Chevalier Rides Again: A City Lights exploration

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

No, just bogged down in vacations. England took a ten day vacation after the last turn, and it made it all the way to...Phoenicia, who is on a ten day vacation. They'll get to it in a few days...at which point *I* will be on vacation. So the turn should come in mid-July. x_x

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

The Turn Of Mid-July

Looks like my last report was from turn 133. We've actually covered 5 turns in the interval, to 138. The front is slowly grinding in my favor, but I'm still worried about a burgeoning England backed by the Venetian Arsenal.




I've been putting down aerodromes all over the empire. I only have 6 aluminum - only enough for a few modern aircraft - but the Bombers are going to be key to victory, as the Manhattan Project completes. We're starting the Project on 139, and it should finish before 150, so I hope to have my first bomb up by 155 or so, still. Then I think I can rapidly devastate Korea.

On the Punic front, we razed the city of Biruta around turn 135 and have begun a northern sea attack on Carthage, while most of the navy swings around New Equestria to move into the southern seas and begin the decisive campaign to end Phoenicia and Korea once and for all. The attack on Brussels is in full-swing this turn:




One of my artillery corps was damaged in the fight for Biruta by enemy fire, but I have a full Artillery Army in range of Brussels and it shreds the Punic defenses:




The battleship and fighter contribute to the shelling as well, and I send in a destroyer and cavalry to complete the storm by land and sea:

 

The city spawns with no walls, sadly, but as you can see there is effectively no Punic army or navy left. You can see in the upper right that he had 200 military power at the start of the turn, and 70 of that was accounted for by the Battleship that we destroyed as we took the city. That leaves him with roughly 2 battleships left in his entire armed forces, so right now I'm mostly unopposed. Once my land army is fully healed up it will be able to sweep under fighter cover right across the continent, through Carthage and on to Tyre, where I'll set up for my final attack on Korea. 

Speaking of, I opted to abandon the attack on Seoul after my tank was sunk at sea even with destroyer cover by Korean air power:



A frustrating setback, to be sure, as burning Seoul would have effectively ended Korea as a major threat. BUT he has no uranium and little ability to hold back my entire navy - Korea has 500 power, 170 of which (or 1/3) is represented by the BB and Fighter present. The hwacha and artillery on land add another 140, meaning 300 of his 500 power is concentrated on the defense of Seoul right now. So I've only got 400 enemy Power unaccounted for on the eastern fronts. 

On the western front, which consists of the island of Mexico astride two major channels separating me from English seas, Victoria sent a fleet of privateers to raid my northern oil rigs. Two rigs were pillaged but I sank a Korean submarine and 3 English privateers using a destroyer and submarine garrison I had in the area:

 
Builder labor is en route to repair those two oil rigs, but I don't have a shortage yet. The battleships are sailing towards where I expect the main attack, the city of Neighpon which guards the OTHER major channel, south of Mexico:


 

I've sunk several frigates and privateers here before England realized my defenses were strong and he pulled back out of range, but really I'm making do with a threadbare fleet on this front. My defense plan is to garrison the cities with battleships to enable them to reach out and blast attackers, while I'll try to station subs and destroyers behind the cities to sally out and finish off attackers. Sadly I can't devote any air power to this front to give it real teeth. The obvious weakness is the extended front, down from Yokeyo (visible in the far north, facing a slowly-sinking Netherlands civ), through Prance on the northern side of the channel, to Neighpon on the south side. England can focus all his fleet on one city, while I can only respond to his moves. 

Here's an overview of this entire front:

 

We know at least 3 battleships (a fleet and a singleton) are opposite Neighpon, and we sank a Sea Dog in the north. That's 205 power accounted for of his 1900, leaving 1700. 2 more battleships, 140. A frigate, 55. 2 artillery, 160. We're down to 1345 power to account for. I can spot a third artillery behind a redcoat, 2 redcoats total, and a cavalry, totaling about 280 power, so all in all we have about 1060 unaccounted for. Every Dutch city is probably spawning a new Redcoat as it falls. Well, okay, we can handle that. They have to come by sea, so he'll be vulnerable to my sea and air power. The real danger is the highly promoted battleships running around - he could have another dozen of the things, though I think he has a fair number of sea dogs as well. 

