Alhambram toast his first PBEM game with Russian vodka

[Alhambram]

Turn 36:

   

Got eureka for early empire and finished Astrology. I tossed down lavra for Astrakhan already since it don't have desert tile. I need to purchase tile for St. Petersburg for lavra, so I wait a bit.

   

Here is my map with updated pins, for city 3 I already decided an Commercial district and harbor.

Internationally TheArchduke also founded an city as last of us all. Woden got civic and I could narrow down it being early empire due option for Woden to open his borders for me.
This mean that Woden can run colonization policy now already. Maybe I should send my settler to city 2 first before Woden settle it for Petra location. I complete my slinger next turn in St. Petersburg and I shall send it to location of city 2 to deny Woden possibility to place his units there.

[Alhambram]

Turn 37:

   

Located Woden's capital, I shall try to get visibility of the city with scout.

   

Woden indeed got pantheon earlier than me, he picked monument to gods which speeds up ancient and classical wonder building with 15%.
I wonder whether it is a good pick, since do it have an good symbiosis with China's ability to use builder charge? China's ability to rush wonders is fixed at 15% charge per build, so 7 charges (3 builders or 2 with Pyramid wonder) to complete one wonder.

   

Here is the score tracking, I am dead last with 28 points. (4 civics, 16 empire, 8 technology). The domination ranking started to mess up, either everyone is fighting with barb or everyone started sort of some military buildup as response to TheArchduke's Great General coup.
I decided to build extra warrior in St. Petersburg (due in 2 turns) if Woden start behave badly towards City 2 desert spot. Then I shall build trader in St. Petersburg and when early empire is completed I shall spam settlers out my two cities. to fill up all my planned city spots.

[Alhambram]

Turn 38:

   

Finally I do seem to break deadlock at south east barb camp! Indeed bringing me slinger did solve the deadlock: barb spearman attacked slinger and have enough health left to survive attack from Vilnius warrior.
I already swapped my slinger with my warrior, at above picture I had yet to swap them. My warrior is in position to attack barb camp with Discipline policy that I gonna swap for agoge next turn, that should be enough! 

Also I got to pick pantheon, as planned I got desert folkore and I show picture what happens if I toss lavra down in desert area:

   

6 extra faith and that shall be doubled if I pick up scripture policy and in total I should generate over 50 faith per turn if I did toss down all lavra's and run scripture policy.

[Alhambram]

Turn 39:

I did finish foreign trade and swapped my policies: 

   

And with discipline my warrior attacked barb camp and finally nabbed it, free envoy for Vilnius! And that mean that I got 7.1 culture per turn now, highest of all players.

   

Speaking about Vilnius, Woden just became suzerain of Vilnius!   

   

Maybe he did complete two requests from Vilnius or he did place envoy using diplomatic league.
If that last did happen, it mean that he did unlock Political Philosophy right now! That would be bad for me, I need to check next turn whether he did pick an government.

With city 2 safe for any Woden shenanigans for now, I decided to build trader in St. Petersburg and builder in Astrakhan, both due in 5 turns, just in time for colonization policy from early empire.
I also purchased a tile at St. Petersburg for 90 gold to toss down lavra. I plan to finish lavra before I complete state workforce to gain envoy from Nan Madol.

[Alhambram]

Turn 40:

   

Woden already got an archer, yikes! Maybe I should research archery after Irrigation and I currently have 3 slingers in my possesion.
I do plan use gold for tile purchase for lavra, so I don't have much left for upgrades. Therefore I shall not produce more slingers.

And Pangaea map do have two continents on one landmass and Woden's capital happened to be next it.
No wonder that Woden went quickly with civics and if I did explore bit more northwards, I would get eureka for Foreign trade. A lot turns wasted with researching that civic unfortunately, next time better scouting.

I checked Woden's government: he is still at chiefdom same as me. So he likely did complete one mission and used free envoy from Mysticism civic to get suzerain status of Vilnius. 
I opt to wait with placing eventual envoys until I get diplomatic league. For now I just wait 4 turns till tech, civic, builder and trader are completed. Unless something drastic happen, this 4 turns are going be calm turns.

I post scoreboard of turn 40 to see where everyone stands now at this moment.

   

Oledavy is one with 34 points, Singaboy is one with 33 points while having 14 technology points, TheArchduke is that other 33 pointer.
I actually have 32 points now: 16 empire, 10 tech and 6 civic. I am still behind everyone at this moment, but I am slowly keeping up the pace of others now.

[kjn]

Thanks for the updates!

