[spoilers] Delving greedily and deeply into Erebus

[Mr. Cairo]

2-part report as the turn came back around faster than I had anticipated.

Turn 129:
First of all, can someone tell me what causes Fire damage from 2 tiles away:


I can't figure it out. I guess Auro will tell me when the game ends but it's really bugging me.

On to the war, here's the situation in the Southern Front:


He burned one city, and will get another next turn. I pulled out my units, but I put 3 Golems on a hill to try and bait some if his units closer. My only advantage is numbers, his are all very experienced so every one I kill is a significant victory. Of course he probably has more coming from his cities, but whatevs.

I also need to look up to my North, as Auro is ripping through DaveV very quickly:




Turn 130:
Blight + Stephanos arrived, and, I shouldn't be all that surprised tbh, Stephanos spawned right next to me. Or rather, right next to my army  Of course, not being alive, my Golems are unaffected by the Death damage Blight deals.


I was able to deal the final blow with Barnaxus, giving him a lot of XP, enough for Combat 4, which equals +40% strength on all my Golems, so this was actually quite lucky. unfortunately it takes time for the effect to occur, I'll be able to promote him next turn, and the turn after that the Golems will get Empower 4.

However, Auro didn't take the bait of those three golems and instead consolidated his army:


I withdrew my living units into my cap to heal, and pulled my golems back. this army I've noticed is rather lgiht on the mages, so I don't have to worry about maelstrom. I think he going to try and move through Hyborem's land to get to my capital. If he does, I'll have a trick up my sleeve, since I can get OB with Hyborem by declaring war on Dave. Hopefully, Auro isn't thinking of SP right now and wont remember that the ai will always sign OB with mutual enemies. 

I was right about neding to worry about the north, as this army appeared:



This one has Mages but no Ritualists, so maelstrom is a concern, but it also can't heal the Blight damage, and without Moe or Rosier it's a bit more squishy. I may have to sacrifice a city but I hope that he commits a bit too deep and I can swarm with Golems to kill it.

EOT I hit one million soldiers:

For whatever it's worth.

[Mr. Cairo]

Northern Front:


This is just a waiting game, his units aren't as hard-hitting as in the south, so I'm not completely panicking.

Southern Front:


It looks as though he is going to try anbd swing around through Hyborem's land. I really hope he goes all the way and ends up on the workshop tile. Hopefully, if he does I'll be able to kill that stack. And with the Crown of Command I might even steal a few choice units

Hyborem isn't going to be bought into war against me, I don't think:


Especially with that army heading off to presumably fight Dave.

Blight is now killing a pop/turn in most of my cities. The funny thing it, since starvation only kills one pop/turn, there's no point in working food tiles until I can completely stop the starvation, so my production isn't yet being effected.


Hopefully I'll be able to finish IW with the bulb in 2 turns and immediately start on the Iron Golems.

[Mr. Cairo]

Hyborem isn't going to be bought into war against me, I don't think

Wrong:


I thought the whole "too busy right now" thing applied to all players, but apparently not. I'm pretty sure they were bought in, unless it was a scripted declaration.

I suffered a surprise attack, so now I'm going to lose some more cities and have another front to deal with:


I have no idea why this didn't occur to me, for some reason I thought he didn't have any access to this sea, but he does, and now I'm going to lose some cities, one of which was a very good one with a Forge.

Speaking of, all my talk about Iron Golems and my only source of Iron is now out of my territory. I'm going to have to build the Mines of Whatever wonder that gives 3 Iron now 

On the Northern front things are quieter as Auro goes to kill Dave's city up there:



By my cap, Auro moved into Hyrborem's city:


He can attack my capital from there, as well as move North-West towards those cities. I had to move my units around to try and cover every eventuality and ended up with this:


The number of hitters I got from assuming that the galley has 4 units in it hiding. Better to assume the worst. I also decided for Walls in the cap instead of another unit, just for that nice bonus.
Is he going to go for my cap? I hope so, but I'm not betting on it. Either way I have to make sure that I can defend against whatever he does.

So once I lose those cities to the West, I think we're going to end up in a bit of stalemate, where he can't commit his fores without being wiped out by a counterattack, but I can't attack back because of his superior mobility. Maybe Hyborem will attack me all out and break things wide open? I doubt it, since that main stack of his is still going away from me, and the ai doesn't usually change the orders it gives stacks like that. Maybe if the city it's targeted at is destroyed it'll come after me.

My army (before eot):