[spoilers] Commodore is strategic in Pitboss 74

[Commodore]

Traditional consolation prize: The Wonder.

[Commodore]

I, um, have too much gold. I'm only losing a little over 50gpt, so I have eleven turns of research...

...that's not only enough for Guilds in 4t, but it means that I can also effortlessly grab Construction and Engineering in time for The Knight Push. The only question is if its worth it to make a side jump to Theology; obviously if I'm going to go conquesting, Theocracy is better, but I don't know how much it's worth for non-CHM.


THE AVALONIAN EMPIRE, 1AD:

We're tiny, but at least we're pretty smart.

[Commodore]

Interesting times in the sweaty jungles of the east. Pindicator is on the move:

...after retaking his jungle city, Pin is keeping himself split, with one set going east...

...and the main party set up to absorb the Amicooter Megastack in the west:

There's room for debate about Pin's move here, but I think it's well-timed. While under normal circumstances it's a terrible idea to attack during the classic era, there are a few other considerations:
1. Pin's Super-Vultures. With the Shock Event, his vultures are just normal axes with an extra base strength, which makes them extremely cost-effective in the age before longbows/crossbows.
2. Ragnar. Amicalola has been struggling economically from the gate, but long-term Financial advantages will eventually tell, coupled with the Agg effects making a large standing army much much cheaper.
3. Me. I'm finishing Guilds this turn. My knights need to gain me land, and if there was an efficient way to split Pindicator I'd take it. He needs to deal with his north border ASAP.

Meanwhile, Plemo just launched his own (MoM-boosted) Golden Age:

The GNP edge I hold is worthless without turning it into More Land. Incoming, I'm going to evaporate about half my population in knight, crossbow, and catapult whips. Resting on GNP laurels is a slow way to die.

[Commodore]

Turn opened with diplomacy from Pin and Amicalola; Amica wants me to attack Pindicator, while Pin wants to "join me" in a "war" with "Bing" in "12 turns". Basically telling me to go somewhere else. I have no idea to absorb the bulk of a defense while Pin snaps up scraps for the whateverth time, so I told him "you DoW first", basically. Pin's conquered about as far as he's going to be able to go, I think.


The main draw for Bing-attacking is This Bloody Border. Assuming good EP redressing, I think I can take all four cities on turn 1 of a war, unless Bing really really starts whipping in the defenders.


If you want statistics, Plemo's the top (actual) population, but thanks to Creative and his reconquest of the south jungle, the top land is actually Pindicator now. The jungle is interesting strategically; it's a vast amount of green land, a game-winning amount of land, if it can be actually cleared and grown. As long as its a disputed zone, it's a festering economic hole for both parties.

This is going to hurt. There are TWENTY-FIVE cottages in my territory, most riverside, nearly half floodplains. I don't have the luxury of over-grown cities working tons of marginal coast, this is going to be a painful whipping spree. As much crossbow as knight; Bing and Pin both have very melee-heavy stacks. 

I will be finishing one more holkan before Engineering comes in...I was thwarted from making the epic Woodie III/Medic III supermedic last game, this time I'm going to at least take advantage of the UU once.

[Qgqqqqq]

You've set out the draw for attacking Bing. What's the case for Pin?

[Commodore]

You've set out the draw for attacking Bing. What's the case for Pin?

The case was there, just a little occluded:

[...]but thanks to Creative and his reconquest of the south jungle, the top land is actually Pindicator now. The jungle is interesting strategically; it's a vast amount of green land, a game-winning amount of land, if it can be actually cleared and grown. As long as its a disputed zone, it's a festering economic hole for both parties.

[Commodore]

Golden age over and whipped away 15 citizens, and yet:


I've skewed my empire too much to GNP. Ah well. Power spike is about to be epic:

[Zed-F]

Hope for your sake Bing doesn’t read writings on walls very much.

[Commodore]

Hope for your sake Bing doesn’t read writings on walls very much.

I've offered several "war with Pindicator" messages to him, but it's all been silence thus far. Pity, because I'd really rather split Pin in a three-person dogpile, but if Bing's not willing to cooperate, there's not much to be done.

[Thoth]