Jotunheim:Utgard AAR

[Arryn]

Turn #35, Late Winter of Year 3
A breath of fresh air.

Part 2 of 2

I recruit Seithkonas in Jotunheim, Pythium, and Ashikaga. Another "red" Wizard is recruited in the Black Alps, while another Garnet Priestess is recruited at the Well. I also recruit a Priest in the Rim Mountains, and Scouts in Eribon, Ancyrna, and the Promised Land. New temples are to be built in Bel and the Iron Range. These preparations drain the treasury of 1020 coins.

The Wizard Lekiro begins the ritual Awaken Ivy King, consuming 20 nature gems. The Norna Lit begins the ritual to Revive Bane Lord, which expends all 10 death gems in the treasury. The Skratti Tunne forges another Clam of Pearls, at a cost of 10 water gems. The Enchantress Pladina uses alchemy to convert 4 astral pearls into 2 earth gems, then begins forging a Dwarven Hammer, using all 20 earth gems now in the treasury.

Rod the Firbolg, leading my army's vanguard of 21 healthy Jotun spearmen and a bodyguard of 5 vine ogres, along with 4 priests carrying Sceptres of Authority and with one vine ogre apiece as bodyguards, move from Barra to join my avatar at Man.

My wyrm Jorgun, alone, maintains the seige of the capital of Man for a third month, secure in the knowledge of his supremacy, and that he will soon have the company of a legion of veteran Jotuns.

The ominous, and unexpected, massing of Ulmish forces on my northern border causes a change of plans for my main army and its logistical support. Bove, commanding the rest of my Jotun army, along with Grymis and two priests alter course and move from The Promised Land to Melma. From Melma, they will be positioned to either retake Herghendorf, should Ulm attack, or to head westwards to Man via Van-held mountains and wastelands. Stark, with a half-dozen green Jotuns, moves from Hoburgdorf to rendezvous in Melma with the main army. Tahmar heads back to Pythium.

My five other priests congregating in Barra remain there preaching.

Turn #35 plotted movement (1280x1024)

[ March 03, 2004, 12:35: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[Arryn]

The start of Turn #36 ...

overview (1280x1024)

I have reduced the GUI opacity from the default 85% to 50% so that more of the map can be seen without having to shrink things even smaller.

[Kelan]

I would also like to comment on how much your AAR has helped me learn the game. While reading this AAR and CharonJR's about Ryleh it has given me enough knowledge to play my first full game and I am actually winning, albeit vs. Easy AI.

I have started a new game Last night on Aran with 7 other Normal AIs and am taking down enough notes to write an AAR later if I get the time. I just picked up the game 2 weeks ago and this will be my 2nd full game, so an AAR may shed some light on common mistakes new players can make.

I would also like to add that the walkthru, guides, and references that people here have made have been a huge help. Thanks to all that have put in all of the hard work to make the game more enjoyable for us all. I am just glad that I stumbled upon this great game.

[Arryn]

Kelan,

Thanks! Charon's AAR is on my other favorite race. But he's sensible enough to play on a small map.
I picked a large map so that the game wouldn't be over before I got to use the most powerful spells. The Last time I played Jotuns on Aran the game was pretty much over (except for mopping up) by turn 40-50. (I define "over" as being stronger than all the AIs combined.) A large map allows them to grow a bit before a human begins to kick their butts.

On behalf of the rest of the people here in the forum, if I may be so bold, we're glad you found the game too, and that you plan to become an active forum participant.

[CharonJr]

Kelan,

thank you and welcome to the game

Like Arryn said, still a tad below turn 50 but I think that I am already more or less in the mop up phase of the game, but since I don't use the score graphs I can't be sure.

But due to the AI's reluctant declarations of war I am fairly certain that my forces outnumber each of the remaining races' forces.

Currently I am even contemplating attacking the remaining races on purpose to get them to band together in order to kill me (which they should have done some turns ago IMO).

