Epic 4 Athmos report

[Athmos]

Just a placeholder for now, sorry...

I played, enjoyed and won this game, I'll have to check my screenshots to write a proper report.

I can only state for sure, that I won a conquest victory (of course) in T165.

I noticed that the AI seemed to have got a little bit better at war (not really at combat, but it felt like they were building a lot more unit than before the patch, at least while at war).


EDIT : I can benefit from some free hosting by my ISP. Account validation can take a few days, but I will add the screenshots in due time.

[Athmos]

I still haven't sorted out any kind of hosting, so for now I don't have screenshots to show :-(

Pre-game thought :

1) I knew from the start that I probably wouldn't build many settlers if at all : it's often better to just steal settlers from AI if you can, and in an "always war" setting it would be even more so. Stolen settlers are generally more precious than conquered cities specially at the start of the game, as capturing a settler is instant, you decide where to plant your city, and most importantly it doesn't count as occupied : you get full benefit of the city immediately (as opposed to having to wait for peace/conquest).

2) Science and culture output are probably going to suffer from the very low priority campuses and theatre district are going to get. I want to plan out for eurekas and inspirations as well as possible, specially in early games. I will also probably grab a culture oriented pantheon if possible.

3) I want archery and bronze working as fast as I can get it : Encampments are great, archers are great, seeing iron early is always great but even more important when playing Germany, whose special district gets bonuses from resource adjacency. On the civics side, I want Agoge ASAP.
In practical terms, it means I want a fairly early builder and animal husbandry as soon as possible to improve  these sheep and open up archery, an early slinger and try to insure the archery eureka, and to kill three barbarians as soon as possible. That often mean finding and sieging a barbarian camp as early as I can.

4) District-wise, I usually place a strong emphasis on production, and build commercial hubs and industrial zones in pretty much every city. Germany encourages the player toward that style even more with a free district per city and additional bonuses for adjacency between these 2 districts.

5) Germany just eats up city states. +7 strength is a lot. City states are great prey, in particular as you get full benefit as soon as you conquer them : not need to finish off a larger civilization.

6) exploration is not big on my list : I Don't really want to meet everyone and be in active war with everyone too early. If I can gobble up civs one at a time, It will make life easier.

7) Early kills are good kills : If you can get a few warriors to siege a city before city walls are a thing, you're golden.



T1 : I SIP and start up a slinger. I don't value scouts much in always war. Animal husbandry is the next gen thing for Germany, and our warrior packs moves up the hill to the north-west to get some vision.

T3 : our warriors follow the hill crest to a vast forest of banana trees, and cast their gaze upon a peak from another continent ! Haven't met anyone yet, but this makes the people dream of trading with foreigners. The fools.

T5 : We meet with a warrior from Lisbon, which seems to be a crappy city on a desert coast, without fresh water. Declared war on them, but really we'd rather kill a few barbarians first.

T7 : in the last 80 years (2 turns) our warriors exchanged blows. It is very clear already that we will destroy their armed unit very soon. Our warriors are clearly far superior. A slinger unit is now ready, and has started to move north-west in the hills toward our warriors. Started work on a builder to get 3 tiles improved early for Craftsmanship inspiration. We'll have 2 citizens in Aachen next turn !

T9 : our warriors have wiped the Lisboan unit, and our slinger is making slow progress in the hills, when a barbarian scout is seen at our south-west border. Our slinger still move NW tho, as Germany is wise and knows that chasing a scout with slinger is a fool errand.

T10 : Animal husbandry is in ! Mining nest... Also, the barbarian scouts has moved NW between turns. Barb scouts immediately scamper toward their camps when they spot your cities to trigger barbarian raiding parties, so that's a pretty firm indication of a barbarian camp in the north-west. Also, this scout isn't on a hill and can't see beyond one tile in the north as there are forests and hills there. If he continues NW next turn, I can ambush him with my slinger if I move it closer.

T11 : Warrior are still resting in the desert hills, my slinger stepped in front of the scout and got a shot at them. The scout then scampers south IBT.

