Part 103: Ordem Com Progresso

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Welcome to an especially momentous installment of the r/Civ Civilization Battle Royale! I am former Power Ranker and analyst /u/bluesox, moderator of this wonderful sub as well as /r/civrapbattleroyale (currently hosting its fifth tournament), and I am delighted to narrate what is sure to be an action-packed episode. I’ll be narrating as I go along to keep my reactions (and possible miscalculations) genuine and authentic. We left off Part 102 with a new coalition against the Boers, led by Brazil. This image, brought to us by current Power Ranker /u/edse1991, illustrates the current mood perfectly.

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Brazil stays at #1, and have chosen to take on Kruger to eliminate any threat from him reclaiming the top spot. Whether he can complete the task remains to be seen. The Boers have been absolutely ruthless in past wars, and with control over the Statue of Liberty, their production is nearing an all-time high.

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As always, we get another fantastic tile-accurate map from resident cartographer and Iceland supporter /u/DerErlenkonig. New additions this time around include some bordergore in the Indian region. With the way Brazilian troops are scattered around the cylinder, it’s certain to only get worse from here.

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The gorgeous City and Puppet Map, provided by /u/Spherical_Melon, shows how quickly the Boers annexed their new Asian holdings. I’m always curious as to why civs would hold cities as puppets for millenia. Some of them were captured hundreds of turns ago, and yet were never deemed worthy of annexing. But that’s of no importance right now. The people want action, so let’s give them what they want! We have a legit World War on our hands!

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With all the fervor over the clash in Africa, let us not forget that other conflicts still rage across the cylinder, or at least they were. Having finally been pushed out of his Asian outpost of Olangapo by the Trung Sisters, Crowfoot agrees to peace without delivering any extra cities in the deal. Vietnam continues to be underestimated by the sub, and have been able to fight back against overwhelming odds in the past. This conflict was much easier for them, and the comparatively low-tech Blackfoot were shaken off like a bad case of fleas.

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More importantly, though, Vietnam also puts their war with Sibir on hold to focus on the greater threat at hand. Looking at the difference in city defense, coupled with the natural terrain, I don’t see the landscape changing here without considerable loss of manpower. This is a good time for Vietnam to set the meatgrinder to neutral, seeing as they still control Urgench. This is also great news for the sub, as we will be spared several shots of border cities flipping back and forth, allowing us to focus on the bloodshed that’s sure to come in the Middle East and North Africa. Looking at the upper right corner, it seems that Mongolia has bee-lined hovertanks, which will help delay future invasions. It remains to be seen how long that will last, but we have more important matters to attend to!

7

Brazil takes Colombo from the Boers! This city has been criminally overlooked in the past. This conquest is instrumental in overcoming Kruger’s defenses. Colombo contains the Statue of Zeus, providing an extra 15% Combat Strength when attacking cities, giving Brazilian units a fighting chance against the Boer fortresses. Whether Pedro can hold it remains to be seen. Biotroopers are attacking from all sides, and the resident garrison is at death’s door. I expect this city to flip several times, being key to either side’s victory in this battle. Looking northward, Brazil has wisely brought some airpower to Trincomalee to help support their amphibious assaults. It’s a good thing, too, as it doesn’t seem like Vietnam wants to engage just yet. Perhaps the Trungs are waiting for Kruger and Pedro to wear each other down before sweeping in for the easy city snipes. Of course, they’ll need more than a single melee unit to achieve that. Oh, bias.

08

Here we see how the end of Open Borders with the Boers hasn’t completely neutered the Brazilian assault. Kruger’s Asian holdings were barely manned, making easy targets for the zerg rush raining down from the northeast. Pedro is going to need every single one of these displaced troops, by the looks of it. The disparity in damaged units shows just how effective an established airforce is in this game. Every unit surrounding Balkh is in the yellow, while the line of Boer troops leading southward to Lahore is relatively strong. Speaking of which, I spot four melee units surrounding Lahore! This must be a new record. Has this coalition finally cracked the hidden code contained within How To Fight Wars Good?

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Turning toward the Middle East, the brilliance of Brazil’s X-COM bias becomes apparent. They are able to quickly return many men to their previous positions in Boer territory while inundating the border cities. Sibir’s presence in this coalition seems to be purely for air support, as they hold all ground units close to home. However, a timely strike could help them reclaim Ghazni. Persepolis looks sure to fall to the Boers next turn, which may be a price worth paying. Turn 188 will be a make or break moment for Brazil. There are (count them) SIX undefended Boer cities in this slide, with defenses ranging from 139 to 182. More importantly, the majority of visible Boer airforce is in the least defensible cities. 8 aircraft reside in 3-pop Nova Iguacu, which is near death as it is. 5 more aircraft are stationed in 29-pop Artashat, a city that has been COMPLETELY BLOCKED OFF from reinforcement. This is the textbook definition of a surgical strike. I’m so thrilled to be witness to it that I can’t stop smiling.