Still, assume I have to deal with ~12 battleships and ~8 Sea Dogs coming from the west soon. I'll need at least 4 battleships and 4 destroyers of my own, estimate, to be able to seriously slow him down at my cities. The good news is I'm ahead in tech nad my defenses are very thick, so he'll have a hard time cracking them. 

Nukes. Nukes are the salvation here, even against the VA. If he gathers the fleet to besiege a city, I'll drop Little Boy on its head and then mop up.

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

239: Einstein's Letter

F.D. Roosevelt
President of the United States
White House
Washington, D.C.
Sir:

Some recent work by E. Fermi and L. Szilard, which has been communicated to me in manuscript, leads me to expect that the element uranium may be turned into a new and important source of energy in the immediate future. Certain aspects of the situation which has arisen seem to call for watchfulness and if necessary, quick action on the part of the Administration. I believe therefore that it is my duty to bring to your attention the following facts and recommendations.

In the course of the last four months it has been made probable through the work of Joliot in France as well as Fermi and Szilard in America--that it may be possible to set up a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium, by which vast amounts of power and large quantities of new radium-like elements would be generated. Now it appears almost certain that this could be achieved in the immediate future.

This new phenomenon would also lead to the construction of bombs, and it is conceivable--though much less certain--that extremely powerful bombs of this type may thus be constructed. A single bomb of this type, carried by boat and exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory. However, such bombs might very well prove too heavy for transportation by air.

The United States has only very poor ores of uranium in moderate quantities. There is some good ore in Canada and former Czechoslovakia, while the most important source of uranium is in the Belgian Congo.

In view of this situation you may think it desirable to have some permanent contact maintained between the Administration and the group of physicists working on chain reactions in America. One possible way of achieving this might be for you to entrust the task with a person who has your confidence and who could perhaps serve in an unofficial capacity. His task might comprise the following:

a) to approach Government Departments, keep them informed of the further development, and put forward recommendations for Government action, giving particular attention to the problem of securing a supply of uranium ore for the United States.

b) to speed up the experimental work, which is at present being carried on within the limits of the budgets of University laboratories, by providing funds, if such funds be required, through his contacts with private persons who are willing to make contributions for this cause, and perhaps also by obtaining co-operation of industrial laboratories which have necessary equipment.

I understand that Germany has actually stopped the sale of uranium from the Czechoslovakian mines which she has taken over. That she should have taken such early action might perhaps be understood on the ground that the son of the German Under-Secretary of State, von Weizsacker, is attached to the Kaiser-Wilhelm Institute in Berlin, where some of the American work on uranium is now being repeated.

Yours very truly,

Albert Einstein

No more Mr. Nice Pony. 

Nuclear Fission is intended to be my ace in the hole, like the Venetian Arsenal originally was going to be (imagine my fleet at twice its present size! Alas). Now, I know I'm first to Fission from the tech board, AND I know no one else has any uranium whatsoever. So, this should be a Wunderwaffen that will at last settle things in my favor. Considering I started this war on the back foot, attacked by surprise and with my territories strongly invaded, I don't think I've done too poorly in fighting back. I got bogged down at Seoul and in the passes around Brussels longer than my most optimistic plans, but it looks like Korea and Phoenicia are pretty well broken by this point.

I know Punic morale has totally collapsed, evidenced by this dramatic move:



The two Punic colonies on the southern tip of the continent have become Korean colonies (albeit ones Korea can't maintain control of). In fact, outside his core 3 cities, Phoenicia has gifted everything to Korea:


Honestly, not the worst thing in the world for me. There's a few oil colonies in the far south - I think 3 - and otherwise those five gifted cities of Ugarit, Byblos, Sidon, Mtw, and Aynook. The loyalty problems will prevent those from being especially productive for Korea, so honestly it doesn't boost him too much, and it effectively removes Phoenicia from consideration. He now only has 3 cities, each probably taking about 10-15 turns to build any kind of modern unit, AND he no longer has access to most strategic resources so he couldn't build them anyway. 

