[SPOILER] Close to Win

[Charriu]

T160-T161:

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Gnah I hate this game right now, for the hard decissions it forces upon me. But I'm getting ahead of me.




First of all ATs HA stack is back into visibility for me.




To counter that I moved a pikeman into a tile where AT must see him. I'm trying to say here, that if you attack me it will be another bloodbath so go away. Now the big turn of events is that Mjmd has de-throned pindicator with taking 3 cities from him so far.




Let me rephrase the last sentence. pindicator is falling apart at the seams and need desperate help. And here we are at the tough decision the game forces upon me.

Do I start a war against Mjmd, helping a long time supporter and ally of mine in pindicator and backstabbing a newly acquired ally in Mjmd

or

Do I do nothing and leave pindicator hanging, but staying true to my new ally Mjmd.

But that's not all in 7Ts Jowy can attack me and there is the madman AT in the north. Sometimes I hate this game. Now I don't need to decide immediately as pindicator wouldn't want me to give up the moment of surprise, which is why I rejected.




Mjmd strengthens his defense on our border with maceman and longbowmen. I moved my main army into a flexible position in DiplomatKobold and moved some units from GoldsmithSkags towards ExploringFauns, which pindicator can see with his chariot. So even though I rejected he sees my troop movement, which already telegraphs more towards him then what I want. If I attack Mjmd then this would most likely happen in the second half of T163 and by sending pindicator a "declare war" offer to get me into the second half. The goal in that war would be to raze Cornbread, which secures me the iron via culture from Flying Barbarian. I would also want to capture the Mjmd city west of IceKeenWitches and maybe even razing Salmon. This should make for a better border situation.

Now here are the pros and cons of both approaches:

War with Mjmd
Pro:

• Supporting a long time ally and supporter.
  
• Defense is weak for now
  
• At start of war I have 5 turns of peace remaining with Jowy.
  
• Releasing tension on the border
  
• Securing another iron resource
  
• Hurting the top player
  
• Mjmd could attack me next after he is done with pindicator, so it's a preventive war.
  

Con:

• Betraying a newly acquired ally, which hurts the most.
  
• Being surrounded by three mortal enemies in the future.
  
• Therefore defending against all sides
  
• Maybe starting a dogpile vs me
  

Staying out of the conflict
Pro:

• Focusing all military action towards Jowy.
  
• Keeping true to a newly acquired ally.
  
• Keeping a peaceful western border at least until Mjmd is done with pindicator
  

Con:

• Betraying or letting down a long time ally
  
• Being totally depended and at the mercy of the top player Mjmd for the future (iron at Jowys border)
  
• Strengthening the top player
  
• pindicator could fall, who will stop Mjmd after that? Superdeath will be too weak and Mr. Cairo too passive.
  

What to do, what to do? The thing I'm struggling most is the human and meta layer of betraying an ally, which I really don't like. I can only loose here.

[Charriu]

Here some better overview shots from the western border.






I also took the opportunity to move the pikeman back into GoldsmithSkags now that AT has seen it and I switched BerzerkHalfling to a trireme. The only city in the inner sea that can build caravals there is BerzerkHalfling. Starting caraval production only when Optics is researched is way to late. That's why I build a few triremes that I will upgrade to caravals, which will cost me 50 gold. It's less expensive than I expected, but that's the fastest way to get at least on caravel to kill Jowys trireme. The galleys could be killed by triremes after that.

[shallow_thought]

T160-T161:

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Gnah I hate this game right now, for the hard decissions it forces upon me. But I'm getting ahead of me.


What to do, what to do? The thing I'm struggling most is the human and meta layer of betraying an ally, which I really don't like. I can only loose here.

Urgh. Yeah, this is high on the list of reasons I didn't really take up MP after PB40.

I can't really give advice - too little knowledge of this game, too little skill full stop! - but I don't think either move is really much of a betrayal in a free-for-all game. You absolutely need to do what is best for your game. What is that? Um ...

[GeneralKilCavalry]

How do those uber-promoted gallic warriors fare against longbows?

[Charriu]

It's not like the gallic warriors outright kill longbowman. But thanks to the 50% withdrawal from guerilla 3 they survive a lot of fights. After playing around with them that withdrawal is a lot more interesting then the hill attack.

[GeneralKilCavalry]

It's not like the gallic warriors outright kill longbowman. But thanks to the 50% withdrawal from guerilla 3 they survive a lot of fights. After playing around with them that withdrawal is a lot more interesting then the hill attack.

I  was thinking that combined with the added city attack, their odds would be passable.

[Charriu]

I'm always thinking about attaching a GG to one of those and taking 'tactics' and with 80% withdrawal with maximum survivability.

[Charriu]

T162-T163:

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And suddenly there is no more decision to be made. Mjmd and pindicator signed peace in T162. Great. AT also signed my corn for corn offer, so no attack from that side. That leaves me to focus on Jowy with AT maybe joining. Maybe?  

Now it will be interesting to see what Mr. Cairo does with his 10 whips he did in T162. AT has engineering too, so maybe he hits pindicator or is brave enough to dethrone the newly crowned top player Mjmd.  

Superdeath also send OB, which I took. Jowy has build some courthouse I think, because he can put more espionage into me.

[Charriu]

T164:

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Did AT use a Great Artist for a culture bomb here? I can't remember that culture was such a big struggle up here. Strange. Should have put more focus on documenting the culture up north.

[Old Harry]

Does it show AT's cities on the victory screen?