[SPOILERS] yuris125, pitboss 76

[yuris125]

Quick question, does Optics obsolete either galleys or triremes?

[Krill]

No.

[yuris125]

Thanks! thought as much, but sad about no prebuilding

[yuris125]

Thoth managed to get walls in Golem (don't think it was hard, as I connected stone for him), so no retaking it easily any more. He also has a fleet of galleys using viking power to ferry defenders around (don't know exactly how many units he has on them, but I'm confident there's at least a couple longbows)




He also finished Machinery and has access to crossbows, although I haven't seen any in the field yet

I'm going to try to disrupt his supply lines with caravels. Retaking at least one of the cities is crucial, as I lost both sources of horses, and retaking Golem will be easier, it's on flatland and harder to defend

Optics due in 3 turns (had to spend this turn on gold after dumping 125g into upgrading one of the archers to a crossbow)

I also need to find a way to squeeze out a settler and settle 3S of Engineer, for another build queue if nothing else. Being unable to retake cities quickly means I'm falling too far behind to have a comeback chance

[yuris125]

Optics done. First caravel is out, and I started picking off Thoth's ships here and there

I'm considering skipping Feudalism and Guilds for the moment, and instead going for the Paper - Education - Gunpowder route. I'm still assuming I will get at least one of the horses back, but until I do, Guilds doesn't have much for me

Do need to pick up Engineering first though - even if I don't build knights, others certainly will

Also, the city 3S of Engineer is a dumb idea, city itself I could probably hold, but its only food source would be the wet rice, improving which would be a pain, at least unless I retake Streamer. So instead I'll just settle another city on the northern coast for now, it can share some cottages with Farmer and help research while the core is whipping units into oblivion

[yuris125]

So what I'm trying to figure out now is - how do I land a stack next to Golem. Thoth has two galleys in the city, and I'm pretty sure there are units on them, but not sure what they are




I probably need 3 galleys to land 6 units at a time - a mix of catapults, maces, and war elephants to defend against crossbows. With two galleys and only landing 4 units, there's too much of a danger of Thoth having enough to wipe the stack - depending on what's on those galleys

[yuris125]

Thoth is utilising to great effect guerilla 2 and woodsman 2 units. Something I never learned to do properly. Probably because I wait to build units too long, and then I need them combat-ready, and not for scouting. But they're shining here for Thoth, I don't have a good way of clearing a guerilla 2 crossbow in the middle of my land

[yuris125]

Well, looks like Thoth took Engineer (didn't check in-game yet, but just looking at the score). The city was in range of combat workers + horse archers, and Thoth put two of his units on flatland last turn, including that guerilla 2 crossbow. I had a war elephant in the city, it 100% felt like a bait to force me to move it out. But I couldn't not clear those units

Losing the war elephant at 85% didn't help

[yuris125]

Ok, I feel better, I didn't have the units in the north to hold against this much stuff (city is garrisoned with two horse archers)




I do not feel better about losing this war, of course. Thoth is now looking to leave me without iron as well, and I don't see how I can stop it

(great general in Fisherman is attached to a crossbow, had to do it last turn to save the city after losing the 85% combat with war elephant)

[yuris125]

Game. You're not helping