Troubles are coming

In 640BC Genghis ‘troubles’ Khan decides that he had enough of seeing warriors defending on the other side of his border, so without any further discussion, he declares war on me and sends an axeman to Orleans. Not only this is very bad news, but this is also an extremely bad timing, as Orleans is right now only defended by a warrior and can’t be reinforced by another warrior until 2 turns, and by archer until much later as they are all that is very bad...

In 620BC, despite having studied every bricks and hiding places in the city wall for the last centuries, our glorious warrior defending Orleans is slain giving the Mongolian axeman only a few scratches (3.6 out of his 5.0 strength) and Orleans is captured before any reinforcements are able to arrive.

The following years are not any better, workers are frenetically cutting trees to speed walls and archer, 1 is captured miscounting its movement, archers are sent to Lyons. Genghis is pleased with his first offensive and is not moving too much at first, but I can do any better as there are axemen defending Orleans and Beshbalik and preventing any counteroffensive. A Mongolian axeman then decides that pillaging around Paris would be a good idea and starts rampaging causing havocs. The only action to be proud of at this time was being able to sneak a settler without escort (running fast) to be able to found Rheims (in 420BC) in the northern tundra opposite the copper, hoping to connect it to Paris in a ‘not too far away’ term (after border expansion, road and mining and with sea trade).

The first rampaging axeman is finally taken care of when he arrived under Paris wall, at the cost of 2 dead archers and a heavily injured third one.

In 240BC another rampaging archer is coming to Paris, this time the first 2 archers do a crap job at hurting him and Paris is now in serious trouble with almost no defence (1 unit defending left). As some other axemen are marching towards Lyons as well and connecting the Copper is not to be done before another dozens of turn, I dial Genghis and ask for the price for peace (knowing that we can’t exchange tech or money).

So in 240BC, Lyons is now officially Mongolian without fighting and we are at peace again, swallowing our pride and counting on better time in a (far away) future.

As shown in the previous picture, the situation at the end of this war is bad, Genghis is now very strong, I have only 2 city left (Paris and a fishing unproductive village), had to reconnect the wheat (I managed to save the cow and stone) and well defended barbarians cities are now on the West Coast.

Rebuilding

Since getting the copper is crucial (for defence against AI and expand against barbarians) but will annoy the Aztecs, better be ready for that and focus on getting strong defensive point. Monte is weak as well, so I can take the risk to annoy him a little bit more. Rheims is currently not very defendable, so the first steep is to expand in this direction and forget for now the West (can’t go after barbarians with sword/axe) and the South (leave it to Genghis for now).

Another settler is produced in Paris and Tours is founded in 20BC at the beginning of the Rheims’ peninsula to block the access and with the first expansion get the cow and steal (later) the crab from the Aztecs. A few years later, Marseilles is founded between Paris and Tours, definitely stealing the pigs from Genghis (how suicidal is that now) and shortening our communication lines. Despite that Thucydides is not very encouraging regarding our future.

That is it, last in score, last in tech and trying (and probably with success) to annoy the second in tech (but low in score) and third in power (but as backward as me).

But the previous picture is also showing that Iron is to be discovered at now that is a change as …

I have more Iron than we could have dreamed of. Talking about having all wrong with research path, how would have the previous war been with Iron, Genghis is better counting on me in the future.

I also get a great Prophet and he becomes a specialist (as the tech 'meditation', which he could discover, is cheap').

Some interesting facts happen a little bit latter:

· Monte asks for cows in 280AD, as I am not ready for another avoidable war, I decide not to gamble and accept.

· Genghis declares on Gandhi (1^st rank civ) in 300AD, I start getting ready and swap to almost full military just in case Gandhi asks for help, I will happily agree. Unfortunately, they signs peace in 440AD with no visible results (from my view).

· I cancel deal (open border) with Alex (last civ) as requested by Washington, leaving Alex soaking (not accepting to talk, even for gift) for a few centuries.

