[Spoilers] Suboptimal - Welcome to the Tlachtli of Blunders!

[suboptimal]

That builder is actually headed towards my intended settlement location for use there. Two reasons:

- more effective improvements available there
- If I don't capture a builder when I take the city-state I'll use a captured builder from Egypt to improve Vilnius.

Provided I get a second builder when I take Vilnius, the plan is as follows:

- First builder goes to the location of the settlement, getting there at the same time as the settler. It will mine the gypsum (Wheel eureka), plantation the bananas (provided I can get the Oral Tradition pantheon) or farm a grassland (I don't) and then hang out until I can acquire the cattle tile and finish animal husbandry, at which point it harvests the cattle for a population boost and clear the tile for a Campus.
- Second builder farms both wheat tiles at Vilnius for the extra housing, then hangs out until I get Agoge running, at which point it chops the forest to the SW.
- Vilnius will repair its monument, build two slingers using the forest chop then build an Encampment. If I capture any builders during the war with Egypt I'll use one of them to speed the district along.
- The slinger that escorts the settler to its position will continue up to Vilnius, getting there around Turn 40.
- Around Turn 44 or so I upgrade all three slingers to archers.
- Three archers and three eagle warriors march on Barrayar for the expiration of the DoF on Turn 48. Barrayar first (for the hooked up citrus and +1 CS bonus) and then Beta Colony.

In the event I don't capture a builder when I take Vilnius I'll put down a farm instead of harvesting the cattle at the settlement in order to get the Craftsmanship eureka. Since I won't have the chop available Vilnius will only build one slinger. I'll only have two archers available but that should still be enough. I don't know that RFS-81 can build enough units (or walls) fast enough to defend both cities from attack. I'd also be looking to kill units before cities in order to increase my builder pool.

I'm prioiritizing the monument repair at Vilnius because it's +2 at a cost of 12 .

The settlement will build slinger -> eagle warrior -> monument, locking a Campus once I get two encampments completed. The Eagle Warrior will complete fast enough to support the attack on Beta Colony.

Begin the Begin will go eagle warrior -> slinger -> Encampment after the settler completes, with the Encampment getting built as I start researching state workforce. The first Preslav unit I capture will quarry a stone for the masonry eureka. I will may try to use Agoge to overflow into a chop to complete the slinger and most of the district in one go even though the build time on the district is only 7 turns (63).

Pantheon choice is Oral Tradition first, God of the Forge second. I don't know that God of the Open Sky is a good choice here given my initial city layouts.

[suboptimal]

My musings on pantheon selection reminded me that I still needed to see if the City Patron Goddess pantheon provided its bonus to Aztec worker charges. The TL;DR is that it does, even to multiple districts within a single city, until one district is completed. Now, I don't know how frequently I'd wind up with a city with two incomplete districts down (it could happen at my first settled city or if I captured Beta Colony at 4 or 5 population) but I figure I'm probably looking at 3-4 settlers in the area immediately west of my capital as the game progresses and when district costs are much higher. The question is whether or not the potential saved production from district builds over the course of the game is worth more or less than the 25% production bonus early on from God of the Forge?

Oral Tradition remains one potential choice -- the settled city has two eligible tiles and there are three visible eligible plots in the west. There could be a couple of more closer to the coast. OTOH, God of the Forge lets me get an early army out a little quicker. Archduke, any thoughts regarding these two civics as it relates to the map and/or City Patron Goddess vs. God of the Forge?

[TheArchduke]

God of the Forge is rather bad compared to +culture pantheons if you ask me.

City Patron? Eh..

[suboptimal]

The only reason I'm considering City Patron is because it boosts the builder charges and could let me keep the chop production for city buildings and units. I'd also only consider it if the Oral Tradition was gone. I also don't know that God of the Open Sky is useful enough to take given the resource distribution of the map.

[suboptimal]

Turn 25

I realized while waiting for the turn to come back around that I’ve slightly miscounted on the slinger’s movement. It will still arrive the turn the settler completes. However, it will be out of movement while the settler will be ready to move. However, I’ll still move the settler out on Turn 28 as the slinger will be close enough to provide escort if something or someone else shows up. At the capital the Preslavian warrior has once again moved up to my borders. Hopefully it hangs around there until I get an Eagle Warrior out 5-6 turns after the settler. That'll be a convenient spot to capture a builder...

So, what’s across the river SE of Begin the Begin? Not a whole lot comes into view and nothing on Settlervision. Not even going to bother with a picture. Ah, well, back to the main event.