Right now the plan is to keep sailing the fleet to the southern coast, while my growing army, operating around the two artillery armies and fighter cover, will advance as rapidly as possible towards Carthage, Tyr, and Sidon. 

Back home, obviously, the most important affair is the Manhattan Project, which gets underway at Canterlot immediately:



A seven turn build, so ready on turn 146. Devices are 80% of the Project's cost, so .8 x 7 = 5.6, so roughly two nukes every 11 turns from Canterlot. When you include Definitely Not Rapa Nui's similar production, that's about equivalent to a nuke every 3 turns, which should match my rate of being able to use them on the front anyway. You'll also note my first bombers coming online next turn - one from Vanhoover in hte west and one in three turns from Salt Lick City in the north. I have an empty carrier ready for those - we plan to first hammer Gumi in the north as a sort of test run, as well as wiping out that Korean colony, their last source of coal I believe. Then they'll become Device Delivery Specialists, and nukes will pave the path across Korea. 

On the western front, England has a massive fleet of battleships (not pictured) gathered outside Neighpon - six or seven. I hammer one that he carelessly left in range and retreat my scouts to the city again:

 

Battleships shoot with a strength of 70 against my city's defenses of 94, and I have 400 defenses for him to chew through. Rough estimate puts that at 40 battleship shots or so, meaning he'll need at least 5 or 6 turns to chew through the defenses - and each countershot in return cripples a battleship, which gives me more time, which leads to more battleships crippled, etc. This will be a tough fight but I think I can hold, just barely. Definitely need reinforcements, though.

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

City Lights II Turns 140-141


 
Six turns before I plunge into an Information Era dark age. English science is far past my own, BUT he's still needing quite a while to catch up in tech, having just reached Flight. So as long as I can take out his uranium before he can build a Device we should be good (he has two sources). 

We'll start on the land front in Phoenicia, where my army, navy, and air force, having taken the outlying fortress, are ready to commence the storm of Carthage in earnest. I expect I'll need only two turns to take the city:


 

 

Two battleships, a fighter, and my artillery army spend 140 knocking Carthage down to half its health, while in the north a steady bombardment of Malaka continues (we'll occupy it from the landward side soon). Punic counterfire damages one of my cavalry, but that's all he can hit with his defending battleship as I keep out of defensive range. 

So, Phoenicia, his morale totally broken, surrenders. Equestrian spies report massive transactions between Phoenicia and Korea, his gold treasury passes over, diplomatic inspection reveals his great works are handed over, strategic materials, etc - everything movable is sent to Korea, and then Phoenicia's player turns things over to the AI. A bit cheesy, but it shouldn't make a difference in the end. Korea I think is doomed regardless, my biggest remaining question is if I can do it before England becomes unstoppable.

The next turn Carthage is easily mopped up:

Artillery, battleship, fighter, and finally the damaged tank completes things:

 

I retain the city, intending to build a canal there, and there's also uranium reserves nearby. 

So, the main army is ready to drive into Phoenicia's core:

 
I have two tanks, two cavalry, two artillery, a fighter, and 3 battleships on the north coast to support this push, against about 60 PWR of Phoenician units - so perhaps one modern unit? I can set up my artillery on the pillaged iron mine (circled) and shell Tyre in safety, while Malaka should fall effortlessly to the battleships and one cavalry. That means from my massive army that I deployed at the start of the war, I managed to lose all my infantry, most of my cuirassiers, all my field cannon, and the pike and shot, mostly fighting over those passes around the encampments. I did win through eventually, but yeah, heavy hills, tough defensive fortifications, and a few miscalculations on my part. Oh well.

