November 10th, 2020, 00:36
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Turn 132
Start turn off with finishing...
Before I do my policy change, I look to see if Canada accepted my peace offer. He didn't accept it but rather resent the exact offer, peace for my extra whales. Best guess is that he looked at the deal before realizing Ichabod and Kaiser made peace, then realized he lost his +5 combat bonus for his alliance with Ichabod, then reoffered it. I accept. I earned 2 envoys that I put into Venice and take over as suzerain. Now for the policy change...
I swap out Conscription for Professional Army and replace Chivalry for Serfdom. My income drops by 36  but thanks to Venice, it is a net decrease of only 9 , which is not bad. I upgrade an archer, a quadrireme, and a spearmen to a pike and shot. The pike and shot completes a quest at Geneva, bring me to 3 envoys and gaining +2  (1 library so far).
Down on the west coast...
Ichabod brought his caravel out to play. I move my southern frigate north, reposition my redlined frigate and shoot with both, removing about half of its health. I then take it out with my caravel...
My caravel will take 2 hits from the crossbowmen but should survive. Take out the caravel is excellent news. Sao Paulo's strength is no longer 70 and I should be able to start attacking the city. I did take YiSun Sin (GA) this turn. Was planning on passing, hoping for the one that provides an armada but figured it would be better to get the Admiral into the field, instead of waiting a few extra turns. I think suboptimal was about 50 points to earning the next one, so if I passed on YiSun Sun, I would lose those 50 points and would need to earn them back. Anyways, I transfer him to Fez and he will get into action in a few turns. Next one is the one that provides the Armada. This could complicate things with suboptimal. An armada frigate could do some serious damage to a city. Need those better walls, especially at Fez (which I start this turn).
In other news...
Ichabod retreated his courser at Fortaleza but advanced some crossbowmen at Misty Mountains. I retreat my crossbowmen, in hopes he doesn't advance much more. If he does, they will be in range of the city and I should be able to kill one, especially if I upgrade one to a field cannon, increasing the attacks strength.
Next turn, I am going to go after the crossbowmen at Recife...see if I can get a few more kills in. I will also start getting my bombards into position at Fortaleza. The musketman needs to heal but I can attack the city with a couple of cuirassiers, a pike and shot, a courser, and a field cannon. Most of the work will be done by the bombards and figure it will only take a few turns to take the city. Then, it will be on to Rio. My current navy should be able to grab the coastal cities, so it is only a matter of 6-10 turns and I should have Ichabod's capital.
Over at Manaus, it might take longer. I need a few more musketmen to be able to push and take down the walls. He has at least 4 crossbows, the city attack, plus whatever is in the city. It might be another instance where I need a bombard sitting in the encampment I am building to remove the walls before I launch the attack. I could have Gondor start one next turn. Encampment is due in 8 turns. Might be able to speed it up with a chop.
It also looks like Kaiser is going to take Vilnius on his turn. If we do end up going to war, it should be an easy city to take. It is on the wrong side of the mountain range for him to reinforce. I think Ichabod has 20-30 turns left, then I can start thinking about Kaiser...unless he attacks me and complicates everything. This game could live up to my thread title.
November 10th, 2020, 05:40
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Got you - thanks.
Really enjoying following along with this.
November 11th, 2020, 14:29
Posts: 3,023
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Joined: Apr 2017
Turn 133
To keep up with tradition, start off with...
If anybody is curious, I post completed techs and civics so if I want to come back and compare progress to another game, they are easy to find.
Anyways, no new attacks out of Fortaleza, so I rearrange my units and do some upgrades to get ready to start the assault next turn. I upgrade 2 knights and and a crossbowman by Fortaleza and upgrade a warrior to a musketman by Rivendell. I ended up with 16 left in the bank...
Three builders finished this turn and I send them to do some much needed improvement. The one by the Black Gate will harvest the copper for some more upgrade gold, otherwise teh others are going to tile improvements so my cities aren't working unimproved tiles. I switch Osgiliath back to finish its builder in 2 turns.
Along the western coast...
Ichabod attacked my caravel but only did minimal damage. I promote the redlined Frigate and attack the injured crossbowman, killing it. Next, I shot at the full strength one, redlining it with another Frigate. Here is where my ships stand at the end of the turn...
All are back and ready to take out Sao Paulo. Two turns until my Admiral can help out. I decided to wait to take Recife until after Fortaleza and Sao Paulo. No need to waste the energy on a city that will flip back free in a few turns. This also lets me pick off Ichabod's crossbowman. Best scenario would be Ichabod retaking the city with a knight or courser, then I could take the city and remove one of his units at the same time.
Finally, good news on the score front, I finally overcame Ichabod in points...