#2 crosses the river while the other two stay put to heal and the builder moves towards the river. Next turn I’ll move everyone into position to put Vilnius under siege and attack the city center with #1, earning it a promotion. The next turn the other two units will attack while #1 promotes, then on Turn 28 all three units will attack and finish off the city.

[suboptimal]

Turn 26

The battle is joined.



I did a minimum damage roll on the city attack (24) and the city didn’t do much better (26).  My eagle warrior got the promotion so everything is “on schedule”.  The builder continues making a run for it and the slinger moves back across the river towards the capital.  I also noticed that capturing Barrayar would net me two luxuries, not just one.

The scores show that rho21 has founded his second city, making me the last to two cities.  No matter, in six turns I should be the first to three cities.  

[TheArchduke]

Excellent.

Vilnius is actually a semidecent longterm city with an aqueduct and the copper hill.

Being a dedlurker I can sub you for 2-3 turns if you want.

[suboptimal]

Excellent.

Vilnius is actually a semidecent longterm city with an aqueduct and the copper hill.

Being a dedlurker I can sub you for 2-3 turns if you want.

Thanks for the offer.  I'll let you know once I know my travel schedule and whether or not my laptop is making the trip with me.  Depending on turn pace it'll probably just be some unit positioning and builds.

Vilnius will be a good city with some good care and feeding.  I have some ideas for district placement...maybe I'll dotmap that out for some feedback in the coming turns.

[suboptimal]

Turn 27

RFS-81 is now aware of my city-state crusade, if only by virtue of the fact that city damage bars show up in the fog.  Wonder what he’s thinking?

Moving right along, Pottery has completed.  I’m going to start Irrigation here even though it’s a dead-end tech.  I’d like to have Irrigation ready to go for a plantation on the bananas at the settlement.  Even if I don’t get Oral Tradition the +2 will help me get ready for an additional tile buy down there along with archer upgrades.  I’ll be able to complete both Animal Husbandry and Archery before the DoF expires.  

Down at Begin the Begin the slinger moves NW and finds the Preslavian warrior close by in the citrus.  Hopefully it keeps milling about.  The builder crosses the river, revealing some open grassland and cattle just SE of the iron.

At Vilnius I take Battlecry as the promotion.  That gives me one each of Battlecry and Tortoise.  The promotion heals the Eagle Warrior up to 70 health as well.  The uninjured Eagle Warrior attacks, giving 43 damage and taking 21.  The remaining Eagle Warrior attacks, giving 45 and taking 25.  The city garrison is now down to 88/200 health with a combat strength of 18.  Two hits next turn may very well take the city.  I’m going to arrange attacks so that the unpromoted Eagle Warrior lands the probable final blow in order to earn a promotion or come very close to it.  The city has also produced a Builder, which is something I’ve seen in test games – Monument → Builder seems to be the most frequent opener for city-states and if you attack just after the Monument completes the city-state won’t change out of the builder until it completes.  I also just noticed that Vilnius has pearls in the 3rd ring.  Don’t know if that’s worth a tile purchase but it is another luxury to hook up at some point....

RFS-81 seems to have built a slinger or two as his power is now up to 34.  rho21 has completed his fourth tech.  

Turn complete I hit next turn, looking forward to capturing a city and having my first settler on its way.

[suboptimal]

Turn 28

Settler completes, start Eagle Warrior in Begin the Begin.  Six turns to builder harvesting.  Slinger moves to capital, settler moves to Encampment, builder continues on its way SE.  All of that out of the way, it’s time.

#1 attacks the city first, 27 vs 18, doing 38 and taking 20-something in damage. #2 attacks at 27 v 17.  GUI indicates that a average damage roll leaves the city with a sliver of health.  Survey says….



Captured the city but I didn't capture the warrior.   Ah, well, so much for that idea.  #0 fortifies, Vilnius is renamed “Welcome to the Occupation” and I buy the 2/2 forested hill to the south and start working that tile.  I also decide that I’m going to bring the builder back in this direction, which will take seven turns to farm the first wheat.  It's a bit of a waste of time but I felt having the builder ready to go at the new city site was worth the potential risk of this occurring. It's not a complete waste, either, as I defogged the last bit of land between me and RFS-81.   Preslav will also be online to generate builder-candidates shortly.  I did a move here by forgetting to switch off Irrigation to Animal Husbandry after deciding to return the builder.  

No major changes internationally, RFS-81 is down two and 11 military power from last turn.  He must be trying to clear a barbarian camp in the tundra or something.

I would like to purchase another tile up here for an Encampment (plains just SE of the oasis) but will wait for barbarian camp before I do that.