[SPOILERS] Back to Basic - Mardoc plays Augustus of China

[Krill]

So, if I'm judging this right, you'll have something like a 25 unit stack to attack with (leave no more than 2 units defending a city, group everything else).

TT will lose at least 1 city. He simply will not be able to build enough cats to do enough collateral damage to take out you stack.

[Mardoc]

So, if I'm judging this right, you'll have something like a 25 unit stack to attack with (leave no more than 2 units defending a city, group everything else).

TT will lose at least 1 city. He simply will not be able to build enough cats to do enough collateral damage to take out you stack.

21 + catapults + any last second additions. Mostly HA and axes, but I'll have along at least a chariot and spear. To face a stack that's still growing, but not particularly fast:



I'm debating what tech to go for next, I'm leaning toward Iron Working and then Machinery. Pretty soon Twinkletoes should be without horse, after all, and a big +vs melee is a good thing. And collateral's never bad. But I figure hesitation is a good time to switch to binary research, so we're just stacking up cash this turn.

[Krill]

Can you build Mids? You have stone, you'd IND...I don't know if it fell. There are 5 forests at Durkon, which are worth 337 hammers. Cow stone and plains hill mine are 12 base hammers, 27hpt at size 3 for a potential 6 turn Mids. You have 2 calendar happy to the north, so Calendar isn't the worst idea in the world. Are you making a GS for an academy? That would mean saving gold until you have it in place. Could you go for GL at Lit and get Music for hte GA to bomb TT for a future stage of the war? You got options.

[Mardoc]

I think you're not including the Ind bonus in your hammer count for potential Mids, Krill. Stone + Ind + Org Rel = +175% which means 5 forests is 412 hammers and base production is 33/turn or a three turn Mids, assuming adequate worker support. It's still out there, although obviously I can't start on it until I've got the area secured.

Haven't been working on anything but more hammers into units. I've got a bunch of Great Prophet and Merchant points building up from the wonders, but no long term plans. I'm afraid to put less than 100% effort into the war.

Once I get victory, Mids might be worthwhile, sure. I'm also thinking I need to regrow my core and settle my fishing villages, to get full use from Colossus. I won't be getting any first-to tech rewards unless I manage to do that, for sure.

[Commodore]

Forge too. It's only 167 base hammers.

[Mardoc]

Forge too. It's only 167 base hammers.

Haven't built Durkon's forge yet.

[Mardoc]

Alright, I'm nearly ready for this assault. Have this stack staged; next turn I add two more catapults to it. Not shown: a HA from Elan should be able to catch up by the time I'm ready to move, and Durkon's garrison should be able to spare 3 axes, 2 spears, and a chariot to help soak any counterattack. Up until the turn I invade, the HA will be staying back out of sight and able to respond to any tricky moves TT tries.

I have four more cats trickling in, hitting the staging tile the turn after next, but I'm not convinced it's worth waiting for them. TT just got Construction and will be building a counter stack, I assume. Although he did also settle a sixth city, so it's apparent he's *not* going 100% military. Still, I think those cats will be better used in round two.




From the staging tile, I can move all the 1-movers into Durkon on BC325, the whole stack next to Gergovia in BC300, and hit on the fourth turn from now, BC275.

Here's what they're up against, plus whatever TT adds in the next three turns.



I need to try a WB test, I think, to see if four cats will be enough or I should wait for eight. Bearing in mind that TT's stack will get nastier the longer I delay, too.

What's the difference between a strong empire in total war and moderate empire mostly committed? I submit it looks like this:



Now, just have to make this assault pay off, so we can go back to building and trying to catch up.

[Mardoc]

Well, I won't be building the Great Wall. Maybe I can still have it, though



Also, some interesting information as a result:






I'll likely make a mistake or two in the next couple turn,s as I'm trying to play fast but accurate so that I can do the assault today. Just sent the third turn of the day, hoping for three more before Sian has to hit his pillow. But as long as I get the main stuff right, it'll be fun regardless .

[Mardoc]

Two more spears in Gergovia...I think Twinkle's figured out what's coming. Also, that's starting to get to be a lot of units to soak catapult damage...I'm going to delay this one turn and wait for the 2nd group of four to attack. I'm still going to send in the stack on schedule, though, and take down the defenses; maybe that causes him to evacuate, maybe it just means I take fewer casualties once I go in.




Also, sadness on the wonder front. I don't even have the tech for that . Definitely going to have to push to catch up post-war; hopefully TT stands and I can annihilate his army. Or his remaining cities aren't on hills, that would work too .


Finally - built a galley, don't think I can afford to fill it, but it can still be a feint . Hopefully Gergovia stays with its current garrison just three more turns.

[Mardoc]

I think I figured out the reason for that odd Tundra city placement, missing the deer:


That's got to be Twinkle's Iron! What nasty luck for him, having both strategics so close to me and such a reach. Good luck for me, though, it means Twinkle will probably fight to the death either for Gergovia or here, and Cho-Ko-Nus should be viable later on. I think I probably should have included a HA on this ship after all - or should turn around and go get one. Feint is worth less than a potential metal deprived opponent.

In other news, Ruff just got trade, and he's being friendly, giving both info and happy. Makes sense, if there's no Sian around Ruff's the only possible target for leftover military. Best if I know that the game will last longer than that, and that I should aim for a peaceful period.




Invaded Twinkle this turn, moment of truth is...just barely after Sian's likely bedtime . Well, I'll prepare everything and have a fun evening tomorrow, then.

Here's what we're currently up against:



And here's what we've got to get the job done (+ 4 catapults a turn behind)