Part 25: The Rise of Draka

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Welcome to the Official 60+ Civ r/civ Battle Royale! I am u/bluesox, and I will be your guide for another exciting installment of epic proportions. You may know me from the OFFICIAL Power Rankings, where I‘ve produced a series of rhyming slides for Yakutia alongside a team of hard-working experts. Or perhaps as the owner of the Battle Royale Stock Exchange at r/BRSE, where you can trade shares of the game‘s contestants for fake money (and real glory). Or perhaps as 'the guy who keeps making snide comments on my posts, so fuck that guy. Why is TPang letting him narrate *again*?'

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Before we begin, enjoy this wonderful hi-resolution image of the world as it stands at the end of Part 24, created by one of our regular contributors, u/SylonL with city maps added by u/LacsiraxAriscal map? For those of you coming from r/civ (or other sources), I strongly encourage you to check out the content created by our many devoted fans at r/civbattleroyale. Most notably, I‘d like to congratulate u/MetroGoldyMayer, our first Contributor of the Month, for the fantastic Lazy Portugal Show series of comics. Also, u/Pizzarcatto for the excellent civball icons seen in the r/civbattleroyale header and power ranking slides. Furthermore, u/lordberric‘s Norwegian Pikeman series has returned, and his Megasheet has all the answers to many questions you may have about in-game activity to this point. If you‘re just joining us, it‘s a great place to get an overview of the history of the Battle Royale Mk. 2. There are many others who deserve praise, but it‘s time to get down to business. This one‘s a nail-biter, so I hope you have your popcorn ready.

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We begin in the icy northern Sioux reservation, where Sitting Walrus (Sioux) has struck peace with Lester B. Pearson (Canada) in exchange for what looks like a vow of protection against his sole remaining enemy, the Inuit. Being the weakest of the surviving civilizations, only time will tell how long they can brave the harsh winters before being put out of their misery. Also, The Maori make peace with The Timurids.

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The Korean navy keeps Australia at bay while Japan looks to rebuild Tokyo. Although Meiji (Japan) has been under fire from the Grand Wobbegong Armada for a while now, he still controls four respectable cities, and could easily climb back up to power. Korea has been an invaluable ally, offering research agreements to keep Japan at a comparable tech level to defend themselves. Speaking of which, Sejong (Korea) has claimed the one world wonder most advantageous to him, completing the Porcelain Tower. His science production is certain to skyrocket now that he gains a huge boost due to those plentiful agreements he loves so much. Meanwhile, Afghanistan jumps on the Finnish hate train.

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The Lion of the North continues to roar through continental Europe in a race with Sparta to carve up the remnants of kielbasa and bratwurst. This is a very disappointing end to what was originally a strong projection for Poland. Sweden, however, has continued to impress with their relentless assault against both weakened civs.

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Hawaiians stay chill on the beaches, pointing to a passing Chilean naval force in wonder as it cruises toward Korea.

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The Kimberley continue their mission to claim every godforsaken tile south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Terrified of a feeding frenzy to the east, they decide it‘s better to settle across the ice floe where there aren‘t any fish instead. The wasted production can‘t be worth the unhappiness from settling this city, can it? The Boers have finally upgraded their triremes to caravels, by the way.

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Speaking of Boers, rifles, gatling guns and cavalry match up against Kongolese composite bowmen and trebuchets as Kruger (Boers) assaults four cities at once. He‘s done a good job of dividing his frontlines to do equal damage across the board, with the potential to capture all four cities on the same turn. Not this turn, but one in the future. Personally, I‘d be impressed and excited to see that happen. I‘m sure that lone Ashanti refugee in Boer territory would like to see his protectors expand as well. Meanwhile, Ethiopia has been keeping up with the Joneses, showing that they aren‘t worth the trouble.

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The Kongo have surrounded Mampong, and are still unable to put a dent in the city. The incompetence of this particular campaign is spellbinding.

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Yeah, I‘m tired of the running gag of Yakutia being boring. This is a battle of the Titans, three top-5 civs (Australia, Inuit, Yakutia) battling for supremacy, so I asked a friend to chime in. Tell ‘em what you think, Trigger. “Don‘t even think of yawning just because I‘m on the screen in this shot. I’m at my peak, and I‘m bringing it hot with my killer unique. If you wanna battle me you‘re fighting Batas cavalry. They‘ll stab you and grab anything you got. They rob you after you drop! I get pleasure when I build my treasury with every kill. Now that‘s a skill.” Moving on...

