Alhambram toast his first PBEM game with Russian vodka

[Old Harry]

[Alhambram]

Turn 161 part 1:

At start of turn I see another offer from Singaboy:
   
I accepted and I see another opportunity to make offer:
   
Singaboy is starting to shape up into reliable ally for me, he is also only one that I can rely upon now.

And the war is underway and I must say that Cossack totally rocks, even without Great General, this one is nearby Helicegrad without Great General:
   
I attack musketman with Cossack, normally unit movement points should run out and it got stuck next Woden's musketman and my other units couldn't reach it. But with Cossack it is other story:
   
I return my Cossack to its original position after attacking musketman and it has plenty movement points left to fortify and heal!
And then I repeat with other Cossack and my knight eventually finished it off"
   
Total killed musketman: 2 (one this turn and another previous turn) and total killed crossbowman: 2 (one shot kill by my field cannon, his crossbowman nearby Space Mountian was completely in open field. Another crossbowman next Jungle Cruise got killed by Cossack from Toronto and that Cossack got enough movement points to return to my lands and heal out reach of Woden's units. Didn't I tell you: Cossack rocks!)

[Alhambram]

Turn 161 part 2:

Meanwhile at Jungle Cruise I pillaged niter mine and farm to heal knight, my army is in position to raze Jungle Cruise (maybe next turn already!  ), all Cossack at this screenshot can attack Jungle Cruise next turn, even the farthest Cossack!
   
And just one Great General powered Cossack with battering ram is enough to knock off 90% of wall defense, I know that city health is quite a work to deplete it. But I think that I shall pull it off unless Woden pull something out high hat.

At east I saw this:
   
oledavy's units ready to take my Greek colonies at next turn? Well was denouncing of Woden towards oledavy a trick after all? Next screenshot pretty confirms it I think:
   
Despite denouncing they are trading normally, so I am going to face 2 vs 1 no matter what. And I don't want oledavy having honor to declare war, so I did it this turn with formal war through casus belli.
   
And so I am now in war with two players and declaring formal war didn't trigger inspiration for nationalism, oh well.

[Alhambram]

Turn 161 part 3:

Ok, I am going to give up Zacynthusgrad, it isn't place that I can defend. But I shall keep firm hands upon Abydosgrad and Helicegrad no matter what.
I need more Cossacks as fast as possible, they dominate battlefield right now.

Empire overview:
   
   
   

[Ituralde]

Two war declarations? I was not expecting that, but I love it!

Cossacks seem to be pretty brutal. Thank you for showing them in action and good luck in the coming turns!

[Alhambram]

Two war declarations? I was not expecting that, but I love it!

Cossacks seem to be pretty brutal. Thank you for showing them in action and good luck in the coming turns!

Yes two war declarations, I was bit irritated by how they did attempt to fool me. And also with declaring them war instead waiting for them to do, I am basically telling them that it is me who is deciding how flow of this game goes! 

Turn 162:

My friendship with Singaboy expired and Singaboy already sent a offer to resign it with another 30 turns, he is only friend of me right now, so I naturally accepts.

And I suffered my first casualty: my scout who was hanging around oledavy's lands, I completely forgot about him and didn't move him around past turns.   But he did important job for me: uncovering lands, so I can send my missionaries and apostles to desired cities and also check other players lands to keep eye upon their development.

I got education, enlightenment and eureka for scientific theory. I started researching tech banking, due in 4 turns and then after pillaging one of Woden's mines due in 3 turns. I start researching nationalism, due in 9 turns, no inspiration from declaring formal war at oledavy after all. Policy swap isn't easy one for me, I decided to leave out triangular trade which cost me many gpt and I put in logistics. At first view it isn't impressive policy card, just one movement extra for every unit starting in my lands. But I am fighting war at very broad front line, so I need move my units over great distances. Also it enables my Cossacks to return to my lands for safety easier with more movement points and next turn Cossack can use that extra movement point again, a nice combination Cossack and logistics policy card.

At Space Mountain Woden foolishly put his field cannon outside city and my field cannon halved its hp and my Cossack finished it off and returned deep in my lands. I wonder how other players are looking at battlefield: at turn 161 they see their unit alive with full health and no enemy units in sight and then next turn their full health unit is gone, killed and the culprit isn't visible since it returned to my lands and once again hid in fog. So you can say that Woden is fighting against a invisible enemy and nothing is scarier than not knowing where it shall strike again.

But major news of this turn is: all of Cossacks nearby Jungle Cruise attacked it mercilessly and I took Jungle Cruise! With that I finally settled my grudge and upon inspecting the city, I decided that it has more value to keep it instead razing it. I changed its name into Junglegrad, now I shall strike Nan Madol next!  
   
I killed Woden's field cannon, crossbowman and promoted musketman this turn. Total kills: 3 promoted musketman, 3 crossbowman, 1 field cannon, 1 city. Total losses till now: 1 scout.

At Zacynthusgrad things don't look good, oledavy surely shall take it, but when my Cossacks are completed in cities, his advance shall be stopped.

Empire overview:
   
   
   

[Alhambram]

Turn 163:

After taking Junglegrad I start have amenities problem, well I shall further push till I die. Singaboy already traded all amenities to me within his capacities (3 amenities), without Singaboy I would face revolt over all my lands now. I am really thankful towards Singaboy now! Singaboy do have huge amount gold and I could have asked him to send to me, but Singaboy did reject my silver for his 4 gpt deal two turns ago. So it is likely that Singaboy is building up gold reserves for upgrading units and he just have but one target: oledavy. So I leave it to Singaboy to deal with oledavy in future.

