Suboptimal and Alhambram explore the unknown lands with Norwegian Longships

[suboptimal]

Do you think we'll take Utrecht on Turn 7 or Turn 8 at this point?

I think once the city falls we need to get a longboat to scout out the channel and/or the English coast.

[Alhambram]

Do you think we'll take Utrecht on Turn 7 or Turn 8 at this point?

I think once the city falls we need to get a longboat to scout out the channel and/or the English coast.

Yes, turn 7 or 8, likely 8 at this moment. Chevduke is busy pillaging area around channel, in the worst case they attempt to take Rouen before us. Meanwhile in Baltic sea:
   
Chevduke and Grotlizard are both besieging city states, seems that Apuole might fall this turn when Grotlizard plays their turn and question is whether they can push towards Wolin to snipe city from Chevduke.

And siege of Utrecht is going slowly, at least walls are gone next turn hopefully. I did finish Longships this turn and started them in all cities. Next tech Mead Halls so I can buy settler for boost for Shield Walls.
   
Nidaros finishes harbor project, giving us little advantage over others regarding GA and Nidaros start Longship which can finished in 1 turn thanks overflow. We need more pillages, Chevduke got big pillage advantage now.
Other two cities swap to Longships because I am going chop them out next turn. Chopped out Longships start with 4 movement points, turn after that normal 8 movement points.
Overflow in Stavanger into another harbor project and at Oslo in Lighthouse.

Save:

[Alhambram]

Turn 7:

It is going be turn 8 of taking Utrecht, walls still stands, 7 hp left. That strength of knight in city is main cause why I wasn't able take Utrecht at turn 6 already.
Meanwhile Chevduke took Tamworth at turn 7 which is really fast, I am wondering how they manages this fast.
I fears that we are too late for Wintanceaster and possibly Rouen too. Grotlizard took Apuole, siege of Wolin still ongoing.
   
Now six Longships under our service, time to resume pillaging of England and France as soon before Chevduke take all cities.
Chevduke already got religion due fast pillaging, the result is that they miss out 100 gold per pillaging and VP for faith pillaging which is a little bit good news for us.
Chevduke has 0 gold in treasury, seems that they bought Berserkers and Longships non stop, this means that they can't steal GA with gold that easily.

[suboptimal]

Hmmm....looks like we ay have been put a little behind schedule with Utrecht taking longer than expected. However their inability to replenish their treasury represents short-term advantage we'll need to exploit. Looks like we'll also get a free builder to send back to Norway...

[Alhambram]

Turn 8:

Took Utrecht, used Longship to capture city to get boost for Naval Empire. Also pillaged a sheep tile in Scotland for 125 gold.
   
Bought a Berserker in Utrecht to get kill next turn for Military Tradition boost.

Meanwhile Chevduke seems have trouble around Wolin, retreating his units. But in England and Rouen they got more success:
   
Rouen is probably going fall next turn. Eoforwich is going take a while without ram.

In Norway:
   
Next chop lined up for next turn, overflow in 4th Trader for Hacksilver boost. Then finish Lighthouse and builder in Oslo.
Also plan to buy archer and settler next turn for two boosts (Shield Wall and Portage). At this moment neither Grotlizard and Chevduke seems to be threat for first GA.

[suboptimal]

Whether or not they take Rouen next turn will depend on the damage rolls, the damage on the one beserker and if there's anything in the encampment to attack them during the AI's turn. Would it be a good idea to take the undamaged longboat, move it ahead of the danish fleet and get some pillaging in at Wintanceaster? It'd also occupy one of the three sea access points and might let us sneak a beserker in there if they turn their attention there next. If it's a good idea I'm thinking the tile either E or SE of the city. Yes, two bombardments are possible but I don't know how the AI will choose its targets with the Danes in the area as well.

Chevduke's score is mostly due to pre-religious pillaging, which would be another reason to send one (or both) of the longboats ahead of the danish fleet - it would let us get some pillaging in on the west coast of England (along with that longboat up north).

There is a potentially good pillaging opportunity SE of Utrecht with the farms and the commercial hub. They also wouldn't move us closer to religion yet. Do you think a huscarl or a horseman would be worth investing in for that purpose? The pikes would be held up by the beserker & encampment ZoC's and pillaging farms would keep the horseman alive. Two pillages and the horse has paid for itself.

[Alhambram]

Turn 9:

Rouen isn't taken yet due France placing a knight in Rouen, but it will fall next turn. If Chevduke do somehow fail, I can snipe with 4 tile moving Berserker.
The problem? I CAN'T move Longships to fogged tile if two units of other player is blocking ahead, this not only means that I can't get past Rouen but past Eoforwic as well.
   
