P vs. ST Fast PBEM duel (NOT for PEASTER)

[SlowThinker]

45 AD
I found a strait in the eastern hut-hunting area. The Main ocean (#1) is coming from east and so not from north probably. So the two lands A and B are connected probably and I needn't send one unit to each of them. So the Chariot will go south, there should be at least one hut and P. might want to send units from Lonsim there.

[SlowThinker]

52 AD
I played with my warriors blocking the Mountains NW from Hradec so long that I lost a part of territory. My defending line has a hole now and Zulus might want to penetrate towards Benesov (see the arrow). I hope P. will be afraid of a bribery or an attack and will move back. Anyway I won't waste resources to bribe or kill the warrior.

[SlowThinker]

52 AD
My forces (2 triremes, catapult, phalanx, dip, warrior) are leaving Benesov. Maybe they will meet the warrior (who uncovered Intombe 4 turns ago): he will help them or will move towards Mpondo and look if there is a suitable terrain for an invasion (some good defensive terrain)
I hope Mpondo will be kind, won't go away and will wait for next wave of attackers.
You can see P. has enough of free units after the HG completion and they started to move out from Intombe.

[SlowThinker]

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[SlowThinker]

54 AD
The northern explorer spotted a dip and will move east. The southern came from the ships and wishes to be bribed at Mpondo.
2 ships transport Phal+Catap+dip.

[SlowThinker]

54 AD
I stupidly moved my Cheb's trireme with landing forces in position where it could be spotted from Hlobane (Hlobane might be on the purple point). And I couldn't investigate the Plains with my dip because I stupidly embarked the dip too late...

[SlowThinker]

57 AD
My warriors are hassling the Ulundi area and are looking forward to be bribed.

[SlowThinker]

57 AD
The Zulu trireme appeared this turn. The stack Phalanx+nomad came down from hills and is lurking the trireme north so that a foundation of a Zulu embassy is delayed. P. didn't spot my trireme.
You can see a Zulu Phalanx at Stribro. And there is another Zulu explorer at Jachymov.

[SlowThinker]

I edited (corrected and added points that I forgot to take down) the log up to 56 AD.
The first post is too long now and so I have to continue with my log in a new post.

[SlowThinker]

Continuation of a log from page 1

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57
an occupied Zulu trireme appeared near my patrol on the cap. Probably it is going to establish an embassy, but I must be prudent if there are attacking units on the board... Probably not, P. knows Jachymov and Cheb are on hills and Stribro very likely too. But I don't want to risk and so I need at least fortified vet warriors in cities after 3 turns, but I will have only 2 vet phalanxes after 2 turns and one of them should depart to invade Zimbabwe area. So I will have to rushbuy a non-vet Phal in Cheb

Another point is that after 3 turns (if P. chooses a path along Intombe) P. will know I have catapults. But first attack of American catapult is planned after 5 turns ... So I will move the stack phalanx-nomad NW: maybe P. will be inquisitive what is around and his trireme will be delayed. My trireme will stay hidden from his eyes. Also I will stack my warrior at Stribro (he is creating ZOCs and so protects the Peat) by a dipomat so that P. is not tempted to go to bribe it.
Very likely the Zulu trireme travelled 3 squares and so position of Zimbabwe is clear now.

top 5 cities - all Zulu citizens are content?? Also a 4-size city? This is strange...
Zulus have +35 gold this turn and concurrently their GNP dropped from 42 to 33 ... also strange

Slany builds a trireme ... a bit of exploration ... I see I can block a naval access to Slany by a Trireme. This is good for a defense against an attack from Lonsim.


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58
a 15th Zulu city found
a single warrior was spotted near Nymburk... where is the dip and my warrior that deserted to Zulus?

The Zulu trireme disapeared. It is clear it didn't go north and so I can await near Stribro and Cheb next turn. I must count with a possibility a Zulu stack will disembark to the mountains between Stribro and Cheb.
defense of Cheb: I might have time not to rushbuy a non-vet Phal in Cheb but to move a vet Phal from Stribro (will be finished next turn) and to rushbuy another vet Phal in Stribro.
My trireme with vet Catap+Phal left Cheb and will move E and S so that the Zulu trireme won't spot it.

I found nice mountains near Hlobane and Umtata, and so from north I will probably attack Hlobane in place of Zimbabwe. It will be good if both forces attack one area simultaneously.

