Civ4BtS : AMAZONAS - XXXIII Pitboss APT

[Kerkus]

Felicitaciones 2metraninja, has ganado merecidamente

Yo lo he intentado y casi lo consigo, pero las carencias económicas de Japón son muy dificiles de compensar.

HBHR, aunque no hablarais entre vosotros Anibal te pasó la belicología en el momento justo, y después no entró durante un turno entero para retrasar mi compra 2 turnos. Ahora imagina tu defensa sin navios de línea ni granaderos...
Aunque eso tampoco te quita tu parte del mérito, has mejorado mucho y eres un jugador fuerte. Creo que deberías, si no lo has hecho ya, empezar a jugar para ganar en alguna partida. Todo se ve desde un prisma más interesante, incluso aunque al final no logres la victoria.

[2metraninja]

Thanks guys!

Congratulations to the silver medalist - my loyal friend and heavy category fighter HBHR.

Congratulations to Kerkus for playing so strong game overal. You lost the game by a split of a human hair thick.

IT was such a violent and turbulent game I can say at least. For me especially it went so many times up and down, like a rolacoaster train, and at the end it had so unexpected and exciting end, that it was like a real thriller, so I think it sure deserves to write a detailized chronicles.

I will write chronicles for sure, and I will enjoy very much reading everyone else's chronicles too. Especially the nations I had the chance to communicate and deal with. Come on, guys, sharpen the pens and get started

[astrologix]

Felicitaciones a 2metraninja por su aplastante victoria!!!

Y a sus superviv... digo, seguidores en el podio, HBHR y Kerkus!

[palanx]

Felicidades a los tres supervivientes, y sobre todo al ganador 2metraninja
Inesperado final hace unas semanas, cuando Toku dominaba militarmente la mitad del planeta. Espero ansioso las crónicas de los vencedores.

[astrologix]

Los puntos APT serán integrados en la clasificación trimestral del 31 de marzo 2020, todavía por publicar.

A ver esas crónicas, señores! Y algún mapa, que veamos la dimensión territorial de la victoria!!

[CHINCHIN]

Enhorabuena 2metraninja!!

Me tenía que haber apuntado

[2metraninja]

So here are the Carthagenian chronicles:
(I will add pictures after the text)

Carthage was founded on a lush lush coast. Everything looked perfect for the trade nation Sid had given me. I wanted to use the mighty Cothons and build a trading empire just as the real-life-history Carthage did. Poor me, how could I knew what a violent and bloodshed game this will be.



As usual, I went for Bronze Working early on, waiting to see if this time I was blessed with easily accessible copper. 3/4 of the games I play in, I get no copper nearby and in half the games I have no copper and no horses either. Well, this time I had copper AND horses so-so in reach, despite in not good for settling location. I decided I can wait to settle fourth city for copper as I was feeling quite safe and to use better spots for growth and economics. Oh, how wrong I was.



I will use the occation to propose once again that someone checks all the maps before game start to make sure everyone have copper in reasonable reach. Yeah, games can be fun and even can be won without copper, but very rare, especially against competent neighbors.



Back to the story, just at 3360BC Japan declared war to Ethiopia and on the next rutn razed it's capitol, eliminating the first nation. It was a sign to forecast the mood of the whole game and I should had taken a note.

[2metraninja]

FIRST PUNIC WAR.



I was the second nation to settle it's second city and just 1 turn after Greece. Things were going nice, but USA had the weird idea of sending 3-4-5 warriors to attack my second city, which was not even bordering him by land. He had sent his first settler far far away towards me and got me totally unprepared. Missing one turn while being in war did not helped my situation either.




Here is another rules related proposal from me – to close the loophole where double-moving doring war is not allowed, but nation missing his turn cannot protest and reload cannot be made.




With some luck USA managed to actually conquer and raze my second city Utica. Not only this, but I was still not ready with settling my copper/horses city and the routes to there. When I saw the surviving 2-3 USA warriors and knowing that I cannot do much besides hiding in my capitol and waiting and that most likely I will be unable to even connect my copper, I was preparing for yet another early elimination.




