[Spoilers] Suboptimal - Welcome to the Tlachtli of Blunders!

[suboptimal]

Turn 178

Archduke’s comment about my naval...distractions...made me rethink what I was doing. The navy will regroup at the end of the western islands and head back to the greek coast while the musketmen from Welcome and Find make their way across the ocean. The spy will go active in Apollonius on Turn 181 and the navy should be in position to start bombardment. I’ll need the musketmen to go ashore to take the city, they should arrive 2-3 turns after the bombardment starts.

It’s also gotten me to look ahead to Combustion. I’ve currently got two knights and two knight corps. The knights would cost 230 each to upgrade using Professional Army; I expect the corps to be significantly more expensive than that (based on the cost of a crossbow corps upgrade, about double). Building 2-3 knights and then upgrading them to tanks, followed by a tank assault on Xenocrates, might be an option here. The question is whether or not I can get enough gold in that time frame to do so. I have two banks coming online in the next two turns for another 20 income. Any stock exchanges I build would go to supporting the tanks, rather than upgrading the knights. Come to think of it, I have 2-3 copper resources I could always harvest – one of those is equal to one tank upgrade….

I also to get some builders prebuilt for the double policy swap to get some 5-charge builders out. I have a Campus at High Speed waiting for a builder, I’ll need one for the oil, one for an aqueduct at the new coal city and one for improvements there – there are two luxury resources that would be accessible if I settled 1W of the marble.




The alternative would be two cities, one between the coal and marble and another down by the four copper resources in the tundra. Actually, I could cram three cities in here by putting one adjacent to the iron and another on the coast that could also get the crab, though that might be a waste of production just or gold harvests… I think getting one city there and using a forest chop for a monument to speed cultural expansion might be the way to go. Overflow that into a granary then quarry the marble and wait for coal and dyes to get expanded to.

With that out of the way, is there anything interesting going on in the world? Based on the notifications, no. Japper’s field cannon at Kapsalon has disappeared, presumably into the city. The northern musketman has shown up again. Siege tower in the north moves to the coast for picket duty, sees nothing. Rho21 has completed Steel. Need to keep that in mind going forward. It’s also advanced “the world” to the Modern Age, so the selection of Great People should get better (and more expensive). Speaking of which, Japper grabbed Mendeleev last turn and next up is Albert Einstein (one random eureka from Modern or Atomic eras, Universities provide +4 science). I must get this scientist, if only for the University boost – that would be +20 by the time I claim him (17 turns), possibly +24 if Find goes Library → University, and up to +48 if Rationalism doubles that bonus ().

Traders at Kenneth and How start their routes. The svailable Trader at Welcome moves to Horse and that trader will start the short route to Begin next turn. Horse’s workshop finishes next turn and with the 5 extra production and overflow from the workshop it’ll take 12 turns to get a factory up and running, which will affect Begin, Find, High Speed and the coal city to the east. Welcome starts building a Tlachtli for some more space with amenities. I am briefly tempted by the Forbidden City (or Alhambra) but at 36 turns to build that’s time-prohibitive.

[suboptimal]

Turn 179

Lots of things finished this turn: Replaceable Parts, University (Oddfellows), Bank (Find), Archaeological Museum (Maps), Workshop (Horse) and Monument (Green). +8, +4, +10gold:, some production at Horse and a craptonne more food as all my farms mechanize. Culture is over 100, science is at 173.1, a good 35 above rho21. Oddfellows starts a builder, Find starts a library, Maps starts a builder and Horse starts a factory. The sticking point is Green:




5.3 What to do here? No districts, city center is full and everything takes for-ev-er. The tile being expanded to is a 2F/2P forested hill. That’s something. I start infantry for lack of anything better.

Down in the southeast Japper has brought up his field cannon again and attacked my musketman:




That middle field cannon is a bit of a problem. I can’t move my field cannon up to shoot as it’s not helped by the Great General’s movement points. That takes away any possibility of killing anything on the next turn. The cavalry corps is not in range of anything, either. Time to pull back a bit more, I think. Cavalry moves to the hex SE of the city center, musketman takes the cavalry’s spot.

Muskets at Find and Welcome begin their sea journeys. Trader at Begin starts the route to Find. Battleships and caravel head for the Greek coast. Musket near Begin moves into the eastern foothills and will await the settler there. Plan is to settle 1W of the marble.

I’m bringing my galley around to Hairshirt and….




