Alhambram toast his first PBEM game with Russian vodka

[Alhambram]

Turn 171:

Completed nationalism and I made a much needed swap and note due Alhambra I gained extra military policy slot!
   
And poof, gone are amenities and gold trouble and I took The Barnstormer in one shot and renamed it into Barnstormgrad.
Next turn maybe already one shot Soarin' it depends whether Woden decides do something, he did upgrade his crouching tiger into field cannon which puzzled me a bit since he should have low treasury.
A glance upon both oledavy's and Woden's diplomatic pages reveals that they have been trading, likely a gold gift to allow Woden upgrade his army a bit more.

With nationalism completed, I gained alibity to form corps and I formed 3 knights and 3 Cossack corps. Cossack corp has base strength of 77, which means with Great General and in my lands 87 strength!
Suddenly Woden's city strength including with infantry don't look a huge obstacle anymore. I don't form all Cossack into corps, I like the flexibility of many units running around, so I shall stop forming corps for now. 
I also got inspiration of mobilization civic this way (form 3 corps) and I start researching Opera and Ballet, due in 4 turns and I desire Bolshoi Theater wonder, for music slot and 2 free civics. I shall harvest useless cow pasture next St. Petersburg and build Bolshoi Theater there. Currently St. Petersburg is building aqueduct due in 4 turns and with it I hope that St. Petersburg can grow to 15 population to trigger inspiration for urbanization.  

oledavy advanced to modern age, which likely means that he got infantry now. More problematic is that he finished a civic this turn, I checked it upon scoreboard. I fear that he got nationalism and can form infantry corps. It is going be dicey if oledavy decides to throw infantry corps against Abydosgrad or Helicegrad. My Great General is all way to north, so I need to rely upon Cossack corps which I do have one nearby Helicegrad.

I got a lot cultural artists lined up and I am building theater and amphitheater (and art gallery after that), but slots for my musician who is limited and I need to wait for Bolshoi Theater. Well that is what I thought and I just happened to check page of Great Works and saw something that I did overlook earlier:
   
Notice that Pirategrad got 2 slot for any Great Work in bank? How is that possible? I then remembered something and checked, yes. Woden got Great Merchant Giovanni de' Medici and Woden used its alibity at commerical district of his former city of Pirates. Giovanni de' Medici  didn't only have ability to instantly finish a market and bank in a commercial district but also gives bank 2 Great Work slots. Well I got Great Musican with 2 charges waiting and I sent it to Pirategrad this turn and next turn he shall complete his first Great Work. It seems that I am going have some culture/tourism explosion soon!

Meanwhile Singaboy positioned his bombard that it can strike Hattusa next turn, next turn declaration of war by Singaboy against Hattusa?
   

Empire overview:
   
   

[Alhambram]

Turn 172:

One shot Soarin' and renamed it into Soaringrad, next turn Magic Carpet shall be one shot. Just unbelievable that I am going grab 7 cities in 13 turns, less than 2 cities per turn, purely insanity.
   
I noticed a barb camp and my Cossack scouted it to find barb field cannon, better get rid of it next turn before it causes more trouble. Also while scouting lands around Magic Carpet I found Woden's wandering double promoted horseman and killed it.

But I still find it difficult to believe that I took cities from Woden with relative ease, he is 6 tech ahead me.
   
But final 5 cities are going be tough: walls and infantries.

My Great Musician produced a Great Work in Pirategrad, culture gain is low however due occupation, but tourism it isn't lowered. (4 culture, 4 tourism per turn normally).
Further no real news, my builder harvested cow tile at St. Petersburg bringing it to 14 population and housing problem which shall be solved with aqueduct, then it is going to 15 population, I still have many unused farm tiles northeast of St. Petersburg since I put basically everthing upon production.

Empire overview:
   
   

[Alhambram]

Turn 173:

Woden managed to put up walls in Magic Carpets in nick of time. Past turns my Cossacks simply rushed city after city without walls which resulted into my siege units not keeping up with pace.
Now attack on Magic Carpets is delayed by 2 turns due lack of my siege units and I consider this my mistake. I should have noticed that Woden was building walls.
Well, to make the best of situation, my Cossacks are healing once again. I cleared barb camp with barb spearman in camp, but barb field cannon and musketman outside camp are bit too dangerous for my injured Cossacks, so I retreated Cossacks to Barnstormgrad.
   
