GAME OVER: CIVleague vs. Matrix

[Lt. Killer M]

This game is already over, but I will add a short description plus screenshots soon.

Matrix: thanks for the game :) It is a pity that the format forced such a rapid conclusion!

[Matrix]

Oh well, I won one, I lost one. I made some bad 'advanced start'-choices. But you played it well. ;)

Congratulations!!

[Lt. Killer M]

OK, here goes:

my starting choice was fairly simple: buy techs for archery, buy four skirmishers, placed in the city that offers better access to the likely land routes to matrix. Buy a worker, buy culture for the second city.

City placement was pretty much a no-brainer.
Here's turn two:

http://www.civduelzone.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=286&stc=1&d=1249415805

now, the skirmishers marched out, and soon met a scout to the east. All four were directed there, and soon found Matrix' single city. I was not unlucky in the resulting fighting, especially because I could make good use of forested tiles around the enemy capital, and I thus pillaged the hell out of Matrix.

To his huge credit I can say that he did not attempt to drag the game out to the catapult level, but attempted a 'breather strike' - a risky attack against my troops which, if it had succeeded, would have freed him from the siege, but in failure doomed him rapidly.

and here is the end:
http://www.civduelzone.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=287&stc=1&d=1249416011

Seeing Matrix' town confirmed my earlier suspicion that he did not have lands as good as mine - while I must stress that my start was certainly below the average of all starts I have so far received in my test and league games. I guess Maarten's main error was not buying sufficient troops to cover the forest tiles of his 21 tiles against my troops.