In the south, Byblos also is stormed from the sea:


 
A pair of English galleys hold station in the southern straits, and I dispatch those before they can upgrade to something more dangerous. Another destroyer begins pillaging Byblos's harbor - I am saving for upgrades, though not sure yet what units to pursue. 

So, turn 140 ends with the Punic-turned-Korean city only facing my outriders, and the city doesn't look to be in serious danger...

 

But in the city of Trottingham across the Panthalassic Ocean to the north, I have my first operational bomber squadron:

 

A bombardment strength of 110 against a defense strength of 65 means the city is shredded, taking over 300 damage. A few supporting attacks from nearby battleships and submarines means my destroyer can waltz in unopposed by the end of turn:




With that, we now hold the southern tip of the continent. I'm splitting the fleet here. One squadron of six battleships, 2 destroyers, and a sub will roll north along Phoenicia's southern coast with the ultimate objective of Aynook. The other half, a second squadron of six battleships, two destroyers, and two subs will swing southwest towards a distantly visible Korean city at bottom left. It's an oil colony, which we'll seize in passing (I also need to hit Gumi in the north still - destroyer comes out in 7 turns, and then a bomber/fighter will reduce the city for me). 


 

Then that fleet will join the main fleet near Aynook. I have 3 aircraft carriers, which also need to (slowly) reach the southern ocean in order to serve as my main city-crackers once they're in range. They'll be essential in the drive through the eastern archipelagos aimed at London. More on that island hopping campaign later, we'll finish Korea first.

On the western front, the Battle of Neighpon continues. My destroyer sallies out from Prance and spots a triple-promoted English fleet a bit too exposed:



I quickly target it with my two battleships nearby, and sacrifice the destroyer to finish it:

 

A good trade, I think - those veteran English units from the long wars against Rome nad the Netherlands are his most dangerous weapons, and the Venetian Arsenal can't replace experience. 

Closing situation on 140 sees 4 English battleships and a Sea Dog fleet against my own two battleships and a destroyer. I'm relying heavily on Neighpon and Prance's fortifications to hold the line here:

 

The next turn England uses the Sea Dog fleet in conjunction with his BBs to finish off my heroic DD, and I use my two battleship shots to cripple (not sink) another English BB, while in the north I have another DD and a sub edging into the theater via Yokeyo:

 

By my count, that leaves him with the Sea Dog, two damaged BBs and two intact BBs against 3 Equestrian BBs, a DD, and an SS (plus city fortifications). He has 2000 power overall, though, so I know there's more power behind that. A Sea Dog prowls the southwest front, near Trotonto and Saddle Arabia, since it seized a builder I had in the seas there. But for now at least I can hold in the west while continuing to hurl everything I can into winning in the east. 

City Lights I - 142

In the original City Lights game, everyone except myself, Germany, and England (the same two players still playing City Lights II) has quit and their AI civs conquered. I overran all of the Robo-Dutch, Germany peacefully settled an archipelago, and England conquered Greece and Rome. This game is almost over, as I'm miles ahead in science and am launching the Earth satellite next turn:

 
My core cities, all urbanized and highly productive, except Ponyville, which is a Rural city and a massive trade route hub. It grants +9 food and production to any convoy or caravan that arrives! Germany's capital of Aachen is also an excellent trade destination, granting dozens of GPT and solid returns on food/production/science/culture. Note also Mainz, which defected to Equestria during a German Dark Age. 

The conquered Netherlands:

 
English pickets keep watch, and the England player refuses offers of friendship "because I settled on his home continent." Well, the AI DOES have its bizarre agendas, too. 

My northwestern expansion - before the Dutch quit this island was my only viable colonization area:

 

Finally the Southern Resource Area, settled exclusively for access to strategics (hence the large swathes of uncolonized land near Seaward Shoals):

 

Massive emphasis on entertainment & ski resorts has led to an extremely stable amenities situation, so grateful for that Greece game to teach me how to really handle those:

 

This game should end within 30 turns.