Seriously?

As seen in the screenshot I resume Sanitation and after that will complete Combustion. I pause the Tlachtli in Welcome to get a builder going. Find will get out a builder after the library completes, High Speed will get out a builder after the shipyard completes. How’s settler will be out next turn and I’ll follow that with a builder. Kenneth will also get a builder out once the factory is done and I’ll swap into Public Works for some extra charges. I’ll swap into Public Works when Urbanization completes and then use Colonialism to swap out. Cant and Begin will build knights. I’ll put down an oil well after the knights are completed.

Internationally rho21 just spent about 500 on something. It’s also occurred to me that if I wanted to be sure to get John Spilsbury and his amenities that I have 765 on hand and that number is growing at 15 per turn. Archduke, do you think it’s worth grabbing him with faith when we’re close enough, assuming rho21 doesn’t do that first?

[TheArchduke]

Harvesting those copper ressources would help a lot with upgrades, yeah.

[suboptimal]

[b]Turn 180[b]

Bank in Cant and settler in How are complete. Former starts a knight, latter starts a builder. The builder’s timing works out so that it’s complete the turn after Urbanization is completed and I swap to Public Works. Builders will be churned out while I work on Natural History and then I can use a double policy swap for unit upgrades.

No notifications, but in the southeast Japper has formed up more corps – a musketman corps has arrived on scene and he’s advanced the field cannon:




The latter is in a marsh and I can shoot it with the crossbow corps for half damage...at a risk of losing the corps yet again. There is a unit supporting both of them from within the fog. I bring the crossbow corps over to the marble. If either unit advances into the gap I’ve left I’ll be able to do some hefty damage to it, if not kill it outright.

Out on the ocean the musketmen are heading to a rendezvous point in the western islands. The fleet forms up at a position just east of its prior Dinstratus bombardment position and will move into position next turn when the spy goes active.

Restart a trade route at How, settler moves out (will settle the turn after next) and one or two unit movements are completed, turn ends. Great Admiral in two turns, Great Merchant in 6 (or less if I patronize), Einstein in 14 turns.

[suboptimal]

Turn 181

Japper has engaged in a full-scale press on Diminished.




He’s gone full to the max with corps here and killed the field cannon. The 3x promoted unit has +6 support so there’s two more units behind it. Might be time to go here – taking a stand over this city might not be worth it. He’ll be losing two more soon enough. I can inflict some serious damage on the way out, I think. The city can only hit the 3x promoted field cannon corps but it can take it down to almost 50%. That leaves a decision – kill it with my cavalry corps (and risk losing that unit) or leave it for another city bombardment. The city is in no real danger here yet as he has no siege units to attack with.

I move Ghengis one hex west to where the musketman is. That keeps my muskets and crossbow at 3 movement. Crossbow moves SE to the tundra, musket moves to the marble and the musket corps in the city takes its place. Those movements complete I attack the musket corps using my single musket first. That’s good for 39 points of damage. Crossbow corps attacks for 23 damage and earns a promotion, my musket corps finishes it off and for some reason moving one hex has used up Ghengis’ movement. I move the cavalry corps into the city for the time being and the musket coming from Begin moves up, ready to form a corps with the lone musketman next turn if I need to.

Changing theaters, my spy is active in Apollonius. It’s completely empty! Time to do some damage. Battle hips shoot and are able to do 98 points to the walls and 39 damage to the garrison. This will take another 2-3 turns to deal with.




I’m looking at 4 turns to get the landing party ashore and one more turn to take the city – Turn 186. I’ll keep the spy here for the time being. I’d like to get Bryson exposed in the north so I can move my spy there if I so choose. Bryson has no districts as of yet. However, I'm thinking that Japper's two southern cities need to go. Archduke, any opinions on liberating Hong Kong and then retaking it to avoid occupation penalties? With Japper's forces all at Diminished I don't know that he would be able to do anything about it and the city could be quite productive.

High Speed has completed its shipyard and starts a builder, currently due in 7 turns. Next turn I’ll found another city (my 18th as long as I hold Diminished).

Looking at the Great Merchant race I can now patronize Spilsbury with faith. Rho21 could probably do so as well (it’d be under 600 faith for him) and if he completes a project I’d also lose Spilsbury. For better or for worse, I could use the amenities and patronize Spilsbury using faith. He shows up at Oddfellows and I’ll activate him next turn. I expected an Atomic Era Great Merchant to take his place (two of us are in the Modern Era) and instead Sarah Breedlove shows up. Modern age, +25% tourism towards other civs you have a trade route to.