I did pillage Rouen's holy site down to ground for 100 gold and 12 faith. Captured builder from Dun Breatann with Longship.
I moved archer in Utrecht and it shot at Pikeman that couldn't escape due Berserker's zone of control in encampment. Then Berserker moved out encampment and got kill for Military Tradition boost.
Bought archer and settler in Utrecht for Shield Wall, Portage and Military Training boost (6 land units).

I put one of Berserker under Longship upon French tile so he get 4 movement bonus. Other two just landed upon Danish/English soil, beacuse I could do it and any waterways are blocked by Cheduke anyways.
I am going attempt to snipe Eoforwic or Winlanceaster over land and if both fail, then Dun Breatann remains. Bought settler is also moving over English soil in direction of Ierland.

   
Chopped out another Longship in Oslo, overflow in trader. Policy swap due Military Tradition: Caravaniseres for 1 turn in (+6 gold) and next turn that policy card goes out in favor of double harbor policy card (+12 gold).

[suboptimal]

The beserker won't be able to snipe Rouen if the opportunity presented itself. It would need to be able to move to a clear tile in order to attack and there's no tile to attack from. The tile to the east is across the river from the city and a 4-move beserker can't get there. I think we got outmaneuvered in this part of the game. However, Utrecht may form a good jump point for starting against the French interior, we may be able to get an English city and the Mediterranean campaign remains a possibility using the irish settlement as the jump point.

[Alhambram]

Turn 10:

Rouen is taken by Chevduke, it is busy at seas around England now with Swedish Longships joining.
   
Note that by landing Berserker 2 tiles above Rouen, the canal tiles west of Rouen became visible for me, as result I could send over some Longships.
One of Longship pillaged crab tile for health, but all other tiles at England has been pillaged by Chevduke or a enemy unit is standing atop it.
I think that we should send couple Longships to west France/Spain for more pillaging.
   
Chevduke gained quite points for GA, likely from kills from embarked enemy units. Next turn should we claim GA if possible?

[Alhambram]

Turn 11:

Finished Lighthouse in Oslo, a builder now to farm three tiles for Feudalism boost. Stavanger finished project and started a Longship since 100% naval production is still online and more Longships are always better, right?
   
I did moved Berserker from Utrecht in direction of England, since I got boost for killing unit with Berserker, it isn't a point to keep him around Utrecht, just have two archers inflict some damage at Frech army.
In my testgames, French army don't seriously bother Utrecht till after roughly 10/15 turns after capture, so I have time to build walls and some buildings normally.

Wolin hasn't been attacked past turn, we might see the reason in this pic: a French knight is harassing Odense's encampment, resulting in situation where Chevduke's units at landtiles west of Wolin might be attacked in rear by French knights.
That French kinghts are a UU, same strength as normal knight but no penalty from being damaged same as vanilla Japanese samurai, this makes them a pain in ass to deal with.
This delays their assault at Wolin greatly and opening a good chance for Grotlizard to claim Wolin instead if Chevduke isn't blocking all tiles.

At England, it seems that assault of Chevduke has slowed up a bit, likely due very early religion which disables 100 gold per pillage to replace losses easily.
   
With some bravoure I killed two swordsmen from Eoforwic and placed one of my Berserker next city, ready to snipe city if Chevduke fail to capture city and left it redlined.
Note that Chevduke bought a settler, likely for Ierland, but do they know that a barb camp just spawned in Ierland?  
Normally barbs rarely spawns in England or Ierland with AI players but it seems that Grotlizard is mopping up camp after camp, resulting a new random spawning of barb camps in whole map, including one close east of Nidaros.

I did pillage three tiles, including two faith generating tiles, this brings our score above 1000, slowing apporaching Chevduke.
More importantly I got enough gold to buy GA (worth 830 gold), after checking all things: Chevduke's and Grotlizard's points and gold, I concluded that they can't claim GA next turn.
So I decided to save up gold, with another project completed next turn, cost shall be much lower and we can spend gold for other things, more berserkers for example if needed.
However I might be mistaken if they are hiding some projects. But I assume that they are more busy with other things at this moment.

Chevduke is in middle of war against English states and Wolin, at same time harassed by French army, so need for units here. More importantely easy gold access by pillaging is sealed for Chevduke due early religion.
Chevduke got 12 gold in treasury and 27 GPT.

Grotlizard got 77 gold and 65 GPT, GA is worth over 1000 gold for both other players. Grotlizard can pillage but England is out of pillage options and I got advantage of pillaging France and Spain before Grotlizard does.

In case that one of players somehow get GA, it is still worth 165 points because nobody has advanced to next era and I can buy and move GA 2 turns faster thanks Norway alibity. Moreover Norway spawns GA right at North Sea while other two need to move them through Kattegat first.
Next turn finish Portage and start Knarr for ocean access.