And Cossack keeps amaze me, after attacking it got enough xp to promote, normally you need do it one turn later. But Cossack with movement points left can do promotion already after attacking and so my Cossack army is healed to their full health before gates of Nan Madol, I think that Woden can also say goodbye to Nan Madol in 1 or 2 turns.
   
I did put Cossack attacking Woden's bombard bit upon too exposed place. Maybe it shall be killed or not, it is now receiving 5 strength bonus from Great General and additional adjacent bonus.
I killed 2 promoted musketman next Nan Madol and crouching tiger that pillaged commercial district with Cossacks and knight.
Total killed units: 5 promoted musketman, 3 crossbowman, 1 crouching tiger, 1 field cannon and captured one city. Total losses: 1 scout.

I am staring become somewhat overconfident, I know that it might bite me back, but I can't help feel this way after how war went till now. Woden still lacks infantry and civic engineering for increased defense, that are two reasons why it is going well for me now. But time is slowly running out. Next turn Rostov finishes a Cossack and I got also enough faith next turn to purchase one more Cossack.

This scoreboard tells the story: oledavy and me have passed Woden.
   

Zaycnthusgrad is receiving beating and it shall fall next turn or after 2 turns. I decided to expose my knights a bit to see whether oledavy is willing to attack them instead Zaycnthusgrad (Cossack is hiding behind knights ). That might end in slugfest between us, but it would slow down oledavy's army considerably. (and losing some knights frees gpt for me, I am almost running negative now and it shall be next turn with more Cossacks)

Empire overview:
   
   
   

[Mardoc]

Wow, this is going really well for you. Your army is even stronger now after all that slaughter of Chinese troops?

[Alhambram]

Wow, this is going really well for you.  Your army is even stronger now after all that slaughter of Chinese troops?

Well, my domination score remained same, around 1500 while Woden's did decrease from around 1400 to 1100 this turn. I am currently producing more Cossacks to cover eventual losses in future. My promoted Cossacks do get bonus against ranged units though. 

Turn 164:

Before picture:
   
I highlight one of my Cossack, I did expose it too much previous turn and he did survive with hair with!   Unfortunately there wasn't suitable farm tile close where he can pillage and promote at same turn, so I took it to safety and only promoted it. I am happy that I put logistics policy card now, aside advantages for Cossacks, builders do get 3 movement points, so move upon forested tile and chop is possible similar as fast worker of India in civilization 4. Moreover my bombards can move 1 tile and then shoot which take 2 movement points if they starts in my land, in this case only one of my bombard was able to do. And with 3 Cossack charges afterwards Nan Madol has fallen!
   
After fall of Nan Madol (which contained university next mountain tile which triggered eureka for astronomy this turn, nice!), I mopped up enemy units around: musketman killed, battering ram destroyed and worker got captured. In sheer of overconfidence I sent 3 pre industrial units too much forwards to kill another of Woden's bombard. But they shall be surely killed by Woden next turn, at bright side if they kills my units that mean that Woden's units shall still be within range of my Cossacks. Rostov completed Cossack and it traveled 8 tiles in 1 turn and he shall join front line next turn already! I purchased a Cossack in Toronto, he too shall join front next turn. Next target: Woden's capital Monsanto!

Total kills: 6 musketman (5 promoted), 3 crossbowman, 2 bombards, 1 crouching tiger, 1 field cannon, 1 battering ram, 1 worker, 2 cities. 
losses: scout. (next turn likely knight, musketman and crossbowman too and one city)

At east around Space Mountain, I decided to pillage some tiles with Cossack while keeping it outside range of cities. Woden if I am not mistaken, lost two amenities resources: tea and truffles.
And what of oledavy? He didn't bite bait that I threw, oh well Zacynthusgrad shall be taken next turn. But if oledavy dares to come closer to Helicegrad or Abydosgrad, he shall regret it deeply.

And at diplomatic screen of Singaboy I noticed that Woden denounced Singaboy, it is either because Singaboy and me are trading much or Woden is desperate to reach nationalism. In that case Singaboy should know what to do: declare war upon Woden to deny him inspiration. 

Empire overview (my empire became too big to put screenshot of normal view, so strategic view:
   
Notice all that complains for amenities, uh oh!
   

[Alhambram]

Turn 165:

I am starting to run out of gas due amenities trouble, all of my cities -1 and two of them already -2. I have to hurry up.
Of my exposed units only musketman was killed and I killed Woden's field cannon and crossbowman this turn. My weakened knight did the finishing strike against field cannon ans he shall die next turn.
And Woden brought his new toy: admiral powered frigates, it attacked my units nearby Nan Madol, but not too injured units. I keep in my mind from now to avoid sea as many as possible.
   
The problem is that I have many fishing boats and no way to defend them if Woden decides to pillage it to stockpile his treasury.
And nearby Space Mountain my Cossack pillaged jade tile and also plundered trade route so I can keep going in negative gpt bit longer. 

Total kills: 6 musketman (5 promoted), 4 crossbowman, 2 bombards, 2 field cannons, 1 crouching tiger, 1 battering ram, 1 worker, 2 cities.
Total losses: 1 scout, 1 musketman and 1 city.

Next turn set up for attack on Monsanto.
   
My battering ram and bombard can't hit Monsanto next turn yet, so I shall spend next turn killing more units and if possible more pillaging. Then at turn 167 start siege of Monsanto if not something crazy has happened till that moment. My units around Nan Madol are bit injured due capturing Nan Madol and Woden's frigates, but I just got new fresh units ready around Toronto to join the attack.

oledavy captured Zaycnthusgrad and renamed it into Monticello and I don't have capacity to retake it asap. I shall play defensive against oledavy.

Empire overview: