Killing neighbors, 1400ad

[Marquis de Sodaq]

Troop movements:
kIndalia has 4 musketeers, one crusader waits for a boat
Apolyton has 4 musketeers
Babar is building 3rd musket, recommend switching to crusader

All cities have at least 2 musketeers, except Shade (nee Elephantine) has one musket and 3 crusaders, one a veteran.
trireme 1 has a musket and crusader on board
trireme 2 has a musket and crusader on board
trireme 3 is empty

Both Egyptians and Americans are Uncooperative, and we are at war. We should be able to get peace when we want it while their attitude remains so. The Indians are also uncooperative. The elephant they have parked next to Shade must not remain there for a turn longer.

The Supreme Military Commander recommends the following:

1. Contact India, demand that they withdraw troops. If they do not withdraw their elephant, kill it. Caution: India has enough gold to bribe New Castellon.
2. Move trireme 1 to drop the crusader at the orange X, kill any egyptians on the yellow X or the pheasant. If we kill their catapult, drop musketeer at the yellow X;
3. Move trireme 2 to drop both units at the yellow X;
4. Move trireme 3 to see what city (and if walled) lies at the green spot;
5. Move the veteran crusader from Shade to the yellow X.

If Heliopolis is walled, we should not try to capture it with only 3 crusaders. In that case, the S.M.C recommends retreat to the orange X, where we can kill anybody who appears in the forest.

We have a trireme near the carthaginian city of Cartenna. Should this ship continue its meandering about the world, or should it begin a return voyage for local taxi use between our islands?

[Marquis de Sodaq]

O yeah, the extra units. The Commander recommends taking any musketeer beyond the 3rd unit in a city to some other place of need. They provide no martial law benefits, and could better be used to defend the frontier or new cities.

[cavebear]

It's a good plan SMC, from a local military point-of-view, it is great. But I suggest some slight adjustments for other reasons.

Trireme 3 (from your diagram) is needed to either transport units from the mainland to the Egyptian front or to transport a Caravan and a Diplomat to Babylon.

However, I fully agree with your aggressive establishment of a Musketeer in the Forest next to Heliopolis. It should cause them fits. I would want to keep the ship nearby, though, I'm not comfortable about our Musketeer standing up to a Catapault. It should retreat and let a Crusader kill the Catapault when it advances toward Shade (as it is sure to do). And we don't actually want to take Heliopolis until we complete Democracy and Explosives.

Does that seem reasonable?

[cavebear]

Oh, that Elephant (and something else) next to Shade. Do you think we should try to force it aweay by diplomacy or just kill it/them? I favor diplomacy, but am full willing to just kill them outright.

[Marquis de Sodaq]

Agreed about trireme 3. I just now read Shade's trade thread. Thus, the minister announces:

Trireme 3 is no longer a part of this military plan. One of the other boats can scout the coast on its return voyage.

We can conquer Heliopolis in three or four turns. My only concern for waiting is that they may rushbuild walls or additional defenders if we have a unit in the city radius. We need to decide if not slowing the discovery of democracy by a turn or two (by acquiring another tech) is more important than grabbing a more easily defended city.

Citizens, vote!

[Marquis de Sodaq]

The catapult may well move toward Shade, not into Heliopolis. If so, there is little to worry about. Until the next one rolls in, anyway.

As for the elephant, try diplomacy first. They might be willing to return it. In either case, I say it is NOT there in 1410.

[cavebear]

I take it the Military Advisor suggests the Indian Elephant be removed one way or another. I agree. It is a serious threat. It will be removed.

We will have to deal with the Egyptian Catapaults as they appear. They are actually very non-threatening units as long as they are on open ground (against Crusaders).

Until we start attacking Egyptian cities again, anyway.

[James Adams]

Re: Killing neighbors, 1400ad

Originally posted by Marquis de Sodaq
Troop movements:
kIndalia has 4 musketeers, one crusader waits for a boat
Apolyton has 4 musketeers
Babar is building 3rd musket, recommend switching to crusader

All cities have at least 2 musketeers, except Shade (nee Elephantine) has one musket and 3 crusaders, one a veteran.
trireme 1 has a musket and crusader on board
trireme 2 has a musket and crusader on board
trireme 3 is empty

Both Egyptians and Americans are Uncooperative, and we are at war. We should be able to get peace when we want it while their attitude remains so. The Indians are also uncooperative. The elephant they have parked next to Shade must not remain there for a turn longer.

The Supreme Military Commander recommends the following:

1. Contact India, demand that they withdraw troops. If they do not withdraw their elephant, kill it. Caution: India has enough gold to bribe New Castellon.
2. Move trireme 1 to drop the crusader at the orange X, kill any egyptians on the yellow X or the pheasant. If we kill their catapult, drop musketeer at the yellow X;
3. Move trireme 2 to drop both units at the yellow X;
4. Move trireme 3 to see what city (and if walled) lies at the green spot;
5. Move the veteran crusader from Shade to the yellow X.

If Heliopolis is walled, we should not try to capture it with only 3 crusaders. In that case, the S.M.C recommends retreat to the orange X, where we can kill anybody who appears in the forest.

We have a trireme near the carthaginian city of Cartenna. Should this ship continue its meandering about the world, or should it begin a return voyage for local taxi use between our islands?

The head of the foreign office, Foreign Minister - adamsj, AGREES with this post! Well done SMC! BUT FM is well done, as well!

[Mr. President]

Burn them all! Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!

[civman2000]

great plan! If diplomacy fails, bribe the elepahnt

[shade]

The only thing I would say...try to be gentle with the Indians...kick the Egyptians and Americans to oblivion then we can pick our next target. About those troops...maybe send some more troops to Darkness or Light and then launch an attack(send in eg 3 full triremes....

maybe our science-advisor should try to calculate the effect of conquering a new tech.

Shade

[MrWhereItsAt]

As ever, MdS, our enemies cower merely upon hearing your name, but I have a concern.

You suggest staying on the orange x if we aren't immediately going ahead with the conquest plans, in order to kill anything approaching through the forest. This is easy enough for catapults and the like, but if the Egyptians send Phalanx, Legions or Archers into that forest it may not be so easy to kill them ,especially if they're vets. Even with the Crusaders we have in shade - only one of the three is a vet, and the musketeer is a recruit also. Numerically we ARE strong enough to beat out these units, but I fear for our soldiers all the same (we may lose a crusader in attacking!).

Perhaps someone can correct me in my fears - but I strongly suggest caution. We need our soldiers to become vets in easy battles before attacking into forest!

And one note to add to yours, MdS - the units referred to in Trireme two are a (non-vet) Crusader and Musketeer - sorry if this was stated but I was unsure after reading the posts here.

Apart from this I vote for your plan.

Your Ever-Vigilant VP,
MrWIA.

[James Adams]

Vice President you are too cautious!

[civman2000]

I have to agree with adamsj, although MWIA does bring up an important concern

[Marquis de Sodaq]

If any defensive units appear in the forest, we could easily retreat to the city. Or jump aboard a trireme to scoot away quickly. They would have to move to grassland to approach, there really isn't much to worry about. However, this concern is my primary motivation for wanting to sack Heliopolis. A musketeer on the hill just east of that city would hold off any AI advances. Especially if we build a fortress there.