[SPOILERS] The Rise of Lewger: A BacoN of Bacon Revenge (bacOn bAcoNbAcon) Bacon

[Bigger]

Honestly, I think we'd get more milage out of Moai here than the HE epic city. we can save west point for HE city, if the game should last long enough for us to build it:



ill have the gems mined in 8 turns or so, a workshop on the plains and probably a lone cottage on the grassland close to the gems.

[Lewwyn]

I don't know about this being that challenging. I thought I left you in a good position, viable.

Yay for Craig!

[Bigger]

The past few turns I have been thinking about what to do once I wrapped up the southern front. I knew I will take Sarah Ann eventually, but what then? Azza has a smaller army than us, but still significant, and we're still in a stage where defense rules - and the fewer the cities, the less he has to defend. I considered for a bit making peace until we had rifles. We would surely get there before Azza, but thats a long way off, and that does little to help us catch up w/ Scooter or the rest of the field. Plus its boring. Today I got philosophical (I am, after all, a philosopher by nature).

What is an Azza? He's an eternal optimist. Game after game he signs up for, waiting for the excellent start and perfect neighbors to outbuild the field and finish the spaceship before anyone else.

PB13 is not that game, by now he knows that. What is Azza once he's lost cities and he knows he won't win? He won't give in easily, he always respects the integrity of the game and keeps fighting. He's the quintessential turtle. If Azza was a Civ4 unit, he would be the longbow. Not by coincidence he builds so many longbows. Azza is not one to try a bunch of complex maneuvers, he wants to turtle up in a small area with longbows and defensive cats and make you come to him. I've tried to force him into decisions to force a mistake. So far, he has retreated and only made a few minor mistakes (attacking with the 2 knights, not getting a pike into Craig). Can I force more? I've come up with a plan.

Its not dissimilar from my pb8 strategy. Force multiple fronts, force Azza to split his forces, and not just huddle stacks of doom in the capital.

front #3 (in order of importance, not in order I'm listing them in):



This is the front I expect to surprise Azza the most. In about 4 turns I'll dump a mace, pike, a C2 knight and an unpromoted knight on the iron tile, and pillage the iron and road in the same turn w/ the knights. 1 turn behind (I think) will be another C2 knight. he'll have to pull off knights from Rose if he wants to repel me. depending on how he reacts, I can stay put, retreat, or threaten Clara (currently defended by a spear and 2 axes, iirc). if he allows me to go after Clara, that will be an interesting dilemna. I'd have to raze it, of course. That would give Scooter an oppurtunity to fill the void which I don't really want to do. OTOH the culture of Raiders might permanently take control of the iron tile, meaning I won't have to keep pestering Azza here if he sends workers to repair the damage.

I only signed open borders with Scooter 2 turns ago, which is convenient - I'm tenatively scheduling the 3 front assault on Azza for 4 turns from now, so Scooter can't cancel open borders and screw me here (not sure he would want to, but its still a comfort). he has brought in a knight through our territory, and just this turn is kibitzing our siege or Sarah ann, so its worth noting he is paying attention to our war.

Front #2:


Azza is just not reinforcing Sarah Jane, while I am reinforcing the siege force. He whipped it to the ground too soon, I think. i could have taken it by now but it would have been exposed to an easy counter attack, so I've been patient. the same turn I raid his iron I'll take Sarah Jane. I'll have enough to take it, I think, between the cats, maces, and cho-kus. so if all goes well I'll be able to move in 5 pikes, an elephant, a spear, and whatever else is left. its exactly 4 spaces from Donna so he can't counter attack in one turn with non-horse units. I should be able to hold it.

Front #1:


and just for reference, here's his stack in Donna:

85% or so of Azza's Army is in Rose or Donna :/. Cats are the most scary.

1 turn before siege I'll move most of my army (minus the knights) +2 workers, +2 medic 3 scout onto the forest E, NE, NE of Rose. Forest should provide nice cover. He can hit with his cats, but I welcome the chance to kill them with my units in Chinese territory. on Siege turn I'll evaluate, but most likely will move onto the hill E, NE of Rose. I'm playing it turn by turn at this point. Once I move next to Rose I am obviously exposing myself to Azza's counter attack on flatland, so it will depend upon how Azza reacts. But I think I've shown from pb8 I'm willing to sacrifice an entire stack of units to gain a tactical advantage (as a side note, I was criticized in the lurker thread for that move, but the next 20 turns proved I was right. Sacrificing your queen is justified if it wins you the game).


I feel fairly confident. For karma purposes, I'll point out that Azza still has a large army and moves he could make that could throw a wrench in my plans. But I wouldn't be suprised if I've broken him in the next 10 turns or so. After capturing Craig and razing Adelaide next turn, I'll have 20 cities to Azza's 9, so even if he slows me down further I should win out in the end.

