[Spoilers] luddite tries to remember how this game works

[luddite]

A difficult turn. He left an archer in Rheims: just enough to be annoying. I killed with an AT, but took damage, so he'll probably get killed off.

I thought about keeping the city, or waiting for that unit to heal, but. nah. On to Paris. I need to take Paris as quickly as possible.

In the middle, his musketeers escaped onto a galley. Very annoying. if I'd had just one chariot, this game would be very different.
In the south, his galley is threatening lots of options. I finished a galley, and will finish another next turn. Lots of options there, and it's really hard to know what to do. Thinking about using my GG on a galley.

[luddite]

pics

[luddite]

Well he abandoned Paris (except for another lone archer). I don't exactly know where his stack is, but I'm guessing it's headed south towards my cities. What to do...

[luddite]

Trying to think what I should do, because this is another critical decision.
Without Paris, his production is going to plummit. I should be well ahead of him in production now, even if I don't keep Paris. That means I don't have to attack any more, I can just sit back and defend while I build up a bigger lead.

BUT, my defense back home is pretty weak. Just 1 AT, 1 artillery, and a few weaker units. He has, by my count, 10 musketeers and 7 catapults right now. that's a scary force! and he may have more that I haven't seen.

Those catapults are useless against artillery, but they are good against AT and axes. I wish I had more artillery right now. But, they do slow down his stack a lot.

Should I
a) raze paris
b) keep it and leave just a few while my other units go south to defend
c) keep it and go after his remaining 3 cities? I only know where 2 of them are, and they're kind of far away

[chumchu]

0) What is your goal? Win? Survive? It determines how much risk to take.

1) Do you know that his units are heading south. If yes, what are your odds in that scenario?

2) Is there anything worthwhile in Paris? (pop, specailists, wonders, buildings?)

3) Can your stack reach your cities in time to defend?

To me a) is the low risk option. Then you can move back or advance with the entire force or advance as you see fit. b) seems risky and also has a lower payout than c). If you move back and he takes Paris back cheaply or kills your returning stack you give him a way back by defeating you in detail. Since he has a mobility advantage, having fewer areas to defend is to your advantage. I would keep Paris in order to use it as a base to heal and conquer/rebuild the rest of his lands. If that is not possible I would raze it.

[luddite]

0) What is your goal? Win? Survive? It determines how much risk to take.

1) Do you know that his units are heading south. If yes, what are your odds in that scenario?

2) Is there anything worthwhile in Paris? (pop, specailists, wonders, buildings?)

3) Can your stack reach your cities in time to defend?

To me a) is the low risk option. Then you can move back or advance with the entire force or advance as you see fit. b) seems risky and also has a lower payout than c). If you move back and he takes Paris back cheaply or kills your returning stack you give him a way back by defeating you in detail. Since he has a mobility advantage, having fewer areas to defend is to your advantage. I would keep Paris in order to use it as a base to heal and conquer/rebuild the rest of his lands. If that is not possible I would raze it.

Basically my goal is just to survive and win this war. This game long ago stopped being winnable. Still, I would like to regrow if that's possible. Paris doesn't have much, but it does have a fantastic position, and it will be a long time before I can get a settler up there.

I don't know for sure that he's moving south, but it's the only thing that really makes sense. I'll try to find him with my workers, though.

I'm thinking of leaving 2 at 1 arty in Paris. With the hill, that's a considerable defense, and even if he retakes it he'd take heavy losses. My 1 at 3 arty can chase him down south, or maybe go after his new city.

I suppose this does drag out the war a bit compared to just razing everything. Well, if I can locate his stack maybe I can defend Paris with just 1 AT and keep up the offensive. I also don't like being stuck so far from home with no way to reinforce.

[luddite]

screenies

First, I took paris. I know the war isn't over, but this is still a big moment. Not every turn you get to capture an enemy capital!

Like I wrote above, I'm splitting my stack and going south. I can pick off a chariot along the way, and maybe an axe next turn. I just need to gradually wear down his army now.


Also, I took his worker and cut the road. Seems like there's nothing nearby? Might be hidden though.

He's leaving his catapults behind??? What is with those catapults.

I had an elaborate plan in the south. His galley is (I'm pretty sure) still loaded with 2 musketeers. But it's got that coastal bonus. I was going to hit it with 1 galley, then use my GG to improve the second with mobility and finish it off.

But... instead I just won outright in the first battle . RNG in this game is nuts.

So yeah, huge turn. He's lost his capital, I've gained a (not immediately useful) city. He's lost a galley and 2 musketeers. I just need to hold off his other... 8 musketeers and I should be ok.

[T-hawk]

Did you look at the demographic power numbers before and after that attack, to see if you killed anything on board? You can work it out from the change in the "rival average" number even if they're not best or worst.

[luddite]

Did you look at the demographic power numbers before and after that attack, to see if you killed anything on board?  You can work it out from the change in the "rival average" number even if they're not best or worst.

I did look briefly, but I got confused because I'm now 3rd in power after Oxy, who suddenly surged. I think the rivaI worst was 210k? I really should have done a better job tracking power demos this game. I thought I'll just see it from the power graph if I wait a turn.

Edit: rival worst is now 190k. He lost over 20k power that turn. A galley, archer, and chariot is just 7k. Splash 2 musketeers!

[luddite]

what remains. Those two are still injured from my artillery strikes, which is funny. They've just never had time to heal. but where are the rest??? There should be another 6 coming from the north, which worries me. I'll try to bring units back from the north to help, but this may be another tough defense.



Power graph drop. ouch. Not the biggest shark fin ever, but it's unrecoverable at this point.