Next turn I’ll also be getting Francis Drake – he boosts Renaissance and Modern Era units (of which I currently have...one) and retirement grants 75 and +50% for plundering sea trade routes (of which there are….none). I’ll transfer him to Hairshirt and use him to go see what’s up at Perseus.

[suboptimal]

Turn 182

Sanitation is complete, I’ve got a Great Admiral to claim and Japper’s attacked my musket by Diminished. Let’s check that out first:




OK…let’s see what can be done here. First I move the western musketman forward onto the city site and form a corps on the marble. Second, I move the redlined musket corps into Diminished, bringing the cavalry corps out. It moves to the musket corps original spot and attacks the field cannon for 66 damage. The crossbow corps forgoes promoting for the time being, advances and kills the field cannon. Combat done I do something I should have done a while ago and move the one citizen from the sheep to the truffles. That’s good for an extra bit of gold income.

Doing a quick check of the scores and gold I see that rho21 has spent about 230 gold on something. He doesn’t have Combustion yet as we’re at the same point in the tech tree. Speaking of Combustion, I resume it and have three turns remaining. In the north his Great Engineer has once again shown up, this time northwest of the siege tower. I move the galley up. He may be ship fishing again or just trying to scout. I move the horseman that’s up here a bit to the west, just in case he tries to make landfall.

Over at Apollonius I’ve got a visitor, of sorts:




He may have Combustion sooner rather than later. Two of the battleships bombard the city while the third takes the Bombardment promotion. The city will be zeroed out next turn. My spy stays put for another turn. Landing in three turns.

Back in Azteca the settler is in position. Boy in the Well is founded:




It will work the oasis for the next five turns, then work the oil. Instead of the usual monument build I start Petra. I figure it’s worth a shot, the city won’t amount to much otherwise (size 3-4, tops) and it’ll have 10 per turn once Kenneth’s factory is up and running (next turn) and it can work the oil.

I go to the Great Person screen to pick up Francis Drake. He appears in Harborcoat and I send him over to Hairshirt. Next up is Hogo Heihechiro (affects Modern & Atomic units, +75% and 1 promotion upon retirement). I’ll be able to claim him in...110 turns. Just over the river at Oddfellows I move Spilsbury to the Commercial Hub and activate him. More amenities.

Settler at Begin starts to head for the new city location in the southeast. Begin starts a knight. Find has completed its library and starts a builder.

[suboptimal]

Archduke, any thoughts regarding liberating Hong Kong instead of razing it to the ground? Since Japper and rho21 both declared war on the city-state they'd have zero envoys to my three (for liberating it). I'd be suzerain and the city-state would give me some extra production in four cities (Kenneth, How, Horse and Begin). Hong Kong also has truffles (and a completed Harbor with a lighthouse), which would give me some more amenities and a +1 CS bonus. If rho21 or Japper were to suzerain it out from under me I could go back and take the city, keeping it on the second go around since there shouldn't be an occupation penalty. Rho seems to have dumped most of his envoys at present into Geneva -- he's got 20 in there right now.

It's also got no walls, so would fall in one turn.

[suboptimal]

Turn 183

Rapid turnaround time today. Being home for the holiday helps, but I’ll be headed out in a bit to go watch some fireworks. First, though, I have some fireworks here to attend to:




I cleared out the notification but there’s a Greek battleship up here. Let’s send Sir Drake out for a look:




Yeah, there’s probably another one up there in the fog hiding from the siege tower. I sense Hairshirt could be in trouble here. Rho21 can use the Great Engineer in the same manner that I can use the spy or he may move a spy into the city once he spots it. The other factor here is that I could, in theory, spend a pile of gold to upgrade the archer (!) at Oddfellows and bring that up towards the city – I could do some serious damage to a battleship with it. It would cost 410 to do now but that would drop significantly once I slot in Professional Army in a few turns. I move the archer up towards Hairshirt in preparation. If he advances I’ll put in Professional Army early by finishing Colonialism and taking out Rationalism.

All’s quiet down at Diminished. I promote both the musket and crossbow corps (Battlecry and Arrow Storm, respectively). Rho21’s calvary unit has shown up to check on progress again.