CharonJr

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Arryn:
That's Ulm, and it's the second time they have done that. I may well be wrong, but I don't think they plan to attack Herghendorf. I think they plan to use that 170-strong force to attack the 40 barbarians in Arnbeg. Or so I hope.

You were right in that they did, in fact, attack Arnbeg. This actually creates a host of other problems, and I would advise doing something about them:

That move by Ulm has now exposed Hoburgdorf and Ultima Typhia, in addition to the previously Herghendorf. This is going to make it that much harder to secure your border in the event that fighting breaks out. Had you managed to take Arnbeg before him, your exposure would have been limited to only that one province.

If he continues his advance and takes the province west of Well of All Waters whose name is illegible, your exposure profile will get even more inconveniently large. I recommend securing the province for yourself to avoid this.

[Arryn]

I have no intentions to do anything about the Ulmish army, other than to build 10 more PD in Ultima Typhia as a disincentive to them.

If they make another move, which I doubt they will unless this month's report underestimates their strength, it'll be to attack the 50 barbs in Imictan. If they were going to attack me, they would have already done so.

You worry too much. Must be a sign of creeping age ...

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Arryn:
If they make another move, which I doubt they will unless this month's report underestimates their strength, it'll be to attack the 50 barbs in Imictan. If they were going to attack me, they would have already done so.

Is that what the green foresty province I mentioned is called? It's definitely to your advantage to take that one BEFORE Ulm takes it: It'll reduce the number of provinces exposed by far. Even if you don't think Ulm will attack now, it's inevitable that they will: Don't you want your front lines to be fairly controllable by then?

You worry too much. Must be a sign of creeping age ...

Don't mock me! I'm old! I'm old and I have a long beard! Don't say I didn't warn you!

[Arryn]

Originally posted by Norfleet:
Is that what the green foresty province I mentioned is called? It's definitely to your advantage to take that one BEFORE Ulm takes it: It'll reduce the number of provinces exposed by far. Even if you don't think Ulm will attack now, it's inevitable that they will: Don't you want your front lines to be fairly controllable by then?

1. Just how do you expect me to get to it before Ulm? My army is 3 months away from it.

2. Taking the province would *increase* the number of my border provinces with Ulm. Only by having taken Arnbeg before Ulm could I have minimized my long-term exposure to Ulm. And taking Arnbeg would have required that I know in advance that Ulm was going to. It had sat there for 2+ years untouched. My attention is on Man and Vanheim. Sure, if I'd known 3-6 turns ago what the situation would be now, my armies would be deployed differently, but I have to make do with what I can predict 1 turn in advance. And even that isn't very certain.

3. Why are you so hung up on Ulm? I'm already at war with Vanheim, Atlantis is impinging it's dom on me, as is Pangaea. And Pangaea is the #2 world power behind Van. So I (the #3 power) already have borders with the two largest AIs. Ulm simply isn't a concern. They are a problem for R'lyeh to deal with, not me.

[Norfleet]

Originally posted by Arryn:
1. Just how do you expect me to get to it before Ulm? My army is 3 months away from it.

You don't happen to have a teleporting FART you save just for when you absolutely, positively, have to get people somewhere yesterday? A remote summon or teleport-drop should likely be able to secure the area for you before Ulm overruns it.

2. Taking the province would *increase* the number of my border provinces with Ulm.

On the surface, this may appear to be true, but consider what happens if the province falls to Ulm instead. You'll gain two additional points of exposure at the Well of All Waters AND that foresty province, Feral-something, south of it.

3. Why are you so hung up on Ulm? I'm already at war with Vanheim, Atlantis is impinging it's dom on me, as is Pangaea. And Pangaea is the #2 world power behind Van. So I (the #3 power) already have borders with the two largest AIs. Ulm simply isn't a concern. They are a problem for R'lyeh to deal with, not me.

Obviously, because Ulm is up to something evil. You can tell just by looking at them. Just look at that shifty look in their beady little eyes. They're evil, I tell you! Evil!

Call it an old man's intuition. I've seen the pattern before.