TheArchduke and the Gentleman Bastards lead the Mongol Horde

[pindicator]

That was a wonderful appetizer, but us lurkers are already wondering who ... er, what the next course is

[TheArchduke]

Waiting on the slow turn atm to make screenies.

Probability of another bloodthirsty attack? 80%.

[suboptimal]

Only 80%? Scratching the builder itch, are you?

[TheArchduke]

Well, if Japper would only get on with the turn, we could plan.

And then we just ride and burn everything.

[Emperor K]

To shey duke, I really thought you were going to take Kabul, gg buddy, good luck.

[TheArchduke]

Yeah, suboptimal actually called me out on that.

You could have spared those last two chariots, you know.

In any case, I apologize profoundly for kicking you out, you were on the wrong end of a brutally executed chariot rush and especially your capital was in a bad position. Your only chance was a masonry beeline.

Thanks for sticking through, let´s see if we can win PBEM #7 together.

[TheArchduke]

So as spoiled by Emperor K, only a VERY lucky dice roll on fourth state would have saved him.

2 chariots bite the dust.

   

1 warrior and fourth state fall first.

   

2 turns before Era end, golden age thanks to:

   

And Georgia is now a mongolian province. I kill another archer and warrior just for the experience.

   

Strategy post to follow.

[TheArchduke]

A quick overview of the situation.

First of all the four cities of Mongolia. All four of them are hopelessly underdeveloped and underimproved thanks to our focus on our rush.

Camorr

   

Thanks to the palace and the monument Camorr is suprisingly productive thanks to a lot of forested hills.
Apart from the two chariot kills Emperor K plundered the citrus as a parting gift. I have a one-charge-builder left from chariot chops so he will repair the plantation before chopping out more chariots. More on that later.
The encampment will be done soon and another will follow coupled with a GG policy card.


Karthain

   

Reminiscent of Urteau, this is a rather subpar worker with nothing much to go for. However as soon as the new builder is done he will harvest both flat grassland stones into settlers for a settler push. I forgot to move Magnus this turn here, so this will be possible in 5 turns. Hopefully before a Magnus nerf, because I guess everyone else did this instead of rushing their neighbour.

Only 1 2 tile makes this city a bit of an ugly duckling atm. (The stone will be gone soon enough)

Ashmere

   

Frankly Ashmere (former Peaches) is an awesome city, good production tiles (notice the -50% because of loyalty? That soon goes away. Thanks for putting yet ANOTHER reason to kill other players as a whole, Firaxis, you really have ZERO idea about competitive play). We are now in possession of a campus, without even knowing how to write. Wow, I feel very barbarian all of the sudden.
Worker love and chops needed.

Tal Verra

   

I concur with Emperor K, this is the best settle he could have done, way more defensive then his capital. Hill Stone/Horses enable a solid production, plenty of productive tiles and a flood plains for growth. Worker love needed as well.

[TheArchduke]

One settler is enroute to the desert hills for Emberlain, a connector city for our empire. Plenty growth, 1 good production tile but 2 forests on the river which need sawmills pronto. I could squeeze two cities in here but I am pretty sure I have way more room for cities then I would ever need and I want a filler here and a barbbuster ASAP.


   

Between Kumasi and former Georgia I spot no nice city spots which are important to swoop up. Kumasi suprisingly has only an envoy by Mongolia, but contact with everyone except Rowain.


   

Japper playing tall again. Kumasi is a worthy citysite to conquer, but I am a 100% confident I do not want to conquer Japper.

   

First of all, I doubt he could mount a serious offensive against me even if he tried. I am normally overly cautious, but between Rowain and Japper I am way more worried about Rowain.

Second of all, he has only 1 city . I was disappointed with Georgia which netted me only 2 cities, I had hoped to catch Emperor K in the process of planting a third. I would need to invest plenty of chariots or a GG powered Horseman Rush and frankly that city of the Cree is not worth it.

Probability of me conquering Kumasi just for the heck of it and denial, though? 50%

Moving on:

Hongkong and Kabul

   

Kabul is not worthy of conquest, it is a damn desert place of a city and I have no interest in it. It also boost one of the best combat boosters: DOUBLE experience from initiated battles. And I am on 2 envoys already, soon a third and will have 2 encampments up soon. 6 cogs and more experience, Kabul is a winner. I will keep it around.

Hongkong is worth of a conquest, and I might have enough time to conquer it right now. I miss the +6 CS from intel but it is the AI, I might consider doing a 5 chariot push for Kumasi which then turns onto Hongkong. I do have 2 envoys in it and the bonus is nice to have, but my Macedonia game did not see much use for industrial CS.

Probability of Hongkong conquest: 80%

Backfill area

   

With enough space for cities, I doubt I will rush to settle my backfill area, Pasture Sea I might, but other priorities are aplenty.

[TheArchduke]

I fill out everything else and then get to strategy and plans. Maps galore continues.

For all I know in this coastal region could be the most awesome city site ever. But there was no time for exploration.
Bacchus is probably rotating when he sees this. But my scouts are/were busy.

   

My southern scout is probably close to the dutch borders, as I saw a dutch warrior hanging around.

   

If you think settlervision is bad, check out loyaltyvision.

I also meet 2 more CS, with a 3rd incoming in the north.

   

I think that my scouting is way better then in previous games. Slinger and Warrior do circles and put barbarians out of their misery. Scouts beeline for probable opponent locations in straight lines without any detours. With 2 CS smackdab in the NE and SE corner, I will beeline for the other two corners now.

   

Craterlake site calls for me and Granada does as well, 3 chariots are enroute, with another 2 planned to conquer it. I am not sure if I want to keep Zanzibar around, its amneties could be invaluable but contested. Rowain has an envoy presence in both.

   

Sumeria is close to 2 sites, I like. He is close enough for a trade route, and in general close enough for a conquest. Welcome to target #2 I have no intention of going about this game peacefully. Rowain will need to be conquered, the question is how and when.

I do not agree with his 2 settled sites, I guess he wants to wall himself up and then push west? Both are terribly close to his core and he leaves me a lot land. He should have used the DoF for an aggressive settle push.

Camorr (obviously)
Tal Verra (if on the water)
Karthain
Ashmere
Port Prodigal
Emberlain

More names needed..