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

Just as a note while I wait for the turn, I am pretty irritated that Phoenicia and Korea are essentially trying to play kingmaker in a game where I haven't harmed them at all. I might still beat England, but I might not. He'll have the Venetian Arsenal and a hefty tech advantage due to overrunning the two AI civs. I only state this for the record, because had I known we were playing a "murder is allowed" game, well, I would have run over Phoenicia and the Netherlands ages ago.

[shallow_thought]

 had I known we were playing a "murder is allowed" game, well, I would have run over Phoenicia and the Netherlands ages ago.

Yeah, but where would the challenge have been in that .

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

City Lights II: 142-146

Five more turns, including one played as I write this report. With Phoenicia gone and our players down from 6 to 3 (Rome, the Netherlands, and Phoenicia all having quit), turns go much more quickly. 

We'll detail the southern front first. 

Mopping up Phoenicia goes easily, as Malaka falls on 142 to my artillery and bombers:




However, I attempt to push my cavalry and tank up to pillage Tyre before storming it:




And Korean air and naval forces wipe them both out, as Seondeok prepares to make her stand at the Sidon - MTW - Aynook line, it seems. 

Half my fleet besieges Kerkouan, the other half rounds the point near Byblos and begins to make its way north:




The oil colony falls easily on 143 and I should have basically no resource issues for the rest of the game:

 

144 is massive, as I reach the first tier III government in the world, Communism, and slot a temporary government:

 

We raced here first since it was inspired, but I'm going right into Fascism in order to gain +5 combat strength and +50% unit production. I will do a dip through infrastructure to try to consolidate my increasingly creaky empire, and then back to units in an effort to overwhelm the Koreans before a final showdown with England. 

Tyre and Ugarit fall on 144, eliminating Phoenicia and placing us head to head with Korea on land:

 

However, any unit I leave outside a city near the frontlines gets obliterated by his Bomber. The good news is he can't build more, as his aluminum is flooded and pillaged:

 
Only 6 and it should dwindle. I have 25 and am bleeding 1 per turn, but have a settler on the map to bump that up to +2 per turn. 

I also begin construction of my first Device, due on 148:

 

One every three turns or so? Should be enough to blast through Korea eventually. 

Situation at the end of 146, Eastern Front:



We stormed Gumi in passing and have 3 bombers in theater, as well as our fleet concentrated opposite Aynook. The Korean bombers have proven a stubborn opponent, and Aynook WOULD be a tough nut to crack...except the device completes next turn as I am steadily regaining amenities. 

Western front sees a slow decline - there's nearly a dozen English battleships, that sink my destroyer and sub in return for three damaged of their own, and I am forced to abandon Neighpon by 148:







note here that  his battleships also outclass my own, and are highly promoted. 

I should have concentrated my BBs into a single armada, but twigged to that obvious move far too late. 

There's also a grotesque 6 promotion Redcoat that fights like Mechanized infantry on the loose:

 
That bastard will need to be killed wi th air power. Once Korea is down I can begin to transfer planes to this theater. 

And a small English task force approaching my southwest, I might be able to defeat this if this is all he has:

 

Science and culture have recovered to nearly English levels. Production I hope still outclasses him, and the VA only will help with ships - I should still be able to build planes nad bombs faster. 

We'll see, edge of our seat stuff!

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

City Lights I update

In City Lights I, we're getting close to the end. I'm 1 turn from launching the moon landing, so there's perhaps 30-40 turns left, max. England declared war on me (again) but I'm not sure why. His fleets are scattered and taking random potshots at me, but not launching a serious offensive. For example, here's a quadruple-promoted battleship armada raiding into the midst of a nest of Destroyers:


 

...yeah. It goes about as well as you'd expect for the Armada:


 

I decide to amuse myself by ordering up nukes in as many cities as possible, and closing in on England's civ from both sides of the map with nuclear submarines to immolate him as Canterlot continues to build Space projects:






 

So that's fun. Since I already have Nuclear Submarines and Rocketry, once the gadgets start completing I can just start, um, incinerating English cities. 