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Sweden and Sparta double-team Lodz while Swedish forces crack Berlin. Leonidas Jr. of Sparta seeks to exact revenge on the Polish scout who foiled the invasion of Cumae, sending a musketman to wait outside Warsaw for the perfect opportunity to snipe the city from Sweden‘s grasp.

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The Irish Isles in full. Ireland played a smart game to drive England off from their homeland, but their gains will be hard to keep if anyone attacks. All Irish cities besides Canterbury are coastal, making them susceptible to a naval invasion.

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It‘s hard to tell through all the units here, but there‘s some excellent citadel placement in this slide, with Arabia pushing against Jericho and protecting Bethlehem, Armenia limiting Israel, Persia pressing both Najran and Damascus, and Afghanistan pressing Susa. Any war in the Middle East will certainly be one of attrition.

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Kruger (Boers) has taken a scorched earth approach to the invasion of the Kongolese capital, pillaging every tile he steps on. Nzinga (Kongo) is not looking long for this world. Also, Crowfoot (Blackfoot) has joined others in the Industrial Era. Shaka (Zulu) is inspired by this and also declares war! Could this be revenge on Nkuna? It could, except he chose Morocco instead. Another facepalm moment in a game that‘s been full of them.

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Two civs who can‘t reach Tibet declare war anyway, but more importantly Australia has come to the conclusion that Yakutia is too far away and too cold to be worth the trouble anymore, and has made peace. Amazingly, no cities were exchanged in the deal.

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The Inuit fend off Yakutian advances with ease in the stalemate of stalwarts. The Inuit UA has been a huge advantage, allowing them to boost city defense through rapid growth in harsh climates.

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The Land of The Free stays true to their name as Lincoln (United States) continues to bumble his way along with a move befitting his reputation so far. Considering he doesn‘t really have a chance to expand, playing a tall game makes sense to him, but now the doomsday clock starts ticking. (I have to admit I have a soft spot for Lincoln. He has played almost exactly like I did the first time I loaded up Civ V and foolishly ventured forth as the USA. His n00b skills are unparalleled.) Also, Icelandic frigates. Yay!

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I never expected to say this, but Sparta has the most impressive navy in the Mediterranean. Despite a 'Panormus' Carthaginian empire, Hannibal‘s low-tech military would get crushed if the world decided to make them the next whipping boy. Case in point, Bilbais flips for the, what, twentieth time? (According to the Mk. 2 Casualties and City Captures spreadsheet curated by u/kiwidave, it‘s only the eighth time.)

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Now we see why the Mughals haven‘t taken Senggezangbo yet. Burma, now with crossbows, has set up a human barricade to keep them out of the undefended Vietnamese city. Why Burma would protect their biggest threat is beyond me. It‘s a shame, too, since Akbar (Mughals) has his UU, the Farsakh Cannon. The Farsakh Cannon has 28 ranged strength and 8 combat strength, making it a powerful offensive weapon even if it can only move at full health. He could capture the city in one turn if only he could get them within range.

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Korea *really* does not want Australia to take out their closest ally. I‘m sure perennial research agreements have something to do with it, but that‘s truly an impressive display they‘ve put on. There is no Aussie unit even within range of Tokyo at the moment, and Korea has blocked the passage to Kyoto as well. Their new frigates should help to keep it that way.

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Paul Kruger (Boers) has completed the most valuable of Industrial Age wonders, the Brandenburg Gate, giving his units 15 free experience points in the city in which it‘s built, which looks to be Pietersburg. Chances now look even worse for the Kongo, yet their capital still stands without a scratch. I‘m still trying to determine whether those are triremes or life rafts off the coast.

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Lodz is circling the drain, and Sparta looks to be in the best position to capture it. Berlin is succumbing to Sweden as well. It‘s a sad day for Central Europeans. After seeing Sparta slip in the rankings, this should help boost them back up to their former status as one of the game‘s elite players.

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Well, it doesn‘t look like we‘ll see four Kongolese cities fall in the same turn, but taking Gondar and Kavanga at the same time is no small feat either.

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If it weren‘t for those Sri Lankan triremes, we would be talking a lot more about how obsolete the Champan navy is. Indonesia now has frigates, meaning they finally found out what Krakatoa does. Indonesia has done a great job of upgrading in just a few turns. If they felt inclined, they could overrun the Champa (despite their recent upgrade to crossbows) with minimal losses.

