[Spoiler] Any volunteers for a human sacrifice? Brennus of the Aztecs, by Krill

[Krill]

After thinking about it for a while, and with Darrell prodding me, I deleted the worker. I don't want an axe on that tile as it makes things slightly more difficult for me. Admittedly, he can now just keep the shock axe on the current tile, move the medic axe 2 and heal a fair chunk, but it's something he could have done anyway. Yes, if he had done that I would have had the worker, but I'm not short on workers atm, and I could do with not paying for the unit or supply costs. I don't think it's a major game changer either way and keeping it was certainly viable, but end of the day it makes it easier to handle the situation if it isn't there.

If I had kept the worker, then I would have most likely used it to road from the city to where the other worker is currently roading. That is only useful if I hold the city, and I'm not certain I'm going to be able to keep the city, so I'd be paying the costs for it for a good 10 turns outside my territory. By the time it made it to my borders I'd have a road to both city sites I',m planning on settling (Nazul and whatever other jungle city could be roaded to) with my current workers that have nothing else to do. If I had 2 more chariots down south I think I'd have kept it. Maybe even 1 chariot...meh.

[darrelljs]

My thinking, especially after playing Azza for a few scenarios against you, was that his best move is to run away with the two Axes. He's not keeping the city and if he tries he's just throwing those Axes away. Anyway, if he does retreat he can re-capture and keep the Worker.

Darrell

[Krill]

Look on the bright side. It's a Friday, so at least azza can relax with a few beers after he opens the turn.

That said...unless there is a spear lurking in the FoW, azza will not be having a good turn. One of his options is to offer me the city as peace and try to come back in 10 turns with a stack. I'd consider that offer, but I'm not sure if I would take it. I'd be tempted but that city will probably be very expensive to hold.

[Krill]

well, that was a quick turn. I'll have to get the turn update for T98 up, and then T99 should be played sometime today as well (once Pingo play their turn, there isn't anyone around for me to double move).

[Krill]

So, when we left off, azza was about to find out he had lost a worker, and was at war with me. The conclusion we had come to suggested azza did not have any good moves to make at the former barb city, so let us have a look at what he did:

Well, that is...expected. A good move from azza trying to protect his axes, and his warrior has run off to the NW away from my chariots so it seems like he is just going to give up on this city. Unfortunately, the barb warrior did not suicided against my warrior, but I can not see it suiciding at lower odds against teh axes, and then it should attack the medic 2 axe anyway. That stops the shock axe from getting a cheap promotion and healing, so I am not concerned about the barb anymore. But there is something slightly unexpected here...

Well, that makes things slightly more interesting. azza has more axes on the way. It means he has not built a billion spears, though he could have one or two, and even 1 would be the death of this attack. Still, this is why I kept the warrior alive, to scout out this area every turn and stay away from the axes. However, that does not change what I must do this turn.

If azza has not retreated the axes I will be able to take the city and kill them both. BUt I need to decide what I am going to do with the city. Do I raze it, or do I keep it?

Hello Pingo. Have fun scouting around my chariot that could do with 2 XP right about now *Hint, Hint*

Next turn I will have 5 workers roading through the jungle, the barb worker and 4 at SC. I should consider the need for a road to the jungle hill that I am planting that front city against Nazul, I do not need it for the trade route, but do I need it for military purposes? Probably not, without Construction it does not do much. So with the 5 workers roading down, when could I get the road to Lavender Town finished by? T103 I could have almost all of the road finished. If I researched Archery next turn, I would finish an archer on T101, and it would reach the city by T107. Theoretically speaking, I the city could be out of revolt by then and have walls. If I can survive that long.

Any axes that azza has next to the last barb city he took could attck on T103. A single spear defending them would mean I could not attack such a stack. But would he have a spear there? I can find out next turn by moving my warrior 23 onto the forest hill and looking over the land. The warrior could still run away, but he would have to follow the coast pretty closely and he would not be able to scout any more. But I doubt he would be able to do that anyway, with more axes down there. If he has not built a spear yet I shold be able to get 2 archers into the city before he can build one and get it to the front.

So, basically it is a gamble: do I think azza has a spear or not? I am the only player with horse on this continent, azza did not find that out until 5 turns ago, and he did not think I was going to contest that barb city. Wait and see in the next turn report.

Almost there. I am considering how I can redo the MM for all of my cities to push out more commerce. Whilst I would not want to give away cottages whilst teching, I can do that when at 0% science. I could give one cottage to GNAP and work the silks tile, doing so for a few turns would mean I did not need the plains hill to maximise the overflow. Not much, but I am going to need hte commerce very soon.

