Turn 93, 710 BC

[nbarclay]

DeepO, dealing with an attack on Monsoon with WCs is not an option if we're going after Vox's eastern immortal. Monsoon's being on a mountain means that crossing the river into it costs our WCs both their movement points. (If we go with the technique of moving both vet WCs in the area onto the same tile with the elite, which is not a plan I like, we could keep our western WC on the western side of the river to take a shot at the spearman if he moves down from the mountain.)

[nbarclay]

Theseus, with Feudalism coming in two turns, and if I remember right that builds switch between the time science is completed and the time building is done, we can't finish any swordsmen before we get Feudalism. That's the price we pay for being able to upgrade earlier. Alternatively, we could back off research to a three-turn pace but that would mean four turns before spears could upgrade to pikes and be back on the mountain - five if we take the upgrade in two stages so we have at least one spear on the mountain at all times.

If Vox has a big enough stack, keeping them from hitting Arashi will not be possible. But if they have to go around fortified pikemen on a mountain to get to the city, and then have to face those same fortified pikemen behind city walls on a hill if they want to take the city, that could break a stack that we could merely damage on its way in. That's why I want walls.

[DeepO]

Originally posted by Theseus
Consider some poprushing.

Euh, Theseus, I know you have had better things to spend your time on than GS internal politics, but we have been a republic for many years now

Happiness in this game: that would be strange, but a possible explanation. I didn't notice it in the Euro-PBEM (which I'm currently sitting on, but I figured one war at a time would be enough tension), but I just assumed no WW meant no defender bonus either. That would be a good thing to know, though... another one of those small features that only gets discovered in this game

Monsoon: I agree it is already lost, however I don't want to give it away either. If it can distract a large stack of immortals for 1 turn: good. However, we are going to need to deal with that spear anyway, if he would decide to try to pillage some improvements, so we can't move too many WCs out of reach. Further, we also can't allow that spear to be at 9 from Monsoon, and fortify there, as it would create a path for immortals, protected.

As we're going to need some WCs there anyway, I wouldn't mind to set the trap the first time too, and see if we can catch ourselves a spear. If Vox sees 2 possible WC attacks on their immortal, if it would decide to try to kill one WC, they would normally retreat their unit. At which we time we have accomplished nothing, but moved 2 WCs out of position to protect Monsoon.

DeepO

[DeepO]

Normally, Vox could have moved into view with their stack if they wanted to, no? I wonder why they are delaying the war by a turn, would they be waiting for some reinforcements, (eg the GoW 'invaders'), or would not go down the spine?

DeepO

[nbarclay]

We have three regular swords upgraded from warriors in Tempest this turn. I'm thinking those can protect against pillaging but not against a move across the unimproved grassland to go for Monsoon (f we're inclined to risk them), but I don't have the map in front of me to doublecheck.

[nbarclay]

My calculations are that they could not be past Dissidentville with their main stack yet, just in it. So it's to be expected that we don't see their stack.

[Aeson]

Keep in mind that catapults are wheeled, so we'll really just have one mountain tile in what we expect to be the main theater of operations that we can bombard Vox from without having cats and their defenders on less defensible terrain.

We'll have Arashi itself, which is the same defense with a city wall as a Mountain. Also we will have the next mountain in the chain with a road on it should Arashi fall to continue fighting from. Tempest can have a Wall if it looks like it will get to that, giving us good coverage of the entire range of our weakest link.

I'd rather not invite Vox to walk into it with a single spearman.

We'll have a WC and 2 Reg Swords that can hit it if they move that Spear onto the road. No chance for a Vox counterattack.

[Harovan]

Here's what GhengisFarb sent.

[Aeson]

They are kidding right? 3 Immortals and 2 Spears?

[DeepO]

That is not the main attack force, is it?

DeepO

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Aeson
Where is it?

Well, you gave him the Softhome address, and there he sent it.

[asleepathewheel]

Thanks Ralph

The question is, is that the second wave, or are they waiting in D'ville for that crew? I would say the former, due to the prescence of the spear.

(Did anyone else check the geography against our screenshots???looked good to me)

[asleepathewheel]

Wonder what that worker is doing? ARe they going to build a road to us before attacking

[Aeson]

That's the first 'wave' that will be in Dissidentville right now (or gone off to the E).

[asleepathewheel]

Well, I guess we shall soon see what happens. Luckily we have 3 or 4 turns to react to them.

(wonder what they think about that GoW galley?)