If that *does* happen, here is front #4:


i'm still a good 15 turns from threatening him from the south. I will win the naval battle, no doubt, but then I have a long isthmus to go around. But if the war is still ongoing at that point I can threaten him from Mikey or Wilfred, reinforcing easily from River/Adelaide. he only has an archer or warrior defending his island cities/backside.

btw, at the end of next turn this will be whats left of Azza's empire:

[Bigger]

I don't know about this being that challenging. I thought I left you in a good position, viable.

Yay for Craig!

err, yes of course, you're right. I didn't mean to compare this to the situation I took over in pb9, where I was losing money at max tax *and* starting a war w/ the score leader, haha.

As far as the war w/ Azza goes, you put me in a very good position. probably why its been so fun.

As far as winning pb13 goes, its more bleak. But then again there was 17 players in this game, we haven't landed a single wonder, and mackoti is in this game (not to mention Plako and other good players).

I'm hopeful our situation will look better in 30-50 more turns when we've absored Azzaland. we'll see .

[Bigger]

I don't know about this being that challenging. I thought I left you in a good position, viable.

Yay for Craig!

err, yes of course, you're right. I didn't mean to compare this to the situation I took over in pb9, where I was losing money at max tax *and* starting a war w/ the score leader, haha.

As far as the war w/ Azza goes, you put me in a very good position. probably why its been so fun.

As far as winning pb13 goes, its more bleak. But then again there was 17 players in this game, we haven't landed a single wonder, and mackoti is in this game (not to mention Plako and other good players).

I'm hopeful our situation will look better in 30-50 more turns when we've absored Azzaland. we'll see .

oh and I need to add this, as I'm sure he'll read this at some point:
I loved pb9, Twinkletoes, and would love to partner with you again - in a pbem, or pitboss w/ 7 or less player, none of whom are top tier players .

[Bigger]

I could continue my 1 turn tech streak, but I need printing press more


it took me a minute to figure out what was going on here


dhal offered Azza a city, and Azza greedily accepted. I don't know why exactly. Dhal is at war w/ Plako and Bacchus and probably not long for this world. Maybe he realizes it will take a bit for either to get his island city here, and wants to expedite his exit? I'm not sure if I should be angry or just mildly annoyed. Azza no doubt dumped his worker and HA onto this island. its Tundra and isolated and won't help Azza much, but will force me at some point to conquer an extra city. oh well, its a source of whale I wouldn't have if Plako got this island instead.


Azza will be able to pllage the seafood outside bac0n next turn. I whipped BaconBacon and should have a trieme pop out each of the next 3 turns. I should be able to protect the northern seafood but won't dare attack his navy until I have all 3 triemes.


Azza is a clever hobbit. From here he can hit Sarah Jane with his cats, not just the knights and HA. This will keep me from capturing it on schedule, most likely. I may still invade and slaughter all but one unit to see if he reinforces (maybe capturing the next turn if he doesn't). Azza can protect sarah jane but I'm still safe on the hills.


I was a bit surprised this didn't autoraze. nonetheless, saw no reason to keep it. I'll refound it many years from now. in the mean time, I pillaged the iron w/ my knight so he can't sneak a settle here and claim it.



disappointed there is no infastructure, ut its stilll a fine city so I kept it.


this makes me nervous, Scooter. 4 units in Bakon currently, and I whipped a pike that can go there in 2 turns. there's no threat on any other threat so no worry of massive war at this point but if I don't defend Bakon he could move in, take that one city and request peace, and I'd have no choice but to accept.


whipped everything I could then revolted to HR and caste. extra MFG from workshops was nice. You can see here how annoying this turn was - both Pindicator and Ichabod logged in and out several times, delaying the turn a good 1-2 minutes each time, grrr.



comforting . Scooter is kicking our but in every other category, though.

[DMOC]

I find the logging in/out part annoying, but whenever that happens it gives you time to think about the 'grand scheme' of things.

Say, about pindicator/scooter, assuming they don't bother you in the Azza war, do you have plans regarding them?

[Bigger]

I find the logging in/out part annoying, but whenever that happens it gives you time to think about the 'grand scheme' of things.

Say, about pindicator/scooter, assuming they don't bother you in the Azza war, do you have plans regarding them?

only hopes and prayers at this time. I'll reevaluate once I have absorbed Azza.

It doesn't look good, they are pulling ahead while I fight. we might have more cities once I get Azza but they will be more advanced and will almost certainly beat us to rifles. I'll be playing catch up on infastructure just to get my economy up to catch up.

I suppose it wouldn't be that hard if we could cooperate w/ Commodore to squash them, but in a no diplo game its going to be hard to get that to happen.

[Lewwyn]

FWIW, i don't think scooping want to fight us given that would slow them down versus Mackoti. Rifles? Maybe. But we should be able to catch up if we assimilate Azza in a timely manner. Who knows if we will for sure.

[Bigger]

FWIW, i don't think scooping want to fight us given that would slow them down versus Mackoti. Rifles? Maybe. But we should be able to catch up if we assimilate Azza in a timely manner. Who knows if we will for sure.

I get more confident every turn.

Azza took awhile to play and I'm just geting it. report in an hour or so.