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How Attila (Huns) has survived this long is anyone‘s guess. His enemies all have lancers, and he‘s still fielding pikemen. On second thought, that may be what‘s saving him. Had Sibir or USSR sent more riflemen, he would certainly be out of the game already.

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Yes! I think we can all admit we saw this one coming. No sooner than meeting Maria (Portugal) and the Buccaneers already want a piece of Portugal. If they get their foothold on the European continent, there are several civs (Ireland immediately comes to mind) who will be shaking in their boots or running for the hills. Bringing Argentina along for the fight was a nice gesture, too. Note: Portugal just upgraded to crossbows, giving the Impi and Boer scout in Iberia food for thought.

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If you told me 30 turns ago that Meiji would make it to the Industrial Era, I‘d wager against it. Yet, here we are (all thanks to Korea, who now has rifles).

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Yakutia should focus on cities that would actually benefit them, like Ikaluktutiak, a city with potential for three camps. Taking a two-tile snow island with no resources is inexcusable. No wonder this war is going nowhere.

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The 3000-year war is finally at an end! Brazil and the Inca decide enough is enough, and agree to stare maliciously at each other from the safety of their respective territories. Meanwhile, the Bucs continue to bring a stream of reinforcements to assault Portuguese Naus. Maria (Portugal) does a good job of setting a defensive line to allow privateers access to Portobello.

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The race for Lodz is on! Berlin falls into deep yellow. Could we see two civs eliminated in this part?

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For the first time ever, we see a peaceful South America. In fact, the Western Hemisphere as a whole has been remarkably quiet for a few turns. On the other side of the world...

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The Boers claim both Gondar and Kavanga from the Kongo, cutting Dire Diwa off from the rest of the empire. Kruger (Boers) shows absolutely no signs of slowing down, pushing his troops north to claim the city while sending another battalion to take Matamba.

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Yep. South America is still there. It was awfully nice of Morgan (Bucs) to throw Argentina a bone by offering to let them join the war against Portugal, especially considering they can‘t even embark across the ocean. We also get our first look at Chilean crossbows here, leaving just the bottom-tier civs as the last to discover them.

34

I‘m not sure I read that right. Sri Lanka enters the Industrial Age, while being the only civ (besides Canada) who still hasn‘t upgraded from triremes. What techs are they researching, then? I know I‘m not the first to say it, but those are some pretty screwy priorities for a coastal empire. If Afghanistan chose to attack, they could chew through that soft navy in a matter of minutes.

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Look at all those trading posts. Yakutia remains one of the few heavily forested nations, the other notable one being Brazil, opting to buy everything they need instead of building it. They‘re like the Donald Trump of the Battle Royale. They use money to get what they want while everyone talks a ton of smack about them, but they still make it to the top of the polls every time. Those Sibirian units in the Arctic could become a problem for them soon, though. Worse yet, Mongolia has upgraded to muskets, making their top-10 military even more fearsome as the window closes on yet another UU, the now-obsolete Keshik.

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Leonidas (Sparta) plants the handle of his spear outside of Lodz and exclaims, 'I WIN! NEVER SKIP LEG DAY, GUSTAVUS!' Meanwhile, Hitler (Germany) churns out a couple of trebuchets to defend Berlin. It‘s a valiant effort, but it can‘t hold up for long.

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All Hunnic units must have a handful of promotions. There‘s no other explanation for them holding out this well against three top-20 civs for so long. Granted, Finland dropped out last part, but the odds are still heavily stacked against them. The USSR is battering Attila‘s Court, which has survived a number of campaigns so far. Will it hold up again?

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Australia just can‘t stop making cities. Shouldn‘t they have run out of names by now? They‘re just using any noun they can think of at this point. In the north, Genghis Khan (Mongolia) plays it safe by declaring war against a non-neighbor. Also, Indonesia has crossbows now.

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Portuguese Naus got a taste of that good Caribbean rum, and leave Portobello to go get it straight from the source. Portugal‘s military is starting to look mighty thin, by the way. If Morgan (Bucs) can get France to join the fight, Portugal would be in dire straights. The Berlin Wall has finally fallen, leaving the city open to their new Swedish overlords.