The next turn, out of a sudden USA simply deleted those units! I could not believe my eyes. I do not know why he did that - maybe he was expecting my axes and chariots were coming, but truth was there was only 1 single warrior standing in Carthage LOL. That gave me hope I can live on and I can turn the tables. I managed to connect my copper and horses and USA simply signed peace, even before seeing my advanced units I think. Of course I took the peace, because for me there is no point in fighting ancient wars without clear prospects. But I promised myself USA is going to pay for this. Even after I resettled Kerkouanne and had setled my fourth copper/horses city, I was still at the bottom of the rank. I was so much behind that i was not very optimistic, but I had to try.




In the same turn USA attacked me, Japan declared war to Mongolia. Shortly after, second nation was wiped out. I was too busy with my own problems to actually notice it was the same nation who killed Mongolia earlier. I should had kept attention better, because right there I met Japan and I was not 100% aware about him killing 2 nations already and I was on his way.




Few turns later, Greece declares war to Inca and few turns later, third nation is wiped out. And I think to myself: what a wonderful world



I was in desperate need for a plan how to recover from such a huge setback - losing my second city - and to eventually stay competitive to nations, who already had territory and cities from other killed nations. I replanted Kerkouanne on the same spot and had an idea to get The Great Lighthouse built. Actually, I might had been low on score, but my demographics were not that bad. I was seventh on the score, but second in the 3 most important categories and this was giving me hope. People were building World Wonders, and I had to really put hard work to get TLGH. I was settling cities like mad, just to try to get as much land in the green jungle between me and Japan and Greece. Back then I was afraid when Japan and Greece killed and absorbed other nations and having available land to grow, but now I know that this somewhat helped me too. I was having land to settle because there were no Inca, Ethiopia and Mongolia – 3 nations which would had been bordering and tightly contesting with me for land otherwise. Not that competing with mighty Greece and Japan as neighbors was any more fun, but such is life-you always have someone to compete with, and at least there were space which to be contested after my early setback.





I this situation, somewhat expected came

[2metraninja]

THE SECOND PUNIC WAR




Japan did not liked that I had units to lurk around his front cities watching him and he declared me a war, klling both my axe and chariot. Seems Japan was not thinking of me as some serious threat, as he just proposed me peace after removing my annoying units. I accepted, as I do not need serious war with what was a world super-power just then. We ended with agreement for NAP and technology trading, but also I had to promise I will not attack USA and that I will not settle beyond some line in the jungle between my core and Japan core. So my expansion in the green jungle land towards Japan was not feasible at the moment. Nor was my revenge on USA at this time. In the process of negotiations, Japan did some very big mistake in my opinion, by sending message to both me and USA telling me that for now I will have to agree to not consume USA, but in the future – who knows. I am sure this message was not intended for USA to read, but he did. This showed USA Japan is not his eternal friend for some real love, but he was using him as a bargain coin. I think this affected the course of the game a lot, as Japan was not anymore seen as a savior and friend from USA, so I was not much afraid of coordinated attack anymore.




I had sea to my North, hostile USA to my East, hostile and super-power Japan to my South and rising superpower Greece with great economics to my West. I had NAPs with Japan and USA and I needed to take risks, as I needed a land to have any hope to compete for the win in this game.




I had sent army to capture one barbarian city in the green land between me, Greece, Germany and Japan, which would had given me access to what I called The Crossroad. It was nice green fertile land with rivers and luxuries, despite covered dense in jungles, but on such a windy crossroad. It was contested by all 4 nations, some with more efforts, other with less. Greece had some tensions with Germany, Japan had our land division limited to the mountains, so I had chance to settle beyond them in the Crossroad and I decided to left mostly unsettled the land between me and Japan for later. I was producing settlers with the maximum speed I could, had sent all my workers to build roads and rush them all settlers and military units toward The Crossroad. I needed to settle this land before anyone else and protect it as much as I could from everyone. I was sure on this land depends my future in this game. And it worked to some degree. I had some problems with bad luck fighting the barbarians, and Japan was closer and captured/settled good part of the Crossroad, but at the end I settled quite a good chunk of the land, as I was almost only competing with Japan, while Greece and Germany had their mighty armies standing and watching each-other on their own borders west from the Crossroad.