T13 : I positioned my slinger on a hill, still trending NW, but the scout who went away is coming back in the same direction. I didn't really plan it this time, but I'll take it, and maybe I can carefully micro to lure the scout in every other turn and slowly kill him with repeated ambushes. Certainly worth a try. He's getting shot again this turn anyway. Also, builder is done, moved to the sheep tile. Work on a monument while I don't have agoge nor ilkum.

T14 : break vision with the scouts to lure him in, moving back north, and pastures the sheep.

T15 : the scout is back, on the hill ! I think it's the first time I actually engineered (with a bit of luck) repeated ambushes to actually catch and kill a scout with a single slinger. We get discipline for +5 against barbs as well this turn, as code of law is in (craftsmanship next of course), kill the scout for archery eureka and move our rested warrior towatd the west (looking for the barb camp that spawned that scout)

T16 : our warrior found the barbarian camp on the coast, our slingers are closing in. We quarry the stone.

T17 : start fighting the Spearman at the barbarian camp. I'd like a third unit to spawn from there for the bronze working inspiration. Another barb scout appears at the south east.

T21 : no screenshot in between so I don't remember the exact sequence, but a warrior spawned and was killed at the north camp, got inspiration for Military tradition from taking the camp and for Bronze working for the 3 barbs kills. My damaged but victorious units are crawling back to Aachen.

T23 : Craftsmanship is in. Agoge, Discipline and Urban planning for the German people. from now on, you can assume Aachen is pumping out builders, warriors or possibly archers unless otherwise mentioned. I think initial build order was slinger builder monument builder warrior warrior builder

T28 : a French scout appear on our south border ! Of course, Germany immediately declare war.
The slight issue is that this scout is right next to my second builder, who was meant to chop the jungle this turn to accelerate the third builder and clear the place for an encampment as bronze working is just in. I just bought the damn tile ! I guess I should have covered him with a warrior.
I either butcher my micro or lose my builder with 1 remaining build charges (he chopped a forest already). I decided to keep the original plan, and I will try to get my builder back my whacking French peoples with clubs later.
Also on T28, I spotted some 4 food tiles in the east, which seems to indicate Mount Kilimanjaro is there. Also double Iron at Aachen ! the jungle hill wuth 3 adjacent resources is looking great for a hansa.

T29 : As we feared, the French scout captured the builder. Mount Kilimanjaro confirmed in the east. Trying to corner the French with my (healed) slinger and a warrior. I spot the French borders in the south. Archery in 5 turns, should be able to complete state workforce by actually building an early district (encampment) for once !

T33 : Encampment done, State workforce is in, and conscription immediately replaces discipline as I was starting to pay maintenance for archers. Feels neat. Maybe I should build early districts more often ?

T35 : I finally free my builder after a wild chase. Also, we got closer to France with our units, and we met Philip and declared war.

T39 : 2 of our warriors are closing in on Bordeaux, which is str 10, without walls, and contains a settler as an additional prize. Our freed builder and his slinger escort came back taking a scenic route north of the river. Nice resources there. I'm now building archers, I want to avoid building too many warriors as I'd like to buy my way to the horse tile and get some horsemen for melee.
Kilimanjaro explorer warrior is still exploring east.

T48 : the east explorer found and liberated a French settler ! Kilimanjaro is MINE ! Catherine wants peace, but we'll have none of it.

T51 : Berlin is founded on the river slightly east of Mount Kilimanjaro, netting us a sixth citizen and early empire inspiration as well :-). Military tradition and horseback riding are almost in for Horsemen goodness.
I don't quite remember what happened in the south (no screenshots), but I now have 6 archers converging toward Bordeaux, I'm 30/60 points to the first great general and Aachen is actually in military training to speed it up while I wait for the tech to get horsemen.
Hojo Tokumune us met in the east, and promptly declared our enemy.

T55 : I think I lost an archer during the fierce firefight for Bordeaux. I'm definitely closing in and getting enemy units killed though, the south front is looking good.