Speaking of, I am growing reasonably confident of victory in City Lights II, maybe 65% now?

City Lights II

 
Canterlot finished just short of completing its nuclear bomb this turn, my first, which is a bummer, but the overlap means the next bomb should be one turn sooner. Test games show that battleship fleets DO have the AA to fend off the bomb, AND that they target adjacent tiles, so I'll need to be judicious in my strikes. But Korea is one turn from running out of aluminum so opposition in the air should weaken. England can throw him a lifeline but HE'S only got one source of aluminum himself and so that means I shan't face any English air. Strategic resources matter! It's the best part of Gathering Storm. 

Knowing Korea can't replace air losses, I target his fighter cover outside the city of Mtw using my own carrier-based fighters:

 

That's my first air-to-air kill in Civ, ever. 

I foolishly moved up my battleship into range of MTW before confirming I had the bomb, so sadly I've blundered away that double-promoted battleship fleet, bummer. I try to compensate by at least taking Sidon and killing a Korean infantry:

 
That places my border on the old Punic-Korean border, so we've reached the enemy heartland. 

I also scout Aynook and see the enemy opposition. 1 BB, 1 BB fleet, 2 bombers, and a machine gun, plus city defenses.

 
Since the fleet can prevent a nuclear strike, if nothing changes I'll use my own navy and conventional air to take Mtw and then nuke Aynook to seize both next turn. 

On the western front, Neighpon is razed by the dozen or so English battleships escorting Redcoats:


Well, it held for 10 turns, and probably could have held longer had I formed the Armada sooner. We fall back to Prance and Cloppawa to continue the delaying action.

I debated sending naval reinforcements here, but local production is all they'll get. I'm sending nothing to this front, because...



We're in striking distance of London, England's only sizeable city (and home of the Venetian Arsenal) with most of our navy, once we clear Aynook. 

Once Aynook falls, we'll have new nukes every two turns or so. I have 2, soon to be 3 carriers, stuffed with bombers and fighters, as well as heavy submarine, destroyer, and BB escort. Once the Korean fleet here is broken, I can pin down his resources with a thrust using army units towards Seoul and Gyeongju, but my main effort will actually be with the navy through Portsmouth, Suwon, and Yangsan, nuking anything that we can't bomb through quickly. Then, the fleet will steam to within striking distance of London, where I shall place a spy, and then nuke the place, taking it with a destroyer. I should be able to hold it against followups using continued nuclear strikes, and then England's production bonus is GONE. I have the Venetian Arsenal at that point. My science has equalized his, and will surpass it with London, plus I have more techs completed anyway. I ahve more oil. I have more aluminum. I have the only uranium. 

The game will be over, and as long as England's fleet is in the WEST bombing through my outlying cities, it can't come EAST and save his capital. Fingers crossed.

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

Next turn is turn 148. If I can destroy the Korean battleships and bombers at Mtw - Aynook, then I think I can quickly knife through Portsmouth and Suwon before he'll have new defenses online. He has one more bomber at Jinju, if my count of his aluminum is correct, which might relocate to Suwon or Yangsan to be a pain, but honestly I don't think he can stop my fleet. England has two possibilities:

1)His smaller fleet is equally divided west and east, with one part attacking my western front and one part defending his own seaboard. In that case, I can proceed patiently and methodically using my own superior concentration of force.

2)Everything is in England's east, my west - in which case, London is totally exposed. I can have a carrier with two bombers in range of London by turn 154. Six turns to nuke his capital. It'll take longer to get a unit in range to capture but that should be - should be! - trivial after the bomb is dropped.

Yes, I think the game is over.

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

City Lights I

The first city lights game is nearing hte end, as I'm 4 turns from Mars:


 

I also have several nuclear devices finishing, and nuclear subs to deliver them all around England, for what that's worth. 

But the real fun is in 

City Lights II - turn 148

It seems like whenever I'm really looking forward to a turn and the game has momentum, suddenly the turns grind to a halt. The English player regrettably had to rush his son to the hospital (the kid is fine now, but it was a scary illness), and so missed a few days - nothing you can do about that. 