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In Iberia, Brazil pummel what long has been (and perhaps still is) the cylinder’s most populous city of Porto, at a whopping 82.5 million. To put it in perspective, there are only 15 countries in the real world with a higher population. Assuming Brazil’s cultural influence is low, that means over 40 million are about to die! WHEE! The Mediterranean Sea is another story. Iceland is “helping” (in the Ralph Wiggum sense of the word) by attempting to build a land bridge between Funchal and Rome out of sunken troops. But honestly, even though it’s easy to poke fun at them, this shows just how much better the AI is than we dare to give it credit for. The Boers are ignoring the ranged naval units and choosing to single out all of the embarked melee troops. Also, Brazil and Iceland have created a barricade to separate the Sea into two theaters. I think it’s finally time to drop the “#justAIthings” attitude after seeing how well this war is being fought by both sides on the first turn alone.

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In the Sahara, we get a look at just how devastating the eviction from Africa was to Pedro’s chances of assured victory. Nearly every open tile here was occupied by a Brazilian corpsman. By pushing from the border, these cities have time to grow in size, strength, and production. The powerhouse Boers we remember from before the reboot are only a few turns away. None of the cities they held after annihilating Ethiopia are even in contention yet. It may sound like a prediction now, but I promise you that in ten turns this will be a menacing sea of orange. Look closer at the line across the upper left for proof. Those aren’t workers. They’re Biotroopers. Kruger has sent a double-row firing squad to remove Iceland from Africa. It would have been even more devastating, but it appears that someone nuked Quarzazate! I see Ingolfúr being the real sucker here. He’s taking the brunt of the damage from Kruger, and it will only make him a tastier target for Ekeuhnick in the end. I hate to say it, Iceland fans, but you better start scouting a second civ to root for now. The sooner you accept it, the easier it will be. I would love to be proven wrong, though. We can only wait and see what Nebby has in store. Side note: Morgan is turtling like a boss here. He has THREE Giant Death Robots surrounding Bamako.

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Ah, paradiso! By this point, native Brazilians have lived for generations without an enemy unit in sight. I doubt they’ll be seeing one any time soon, either. Just look at that airforce. Nearly every city on this slide is maxed out with what I can only assume are missiles, given Pedro’s nuclear bias. Another reason why this war was meant to be fought is the way the Boers have to attack Brazil. They have literally ZERO presence in the Americas, meaning a naval invasion is necessary. Scores of ships can be sunk with a single warhead. Pedro is practically untouchable. It’s like he was given a full court to play half-court ball. He’s playing Eagle with eleven men. He’s playing wiffle ball with a tennis racket. He’s… you get the picture. It’s a good thing for him, too. Those Paratroopers wouldn’t hold up against a proper invasion.

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YEEEEEAHHHH! Our bloodlust continues to be satiated with the incineration of Yeji, giving the Buccaneer mech spider a luscious tan. That answers a long-standing question I’ve had, and it seems that the Bucs do have an Open Borders agreement. But that’s another 15 million casualties added to the heap (assuming bunkers were constructed), and we’re only starting to see the second turn of this war. A couple more of those and one of the nearby Buc settlers might be able to swoop in and fill the void left behind. At the top edge of the frame, a Brazilian X-COM is positioned to capture Fort-de-France. Can it hold out long enough to finish the job, or will it be cleaved by a Giant Death Robot laser first. Speaking of which, the ubiquity of GDR’s at this stage of the game is encouraging. The end-game is approaching quickly!

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It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the Kongolese heartland. It’s been said before, the but the effect of the Great Famine is punctuated here. M’banza-Kongo was near 50 pop about 100 turns ago, and now it’s down to 42. For those of us who remember this region as an impenetrable core, this is a stark contrast. Conquest here actually seems somewhat possible. Everything I said earlier about their tremendous production capabilities is now dampened by this revelation. Notably, the Boers were spread so thin by the Brazilian occupation that they have to leave nearly every city on-screen undefended to address the conflicts at their borders. Could this finally be the end of Skynet?

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Kruger is taking it from all sides, as a new shade of orange dons Madagascar. Heidelberg, which I assume is the production center of Boer “power crystals”, now glows with the charred corpses of another 17 million Boer cybernauts. Looking at the perimeter, it seems the Trungs are now the ones who knock. A lone Australian digger watches from a distance, paralyzed as flashbacks of Te Rauapraha’s last stand replay in his mind’s eye. To the north, a cluster of Robot Infantry gather outside Potchefstroom, but for what purpose? Perhaps they’re mobilizing to retaliate against the northern invasion.

16

Nowhere is safe! Even the icy outpost of Looma is suffering damage as what I believe to be Vietnam takes a couple of potshots from a distance. There are naval units from four coalition members here, so it could realistically have been any one of them. This is a concerted effort to spread the Boers out as wide as possible, and so far it’s working well.