T59 : I finally meet a third city state, Stockholm (met Geneva a while back next to Berlin). I was starting to fear I wouldn't get the inspiration for political philosophy (which would have been quite painful). Also, closing in on Bordeaux we liberate another French settler (the one that was previously sitting in the city). Hanibal Barca is empowering our troops, and our archers have wiped the French units. Aachen is producing horsemen, and it looks like France will one day be south Germany.

T61 : our exploring warriors find a barbarian settler in the east ! closing in on this interesting prospect, we stumble upon Pedro II... Which immediately adds another war to Germany's great todo list.

T62 : After turns of bombardment at 10 city str, Bordeaux immediately falls to our first horseman. First city conquest : super late ! T62 !
I pretty much decided to let that go when I focused on a "efficient" start with multiple builders, focus on eurekas/inspiration and an early great general. Also Lisbon didn't enthuse me very much.

T64 : Political Philosophy !
We are oligarch of course, with conscription, Manoeuvre (+50% mounted units), urban planning and agoge, plus quite irrelevantly Charismatic leader as well.

T67 : our troops are closing in on Paris, led by Hannibal. Trier has been founded on the same river as Berlin and Paris wuth the second French captured Settler.

T68 : Captured the barbarian settler (I think I hear them speaking Portuguese, might be French tho) with a horseman.

T69 : fighting Brazilians and Swissmen in the east, stealing French builders and raining arrows on Paris in the south.

T71 : in Aachen, I bought and chop the hill jungle for my hansa, and buy one more tile for an adjacent commercial hub on the river.

T73 : Paris was under siege for a few turns finally fell to horsemen. Rennes is the last French city. they got a war chariot, which makes the city significantly stronger.
High yeld tiles in the south are indicators of a natural wonder there.

T75 : find Preslav in the south. Closing in on Rennes...

T79 : Rennes is ours, the French are no more. First eliminated major civ : France on t79. I now have 6 cities and a settler (captured from barbs), never built a settler yet.




ADDED on 06SEP2017 :

T84 : I finally accumulated 25 faith, from the holy site I captured with Rennes. The German will organise their beliefs through oral tradition : Additional culture from various plantation, most importantly bananas that are fairly common specially in South Germany.
Also, a look at the great people screen forces me to admit that I should have paid more attention if I wanted the second Great General as well : Japan has a sizeable advance and will inevitably get the next one.

T85 : The forces that stormed France (my combatant are mostly horsemen and archers)are laying siege on Preslav, the city will fall next turn.

T86 : Preslav is German. All Units are turning eastward toward our next conquests

T88 : Met Gilgamesh, coming from the west. Changed of policies : I let go of Agoge (military production will focus on horsemen) to grab caravansaries, with my poor two trade routes, as commercial hubs are only starting to come online. I bought quite a few tiles, will probably buy more, and I need money.

T90 : my southern army vanguard (i.e.: not the archers) are closing in on Brasilia. The Brazilian army -5 chariots that I can see- is mostly harassing Berlin in the north (waiting for the screenshots, Berlin is the city I founded with a liberated French Settler near Mt Kilimanjaro).
We lost a horseman on that front. I don't remember the exact circumstances, but of course I tried to avoid losing units as much as possible and losing unit was a rare event, so I made a screenshot.

T91 : Defensive tactics is in. I will spend a few turns with Limes and Ilkum instead of Manoeuver and Caravansaries : Feudalism is incoming and I want to "almost finish" a few builder with the 30% bonus, before completing the builds with serfdom after feudalism for additional builder charges. I also want walls to get the engineering eureka and additional protection in Berlin, where we're defending against hordes of Chariots) and Aachen for Good measure.

T92 : After wandering for a few centuries, the Settler I took from barbarian finally founds Cologne in the north (in the floodplains east of Lisbon). Kandy is in between suzerain and forcedly declares peace on me. I'll try to remember to redeclare in 9 turns (this is the number the GUI is showing me).

