[SPOILERS] TheArchduke creates the final empire as Macedonia

[TheArchduke]

I dislike settling decisions turn 1, you always have not enough info to make a really good decision.

So, initial we see:

   

After quick move to my favourite spaces to settle which are plains hills. We see:

   

Now we have 3 good places.

1. SIP gives us a standard mediocre city tile, but a decent 4 and 2 and 2 in the initial and nice enough sortment of ressources in the 2nd ring.
2. Settling on the plains hill where the warrior is costs 2 turns of movement, but gives the nice +1   in the city tile and a rather defensive position (you never know what will happen later, I like my cities in defensive positions), but no decent tiles in the 2nd ring really and not enough.
3. Settiling on the jade is awesome for the city tile by giving culture, but I do not see much to work with for my additional citizens either. Coupled that with seeing that I am in the NE edge of the map and that I will likely expand SW from my start, I decide to stay and SIP.

Which reveals a stone hill tile and a horse tile, which means a rather productive city, I like it.
Scout first, because I am a big fan of quick and fast exploration and we will either builder after that or settler if we find an awesome city site.

   

[TheArchduke]

Our Warrior checks out the probable coast to the SW and heads over to the E to firmly scout S.

Nothing too thrilling to report, yet. No Hypatia, so probably no crazy rush to a GS, which is bad as I will likely have decisive competition for a GG from Poland then. Which would be a shame. Let´s hope he goes for a GP.

   

[TheArchduke]

Growing to size 2, next turn we meet the CS to the south hopefully as a first.

   

[TheArchduke]

We just spotted our 2nd or 3rd city, occupied by a pesky city state.

The question is if we can pull of to conquer it with warriors.

Also we might be enroute to being the first with a pantheon, I would loved to have a mil CS rather, but alas.

   

[CFCJesterFool]

Being first to a pantheon is a pretty big deal. God of the Forge (+25% to ancient and classical military units), City Patron Goddess (+25% to the first district in a city ), Goddess of the Harvest (faith from removing a feature) and Divine Spark (+1 Great People points from holy site, campus and theatre districts) are very helpful depending on your strategy.

[TheArchduke]

Even with a warrior boosting defense to 24, a CS can easily be overwhelmed by a determinded atttack.

I think a builder next to boost Agoge, then a settler for coffee site, 4 warriors with maybe 1 security troop and a quick rush for Kandy might be the way to go here.

Between all of this getting BW eureka and Mil Tradition inspiration. Gods of War might be a real idea here, although the +25% to first districts is nice. +1 culture on spices and citrus is a longterm project, but I doubt with Macedonia will go down this way.

Also this might push us into storming down south, we will see which civilization lies down there with our warrior.

   

[TheArchduke]

Some scouting turns fly by. We are actually first in score thanks to Pop 3, soon to be Pop 4.

I get rather lucky and manage to scout a CS to my west as first player, and I could very well scout a 3rd CS in the SE as well.
Unfortunately I will probably have to kill them all, despite my luck with the quests (contrast to all my other PBEMs where those CS quests royally screwed me).

Nothing too spectacular in the north. A really mediocre harbor city site which really does not pique my interest.
Also not the nicest land in the north and a barb camp forces my scout to run through Hongkong. I do not want a suicidal spearman to damage or even kill my scout.

   

In the south I really can´t make my mind up about the Coffee Site, which will be my 2nd city. With a high food tile from the spices and one culture from the coffee (whichever I will take) this should do nicely.

   

Right now I think my plan is pretty much set in stone. I will finish the builder, churn out a settler, bring the southern warrior back after the 2nd CS to protect the city site.
Then I will build about 4-5 warriors with Agoge whilst clearing the barb camp north, place 2 encampments, conquer Kandy and probably wreck the day of my southern neighbour whoever it will be with upgraded hypasists.

Being first to a pantheon is a pretty big deal. God of the Forge (+25% to ancient and classical military units), City Patron Goddess (+25% to the first district in a city ), Goddess of the Harvest (faith from removing a feature) and Divine Spark (+1 Great People points from holy site, campus and theatre districts) are very helpful depending on your strategy.

Hmm, God of the Forge might be an idea. I mean only the most delusional player would expect me to play a peaceful macedonia. So why not go for the Overkill in production.

City Patron Goddess might help with those 2 encampments.

Not seeing a point in Divine Spark, it is more a thing for a religious, cultural play, like with Russia.

[TheArchduke]

My luck holds. I met Zanzibar probably 1-2 turns before suboptimal does as my warrior and his scout meet. That builder is taking awfully long.

Also Civic time, thanks to the religious CS, I can do Urban Planning and Discipline.

[TheArchduke]

My barb luck is mediocre, my builder was cornered by 2 barb scouts last turn and had to hide in the capital. Now finally we have a slinger.

Suboptimal soars ahead in Empire score with a second city with 14 points whilst I still have the most pop capital at 9.

In any case we start production on a settler, can choose a pantheon and have a slinger, so things get going after a lull of some turns.

I take God of the Forge. I know it might be overkill, but the excellent of God of the Sky is only good for my capital at +2culture and then that´s it. Both UUs are classical, so we gamble for a total rush. Also there is no cultural CS around it seems so we don´t fall back to bad. With a slinger out I can scout east of my capital.

   

In the west one unit and the CS can block off everything. I will send my scout through the Gorge to explore further.

   

In the south my warrior will promote himself and then return to aid in the conquest of Kandy.

   

[TheArchduke]

Barb camp in the south is cleared which is nice, we still need 2 more barbs. Suboptimal scouts my capital and I move my slinger to protect my warrior. I will delay craftsmanship until the settler is out and then switch to Agoge (unneeded till then and I could maybe use the +5 against barbs in the meanwhile)

So far so good. Horses and a second city, right now I think my unknown western neighbour is the more likely target. Kandy equipped with a wall is as good a blocker as the gorge to the west.