Turn 107 225 BC

[Slade Wilson]

~completed items
Fort Sierra finishes spearman. Should build an axeman.
Foxtrot stables grows one size, finishes horse archer, is building axe
polytheism is in, research set for literature


the workers near AB had already finished the cottage when i loaded the turn, so they will need orders


~todo
withdraw axeman across river to jungle tile. The turnplayer will have to decide how best to slow the stack himself, but thats the most likely to be best move.

Spearman from fort sierra-should go in between foxtrot\echo so it can reinforce either if needed.

[Slade Wilson]

I wont be able to play the sav until Saturday morning.

I need an update on diplomacy though ill investigate the diplo threads and take it up otherwise, though im not certain how to convince horde to send that settler.... Is polarnomad still doing this, or is he on vacation, and UnO when are you taking your two week hiatus?

[UnOrthOdOx]

All October is fairly inactive. But, starting the 24th I'll be taking my vacation from work. The way it's shaping up, I might have sporratic time here.

As for diplo updates, we're out of both contracts. Sarantium never answered our peace proposal, so I'll take that as a 'no'. Should be nothing pressing.

[Slade Wilson]

More trouble on the eastern front;A second sarantium stack has moved into sight near Port Lima


swordsman
spearman
axeman
3 chariots
archer
and the second axemen trailing the stack




Im looking over the situation now and how both stacks can be repelled. The two stacks near foxtrot have united into one stack as expected

Ok, i have a plan. I propose to use Archimedes to obtain machinery, and utilize crossbowmen to break the sarantium armies.

AB will be able to triple pop its settler in a few turns. Roads will be made to the iron, and the settler could be settled right on the iron. It could use ABs pig for some growth i suppose. Its a terrible city spot but what can we do?

We can have iron in 3 turns, i believe, by making AB build the settler now, triple whipping it next turn and using the roads to instantly settle it on the iron. A pair of crossbows in port lima\foxtrot would render the sarantium attack irrelevant and a few more crossbows would allow us to eliminate their stacks. Since archers can be upgraded to crossbowmen, we will be able to immediately field a force of them. Because sarantium lacks HBR their units that will have the best combat odds on offense vs crossbows will be the lowly chariot. And it will only have about 5-10% odds.

Of course this would mean giving up the great library(5 turns away) or hanging gardens. But i see no choice. We are outnumbered and facing a two pronged attack and simply have to get more troops, or better troops, and fast. Its a good thing horde isnt attacking us, apparently opting to backstab sarantium.

[UnOrthOdOx]

Trouble is they could hit both cities in 3-4 turns. Too soon to get crossbows.

All mounted units should be moved to the tile 2 of Fort Sierra. This allows them to be moved to either city. If any are not upgraded to horse archers, now's the time.

AB should be emptied, IMO, unhappiness be damned. That's another horse archer waiting to be upgraded.

Seriously consider popping any city that will not complete it's build in 2 turns. Again, unhappiness is not a concern right now.

The axe should move onto our gems. Moving it onto the jungle does nothing but get it out of position to help foxtrot. Their stack will likely move 7 next, then the ponies and pillage, or the gems and pillage. We should prepare to attack it if it does. IMO.

As for the crossbows...

Go ahead and switch to the settler for now to open the possibility. but...

We have a turn before we need to act on that, so we don't need to decide that at this moment and should put it to a team vote.

[Slade Wilson]

Its plenty of time to get crossbows. I can get a archer upgraded to a crossbowman in just 3 turns.

Foxtrot has 4 horse archers and other units getting done there. Even without crossbows it should not fall. Note that sarantium has archers in its stacks, 3 power units that will be pretty useless on attack except as cannon fodder.

[UnOrthOdOx]

Still rather have the axe there to help, and shuffle some other units up near lima.

Moving the horse archers to 2 of Fort Sierra puts them in a position to help either city, for instance.

Forgot archers upgraded to crossbows as well as longbows...

We could shuffle Fort Sierra's police over to lima to help for now too.

The big Q is where did Sarantium get iron?

[Slade Wilson]

1. They used the iron near that razed city spot. We must have pillaged the mine-OR they did before we could get there.

2. They have iron near their capitol and edited it out of the screenshot they sent us, or didnt have iron working at the time

[UnOrthOdOx]

They never had iron working till we gave it to them. After the screenies.

A workboat out of Lima would be a nice scout

[Slade Wilson]

It costs 125 gold to upgrade a archer to crossbow, so we could get 2-3 tops in 3-4 turns. We have 255 gold now. With 30+ a turn in 4 turns we will have 375. So we can upgrade 3 crossbowmen. I would upgrade two in port lima and one in foxtrot. This means its important to put the axe in a blocking position so we have time to upgrade. The axeman in fort sierra will definitely head for port lima to guarantee the place holds.

How long shall we hold the turn? Until Sunday afternoon?

[UnOrthOdOx]

Sorry, my battery died yesterday.

Sounds like you have it all set.

The axe, the only blocking move I see is moving him 8. I thought you were wanting to move him 4, which does us nothing. So, I can agree to moving 8 or 7.

As for the other, set it all up how we need. Switch to the settler, cut the research, etc. But, don't use the engineer yet. We can vote on whether to actually do that next turn.

It's possible Sarantium is just passing to strike at the Horde too. Ya never know, stranger things have happened.

[Slade Wilson]

Good cover in the turn discussion thread. We wouldnt want to imply any big decisions going down

Yeah, i was thinking the axe goes 8

Its certainly possible when sarantium sees our crossbowmen they pull back and talk peace. The attack odds are dismal(i was doing some worldbuilder sims yesterday) I can only assume the horde is attacking sarantium so i would guess they head in that direction next

[snoopy369]

Please get the turn out in the next few hours Thanks!

[Slade Wilson]

Its already been sent awile ago.

[OzzyKP]

What units do they have and what do we have?

Plus, I'm a bit wary about empting our interior cities to defend the eastern front. It isn't difficult for a few quick moving keshiks to strike our soft underbelly.