[PB59] Tarkeel is alone against the darkness

[Tarkeel]

Turn 190 (1300 AD)
Superdeath accepted the peace, so we're back to building. Unfortunately the GP was another scientist, so no golden age yet. Next will be in 15 turns, but that one will be guaranteed not a scientist. An academy in our moai-city Innsmouth seems like the best bet, as it's the second higest commerce city and could use the culture boost.

In other news, Commdore is on his last straws, so I might take SD up on his offer of vulturing some there...

[Tarkeel]

Turn 192 (1320 AD)
Commdore seems to be on his last breath, and has even left one of the border cities undefended. It's almost as if he's begging to be let out of the game, so I'll oblige.

I regret to inform you that our empires are now at war. I'll be taking the first half, for everyone's sanity.

Cornish Owlman falls without opposition and leaves a forge. It's trapped deep in Commodore's culture still, but it should be possible to hold. The rest of the forces swarm in to help hold it and threaten Goatman next turn.

[Tarkeel]

Turn 193 (1330 AD)
Our cavalry captures Goatman:
C1 Cavalry vs CG1 D1 Longbow, 79.0%: Win
C1 Cavalry vs C1 Praetorian, 84.7%:
The main force sets up to fork Snallygaster and Sasquatch. I sent DZ some diplo indiciating I'm happy for him to take Sasquatch, and I'll take Snallygaster.


Astronomy comes next so we can drive of some of Commodore's privateers, followed by Chemistry and Steel for cannons.

[Tarkeel]

Turn 194 (1330 AD)
DZ responds with a 31 for 1 gold offer which I'm not sure how to interpret, and what I interpret as an offer for me to take the island city of Mokele Mbembe. It's time to strike at Snallygaster:
C2 Cavalry vs CG3 D1 Longbow, 74.4%: Win
C2 Cavalry vs CG1 D1 Longbow, 88.8%: Win
C1 Shock Cavalry vs C2 Praetorian, 85.8%: Win
C1 Shock Cavalry vs C2 Pikeman (3.1), 9.6%: Win
C1 Cavalry vs C1 Shock Praetorian (4.2), 99.9%: Win
C2 Cavalry vs C1 Shock Pikeman (1.7), 100%: Win
The rest of the forces are sent north, but we'll need to heal up before we can take another city.

[Tarkeel]

Turn 197 (1370 AD)
After some turns of resting and maneuvering we have 9 cavs in range of Jackalope:


C2 Cavalry vs CG3 D1 Longbow, 66.4% + 10.0%: Win
C2 Cavalry vs CG3 D1 M1 Longbow, 68.8% + 9.3%: Withdraw, without denting it
C2 Cavalry vs CG3 D1 M1 Longbow, 68.8% + 9.3%: Win
C2 Cavalry vs CG2 D1 Longbow, 83.2% + 5.0%: Win
C2 Cavalry vs CG2 D1 Longbow, 83.2% + 5.0%: Win
C1 Shock Cavalry vs Pikeman, 88.5% + 3.4%: Win
C2 Cavalry vs C1 Praetorian, 95.3% + 1.4%: Win
That went better than we could have hoped for, the one bad battle turned into a retreat and the rest was a slaughter.

Chemistry came in so it's onwards to Steel and spend some cash to upgrade caravels to frigates.

[Tarkeel]

Turn 200 (1400 AD)
It's time for the customary overview, but first it's time to use the rested forces. Donovan captured Commodore's capital last turn, and I'd actually planned to help him take it this turn. Instead we strike at the new capital of Puckwudgie:


C2 Pinch Cavalry vs CG2 D1 Musket, 70.7% + 8.8%: Win
C1 Shock Cavalry vs C1 Pike, 72.8% + 8.2%: Withdraw
C1 Shock Cavalry vs C1 Pike, 76.3% + 7.1%: Win
C1 Shock Cavalry vs C1 Pike, 88.3% + 3.5%: Win
C2 Cavalry vs C1 Mace, 89.2% + 3.3%: Withdraw
C2 Cavalry vs C1 Pike (1.0), 100%: Win
C2 Cavalry vs C1 Mace (0.3), 100%: Win

Thus falls the last of Commodore's mainland cities, but he still has four islands left.


Our little empire isn't going to win this game against the behemoths that have amassed on the other continents, so the main goal is to survive until the end.


The cities have just finished a small infrastructure push and is now back on units for the time. The current goal is AssemblyLine, so I'm saving the next pair of GPs to fire the golden age as that happens. Miguelito has founded MinInc and has been constantly asking for my excess metals for a pittance.

[Tarkeel]

Turn 207 (1470 AD)
We made a grab for Commodore's island cities, and while Mokele-Mbembe fell after two waves, DZ/TBS got to Champ just ahead of us last turn. With that Commodore is reduced to a single city on the opposite edge of their territory, so I'll see if Commodore lets me out of this war.

Battle of Mokele-Mbembe, Part I (T203):
C2 Pinch Cavalry vs CG2 D1 Longbow, 86.9% + 3.9%: Loss
C3 Cavalry vs CG2 D1 Musket, 73.6% + 7.9%: Win
C3 Cavalry vs CG2 D1 Longbow, 98.0% + 0.6%: Win
Battle of Mokele-Mbembe, Part II (T204):
C1 Shock/Pinch Cav vs C1 Praetorian, 98.8% + 0.4%: Win
C3 Cav vs C1 Praetorian, 98.6% + 0.4%: Win
C3 Cav vs CG3 D1 Longbow (2.9), >99.9%: Win

With SteamPower we're pushing levees while trundling towards AssemblyLine line and our next golden age.

[Tarkeel]

Turn 215 (1525 AD)
Superdeath declared war last turn, but has yet to move any forces near our borders. We've been assembling ships to strike at exposed cities, but we're waiting for Amica to join in next turn to distract before unloading. Our privateer picks off an exposed caravel:
C2 Privateer vs C1 Caravel, 99.1%: win

We put a turn of full research and finished AssemblyLine, so we triggered the golden age and are now building factories while at war. Demographics before and after:




Not too impressive, our lack of eatable neighbors is starting to show.

[Tarkeel]

Turn 216 (1530 AD)
TBS/DZ has sided with Superdeath and declared war, I smells like a fake except he sunk the galleons that was staging in his area to strike Superdeath in the rear. I use the other staged force to attack his city of Macau in the middle sea as retaliation:
C3 Cavalry vs Longbow, 59.2%: win!
C3 Cavalry vs Longbow, 59.2%: loss
C2 Cavalry vs Longbow (1.2), 100%: win!
Only a granary and lighthouse survives capture, so we burn it to the ground before offering peace. Amica signaled that he'll join in on Superdeath later in the turn, taking the island of Starset.

[Tarkeel]

Turn 217 (1535 AD)
DZ didn't take the peace, and instead took the lightly defended ex-Commodore city of Snallygaster. We strike back at his forces in the area:
Cavalry vs C3 Amphib Horse Archer, 99.2%: win
C3 Cavalry vs C3 Pinch Knight, 93.0%: win
C2 Cavalry vs C1 Knight, 97.2%: win
C2 Cavalry vs Knight, 98.0%: win

Superdeath on the other hand came crawling for peace, after starting this war. We take advantage of Amica's coastal invasion and send our forces into SD's territory, sniping a caravel as we go:
C2 Privateer vs C2 Caravel, 98.8%: win