.com.unity Forums - Game write-up

Turn: 7
Naggor the Scout has now reached Pythium. From here, it appears that they currently possess three provinces. Unfortunately, it appears that scouts are not given the option of causing unrest. Ah well, back to scouting. I'll go sit in Grey Mirks (3) so I'll have a good idea of when to begin attacking Pythium and when he might attack me.

Down in Bithyne (102), Tai begins his search for magical sites.

I set Kui-xing the Master of the Way to forging a Robe of Missile Protection. This will be useful for my non-combat commanders. Other than that, I really don't have the gems to spend, so my other mages will continue researching. I will finish up level 1 Thaumaturgy next turn, and the remaining points will go towards Conjuration (summoning is always fun).

A quick check of unrest levels reveals that I can once more bump the taxes in T'ien Ch'i (112) up to 110.

I think I'll send Di-ya the Eunuch, Ru Shou the Minister of Rituals, and the first army east to the Sleepy Mountains (109). This province holds a (theoretically) small number of Heavy and Light Infantry, and Crossbowmen. We'll set our archers to fire at the crossbowmen, and have the ground units wait a couple turns before attacking. With luck, we'll break the crossbowmen early and then be able to focus on the ground units.

With the gold we have available this turn, we purchase 3 Imperial Footmen and 4 archers. No more Red Guard until we solve some of our income problems.

We also spend some money to increase the local defense in Bythyne (102) from 4 to 11. I a little uncomfortable with R'lyeh right out there off our coasts. The remaining 37 gold in the treasury I'll save to try and get some more cash for mages and additional local defenses in my new provinces.

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Turn: 8
Excellent news! Tai found two magical sites in Bithyne. The first is a set of Standing Stones which produce one air gem and one earth gem each turn. The second is a Pearl Beach which produces 20 gold and one astral pearl each turn. Very useful stuff!

The Defense of Lombaria
Bad news. It looks like Pythium decided to attack this province. I guess the level 11 defenders weren't a sufficient deterent. In a battle that really isn't even close, my 11 footment and one Eunuch are chased off by the invading force of 9 Hastatus, 1 standard bearer, and a Theurg Communicant in the lead. Not good at all.

The Battle for Sleepy Mountains
My force is up against the local garrison of 7 crossbowmen, 11 light infantry, 10 heavy infantry, a priest, and 4 commanders.

Happily enough, the crossbow men are routed before they get the chance to fire a second volley. This frees up my archers to fire at the approaching light and heavy infantry. After a single volley, the light infantry breaks and runs. This leaves only the heavy infantry and leaders.

There is a tough extended skirmish between my Imperial Footmen and his heavy infantry, while my Red Guard attacks kills the enemy priest that was hanging back. They turn back to hit the enemy heavies from, while Longdead summoned by Di-ya with his ring stream forward to help out my Footmen. The enemy soon routes, and victory is mine. At the end, I have lost only a single unit (an Imperial Footman I believe).

Tai, moves over into Sleepy Mountains (109) where he will hunt for more sites. Naggor will move down into Lombaria (120) to keep an eye on the troop levels there.

I am now presented with a choice. I can move the First Army off towards Lombaria (120) to retake it from Pythium, or I can move east (away from my capital) and attempt to take Keban (111). It will take two turns for the First Army to reach Lombaria. In the process they will pass through the capital and have a chance to pick up two turns worth of recruited men to swell the ranks. Keban on the other hand appears to have a large population and would give me a rather nice gold boost...

After some thought, despite a great desire for revenge again Pythium for their vicious sneak attack, I decide that it is more important at this stage to get the gold. The First Army will march for Keban.

I am able to pick up a Eunuch, 3 Imperial Footmen, and 5 Archers this turn in the home province. This leaves me with 128 gold, which I will save for the defense of Keban and for the building of my second army which will be attempting to retake Lombaria.

Sun-pi the Prophet will summon a Corpse Man. We will see if they are worth any kind of significant casting effort. Next turn will see the completion of the first level of Conjuration magic. This may provide some more alternatives.

I drop the tax level in Sleepy Mountains (109) down to 90 for now to get the unrest level down. Bithyne (102) is ready to go back up to 100 tax.

