[Spoilers] Grotsnot massively inflates his own View count

[Banzailizard]

Well, how long do you think it will take to get there? And how much can you actually build when compared to planting a settler now and building units now.  Basically the move involves a whole lot of opportunity cost.  Then again if your new city is just eaten I suppose that does not matter much either.

[Grotsnot]

It'd take like 10-12 turns to get to a site on the far side of the Greek lands. 9 or 10 to just run due west. One weakness is going into the unknown while the far west has a known decent site.

I'm not inclined to found in my immediate area unless something dramatically turns around. Otherwise it'll just get steamrolled along with the rest of the core.

[Grotsnot]

Not a whole lot going on the past couple turns. The steamroller advances. As of my T53 Iron Working is 1 turn away but Rome has a Legion standing on my Iron. So my numerous errors that could have saved precious turns are gonna sink us.

They also have the Ram at the gates of Ooarai this turn, so that'll be fun. Walls finish next turn, naturally.

Uhh, let's see... been morning turns so I don't have screenshots uploaded and going off memory... the Refugee Party is due in 2 or 3 turns I think? Builder is in position to chop next turn assuming I don't spend all my gold on the Sword upgrade. Perhaps I was too quick to turn down Arabia's offer...

The Run Away odds were slim to begin with but without Iron it drops down to Nearly Certain Doom.

Oh yeah, Russia has a unit scampering around somewhere that made contact but was back out of sight by my turn. They've met me, Rome, and England. As we already knew, they have a DoF with Rome I offer them a gift of open borders through my lands because why not. Maybe they'll be kind enough to block one of my tiles

[Grotsnot]

Sucks to suck

[Grotsnot]

(No screenies again, I'll put up a timelapse tonight or over the weekend)

Past two turns (55+56) have gone about as well as expected. Ooarai was able to crank out an Encampment in 2 turns. It's located 2 tiles south of the CC because didn't have enough money to put it on the originally planned tundra. Also gets a hill defensive bonus and a small synergy with the HS so I can say I at least used Hojo's ability a little bit 

Ooarai's Walls lasted precisely one turn but at least tanked most of the damage. I upgraded my Slinger that turn so it got in a semi-reasonable plink on a Legion. Hemmed and hawed over finishing the Encampment but ultimately decided to. It's a small gift to the Romans but if it can buy me a turn or two... well, it still won't be enough to matter but lets me feel like I'm trying

Settler was chopped in Saunders on the turn pictured above. Due to Romans running around the Kuromorimine Valley the small refugee party (Settler+Warrior, 2-charge Builder) is headed due West. Something like 5 turn minimum until we can settle in range of the Iron, 8ish? to reach the pinned spots. I'll regret the lack of freshwater if I somehow survive but it would inconvenience the Roman Devourer. Of course, this all depends on Saunders holding out long enough to get it settled at all. With my luck I'll be 1 turn shy of it.

Currently have 3 Legions surrounding Ooarai. One just promoted back up to green health. I think the city can survive the turn, but only just. Probably dead on Rome's T57. Saunders has been working on Walls but won't finish them in time (wouldn't have finished a unit in time either since I can't build Warriors or Slingers anymore).

Also somehow I'm the first Civ to make contact with everyone  Russia and England have both discovered me without my seeing where their explorers are. Greece still has not met Rome but if they're watching the scores they'll know they're up by me


Only 3 turns until Rome can start turning down what will, depending on the state of the capital, be either desperate or spitefully demanding peace offers

[Banzailizard]

I mean given how quickly he moved I am coming around to that hide behind greece plan.

[Grotsnot]

I do think it would work out better but I'm not sure there's time to pull it off. Going for the closer sites is already pushing it

Plus, if I want Iron to defend the camp with, I'd have to steal one of Greece's which would likely make them less amenable to my presence... And I don't want to restrict their own ability to stand up to Rome once the Crushinator rolls on through to their doorstep

[Grotsnot]

Ah, right, I promised some screenshots!

Top of 55


Bottom of 55



Top of 56


Bottom of 56




Stealing Ooarai's tiles to prepare for it's fall, like we did with StG's Iron:




Growth is deliberately stifled in both cities - minor downside of the tile preservation is not being able to outright starve the capital down to size 3

Current scores:





And since we've met everyone now, quick overview of the other powers (except Rome, since I can't access the deal page for another 3 turns)

[Grotsnot]

Oh right, Turn 57. Capital is doomed and damn near everyone has gathered to watch the fireworks


And Rome has a new friend! Dunno if they got a civic envoy or finished a mission - I could go back into the save and check the scores but meh not now



Archer and Encampment focus down the most injured Legion. They'll get a promotion and pop back up but the alternative was sacrifice my Warrior to  take out a Slinger so whatever. Did not get the Legion low enough that I was willing to redline my Warrior and Spearman to finish it off (yeah, it would require both full-health units to finish off a redlined baddie. Yay Oligarchy Legions). Also the city is doomed even if the two northern Legions got minimum RNG so my units flee west to maybe prop up Saunders a bit.





The rapidity of their conquest - a confluence of AlB's skill, my lack thereof, and good old Roman bullcrap - means I'm glad I went with the shorter route for my refugees, even if it means they're going to be hunted down faster too Not nearly enough time for Operation Hide Behind The Greeks to succeed. Here's a plot of their exodus:



It's the wishful thinking version of the plan. In reality I'll be lucky to reach the hills. Capital falls T57, some time repositioning, and some time stomping on Saunders. I'm hoping they pause the yellow'd Legions before storming onward but there's also that Warrior down there. City can probably only survive one round of slugging and then die the next turn, and that's assuming it's not staring down all the Legions at once. I'm hoping the timeline looks like this:
T57 - Ooarai falls
T58 - repositioning
T59 - set up siege
T60 - attack starts
T61 - Settle refugee camp, Saunders dies

Buuut with my luck they'll be in position to start the attack on  T59 and my saga of off-by-1s will continue.

[Grotsnot]

Fast turn today! Had Turn 58 before work and 59 after

T58 went as expected. Ooarai ded, sad day. Ran a quick sim to verify that the Roman units could slug a hill city without the usual movement restrictions for slugging a unit on a hill, so left the Warrior in place instead of covering the HS like I would like to



T59 has the bad news keep on coming



Ugh, so yeah, refugee party probably isn't gonna make it to the Iron in time. 1 turn away again  



Gonna try regardless of Rome's turn, though. No point plopping the city down without the Iron. Would just be gifting the Romans another city, even if it is a severely marginal location. In RNGesus's hands now I guess.