So far, so good. I had almost killed my economy with such big numbers newly settled cities, but I had secured nice green land for the future generations. Having TGLH and The Collossus and big number of coastal cities, working those sea tiles helped me stay competitive.




Here the scene enters Germany. I was desperately looking for friends, being surrounded by hostile and powerful nations, and so far only Rome had shown good will towards me, as he was sharing hate against USA for some ancient war or something like this. Having Rome as a friend in the back of USA was suiting me, but Rome was not great technology trade partner and was way too far from the center of what I had realised was the main continent and the main stage in this game. Spain was far far away and despite initially starting very strong, later did not showed any sign of competent play or possible use to me. Was always late or did not answered at all to my messages, did not bought my technologies, etc. Greece was qiet and never responded to my messages, despite ocassionally trading technologies and luxuries with me. He was also a strong candidate for the win in the game, having great economy and great land and cities and World Wonders. So not a good candidate for my partner. So I had to try my best to get Germany as a friend and partner.




My first attempt with Germany was not very good. I had proposed some technology with very good ratio to trade for other German technology, but he refused. Later I found out Germany was close to discovering this technology on his own, but I could not know that, Otto could just propose different deal, or said something to explain, but I got just refusal instead at the time. Not promising begining, but I had to try some more. Few turns later I saw another army build on the Greece-German border and things were looking as that each moment a war between Greeca and Germany will break out. I told to myself this is my chance. I had written a message to Germany telling him I can be his friend if he is looking for friends in those harsh times. HBHR was quick to decide I was trying to extort and blackmail him. Second mischief in my diplomatic attempts with Germany. I was quite disappointed and discouraged, but I was obliged to try third time. And this time it worked. Third time is a charm as they say Germany responded that he indeed needs friends against his ever threatening neighbor Greece. This was golden opportunity. Military alliance with Germany and removing Greece could had been huge achievement and would cement our friendship with Germany.




But time was running and my NAP with Japan and USA was about to end. I had to build some army, as Japan was rising it's power and I did not knew what he intends. I was scouting his lands and all I could see were longbows in hill cities behind walls. I did not knew what Japan was up to, but I was somewhat prepared with Numidians and catapults and some macemen. Then our NAP ended and nothing happened. Japan did not declared war, nor said anything. When I proposed to Japan to renew it, he said OK if we keep the old clauses about free trade, open borders, no attack on USA and so on. I had small hope Rome will cut though USA with his praetorians and I had promised help to Rome if this happens and I asked Japan for a clause that if another nation attacks USA and take 5 of it's 10 cities, I will be free to attack USA too and secure the cities closest to my capitol.




At the time I was thinking of myself as very good diplomat because of this, but now I think I could had been doomed Rome, as Japan could had decided to eliminate such possibility - that Rome attacks USA and we partition it's cities.




Anyway, I had my South and East secured for another 40 turns and we were initiated negotiations with Germany about attacking Greece. I told him - it is now or never. And Otto said: Lets do it!

So we signed alliance and started preparing for attacking Greece. My economic growth should had to wait again. Otto did his part and brought as much units as he had promissed, even some more. I fired my first Golden Age to help me produce the army I needed and it worked. By the same time Japan discovered Astromony and sold it to me and I invested in some 5-6 galleons hoping to surprise Greece, as they had coast, but no coastal cities, and this must gave them false sense of security from attacks from the sea.

[2metraninja]

THE THIRD PUNIC WAR





I think Greece was not aware a war is coming against it till the very last moment. Just when we attacked, just then I think Greece realised what is going on. We were well prepared and we attacked on few directions. I was using my brilliant Numidians to hit Greek cities, units and workers in depth, catching Greece unprepared. My galleons unloaded units to attack back Greek cities, Otto was moving his big slow stack and Greece was forced to keep it's main army in the front and was suffering heavy casualties on the side vectors of the attacks.