There is not anything I can really do to make this work more commerce apart from keep on growing it. T123 GP.

Now, this is where things get interesting. I am looking at settling 2 cities in the jungle area that I can not really afford, plus potentially keeping the old barb city. that is going to slow down my tech pace fairly drastically. I might get to Lit T105, I might get there T107, that does not really matter forh te HE build. But it does matter for the military units I can build afterwards. I can already one turn warriors here, and do I need 1 turn chariots? I think it would not be too bad, it would allow me to drop to 15hpt and grow it on the farms, and then redo SC and GNAP to maximise commerce. But I need to be aware that I might not be able to build HA the moment I finish the HE. (And yes Darrell, that is one of the reasons why the SoZ is a good build here).

I could easily stop working the none riverside tiles and work the farms instead; a core city such as this with low maintenance is a better city to grow that a distant city, and the commerce is important...but for now I think I would get more from retooling SC and GNAP, so full steam ahead on the SoZ and HE.

Next turn it keep on building the chariot, then finish it and overflow into an archer if needed, or another chariot. I already have 2 down there, 3 on their way and SC, DF, and GNAP making 3 more...I am going to be paying through the nose for supply costs. Maybe keeping lavender town would not be so bad after all, to deal with the supply costs? it is not a great city for commerce productin, but in a pinch it can work the coasts and instead of the hills for 5 cpt and 3fpt.Worst case scenario, size 7 and works thefarm I suppose. I could always cottage it if needed for the extra +1cpt.

Junk city...seriously tempted to just finish that granary and grow onto the coast and one extra cottage. Or maybe I will have to cottage hte plains. would not that be crap?

If this city has to work more commerce, it can steal the wine form WTF (WTF? works the silks instead), a cottage from Crapital, maybe two once the forests are chopped and another cottage available. I ought to consider a light house so that the new pop I would grow could work the coast, it is a 5 turn build in curent hammer set up. I suppose that is not a bad move if I already have 8 chariots. What use is the 9th against a spear? Not much. Against an axe? it is overkill.

When that fish is hook I suppose I could get away with cottaging a few tiles and working them...

azzas power is rising a bit. I need to keep an eye on it.

[spoiler]

[/spoiler]

OK, this is the person I am fighting. He has two size 6 cities (I know the gold symbol is hiding the pop size of his capital, but it is size 6). And yes, this is from *next turn*, T99, but whatever. He could be using Pewter city as a whip city, I expect that is what he is doing because it can not build anything normally. But it take 10 turns with a straight road network to get a unit from Pewter City to Lavendar. 7 turns from Pallet Town and Viridian.

It takes me 6 turns to get a chariot from DF there.

azza makes maximum 13 hpt from PC, 12 from ViC. I make 14 from SC and 12 from GNAP and 6 from DF, chariots are cheaper, and make the rest of his army irrelevant. I do not need to throw everything and the kitchen sink at azza, I am not even sure if I want all three cities build chariots after these builds. DF does not have anything relevant to build, so could keep on making chariots along with archers or chariots from SC. GNAP could easily build the lighthouse I will probably need to keep my economy ticking over.

And that is the context that I have to view this war in. For me, it is about not capsizing my tech rate, but still holding onto the land. For azza it is effectively about survival. Without Lavendar, he is bottled up and does not have horse, so he is at risk of not having the abilty to flank catapults. He will not have good land to expand into, he will be a back water reliant on other players.

azza is going to reply, but how? He needs to marshall his forces, get them into position, and attack. He needs to build a good number of spears for flexibility, probably 4 for good measure, and a few axes to breakdown any archers he encounters.That willl take a while...so I have to wonder if he would accept a peace treaty? If he would not that suggests but does not confirm he will attack within 10 turns. He could just be sending a message that he wants that city back.

[Krill]

OK, I'll post this as a bit of a teaser. I logged on a short while ago (after azza had ended turn and logged out), but before Pingo have logged on to play their turn. I've not moved any units.

All my units are at full health, as is azza's warrior, which has C1 due to AGG but no other promotion.

[Ichabod]

If you attack his axes, please rename your chariots to super effective pokemons against his.

[Krill]

Only after they've won. Rule #1: Don't tempt fate.

[Ichabod]

Only after they've won. Rule #1: Don't tempt fate.

Wartortle used Hydro Pump.

It missed.

[Krill]

Play the long term game: never stop a Pokémon from evolving, you lower the late game stats. Unless you need to keep it from evolving to get it to keep on learning moves, like Pikachu.