[Spoilers] It's time to play the music

[Old Harry]

Turn 104

Yay! Animal is pretty much the best place for this spread too .


Last turn before war can be declared. OT4E logged in before I did so I waited, but he logged out without ending turn. I needed to play tonight as I'm not going to get a lot of chances to play tomorrow. I'm not planning to declare war next turn, but if he does then I guess he can go first or second, depending on when he moved the relevant units. Rocky Bank got Hinduism this turn so I revised the border pop estimate. There are five axes, a sword and three spears hanging around.


We'll found another city next turn on the plains hill W of the cow. Two Vultures will defend it from t106, but that may not be enough if OT4E sends his whole force this way - although if he does send enough power to make a breakthrough that leaves his cities dangerously underdefended. Note the overuse of roads. I need to break that habit somehow .


Fulfilling our obligation for the map trade screw-up. It might worry REM a little...


So I offered a gold-sliver trade - he should get hold of another fairly soon, so he might even accept this now.


A couple of other notes - we could settle on this island if we don't mind orphaning a fish.


I whipped two Zigs in so I'll be interested in this screen next turn.

[Old Harry]

Turn 105

Mackoti found us. He's either to the east or west of OT4E. I forgot to check his relations with the others. In other news REM got the Hanging Gardens and OT4E can attack if he wants (I don't think he will).


Mack has the same number of cities as us. He also has the Great Lighthouse so must remember not to open borders with him. Any guesses on the naming scheme?


Anyway the two Zigs save us ten gpt.


Then we settle the cow/stone city. I think a road SW of the city allows us to keep a response force to protect both border cities if we don't take the cities off OT4E.


It costs us another seven gpt, but makes seven bpt, so that's fine!


I fiddled a bunch of wealth builds to get Construction in this turn so that we can start building catapults.

[wetbandit]

I cheated on the mack naming scheme and googled it. I'm not hip to know what all you kids are playing/reading/consuming/whatever now.

Death to Pindi, OT4E, etc.

Interesting we have a route to 2MN but not Mack.

Commodtay island seems important, but if we end up eating a good chunk of OT4E, then we have enough ports. To that end, looking forward to

[Haram]

I'll globaly lurk from now on.

[NobleHelium]

Solmyr and Lord Hart are Heroes of Might and Magic characters. I don't recognize the others though, and usual suspects like Sandro and Catherine are missing.

Also, Gaspar and I are offended that we got such shitty cities named after us. (I guess they're not bad in the context of the map.)

[Old Harry]

Turn 106

Mackoti was after OBs but I cleverly remembered what I said last turn and didn't accept. He's known OT4E for ages and only just met REM, but knows no-one else. That means he's probably to the SW and REM's work boat found him.


So do we send this WB south to try and meet 2metra?


We've got a bunch of cat builds going - Gonzo is just building a Market to allow it to grow onto more Moai coast, then it'll help out too, but it'll be at least ten turns before we can attack. Iron working is in three turns, so Swords will follow the cats.


I thought about attacking Jungle Juggler but just in time I remembered that Scouts defend too, so just pillaged the road on the horse instead. What should we do with this chariot/Vulture pair once we remove the final bit of road? Send them back SE to do some more pillaging and come back and threaten when we actually attack or place them so that the upcoming border pops teleport them back to Statler?

Interesting we have a route to 2MN but not Mack.

Commodtay island seems important, but if we end up eating a good chunk of OT4E, then we have enough ports. To that end, looking forward to

Maybe 2mn links to Com?

I think a Galley from the north coast could drop a settler off on the island just before carrying units to threaten Ainu.

I'll globaly lurk from now on.

Sinking ship?

Also, Gaspar and I are offended that we got such shitty cities named after us. (I guess they're not bad in the context of the map.)

Well Statler is going to see a lot of action in the upcoming turns... Although I think you'll have to fight Wetbandit and Ipecac for those cities - they're the ones who've been shouting from the sidelines most so far .

[ipecac]

So do we send this WB south to try and meet 2metra?

An alternative is to send it North and East around Commodore to try to find TBS +circumnavigation. If Comm knows TBS there's possibly a path through.

What should we do with this chariot/Vulture pair once we remove the final bit of road? Send them back SE to do some more pillaging and come back and threaten when we actually attack or place them so that the upcoming border pops teleport them back to Statler?

I think it's useful to keep them SE to see what reinforcements will be coming through?

I think a Galley from the north coast could drop a settler off on the island just before carrying units to threaten Ainu.

Sounds good.

Well Statler is going to see a lot of action in the upcoming turns... Although I think you'll have to fight Wetbandit and Ipecac for those cities - they're the ones who've been shouting from the sidelines most so far .

[wetbandit]

What ipecac said: Keep the guys SE for eyes on reinforcements and to harass road rebuilders.

I have been advised that I have been substandard in my primary job of keeping this thread entertaining. Why OH thinks I can accomplish this task remains puzzling and possibly indicative of poor judgment. In any event, I stake no claim to statler or waldorf, but I believe Noble is

Or at least that's what I always felt when he comments on my threads.

[Old Harry]

Turn 107

TBS uncovered a route to us. With a galley. He offered OBs and I countered asking for a measly 2gpt as we'll establish a route soon. Then I realised its a galley. An Axe or a chariot could raze Gonzo.


So I offered OBs again for free in case he turns down the first offer, then had a look at what Gonzo could produce in time to save it. I'd decided a while ago that this city needs a proper garrison and even kept a Chariot in it right up until I packed it off to explore REM . A Vulture would be a 3-pop dry-whip. So I went with the Chariot instead . I think TBS would happily take a shot at the score leader at this point in the game so this isn't needless paranoia, but I'd be interested to know what he thinks...


In other worrying naval news I missed this galley last turn (it was a late night, okay?) Kermit will whip a Vulture and a Chariot will come back from the front because we think there are Axes on board.


Researching Construction and our ongoing military builds might be a little disconcerting for OT4E.


But he has been spending hammers on settlers .


Oh and I got the border pop dates slightly wrong.

[Old Harry]

Addendum

Wetbandit convinced me I was being boring. So we're at war with OT4E again . Mostly just to scare these workers off, but partly to threaten JJ.