It is a little deceptive, since he has a bunch more wonder, religion, and era points than me, which means I have been in a stronger position for a while but it is good to see leading the score board. In other news, not sure what Kaiser is doing at Vilnius. It doesn't look like he made any progress against the city and has pulled his units to outside their borders. He was able to remove their walls in a single turn, why not take the city right away. Who knows? Maybe one of those times where unit preservation gets in the way of successful attacks.
November 12th, 2020, 00:50
(This post was last modified: November 12th, 2020, 10:51 by Woden.)
Posts: 3,023
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Joined: Apr 2017
Turn 134
Open the save to something surprising, Ichabod has advanced his crossbowman to in range of Misty Mountains...
I shot him with the city attack and then move my full strength crossbowman west and kill the unit. I then move up my units to start the attack.
Over at Fortaleza...
Ichabod had a bunch of units hiding in the fog that he moved up. Let's see what kind of damage I can do. I shot the crossbowman with the bombard, then finish it off with the courser. I move the cuirassier and pike and shot up to next to the knights and take a potshot at the northern knight with the northern bombard. I shot the courser with the field cannon and hit it with the cuirassier out of Fez. Here is the after action positions...
There is a good chance my cuirassier will die if both knights attack but that is acceptable. I kill a injured crossbowman by Recife with a frigate and start assaulting Sao Paulo with my other frigates. In total I killed 3 crossbowmen this turn, which is awesome! I also am starting the major assault, attacking at 3 different directions...
Attacking at Fortaleza with the bombards, should be able to take both Recife and Sao Paulo next turn, and am moving units towards Manuas. This will hopefully split Ichabod's forces and make it easier to attack. I think we see the majority of Ichabod's forces in the above screenshot. He is at a military strength of 641 and if you include the 3 dead crossbowmen, what we see is just a little under 400, mean there is only another 240-260 out in the fog. Those units could cause trouble but I might be able to break Ichabod soon, which is good because I noticed this down by Venice...
That great scientist is probably the one that provides science per mountain range and best guess is that he is going to the tile by Cassius that has 5 mountains around it. I did look at the gossip and Kaiser has been trading with Brazil in the last few turns. There are 2 entries and I figure one was peace and then there was another trade. If he doesn't have open borders, why travel so far when there is a 4 mountain tile right by Fortaleza. This means, in 3 turns when the scientist is activated, I could be facing field cannons or cavalry. I think those are the 2 that he could potentially reach. maybe it will be frigates and Ichabod has a bunch of quadriremes siting in the lake by Sao Paulo. That would be funny, I take the city, then trap a bunch of ships in the lake. Anyways, see that scientist made me start my assault by Misty Mountains early, was going to wait until next turn when I slotted War of Religion policy but need to act before he upgrades crossbowmen. Good thing I have been killing a bunch of them in the last few turns.
November 12th, 2020, 13:09
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Exciting times! Going well but potential danger lurks around the corner.
November 17th, 2020, 16:43
Posts: 3,023
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Apologize for not posting recently, have been busy in RL and we have only played 3 turns, well 2 turns plus a world congress. So, I am not that far behind.
Turn 135
Start off turn with...
Before I change my policies, I harvest the copper at The Black Gate and upgrade a knight and crossbow at Misty Mountains. Then I swap policies...
The only combat strength I have to deal with now if DotF and I can counter it with my melee units using the Oligarchy legacy card. Here is what the field looks like by Fortaleza...
Ichabod did kill one of my cuirassiers but had to throw everything he had at it. Before I attack I look down along the west coast...
Okay, he killed one of my frigates and has a one of his own in Sao Paulo. Let's start there. I shift my ships around a little, bring the double promoted one down from Recife, along with the Admiral. I hit the city with the fleet frigate, removing most of the walls. This was followed by a hit from the double promoted frigate and the single promoted frigate. Finally, the caravel strikes the city, taking it. The unpromoted frigate shoots Recife and is taken by the injured caravel. Two more cities for me, for at least 2 turns.
Up at Fortaleza, my courser go after the builder. I am going to use him as bait to draw fire from Ichabod. Next, I bring my bombards up and fire with one of them. Finally, I focus my attacks on the knight by Fortaleza. Here is what it looks like at teh end of the turn...
Over at Manuas, I move up units towards the city. Here are the main fronts...
I may lose a musket at Manuas if he has a bunch of crossbows in the fog but now that they are fighting at roughly equal combat bonuses, they may survive.
Elsewhere, looking around a few of my cities are hurting for luxuries. I look at the trade screen and see suboptimal has 2 luxeries I don't have and I have 2 he doesn't. I offer him his extras for mine. Not sure if he will go for it but mind as well try.
Turn 136
Start off with...
Slot in mass production to complete in 2 turns. At Fortaleza...
