Jack Merchant vs Dr Alimentado ----spoiler thread-

[jack merchant]

We have played until turn 88 - I used the start to get to a +5 fpt settler factory, but I did not build a granary in the capital since I thought the Aztecs would come too close then. They did build cities to the North and West of me, but I'm now going to take stuff by force - the Ottomans go forth !
My empire:

http://www.civ3duelzone.com/forum/uploaded/jack merchant/200353113169_DrAvsJ_lands.jpg
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I am behind by philosophy and literature to save cash for the warrior-sword upgrade, and as a result, I now have 12 swords with which to take it to the Aztecs and still have 5-6 more warriors left to upgrade as cash comes in. The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan started building TGL first - I will allow them to finish it before I take the city.

[jack merchant]

Blah - only one minute after I post this and it's already caight up by the facts on the ground ![wallbash]

A serious strategy rethink is now in order !

[jack merchant]

I have captured Tlaxcala and Teotihuacan, killing 2 swords and 5 spears at the cost of 2 swords. I have units in place to take the two cities to my west, too. One hitch in the plans is that the Aztecs cascaded to the Great Wall when DrA built the Library, so they better not have walls in their cities.

I bought construction from the Carts at extortionate prices hoping to get philo and lit for it from the Celts, but they only wanted to offer one. I didn't dare add gpt into the deal as i suspect they will die soon. I realize that I made a major mistake though - I should probably have been able to get the WM too in the deal but forgot :(

In other news, I have converted Istanbul into a nice 2-turn worker factory.

[jack merchant]

The peace treaty with the Aztecs ledt me with Tlax, Teo and the two Aztec cities to the west. They also gave me the remaining ancient age techs (with the exception of republic, which isnt around yet). I pulled Engineering as my free tech, which gave me feudalism, gold and contact with the remaining civs from the Carthaginians.
I have gifted these civs up to parity so they can start researching too -I want the tech pace to speed up as much as possible now.

[jack merchant]

DrA is stronger, and in a republic, while I was still in despotism with 40-turn research the only option. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I decided to steal ! My entire treasury of 630 gold was only barely enough for an immediate steal, but it's do or die here:

http://www.civ3duelzone.com/forum/uploaded/jack merchant/20036214954_DrA_steal.jpg
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This should give me at least a fighting chance now - beelining at max towards MT seeems to be the way to go....

[Lt. Killer M]

hehe, stealing is good, if it works it can make a HUGE difference..... Need I tell oyu I STOLE rail in a certain game ;)

[Aggie]

Stealing is ultra-powerful in PBEM. Great desicion Jack :)

[jack merchant]

Too little too late maybe, but if I get a GL I intend to jump my palace after this:

http://www.civ3duelzone.com/forum/uploaded/jack merchant/200364162659_DrAvsJ_FP.jpg
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I want to move the palace to Tlaxcala on the map below:

http://www.civ3duelzone.com/forum/uploaded/jack merchant/200364162815_DrAvsJ_lands2.jpg
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which is the best I can do given the shape of the map I think. DrA is moving on Tenochtitlan too - I'm hoping he attacks it now, and I'll wait for him to take it because the 6 or so vet pikes in there should lose him a fair number of immortals. I intend to move the 15 or so MIs I have in Tlax next to the city the turn before he attacks.

I'm one turn away from invention (turn 143), but DrA already has muskets ! He's so confident now that the evil motherfucker (;)) even condescended to show me I have saltpeter too :

http://www.civ3duelzone.com/forum/uploaded/jack merchant/20036416327_spoiler4jack.jpg
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Be that as it may, I'm still way up the creek without a paddle.

[jack merchant]

The colosseum in Istanbul is a prebuild for Leo's btw - I haven't checked whether DrA is building it too though. I'll turn science off now probably and steal gunpowder once I have the dosh. Only 3 more techs before Sipahi after that...... if I live that long.......

[Ehecatl Atzin]

So what happened after that?

[jack merchant]

Zounds of Immortals, knights and muskets crossed the border, overran my defenses and made mincemeat out of me [lol]
I'll never play a human opponent as Persia again !

[Aggie]

I can imagine that. What about me being the Ottomans in our rematch of our rematch?

[jack merchant]

Well, the problem here really was that the continent was too small - there were 2 AIs on separate islands and the AIs between DrA and me were mostly confined to jungle, so they never had a channec to stand up to the immortals. With a larger landmass, Ottomans vs Persians might just be doable.