T MINUS 9 TURNS,....are we still only at 2 spears in Hungry? Unless I'm missing something that's really, really, really not going to cut it.
Spears! Spears! Spears! We need to plant 4-6 more in the next 9 turns and ideally in the next 4T to get full fortify bonus. I think that I'm going to have to insist on a round of spear whips (1H into the build first of course) to get us back on track.
We've opened up a big score gap between us and Grimace and caught up to Retep (or he's whipped his score away) so that should help to deflect away from us,...but we're the bottom power of MC's 3 neighbours. [noted that you've invested in military builds that haven't completed]. With a lot fewer cities than us, Grimace must be really gunning it. Presumably this is because he doesn't want to be eaten, but nevertheless warrants watching.
(May 24th, 2015, 07:36)HitAnyKey Wrote: So I only just realized last turn retep canceled the Open Borders we had. He kept it going with both Grimace & Gavagai. So this turn I sent him another request for it with offering him 3gpt for it. If he still declines, I guess I'll try a higher gpt.
Not at all surprised. I don't think that you realized what a big favour that he did. We'll have to buy his OB now if he'll even bite.
Part of the problem is that you've risen so high on the scoreboard (well relatively anyway). That, or the non-gift to Retep may have induced him to cancel borders. It's ok to give OB to a weakling, but not to a contender. And strangely for a guy that didn't know the mechanics of the whip until 10/15Ts ago you appear to have a non-zero chance at winning this game.
I might be enormously jumping the gun here. But,...Day's PB18 knights attack targetted Whosit. Whosit had been previously engaged and was depleted, and his army was out of position, and he was defending with archers vs Knights. Then Dtay hit CH,...same thing but against Zulu impi but to no material difference due to overwhelming power and mobility. Master Commodore does not have any such opponents and he could easily be headed for a decline as he gains far less from an empire-wide whip down thatn Dtay did.
If that happens, it's a much more even playing field with a reduced MC, GJ and *you* as the 3 civs with the best chance. BUT NONE OF THIS WILL MATTER IF WE DON'T REINFORCE OUR CHOKEPOINT WITH SPEARS!!!
Next, (once the 6-8 spears are in Hungry) we need to start on Phase II. Our Phase II ToDo list.
1. Score management. To have any chance of getting OB we need to play the fool here (I'm not playing :LOL
. Score is calculated from Wonders, land and tech. So:
-Favour saving gold over landing tech (unless there's an obvious benefit like COL)
-Reduce score through whips into either army or buildings
-Hold the GP but don't GA or bulb. [EDIT: If MC is carefully contemplating who to attack, well he'll note that you popped a GP and that will factor in as a deterrant. In other words, better to have a backpocket GP for GA than to bulb MC right now]
-Do not pass Retep in score.
-Obviously, we do not want score so depleted that we're more tempting than Grimace.
If we can negotiate OB make sure that the trade partner receives a gpt gift. That way cancelling OB hurts them and they're less likely to do so. Standard prisoner's dilemna,...If I'm gaining 5 gpt from you and I cancel and you turn around and land OB with someone else,...I'm strictly down 5gpt for no reason. Shop around for a good gpt price accepting that you're going to have to pay something. The people lowest on the scoreboard have less incentive to deny you than the contenders do.
The one person who's most likely to give you OB,....Master Commodore. He's unlikely to have OB with anyone else. Deal with the devil and all that. But if we can't get OB anywhere else well that's a win-win for us two relative to the rest of the world.
2. If the wratch of MC passes onto another then we start planning for our 3-city grab from Borsche. If Borsche has NOT grabbed that southern site, then we should make that a very high priority. He's taken some power dips so will be uninclined to do anything if we beat him to that location. If we have that city site a 1-mover stack will be very effective and we don't have to use 2-movers necessarily.
3. With no OB,...well the second island plant will have to take priority. We'll gain +1 cpt for every waterside city.
4. Once Borsche is removed and the southern island fully planted,...we'll it'll be time to turn our attention onto GJ's corn stealing plant. We'd want our UU and/or LBs in our Battle Island plant before we make that kind of move. Cake and eat it too.
(May 24th, 2015, 07:36)HitAnyKey Wrote: I suppose we'll bulb MC.
See above. We probably want to delay this. Thing about the GP for a later GA. Bulb if we really need Triemes to protect our island.
