Suboptimal and Alhambram explore the unknown lands with Norwegian Longships

[Alhambram]

I intend to stop growth for Oslo and Stavanger at size 4 and Nidaros at size 5 due its encampment. Because a encampment with barracks or stable can give extra culture when pop is used to work with it.
Culture is very scare in this scenario, no monuments or other cultural buildings, just get culture by pure pop growth is main way. Some tiles might be pillaged for culture as example marble.
So our main source of culture is population, we get more pop by growth or settling/conquering more cities. Secondary is use encampments as sort of half monument (1 culture per turn) at cost of 1 worked pop.
With use of encampments, early civics can be researched in handful less turns. Future civics maybe one turn at best.

And your question regarding using faith to get GA, that is good idea, as long cost of faith don't exceed the VP gain that we get with GA as you said.

I intend to have three builders now in each cities (Oslo finish harbor first) and after that no more builders all the way until machinery which unlocks the lumbermills.
Any captured builders is just a bonus which can be used in conquered lands.

[Alhambram]

Been thinking of what Chevduke is going do with their sole Longship if they aren't smuggling units from Denmark to England, most logical option is to pillage more for gold.
So if I am them, I should move Berserker on land and move Longship two tiles east, that is a safe zone from any city garrison and you can pillage French monastery from that tile.

From that tile, Chevduke's Longship can reach all coastal tiles of Utrecht. But they shouldn't know then that we are planning to capture Utrecht.
In that case we might attempt to pillage four tiles for whopping 400 gold next turn. Downside is that we don't take advantage of Utrecht's low defense for 1 turn.
But at same time Chevduke can't see wall of Utrecht HP drop, so they don't know for one turn longer. But conquering Utrecht might be delayed for 1 turn or not if RNG rolls are lucky.
Decisions, decisions, possibly delay Utrecht conquering for 400 gold if Chevduke still don't know about our intentions?

By the way I do intent pillage 3 tiles of Thetford in that case which slows down usage of that city state for Chevduke a bit as bonus. Including a holy site which repairing might take a while.

[suboptimal]

I think that if we can get 400 gold and make them think that nothing is going on at Utrecht for another turn the delay is worth it. If we attack on Turn 2 they'll see the damage on their Turn 3. If we delay a turn does it make it easier or harder for them to interfere once the attack starts?

[Alhambram]

Turn 2:

Opening save reveals several things:
   
Very interesting Chevduke used a different strategy here for Thetford: all three Berserker and Longship attack city. I used to have Longship protect smuggler while one of Berserker kills pesky archer from Tamworth for more GG points.
Also I should save up pillaging farm until if HP is around 50% for maximium health, now Chevduke wastes roughly 30% of healing by pillaging while Berserker is roughly 80% of its health.
But by this more agressive apporach, Chevduke can take Thetford next turn already at turn 3! Though chance that it possibly cost of one Berserker if RNG rolls goes wrong.
In absolute wrong way of RNG rolls Thetford is left with very little health (extremely very low chance, so don't count upon it), so I can take that city with Longboat. Bit risky here buy possibly pay off by having city one turn earlier.
Moreover Longship there means that Chevduke don't smuggle Berserkers to England, which mean we can pillage to our heart's content this turn. Also decision to pillage this turn is made easier by second thing.

Second thing: in all of test games, no matter with Danes, Swedes and Norway, Utrecht defense always drop to 26 strength at turn 2. And behold very moment that we do play real multiplayer, France decides to place a pikeman there.  
This however means that it is pointless to attack Utrecht with Longships now already, so it makes decision to pillage here much easier. I thought that TheArchduke would move his Longship, making double pillage possible.
With double pillage I mean pillage fish tile first and then coastal raid at same turn. Longship can move after pillaging seafood resources but not after coastal raid. Norway Longships with 8 movement points therefore can pillage fish tile and then able to move 2 tiles and finally a coastal raid.
Utrecht having pikeman raises the likehood that we am going capture it at turn 7 instead 6.

