Spoliers for AU 401: They came down from the Mountains

[nbarclay]

My cultural campaign against Rome finally yielded its one and only dividend with the flipping of Veii in 70 AD. I started work on a forbidden palace in Basra on the neck between the Roman/Arabian starting area and the jungle opening onto the larger part of the continent, intending it to be my eastern capital when I ruled the world. Peace and prosperity were the order of the day.

Then, in 190 AD, the world changed. Evil Chinese forces reached the tiny undefended village of Yamama and burned it through the ground. Arabia immediately sought allies, bribing Rome and India into joining the war at great expense (and arranging a right of passage agreement with Rome to ensure that Roman troops could reach the front lines in a timely manner). Work toward planned courthouses in the western lands was converted to troops, mostly longbowmen, to defend the remaining western cities in the meantime.

Roman medieval infantry quickly proved themselves more than a match for the Chinese aggressors, allowing Arabia to return to its peaceful ways. Horsemen continued to be a priority, as did Leonardo's Workshop. That wonder was completed in 350 AD.

[nbarclay]

In 400 AD, the world changed. Ansar Warriors made their first appearancein combat, beginning Arabia's golden age. Chinese cities fell like dominoes before these new units, and in well under a century, China was no more. Interestingly, not a single Chinese Rider appeared to challenge the dominance of Arabia's mighty Ansars.

[Note: Screenshots from the playback are as of the beginning of the turn, so each turn's conquest appears in the following turn's image.]

[nbarclay]

The Age of Ansars was spactacular, but it was also short. Musketmen were beginning to appear, and even against pikemen, Ansars' margin of superiority was less than ideal. Arabian scientists had an answer planned, but it would take time. In the meantime, Arabia stayed at peace but continued to build up its mounted forces.

The answer came in 620 AD, and was unleashed on the world a decade later: Cavalry. These new mounted troops were just as fast as Ansars, but were half again as well armed. No defender on the planet could hope to stand against them for any length of time.

Rome was the first to fall. The Arab people still remembered Roman settlers' claiming coveted lands, and still remembered the high price Caesar charged for his help against China - help through which Rome had added a city to its empire, no less. Those gave Arabia's politicians ample tools through which to persuade the people that war against Rome was justified.

In twenty years, it was all but over. Veii would defect back to Rome and have to be reconquered before the war would end, and Arabia would gain one of Rome's island cities in the peace talks, but Arabia's cavalry were free to move on to their next target.

[nbarclay]

In 700 AD, Carthage became the second target of Arabian cavalry, with India asked to assist in dealing with a difficult-to-reach city. A new leader emerged quickly and moved Arabia's palace to one of the captured Carthagenian cities. (Perfect palace positioning was a prime purpose for preferring Carthage as a target.) The Ottomans quickly joined Carthage's plight, and before long, the Ottomans were no more and Carthage was reduced to a single island city. (Yes, making peace with Carthage violated a treaty with India, but India would soon have far greater reasons to be upset with Arabia.)

[nbarclay]

Germany would be next to fall. Once again, the war was an easy one, although Arabia gave Rome an island city that had been ceded by Carthage when Germany started threatening it. Three leaders emerged, two of them rushing Bach's Cathedral and Newton's University and a third founding a 3Xelite* cavalry army.

[nbarclay]

With Germany defeated, it was time to give India a much greater reason to hate and mistrust Arabs. And if a Babylonian city got in the way, so what? Who was left with the power to object?

In the meantime, Arabia had been rushing temples and courthouses in many cities. In 870 AD, our illustrious empire reached the domination threshold.

[nbarclay]

Final score: 7352, thanks mostly to the bonus for winning so early. By the way, I went ahead and played a couple more turns after I officially won to remove Babylon from my continent. But going on to get rid of the Romans (who had gotten back a city through a cultural flip to leave an ugly red blot on the beautiful pink of my continent) would have been more trouble than I wanted to go to. After all, I'd been so busy building cavalry that I had no navy at all!

[Mountain Sage]

Hey Arrian,

You almost played like me!

[Nor Me]

I chose the Zulus. As this was an AU game, I concluded that it would be very hard on Deity. Looking at the Roman's starting position, I was probably right. Since I was player Emperor, Industrious was out of the question. It was a pangea so I thought expansionist might be good. Specifically a low-landmass pangea means that conquest is going to be the best option so the Zulus seemed reasonable.

I accidentally didn't use the AU mod so this is unmodded.

For some reason, I missed one of the wheats so moved the settler twice to get I higher chance for an early settler from a hut. I'm not going to be able to convince everyone that expansionist is a good trait if every AU game I get a settler as early as possible. I'm not this lucky normally. Honestly, no restarts:

[Nor Me]

The Romans don't scare us!

When I discovered the Romans were so near, this was obviously settlerless archer-rush territory so Zimbabwe stopeed building scouts in favour of barracks.
Of course the Zulu's are a brave people and so stick to their build order whatever any weak-willed civ might do :

[Nor Me]

see!

You can see in the above screenshot that Rome has no spearmen. When Rome dropped to size 1 for the second time, just 2 archers were ready. Well, if they'd failed, they wouldn't have deserved to live, right?
The AIs just aren't as ruthless as the player can be :

[Nor Me]

Edit: change of plan. This should have been attached above.

[Nor Me]

Now this is when I become unforgivably lucky. After taking Veii in 2190BC. The Romans respawn very close by. This gives me 100 gold, 2 workers and the next target.
I've researched the Wheel and Horseback riding by this stage and have been able to trade for the starting techs. So I've started researching the usual mathematics.
I built a granary in Zimbabwe, intending to REX from there. But the Roman respawn could give me yet another free core city so I started the Pyramids. I've noticed these go well with loose city spacing which the Romans forced on me.

[Nor Me]

When I got Mathematics, I was able to to trade for the 2nd tier of techs (Iron Working, Writing and Mysticism as well). The Roman's don't have contact with anyone! Time for the Arrian deception on a pangea. Just 7 turns into peace, I declare war on the Romans, mostly to bring back any scouting units. With 3 archers and 2 recently upgraded swordsmen, I manage to take Antium the turn after it expands. By this time they've founded Cumae on the ivory just 4 tiles from Zimbabwe.

I started researching Philosophy in 1625BC. Normally at this stage I'd research Currency that the AI might miss. But I wanted to be in Republic as long as possible before Feudalism comes into play.

I'm now just about to build my first settler! With five cities and a certain capturable sixth, this is a decent REX all the same. None of the former Roman cities are that corrupt even in Despotism.

[Nor Me]

I added slaves to Zimbabwe until it was size 10. It's obviously a great game when your capital not only builds no settlers and workers but actually has them added to it. Of course this meant 50% lucuries for I while but with 2 MP and Ivory and wine hooked up as well as furs, that became a more reasonable 20%.

Even with no bonus production squares a capital on a river can give decent wonder production as well as good commerce. You just waste all that zero corruption by turning it into a settler pump.

So philosophy was discovered in 1375BC. The ottomans got it first but luckily I was still able to trade it for the more expensive code of laws and mapmaking. Time to start Republic. In 1150BC Zimbabwe built the Pyramids.

The Gerams declared war on Carthage. I hoped that would lead to a stalemate between two of the civs who judging by their tech were doing well.

This is a 1000Bc minimap. Blame Kon for putting the Indians next to the Babylonians. If you can tell the difference you'll notice that I'm bigger than anyone else. With one city that was about to reach 15 production and the Pyramids that should be good. I'd started thinking about horseman and roads through jungle.