What is Russia's coal income, by the way? Your screenie said that he had 6 on your Turn 180. If he is broke enough in terms of coal and we are sad enough about faith-buying a GA I might maybe see an argument for continuing to mass and waiting for destroyers. Depends on if he is able to mass-upgrade BS immediately upon getting Refining or if he will need to wait to free up coal via destroyer upgrades first.
I cannot quite reach Australia's ships, my lead caravel has 8 movement. I will move into the bay by Fort Miln where he can't scout me and wait a turn.
Edit: I had 18, now have 8 after new builds and sending you 2. I should bank 2 next turn. Coal city will be founded next turn and new mine will be hooked up in 3 turns (move, chop, mine), then I will have 24 coal.
No Cossacks appeared in Australia, right? That's pretty good, probably next turn is when we will see them.
Did you happen to catch if Australia retreated from Anoch Sun? We may have a choice to make in terms of which half of his fleet to try to kill soon...
I almost wonder if I shouldn't just bum-rush the southern fleet with my ships and risk eating a first strike. The only reason I'm hesitating about that is that 1/3 of my striking power is still a few turns behind...
No Cossacks in Australia. In the north, there is now 2 frigates and some caravels but it didn't look like he attacked. Not sure what he is doing up there. Maybe they are under the impression that the emergency would end but then again, why would you stick around the city. Maybe he is moving his fleet around the north or scouting it out. Not sure what to think.
I think if you get closer and let your trailing ships catch up a little bit, we will do alright. I am not sure if you can reach him.
Can't reach him this turn but I could get 2 tiles away, then my leading frigates could hit him the following turn since I have a 3 tile movement advantage. It's not a bad place to do it either since I have a 3 tile choke, and I doubt they have many frigates left in the south at this point. It would force him to engage next turn or eat a first strike, and I think given that choice he would engage, and probably not do that much damage either. We would also get to hit him without assistance from the misplaced northern ships.
I don't know, I think it's worth serious consideration. I doubt he will take the ironclad bait, he didn't last time it was offered. The main reason I am hesitating is to give my trailing ships time to catch up...
edit: Are you considering engaging Russia without the GA, or are we 100% going to wait for it? I am not sure what the right answer is, just wondering about your thinking.
edit2: First pass thought is we should carefully track whether he gets Radio, then delay Refining until we have the GA in theater to avoid tipping him off. But that could go really badly too so idk...
What do you think, take the 50/50 of a one-shot on a full health frigate or the guaranteed kill on the caravel in the yellow? I am kind of thinking the latter so as to not freak them out too much . But there is no way they will keep ships up here if I am doing that kind of damage.
I think they did fire at the city btw, or I would have healed off the damage from last turn. They are just whittling my health down EXTREMELY slowly, it looks like...
Get the kill. I think we delay Refining until he finishes his next tech (Radio). I don't really care much about the GA, I could go either way. My main concern is getting as many ships up there and having ranged support. And the ranged support will be the biggest delay, since they have to travel a distance.
We can't wait too long, as I will need to stop building ironclads or run teh risk of using up all my coal. I am going to have to be careful and merge all I can. In 5 turns, I can have close to 20 fleets ( I have 12 now). Too bad they are spread out a bit.
Bad news...I think I have almost zero chance of holding the campuses. These are the kind of odds I am getting against the Cossacks with no Twilight Valor:
I also simmed it out and it only costs 2 movement for them to attack me on the hill, which means if I make the hilltop P/S into a corps, it will be quadruple-attacked next turn and is guaranteed dead. It does get good odds against the Cossacks at first with ~91 defensive strength vs the lead Cossack having only 88 attack strength, but it will die to four attacks for sure.
Or, I can stick a full-health P/S onto the north campus, a full-health corps onto the south campus, and an 89 health corps onto the plains where the highlighted P/S is. I think they would all survive a turn as they can only be double-attacked at worst (the north campus P/S likely dies to a double attack but can only be single attacked). But then on the following turn one of my units will be critically injured or dead and need to retreat, and then they can triple attack the southern campus for what is likely a guaranteed kill. I will also do significantly less damage with this plan than the sacrificial P/S corps plan above as I will not be defending on a hill and will have worse support bonuses.
I guess I am wondering if I should try one of these doomed battle plans if it will only delay them by a few turns at most, or if I should conserve my units. Or if there is some other brilliant plan you have in mind that can hold this position. Eg, maybe I could vacate the southern campus just to get a potshot from Linear A when they move onto it (I don't think they can pillage this turn), and then try to kill it on offense (though I would not get good odds and then would be very badly injured for the fight against the rest of the Cossacks).
Right now I am leaning towards the sacrificial hill corps and hoping the Cossacks take enough damage that I can force them to retreat for a few turns. But I am not optimistic. I figured I should solicit feedback before doing something that might close our battleship window (or open one for Russia). Also I have spent roughly 4 hours on this turn and have a morning flight tomorrow...
edit: Tiny bright spot in the gloom: I did kill the triple-promoted frigate fleet at Cuneiform. They may beat us to battleships, but at least they will not have that one.
Naturally I am now wondering if I should have made more P/S instead of all these wall upgrades...but really, I can forgive myself for that. Is having 2 more P/S now worth still having Ancient Walls in Linear A/B when Russia comes calling, with the loyalty situation balanced on a knife's edge? I do not really think so... In Geneva I am admittedly wasting time on Renaissance Walls which is greedy and stupid, but one more unit from there would not have made the difference I don't think...
A couple of things on your sim, he is getting flank and terrain, so it is not as bad as it looks. Also, you should fortify them and get that bonus, I say make the front one a crops and if you can get another one on the campuses. Don't attack, let him attack and fortify. You will be harder to kill. Attack his Cossacks with cities and defend your position.
Edit
And make sure your units are supported.
Edit2: I hope you plan on moving that Caravel north of Cuneiform. I would hate for him to go kill it, then spot my ironclads.
. But there is no way they will keep ships up here if I am doing that kind of damage.