Singaboy meanwhile reached industrial age and upgraded his crossbowman into field cannons, but it would be still difficult to deal with oledavy if he decide to invade with his army. 
oledavy is building oxford university, I don't think that I can beat him, but I shall build Bolshoi theater. I did put another Great Work from Musician in Pirategrad's bank, my tourism rate is increasing steadily. 
Next turn amphitheater is finished and I shall put two Great Works from two writers. With this I should pass oledavy in culture per turn, even when roughly 1/3 of my empire is currently occupied.

Empire overview:
   
   

[Jabah]

Any news from Woden's navy that was threatening your seas ?

[Alhambram]

Any news from Woden's navy that was threatening your seas ?

Ah yes, Woden's navy is continuing pillaging my fishing boats, but only ones that are 3 tiles away from city thus 1 tile out range of my city garrison.
I can't do anything against it, I lack tech to build better ships, best what I can build right now is classical navy.

Maybe Woden built them first to put his Great Admiral at good use and possibly to support future siege of Fishygrad and Rostov. But now his frigates are only to pillaging fishing tiles since that is all what they can do.

Navy is almost not used by players here, I basically ruled seas with 2 galleys (later one due killed by barb crossbowman) till turn 165 when I noticed Woden's frigates for first time.
But I did put galleys at good use, firstly it was request from Zanzibar to build 2 galleys for triggering eureka for shipbuilding, so free envoy from it (in long term I could kick Woden out Zanzibar with accumulated envoy's resulting in my capture of Zanzibar). Secondly by scouting them each other direction I got good idea about map, locations and intentions of other players and met other city states in east fairly faster. Thirdly by scouting sea between Vilnius and Helice I came up with idea to invade TheArchduke over sea which led in faster downfall of TheArchduke. Finally I used galley to block Abydos and Zacynthus to prevent cities healing over time and thus making my conquest of those two cities easier, not too shabby career of my galley which is hiding in Sushigrad now to avoid contact with Woden's frigates. 

Well, I am looking forward to PBEM 4 where navy is going be very important I think.

Meanwhile I didn't mention at my turn report, but I am considering to attempt take Space Mountain next turn since I am bit impatient due not taking Magic Carpets at turn 173.

[Alhambram]

Turn 174:

As I said, I couldn't bottle up my impatience and decided to attack Space Mountain, maybe not clever without Great General but city shall fall next turn and Magic Carpets shall fall next turn too, so 2 cities next turn and then 4 cities of Woden shall remain. oledavy is currently running 4 Great Prophet points with 100 left of 120.
   
One of reasons that I already managed to put city in red health bar is that tile west of Space Mountain is adjacent tile to my borders, thus my Cossack get +5 bonus upon that tile and all of my Cossack attacked Space Mountain from that tile. But I am going suffer losses and if Woden is clever, he remove infantry outside city to kill one of my units and I need to have it killed by my Cossacks which is more work. In case that Woden kill battering ram, no worries I got replacement battering ram in Zanzibar in case. 

Singaboy meanwhile declared war at Hattusa and bombarded it. But he need to be war with oledavy to get city, oledavy already set up his army to intervene. 
Singaboy did his homework and asked me for amenities that is needed for war:
   
Well, since I am overflowing with amenities and Singaboy likely needs gold for upgrades or not go in bankrupt with so many units running around over there, I accepted to make more difficult for oledavy.
Also notice toy resource among amenities? I got John Spilsbury (Great Merchant) and that should solve a possible amenities trouble when my units around Space Mountain gets killed next turn.

I also finished amphitheater and put 2 Great Works from Great Writers in it and my culture boosted greatly, surpassing oledavy at culture per turn.
Next turn next civic swap, I am starting get worried whether I can conquer Woden fast enough, so I shall need to put policies which maximize my war effort next turns.

I am starting impatient since I got feeling that I really am close to victory. After next turn 4 cities left, worst what can happen is Woden getting civic engineering, that would be total disaster for me.

Empire overview:
   
   

[Alhambram]

Turn 175:

completed nationalism and did policy swap for max aggression!
   
