[SPOILER] PB37: Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the most aggressive of them all?

[Nekira Sudacne]

Do remake it when you know where horses are. it could effect dotmapping after all.

(Make sure you re-update when Aluminum becomes available too)

[Krill]

I'll update to day when I get chance but horses at Room 101 and will be hooked T58, next turn.

[Krill]

I think CML is getting into a fight with Courva. I've said before that the players have been placed in pick order around the map, so Krill>Ventessel>Joey>JR4>dtay>CML>Courva>Dark Savant>Gavagai>Krill is the order of players, moving north form my position.

CML has been logging in, playing his turn, then logging out and not posting, so vaguely checked out in appearance. Now he is logging in multiple times per turn, after Courva has played his turn (but not after dtay, which makes it easier to track. CML just planted a new city, so maybe they are getting into a fight? I hope so, that bodes well for my Oracle chances.

[Krill]

Updated world map:

[Nekira Sudacne]

Isn't that a LOT of horses? you could dotmap at total random and get 4-5 cities with horses in the 2-ring borders.

[Krill]

Well after the first one they aren't really that important are they?

I think this can be taken as Couerva being at war with CML or at least, in some sort the merry dance. If the turn is reloaded then I expect to need to replay this turn, because CML must have done something at the end of turn 57 to be the double move. I think CML will have to refrain from logging in after Couerva at all, his understanding of double moves is obviously flawed.

[Nekira Sudacne]

They're not, but they are also a very common production resource that is on flatlands rather than hills so do not effect your food. I'd rather have a grassland horse than a grassland hill iron.

[Krill]

Posting this because I'm really having difficulty fathoming Ventessels plan. He is #1 in power by a long way, two capitals, whipping so hard his cities must be unhappy at size 3 that he has screwed his long term expansion. Long term he is lunch, but I need to know what he is going to throw at me to efficiently manage that threat before he croaks.





66K in soldier points. Take away 18K for techs leaves 48K. take away a further 3K for pop and 2K for barracks leaves 43K. I saw two axes leaving 31K. Spears and chariots are 4K each, that means if he has two warriors (necessary due to whip unhappy) and I a little off on the pop count he could have up 7 chariots/spears. If he has axes then that would be a further 4 axes (6 total) and 1 spear.

If he has massed chariots, then frankly 7 chariots will not breach 2 spears with fort in AF, but I can't stop him running past the capital if he splits the units up because I need to leave 2 spears in the city. If he leaves single units on tiles and pillages as he goes, I'm going to have a real problem killing everything before he reaches more poorly defended cities.

If he massed axes, then by the time he shows the stack I can build an easy 2 additional axes, but things get a bit iffier on defense. 40% culture, Shock axes against CR1 axes should only win one battle on defense before then succumbing to the next attack. If I revolt to slavery now, then I'm pretty sure I can whip chop a further 2 axes in that time frame from cities 3 and 4, and with a slow moving stack I can more easily pin it from reaching in. I also have the option instead to try and mass chariots, but I'm not certain that I could get the 10 chariots I need quickly enough even with whipping and chops.

So what is the right move at this point? The longer Ventessel continues to amass troops the more I'm going to have to do the same. Not good. Without cats, I basically need to have the same number of units as him, and I need to make them strong enough to wipe out half his stack, then cover my units with enough units to deter his return attack. So basically I need to build something like 8 units, because i also need to cover cities.

Shit. I was hoping to delay slavery but I don't think I can do it in this scenario. I think I will have to revolt this turn...

[Nekira Sudacne]

His plan is not a great one but some response is needed. Axes backed by a few spears will do on defense.

Might a scout or warrior be a good sacrafise to see into his territory?

[Krill]

At this point what information would I be looking to find? I am assuming Ventessel intends to invade, but he only has three routes, all of which are covered by capital culture. A sentry placed to the north would be at risk of immediately being killed by a chariot from the fog without uncovering further information.

Axes are actually the right response to a chariot attack, provided I have the spears to cover cities. C2 axes have odds on everything Ventessel can build on attack so I have to leave the capital on axe duty. Slavery keeps the middle cities safe from chariots that get through and I now have the option to whip terraces. I just have to see what Ventessel does but Oracle seems a risky venture at this point.