[Alhambram]

Turn 41:

Woden didn't allow me to take peek of his capital, his archer was ready to kill my scout. So I decided to scout northwest and I saw something interesting.

   

There is a possible choke point if Woden decide to settle an cities there, maybe others are at northern part of landmass, however also note that there is an possible landmass at east of Vilnius.
Woden himself didn't contact others, otherwise I should see it at diplomacy screen that he met unknown players. Further no real news from others.

[Alhambram]

Turn 42:

No screenshots since nothing special happened this turn. My scout got his route to north cut off by Woden's archer, which mean my scout can go to east only. If I am lucky, I can take peek of Woden's capital at turn 44.
In my lands all are calm, no barbs or hostile Woden's units, 2 more turns until everything is ready.

After 2 turns I shall research archery then masonry without eureka for walls, I am getting bad vibes from Woden. Maybe he is planning to settle at desert spot since he might desire wonders such as Pyramids and Petra. 
I remember saying once in this thread that Woden can complete wonder with 3 builders, but I am mistaken at that point because I forgot that China's builders got 4 charges from start, so just 2 builders per wonder. 
With Pyramids and feudalism policy just one builder is enough for Woden to complete an ancient or classical wonder.

I also decided to build lavra in St. Petersburg before producing settler, because I want get eureka for state workforce asap which also gives me an envoy of Nan Madol. Then I quickly research political philosophy, Woden just completed his 7th civic and next one is almost unavoidably political philosophy. That means that Woden has possibility to get Oligarchy way before me and can force an settling on desert spot with archers and oligarchy powered warriors which I am no match against it at this moment. Astrakhan shall build settler right away from start after two turns.

Lastly, I noticed Singaboy's score go up 1 while he got new civic, which means that he managed to produce 2nd settler if I am not mistaken.

[Alhambram]

Turn 43:

   

Woden purchased a desert tile nearby city 2 and built an encampment there, clearly an hostile move. It seems that war between Woden and me is unfortunately unavoidable.   
I think that Woden really wanted that desert for wonders and I really want it for my lavra's, it is bad luck that we are each others neighbors. With other neighbors than each other, situation might look different.
But I know that Woden is soon coming for me and I try to my best to be ready for it.

So next turn I shall start research archery and then masonry for walls, at this moment Woden got tech and civic advantage, so I am defensive one at this moment.

[Alhambram]

Turn 44:

My scout discovered another city state: Zanzibar the commercial city state. No surprise since I was already suspicious of Woden's fairly high gold per turn income. This however sheds an interesting light on his choice to settle Jungle Cruise:

   

Woden's capital was surrounded by city states from start with few room to expand into, with other words Woden decided to settle Jungle Cruise simply because it was only optional settling location south of his capital.
But that don't change that I am unhappy with Jungle Cruise and I still view his build of encampment as an hostile action towards me.

Speaking of encampment, previous turn I noticed that oledavy and TheArchduke built districts, but I forgot to check which districts.
After checking Great Person screen, it was clear that TheArchduke built encampment and oledavy campus. There is more about oledavy: I noticed on loading screen (oledavy is host) that we entered classical age. 
I didn't unlock any classical tech or civic, past turn oledavy gained an civic. I suspect political philosophy and oledavy could get it this quickly thanks Gorgo's alibity.

I thought that trader should be completed this turn, but somehow it is still 1 production short.     

   

Oh well, next turn it is. But I did complete irrigation and research archery (due in 3 turns) and I also completed early empire state workforce (due in 5 or 6 turns with completed lavra, with this I also get envoy from Nan Madol). I swapped policies to colonization (50% faster settler build) and agoge (50% faster military build), I don't see barbs and I want if possible react quickly if Woden launch surprise attack.
Astrakhan completed builder and started settler, it says due in 16 turns, but I am starting to improving area around Astrakhan with builder, so settler shall come quicker.

What do I know about Woden's military capacity? He surely got 2 archers, I did keep up numbers and Woden spent 60 gold in turn 38 after finishing an tech. And he do get at least 2 warriors according my numbers, maybe couple more. Woden can build horseman since he got horse resource and he started building encampment. So I might build some spears to counter him. Woden don't have own Iron resource, however by being suzerain of Vilinus, he can get Iron from it if needed. So I might need to conquer Vilnius instead envoy cold war to cut off Iron supply of Woden. My envoys can be used in other city states instead, Woden is surrounded by them after all. Also when I get religion, I shall spread it in city states and they shall slowly convert Woden's cities. This way I can prevent death of my missionaries since Woden is more likely to throw them on the stake than city states.