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Stapel
16-04-2009, 20:17
OK, this is the last time I am supposed to be here for a while.

NHJ, please right down how you are gonna defend your empire!

Matrix
16-04-2009, 20:34
And do so write now! http://www.straland.com/images/smilies/mischief.gif

NHJ
17-04-2009, 15:04
With such demand, how can I refuse? I'll take some screenshots and write something later today. I finally figured out how my webspace works, too!

NHJ
17-04-2009, 20:01
Houston, we have a problem.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/powergraph2.jpg
(edited to show powergraph instead of score)

The current status of my empire:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/overview.jpg

Stapel will attack me 8 turns from now. I was still busy building forges and grocers to get both my production and economy up to speed. The economy is doing fine now, since I completed the grocer in my holy city, and will complete a market in my capital next turn. Several forges are now also complete.

However, the cities that I conquered from Matrix and Robi are still mostly undeveloped, have low production (except Reeniville), and no barracks or stables. My own cities do have barracks for the most part, but only my capital has a stable. First, however, some intel on Stapel's army that I have, thanks to the wonders of religion:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/robigrad.jpghttp://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/winschoten.jpg

His forces seem to consider of a mix of Axemen and War Elephants, with catapults as support units. Unfortunately, he researched Civil Service just a few turns ago, which means that he will probably upgrade those Axemen to Macemen. In response, I'll try to use Crossbowmen as my main defenders, supported by leftover Longbowmen. I can already build Macemen myself, so I will also use a few of these where possible. I'm also trying to build some Pikemen, which I sorely lack, and I have several Camel Archers that I might be able to use against Stapel's stacks to damage his artillery using flank attacks.

Here are my current civics. I just switched to Mercantilism (yay Spiritual trait!) because I'm not really trading with anyone and I can use the free specialists to boost production.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/civics.jpg

Also, you might notice that I've boosted research to speed up the discovery of Gunpowder. I'm not quite sure how much good it will do, but Musketmen are fairly good defenders, so it might help. After I've discovered it, I'll drop research to zero to help pay for unit upkeep and upgrades.

Matrix
18-04-2009, 02:05
By the looks of it he has war elephants for the most part, which means pikemen are the way to go.

You show us the score graph, but I'd be more interested in the power graph.

Good luck against Bas "Montezuma" Stapel...

Rik Meleet
18-04-2009, 02:15
I agree with Matrix; from your pictures I see melee and elephants. That should mean X-bow and pikes with some muskets for general defense, for instance against cats.

Robi D
18-04-2009, 09:31
Don't forget cats. Colleteral damage adds up against big stacks

NHJ
18-04-2009, 21:23
Yeah, I'm building some more Pikemen and Crossbowmen, a few Trebuchets to complement the three or so Catapults I still have, and some Camel Archers for flanking damage and to pick off any units that stray from the stacks. 2 more turns until I can build Musketmen.

Also here's the powergraph, it is not good:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/powergraph2.jpg

Rik Meleet
19-04-2009, 00:11
trebs are really only useful in attacking cities. cats are the better units outside cities.

NHJ
20-04-2009, 00:00
Building more Pikemen now, and my first Musketman will be ready in a few turns.

Also:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/veendam.jpg
Looks like Stapel will attack Veendam first, which is logical since he can get there in one turn. I'll probably put some extra defenders just out of sight, maybe Catapults.

NHJ
23-04-2009, 22:52
Well, in about an hour the attack begins, and things are not looking very bright.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/stack.jpg
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/stack2.jpg
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/stack3.jpg
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/stack4.jpg


The attack on (probably) Najran I can probably hold off if Stapel's stack there is not reinforced further. The attack on Veendam appears to be simply too massive to hold off. I've built more Pikemen to counter his 15 or so War Elephants, and I've got a few Musketmen added to the cities defense (freshly built, so I kept them outside the city so Stapel can maybe not see them yet). I've also got 5 Camel Archers as a quick reaction force.

Rik Meleet
24-04-2009, 00:12
If you can use the flank attack against his stacks and make his catapults and trebs die quickly; his chances on taking your cities are -a lot- worse. Especially if you can then use your cats first on his stacks.
He probably still has the upper hand with his stack in Groningen on Veendam. Perhaps you can place your units in such a way that they can always reach the threatened city, so you can use the maximum of your units with the littlest risk. Let him take the decision and showing his cards while you enjoy the advantage of reaction. Reeniville seems like an option.

NHJ
24-04-2009, 01:56
Yes, Reeniville is an option, but the distance between Reeniville and Najran is two squares, so I can shuffle my troops from Najran there at will.

NHJ
24-04-2009, 18:11
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/stack5.jpg

I've attacked with my five Camel Archers - they all had about 30% chance, all but one died :( However, the victorious one flankdamaged five of his cats/trebs. I attacked with my own catapults and caused some damage. I've noticed he didn't bring any medics, which is good.

Also, he did not move against Najran or Reeniville yet, his stack in the south has not moved.

Rik Meleet
24-04-2009, 19:30
Can you bring more defenders to Veendam ?
from Reeniville or Damascus for instance?

barbu1977
24-04-2009, 22:40
IMHO, With this defence, Veendam is kind of doomed. He will strike with the cats and trebs, the rest of your units will have 1-2 HP left and be easy prey for the rest of his units.

I would move back my stack, wait untill his stack is futher in your land. With 4-5 cats, you could easely destroy every units.

Your best defence for the moments are Cats.