Greece was way more advanced than us, having Banking, Guilds, Gunpowder and so on, so we were fighting with older units against greek knights and musketeers, but we had numbers and the element of surprise and we were more determined. In the west front we had some success and then we suffered some defeat in one battle, as Greece managed to assembly a lot of knights in army. After few turns we came to besiege the Greek main front city in the East front and Greece left it's main army there, hoping that the city's walls and culture defence will force us to sit there and bombard with catapults and wait and so on. We were pressed from time, as our NAPs with Japan were coming soon to an end and we decided to make full scale attack. It was crushing victory for us and a devastating blow to Greece. This battle was the biggest so far in the game and maybe for a lot more turns to come. Greece was crushed and we were victorious. In the next 1-2 turns Greece tried to seal the breach, but I threw my numidians and finished what was left from the knight army of Greece. And so just 6-7-8 turns after the start of the war, we were in position to start taking cities in depth permanently. I used my fast numidians and my fleet to take the cities which were for me, and we started moving west to take Greek capitol, and core cities, who were for Germany. I think we made some small mistakes in not moving optimal, or we did other mistakes, but we could not take it on the run and we found ourselves besieging Sparta. Greece was drafting muskets and upgrading old units and built a castle to add to the walls and after few turns of siege we decided we do not have any more time and attacked. But Fortuna was not with us this time. We suffered bad defeat. Not only we could not take Sparta, but we were out of enough army to continue our conquest. We had to build new army, new siege units, move them through Greece, and just then again siege Sparta. Was nice novelty, that few greeks could stop the vast invading armies especially at Sparta. The fate of Sparta was decided some 10 turns later, again by novelty Germany had a spy in Sparta, who could bring the defence to zero and just as the Persians were led by the traitor to the secret passage, we were finally able to attack and kill all the Greek remaining units. We needed just few more turns to conquer Athens and the rest Greek cities.




Meanwhile, Japan was not sitting idle either. He built a huge fast galleons fleet - he had managed Circumnavigation just 2 turns before I could finish it and had his ships faster than everyone's else. He had filled those 20 galleons with samurais, catapults, and other medieval units and had sent them against Rome. Yes, to everybody's surprise – ROME! They had no land border, and just 2-3 turns before attacking, Japan had sold Astronomy to Rome, so I was thinking Japan will attack Spain maybe. Little did I knew. The highly promoted Japanse samurais were cutting the roman praetorians to pieces. Rome had formidable army, prepared to attack USA, but it was not a match to Japan. One by one, the roman coastal cities fell to the high mobililty of the amphibious units in fast galleons. I had few units sent there to watch the war and I was scared by the speed Japan conquers al the roman cities. I knew Rome is doomed and I used my units to pillage some nice fully grown cottages. I wanted to leave non-productive land to Japan. And it worked. I managed to damage a lot of food and cottages. Japan noticed what I was doing at some point and I can bet he was mad at me. He started to cut his own roads to limit my units movement and to pillage his own trophy cottages just not to give me the money from pillaging them LOL. I got some nice money from there to keep my war-time economics afloat. The conquest of Greece was quite expensive even for my relatively strong economics during my Golden Age. Without Golden Age I was at some points at negative income per turn LOL. I knew Japan have bad economics traits and I knew Japan did not built many cottages or markets or banks and I was hoping damaging the cottages at Rome I will deny Japan easy economics recovery.




USA had jumped at Rome too and I was thinking this is coordinated with Japan, but just when USA took the last roman city and I saw how the japanese army is positioned I realised USA will be hit and eliminated with a single hit. It was even too late and too hopeless to try to contact USA and it was my hated neighbor USA to try to warn him about the incoming Japanese attack. Just as I was expecting, Japan declared war to USA the next turn and wiped out ALL of it;s army in a single turn. USA was open for conquest. So Japan conquered all USA cities in just 1-2 turns. I had no chance to do anything, not to take any city despite I already had the right to do it, so this was brilliant move from Japan. Left me speechless and totally paralized - could only watch. Well done, man.




