Japper and Alhambram go bongo bongo in the Kongo [Spoilers within]

[Alhambram]

Good news about that builder, maybe use him next turn already to improve stone quarry and floodplain farm/ or cow tile (I prefer floodplain farm or do you plan a wonder there?) at Patatje Oorlog instead two horses at Frikandel. Frikandel can produce builder with Ilkum boost card?

Campus this early is interesting gamble with just 6 turns build time, looking forward what it brings us in future.

[Japper007]

I actually really like a Campus this early, with the nerf to population science (0.7 to 0.5, I detest this change, needlessly slows down the game and makes pop even more worthless than it already was, WTH Firaxis ) a second city would need 4 pop to beat the extra output from the Campus. As I've said before our capital is very hammer rich, we don't really need another city right now (even so, it isn't delayed much either way).

Quarry-cows (cows is strictly better than Floodplains: +1 hammer instead of just more food, and a culture from Pantheon) it is, I'll build a Builder in Frikandel to hook up the horses, a shame it went over like this but oh well, Adapt and Overcome.

[Japper007]

That must be Rho's capital, since tooltip reveals the city is called Pythagoras not Euclid (the city name I see as his first expansion in diplo). Looks like he went early Campus as well, that's a +4 Campus under construction there , that is seriously lucky for him. At least we can be pretty sure he is going builderish on his opening and we won't have a pack of hoplites coming to choke us soon. He's also further away than I thought for how fast his scout found us.

That might change our Settling priorities to go for the Jade first, that is some nice land up there and he can block it all off with one city close to his capital. That spot is looking better anyway, since it can get a Campus in the same mountains as Frikandel.

[Japper007]

Oh right we finished Foreign Trade this turn, on to Early Empire. Craftmanship will finish next turn when I pasture the cows. With State Workforce going down to 6 turns once we finish the Campus, PolyPhi boosted and two monuments, I think we are on par for a sub-turn 60 government, possibly even around turn 50. That is pretty decent for a non-Rome civ. Also means we pick up the key Drama and Poetry (Theatres!) and Guilds (Mbanza!) civics quick.

I'm feeling a lot more confident now that we are back on track after my play with getting a Builder kidnapped...

[Japper007]

Craftmanship finished, I swapped into Agoge+Urban Planning. I thought about Ilkum but I am still building a monument in city 2 and the Campus in the capital, and I have another swap in 6 turns already to when EE finishes (though then I probably wat Colonization).



I got a bit of trolling in as I'm going to let this scout get out of here without inflicting damage, rho's capital is closer than our core so I hope it spawns some barbs for him...

[Emperor K]

Excellent reports, I enjoy watching this map come to life.

[Japper007]

Rho's military score jumped to 107, I expect he updated Slingers to Archers. I've taken the liberty of beginning to upgrade ours to match up, I don't think it's in either of our interests to war right now but let's not make ourselfs a tempting target. His science jumped to a scary 12 points, though we still output enough to keep a second place in that ranking and we only finish our first Campus next turn (his capital +4 one must already be finished, or he has 3 Science CS, unlikely).

[Japper007]

Early Empire finishes, so Colonization in:



This dropped the Settler in the capital to just 2 turns. I also kept in Agoge because I'm building our third Archer in Frikandel.

New culture tree path is State Workforce--->PolyPhi at 5 and 7 turns respectively because we have both boosts already.

Then followed a big turn in terms of Scouting:



Found Yerevan, a religious City State. These would be ideal for us to take out, but Yerevan is more in rho's territory as I just got sight on Euclid's territory and it is right between his capital and Yerevan:



Now for some strategy:



As I said we have a new Settler out in 2, I've marked two spots towards rho here. Let's look at pro's for each here:

Left one:

-Cut's off territory that rho seems to want to go into (unless he has even more competition from someone beyond him)
-brings three new amenities into our territory: Jade, Dyes, and Marble
-Good stepping stone to take Valletta

Right one:

-Much faster to Settle
-Also claims territory that rho is likely to want
-Good stepping stone to take HK

[Alhambram]

Both sites looks okay, only both lack strong food tiles. So you might make feudalism a target to grab it asap, this way grassland tiles can be 4 food if adjacent farm triangles.
Left spot can use marsh tiles for growth for a while, when feudalism is in, harvest it for boost and make room for farms. Maybe there are some good food tiles in fog west of left settling spot? (by the way you already have dyes by settling your capital upon it).
Right one lack such marsh tiles, only cow and sheep at third ring. So no settler build over there since that spot can't handle pop decrease.

It is your choice, more conservative with right spot or bit aggressive with left one.

If I look at map, both settling spots should be taken by you, not rho21. Further north is credible terrain for him and you need military to protect them if you dare settle over there.
You can take Hong Kong and Brussels without rho21's permission. Yerevan and Valletta however, you need to pay attention of rho21's moves.

[Japper007]

Someone already bopped a City State!



I think this significant score lead on Suboptimals part means it must be him. We are not far out from taking a CS either, next turn I hit halfway on Iron Working, then I can finish it with a Builder from the capital when he improves Iron. I'm holding off on that untill I have at least two Warriors out though, it's a waste of resources if we don't get upgrades