T94 : despite its walls, Brasilia with only 22str is no match for Horsemen with a General and their 41 strength. The wall is destroyed and the city damaged and under siege. Damaged horsemen heal themselves by sacking Brazilian farms.

T96 : We have discovered Feudalism ! we switch back limes for Manoeuver, and replace Ilkum with Serfdom. Urban planning has probably be one of our policies for millennia on end.

T97 : Probably captured Brazilia in T95 or T96 : no screenshot but the city is German and almost fully healed up already. A barbarian camp in the desert bordering the west of Brazil is slowing out incoming archers who have to delay to take it out. Belem (North west of Rio) and Rio are my next targets.
While I wait for my archers and some more reinforcement to arrive, horsemen pillage Brazil land and caravans for profit.

Promoting horsemen to the promotion making pillage a 1 AP cost action is incredibly strong in many cases. Just don't pillage district as it will take ages to repair once you capture the city.

T100 : barb camp has been cleaned up. Still harassing Brazil. Machinery and Mercenaries incoming, for crossbow upgrades of my well promoted archers (almost 4 promos already, which is the tipping point when the suddenly double both their damage output and their XP gains). I have the 4 trade route capacity for the Medieval faires inspiration, but not the 4 active trade routes yet. So T100 is not very memorable by itself, but full of promises.

T101 : my core has been pumping horsemen like crazy. I will probably finally take Lisbon (They should have built a commercial hub for us by now) before sending all units to the war in the east : Brazil and Japan. In the north, pathetic lisboan with their -7 handicap are harassing Cologne.

In the South, barbarian horsemen are harassing Preslav. They are also killing a Spanish archer that has wandered over. I have a level 3 archer in the city so there is no huge risk of losing it, but there has been lots of pillage and I will need to produce or send more units to clean up and secure the barbarian camp. Got a second market for guilds inspiration. Mercenaries is done, I immediately grab Professional army and spend all my fold on Crossbowmen upgrades. Medieval faires is next.

T104 : Rio de Janeiro is under siege and will soon falls, probably next turn. Crossbow fire is strong, and Brazilian never produced any melee unit stronger than a chariot, and Rio was only 29 str with full health : Horsemen could afford to attack, survive, then heal pillaging farm to hasten the wall destruction and put an end to retaliation.

T105 : I recruit the first Great merchant, and apparently no AI is generating even a single GM point. Marcus Licinus Crassus is worth three free tiles and 180 gold, and 3 free tiles is actually very valuable with my usual tendency to place my cities and district very greedily, often relying on buying third circle tiles. I have 3 crossbowmen and 3 horsemen who can hit Rio this turn. The city falls to us. I even have enough movement point to hit a Japanese warrior who was witnessing the assault from a jungle tile in the east.

[Ranamar]

Hosting tip: if you took screenshots with steam, you can upload them to their cloud and, if you click into the image enough times, find a direct link URL. It might be a bit of an abuse of their CDN, but they can afford it, IMO.

edit: Oh, also, wow, and I thought I'd been pretty efficient with a T101 elimination.

[timmy827]

wow, nice nonstop action!  Curious to see where your France settled as I didn't meet them for ages.

[Athmos]

Hosting tip: if you took screenshots with steam, you can upload them to their cloud and, if you click into the image enough times, find a direct link URL.  It might be a bit of an abuse of their CDN, but they can afford it, IMO.

edit: Oh, also, wow, and I thought I'd been pretty efficient with a T101 elimination.

Thanks !


I must mention that I decided to forsake an early first city capture (which would have had to target a city state, probably Lisbon) to target an earlier Major civ conquest.

I updated the first post with some more reporting, I'll to complete it as soon as possible.

[Athmos]

wow, nice nonstop action!  Curious to see where your France settled as I didn't meet them for ages.

You will have to wait for screenshots for details, but Bordeaux was their northenmost city, north by northwest of Paris, planted without fresh water, adjacent to the 2 deers and the truffles