12 February 2018

Civ 4 18 civs Pangaea test Marathon Monarch episode 7

Kind of a desultory ending to a decent game, the insanity of the first half kind of killed the competition off also their insistence on not researching Rifling - though they had steel Cannons, Airships (in limited supply) and had just gained access to Machine Guns and Steel ships, the land war was what mattered.


Frickin' slaughter here actually makes Lincoln renounce Charlemagne's protection.


^ My allies actually beat me to a variety of locations as we feasted on the Viking-Zulu-Ethiopian Empire.


^ He concedes quite lightly. Mao and Lincoln follow in exact sequence after he goes under.

^  Thought he would be the real big bad.

^ They all have NICE technologies.


^ Rameses looking chuffed. Top score and managed to displace one of my early win Roman games. Might return with either Earth map or another crazy 18 civ random script map next time. This was good fun and I was probably lucky not have got dog-piled by advanced civs earlier in the game. Weak or dead neighbours also played a part and the West never consolidating but remaining fractured yet advanced hurt any chance of a real foe. I recall a Pangaea game where Bismarck vassal'd have the continent while I killed off two people and was forced to fight him and his many subordinates. I had to go through Japan to get to him and managed to isolate and destroy his stack which broke his hold over his vassals and the game just turned completely my way.

Stack of Dooms are huge in this game, a huge part that is but as warfare gets more complex toward the end there can be numerous smaller armies but there is always that one main force to attack or run away from. It can be really satisfying to destroy an equally matched or superior force by manoeuvre and good use of collateral damage from siege weapons and flanking from mounted forces. I was lucky they never bothered with Rifling (sometimes they do focus on it or acquire it through various means) else I would have much farther to go, though my domestic situation was just starting to calm down post-slavery and post-draft.

11 February 2018

Civ 4 18 civs Pangaea test Marathon Monarch episode 6

Almost there. Attacking Genghis and almost winning now.


^ His lands. His giant stack of doom is still in the Zulu lands there on the left.


^ I declared on him and then didn't try and topple the vote. Everyone said 'no' to ending the war so it's all good.

^ Early concessions - I forgot he had some land south of me.


^ My stack squares off with his in Celtic lands. I will now try and get him to move onto the lowland so he will lose that hill defence bonus.

^ He's getting closer...

^ There we go!

^ A terrible clash of arms, we took so many casualties in this game at 60% or more odds in our favour, but I guess that's civ.

^ Tons of promotions available next turn and despite surviving with a large number of troops intact after our assault his counterattack fails miserably, we lose 4 guys while he loses every other battle.


^ Still not giving in. The amount of red relations here and wars versus all 9+ of my vassals...


^ A quick look at the global situation.

^ Set up a rainforest squad here to distract him while I build up again and try attacking from two different sides. Here and further west around this body of water, right under his belly.



^ Press toward the Christian holy city of Bibracte. Once Elizabeth's, then Genghis' for the last few centuries and now soon to be mine.


^ She falls. Note the incredible 100+ gold generated by the holy site being here. I'm keeping this.

^ Not good enough for him, though he offers a Zulu city.

^ I mass whip a Cavalry force in most cities. This along with drafting here and there for the next few turns should drive my Power up and make him submit faster, or at least allow me to attack better.

^ My jungle force have resisted a good few attacks.

^ Bibracte pops out of civil unrest and sure enough drives my income up.

^ After attacking him a bit on both sides he concedes.

^ I am now almost there re: land area, you need 51% to dominate and population. I think a portion of my vassals' scores are added to mine to get this figure.

^ Look at the conga line of troops heading west!


^ The final battle, my Cavalry and Riflemen versus Charlemagne's steel Cannons.


Civ 4 18 civs Pangaea test Marathon Monarch episode 5

Swinging West at last and some consolidation





^ Louis is next, the founder of Hinduism...

^ The base of my colonial ambitions...

^ So it begins, reconquering  Ankhor Thom.

^ The stack. Again, nowhere else in the world has researched Rifling.

^ L'Advance into the Khmer/Louis XIV.

^ Louis falls. I give him back a few cities.

^ Finally some recognition.



^ My attempts to conquer the Barbarian Isles.


^ They held out well, the Barbs. Also passed the 'Habormaster' quest.


^ Introducing the Babylonians under Joao. Finally have those Barbarian islands under my control.

^ Also a surprise entry into the Industrial Age via a tech trace. Scientific Method shows me where the Oil is.


^ Will swing for the Great Spy perk of researching Communism first.


^ Plenty of Oil and other 'General' resources within our borders.


^ Fear the Sumerian Stack. Getting into position versus the Dutch-Persian in light blue.

^ Probably my greatest rival.

^ Espionage. Note the renewed '3' main enemies and '2' their vassals, '1' being my vassals.

^ Took what seemed like forever but declared on Willem and Elizabeth.

^ Rifles and Cavalry would fight Knights et al in an uneven military struggle.


^ Unfortunately for me, the evil guys would make peace with Willem and Elizabeth.., also Mao was now subject!!!

^ My distance from victory. Looking like classic Domination eg 51% control.

^ Score breakdown.

^ Power.


^ The battleground? Former Alexander-Arab territory. Jewish homeland. Note my Rifles on the right.


^ His terms early war. C'mon man!

^ Pushing West.His stuff his archaic.

^ Tempting though it is to provoke my vassal Wang Kon of the Inca, I pass.


^ Not serious enough? I start drafting Riflemen on the Russia side.


^ He can't resist. Crossbows and War Elephants are two generations behind Rifles and Cavalry.

^ Worried about my new #1 rival Charlemagne wandering eastward toward me with relatively advanced shit.


^ The South of Willem. A joke to fight.


^ Swing back to the barbs. Frigates bombard defences and Rifles dare to dream.


^ Still alarmed at Viking/Charlemagne stack. Press on into Willem.

^ My efforts net me a Great General. I settle him this time.

^ We press west in hope of capitulation.

^ The South. The Inca assist us.

^ Still observing Charles' advance east over any potential light blue threat.

^ Elizabeth breaks free. Willem will surely fall.

^ The release of Elizabeth of the Celts and all the military pressure marks Capitulation for him.

^ Great Spy with Communism. Golden Age (our first) commences.


^ Brief press into Elizabeth to get a decision.

^ Slaughter reduced her to one defender and certain Capitulation.

^ Fin. Peace without taking a city. Who is next so we can win?

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