Japan started to pillage cottages in Greece which are sitll outside my culture too, but too late, with too few and slow units, while I was literally burning the land in the ex-roman and ex-USA territory. Besides in pillaging we were competing with Japan in another race. Japan discovered Nationalism and despite I could had used it very nice to draft macemen to send to Greece, me buying the technology from Japan could had meant that I cannot build Taj Mahal, as we had a clause to reserve wonders. And I needed so badly yet another Golden Age and deny it to Japan. I fired up another Golden Age to give me some economic power to get as soon as possible Nationalism on my own and to help me with production of soldiers to send in Greece and to build Taj Mahal. I had set things to capture Mausoleus of Masusolos for longer Golden age, I had sent tens of workers to chop forests and build mines and workshops in one small border city and I was thinking I will beat Japan to Taj just as I did before that with the Great Library – I did not bought Literature from Japan, only that I have the right to build TGLib and I did it before Japan could do it. And I almost succeeded with Taj too. But only "almost". I finished building Taj in the same turn as Japan, but the game (as always in such case where two nations finish a wonder or technology giving a bonus) used random generator to decide to whom to award the prize, and gave it to Japan. And this was the turn where from joy, I turned to deep sorrow. Not only Japan was given a free Golden Age, but I was deprived from my long GA, which I desperately needed. Because of our problems at Sparta, we were totally late with finishing Greek conquest and return army in time to defend from Japan when our NAPs finish. Germany's NAP with Japan ended 10 turns earlier than mine and I told Otto that he better try to sign a new NAP with Japan, because in that moment we cannot defend him. And I was sure Japan is mad at me and will be happy to have NAP with my wartime ally Germany, so to have chance to deal with me alone 1 on 1. And indeed Japan signed nice easy NAP with Germany, leaving me without a friend against Japan. But I had a plan how to defend myself. I planned to use the long Golden Age from Taj to get Chemistry and I had prebuilt and built cavarels ready to be upgraded, I needed that Golden Age also to switch to Nationalism, so I can draft some 40 muskets in time to defend against Japanese samurais and so on. I had good solid plan. But the random generator gave Taj to Japan and all my plans were scrap and I was in desperate situation barely defenseless againts the japanese war machine, with my main army still stuck in the mud of Greece and 10 turns away from my core. But I could not betray Germany and stayed there helping him to finish off Greece and decided to try another way to protect my core. This leads ut to

[2metraninja]

THE FOURTH PUNIC WAR




After it became clear I cannot get Chemistry in time to have fregates against Japanese galleons to defend my coast with all my main cities on it, I decided to build a lot of galleons, plannig to try my luck with galleons versus galleons fight.




Meanwhile in the last turn of our agrement with Japan, he got Military Tradition. Nice technology, unlocking Cuirassiers. I saw this and asked to buy the technology from Japan, but he said: "Nah, man, I do not need to sell you anything, only the part about NAP is compulsory in our agreement, everything else I can disregard". Which was totally new concept for me and I asked the Admin for a judgement. After few messages, we decided I have the right and every part of a written agreement is obligatory, which is only normal for me. So we had to reload, and Japan was forced to sell me Military Tradition. He said in this case - when I have Military Tradition, he will not declare me a war. But after the reload, he decided to declare me a war, which for me was the right thing, as I was not prepared well to defend against him. He got lucky in naval battles and killed some of my defending galleons at very low % odds and burned Kerkouanne, who was my best economic city. TGLH was there and my Religious shrine. With the loss of this city, I lost maybe 1/3 of my income instantly. In the next turn I tried to kill his wounded galleons, but he got extremely lucky again - I lost few 67%, 87%, even one 98% or something battles. And losing few battles when I had fewer ships anyway, Japan was left with 10 ships and I was left with 2 or 3.



