radiant Guards

Which brings Bannor Losses to a total of (highlights)

69 Demagogs, (and 69 Axeman from before the 2rd Crusade)
40 Mercenaries
30 warriors
18 Champions
13 Radiant Guards
10 Archers
7 Rathas
et al.


Total Enemy Losses (by this year, turn 545, part of the 3rd Bannorian Crusade)

Manes: 409
Ritualists: 294
Other Priests: 82 total (36 Cultists, 34 Priest of Leaves, 12 Confessors)
Skeletons: 171
Mages: 136 (including Wizards and Witches)
Adepts: 117 (including 7 Imps)
Mounted Units: 105 (69 HAs, 36 Chariots)
Archers: 92
Puppets: 81
Tigers: 75
Catapults: 63
Vampires: 52
Mimics: 50
Assassins: 46 (ghosts and taskmasters)
Chariots: 36
Succubi: 29

and Highlights of the rest killed

15 Angels
12 Confessors (Balseraphs)
8 Eidolons (Sheaim)
7 Druids (Sidar)