· I am first to discover Alphabet in 530AD, try to get the most of it immediately (Math from Gandhi, good deal, Polytheism from Washington, bad deal but only tech visible) and realise that you need a full turn to be able to trade back the techs you gained by trading and the ones opened by those techs. Trade later Alphabet for Priesthood and Monotheism with Monte. I realise also that Genghis is VERY backward (still without Ironworking for example).

· Everyone except Alex has Buddhism for state religion, unfortunately, that is the only (existing) religion that is in NONE of my cities, so can’t do anything to speed its propagation, so I am staying atheist.

· Around 600AD, Genghis comes and asks for Ironworking, I tell him he does not impress me much now (half bluffing as most of my swords are playing with the western barbarians cities), he is not very happy but decides I can get away with being that insolent for now.

· Found two more cities isolating the western part again, Chartres in 360AD south-west on the lake and Avignon in 610AD on the south coast.

· As shown in the following picture, the assault on the barbarian city of Phoenician has started, with CR2 (City-Raider x2) Swords (2^nd promotion usually earns chasing barbarians archers in the open) facing Archers behind city wall. The city is captured with a worker in 620AD, with heavy but not fatal casualties (two swords get below 0.5).

More not that exciting events are following:

· Get the Great Lighthouse in Paris in 630AD at the same time the Pyramids are built in a ‘far away land’.

· Panic time in 640AD as Gandhi adopts Universal Suffrage, check how far that is in the Technology Tree and realise that the only explanation is the Pyramids being built the previous turn…

· Alex tries to commit suicide in 650AD by declaring on Gandhi.

· After discovering Literature in 660AD, start researching Theology as Christianity has not been founded yet.

· Back in second place in the ranking around

‘Troubles’ are back

In 680AD, Genghis ‘troubles’ Khan tries to strike again. 2 pictures are better than a lot of words:

His army might be glorious, but it is mainly made of axes and chariot, while I have axes, swords and spears. And except if he launches a full scale attack very quickly, my cities are safely protected this time.

A few quick decisions are still needed:

· Bride Monte with Literature (+ free cow again) for help, mostly to prevent Genghis from doing the same as the only frontline cities not well defended are in the northern peninsula facing Monte.

· Change research again, to construction to be able to do serious damages without serious casualties.

This war declaration has unfortunately cut the trade road with Gandhi (?) as the Ivory for Iron deal is cancelled and not possible (or more likely Alex managed to pillage Gandhi Ivory).

The first turns are quite uneventful as Genghis is only sending a few chariots around Paris or Marseilles to try to pillage (and he will be doing it all along the war) which are easily destroyed promoting spears nicely.

The first real actions start around 720AD.

Genghis has landed a small party next to Avignon, which is defended (now, with some whipping) with archer + spear + axe + warrior.

On the other side, my small invasion forces are approaching Orleans which was up to now defended only by a spear and an archer behind city wall, unfortunately an axe has appeared the last turn, making the capture quite unlikely.

The party next to Avignon commits suicide against the city and, more important, the axe at Orleans tries an attack and lost against a defending axe, not the best move ever from Genghis.

The odd are now ok (6.0 vs 5.1) to try to attack Orleans but I don’t have enough units should one attack fails, so I decide to wait 1 turn to get 2 more city raiding swords.

The attack on Orleans is launched in 750AD:

· 1^st sword (CR2) vs Archer (behind wall) faces odds of 6.0 vs 5.1 and wins with 0.6 left

· 2^nd sword (CR2) vs Spear/wall faces odds of 6.0 vs 5.2 and wins with 3.8 left.

Orleans is French again (no revolt) and both the wall and granary are still there. Some reinforcements are brought and the city should not be lost again.

Monte stops the crusade in 800AD without any visible results.

The troops are on the move on converging (from Avignon and Orleans) towards Lyons, the attack on the heavily defended city is launched in 820AD:

· 1^st axe (CR2) vs axe (wall +Combatx2 or C2) faces odds of 5.0 vs 7.5 and loses (damaging defender to 3.4).