My best economic sity was razed, my capitol and core was under the threat of Japanese amphibious samurais and muskets and his upgraded cuirassiers were invading my poorly defended cities on our long land border, because my main army was still in Greece. I was facing sure and utter defeat. In just 5-10 turns my whole empire would had been torn apart and I was going to be exterminated. I saw no way to get alive from this with military means, I had no way to defend and no one could help me either. And I decided to try with diplomacy. I had wrote to Japan telling I surrender and I asked for him to be gracious victor. To my surprise, he said he is willing to sign peace and after some haggling about terms, he agreed to peace with the condition, I cannot settle any more cities besides the ex-Greece lands, I cannot gift units to other nation, I cannot sign alliances agains him , cannot declare wars to no one and etc. Despite those, I could not believe my luck that I will stay alive. For me it was 100% sure extermination if Japan had kept fighting. I thought to myself Japan did not wanted to fight heavy war with me, as I was going to defend fiercely despite I was doomed at the end and he might had plans to conquer Spain way easier and get domination before our NAP runs out.




I wrote to my ally Germany to tell him what I intend to do and he was very sad. Japan asked from Germany to help him kill me, to which Otto refused. Otto had showed me a message from Japan, where Toku tells him how I will sell his (Otto's) life to save my own, how I sold other nations in the past to save myself. Those were of course all lies, but Otto was scared and was feeling betrayed and had let the poison Toku was whispering in his ears to reach his heart. He stopped answer me and I felt very bad, because Toku not only was looking he will win the game, but he made us distrust each-other. I also wrote to Spain telling him I had no other option, but to sue for peace with Japan and had warned him most likely Japan will come after Spain really soon. From my point of view, resisting against Japan was first futile, and on the other hand, if I was stubborn to fight Japan, this would mean I will save Spain. But why? What Spain did for me and to the whole politics either? Spain was isolationist the whole game and now dying alone was looking as a normal and expected consequence. As far as Germany was involved, I know that when a life-guard tries to save someone from drowning, his first priority is to assure his own survival. I needed to live, so I can fight another day. To return my army from Greece, and Germany had 30 turns of peace to develop and prepare for when Germany-Japan NAP ends. And once this NAP ends, Germany had to resist only 10 turns and I could attack Japan. But anyway I was almost sure Japan will get his domination after he conquers Spain and he settles all the available land, so it will never ever come to Japan attacking Germany. And so I signed peace with Japan.




Indeed Japan loaded all his damned samurais and cuirassiers in his damned galleons and set sail to Spain. Spain was totally unprepared despite my multiple and early warnigs, he let cities with population 10-12 to be conquered by Japan. Did almost nothing to stop or make costly the conquest for Japan. For comparison, later Germany never gave a city to Japan bigger than 4, all due to drafts, whips and serious resistance.




In the not-so-bright time I was trying to improve my economics. And I was thinking hard how to proceed and what to do to not give advantage to Japan by researching myself technologies, which I will be forced to sell at 1:8 to Japan, while Japan keeps it's gold to use to fund own research once our NAP is over and I cannot buy technologies from him anymore. I was hesitating a lot, but at the end I decided I will take actions and try to save my friend Germany. I switched to full research, including money building with hammers, and burned all my money to research Education and Liberalism in short amount of time and I used the free tech from Liberalism to get the very expensive Military Science (Belicologia), which unlocks Grenadiers and Ship of the Line. I was sure this will be the “gift of life” to the threatened Germany. I did some small trick to research it in the new turn, play quick turn and leave, so then Japan had to ask for it, but I entered just the next turn after Japan, so he actually was able to start producing/upgrading grenadiers and SOTL 3 turns after Germany had bought it from me. I was sure this will do a big difference, as Japan's cuirassiers finally had good defenders against them and Japan's damned fleet was going to face the german SOTLs and this will slow Japanese conquest a lot and Germany will be alive when my NAP with Japan ends, so I can help him with army.




