[PB74 Spoilers] Dreylin Blues is on a Mission from Cod

[Dreylin]

turn 39

The first Chariot comes into view:

5turns after The Wheel before I can get Hunting; I'll have to work out the best way to get a spear out day and date, but for now I'm spamming out Warriors as fast as I can. I also have one last card to play and that's my gold reserves, which will fund an upgrade if/when needed.

[Dreylin]

They came, they saw, they conquered?

[Dreylin]

So on reflection I'm reasonably certain that I mucked up my defenses this turn; I got distracted by the possibility they could bypass Anchovy to reach Cod - when of course that doesn't really matter if I don't have Copper - and weighted my defenders in such a way that they should have access to the Copper next turn. So unless RNGeesus saves me, I think I've blundered my way out.

Inattention and lack of focus over the last few turns have made a difference - in addition to the above, I had miscalculated the research time in my spreadsheets and so my Workers were out of place to connect the Copper last turn (although I'm not 100% sure I could have accomplished that anyway). I probably also should have looked more closely for an opportunity to take out one of his advancing Warriors - even if it meant trading two of mine - to reduce the cover that they have for their Chariots. Blunting their noses may have seen off the attack (probably not).

[Dreylin]

Turn 41

Well it didn't matter, he's going around the side:

I think I thought I had a chance against 3 Chariots, but 4 is too many. The only way I can preserve access to Copper through to the end of turn would be to pile 3 Warriors onto it, which I decided was likely not worthwhile.

So instead I live with what is; finish the Road, delete the Worker (RIP Murph), and use my towering stash of Hut gold to upgrade one Warrior to an Axe:

So after that, why is there a Warrior on the Copper? Well he's a lure; if I leave the Copper empty, he likely moves the Chariot in to pillage, spots the Axe and probably keeps the other Chariots back behind the mountain. With just one Chariot on the Copper, if I attack out with the Axe and win, it gets blatted next turn by the other Chariots. OTOH, now he has to bring at least 2 units onto the Copper, so if the Axe survives it can promote in the city and then (likely) get a second attack.

Or maybe I'm overthinking it and I've just thrown him away. <shrug>

[Dreylin]

Ooooor he could decide to attack the Axe and leave the Copper unpillaged. Oh, and auto-promote.

Ah well, tactics out the window. Just need to decide whether to dig in and let him attack, or see if I can bring enough to bear to maybe just take one out? 

[Dreylin]

Ran some tests of attacking out just to confirm it was a terrible idea. Piled 5 Warriors into Anchovy - kept the one in the forest 1N since he has a 20% fortification bonus. Started stacking Warriors in Cod as well; may as well make this take as long as possible.

[Jabah]

How could the Axe end up defending with the malus.i though warrior also.had a small city defense bonus or was it in previous version.

[Dreylin]

How could the Axe end up defending with the malus.i though warrior also.had a small city defense bonus or was it in previous version.

Not sure about versions, but even a +25% only gets the warrior to 2.5 vs. 4 against 5 vs. 8 for the Axe, because no-one had any fortification bonuses (another of my catalogue of minor missteps), and then I guess it picks the higher absolute number.

[Mjmd]

I ran vodka real fast and if the warrior even had 5% fortify it would have defended 1st, but the axe beats it with both having no fortify.

[Dreylin]

Aw man, I thought he was going to take me out, but I guess I'm in for the long slow death. <sigh>