· 2^nd axe (CR2) vs axe (wall) faces odds of 5.0 vs 7.0 and loses (damaging defender to 1.8).

· 1^st sword (CR3) vs wounded Axe (wall + C2) faces odds of 6.0 vs 5.4 and wins with 4.9 left.

· 2^nd sword (CR2) vs archer (wall) faces odds of 6.0 vs 5.1 and wins with 3.8 left.

· 3^rd axe (CR1) vs wounded axe (wall) faces odds of 5.0 vs 3.0 and wins without damage.

Since Lyons was gifted, there are no French inhabitants right now and the city goes into revolt for 3 turns.

Another, less experienced, army in ready to assault Beshbalik in 870AD:

· 1^st axe (CR1) vs axe (wall) faces odds of 5.0 vs 8.8 and loses (damaging defender to 2.8).

· 2^nd axe (CR1) vs archer (wall) faces odds of 5.0 vs 6.8 and loses (damaging defender to 1.5).

· 3^rd axe (C1+Sh) vs wounded axe (wall) faces odds of 5.5 vs 4.7 and wins with 3.2 left.

· 4^th axe (CR1) vs wounded archer (wall) faces odds of 5.0 vs 3.3 and wins without damage.

· 1^st spear vs chariot faces odds of 4.4 vs 2.1, wins with 3.0left and captures the city.

After Beshbalik’s capture, the finances are ugly: I am crumbling under city maintenance costs are units are starting to cost money as well. There is nothing really positive (except pillage) that war can bring within the ‘honourable’ rules and Genghis has some annoying galleys bringing havocs in my fishing industry.

Peace is then sign, for nothing as Genghis believe or realise that I can’t do enough damage to make Calendar worth stopping the hostilities.

Since I am crumbling under maintenance cost, peace for nothing (calendar is not acceptable).

At peace again

Positive point, I am first again on point, negative point, the research rate will have to go to 30% soon for a little while until I have better control of the expanses.

Some more uneventful things happen in the following years:

· Discover construction in 880AD, trade it (with Meditation) for Calendar with Washington, and for Horseriding with Gandhi. Set research on the much needed Code of Law.

· Capture the barbarian city of Anasazi in 920AD, despite the additional costs as I don’t want another AI to get this city.

· Christianity is founded far way in 970AD.

· Paris has completed the Hanging Gardens in 970AD.

· Alex and Gandhi stop their war in 1035AD, without any visible results.

· Discover Code of Law in 1050AD, sell it to Washington for Monarchy + 220g, for 340g to Monte and 210g for Alex (no, I am not desperate for money J ), now I can start some serious deficit spending research.

· After Metal casting in 1085AD, set research on Philosophy as Taoism is still not founded, unfortunately miss it in 1110AD and all the money is spent, had to go back to 30% research for a while (not a lot of courthouses finished, workers being busy planting cottages around).

· Get a great merchant in 1120AD, I can either send it away for money or discover Currency, which is quite annoying as it is cheap and well known around, but as this it will really improve my financial situation, he is turn into this technology anyway.

· More AI wars, Monte declares on Washington in 1130AD and Alex declares on Gandhi again in 1145AD, then Genghis declares on Gandhi in 1155AD. I am trying to help the ‘small’ (i.e. last in point) nations by not providing the leading Gandhi (G) or Washington (W) with Horse (G,W), Iron (W) and Copper (G). It is quite a micro-management nightmare during a few turns as resources deals are cancelled regularly due to disconnection/pillage while my cities are often close to their happiness and/or health limits.

· More wonders for the industrious French as Paris completes Chichen Itza in 1150AD and Angkor Wat in 1240AD while Marseilles finishes the Colossus in 1185AD.

· Discover Paper in 1205AD, start Divine Right (12t) as Islam has not been founded yet. Research is now beck to 70% with little (-7gpt) deficit. I will indeed manage to be first to discover Divine Right in 1255AD and Anasazi (the ex-barbarian city in the north-west) is picked for holy city (missionary sent to Paris).

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