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Turn: 9
The Battle for Keban
It appears that we're up against the local garrison of 5 crossbowmen, 10 Light Infantry, about 20 or so Heavy Infantry and one Commander. That's a pretty scary group of Heavy Infantry. This could be tough.

Our Archers are not so fortunate this time. They consistently miss the enemy Crossbowmen while the enemy melee units close in on ours. Things look grim.

My Imperial Footmen are almost completely surrounded by the enemy Infantry, when the Red Guard finally reaches and eliminates the Crossbowmen. Immediately, my Archers retarget on the nearby Infantry while the Red Guard attempts to quickly eliminate the enemy commanders, hoping to cause the enemy to flee.

After another turn of intense fighting, my squad of Imperial Footmen have been reduced to only three men. These turn and flee while my Archers release another flight of arrows at the enemy. Fortunately, this kills enough of them that they also turn and run. During the ensuing rout, the Archers and Red Guard account for a few more enemy troops. Unfortunately, in the process, one of the Red Guard is killed by the fleeing troops.

Victory is ours, but it is expensive, costing us 7 of our Imperial Footmen and 1 precious Red Guard.

In other news, Lu Tung-Pin the Immortal has arrived at our gates, seeking to fight for our cause. Despite being unarmored, he is quite skilled in attack and defense, has a high magic resistance, carries a demon slaying sword, is blessed, is a level 3 priest, and has level 3 astral magic, level 2 water magic, level 1 air magic, and level 1 fire magic. To top it all off, he can command 80 men! That will be very useful just as soon as we can raise the troops for him. Oh yeah, and he can fly.

I take a look at the map, and discover (to my dismay) that Pythium has taken Shamballac (118). This was a neutral province to the east of Lombaria (120). It borders on both T'ien Ch'i and Keban. I definitely do not want to lose Keban and it's 50 gold income per turn, so I will probably have to leave the First Army there for now to protect it.

As Tai goes to begin searching for magical sites in Sleepy Mountains (109), he discovers that there is already an Arena there. That will give us an additional 15 gold per turn. Very useful. After he finishes searching here, he'll take the two Imperial Footmen who fled the Battle for Keban back with him to Keban so that he can search there as well.

The Corpse Construct summoned Last turn is an ok unit. It's main feature is a fairly large hit point total, and a fairly high strength. I'll hang on to it for now, but not focus on putting them out, as Sun-pi the Prophet is (ironically) the only one able to command undead.

I go ahead and pump up the defenses in Keban to 11. I'd like to go higher, but I may need my gold for other things. I also purchase a single Heavy Infantry there to add to replace the losses in the First Army. This is all the resource level of the province can bear at this point.

Back in T'ien Ch'i, I recruit another 3 Imperial Footmen and 5 Archers. I'm not that far from being able to afford another Celestial Master, but I decide instead to improve Keban's defences to 21. This makes me a lot more comfortable about a rather aggressive plan I have in mind.

The First Army will move out of Keban and head for Shamballac (118). The Second Army (still a little small) under the command of Lu Tung-Pin the Immortal will meet them there. Together they will wrest control of that province from Pythium, and likely then move on to Lombaria. I'm hoping that his army of around a dozen units will stay in Shamballac, allowing me to eliminate them.

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That was an unfortunate event having lost Lombaria, but I think it'll work out just fine. It seems like the enemy defenses are not that large initially, and these territories may be easier to take back than it would be to take the provinces from the original defenders. After the battle, I may go ahead and combine the First and Second Armies under command of Lu Tung-Pin while Di-ya returns to T'ien Ch'i to assemble a new army.

Tune in next time for Turn 10.

Turn: 10
Definitely some good news this time around. Tai discovered a magic site int Sleepy Mountains (109). It's a Waterfall that provides 1 air and 1 water gem each turn. Very nice. We also took over Shamballac (118) without a fight. Not as nice as taking out his armies, but it will do. Finally, we caught and killed a spy in T'ien Ch'i (). That'll teach them.

Tai will be moving to Keban to search for magic sites there. He'll take the two Imperial Footmen with him. Naggor will move north to Grey Mirks (3) to continue keeping an eye on enemy troop movements.