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Germany once held so much promise, but it‘s now being snuffed out by the kings of snuff. Sweden has shown excellent skill in this campaign, first blocking Norway out from Hamburg until they could get the military advantage, then picking the city off for themselves. They have certainly earned the prize of Berlin that now awaits them. Having full control of the North Sea hinges on keeping good relations with Finland, a battle from which they‘ve been wise to abstain.

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While on the subject of civs on their last legs, let‘s take a look at China. Vietnam is sending a regiment of cannons on a march toward Beijing, making a strong push to finally remove the thorn from their side. Which Mao (China) will they encounter: Mickey Mao or Mighty Mao?

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Next on the list of fan-chosen spy itineraries, it‘s Jerusalem and Ottawa!

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For once, it would be nice to see one of these actually be relevant. I think it‘s safe to assume everyone is plotting against each other.

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Matamba holds strong against the Boers, but the same can‘t be said for Kabasa. It was a sight to behold when North America ganged up on the Sioux (thrice), West Africa ganged up on the Ashanti (twice), and North Africa ganged up on the Ayyubids, but this has truly been a showcase of military might by the Boers. They are singlehandedly removing the Kongo from the game, proving their top-5 status in the Power Rankings is well deserved.

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I wonder why 80% of Texan and Mexican forces are stacked at their border. Maybe they‘re discussing who makes better chilaquiles? Yeah, that must be why.

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The Naus return from the Caribbean sufficiently sloshed enough to remove any inhibitions toward their inevitable death at the hands of Buccaneer corsairs.

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Berlin has fallen into Swedish hands, which the citizens don‘t complain about too much since they get rather nice massages now. Poland is due to continue the pattern of one elimination per three parts, with a Spartan knight and Swedish musketman battling for position. Also, Norway has frigates now. If they dared to attack Ireland, they would at least stand to gain a couple of cities.

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It looks like the Ashanti pikeman has been promoted to foreman, overseeing construction of a new Boer mining facility. Kruger (Boers), high on the conquest of his fifth Kongo-settled city, feels compelled to declare war on Burma. Considering they are on opposite sides of the Indian Ocean, this is actually a relevant declaration. What‘s worse for Anawrahta (Burma), Australia wants to join in on the fun. To the west, Mampong still stands untouched by the Kongolese.

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Aussie ships circumvent the Korean blockade of Tokyo and engage in another attempt to recapture the capital. Wait. Is that Korean settler at the top of the screen really about to settle across from Osaka?! That can‘t be good for their relationship with Japan.

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A stunning display by Germany as they reclaim Berlin, which seemed surely out of their clutches for good. Gustavus (Sweden) has devoted too much energy toward Warsaw and forgot he needs to hold the capital for it to count. If we learned anything from the test run, it‘s that you can‘t give Hitler (Germany) even a shred of a chance to reach his UU, or its game over.

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Ethiopia reaches the Industrial Era and unveils their new UU, the Mehal Sefari, a rifleman that gets up to 30 extra strength the closer it is to the capital. This will make Addis Ababa considerably tougher to capture. However, Ethiopia should go on the offensive. There are currently 3 completely undefended Boer cities on their border, and unlike the Kongo, Ethiopia could actually hold its own against the Dutch menace.

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The Bucs have dispatched of the Portuguese ships around Portobello, and launch a two-pronged attack on both Lieira and Lisbon. Lieira would be a fantastic base of operations for the Bucs, closing off the Mediterranean and allowing them to pick ships off single-file. However, capitals are what matter, and they seem to be taking that knowledge to heart as they go straight for the throat.

53

Vietnamese forces close in on Beijing, determined to finally finish off China for good. Mao (China) has played well to this point, but this may be the end of the road for him. To the south, Champa declared war on Persia. With sea access to several Persian cities, it could help them get their foot in the door across the Indian Ocean. Then again, they could just be sabre-rattling instead.

54

Germany could lose its entire military with the next assault on Berlin. Sweden has a Regal Ship placed east of Hamburg that would allow adjacent land units to heal each turn. No matter how fierce Hitler (Germany) may be, that‘s a bonus he‘d be hard-pressed to overcome.

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Canada joins the Bucs, which is a joke since they only have tri-- wait. Galleass watch is over! They skipped past and went straight to caravels. It‘s about time. Iceland has one of the best navies in the game now, and could wreak havoc on North America if it deemed the action worthwhile.

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M‘banza-Kongo still stands strong, but Matamba is in the red. It‘s scary how many troops the Boers still have in reserve. They could completely wipe out the Kongo and still have a defensive force left over.

