[SPOILERS] Suboptimal's Arabian Adventure

[suboptimal]

Turn 80

Before even checking for the save I knew that England had found the good bowl of Ramen. PYDT's turn notification was followed by a second email stating “Kaiser has been eliminated”. I now know where all of the king's men went after Glenfarclas fell.

Open the save and also see the notification that Hattusa has fallen to Bacchus, as expected. An American horseman shows up south of the conquered city-state. Closer to home, there are no troop movements in my neck of the woods and Operation Baldrick continues on schedule. Having run the numbers as long as the Encampment in the former Kumasi does not complete before Ichabod's Turn 83 I'll still have the opportunity for a Great General steal on Turn 85.

Warrior continues moving around Stockholm and the scout moves further east and finds a route through.

[suboptimal]

Turn 81

While waiting for the Teddy Roosevelt intro to complete I note that it’s now in the medieval age.  I’m also pleasantly surprised when this happens:



I had forgotten about the eureka because I rarely build them in SP games.  Unfortunately growth is in 29 turns.  And oh look, a missionary from Bacchus.  The GGP margin remains at 15.  First heavy chariot is due next turn at Tomatin.  I’ll also earn an envoy on Turn 83 which will go into Preslav for the unit production bonus in Tomatin.  That might make getting a settler out quite a bit easier...

In looking at Glenkinchie I can choose to work the deer tile and complete a chariot in 5 turns or work the tile west of it for 2 less , increasing the build time to 7 turns but cutting my growth time to 15 turns.  I opt to build the first chariot at the faster rate and then re-evaluate based upon any military movement around me.

In the east the scout has found a way through and is now moving deeper into neutral territory north of India’s lands.  I’ll head south shortly to further check out Bacchus’ cities.  The warrior in the west moves next to the quarry and finds the city-state’s spearman on the north side of the river.

[suboptimal]

Turn 82

And we’re back up and running! Open the turn, no notifications. First chariot is completed in Tomatin and remains there for the time being. I start another one. Scout in the east continues its push. In looking at the city-states list I’ve met 7/10, though one has since been captured. One is probably somewhere in Ichabod’s neck of the woods and the other two are probably in this direction. Nothing picture worthy yet. Out west the warrior continues to heal and Stockholm rebuilds my pillaging. I’ll be able to redeclare war in 5 turns to resume pillaging there.

In the GGP race I remain 15 points behind. That plan continues according to the schedule.

[suboptimal]

Turn 83

I haz a LOC_DIPLOMACY_MAKE_DEAL_NOTIFICATION_MESSAGE_INSPECT waiting for me!



And there’s an envoy to place.  Let’s see who’s come calling…

(forgot to take a screenshot)

It’s Ichabod offering me peace and silks for straight up silks. I take it even though it’ll relieve some war weariness across his empire.  This should get rid of the last of my war weariness and let me focus on getting back on my feet for a bit.  Despite peace, the plan still remains to grab Boudica and to build out what military I can.   Zanzibar looks like an easy target for what I’m capable of building though given the envoys there I think that’d put me on the wrong side of everyone’s fence (they all have 3-4 envoys there).  

Speaking of envoys, I put my one envoy into Geneva to make up for the envoy and science I lost at Hattusa.  

Out in the east I move the scout onto a hilltop for a better view around.  I meet Brussels and am only the second civ to do so (Bacchus being the first).  Their quest?  You might not believe this:




With peace back over the land for the time being I need to sort out getting what military I can.  If I can get to Zanzibar with 3-4 chariots and Boudica before it builds walls I should be able to take that city.  I’m a bit concerned that the city is only at size 3 but it’s a city and I’ve only got two.  After that I need to evaluate whether or not I’d be able to get a builder and a settler out to the northwest coast or stay closer to home and put one north of Jerusalem.  Unless I can get more powerful units built (like crossbows, at a minimum) taking Jerusalem would be a very tall order.  La Venta, on the other hand, would be a good score but I’d be pretty close to Ichabod’s territory. 

One last look around and I see that over at Stockholm they harvested the stone.



There goes that source of culture.  They do have a library up now, though, so that’ll help the science rate.

[suboptimal]

Turn 84

Open the save to see notifications that Zanzibar has made peace with Ichabod and Geneva. Rowain put a fourth envoy into the city-state, removing Bacchus’ suzerainty. Chariot in Tomatin done next turn, Glenkinchie the turn after that. Depending on how the rounding works I might be able to steal Boudica next turn. The cost would be 370 and I’d have...369.7. Have to see if I can get an extra 0.3 this turn. Hmmm….not gonna happen.

Scout turns north then northwest and I see American borders in the fog. Time to scout out what’s around up here.

[suboptimal]

Turn 85

Open the save, chariot completes, Tomatin starts another one. Faith is at 369.7. Ichabod hasn’t recruited the Great General and I’ll be able to do so next turn. In the east the scout approaches the American borders. I can’t see the city center but the tooltip tells me that the city is named Ohio. In the west the warrior is almost healed, it’s two turns until I can declare on Stockholm for some and no one is the suzerain.

[suboptimal]

Turn 86



Why hello, Boudica.  Welcome to the Arabian...erm...empire(?).   Boudica has no movement points but there is something VERY interesting going on with the UI.  Typically when you select a Great Person it highlights all available hexes where their retirement ability can be activated.  Check this out:



It’s like she’s a fricken’ barbarian radar or something.  Boudica is not just going to be a “spite Ichabod” - she has her uses.  With the peace with Ichabod I figure I can run 4 or 5 chariots up to Zanzibar and take it in quickly.  Hopefully in that time America or England decide to keep the peace.  Ichabod won’t see a Great General for another 20 turns or so….

I also get an envoy in Brussels for recruiting a Great General.  Turn 87 at Ichabod’s computer could be an interesting Kodak Moment. 

I bring the just-completed chariot from Glenkinchie to Tomatin.  Glenkinchie stops chariot building to get a monument in place.  

In the west the warrior patiently waits for next turn.  In the east the scout continues its wanderings.

[suboptimal]

Turn 87

Looks like Rowain is going to coming to take his turn at attacking.  He’s bringing a battering ram to boot.



This will probably be a quick one – he’s got +5 combat strength against both of my cities.  One thing I can do is to move Boudica over to Glenkinchie to try to negate that advantage.  I bring a heavy chariot back over to Glenkinchie and reposition one onto flat ground at Tomatin.  The only way to hold off this attack is going to be to kill whatever unit is guarding the battering ram and taking it out.  However I expect the walls to be gone in short order – two hits from horsemen with the ram will take them down and then it doesn’t matter.  Moving the swordsman out slows down the battering ram but makes that unit a sitting duck, so I’d rather keep that in the city.  

Out in the east I find New York with the scout.  Of course, now it’s parked right next to an archer.  

Not one to give up yet I declare war on Stockholm and move onto the Campus with the warrior next turn.  

Making it to Turn 90 is doable.  Turn 95, not so much.

[Ituralde]

Hang in there!

[suboptimal]

Hang in there!

I won't be able to put up much of a fight, but I'm going to do what I can.  Realistically, though, unless Bacchus declares on America and puts some units at Ohio to force a pullback Rowain is probably looking at owning Glenkinchie in 2 turns and Tomatin 4-5 after that.