17

As expected, Persepolis is under Brazilian control, but it doesn’t appear to last long. Looks like Kruger rushed garrisons to all these previously undefended cities in response. Brazil’s X-COMs seem to be holding up well to the retaliation, but they should be very worried about the stream of unscathed Boer Biotroopers between Jerusalem and Gaza. The perimeter they’re building will isolate this forward platoon, leaving them surrounded and doomed unless they can capitalize immediately on their position. Lying ahead of them is a Medina warmed by radioactive mountains, a reminder of what the Boers are capable of if sufficiently angered. Luckily for Brazil, air support appears to be rather thin here, allowing them more time to press on.

18

Either Anuradhapura flipped in the last turn or it was nuked, leaving it at half the citizens from when we last saw it. That’s of little concern to Pedro, however, as he now controls Vavuniya, cutting off Polonnaruwa and Galle from Boer supply lines. Kalumnai also has an X-COM at full health knocking on its walls, and looking at the health of surrounding units, it also appears to have been nuked. A Vietnamese Robot Infantry stands outside Kandy, ready to incorporate the city into the Trung Empire should any Boer melee unit get close enough to seize it. The nearest candidates for the task are devoting their efforts to retaking Colombo, so that unit may have to find better uses of its time. Speaking of which, Pedro is leaving Colombo dangerously exposed to capture. Losing it to the Boers would be devastating to the campaign at this juncture.

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We finally get a view of the former Mughal homeland, a key region in this war. Boer fans should rejoice at this sight. There are 9 Boer cities in view, and only Fatehpur Sikri has taken any damage whatsoever. It doesn’t appear to be in much danger, though, seeing as how it’s surrounded by Biotroopers in good health. It just struck me that Kruger’s assimilation of Sparta may have augmented his attack formations. These arrangements seem strikingly familiar. Scores of Brazilian units are concentrating on Agra, and rightfully so, but it still stands tall. Notice how Kruger loves using Artillery units as garrisons. It’s an awfully bold strategy. With Pedro adding the exclave of Balkh to his possessions, new units will now appear on the front line from two directions. It’s also worth noting that Vietnam doesn’t seem too eager to send any melee units toward the vital city.

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And just like that, Persepolis returns to Boer control. Despite Tosont Sengel and Ecbatana falling to Pedro, Kruger seems to be defending particularly well. The line between Gaza and Jerusalem is holding strong, having even advanced to Ghapan. Artashat is still at full health, adding to questions about Pedro’s strategy. Sibir is offering no favors by blocking Brazilian troops from attacking from the north. It leaves one to wonder what Kuchum Khan’s end game is here.

21

Porto is firmly within Brazilian control, and it appears Braga and Coimbra are soon to follow. With only ranged naval units at their disposal, the two cities have little means to stem an invasion. Cartographers everywhere shed a tear. By taking Iberia, Brazil is setting the stage for future domination. Their forward base should be very worrying to all denizens of Europe, and Iceland would be wise to do what they do best by sniping the coastal cities if at all possible.

22

Fort-de-France continues to circle the drain, and it appears that Isit has flipped back and forth since the last time we saw it. Nuevitas is on its last legs, which would leave Marrakech, Bamako and Carthage as the only African cities outside the Boer Ryk. Fortunately, Iceland knows how to make melee naval units, or at least they did at some point. An Advanced Destroyer lies in wait in case the city falls. However, that may be a moot point if Brazil can move their X-COM into position beforehand. It also bears mentioning that Brazilian X-COMs are positioned to take Casablanca and Fort-de-France. Could we be witnessing the birth of Sahara do Brasil?

23

On the back page of the daily news, Natural Heritage Sites fails to pass yet again. Turning to more prescient matters, Brazil has a literally stupid amount of embarked units in the south Atlantic. Were the Boers to turn their navy westward, 80% of the units on-screen would end up in Davy Jones’ Locker by sundown. Their only benefit to Brazil’s defense is causing attackers to expend their movement points in the process, which might allow enough time to produce an actual navy.

24

Citizens of the cylinder decide they would rather pray to their own gods instead of taking catechism, and tell Australia to promptly fuck off with their attempt to force Jesus down everyone’s throat. I’m sure Rule 34 applies here and I’ll pass, thank you very much. Blackfoot Power Armor units sense a vague familiarity in these Catholic lands, but can’t quite pinpoint where the feeling comes from. One such troop draws a sketch of a buffalo sitting in a field before crumpling up the paper and tossing it aside. Of note is Korea’s achievement of peak uselessness. They’ve completed the tech tree, and now their units are all retrofitted with nowhere to go.

25

Kruger’s defense force around Kalumnai has fled east for some reason, and it appears that Colombo has flipped again. That might explain why Kruger’s defense was so effective before. Pedro hopes to capitalize on his current situation before the Boer Biotrooper disembarks at the city’s perimeter.