Finally where did Chevduke's Berserkers in Denmark go? Not to west and north, south is suicide with French army, therefore east is left and it seems that Chevduke is planning to take Wolin early! With that they are not only in race with Norway for cities but also with Swedes.
This means that Chevduke is too distracted to notice our plan to attack Utrecht next turn. Next turn I am going to move one of Longships near Utrecht already to protect Berserker, but no attack yet. This might give us the chance to pillage one turn more with other two Longships.
It depends upon did Chevduke tech Longships or not.

I did send traders from Stavanger to Kopingsvik and from Oslo to Odense, oh! Trade route to Odense gives me 9 GPT and 1, better than trade route to Kopingsvik! That is due stupid Danish AI never coming with idea to open with harbor in Odense.
But I still want to send trade route from Stavanger to Kopingsvik so it creates a road over rough terrain. Also I did swap away from working fish tile to fur tile in Stavanger, it is going reach size 3 anyways and little more gold is always nice.
   
The injured upper Longship which can promote went all way next Thetford and promote to +1 movement there. Also placing my Longship there might scare Chevduke a bit, making them thinking that we want take Thetford too while our true tagret is Utrecht.
Middle Longship do double pillage with southern fish tile of Eforwic and then farm tile of Thetford to deny Chevduke of possible extra healing item.
Lower Longships goes to safezone between city garrisons and pillage French monastery from it. Total profit from pillages: 300 gold and 25 faith.

As said sending trade route to Odense do raise our acces view:
   
We are going find out next turn what Chevduke did research first. It is important whether it is Longships or not.

Chevduke has 132 gold and 19 GPT.
Grotlizard has 135 gold and 32 GPT.

Tracking treasury is useful for possiblity to buy GA with gold, first GA is worth whopping 1000 VP. So we must claim it and don't allow others to steal it.

Next turn depending which tech Chevduke did research and what they did with their Longboat. We might pillage more with two Longships while one is protecting Berserker near Utrecht, or move all three next Utrecht.
And to answer you question: it is possible for Chevduke to interfere, but as things stands right now, Chevduke is going finally find out our plan when they open save at turn 4. By that time it is too late to prevent two of our Berserkers arriving next Utrecht's coast.
For the last one, I might have him move 2 tiles from Utrecht, making him a tagret of city garrison shot but a Berserker can survive one shot at cost of possible more delay of capturing city at turn 6.
But with Pikeman now in city, just assume that we take Utrecht at turn 7 anyways.

[suboptimal]

Looks like Chevduke tried to come up with their own out of the box approach in going after Wolin. I guess they figure that moving in Sweden's direction would increase their chances. I also used all three beserkers on land in my initial game...maybe they didn't realize that there's no amphibious penalty and/or that the GUI is actually telling the truth that there's no penalty?

Regarding the pikeman, you may want to keep units away from Utrecht until the attack as there's always a chance that the pikeman moves out.

I agree that buying the first GA with gold is also a strong play -- if we don't have Knarrs we can use it as a scout and/or to pathfind the route to the Mediterranean so it's revealed for that campaign.

[Alhambram]

Turn 3:

Chevduke indeed took Thetford this turn and researched Longships and pillaged three tiles around Thetford to massbuy Longships, at least 2 new Longships, one in Thetford and other one in Ribe.
   
Wonder what he is using it for? Attempt to block our attack on Utrecht? Pillage more? or use Longships to aid attack on Wolin and remainder of England.
By the way RNG roll is good for Chevduke, no redlined Berserker due getting shot by archers, it seem that archer went for Danish Longship instead which did heal using fish tile before capturing Thetford.
I took no chances and blocked all coastal tiles adjacent Utrecht this turn and pillaged market next the city, first Berserker arrives next city.
   