I am somewhat surprised to note that Gol Phalas (91) (this is the provice just south along the coast from Bithyne (102)) has been captured by Vanheim. Yikes, things are getting a little crowded! Time to pump up the defense in Bithyne a bit since I can't spare any real armies down that way. Of course I'll also need to pump the defense in my new province, Shamballac. This could get expensive...

I also note that the province of Shamballac (118) is home to a site called Inkpot End. This unfortunate place spreads disease and increases unrest by 5. Ick. No wonder his troops didn't stick around.

I'm set to finish research on level 2 Conjuration magic next turn. My next focus will be Enchantment.

I purchase 3 Imperial Footmen and 5 Archers this turn. The rest of the money I'll need for local defenses. I also purchase another Heavy Infantry in Keban (111). These troops will stay with Tai (helping protect him) until he can deliver them to a field commander.

I increase the tax in Sleepy Mountains (109) back to 100. The unrest in T'ien Ch'i (112) has somehow gotten out of hand (24), so I drop the tax rate to 90 for a while. I drop the tax rate in Shamballac (118) down to 60 to deal with it's unrest problems.

I increase the provincial defense in Shamballac (118) to 11. I also increase the defense in Bithyne (102) to 16. Hopefully this will dissuade attacks until I can get something else in place.

On second thought, Naggor will not move north to Grey Mirks. Instead, he will stay and Lombaria and attempt to capture the province. Since there aren't any forces there, and only a very small troop in the only enemy held bordering province, with a little luck, I should take it without difficulty.

The First and Second Armies are merged under the leadership of Lu Tung-Pin the Immortal. Di-ya the Eunuch (who now happens to be diseased) will first move into Lombaria to help Naggor (in case there is minimal defenses) through the use of his skull talisman. Then he will move south to T'ien Ch'i where he will pass the talisman over to someone more qualified for the front lines. He will then take on a smaller patrolling army.

Lu Tung-Pin will take the First Army north to Grey Mirks (3) and presumably smash all opposition there.

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Turn: 11
The second Battle for Lombaria
Well, it looks like the enemy got some reinforcements. In fact, it looks like he's got a Hydra Hatchling, 18 Militia, a Centurion, an Alae Legionnaire, a Standard bearer, a Serpent Cataphract, and a Communicant. Yeah. I am so dead. I wonder where on earth that army came from...

My scout manages to flee, but unfortunatly, Di-ya doesn't know what's good for him. A painful blow to lose that skull talisman, and sad to lose Di-ya and his heroic leadership.

The Battle for Grey Mirks
This battle is essentially the opposite in difficulty of the first. I'm up against 12 Militia and a single Centurion. Yeah right. I win without losing a single man.

I do a quick review of the map at the start of my turn. I make some tax rate adjustments, and take note of the fact that a prior build up of R'yleh troops offshore from Bithyne, T'ien Ch'i, and Lombaria seems to have dispersed somewhat. That's a relief. In addition, Vanheim has reduced their garrison in Gol Phalas down to a minimal number. I'm much more comfortable with that.

I recruit another 4 Imperial Footmen and 4 Archers in T'ien Ch'i, and another Heavy Infantry in Keban.

I set Tai to searching for magic sites in Keban.

Naggor retreated north to Grey Mirks (3), so I send him up to Pythium (5) to see what my enemy is gathering in the way of new forces.

I increase my defense to 13 in Grey Mirks (as much as I can afford). I very strongly suspect that Pythium will send his troops out from Lombaria to attack Shamballac (118), seeing as it only has a defense of 11. Therefore, I will send the First Army back there to defend against the suspected attack. If I defeat the enemy there next turn, I may have a sufficient sized force in T'ien Ch'i to put together a new army to take Lombaria while the First Army heads back north.

Not much else I can do this turn. I still need more gold...

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Turn: 12
Naggor was discovered in Pythium this turn. It appears that the enemy had mostly just provincial defenders there (admittedly a large number of them). This is good news, because it means (I believe) that Pythium's only army is trapped now down in my territory. Once I take that group out, I may be free to head for his capitol. Naggor was able to quickly flee the battle and retreat to Grey Mirks (3).