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Further north, Brazil has tightened the screws on Agra by taking the city of Fatehpur Sikri. Just peeking out at the top of the screen, we can also see that they’ve taken Lahor. This is huge for them, as they now have a full front line to invade from. This also gives them the chance to cut off Vietnam from pushing forward and sniping cities if they desire by cutting off Open Borders. That would be a hugely ill-advised and dickish move, but it could serve to benefit them in the future if they’re able to hold this position. How Agra has managed to take zero damage so far is beyond my understanding. There must be laser mines planted in those improvements surrounding the city or something.

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On the other hand, Artashat is finally starting to crack. It’s too little too late, as Kruger has sent sufficient reinforcements to keep the city from falling, but it’s nice to see, if nothing else. Speaking of reinforcements, Kruger is defending magnificently here. Past conflicts were maddening to watch, with some civs throwing just a couple of support units hither and yon. Not Kruger. Every city is fully surrounded by as many troops as he can muster. By the time invaders get to the city walls, they’re already beaten down and easier to pick off. It’s also worth taking a look at Sweden here. In comparison to their neighbors, these cities are puny. Gustavus is very wise to sit this one out and focus on rebuilding for now.

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Minimap hawks have surely noticed by now that Carthage has taken on a fresh coat of paint. Somehow Pedro was able to slide in and take the city before the Boers even had a chance to plant their flag. Who’s the capital sniper now?! Ingolfúr is not too concerned with giving Pedro more border to share with the Boers, though. He just retook FOUR cities from Kruger. Funchal, Arretium, Sparta, and Epidauros are all now under Icelandic control. I take back that Ralph Wiggum comment. Unfortunately, Brazil doesn’t look to be in any shape to hold Carthage, and there are no melee units nearby to keep it from becoming orange for the long term. Fun fact: The Icelandic capture of Arretium makes it the city owned by the most civs (9).

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It’s hard to tell whether these cites at 50% were nuked, flipped, or just plain air raided. No matter the reason, Iceland is holding the line quite well here. Ka-ba looks to fall into Brazilian hands soon, but the rest of Kruger’s cities are in no immediate danger. Now that the western flank is completely controlled by Iceland, there is much more room for troops to gather and push toward the Boer core. If only they could get there while it lasts.

30

A moderate fleet of Brazilian troops are allowed passage through Australian waters by the Korean blockade. OCP members cylinder-wide cross their fingers in hopes that the aircraft stationed on those carriers are pointy and go boom.

31

Persepolis once again changes hands, returning to Brazil. Ecbatana and Tosont Sengel appear to have flipped as well, but more important is the capture of Artashat. With two Robot Infantry at its walls, Kruger is eager to bring the city back under his banner. Should he succeed, the civ best positioned to benefit is Sibir, who also has a Robot Infantry camped outside of Ecbatana for when the time comes. Sibir’s involvement in the conflict was a smart move if Kuchum is able to pull off a quick expansion in the process. But that’s a pretty big “if”. We have yet to see any aggression from him, and there’s no guarantee he’s willing to exert it so far.

32

Jerusalem has been hit hard, but Sweden provides no open passage to claim the city, much to the chagrin of the Brazilian paratrooper barely within range. It appears that Brazil may be preparing to siege Varna, but a coastal city at 16 population wouldn’t provide much benefit to the OCP at this point. Going after the core as quickly as possible is the only chance they have to disrupt the balance of power. Iceland is trying its best by battering the city of Olympia, but it will need to move some melee units into place to complete the task. Fortunately for ingolfúr, despite having to high-pop cities in the red, there are no units within range that are capable of taking them.

33

Sliding westward, we see that Kruger has taken Carthage while Pedro claims Coimbra for Brazil. Where the sea was once littered with orange ships, only lime and drab purple hues remain. If nothing else, this coalition could stop now and claim success by securing the safety of Europe for a while longer. I get the feeling that isn’t good enough for the aggressors involved, and we have a lot more excitement to come. Besides, Braga and Goa still need attention before that claim can properly be made.

34

And now it becomes painfully clear to Sibir’s supporters why they haven’t been more active in the war. They have no units to send! Their entire country is flooded with Brazilian troops evacuated from Boer territory when the Open Borders agreement ended. I count eleven Sibirian ground units in this shot. For the land area they control, that’s embarrassing. Fortunately, any new units they create will most likely fill the gaps on the front lines, so they have a chance to make gains in this war if they focus on production.

35

Here’s the shot I was hoping for. Iceland has once again exceeded expectations and sniped Ka-Ba. I didn’t even see a unit within range, but they somehow managed to take the city. Brazil also managed to secure Casablanca, with a decent defensive force to boot. In previous wars we saw the Boers take cities five or six at a time, eliminating rivals in one fell swoop. This time, Kruger appears to have finally met his match. Can the coalition take out production facilities quickly enough to prevent the war machine from replenishing what it has lost? With all those workers up north waiting to be captured, I bet Kruger really regrets forgoing the Digger upgrade patch. There’s an obscene amount of empty space in this shot. Where could all the units possibly be if they aren’t here to prevent collapse of the Boer core?

