The (Second) MGE Sailing Succession game

[La Fayette]

Originally posted by Bloody Monk
The log will be quite long...one might hope anyway.

That is precisely why I chose to go to bed first

Here we are:

1888:
LF looks at the Empire and decides that the time has come to paint all warriors with shining war paintings:
1) Revolution (since no one would understand LF, happy owner of Communism and SoL, starting a war without the possibility to build vet spies).
2) Prepare the departure of a settler (in fact an engineer) towards Zululand, because Zulugate is really quite far from the green core cities.
3) Complete our long shipchain (war REQUIRES a war treasury).

PRESS ENTER

1889:
We choose Communism ( ) with lux at 60 in order to induce most cities to celebrate.
GATEZUL founded (with the first 4 armours + 3 vet spies inside)
Our cruiser destroys a Carth cavalry along Zulu coast.
Many armours and vet spies sail towards Zulugate.

1890:
12 cities celebrate. Lux at 40.
Carth cruiser kills our musketeer in Cerberus' Gate.
Gold (d) from Athens to Galen = 316g
Wine (d) from Aristotl to Archimedes = 227g

(I must stress the special pleasure I have had to help Aristotl deliver wine to Archimedes, once in my life)

Our spy 'acquires' Fundy from Mongols.
LONG SHIPCHAIN (13 transports) COMPLETED (at long last ).

1891:
Our spies map Zululand = not a single offensive unit inside Zulu cities (hurrah!), but a number of Carth cav and marines (they are allied and the Carths look much more aggressive).
Gems (d) from Cyclops to Zulugate = 176g
Copper (d) from Charybdis to Argo = 180g
Oil (nd) from Athens to Sparta = 132g
Dye (d) from Archimedes to Polly Famous = 151g
Wine (d) from Scylla to Plato = 180g

(to be continued next post)

[La Fayette]

1892:
CUNAXA = 36g plunder (+ Machine Tools), small city but strategically vital: our harbour in Zululand.
HLOBANE = 216g plunder (+ UN)
ZIMBABWE = 124g (+ Mike)
ULUNDI = 156g
Our fighter fails against Carth cav (remember the sad sound = iiiiiiiiiiiiih... baoum)

1893:
INTOMBE = 182g (+ Darwin)
MPONDO = 154g
CREMONA = 47g
This means that there are now more than 20 partisans + a dozen Carth units on the battlefield (Julius and SG[1] would be welcome with their toothbrushes)

1894:
ZULU buy ZIMBABWE back

(that was a smart move despite the very high price for them, because I happened to have 4 armours inside the city)

1895:
The Zulus are democrats = we are compelled to take back Zimbabwe the hard way (I hate to be obliged to destroy my own units)
Our coneheads discover Mini

1896:
Contact with our faithful allies, the Chinese (who have sent about 7 destroyers offshore Zululand and sent most of the Zulu navy to the bottom while we were conquering the core cities ).
We give them Fundy + Espionage. They give us Computers and Labor Union, then suddenly get bored with this tiresome alliance

Notes to my successor

1) There are 2 freights inside Cunaxa. One is demanded in Hlobane, the other one in Intombe IIRC. Please, deliver them at once because they should make us rich and we need it (for example to avoid losing Zimbabwe again to the Zulus)

2) Please, don't destroy our shipchain: it is our best weapon.

[La Fayette]

Note #3 to my successor:

I leave it to you but, if I were you, I would sell a few costly improvements inside ex-Zulu cities, in order to improve our treasury at once (I would perhaps have escaped the Zulu buy back if I had done that sooner).

[Bloody Monk]

M. La Fayette,

Like a hot knife (a tank knife, it seems) thru buttah!! Looks very good, indeed. I particularly enjoyed reading this bit...

Wine (d) from Aristotl to Archimedes = 227g

(I must stress the special pleasure I have had to help Aristotl deliver wine to Archimedes, once in my life)

But this bit is puzzling...

Our spies map Zululand = not a single offensive unit inside Zulu cities (hurrah!)