Despite all this, Japan was doing nice and I was still afraid he will just get Domination before our NAP end and I could not do anything about it. Japan was looking so overwhelmingly strong. But I started to see something strange. Japan did not setled all the land he could. There were islands and other parts which were left unsettled. And japan's income from money were 0, but he was not getting any new technologies for many turns. And I started to suspect Japan have huge problems with money. He managed to fire one Golden Age but still got no technology during it. He was conquering fat old core German cities and yet his money were decreasing and he was not researching nothing. At this moment, I started to get hope this monster can actually be defeated. My superior economics would be the one to give me the advantage in the long run. I just needed to be prepared to hit Japan really strong in Germany in the first turn in which I can declare war to Japan. I got finally lucky with Great Persons and I managed to launch a new long Golden Age and finally use my ex-greek MoM. With 12 turns GA, being able to switch to favorable civics and building a lot of units and geting a lot of money and upgrading old units, I was icreasing my power rapidly. Soon my own power was just about the Japanese and I was seeing clearly Japan cannot get Domination in time. I was afraid he have Great Artists waiting to expand some cities culture, or he would build culture and expand borders and get the needed 58% territory and this was distinct possibity. But he was 4-5 % lacking in population. Almost all Japanese cities were slaved and drafted to 4-5-6-7-8 size and my cities had a lot of food, so I emphasized on growth of my own population, so Japan have less percentage of the world population. It worked and he was never close to enough population to get Domination. Japan was about to start losing units due to strike, so he was forced to release his ex-Roman island and the Spain island as AI vassals to get some control of his money income. At this moment I knew I am going to win that game.




I already had some 60-70 highly promoted CHA cuirassiers and was moving them to fight Japan. I researched Steel too and upgraded a lot of trebuchets and built few new shiny canons to defend from the Japanese in my territory if it comes to this. Japan was so broke, he could not even afford to buy this crucial military technology from me at 1:8 despite he had right to it because of our agreement. So bankrupt Japan was. I was using again a lot of units in German territory to pillage cottages for money, but mainly I was pillaging roads to deny Japan easy reinforcements while he still had a chance to defeat Germany, and few turns later I was pillaging roads to deny the main japanese army way to escape back in Core Japan. My desire was to kill his main army in Germany if possible, which would make my conquest of Japan way easier and quicker.




The siege of Berlin was epic defense. Otto did great in decimating the one part of Japan's main army, then Japan lost all hope he can get away and run back to safety in Japan and made desperate attack against heavy fortified Berlin and he simply lost. At the end of the battle there were just 3-4 barely alive German units, but Otto held Berlin. Japan loses were awful. Toku lost nearly half it's army in 2 turns. All the other units were staying there injured and without a way out and it was the last turn of my NAP with Japan. In some sadistic act, I had parked my tens and tens of cuirassiers, muskets and canons on the hills surrounding the Berlin Valey, where the wounded japanese soldiers were still sitting, so Toku can see my mighty army and anticipate the doom that awaits his once mighty army.




Upon entering the game on the next turn, to my utter surprise, there were no japanese in sight near Berlin! Toku had ordered harakiri to all his remaining units to avoid just giving experience to my soldiers and getting huge War Weariness unhappiness for losing so many units in enemy territory. I had also prepared groups to dive deep in Japan core territory, so I declared war to Japan and so it begun

[2metraninja]

THE FIFTH PUNIC WAR




It was clear I was going to crush and conquer Japan in the next 10 or so turns. Especially after the initial fights in Japan, where he tried to attack my invading units without much success. So Toku sent me a message admitting defeat and asked for mercy. I consulted with HBHR and he said he does not care, as long as Toku is defeated. I anwswered to Kerkus I need his territory to achieve domination, but I can offer him not to eliminate him, or humiliate him by asking to become my vassal. To my surprise, Toku, who also knew what is going to happen, decided to hurry the process and proposed me all of his cities for peace. I accepted and started pumpung culture to get those 58% territory. I had prepared to finish one quest I had for building 9 colosseums and the reward was to get a free Golden Age if I control The Statue of Zeus, which I was controlling at this time, so my Fourth Golden Age begun. This increased output helped me to achieve domination by expanding culture and settling some cities and bombing with Great Artists in just 2 additional turns. Despite what HBHR said, if it was up to Otto to decide if Toku lives till the end to get bronze medal or die, I am sure he would had killed him, but he simply could not reach Japanese capitol in time, so Toku lived to get his ranking.




So this is how with five wars and soooo many ups and downs this violent and full of surprises game had ended with happyend, at least for me and for my loyal friend HBHR.

All images can be right-clicked "open in new window" with bigger resolution.

