[Spoilers] luddite tries to remember how this game works

[luddite]

He will have a tough time dealing with artillery both as stack defenders and as collateral units. So maybe aim for at least 2-3 when you counter-attack.

I would try to re-plant Dulle Griet as it has good tiles and you want another production queue. It also comes without whip anger and is cheaper as imp. As longs as you can defend it, the slow down in military production is not that big in the medium term. The cost of the settler is half an AT and the granary in the city is another half AT.

So here's the problem. Right now it's only my capital with halfway decent production. That's why I said 1 artillery, it's the one city that could build it anytime soon. If I wait for more than 1 it might be more like 30 turns before any other city can build one. Maybe that's worth it, since the larger numbers will favor the collateral from the arty. But I'm worried he can use those turns to build like 4 musketeers for every 1 unit I build.

Founding Dulle Griet is certainly tempting. The problem is the defense there is a nightmare. He can move from west to east, threatening first Rodman than Dulle Griet, faster than I can shuttle defenders around. I don't see how I can defend that city unless I first have enough units to control the center area north of Big Bertha.

Admittedly it'll be a lot easier to defend once I get an artillery. Maybe it's better to just go turtle mode with artillery and try to defend as long as I can with 5 cities.

[luddite]

Alright, I decided to go for a settler in Tsar Cannon and look to resettle Dulle Griet. The defense is difficult, but I think I can do it. Or at least force him to sacrifice musketeers if he wants to attack it, since they have to spend a turn stuck on the hills.

Next turn I can whip my 2nd AT in the capital. Surprisingly I'm actually ahead of Cairo in MFG (although way behind in food). So maybe this turtle->artillery plan can work out.

[luddite]

How about an etiquette question? I've currently got open borders to Scooter, which only benefits him and not me, since I haven't scouted a path to him yet (I'll get around to it... eventually...). In fact it benefits him quite a lot since he's got the Great Lighthouse.

I don't really know what's going on in the other continent, since I haven't done much C&D, but my guess is that Scooter is at least tied for best position in the game. I don't want to feel like I'm helping the leader run away with the game for nothing. On the other hand, he *is* giving me copper, and that's helping me quite a lot. Hell, without the copper I'd probably already be dead by now, because he could have killed my AT after I attacked out. So in some some sense it's a fair trade, trade route income for copper. But then, he *also* benefits by having me fight Mr Cairo instead of letting Mr Cairo just kill me. So maybe I should cancel the open borders and see if he still gives me copper.

[Tarkeel]

You're free to cancel deals as you like.

[luddite]

Alright. Turn played. Potentially a big one.

First, I did cancel the Open Borders to Scooter. No idea what's going on with the other continent, but I don't want to make it too easy for him to come kill me with berzerkers.

Second, he left a scout on the central hill and moved east. That scout has been a low-key MVP for him this whole game, letting him moving his musketeers with zero risk by scouting ahead. So I went ahead and killed it with my warrior (95% odds).

   

That got me thinking. He'll probably want to kill the warrior in response, right? Easy win for him, and it lets him combine his 3 musketeers on a defensive tile.

But that puts him in range of my capital, where I just whipped an AT. It also puts him potentially in range of my units from Rodman, and my new axe from the south, which he can't see.

So, I'll look for a battle. I roaded over there (1 turn of road, it can finish next turn). But no protection on the worker. If he wants to attack it, great, I can fight him in the open at better odds. Same thing with my worker in the south.

I'm going for this with everything I've got. 2 AT, 4 axes, 6 warriors plus the wounded one on the hill. Anyone want to guess what the odds of winning are?
   

[Tarkeel]

I'm going for this with everything I've got. 2 AT, 4 axes, 6 warriors plus the wounded one on the hill. Anyone want to guess what the odds of winning are?

I'm not cheating with Vodka, but that looks doable.

[luddite]

I'm going for this with everything I've got. 2 AT, 4 axes, 6 warriors plus the wounded one on the hill. Anyone want to guess what the odds of winning are?

I'm not cheating with Vodka, but that looks doable.

Yeah, the odds seem good. Not *certain*, but good, especially with all the warriors involved for cleanup duty.

Annoyingly, the best odds seem to be if I use all the strongest units first, when I'd really rather save them for last.

[chumchu]

1) If the goal is to win, you need to force him into a battle so that you can clear your lands. With the forces you describe, now looks like a good time.

2) I would say that the AT are much more valuable than the other units since it is harder to produce them. Especially, since you can promote them and promotions on them matters a lot. I would go in with them later as long as you do not risk losing the entire battle.

Best of luck.

[luddite]

Well, that's disappointing. He didn't take the bait, not even to kill the warrior or a worker. Instead he moved back to where I can't hit him at all.

I'm not exactly sure what to do now. I guess I just have to keep dancing with him. He's been staying on 4 cities for a long time so I keep expecting him to suddenly whip a wave of 4 musketeers and come kill me. It'll be a while (maybe 10 turns) before I can build any more units.

Oh, and Scooter cancelled the copper deal. No more axes for me, although that means I can build warriors again if necessary. I might try to slip in a monument build into Rodman.

[luddite]

I guess the other possibility is that he might just sit there on the forest hill tile. I can't attack him there with just AT, but it might be doable if I can finish some artillery.