I sacrificed culture (meritocracy) and amenities (retainers) for 2 military policy slot: National Identity so my army shall continue fighting even injured and Wars of Religion against Woden means 4 strength extra for all of my units. I took Magic Carpets and Space Mountain with ease (bit surprised that Woden didn't attack my heavily injured units, maybe he wants this be over). And my army is on route to take Thunder Mountain, while Great General army shall siege Splash Mountain at turn 177. Woden yet has to grab civil engineering, so I still have chance. 
   

Meanwhile it seems that Woden sent some missionaries to oledavy's lands and start converting his cities with result that less than half of oledavy's cities are following Weedy Movement. I hope that Mt Vernon and Georgetown shall be converted to Weedy Movement by pressure soon. And I purchased apostle and I can do sneak converting Theodosia after some turns.

I started Bolshoi theater in St. Petersburg, it is taking a while due lack of wonder boosting policy card and amenities trouble now since I go max aggression now.

Empire overview:
   
   

[Alhambram]

Turn 176:

Previous turn I purchased a apostle for Theodosia and checked its promotions and....Proselytizer is among choices!  I selected it!
   
This changes my strategy a bit: capture Thunder, Dwarfs and Splash and same time convert Small World.
Also I hope upon good dice roll for both Georgetown and Mt Vernon in upcoming turns and I purchased a missionary for Theodosia this turn (I had to buy shrine in Zanzibar with gold since Zanzibar is closest Theodosia).

If all things goes perfectly and I mean really perfectly: oledavy don't found religion fast (he already used holy site project once boosting Prophet points greatly), Woden don't get civil engineering and Weedy Movement don't lose more cities in oledavy's land and one of Mt Vernon or Georgetown got converted automatically, I shall win at turn 179 or 180. 

Next turn Thunder and Splash shall fall provided Woden don't get civil engineering next turn. And does infantry have a chance against Cossacks? not at all!
   
   
Infantry gets simply slaughtered by my Cossacks Corps!

Next turns are going be very nail biting turns!
   

[Alhambram]

Turn 177:

Woden still no civil engineering, so Thunder fell (forgot to change name! ) and a little surprise for me: Woden's inquisitor was hiding in Thunder and was killed along when Thunder fell.
This resulted in negative spread for Norse Mythology which affected nearby oledavy's city Angelia. The result: Weedy Movement is majority there again and oledavy is again converted to Weedy Movement!

That is what I need to keep in mind when attempting converting Small World and Theodosia soon. oledavy already placed infantry corps to seemingly block route for missionary. I know that majority of oledavy's army is all way over in east to fight against Singaboy soon.

Well with all of 3 things that I hoped previous turn: no civil engineering, oledavy didn't found religion and oledavy again converted happened this turn! After taking Thunder I planned to attack Splash Mountain, but annoying scout was in way of battering ram (it disrupted my planned route for battering ram with zone of control). 
   
So I sent Cossack to kill scout upon hill and I discovered something! 
   
Woden's domination score already indicated that he still have small army left somewhere and I found it. That army would be nuisance when I attempt to take either Dwarfs or Splash, so instead attacking Splash I initiated battle against Woden's army and it ended into my victory with all enemy units killed and none at my side.
   
Notice Weedy Movement presence in Angelica.

Next turn both armies at north and south shall attack Dwarfs next turn, without civil engineering next turn it shall fall in 1 shot, otherwise it become a problematic and I might also converting Splash instead attempting to take it. Currently it becomes harder for me to take cities already, it might seem easy but actually Cossack only is already insufficient to take cities, I need Cossack Corps, Great General, adjacent tile bonus, flanking bonus. Dwarfs would not be problem since two mountain tile under my control is adjacent to two tiles south of city. Splash is problematic, so I harvested copper and purchased a tile and result: two tiles south of Splash is also adjacent my Russian lands now. I shall use those tiles extensively, without them I can't take cities.

Empire overview:
   
   
(notice purchased tile south of Splash?)

[Alhambram]

It was been a while when I summed up kills and losses.

Total kills this war: 10 musketman (8 promoted), 4 crossbowman, 2 bombards, 6 field cannons, 1 crouching tiger, 4 infantry, 4 horseman, 1 battering ram, 2 builders, 1 inquisitor, 1 archer, 9 cities including capital.
Total losses against Woden: 1 musketman
Total losses against oledavy: 1 scout, 1 city

As you can see, total one sided war. I really didn't except that!
This is main reason why I don't have amenities trouble despite warring hard past 17 turns.