[74] I will survive

[xist10]

So another game, another bad thread title.
After more or less bad showing in my last PB, I will set my goal a bit lower.

I will try to post here too, but my main thread will be in german over at civforum.de

[xist10]

   
Pacal

   

Wang Kong
not in the picture: faster production of Walls, Castle and Market (50%)

   

Cyrus

I don't want to play Cyrus.
And I think I willtake one of my two other leaders.
FIN ist still good and both EXP and PRO are okay too.
EXP has more or less only the granaries, but this is good.
PRO has more, but weaker boni.
Actual I think I will take Wang kong

And I think I will play Rome again. I think the 50 prod Praets are overstated, especially if we play CtH 4.0 and Charriu implements the next nerf, cost raised to 55.
And Forum is okay.
But I don't think, I will be lucky enough to get a better civ.

[Qgqqqqq]

[xist10]

I will enter Rome.
I'm still not sure if the praet is overhyped or not, but I think I can play with Rome and I'm not sure if I could get a better civ.
And if I'm allowed to exchange only 1 leader (spreadsheet say "any"), I would like to exchange Cyrus.

[xist10]

the global thread indicates, I have to choose a leader.
I'm torn between both FIN leaders, but I think I will take PRO instead of EXP.
EXP gives "only" the cheap granarys (still strong) but PRO gives a bit more.
So I look in Wang Kon of Rome

[xist10]

I decided to do maybe something stupid.




I founded Rome not on the starthill, I choosed to settle on the sheep (3/2/2 is not bad, but not good either).
I lost the sheep and the fish, but I got another ressource.

I founded a scout and some gold in the goody huts. It's okay. I hoped for a tech, but not an useless map or some exp.



And it's time to panic.
GT plays Kublai of Zulu. I think one of the worst combination to have as neighbour (Kublai of Rome could be worse, but..)
AGG/CRE is a nightmare in the early game. Impi are not the strong, but 2 movers ?
And I still think that Praets are not that good early.
They have a amazing long shelflife, I think they can trade okay till cannons and mg, maybe even a bit further, if they have the first strike and are supported by catapults, but otherwise ?
Dangerous, but only because they are strong enough to survive a firststrike of old units. If they attack, the lose with a bit support (walls/hill) even against archers prod against prod.
And the other problem: Gt is a aggressive player. Maybe not like SD, but I don't think we can decided on a border without a war.
He decided in our last game to burn my city (4 tile from my capital, 10 from GTs). Not because he could, but because he wanted to settle a own city 2 tiles away and with the same distance.

And Piccadilly is one of the better players over at civforum and I would say even a good contender here - I still would bet on Plemo, but...

[xist10]

Nothing really interesting happenend, so no updates. I found my third neighbour (scooter), but that it all.



I changed my starthill. Maybe not the best idea - I lost the fish (not good) and I settled on the hillsheep (unimportant) , but I got diamonds and cupper.
I still need wheels, but I could be one of the first players with cupper.
A rush against GT seems to be possible.

[xist10]

GT has no copper at his capital, he needs a second city.
I think, I can have 2 axemen at turn 43 at his capital.
Mine + road should be finished at turn 32, my axemen need 8 turns to move towards the capital.



GT has BW a turn after me, but I think he will be too late.

[xist10]

I thought a bit about the rush and had a few problems:



A warrior had scouted my copper and - thanks to AGG - had ~ 70% chance to kill my warrior.
I retreated my 2nd warrior to defend my worker.

I estimated the second city at turn 34 or even later.
I forgot, we aren't playing a deity and I had my 2nd city in the PB72 even early.



Still, a unwelcome surprise
I made a mistake.
I had 2 send warrior to contest the copper and I retreated one this turn and lost so 2 turns.
And I did started the 1st axe and started a settler in my capital.

After a short discussion with my lurkers Gt needs still a enough roads that he can't really save the capital.And AGG is bad, but my warriors should be able to disrupt the copper.
And I should use the lucky founding with the copper. The map is small enough that a rush is viable.



And if GT is fast enough, scooter lacks an important tech to prevent a rush (or "only" a choking).



After an infortunate encounter with a wolf, I decided to invade last turn.
Second warrior is still 2 turns behind, but if I can disrupt the copper, this is the best possibility.



This area near Rome has absolutly nothing interesting to see.
Move along please.

First axemen still "on course", I can attack the capital in T43. - I "saved" a turn thanks to the street



And this is the situation this turn.
Second worker is more or less the worst I can get.


I can't really prevent GT from connecting the copper to the capital.
But there is a silver lining.
I should have enough time too sleep about this turn - Amicalola needs a extenseion for this turn, so I could wait a bit.

GT's capital is only on size 2, so no POP2 whip. I should be able to produce 1 axemen, but I will have 3.
ANd I have a 20% chance to raze the copper mine.
I could move the injured warrior and 1 scout on the copper. ~ 20% chance that my warrior survirves the zulu warrior and the scout should tank the second.
This would mean, GT has no chance to defend his capital and a size 1 city against 3 axemen ? This should be dead too.


And I ask me, why is GT still alive. He send his first warrior to me, founded the second city without an escort and still has only 2 warriors ? Maybe a third since last turn.

[xist10]

Time to update here again.



I lost the 20% Chance. it was quite close, but not really surprising. Interesting: GT attacked with the warrior from the city. If I won the 20% Chance, I could possiby promoted with Cityraider and burn the 2nd city. GT had only a scout in reach of the city.
This makes the situation quite difficult.
I try to press further, I should be able to pillage the road fast enough to prevent more than 2 axemen (still quite strong) and capture/burn the second city after that. - And I have not really something to lose.

I forgot to post T40 and T41 - nothing interesting happened.



T42: GT had 1 axemen and should be able to whip the second this turn.
I should be able to pillage the road next turn, I don't think GT would send an axemen outside of the city.



This was quite a shock too. I thought there would be water, not a land bridge.

T43 is on my second pc, so no screenshot ready. But GT attacked my axemen and I won - 30% chance ? The warrior was able to finish my axemen and retreat back to the city ?! Movement after attack is possible for all units, something you forget sometimes.
The 2nd city is size 2 and GT had a forest ready.

This means 3 to 2 axemen and I can't really cripple GT - something I thought would be the alternate outcome - anymore.
I offered peace.



GT accepted without a look in game.
Why did the attack failed ?
1. GT send his first warrior (and for ~ 10 turns only) to my capital and scouted the copper. He came to the correct conclusion.
2. GT "gamble" further and built a second worker. This was the only reason he was able to connect the copper in peace.
3. I lost a important turn when I saw the founding of GT. 2 warriors on the copper and I had 50% chance to pillage the copper. And the axemen a turn early could be impactful too.

I think, if I had tried to attack scooter, I would be able to win the fight.



Bronzeworking only last turn ? And I think no AH to built chariots ?
4 warriors and nothing more in the moment.