36

What? No! That’s not how this works! That’s not how any of this works. Actually, I should know by now that it’s exactly how this works. Morgan has the best opportunity of his life to finally finish what he started, and Kekkonen ropes him into fighting alongside the Boers?! This is madness. We all remember what happened the last time Finland chose to join the wrong side of the OCP. I only hope history repeats itself so he can no longer poison the minds of men on the verge of greatness. Good luck getting your six measly units to do anything besides die, Kekkonen. And somehow, Hawai’i still won’t be at the bottom of the Power Rankings even if Finland is rightfully executed. Mark my words. (Oh, and Persepolis flips yet again.)

37

I wonder how this declaration is going to affect relations with Brazil. They are clearly not someone you want holding a grudge against you. I still don’t understand this one. Morgan must really hate Pedro’s guts if he’s choosing to align against a member of the OCP. Or perhaps he remembers how SOPA ended, and the trauma is preventing him from taking a second chance. Welp. Let’s see how this plays out, shall we?

38

We finally get to see what more astute observers have noticed already, and that’s the capture of Galle by Brazil. Better yet, they also took Polonnaruwa and now control the entire Indian subcontinent. If there were any naysayers before, it’s impossible to contend that Brazil deserves the number one spot in the Power Rankings. They just curbstomped Kruger out of India. Side note: What the hell is Vietnam even doing? How have they refrained from capitalizing on this war in any way whatsoever? I’m honestly stumped.

39

Kuchum Khan finally makes moves, stealing Ecbatana AND Ghazni. Now we’re talking. It appears Artashat has flipped back and forth since the last turn, and is no longer the fortress it once was. That may help to open the bottleneck through the mountains. I also just noticed that it looks like someone dropped a nuke north of Baghdad. Was that from the previous war between the Boers and Vietnam, or is this a new development?

40

Boer fans rejoice as Epidauros is brought back into the fold with minimal casualties. Arretium also appears to have flipped in the meantime, but is back under Icelandic control. Varna still remains untouched, with partial credit given to Swedish peacekeepers. On the other side of the Sea, Icelandic forces have made groundfall and are storming the beaches of Olympia. Could this-- OH SHIT. Paging /u/SirMallock. Dvin has been nuked. I repeat, DVIN HAS BEEN NUKED! Let’s all take a moment of silence for the Party Pope…

41

In the meantime, Casablanca flipped and was subsequently captured by Iceland. For all my trash-talking at the start of this Part, they keep doing what they’re best known for and cleaning up after other invasions. They’ve nearly doubled their African holdings so far. Meanwhile, Brazilian X-COMs continue pushing forward, taking the brunt of Kruger’s wrath. Quite a clever strategy, I must say.

42

In the icy reaches of the southern Indian Ocean, Looma and Wulungarra both appear to have taken bombs to the face as well. I’m suspecting the Kimberley are responsible for Looma, and perhaps Vietnam dropped the nuke on Wulungarra. Either way, all bets are clearly off, and we have finally returned to the trigger-happy warfare we had become accustomed to before the reboot occurred. This is truly a joyous day for all members of the sub.

43

If that’s not enough, the Kimberley are actually attacking a city directly! Middelburg is down to 8 citizens, implying it took a nuclear hit at some point as well. This is a double-edged sword, however. Kruger hasn’t been one to drop the bomb in the past. If he decides to embrace the bomb, this war could take a sharp turn without notice.

44

Ecbatana and Ghazni flip back to the Boers, but Artashat stays under Pedro’s grip. Nearly every city in the region looks destined to be flipped down to nothing after a few turns. It appears that Pasargadae was also nuked. Even Kabul is starting to take damage. Despite Afghanistan having long been eliminated, this is still the Graveyard of Empires.

45

Ani (which I can never hear without chuckling, because it sounds like a plural form of anus) is now orange. To the south, workers diligently begin to sweep Dvin of fallout. Brazil seems completely uninterested in Varna and go straight for Gyumri. Perhaps their strategy is to target the largest city possible, which isn’t a bad one, to be honest. Sweden ramps up their military in response to the surrounding conflict, setting a barricade at the eastern shores of the Mediterranean and just overall being a dick to everyone in the process.

46

Casablanca returns to Brazilian control, and with it Nuevitas. I like to see Iceland and Brazil pick each other up every time one of them stumbles. This could be the best buddy flick of 2018. Who knew they were such bros? Basse Terre and Ciudad del Carmen are next on the list, it seems. Who will be the first to tear down their walls?

