[spoilers]Commodore is Darius II of the HRE, now with less excuse.

[Ceiliazul]

Sigh, it's criminal Dave's getting away with his power rating, but having a secure border is worth so very much.

He may not be for long, Byzantium is going to march soon. Everyone knows it, and with Mistabod empire already having occupied part of Yuri, Dave is the least distant target.

[Commodore]

He may not be for long, Byzantium is going to march soon. Everyone knows it, and with Mistabod empire already having occupied part of Yuri, Dave is the least distant target.

You're not wrong there. I kind of like that, but it's also kind of scary...I'd really rather roll out with rifles/cavs, with curs an acceptable earlier compromise, so anything that makes the 'phracts less likely to head my way yet is good. Even so, this could be brutal, because that is a lot of land for Ichabod to eat. Dave's a good general, but unless he gets sober and rushes towards either pikes or musketeers, there isn't much he'll be able to do.

[Commodore]

Well here's an interesting bit, it looks like our border isn't the only one Dave is primarily garrisoning with hope. With Engineering, Ichabod could even take Irune without warning. This is going to get ugly for someone really quickly, sadly not for the boys in grey.



The Byzantine golden age is over at long last, but not without one last ugly surprise. Now this is going to get even more unpleasant to kill them, should we even be able to manage a strike. Also pictured, good power rating.



The one positive of the SoZ finishing is a cool 51 gold payout for failure on my part. Coupled with the money from Dave's GM mission (thanks!), we have four turns of research available. Heck of a burn rate, actually. Sasha will go back to making a mace for Kusari and probably a monastery.



Well, we have a goal then. Four turns of research, let's amp this sucker to the max. I am not in Bureau unlike everyone else beside Yuri, I should note. Four-turn Nationalism, which will be vital not just for the Taj but also just to give us Nationhood, we'll be needing draft soon.



Here's the empire overview, I realize it's been a while:

The hostile Long Border, with Aylee's library soon much more secure. Kiki is the best-defended and most exposed; looking at this now a canal system might allow boating from the pinkos.


The exposed Green Maw. Kusari is a speed bump, nothing else, but one that pays for itself quite well with all those awesome riverside tiles. This is also the invasion staging ground for anything bold.


The Maginot DMZ. Marginal fishing villages and cottage-workers all around, growing tragically slowly but thanks to the Org rathaus, worth it. I have second highest city count now, oddly enough, but it's due to these little losers.


Finally, The Core. Not much to say, lots of commerce, needs Emancipation to really pop.


Four more turns to Taj. What's the RB speed record for it?

[SevenSpirits]

Taj was built t101 in both my recent pbems, 23 and 29. Doesn't seem like that would be the record though...

[Nicolae Carpathia]

Is that a worked, not netted clam I see (1SW of Schlock)?

Edit: I see now you're working the crab with Schlock, but you'll be growing it next turn, no?

Neither worked nor netted. Worked tiles have larger yield icons.

Bad Commodore! Naughty Commodore!

[Kyan]

Neither worked nor netted. Worked tiles have larger yield icons.

Bad Commodore! Naughty Commodore!

Tenner says he whips the city when it grows (next turn?) to complete the work boat.

[Commodore]

Neither worked nor netted. Worked tiles have larger yield icons.

Bad Commodore! Naughty Commodore!

Whipping out a work boat this next turn, naturally. Fastest way to get it there, in point of fact. As marginal as each city is, with a cheap Org lighthouse Herti and Schlock will both get to +6 food to grow onto all that Colossus coast/cottages.



They aren't ever going to be impressive, but Darius of the HRE is the king of cheap and efficient fishing villages. If I can sandbag Astronomy long enough, these will be awesome.

[Nicolae Carpathia]

Huh, couldn't build it from Gwendolyn?

Or was your plan to use Gwen's WB for Shlock's Clam, then use Shlock's Clam to whip Herti's WB?

[Commodore]

Huh, couldn't build it from Gwendolyn?

Or was your plan to use Gwen's WB for Shlock's Clam, then use Shlock's Clam to whip Herti's WB?

Got it in one.

[Merovech]

Huh, couldn't build it from Gwendolyn?

Or was your plan to use Gwen's WB for Shlock's Clam, then use Shlock's Clam to whip Herti's WB?

Clever.