So, after a long hiatus, I open the turn to this situation at the Mtw-Aynook line:




Seondeok began an evacuation from Mtw, pulling her battleship fleet back to Aynook to become a battleship armada as a quick submarine scout reveals. The machine gun also begins to withdraw to the north. This means I only lose a single destroyer, when I had calculated on losing the double promoted battleship fleet, as well. That's a relief, because those units won't get away.

Aynook is in range of several bombers, you see - and my first gadget completed this turn in Canterlot. The war-winning wunderwaffen is rushed to a bomber flying off a carrier south of Phoenicia, and - although a BB armada has significant anti-air, they're NOT enough to fend off a full health bombing run:

 

Aynook and all of its defenders and defenses are instantly razed, in the blink of an eye. Fun fact: nukes also kill Great People, and so the Korean Great Admiral is lost with the city, along with a half-health Korean bomber. That done, the way is clear for me to at last clear Aynook's cape and begin thrust directly at the head of the snake - London:

 

A destroyer quickly takes possession of the devastated, stunned city, and Mtw is left completely defenseless due to the Korean evacuation:

 

I am able to reduce it using air power alone, leaving my battleships free to steam at full speed for our next objectives, Portsmouth and Suwon:

 
Air also cleans up the retreating machine gun. 

So, in the end, the Phoenician surrender of these cities played in my favor. Due to loyalty problems Korea never got useful yields, nor was he able to produce anything from them. However, instead of mounting his stand from Jinju and Suwon to the north, where his sea and air could have made a significant defense, instead they deployed a bit too far forward and in range of most of my air and sea power right away. Korea had 860 power at the start of turn and lost a bomber (110 strength), a machine gun (another 85 or so) and a battleship armada (87). That's 280 of his 860 power, or nearly 1/3 of all his units. I know he has 2 more bombers from the ranged attacks he's getting off - probably Jinju and Suwon. He also has a battleship, hwacha, and artillery still defending Seoul. Most importantly, the loss of the battleship armada is a big chunk of his AA capabilities cut down. As far as I know, only the BB at Seoul can still defend against air attack, and it's trapped in the city - nor can it fend off a nuclear strike or concerted offensive on its own. That, in turn, means my bombers are free to slice through the remaining Korean cities mostly at will, while I can be conservative with my remaining land units.

It's clear that nuclear weapons are THE weapon of choice moving forward - no building or unit can be as impactful. So, all my high-production cities immediately commission more, with about 5 more due over the next 10 turns. 

End of turn finds us ready to begin the attack on Portsmouth next turn:

 

We'll use air and naval power to take Portsmouth, Suwon, and Yangsan as our top priorities, but that's limited by my only having 2 functional destroyers left on this front - reinforcements got diverted to the English front. I need to be careful with them, and my three aircraft carriers, which are the main engine of our advance now. The CVs CAN take cities in a pinch, if I lose both destroyers, but let's avoid that, eh? 

Our target is this tile, 10 hexes from London - maximum range for a nuclear strike:

 
We designate it Point Tinian, for, er obvious reasons. 

From there I can bombard the entire English coast and he doesn't have the fleet to stop me.

'coz it's over here:


The fall of Neighpon sees 8 English battleships pour into my waters, with more behind them, I expect. I have only an armada, single battleship, destroyer, and fighter to oppose them on this front. We just need to damage ships and buy time for our London strike - 10 turns away. I might be foolish in keeping the armada in the city for one turn, but I don't THINK he can kill it quite yet. I hope!

The 6-promotion redcoat also needs to die, but it'll take a while. 

South of there, our DDs sink an English galley and damage a small battleship squadron infiltrating our southern coast:

 

Finally, I solve my aluminum problem next turn, netting me another source for +9 aluminum per turn (notice my newly-completed bombers have started my aluminum falling).

 
This is former Korean territory, but with no navy on this shore he can't threaten my city.