NHJ
25-04-2009, 00:53
Yeah, that's definitely true, and Veendam is unimportant anyway. I'll see about moving out of there next turn.

edit: nope, he already took it, and without many losses. He left one Crossbowman in there, his stack is still on the same square.

NHJ
28-04-2009, 17:43
Robi has left his first stack in Veendam, and is now moving towards Sappemeer with a second stack of about the same size, including his first Knight. I can't hold Sappemeer, so I'm defending it only with a Longbowman, a Crossbowman and a Pikeman. I'm trying to get a sizeable army into Damascus. No attack on Najran yet, but when it does come I doubt if I can hold it. It's on a hill though, and I am building more catapults.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/sappemeer.jpg

NHJ
30-04-2009, 16:24
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/damascus1.jpg

Two fairly similar stacks are approaching Damascus. I'm scrambling most available units there, and I'm preparing to give up Reeniville as soon as Stapel goes there; his southern stack still hasn't left his land. I'm going to defend Najran though, because it's not an outlying city like Reeniville, it has decent production, and it is located on a hill.

NHJ
02-05-2009, 17:47
http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/damascus2.jpg

Damascus fell, but his stacks there will need quite some time to heal up, which gives me some time to put some units in my capital, which will likely be next. As you can see, Stapel also sends a small stack to Reeniville. I've pulled my few remaining units out of there since I can't hold it anyway.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/najran.jpg

The situation in Najran is slightly better, but here Stapel has too many catapults so my troops will probably die anyway. Even so, since he has very few War Elephants there, I pulled a few Pikemen out to send to the capital.

In any case, it won't be much longer.

Robi D
03-05-2009, 16:32
Robi has left his first stack in Veendam

I did no such thing, but if i had it would be quite a feat from the grave:p

On a serious note you need a lot more cats asap, otherwise Stapels stack will just amble along taking your cites at will.

NHJ
03-05-2009, 17:05
^^Haha, how did I miss that :p

Yes, well I spent some catapults damaging one of his two stacks attacking Damascus. I did quite some damage, but unfortunately it appeared his other stack was strong enough after all to take the city anyway. I'm mostly building catapults already.

NHJ
04-05-2009, 00:03
Victory!

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/najran2.jpg

Stapel's stack at Najran has been defeated, with about five nearly-dead units of mine still standing. I reinforced the city with a newly built catapult, as well as the last Crossbowman built by Reeniville, and the two units (crowwbos+longbow) I pulled out of Reeniville earlier. As you can see, there is an interesting development where Stapel has left his border city empty. Since I can see most of the surrounding area, it might be worth it to send a few units over once he has moved his into my territory, so he can't get them back in time.

NHJ
04-05-2009, 18:52
Sent a minor strike force towards Robigrad. A single Archer has appeared there, imported from Connor City. I should be able to defeat it, and Stapel's forces near Najran should not be able to attack me before I take the city.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/robigrad2.jpg

mauer
04-05-2009, 23:36
I hate to suggest razing such a pretty city, but....I'm going to say that I would probably be inclined to raze Robigrad.

barbu1977
04-05-2009, 23:43
I hate to suggest razing such a pretty city, but....I'm going to say that I would probably be inclined to raze Robigrad.

city razing is off.

It changes some aspect of warfare.

mauer
05-05-2009, 00:35
Durr, I forgot that. Apologies.

Robi D
05-05-2009, 07:31
Well it still takes out a bunch of improvements by taking the city, so stapel would have to rebuild them if he were to recapture it. Plus he loses all the production and commece.

Not as huge an impact as razing but its still something. Most important thing is it mean stapel has to double back so that leaves more time to build units before he attacks other cities

NHJ
05-05-2009, 11:14
Yeah, my thoughts exactly.

EDIT: I took Robigrad. He upgraded the lone Archer to a Longbowman but it didn't help him. The city only has two improvements left :)

Also, I pulled my remaining forces out of Najran, there is no way I can possibly hold it.

Robi D
05-05-2009, 18:21
If i was in your shoes i'd keep pushing past Robigrad to Nardona Farma, Connor City and Kalemegdan even. Use the troops for Najran you pulled out to do this.

Materially this does do much damage but psychologically it puts doubt in his mind as to what your doing. In essence your bluffing a position of strength. It might throw him off balance, it might not but i think its worth the risk.

Disclaimer - I'm dead in this game so what would i know;)

NHJ
06-05-2009, 11:17
Problem is that I'm dead as soon as he turns one of his stacks around, and his cities were quite far away. I pulled the troops back, out of Medina even as I can't even hold that city. Everything is going to the capital, where I've massed about eight catapults, at least.

NHJ
17-05-2009, 00:47
I'm afraid I kind of forgot this thread existed. But then again, everything that happened the last weeks was my cities being conquered. Current status:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/defeat.jpg

So what's left, you ask?

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ngoorman/img/cutthecrap/ultimo.jpg

:p

The original plan was actually to take a Settler across that straight to the island just offshore, but I was too late with building a Galley, and Basra did not have water access. I probably won't be able to finish building it, and even then I don't have a Settler anymore, so I would have to conquer the Barbarian city on that island instead. And since my entire army are those three units in the screenshot, well...

One minor point of interest is that I got a final Great General which I just used to give those three guys a final boost, after they beat up two advance Knights. But I'm afraid this is the last I can do in this game :)

Stapel
18-05-2009, 08:52
Game over :) .