47

Holy shit. Vietnam finally does something, and it’s something HUGE! They just took Agra, adding +1 production to every specialist in all their cities and causing Tibetans to roll over in their mass graves. They have just become a key player in this war. This is devastating to the Boer war machine, but the question remains to see how the Trungs intend to use their new boost. Will they commit more troops to the war, boost defense, set up a retaliatory attack against Australia, or stockpile nukes? This just got very interesting indeed. Furthermore, Gaur is circling the drain, and it looks like Pedro is in place to finish it off. The Orange Containment Project is actually containing the Orange this time!

48

Brazil takes Ghazni from the Boers in exchange for Artashat, but can’t seem to reclaim Ecbatana. Gyumri is near zero health, but not close enough for Brazil to topple it in the next turn. I predict we’ll be seeing a lot of these border city flips from here on out. Unless Vietnam really commits to the war and sends a fleet to the Horn, this is going to be a slog for quite a while.

49

Carthage is once again Icelandic, but a shell of its former self, as is Arretium. This really has been a fair fight on both sides, showing just how strong the Boers are. With two civs actively pressing and three others pushing from afar, they still hold nearly an entire continent and are able to push back on several border cities. We’ll see in the next few turns how much it hurts them to lose the Statues of Zeus and Liberty, however.

50

A Finnish Advanced Destroyer uses a mountain to hide from a Kimberley death squad on the other side of India. He finds an open radio channel and squawks over the intercom, “It was only a prank, bro!” Well, this prank has GONE WRONG (GONE SEXUAL), because once they find him, he’s fuuuuucked. To the south, Boer ranged units use Kalumnai for free experience through a few rounds of target practice.

51

Meanwhile, Vietnam lost Agra only to see it quickly picked up by Brazil. Way to go, guys. This is a huge boon for Pedro. With enough nearby cities to provide support, he should be able to hold the city indefinitely. Kupartiya and Kabul are almost completely depleted of health, which will create a much needed buffer against any retaliation. His only concern would be if Vietnam decided to backstab him. Gathering from what we’ve seen already, that would be an ill-advised move. Sibir supporters are assuredly happy to see a Sibirian Biotrooper at the door of Kabul, a city that has long given them extensive headaches in the past. It looks like Kuchum is taking the “slow and steady” approach to the war.

52

Brazil loses Ghazni to the Boers, but picks up Ecbatana, Gyumri, and Bukhara to compensate. Ecbatana looks to flip again, but that’s to be expected at this point. Of greater importance here, though, is in the bottom left of the frame. Look at that patch of destruction. That used to be Goliad. Now it’s just a sheet of glass in the Arabian peninsula.

53

Ingolfúr’s beachhead is now in place. Olympia has been stripped from the Boers. A detachment of Brazilian units appears to be swarming Epidauros, though the multitude of Boer Cybersubs in the area doesn’t bode well for them. Brazil has managed to take Ani to the north, and it looks like they’ve finally taken an interest in Varna.

54

Carthage is orange again, but Goa has been taken by Brazil. This leaves Braga as the sole remaining Boer city in Europe. Looking at the population, it’s flipped once before, but if it were to flip again it would be very difficult for Kruger to win it back (especially with Brazil now in control of the Statue of Liberty). The Brazilian X-COM rush in the Western Sahara shows just how determined Pedro is to win this war. He’s not half-assing this at all. After what seemed like an eternity, the Boers finally look vulnerable. I know I’ve said it before, but this truly is beyond anything I’ve expected.

55

This is an interesting development. Who could Morgan be plotting against here? Since their only conflict is against the Kimberley at the moment, it doesn’t appear anyone from this side of the continent will be mobilized any time soon. While we’re here, though, check out that unit composition. The Buccaneers have FIFTEEN Giant Death Robots on the screen. That’s just plain awesome. I can’t wait to see what happens when they finally take part in a relevant conflict.

56

What? When did this happen? Djarindjin is now Icelandic! I don’t remember seeing any units nearby that could take it. Oh, I see the notification now. Iceland has dropped out of the coalition. Any way you look at it, they can claim success. They also get Epidauros and Carthage out of the deal. But that’s not all. The Boers just lost TWELVE cities in the last turn. I never thought I would see Kruger hand over cities like this, though. It’s a sure sign that he’s vulnerable.

57

Kupartiya now belongs to Brazil, and Kabul to Sibir. Kruger is desperate to reclaim Agra, though, and may be able to extract it from Pedro’s clutches.

58

Ghazni is now grey, Ecbatana has flipped back to Brazil, and Varna has taken a serious beating. It seems to have flipped a couple of times since the last turn, and with that sharp a drop in population it might have also been nuked at some point. Speaking of which, we finally get to see the void left behind by the leveling of Goliad.

59

With Iceland out of the way, Boer troops are able to push farther up the front lines. Well, what’s left of them anyway. Has Kruger finally expended all of his unit reserves on this war? With the vast number of cities he controls, he should be able to create a considerable amount every turn, but they’re nowhere to be seen. Maybe they were all expended retaking Ani.