He did not go for the courser, choosing to go after the other cuirassier. At least he is only able to focus on one unit at a time. I kill the knight with the field cannon and pike and shot. Shoot the city with both bombards, removing the walls. I also move the courser up to the city, leaving the builder in range of the horsemen, which can be killed with a frigate if he goes after it. City will fall next turn. If he goes after the pike and shot, I capture it with the courser. If he goes after the courser, I take it with the pike and shot. He can't kill both with the units I see. Here is what it looks like at the end of the turn...
Over at Manuas, Ichabod moves his crossbow back and hits my musket but doesn't kill him. I promote him with the +10 defense to ranged attacks promotion. I also bring my courser up to pillage a lumbermill and bring my other cavalry up to run around teh city and attack any crossbows north of the city.
Get the notification that the World Congress will meet. Somebody must have called an emergency against Kaiser for taking Vilinus. This is not good since I will probably declare on everybody who accepts it if it passes. This means suboptimal may start causing troubles if he accepts. He also did accept my deal, so he might not want to get involved.
Turn 136-World Congress
Fun turn, I open the save, see the World Congress screen, push the button to open it and it goes CMF/williams482 turn prompt. Definitely an emergency against Kaiser. I can't vote since I still have an alliance with him. Funny that I can't at least vote against it.
Overall, I think Ichabod is broke now. Taking Sao Paulo and Fortaleza next turn, opens his capital up for attack and taking that will destroy his game. Then it will be clean up duty to grab all of his other cities.
November 17th, 2020, 16:53
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Will your military success affect your alliance with Kaiser negatively? He's been deadlocked against Canada for so long - maybe he will shift gears and try to stop you from taking Brazil, either by going after Brazil himself or declaring war on you and ending your +5 strength bonus.
November 17th, 2020, 17:05
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(November 17th, 2020, 16:53)marcopolothefraud Wrote: Will your military success affect your alliance with Kaiser negatively? He's been deadlocked against Canada for so long - maybe he will shift gears and try to stop you from taking Brazil, either by going after Brazil himself or declaring war on you and ending your +5 strength bonus.
Very much on my mind right now. I don't suspect another Friendship will be available and, frankly, I don't want one. My goal will be to shift gears and take Kaiser's capital as soon as I finish off Ichabod. It should be very reachable and I should be able to hit it with my fleet frigate. This will hopefully draw some concessions for everybody, well maybe suboptimal has some big dreams of building a fleet that can do some damage but with my production center, it won't take long to get a bunch of frigates built to defend. Also, Kaiser is currently not at war with Ichabod, so I don't have the +5 CS bonus right now, but I am also at peace with Canada so Ichabod doesn't have it now either.
I am currently, or will soon be, building medieval walls in my eastern holding in preparation for an attack. Then, they are going to start on Renaissance walls. That should hold him off for a few turns and let me get some more units over there if he does attack. Also, as soon as I can take Manaus, I am going to start shifting a few units to help defend against an attack from Kaiser. There might be a short period where he could pressure The Black Gate but anything west of Moria (including the city itself) is safe; too many choke points.
November 18th, 2020, 09:27
(This post was last modified: November 18th, 2020, 09:28 by Woden.)
Posts: 3,023
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Turn 137
Results of the World Congress are in...
It fails and looks like only Canada wanted to go after the emergency. Good, no world war!
Both Sao Paulo and Recife rebelled this turn...
Ichabod also didn't go after my trap builder, instead brought his horseman up to Fortaleza and he also moved the crossbow out of the city. Too bad, I could have killed everything if he left the unit in the city and grabbed the builder. He attacked my Pike and Shot but was not able to kill it. I bombard the city twice, then attack with the Pike and Shot to take the city. Next, the field cannon moved up and killed one of the injured crossbows and crossbow moves up and kills the other injured crossbow. Finally, my courser hits the horseman, taking a little less than half his health.
As for Sao Paulo and Recife, my boats easily take both cities back....
Over at Manuas, Ichabod redlines one of my muskets but gave him a promotion. He takes the +10 to ranged attacks promotion. I move my third musket toward the city and attack with one musket, taking about a third of the walls health. Should be able to remove the walls next turn. My cavalry are moving around the city to attack the crossbows from behind or hopefully draw fire from my muskets. After I played my moves, I realized I could have them go south and capture Vitoria before it gets walls up. Might do that next turn, depending on what Ichabod does on his turn.
Next turn, I should get eyes on Rio and see how hard it is going to be to capture. Hopefully it doesn't have walls, since all his other interior cities don't but I am pretty sure he can 1 turn them if he wants.
November 19th, 2020, 14:26
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Great to have some updates!
War going well, bit annoying at the cities flipping - how long till they flip again?? Crazy mechanic.
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