[SPOILERS-PBEM15] TT's Terrific Tale of Terrible Tactics - Huayna Capac of Mali

[Twinkletoes89]

Yes its me once again! As this is part of the mouseover post, I would just like to say that I love all my rival players very very much and if they would be so kind as to leave me to do all the wrecking of my civilisation then I will be very grateful!!

More Soon!

[Twinkletoes89]

Reserved

[Twinkletoes89]

[SIZE="4"]So who's playing?[/SIZE]

• [COLOR="Sienna"]Me - Huayna Capac of Mali
  
  Traits: Financial & Industrious
  UUnit: Skirmisher (Archer) - 1-2 first strikes, +50% City Defense, +25 Hill Defense
  UBuild: Mint (Forge) - +10% wealth
  Techs: Mining & The Wheel
  
  Why?
  
  With the restrictions given on leader selection and having seen the previous selections mainly focus on financial, I realised I had to do the same. Having played a couple of pbems as HC before, I do like him and Industrious is one of those traits I really struggle to avoid. Given my last two games have led to me trying out new strategies, I am now going back to more familiar terrain with financial & wonder hunting.
  
  I am also a big fan of synergy, so Mali seemed like the perfect choice for HC. Half price Mints which will increase the wealth provided by my Financial-boosted cottages were just too good to turn down. Starting techs are good too, and as the only civ starting with mining, I am closest to Bronze working.
  [/COLOR]
  
  [COLOR="SlateGray"]
• Ioan - Louis of Byzantium
  
  Traits: Creative & Industrious
  UUnit: Cataphract (Knight) - +2 strength but not immune to first strikes
  UBuild: Hippodrome (Theatre) - +1 , +1 from Horse, +1 for every 5% spent on culture
  Techs: Mysticism & The Wheel
  
  Thoughts
  
  The more I think about this combo, the more I see why it was picked. It has good synergy with half price Hippodromes which will prove helpful for the happy cap mid-game. Cataphracts can be deadly in the right hands so he does pose some military threat too. He will prove a firm threat for the Oracle given his Mysticism head start, especially as he will not be diverted by Stonehenge. He will likely go after an early religion given his mysticism start. One can only hope he goes for the same one as v8mark but as he is first in the turn order & settled T0, he would likely win the race. Given that position, I must be on my guard for the same thing with the Oracle!
  
  [/COLOR]
  [COLOR="Olive"]
• JKaen - Hannibal of Zulu
  
  Traits: Financial & Charismatic
  UUnit: Impi (Spearman) - +100% vs Mounted, Starts with Mobility.
  UBuild: Ikhanda (Barracks) - -20% maintenance, costs 10 more hammers
  Techs: Agriculture & Hunting
  
  Thoughts
  
  Looks like he may be pushing for an early rush. As he is Financial he would have the ability to recover from it, and has the charismatic trait to boost promos. From someone who's failed an early Impi rush on normal speed, I think he would be foolish to try it on quick speed. Not awful starting techs but a while away from Bronze Working which will make any Impi rush even more difficult.
  
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  [COLOR="Green"]
• Piet - Mansa Musa of Ottomans
  
  Traits: Financial & Spiritual
  UUnit: Janissary (Musketman) - +25% vs archery, melee & mounted
  UBuild: Hammam (Aqueduct) - +2
  Techs: Agriculture & The Wheel
  
  Thoughts
  
  Another of my past civs! Mansa is a nice leader but Ottomans has no synergy with him. On quick speed, Janissaries aren't useful for long & aqueducts can be avoidable. The Hammams are a nice luxury but are not remarkably high priority - a mistake I realised much too late in PBEM7. His traits mean he can zoom straight to Pottery and make the most of Financial quickest but is a little while from slavery too.
  
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  [COLOR="Orange"]
• v8mark - Darius of Holy Rome
  
  Traits: Financial & Organized
  UUnit: Landsknecht (Pikeman) - +100% vs melee
  UBuild: Rathaus (Courthouse) - additional -25% maintenance - only 4 for Forbidden Palace
  Techs: Mysticism & Hunting
  
  Thoughts
  
  Its synergy o'clock here! This is effectively my punishment for not getting Kyan on my side before v8mark approached him! Having spoken to him just after the picks, he let slip that he convinced v8mark to go for this combo instead of something involving Hathepshut. Curses! I must hope that Kyan keeps away from the early game as this would be a great combo for him to play his super economy game. Will need to figure out how involved he is, as if he takes some control it will be a farmers gambit all the way & action may need to be taken (though preferably not!). At least they are punished by having the worst starting techs (unless they have deer, fur & ivory at the capital!). I would be surprised if they don't go after an early religion too.
  
  I am kind of hoping Kyan takes control of diplomacy in this game as I know how he works in that regard (most of the time...) so it could lead to some interesting & fun exchanges that I will try and post for a change!
  
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[Twinkletoes89]

I'll go back for the other stuff after lectures but for now...

Here is the start:



Good

- Cow & Rice = nice amount of food
- Hill city for extra defense
- 3 river grasslands
- 3 grass hills for some production

Bad

- Lots of yucky flat plains
- Could isolate clams if settled in place.
- Floodplains seen via tile bleeding (3W and also 1S of that)

The Result



Warrior move showed nothing attractive so it was down to the settler.

While the start site is not bad, those floodplains to the west & sheer amount of normal plains tiles made me decide to move to the riverside plains tile.

Why?

- At least 3 floodplains
- Rice & clams can be used for food - clams later but with floodplains this is less of an issue.
- 3 grass hills & 1 desert hill so there is decent production.
- 4 visible riverside grasslands.
- Still more tiles to be discovered, could be some more lovely stuff!

Even if the hidden tiles turn out to be mainly desert or plains, I will still be happy with the move. Everyone else settled first turn but this was worth the delay.

Pottery must be an early target to get my financial riverside cottages going quickly while heading towards an Oracle push for Metal Casting & Mints.

[Twinkletoes89]

Turn One



As planned, I settled on the riverside plains tile and was confronted with pretty much what I expected.

3 Floodplains
1 Riverside Rice
1 Clams

5 Riverside Grassland
3 Grassland

3 Riverside grassland hills
1 Plains
1 Water tile
1 Desert hill

4 of those tiles are forested too

Pretty damn good I think - very very glad I took the 'risk'.

By the way, does anyone want to guess my city naming scheme? 5 Cookies for it without clues!

[Ichabod]

Manchester United players?

[Twinkletoes89]

I can see the logic, and I am a Man Utd fan. However it is incorrect!

[novice]

Movie protagonists

[Twinkletoes89]

Movie protagonists

Which movie is Anderson a protagonist? I'm sure there is one but I can't think of it right now!

Anyway, that is not the answer either.

[Twinkletoes89]

I'm dropping the prize to 3 cookies now with this clue:

If you look at my previous naming schemes, you will find all the clues you need.