The Haunted Forest: Mardoc puts the Sidar to the test.

[Mardoc]

I though guarded lairs were only 1t to explore?

I do believe you're right. Although I still would rather not explore it with our Ghost, in case of nasties. I ought to be able to vector in a DS to do the honors, with the Ghost waiting nearby to inhume as appropriate.

[Mardoc]

Given his GNP, he may not have much army left in 24 turns.

Wouldn't that just be a shame?

[Thoth]

I do believe you're right. Although I still would rather not explore it with our Ghost, in case of nasties. I ought to be able to vector in a DS to do the honors, with the Ghost waiting nearby to inhume as appropriate.

Sounds like a plan. We should be able to deal with any Big Bad spawns at this point.

Bear in mind that Ghosts lose Hidden when they attack and can't re-Hide until the following turn (but they can teleport away if needed)

Wouldn't that just be a shame?

[Tasunke]

Mardoc, I was not insulted by your request at all.

Instead, I would like to apologize, as I was walking a very thin line and likely shouldn't have been doing so.

[Mardoc]

Not sure if that is enough. Quite honestly, he can have double the numbers you can have in the same time and if he builds PoL thats even 4x your numbers. Kinda hard for me to see how you would win, even with a Nether Blade. Though by no means I want to discourage you. Go for it if you think you can - I'll watch from the sidelines though.

Huh? How did Serdoa go there? No, I'm not attacking Bob on my own, and no, I don't expect you to be able to watch from the sidelines - why Bob would let you? For that matter - no, I don't intend to try to take him with half his number of cities, I expect to reclaim Asteroids first - and if you're not cooperative, maybe also Alteriol-ta-Mwhatever

Maybe I need to actually compose something diplomatic and clear, this might be another misunderstanding.

Or...maybe he's so checked-out at this point that he's not even going to try to use his army? I don't understand, at all - it's not like Bob owning Kithra was a surprise, was it? Why'd Serdoa build and war for the last 110 turns, if he's not going to even try to use his army at the end here?

[Mardoc]

Mardoc, I was not insulted by your request at all.

Instead, I would like to apologize, as I was walking a very thin line and likely shouldn't have been doing so.

Sounds like we're good, then. Feel free to record what I should have done in the lurker thread .

See you around. .

[Mardoc]

[COLOR="Silver"]Serdoa,

From your last message, you seem to be suggesting that Bob's army is his heroes plus a bunch of Priests of Leaves, and that you don't have a chance to beat that.

I'm still willing to join the war in exchange for Asteroids. I think that Recon units, and Netherblade equipped Ghosts (soon to be Aeron's Chosen, as well), would be natural counters to an army of Tigers and Heroes. My problem, of course, is coming up with the numbers needed to defend against counterattacks and take on the Priests themselves, but you've still got millions of well promoted horses.

- Mardoc[/COLOR]

[Mardoc]

Well, Bob hit me up in chat, and talked me into allying with him for good. Used the threat of signing a peace treaty with Serdoa . So I won't be sending that message to Serdoa after all. I did ask Serdoa to trade maps, though.

We've discussed, but not committed to, the idea of a peaceful victory race post-horsie. He wants proof of 4 nodes if he's going to race us.

In the actual turn - not much newsworthy. Lost a warrior, waned a warrior, built a scout.

If anyone's interested, the chat with Bob follows:

Ben: hey mardoc
Sent at 6:53 PM on Monday
Ben: congrats on rathus!
me: thanks
Ben: I guess you got some email from Serdoa about the state of the game?
me: one minute, just got a phone call
Sent at 6:54 PM on Monday
me: yes, he did say he was thinking of conceding
I think it's still too early to do that
and I'm very confused how you managed to scare him off without even testing your defenses
Ben: He sent in a suicide horseman to scout me
my defenses are very good
exceedingly good
me: I thought mine were too, and then he broke through in a single turn :-D
but, well, good job on that front
Ben: you probably didn't have three heroes with 60+ exp each, 10 or so fawns, and as many PoL, and a dozen swords
me: three? I only counted two in the log
Ben: adventurer
me: ah
well, no, I didn't have that kind of force
so...can I talk you into waiting for T136 for your counterattack?
Ben: hah probably!
that's part of what I wanted to chat about
the game is kind of in stasis zone right now
Serdoa can't scratch me, but I can't leave my borders yet
he's in a bad spot, since you're going to mess him up if he can't get his troops back in time, and I'll take everything he got from me and selrahc if he retreats
also I'm building double promo Iron champs in... 5 turns?
2 a turn
me: ooh - you have iron?
Ben: I'll probably have mirthril champs and phalanxes and idk what else once your NAP runs out
me: that's why we tried for Gal-dur, we figured we wouldn't
Ben: it's with my second city
interesting situation, actually. Two Iron, both within second-city distance of my capital
Xenin seems to have assumed I'd have settled one of the two
me: huh
well - that probably means Kilmorph was a waste, should have just gone for something more anti-rush
Ben: not if you had wanted the Iron early, though!
you could have probably gotten decent mileage out of early iron swords
me: I was planning to conquer the copious barb cities with them :-P
Ben: :D
me: best laid plans...
Ben: Indeed. So, with Serdoa I'm debating signing some sort of peace treaty
It benefits me in the sense that I can get back to just building up my two cities and capturing some barb towns, but it also frees Serdoa up
me: yes, that could potentially hurt a lot
30 turns of mass-producing horses from 7 cities
Ben: yeah, that's my worry. And I would rather you not get crushed when your NAP ends, provided of course that you are on my side
me: ah...what sort of 'side' are you offering? And how do you see endgame working out?
I should mention, I have yet to build an Altar piece
and don't think that'll change, I need the beakers too bad to run Priests
Sent at 7:09 PM on Monday
Ben: by "side" I mean that you are indeed comitted to destroying the Hippus before tangling with the Elves
Sent at 7:10 PM on Monday
Ben: it does not benefit me to remain at war with Serdoa if we aren't going to assist each other once you're free to engage him
Sent at 7:11 PM on Monday
me: ah, so nothing long term, just through the Hippus
Ben: you can't really have side when only two people are left
I think then it's like a flat plane or something
me: there'll still be orcs!
alright, I think I can agree to that. Serdoa's had his chance, many times
and dang it, I want Asteroids back before the end of the game
even if you do crush me 3 turns after I get it from the Hippus
Ben: haha The End-Game isn't necessarily set yet
I'll have enough nodes if I take former Selrahc land that I could contemplate a Tower win
if you do indeed want to compete peacefully via the altar
or, I guess, culture
me: I'll have to think about what's plausible - it's not going to be Tower, that's for sure
I suppose if we're on the same side (for now), we'll be talking a fair bit anyway
Sent at 7:18 PM on Monday
me: So...what exactly do you mean by "would rather you not get crushed when your NAP ends"?
Sent at 7:19 PM on Monday
Ben: that if we weren't going to work together, then I'd have a good reason to sit back and shake my head sadly as you got murdered by serdoa sending the kitchen sink at you on turn 136, which would be sad because it would mean nobody else would be around to help me make some glue
Sent at 7:21 PM on Monday
me: yes, I followed that far. But what specifically are you offering? To remain at war? An expeditionary defense force?
Ben: yeah, both
me: I'm not 100% sure I'll need the latter, especially if you can kill some horsies in the interim
Ben: the sitution in my lands is stable enough that once those champs come online, I can just send them right at serdoa instead of playing defense with them
me: ah...can you acquire Carto before T136?
Ben: err, the 200 or so beaker tech? Sure
me: some of us don't have the luxury of actually keeping the towns we've built
Ben: oh sorry
me:
nah, I'm not feeling that sorry for myself
Ben: are you searching for more cities, btw? Might as well exploit that NAP...
me: made a point when we started the game of vowing not to let myself get made at the luck
searching, but so far not finding
Ben: check near Selrahc's west or north
I think Serdoa never captured the city Selrahc lost to barbs
(which was a weird way to go, btw)
me: that would be convenient
hey - Sareln's done it, Selrahc's done it - it's just you and Iskender left undefeated and still playing
Ben: I don't know exactly where the mystery ex-calabim city is, but it isn't to his east or south, so...
me: yeah, that's worth an expeditionary force
particularly if Serdoa stays busy
Ben: hah
Sent at 7:29 PM on Monday
me: actually - after talking with Thoth, I'm willing to commit to trying for a peaceful victory post-horses, if you are
aka a NAP until end of time
probably I'd turn out in 2nd place, but that's respectable
Sent at 7:41 PM on Monday
Ben: sure. Well, I think we could do that, although I'd like to at least start working away at the horses first & making sure that I will indeed have enough nodes should I desire the Tower
Hyol had some, I have one right now, and a barb city close to me has a third
the stupid sepulcher is outside of my culture A shame, since that would give me enough
hyol had one*
me: ah, was wondering what you meant by 'some'
I'd be shocked if we didn't each start with a node
Ben: that's what I am assuming
so, I should be good to go once selrahc's capital falls
me: I think I will try to trade maps with Serdoa, then I could confirm
Ben: that would be great :D
Sent at 7:46 PM on Monday
me: well, so much for playing both sides against the middle. Looks like I'm committed now.
should probably go play the turn
Ben: go for it we'll talk later
Sent at 7:54 PM on Monday

[Mardoc]

[COLOR="Lime"]The whole map of the world for a "Maybe"? Sorry, but declined.

Kind regards,
Serdoa
[/COLOR]

Darn - well, it was worth a try. Still - Serdoa, even though you were right this time, it's the sort of thing that made it easy for Bob to recruit me - I just don't see myself able to get anything from a partnership with you. Whereas Bob is willing to deal.

T113 started off well:


Let's go ahead and dial up some hawks, then, if Serdoa won't deal...whoa! That's a lot of hammers that we'd have wasted! Hawks are going to be soon - but I want to try to use up the overflow first .


Finally, we have some loot!


So...do we keep him around as a medic, or settle him and build the temple for happiness? I'm thinking medic, we've got too many units to build, we wouldn't be able to slip in the temple anyway.

OTOH - if we're committed to racing Bob to the Altar, every Priest slot we can get is a gift. Maybe keep him until after Asteroids is reclaimed, then spread the Leafy goodness?

[Ilios]

So...do we keep him around as a medic, or settle him and build the temple for happiness? I'm thinking medic, we've got too many units to build, we wouldn't be able to slip in the temple anyway.

OTOH - if we're committed to racing Bob to the Altar, every Priest slot we can get is a gift. Maybe keep him until after Asteroids is reclaimed, then spread the Leafy goodness?

I think you need the Leaves technology to be able to build the Temple.