Over at Apollonius I use the northern battleships to almost zero out the city’s defenses – walls are at zero, garrison is at 8. I move the southern battleship down the coast to see what’s there. It’s Hamka’s:




I’ve taken the shot after the battleship moved back. The two southern battleships and the caravel will take and raze that city next turn – one attack from a battleship is enough to redline the city.

Maps and Welcome both have trade routes elapse. I renew Welcome’s but send Maps’ trader to Kenneth. That trade route will push the city up to 50 per turn and Maps doesn’t lose out as the 3 lost from the trade route has been replaced by the factory.

Rho21 has moved ahead of me in the tech tree. Given that the archaeologist is moving off I am assuming he’s completed Combustion. I’ve got two turns left on that tech myself. With Urbanization complete I swap policies – I decided to keep Rationalism and take out Retainers since my amenity situation is not that bad right now. Public Works goes in and I resume Scorched Earth.

Kenneth, having completed its factory, starts a builder. I also realize that I do not have a north-south route between Kenneth and Oddfellows, so I think I’ll send the trader there instead of southwards.

[suboptimal]

Turn 184

In thinking about the current situation in the game I’ve made three decisions regarding the eastern coast of Kongo/Greece:

- Apollonius still needs to die, if only to avert the chance of a religious victory.
- Hong Kong is not worth liberating
- I’m going to keep both of Japper’s coastal cities, rather than razing them.

Japper is in no military position to mount an attack upon a fully fortified city and rho21 would need to commit significant resources in order to liberate them for him, which I don’t think he’s about to do right now. I may also be able to use one or both of those cities as bait in a peace deal – give one or both back to Japper in exchange for ceding Diminished and peace. It’d be a deal more favorable to Japper but it would significantly reduce my current war weariness.

I’m expecting to open the save to Hairshirt being under bombardment from Greek battleships. The question is does he have two or three up here? The good news is that I don’t think that battleships can indirect fire so he’d only be able to get one of them to shoot at the city from 3 hexes away. Of course, once the walls come down he can do a mass assault. What I do need to do is start planning my builds to get some units in the back lines and to possibly retake the city at some point. Let’s see what the situation is:




Hmmm...other than sending Sir Drake back to the city, he’s done nothing. Er, scratch that, he’s bombarded the walls. There wasn’t a notification on the sidebar and I didn’t see that until checking my city screenshot after the turn. He’s done 48 points of damage. I move the siege tower east to the citrus to see what’s there.




If he stays there and I can get 2-3 field cannon up there with Jeanne d’Arc I could sink at least one of them. I do happen to have two archers in the area, but that would take away from my tank upgrades.

Over at Apollonius rho21 has brought in some units and opened up an opportunity to damage his cavalry unit.




I’d be able to take it down to about half-strength in one shot. However, I’d rather kill the unit outright. I would be able to take out the horseman in one shot. I’m going to delay landing by one turn in order to get both muskets on land at the same time. I also hold fire with the northern battleship. I can do about 100 points in one barrage and shooting it for the sake of it is only going to incur war weariness. However, the southern battleships move down the coast a bit and:




One shot from a battleship did 124 damage. The other battleship cleaned up and the caravel takes it. I’ll hold the caravel here to promote next turn. I keep the city, rename it Lotus, set the citizens to work the crabs and jungle tiles and move on to other things.

Builder at How is completed and I start a knight – that will complete the same turn as Scorched Earth. The builder moves towards Boy in the Well. Underneath the Bunker has finished its monument and starts a granary. Kenneth sends the trader to Oddfellows.

I think I have a plan for dealing with the Greek navy, and I think sooner is better than later:




I can complete Colonialism next turn, dropping Free Market and putting in Professional Army. That’ll cost me 20 per turn while I’m in that configuration, but it’ll save me a bunch of cash on upgrading the archers. Next turn they’ll upgrade to field cannon and I’ll transfer Jeanne D’Arc to Oddfellows. The turn after that the units move into the positions denoted by the pins. On the third turn the units can move to firing range of the southern battleship (hill SE of the coal, grassland SE of the citrus) and sink it. I move Jeanne d’Arc to Near’s city center for the transfer next turn. By the time I move into position he’ll have the walls down to nothing. I suppose I could move up a little more and take out the ironclad. That takes away his ability to take the city immediately. Will it work? We’ll find out.

[TheArchduke]

Good stuff! Especially staying focused. You can easily counter his half hearted fleet attacks on nonimportant cities.