[2metraninja]

And some final words - I will write few words for each of the nations I had the cnahce to interact with and will be happy to know the players who were behind every nation.




USA – man, you did good job by surprising me, but later you did not pushed further, what you were expecting will happen? That I will just wave with hand and forget everything? Also you were not active on the diplomatic front and did not traded technologies with men, despite you had that right, did not improved your economics much. Maybe you were too pressed between Carthage and Rome, and this forced you to act in this way.




Rome – all was weird about the Japanese atack on you. You had good chances to conquer USA and become strong nation, but Japan left you no chance in this.




Spain – you started sooo strong, and had so much potential, being on easily defended island, could had traded and played major role in the world, but you just decided to isolate on your island and live till the butcher come. You could had way better chance by not self-isolating yourself.




Greece – man, you played so strong, that I was at a time thinking you will win the game in the end. Having your back and side secured by sea, you had easy time defending. But just as Spain and USA, you failed on the diplomatic front. You decided to just threaten Germany, but without ever taking the chance at attacking it. Nor you ever made any agreement with me. For me, geopolitics and diplomacy prevented you from sure win.







Japan - Kerkus. Oh, man, you did some crazy things in this game. You used your main advantages at it's best, having killed 2 nations in the first 50 turns. And later you did very well with quick and clean conquests and with trading nice with the most advanced nation Greece while we were fighting. But somewhere there you did some mistakes, which shaped the late game for you I think. You did not built enough cottages. You had only 3 cities with cottages, and there were 3-4-5 matured cottages only in each. And you were lacking libraries, markets and banks in most of your cities. You were using the whip and the draft way too often and way too hard and your cities just could not become economic powerhouses. And economics was the thing which killed you before my cuirassiers and cannons could do. Also I think you could had achieved domination if you were playing for it. Having prepared settlers, having built culture to get unclaimed lands, letting your population reach bigger numbers.. who knows, maybe you could do it before I could do anything? Like this spor, which you never settled? Why? You were after domination...



Instead you were relying on what worked all game for you – your war machine from units loaded on galleons. And maybe, without the grenadiers and most important – Ship of the Lines – it would had worked again. One thing is to travel 6 tiles per turn and unload whole army right next to enemy cities, completely different thing is to slowly walk by enemy culture and give time to the defender to organize defense. Anyway, all in all – very strong game, congrats. Also totally worth mentioning - the sportsman way you took your defeat. As I had said earlier - a true champion is seen when he loses, not when he wins. You were so close to the win and yet you acted like gentleman when lost.




Germany – HBHR, my friend, you were doing great initially, but then the threat from Greece changed your game. You stopped expanding towards The Crossroad and by the time we attacked Greece, I had 17 cities and you had just 12. After Greece, you had 18, and I had 25 and this is big difference. You played and fought quite competent, it was just being on the wrong place in the wrong time and being targeted by Greece, which most influenced your game I think. Better luck next game.

[HBHR]

Gran crónica 2mn Excelente material de lectura para este confinamiento

A por unas palomitas y Google Translate

[toWERS]

Congratulations 2metaninja for this great victory!!

And thanks for the wonderful chronicle, I read it entirely and found it really interesting. We need more stuff like this and I also think you're doing a good job attracting new players to the Championship, perhaps Astro should consider giving you a place in the RC for your merits

Por lo que leo, y siempre según la versión de 2meta, Kerkus se pensó que estaba jugando al Risk y se olvidó por completo de la economía Se ve que estos japos son muy buenos con la propaganda para convencer a los suyos de que mueran por ellos pero siempre dejan la bancarrota allá donde gobiernan

Igual en una de esas partidas con una legión de peces rémora que, por inercia, se dedican a soltar pasta continuamente al primero el plan hubiera funcionado. Pero en esta partida te viste solo con tus propios recursos y allí ya has podido comprobar que no es tan fácil, ¿eh amigo? Hmm creo que me gusta esto de las partidas con pocos jugadores

De todas formas mis felicitaciones por tus brillantes estrategias militares, me quito el sombrero ante ese ataque anfibio con samuráis a Roma y la aniquilación de su vecino en dos turnos