60

Braga still holds strong, but Ciudad del Carmen and Basse Terre have been incorporated into the Brazilian Empire, as has Quarzazate. Pedro now has an African territory to rival Mali at their peak, with Brazilian units outnumbering the Boers two to one. This is truly a dominant display.

61

Brazil also holds Istakhr, and is pushing toward Yeji and gao. Kruger would be wise to call a truce now, if only for ten turns so he can reinforce his front lines. Brazil has begun advancing at a staggering pace, and it’s only going to get worse for the Boers if they can’t find a way to stop hemorrhaging cities.

62

The other Basse-Terre has been claimed by Brazil, and Braga has finally been captured as well. The Boers have officially been evicted from Europe! That is, unless we’re counting Panormus as a European city, in which case it seems to only be a matter of time. Tangier has taken a hit in the meantime. It may have been nuclear, or perhaps it’s flipped back and forth. Without being able to see the action mid-turn, it’s sometimes hard to tell. I’m sure our analysts will be able to determine the true cause of the city’s drastic drop in population.

63

Gao has also become green, with Nyeni soon to follow. Brazil is absolutely storming Africa right now, and surely racking up immense warmongering penalties in the process. The consequences of this war will be interesting to see unfold. I know I’ve said it already, but I can’t get over how insanely effective his X-COM bias has been.

64

I’m not sure whether we’re looking at a stagnant blockade or a terrifying armada of reinforcements here. Either way, it would benefit Brazil to throw these troops at every Boer city they can possibly reach so that they can be replaced with more modern units.

65

Um, why are all the Inuit units concentrated in the north? Is another Inuit-Iceland war on the horizon? If so, they got out of the OCP just at the right time. We haven’t seen a shot of Iceland’s core for some time, but I doubt they could withstand an Inuit invasion at this point.

66

Somebody got within range of the Kimberley homeland. Whether it was Kruger, Kekkonen or Morgan is unclear. How the Kimberley have been able to survive against such overpowering adversaries is a mystery. They’ve faced Vietnam, Australia, Brazil, the Boers, and now the Buccaneers, and somehow don’t appear to be in any immediate danger. What are they doing right that Indonesia and the Champa were unable to figure out?

67

This is interesting. It looks like Sweden and the Inuit have used their mutual hatred for Iceland to become buddies, and they want to get some practice against Finland. I have to say, this is rather hilarious to me. Finland is going to get wrecked after siding with the Boers yet again, even if it was just against the Kimberley. How poetic. Sweden is the only one of the two aggressors close enough to do any damage, and subsequently take the huge warmongering penalty. Doing so would bring about some consequences that I don’t think they’re properly prepared for at this time. Hopefully this stays a cold war for a while.

68

Wow. It’s a good thing this shot was included, because it will surely have the greatest effect on the Power Rankings. The Boer heartland is barren. I was expecting a mass of reserves or at least a defensive force. Instead, the core is like a juicy orange, ready to be peeled and squeezed. Well, I guess the peeling has already begun, and Pedro’s been putting the squeeze on Kruger pretty hard already. What surprises me the most, though, is just how weak all of these cities are. Remember when most Boer cities were in the forties and fifties in population? Those days are long gone.

69

Kruger takes back Basse-Terre, but with the previous shot it looks like all of his units are concentrated around Utique. Pedro has a formidable line of units protecting his new additions, and continues to march onward. I love how the lore has come to fruition here. The Boer are creating more robots and clones to fight against Brazilian human X-COMs. The Skynet analogy is so damned perfect.

70

Yeji is added to Pedro’s collection, completely liberating the entirety of western Africa from the Boers. Despite his best efforts, Kruger just flat out cannot stop the onslaught of Brazilian units in Africa. Those World Wonders they picked up at the start of the war have been crucial so far, allowing them to chop off the Boers’ limbs and go straight for the heart.

71

I think it’s safe to say now that the Boer military consists mainly of Cybersubs. On the ground, there are more workers at the front line than combat units. Did someone upload a virus to Skynet? I see some carriers outside Gao that have aircraft on them, though. Will Kruger finally relent and drop the bomb on Brazil? I imagine the file with the nuclear launch codes is infected, and the Boer hivenet is working full time to recover and restore the backup files.

72

Uh oh. Prep your F keys, folks. It looks like we’re getting one last look at Finland before they bite the bullet. Their demise will tighten oil supply for the Boers, while also freeing up some oil for the Bucs.

73

Batticaloa is being battered by bombs, but blessed by benevolence from... Vietnam? Was Finland at war with Vietnam? When did that happen? And who was sending the bombs in the first place? Looking north, we see Brazil pushing the Boers out of Asia, and it looks like they took Mazar-i-Sharif and Nogombo from the Boers to complete the total capture of Sri Lanka.