My warrior near Mpondo may be bribed next turn. The Settler wants to build a city on the hills with an access to whales probably.

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59
P. reports:
dip at 53,37 vs warrior at 51,37
dip at 26,26 vs warrior at 26,24
OK 50g out from Zulu coffers is nice, but the problem is I lost also the guard between Slany and Lonsim. I will have to put stacks of warriors on the mountains to block his access to my cities (which have only non-vet warriors as a defense)... I am not very happy with it.
Lonsim reached size 3, production 5 ,it may be dangerous now ... I must destroy it soon.

Stribro area: I didn't expect P. would want to move his stack with a Phalanx from the mountains to Peat (which was worked by Stribro), because my stack warrior+Archers would occupy the Mountains. But I didn't perceive I wouldn't be able to get on the mountains because of the ZOCs! So: my vet defender in Stribro wasn't finished (1 shield missing) and I must move with my boat back (with a vet Phalanx) to Stribro. And if P. has 4 vet horses here Stribro might be destroyed....

A Zulu warrior at Nymburk went back, but my ship found another one 3 squares E from Benesov. The ship left Benesov this turn and contains vet Catap+Phal. Will destroy Mpondo then will move towards Umtata.

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60
P. reports:
One bribe: warrior at 33,17 by dip at 33,19

Kladno switches from Settlers to Phalanx (because the warrior at Lonsim was bribed)
Zulu Archers disembarked at Mountains between Cheb and Stribro! I completely forgot P. may build Archers! I usually consider Warrior Code a bad tech, but if you have it then it may be good to build Archers.
If there were 2 boats with 3 Archers and 1 dip my cities may be in danger, therefore my boat with Catap+Phal returns...
I panicked after my boat going to destroy Mpondo was revealed and also because it was clear P. would establish embassy next turn and see I have Catapults.
Therefore my attack starts:
Phal+Cat disembarked at Mpondo
Phal+Cat+dip disembarked SE from Hlobane. Now the exact position of Hlobane is revealed because I see a road heding on a river in black. There must be a city on that river.
And a big mistake: without thinking dip+Phal disembarked at 8,20 in place of 9,21 (one tile more SE and closer to Hlobane). I planned this when I didn't know where Hlobane is and I didn't want the stack would be visible from Hlobane. But now this is not important.
A lesson: think in key moments of the game!
Vet chariot and Settler embarked and will help the dip+Phal.

Edit: at this moment I forgot the presence of Bapedi in this area. But it wasn't so important.

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61
new Zulu cities
P. reports an embassy

Mpondo have been destroyed by my Catapult, but P. managed to build Naples just in time (Naples is from a settler from Mpondo likely)
sci down! My beakerbox is almost full, horseriding is ready, but I prefer to conquer some Zulu city, get horses from Zulus and complete Polytheism soon.
my ships E from Hlobane are near Zungu now; it looks Zungu is on the Oasis E from Intombe?

My stack Phal+Catap+dip moved on a rivered swamp just besides Hlobane. A good defense bonus... I was afraid P. would sacrifice some warrior to slow me down...

The Phal+dip stack doesn't mount the hills NW from Hlobane and waits one turn so that Settler+Chariot can join them. They are hidden here. Next turn Hlobane will be surprised (Edit: This was a big mistake. I forgot there must be Bapedi between Zimbabwe and Hlobane. P. saw the stack)

The Zulu trireme(s) returns from Stribro. It appears they return home to help the defense?
My trireme (that was originally heading to raid Zulus) helped to move defenders between Cheb and Stribro. Now there is 1 vet Phal+1 non-vet Phal in Cheb and 1 vet Phal + 1 warrior in Stribro. The trireme lost two turns here

[Carolus Rex]

Originally posted by SlowThinker

The first post is too long now and so I have to continue with my log in a new post.

You might want to insert some "air" (by pressing enter) between, say, every 5 lines to make the log more readable (just a humble suggestion).

Carolus

[SlowThinker]

58 AD
I found nice mountains near Hlobane and Umtata, and so from north I will probably attack Hlobane in place of Zimbabwe. It will be good if both forces attack one area simultaneously.
The point shows where I am expecting the Zulu trireme next turn...

[SlowThinker]

58 AD
My warrior near Mpondo may be bribed next turn. The Settler wants to build a city on the hills with an access to whales probably.

[SlowThinker]

59 AD
Stribro area

[Carolus Rex]

Very interesting game! We're all waiting for your next move...

Carolus