Good news is that pikeman moved out city, dropping defense of Utrecht to 44. If France don't move any pikeman/knight unit in Utrecht (sword or archer and city strength remains at 44), the city can fall at turn 6 provided Chevduke rather use Longships for other things than blocking our units.

In Stavanger and Oslo toss down encampments to keep their costs low. Nidaros finished builder and he mined a plain hill. Nidaros start harbor project now which Stavanger is doing it too.
Oslo go builder first and then lighthouse which shall be chopped out using Longships. Stavanger got 1 forest that I want chop out too, chop Longship out there in nearby future and overflow in another harbor project.
We are going make a hard push for GA here.

And save for Suboptimal, sorry I keep forgetting to do it but remembered to save this time. (password Alsub)

  HARALD HARDRADA 3 797 AD Save.Civ6Save (Size: 565.13 KB / Downloads: 0)

[suboptimal]

An interesting start for sure. My best guess is that if they feel they can out-pillage us early it'll hamper our development (though see below). I think Utrecht remains our priority. Good move on blocking the coastline with the longships - prevents a snipe at Utrecht via naval attack. That city should be ours in a few turns and we'll see if they keep going through England. I'd almost expect them to move north and attack at Eoforwic first with their expectation being that we plan to invade northern England in short order.

One thing to keep in mind -- Chevduke cannot block our beserkers with their longboats. We can move through and stop in the same hex as their boats since they move in different "layers" and we are allies. He also won't be able to prevent our beserkers going through the Channel unless he commits his own to blockading. Likewise, the presence of a beserker along a coast does not prevent one of our longboats from moving in and pillaging. I have to wonder if they think that longboats can block our land units and are thinking that they'll prevent us from getting land forces where we need them, in which case they'll find out the hard way they do not.

Thanks for the save, I won't be able to look at it until I get home but do plan to try to take a look tonight.

[Alhambram]

Turn 4:

Chevduke surely know now that we are going for Utrecht and they decided to not interfere. Instead pillaging more of England and sending their new Longships past Utrecht.
   
Chevduke did pillage commerical district (I did market building previous turn, not the district itself) and it attracted French army, placing its knight in Utrecht. I went for 1 attack with Berserker to start siege of Utrecht.
Hopefully next turn that army turns to south taking that knight in Utrecht along. Otherwise it is going be 5/6 turns grinding down the city. I am not breaking my Longship formation as long Danish Longships are around.

Finished Apprenticeship and start Longships. Finished builder in Stavanger and start Harbor project there, Oslo finish Harbor giving me Naval Tradition, start builder there.
Finally we can start a civic that don't require 100% boost, this is moment that I start work with pop in Nidaros encampment, shortening research of Naval Empire from 18 to 14 turns.
I am going capture Utrecht with Longship which shall give boost for Naval Empire.

Policy swap: Ilkum stay for Oslo's builder and Feudal Contract is removed in favor of Maritime Industries for 100% chops soon. Chevduke also finished Naval Tradition and went with both Feudal Contract and Maritime Industries as Denmark got 2 military policy slots plus Caravansaries in economic slot.
Grotlizard is going finish Naval Tradition this turn too and previous turn they did finish Longships tech, so except to see some Swedish Longships passing the narrow strait between Norway and Denmark.

[suboptimal]

Good that they aren't planning to interfere at Utrecht. I suppose the question becomes do they continue conquering southern England or will they shift gears to try to beat us to Rouen? Unfortunately I don't know that the knight will leave the city with foreign units within sight range. As for the district it can always be repaired once the city's walls are done.

[Alhambram]

Turn 5:

Still grinding down Utrecht:
   
Seems that Chevduke started attacking Wolin, also Chevduke got first GG which gives a free Berserker, useful for Wolin. Meanwhile in England pillaging by Chevduke but still unclear what they are aiming first, Tamworth or Eoforwic.

In Nidaros slow down growth to keep Nidaros at size 5 as long as possible. At turn 7 chop out Longships, in Stavanger overflow in Harbor project and in Oslo overflow in lighthouse.