74

Pedro has seized Nicomedia as well. On the plus side, Dvin has bounced back since being nuked. But for some reason Sweden has decided to make it very difficult to capture the Middle East from the north. Maybe Gustavus is trying his hand at unit flooding after seeing how effective it’s been for Pedro.

75

Panormus is no longer orange, and we can unequivocally say that the Boers have been eradicated from Europe. Their units are looking rather paltry in north Africa, as well. Kruger appears to be depleted from this fight. Brazil may soon start gobbling cities up in record time. The rest of the world should be very concerned about this, but we can all rejoice! It looks like the end-game snowball has begun!

76

Pedro takes Jenne, and rushes straight for Ejura to cut off the former Carthaginian core. Saguntum looks to fall soon, and Tangier appears to have flipped. Brazil is also going to work on Tarentum. He shows no sign of stopping. And now for a sentence I never thought I would say: Kruger better draft that peace accord now if he wants to survive.

77

If there was any doubt, there’s PLENTY more where that came from. Pedro could easily do to Sweden what he just did to the Boers, but worse. Their cities have much weaker defense. Hell, he could backstab Sibir if he wanted to. There’s practically nobody there to contest him on either front. Pedro is unstoppable at this point. I firmly believe that we will look back on this war as the beginning of the end. In a way, it’s satisfying to know that closure lies on the horizon. Yet, it’s also going to be bittersweet to say goodbye once it all wraps up. I’ve really--

78

He did it! He finally did it! Kruger has recovered the nuclear launch codes and opened Pandora’s Box. Fatehpur Sikri is the first victim, and I’m sure that if there aren’t others now then there will be soon. It appears to be a warning shot, as the Boers can’t benefit from this strategically in any way. With Samarkand taken away, they have nothing even remotely within range. Perhaps there was a mass of units congregated in the blast radius. But even then, there are much better strategic targets to hit than central India. Side note: the lack of a pillaged model for the hydroponic farm has always bugged me.

79

Wow. Not only Samarkand, but Persepolis and Ecbatana as well. This is mind-boggling progress from Pedro. In twelve turns, he has claimed nearly all of what used to be Mali, Persia, and Sri Lanka. That’s a pretty damned awesome display of power. The only other civ we’ve seen display that level of dominance has been the Boers themselves.

80

Brazil captures Tarentum, and continues to batter Tangier and Saguntum. Kruger has resorted to pulling Artillery garrisons from other cities to stem the tide of lime. Despite having about seventy cities still under his control, he’s fighting like he’s on his last legs.

81

Natural Heritage Sites fails once more, despite Australia’s best efforts. In other news, we get a glimpse of a nation that knows better than to let Brazil “borrow” their tiles for a while. In fact, it looks like the Inuit have been ramping up unit production as of late. Who could they be planning to use these new units against? Perhaps the Blackfoot are getting too big for their britches, or maybe Morgan stirring around has gotten their attention a bit more than he expected.

82

Perhaps they’ve set their sights on the sprawling nation of Korea. Having longed for the good old days when nuclear bombs lit up the northern nights, another battle for the Bering Strait could be due. Or could it be Australia? Or any of the other sugar-hating countries. Who would want to ban sugar anyway? That’s preposterous!

83

I suspected it last turn, but didn’t want to get ahead of myself. Kabul definitely was nuked, though. And now Yerevan also glows a hideous shade of orange. It’s fitting that with the Super Bowl coming up, Kruger finally decides to toss the nuclear football. Looks like this fight is about to even out a bit. He’s wise to cut off the air support first, too. Cheeky bastard. But it’s too late. Gordium has fallen to Brazil, and Persepolis is yet to flip again. After that, Asia will be a conquest of the past for the Boers.

84

Batticaloa is in the black, but nobody seems too eager to actually capture it. Brazil takes Bayulu, and hopscotches over Najran to put on a pinch attack. It also looks like some units have broken through in the Middle East and are descending on Gaza. If Kruger wants to get nuke happy, he needs to be a lot more forceful than this to have any effect.

85

Remember way back at the beginning when I predicted this area would be a “menacing sea of orange?” I didn’t quite mean it like this. This swath of destruction along the front lines is magnificent. I can’t even tell who nuked whom here. Tangier and Jenne look like targets, but so does Saguntum, and it appears that Kongo dia Nlaza was nuked back at the start of the war. We now see how valuable Iceland was to the war effort. Brazil has lost Panormus, and doesn’t appear to be in any position to push forward on Utique or Saguntum after losing twenty-some-odd units to nuclear hellfire. They’ve lost a lot of momentum that Iceland could have helped them sustain. Where it goes from here remains to be seen, but we have a lot to talk about over the next week. It’s been a hell of a ride, and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it this time. I’m truly honored to provide this narration, and hope it was as good for you all as it was for me.

Part 103: Ordem Com Progresso – mk2

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