[SPOILER] Asoka of Aztec - Ioan(76)

[Ioan76]

OK - I get the save and I can play it ... first of all few pre-movement consideration after examining the situation :

- Stonhenge wasn't built yet - maybe I'll get it this turn because a mine was chopped inter-turns !!
- Still no axeman was spotted Nicolae revolted to Slavery ... hmm - I bet he prepares for an emergency whipping.
- Strange - there is no road and no warrior to defend the corn-field near Mama !! Seems like a good pillaging-oportunity for my spearman until the axeman reach the frontline too ...
- Still no trace from Sareln !!

[Ioan76]

I should admit that I'm veeery curious to receive the new turn to check some developments ...

Also I need to think a little bit about prioritization of build-queue from capital for the next 3 turns until Iron Working will be in ( BTW - I made a detour to The Wheel which completed inter-turns ... ).

[Ioan76]

I played my turn ( T 37 ) and here are some random thoughts after playing it :

- Nicolae still didn't produce any axeman !! OK - a spearman doesn't represent a very big threat but the fact that there are 4 warriors around his second city ( and I bet there is at least one in his capital ) indicate that he doesn't connect copper ( or did so very recently - in the last 2-3 turns ). IF I would gamble to this I could be reeeaaaly aggressive and, instead of working 4 turns for Stonehenge, I could field a "marching train" of 3 axemans ... which would prove devastating for him. Maybe even his elimination would became possible.
On other hand ... having Stonehenge ( half of cultural traits ... etc ) still allow me a decent chance for developement - and, after all, this is a 4-players and not just 2-players game.

- Sareln score is realy low. Comparing with others I'd assume that it's even possible that he didn't settle his second city yet ! Probably for this reason my second scout didn't find him ...

- I should admit that I have no ideea what GingerEagle is doing. I was surprised that he didn't build the Stonehenge ... for Augustus the Industrious and Imperialistic ( so non-Cultural ! ) I would say that is quite nice to spit 3-4 cheaper settlers which will found cultural-expanding cities !
Hmmm ... maybe I should direct 2 Jags in his direction in the next 4-5 turns ( they will reach his borders in ~7-8 turns or even earlier if he settled in my direction ) to check his progress ?

We will see what will happen in the next turns ... but anyway : lurkers - please feel free to ask any question !

[Ioan76]

Hmmm ... lost the spearman to a ( desperate ) 3 warrior attack. Killed two - but last one kill my spear. Not so good - but not a real disaster as long as another spearman is 5 moves away.

However - I need to retreat the axeman back and to establish an interdiction settling-zone ... or at least a zone under surveilance to prevent Nicolae settling to my empire ...

Another worker finished in the capital - now I have three, but for connection roads and especially when Pottery will be in I will really need them all !

[Ioan76]

Played my turn - but not too much to report.

My capital started a Settler - when a 2-pop whip will be possible I'll do so.

[Ioan76]

Played the turn - quite uneventful except that I found Sareln ( actually his scout find me ). But the real good news is that he is also in war with Nicolae ... mmm, hope that he will be able/willing te pressure him a little bit too ...

Fishing is in - 6 turns to Pottery.

[Ioan76]

Received the save but more likely I'll play it only in the evening ...

Few random thoughts :

- I started to produce a couple of Jags ( and thanks to overflow first one is already completed & movable this turn ). Still have no ideea against who to use them - Nicolae or to check GingerEagle a little bit ( as long as he's not in war with anyone ! ).
- Last turn I discovered ( with the second scout ) what seems to be the borders from Nicolae's third city ... as expected I'm really back in empire-expansion right now.
- Choosing to reasearch towards "metal-path" clearly had bad side-effects : for example even if I started with Mysticism the two early religion was founded by other players.

Anyway ... let's wait for the surprises from the last save ...

Ahhh ... due to stupidity I misclicked on Nicolae's thread when intended to add this message ... damn, need to be more careful ...

[Ioan76]

Damn - Nicolae proves ( once more ) to be a competent player.

Last turn I set up a small trap to him - retreated my axeman from a forest tile in order to tempt him to move there and to attack his axeman with a new-produced chariot - but he didn't take it.
Well - at least I managed to assemble a combined, three-units ( 1 spearman + 1 axeman + 1 chariot ) force in that forest ... maybe I'll be able to get them closer to his borders.
Anyway - I reject his peace-proposal ( sadly Sareln accepted a similar one )as long as it's clear that I need to try to harash him a little bit more ... his leader has anyway an excelent combination of traits so on medium-term has the best chances.

On other plans :
- I managed to connect my capital with the second city, and started the road to third city spot ( actually I realise that it's already too late to send a settler there completely unprotected ... ).
- Time to research Pottery decreased significantly - it seems that another player just completed it.
- Anyway - in just few words : My skill to play with Aztecs sucks.

Nothing else to report ... please feel free to ask any question.

[Ioan76]

Didn't have time to take screenshots in last two turns but as an update :

- My second settler completed last turn - in 2 turns a new city will be founded ( finally ... );
- Nicolae made a mistake last turn(s) - he left an axeman with a chariot ( which get no defensive bonuses ) in front of my combined units. Lost a chariot - but clean up his units. And - more important : get promotion for both units. ;
- Nicolae propose me ( again ) peace but - as long as I choose this (semi-)war path is clearly that I can't accept his proposal. I'm really behind him as development and as long as this game follow a snowball effect ... I need to harash him as long as possible ( for this reason I promoted my axeman to Woodsman II - in order to be harder to remove my small "pressure-troops" );
- I spotted a reaaaaly nice place for my fouth city - with Ivory, Gold and Corn in BFC North of Garofita ( my second city ). A spearman is vital to secure that region from Nicolae's chariots.
- Hope that GingerEagle will have a ... hmmm, suprise in the next 5-6 turns ...
- Sareln's development is still a ( almost complete ) mistery for me ...

That's all for the moment - any observation/question is wellcomed !

[Ioan76]

Played my turn this morning - again, not too much to report ...

- Nicolae bring 2 axemans into the hills near his city blocking my further move North. Not very good - but at least seems that his expansion in this direction is stopped/delayed for the moment.
- The bad news is that his pressure-chariot moved somewhere NE ... which will give him sort of possibility to annoy me.
- My main dilema is what to research next :
a. Writing - for Libraries ( BTW - this map seems to be really rich in food-resources ) ?
b. Archery - for extra-safety ( especially when I'll settle the city to Gold, Ivory + Corn I'll be clear danger from Nicolae's raids ) and because it's a cheap tech anyway ?
c. Agriculture - absolutely usefull but for moment I could live just with AH + Fishing ?

Hmmm ... I hope that I'll have a good inspiration to pick the right one ...