Tai also found a Maze in Keban (111). This provides 2 astral pearls each turn. Tai will now move on with his 3 Heavy Infantry and 2 Imperial Footmen to Shamballac. There he will continue his search for magical sites.

Naggor will move east into Acyste (125). This is a neutral held provice with decent gold production that lies in between Shamballac and Pythium. This might be a good next step for my war machine (after I deal with this enemy force holed up in Lombaria.

Since they didn't move to Shamballac Last year (with its defense of 11), I'd like to assume that they also won't attack Grey Mirks (3) this year (with its defense of 13). Therefore, I will move the First Army directly into Lombaria to deal with the enemy. Since they are surrounded by my provinces, this should eliminate all of the enemy units. To help ensure victory, I will send the new Second Army under the command of Zi-yu the Eunuch north from T'ien Ch'i to help out in the battle. Zi-yu will bring 10 Imperial Footmen and 14 Archers to help with the battle. Afterwords, they will head back to T'ien Ch'i to resupply and then will head south to take more neutral territories there.

I purchase 4 Imperial Footmen and 4 Archers in T'ien Ch'i. With my remaining gold, I increase the defense in Grey Mirks (3) to 20.

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Turn: 13
Bad news in Bithyne. A blight has struck there, and 5% of the population has died and 40 gold in taxes were lost. Ouch...

The third Battle for Lombaria
Bad news... It appears that the main enemy force left the war torn province of Lombaria leaving behind 6 Slingers, 12 Militia, and a Centurion for defense. Their other forces headed north into Grey Mirks. This battle though should prove to be very easy.

Sure enough, after two volleys from my archers, the enemy is routed, and victory is mine.

The defense of Grey Mirks
I have here a number of local defenders. I've got a General and a Eunuch along with 1 Archer, and 21 Footment. I do not expect to win against the enemy's main army, but perhaps I can do some damage before I go down.

The first bit of good news is that my troops get in a lucky hit and take out the Hydra Hatchling. That's very useful! I'm also able to take out a small variety of other troops before a massive assault by their heavy infantry causes my units to rout. In the final toll, I took out 5 of the enemy's regular units.

I make a couple minor adjustments to tax rates, set Tai to searching in Shamballac (118), purchase 4 Imperial Footmen and 5 Archers, and increase the defense in Lombaria (120) to 11.

After finishing with the administrative tasks, I need to decide what to do with the First and Second Armies. After a little thought, I do some minor rearranging of units. The surviving Red Guard goes with Zi-yu and the Second Army (he's not much good on his own, and the Second Army will eventually be heading back to T'ien Ch'i). Lu Tung-Pin and the First Army take on a couple extra men to bring their total to 12 Imperial Footmen and 24 Archers.

I'm going to send Zi-yu and the Second Army into Shamballac to help protect Tai in case Pythium sends it's armies that way. The First Army will move north into Grey Mirks and attempt to take and hold that province. I really need some more gold here. A couple battle mages would be really nice about now...

Speaking of leaders... I go ahead and spend my Last 25 gold on another Eunuch. He will be useful in shuttling around some units to the front.

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Turn: 14
Tai discovered a Gold Apply Tree in Shamballac (118). It produces 2 fire gems each turn.

It looks like Naggor in Acyste (125) gets a front view seat to Pythium attacking the neutral defenders. Somehow, he's acquired a full grown Hydra to augment his forces. Eep! Fortunately, it poisons off a large number of his own troops. Still, they fairly easily take the province.

The second Battle for Grey Mirks
Once again, my main force finds itself up against a token force of 5 Archers and a Centurion. We've missed the main enemy force again. Victory comes quickly and painlessly.

After taking care of some simple tax issues, I realize that I need to stop and think about what comes next. I'm very concerned about that Hydra (with its massive regeneration), and the enemy army is now in a province that borders on three of my own (one of which is Keban). I only have two armies, and I'm pretty sure that either army on its own will not succeed in taking out the enemy. For that matter, I'm not even sure my combined armies can take out his...

Tune in next time for the rest of Turn 14.