The previous save shows those Demo cities to be fully garrisoned. Is this some Gallic humor that I am missing?? This is a definite possibility for I have not had my wake coffee yet.

This means that there are now more than 20 partisans

I am unsure about this being a bad thing. Of course, it is better to cover all the main tiles and effect the takeover w/o getting ANY partisans. But, if by so doing, you have used up movement points and then the campaign nets only two or three cities instead of the seven you took from them. They, partisans, don't pose any meaningful threat, in my experience, except to zero defense units and empty cities. I think they are more of a nuisance factor needing to be mopped up later.

What do others think??

There is a saying, LF, that "well begun is half done." You have gotten the war off to a good start.

Monk

[La Fayette]

Monk,

I attacked with about 20 tanks and 15 vet spies.

What I call 'offensive units' are those with offensive values much higher than defensive ones (such as arty, tanks or cav). My spies spotted only alpine and riflemen inside the Zulu cities: those can do little harm to vet tanks, even turned yellow after attack.

Same with partisans. That is why I wrote about the powerful toothbrushes owned by Stu and Julius. Partisans are not a real threat to tanks, but they need to be 'removed' in order to move freely.

[duke o' york]

Do we still have the 16 vet spies you attacked with? I only ask because I am tempted by a switch to a money-spinning Aristotalitarian regime. Especially that we have Mike's and loads of money from that.

Is it me to play next? I can't remember the turn order I'm afraid, but I'm nearly up in a couple of games, and thought this might be the one. I'm rubbing my hands together with anticipation of causing havoc in Zululand.

Great work La Fayette, and if it is me next then I shall remember what you've told me and disband the two freights in Cunaxa to build a coastal fortress. That is what you wanted isn't it?

[Scouse Gits]

Originally posted by Scouse Gits
Play list:

1. Oldnslow
2. Ben Kenobi
3. STYOM
4. SG[1]
5. Jrabbit
6. La Fayette
7. duke o' york
8. Straybow

I had to dig back three pages to find this - looks like you're up doy - this is a busy week for me - so I am happy to wait until my turn comes round again

Stu

[duke o' york]

I've downloaded it and should get it finished tonight. Otherwise, I'll play tomorrow night. I've got a badminton match on Wednesday night this week so I don't have to play on Tuesday night and might be able to get some Civ 2 in instead.

[La Fayette]

Originally posted by duke o' york
I am tempted by a switch to a money-spinning Aristotalitarian regime.

I shall remember what you've told me and disband the two freights in Cunaxa to build a coastal fortress.

1) As you like it.
Personally, I am so fond of vet spies that I mostly use celebrating Commie when fighting.

2) Nice that you remember

[-Jrabbit]

Nice work, La Fayette.

Query: would it have been possible to force a peace treaty in order to prevent the buyback of Zimbabwe?

[La Fayette]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
would it have been possible to force a peace treaty in order to prevent the buyback of Zimbabwe?

I dunno.
Perhaps someone who is accustomed to waging war with successive peace treaties would be able to answer that .
Personally, when the choice is offered, I choose celebrating commie (because of the vet spies) and try to strike hard and often. Bribing back communist cities is costly, so it happens quite seldom and it is generally painless because I can take the city back next turn.
What made it painful in this game are those 4 armours of mine that happened to be inside the city: I was compelled to destroy them (since the Zulus were democrats) and didn't enjoy it at all .

[-Jrabbit]

Originally posted by La Fayette
I dunno.
Perhaps someone who is accustomed to waging war with successive peace treaties would be able to answer that

Here's what Grigor's plan suggests --

In one monster turn: Land spies and take out city walls in Hlobane, then occupy with Armor. (UN) Do that first so the Zulus can't force peace. Then do the same with Zimbabwe (Mike's). Use the UN to force peace so Zulus can't retake the cities.

Once you have the UN, the only way they can avoid peace is to refuse your endless chatter.

[La Fayette]

So you had the answer before you asked the question

[-Jrabbit]

Was wondering if you had diplomatic contact or not, was all.

[La Fayette]

I sent them to h*ll, as I usually do when I am at war.
... but I don't state this is optimal