[SPOILERS] *Placeholder* Zakalwe plays a soldier

[zakalwe]

Well, his MFG is a lot better than mine, and he has at least two size 6 cities pumping units while I'm reduced to whipping the few citizens I do have, without granaries. We'll see, though. No point in being a pessimist just for the sake of it, and wallow in my own misery. But I definitely should have reacted sooner. I should have known he was coming the minute I saw his worker on that hill, but I was too caught up in wishful thinking, and trying to make up for the slow expansion.

[zakalwe]

Could have been worse, I guess. He moved in 4 chariots and 5 phalanxes.




I can upgrade a warrior to a spear, 2-whip an axe (I put two hammers into one last turn), and use the overflow to complete the spear I have queued. But I'm not sure I have enough axes to hold him off, either. So yeah, I guess I'm screwed, but I'll need to look at it more carefully before playing.

[zakalwe]

Not really in the mood for a big report, but here is once again the tactical situation at the start of the turn. I used the strategy layer to outline the situation in more detail.




I ended the turn with two axes and two warriors in Comoros, and a spear 2S of Comoros. Not much, but frustratingly close to actually having a chance to hold. He could attack with his chariots next turn, but it has to be across the river so his odds should be less than 50% for all four attacks. If he brings up the phalanxes, I'll have 2 warriors, 2 spears, and 2 axes. Or I could choose to build an axe instead of a spear next turn; that's probably better. If only I had pulled my head out of... its container... a bit earlier. Just having that northern sentry warrior return one turn earlier could have made a big difference. Or if I had enough gold for a second upgrade. Or if I could spare a turn to whip walls.




My exploring workboat found a fish at the south tip of the deer island, so that's where my settler will be heading (except to "my" island, not Dazed's island).

[zakalwe]

BTW, Novice's power did not rise again this turn. So maybe there's no second wave, at least.

[zakalwe]

Well, his power is no longer rising like a rocket, but I was wrong about no second wave. He moved in another 3 phalanxes and 2 chariots. So all counted, he now has 8 phalanxes and 6 chariots in my territory. I'm confident that they will soon be back in his territory, though!




I had a choice between building an axe or a spear in Comoros. I went with the spear, so it now has 2 axes, 2 warriors, and 1 spear on defense. He can attack with 3 phalanxes, 2 phalanxes across the river, and 6 chariots across the river. I also need to make a token effort to keep my copper on-line. There is one spear guarding it currently. Also, Estonia has no defender and there's no way to get one there, either. That's why I had to keep the spear where it was last turn, to stop his chariots from advancing. If he advances with a couple of chariots next turn, I may have to retreat the spear into the city and let him pillage the copper. Partly with that in mind, I put some beakers into archery, so I can finish it next turn if I want to. (Alternatively, I can save up to 59+ gold for another upgrade.)

I forgot to mention, Boldly finished Oracle last turn. His vulgar hat company is still no match for our cultured civilization, though, as our friend Livy here can attest.



Zakalwe the Glorious. Damn straight.

[Ichabod]

Well, his power is no longer rising like a rocket, but I was wrong about no second wave. He moved in another 3 phalanxes and 2 chariots. So all counted, he now has 8 phalanxes and 6 chariots in my territory. I'm confident that they will soon be back in his territory, though!

[zakalwe]

As I'm sure you all know already (except Mackoti), Novice captured Comoros at the low cost of two phalanxes and one chariot.

It's late, so I'll probably hold the save till the morning.

[zakalwe]

My demographics are paradoxically good, for an empire in its death throes.




Novice got in three hits with both of his initial phalanx attacks, which paved the way for an easy victory. Not only did he kill more hammers than he lost, just counting the units, but he'll gain a bunch of promotions, too. (He had a chariot retreat, as well.)

So with those results it would actually have been strictly better to just abandon the city. I'm curious if any of the combat-hardened vets here would have done that? (Ignoring my mistakes up to that point.) I was thinking I needed to hope for a couple of lucky rolls making it a Pyrrhic victory for him. As it was, I ended up with a Pyrrhic loss.

Anyway, feel free to bash my play give constructive criticism, in general. My reporting may drop off a bit here because it's hard to find positive things to say, and nobody likes a whiner, but that doesn't mean you all have to walk on eggshells.




I haven't figured out Novice's naming scheme, but the name PITA is certainly appropriate. Also fitting that I inadvertently named my copper city after a terrible shipwreck.

[zakalwe]

We played two more turns. Novice moved his troops up to the copper city, and I attacked out with what axes I had available. Both so I could clear a path for another spear to enter the city, and so I could make sure my axes were fighting his phalanxes instead of getting slaughtered on defense by his chariots. I won two out of four 50% battles, but with pretty good health left on my survivors, so I guess my rolls were a little better this time.

He now has one phalanx and 6 chariots outside Estonia, plus maybe something on that boat. I've got 6 defenders in all, counting my scout and a dry-whipped warrior.

[zakalwe]

Novice moved his chariots W-NW, and pillaged a road on the way, trying to ensure that I couldn't follow him with my spears.

I killed a phalanx at around 70% odds and a chariot at 99% odds, and stacked my units on the tile SE of his stack, with a worker to rebuild the road. I also got a great general; he got one earlier, so I have to watch out for a fast galley from now on.

I think it's likely that he will retreat his units now, as he hasn't got any realistic chances of pushing through with just chariots and a single phalanx. He could move W-NW onto the hill next to my horses. If he does, I could still hit him with two spears, because I have a great general that can double the movement of one of them.

Dazed also showed up with a galley in the NW, which is bad timing for me. Still, it's not like it's a coordinated attack, so I'm gambling a bit that Dazed's galley is empty and will explore the stone site, and Novice will retreat. Hence, I chanced building a granary in the capital instead of another military unit. I also put the settler in Brunei into 2-whip range, leaving its archer in the queue. Risky, but I'm really hoping Novice will decide to cut his losses here.

Everybody's power is now similar, in the 70-80k range.

Pictures... sorry, but no fancy compositions here.