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This slide alone speaks for how one-sided this war is. Meanwhile, David is perhaps the last one to arrive to the Rennaisance. Also, Afghanistan declares war against Persia. This should be an easy win for Afghanistan, since their Zamburak gatling guns can run circles around Persia‘s composites.

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Remember how M‘banza-Kongo was at full health a couple of slides ago? This is a testament to the power of DRAKA! The Kongo are down to five cities, and dwindling fast. Selassie (Ethiopia) takes note, pumping out as many Mehal Sefari as he possibly can. Kruger (Boers) takes note, and decides it would be unwise to keep his border cities undefended after all.

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Tokyo has not only survived the Aussie assault, but managed to gain a point in growth on top of that. Korea can only hold off the Grand Wobbegong for so wobbelong, though, diverting their protection to Osaka instead.

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The Kongo lose Dire Diwa but regain Matamba. They may be overmatched, but they‘re definitely clawing back while on the way down. And Mampong (at 6 pop) is still pristine. Morocco just discovered muskets, too, which will make the city even harder to capture now. To the north, the Ayyubids stack everything they have at the Boer border to dissuade any potential attack.

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Lest you forgot, Hannibal (Carthage) and Saladin (Ayyubids) are still at war. Saladin pushes onward toward Olympia and Hippo Regius with his technologically superior units. If it weren‘t for Hannibal‘s supreme competence I would say they‘re in big trouble. However, he‘s proven to be the ultimate bulldog in this game, smashing his way to victory time and again. Also, he found a horse somewhere, producing a knight for Carthage‘s first mounted unit.

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Israel is densely packed with woefully outdated units, while their neighbor to the north is sparse, but with the benefit of better tech. Either would be in huge trouble if one of their larger neighbors decided to strike.

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The Huns have been whittled down to just a few units. It appears Sibir has been using them to farm XP for a more challenging opponent down the road. That‘s the only explanation I can come up with for their survival.

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The Inuit heartland. Being a Yak supporter, this slide is a scary sight. There are nine cities in this slide with 50+ defense. Taking them out would require a huge coalition at this point. An interesting sight here is the staggering of high-pop and low-pop cities. I wonder what a bubble map of the Inuit would look like.

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Prior to this part, /u/TPangolin released a Civ V styled map of Antarctic Claims and Settlements as of the last part! Note the acronyms and the location of the Babylonian sub. It looks like it needs to be altered because...

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Porque no los dos?! The Kimberley grab both sides of the ice floe and settle the cities of Djarindjin and Yakanarra. Yakanarra could quickly become a high-pop city for them, with six fish resources in city range. Djarindjin... not so much. Fun fact: there are caravels from seven different civs in this slide.

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Afghanistan‘s last resort in case of emergency, the twin cities of Sheberghan and Taloquan. It‘ll be fun to eventually see these fall prey to nuclear warheads.

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Sweden‘s had enough of Germany‘s shit and have come back with a vengeance. Poland is still defending Warsaw with minimal defenses, but as the power rankings said last week, 'Want to hear a joke? Poland‘s chances.'

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And they‘re saved by the bell as we reach the stats! First we have population, with all the usual suspects in an unusual lineup. The Maori are on top, making the best of their extended peacetime. Peeking (not peaking) up from the bottom is Iceland, with 33,021,000.

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Armenia is up there with 8,971,000. Following are the lowly basement-dwellers we‘ve grown accustomed to seeing. Surprisingly absent from this list is the Kongo. Expect that to change next time.

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For the first time in a long while, if not ever, the Boers lead the tech list! Korea holds close, and Finland is putting their UB to use as they begin to rocket up the charts. Somehow Burma has researched 40 techs.

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At the top edge are Champa with 33 techs, followed by half of Africa, then a long list of people u/forgodandqueen will be writing about soon. 23 techs separate the leader from last place.

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Australia gains another 45,000 troops over last part. The Inuit gain 50K, Mexico 30K, the Boers with a whopping 72K new troops, and everyone else either holding steady or dipping slightly.

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I‘m not sure exactly on which slide it happened, but the Philippines are the first complete kill of the game. All that remains of them is their city names.

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The Inuit and Boers gain nine cities altogether, each through different methods. Meanwhile, Sibir and the Kimberley found icy hellholes on opposite ends of the globe.

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Poland joins the city state club. I expect a flurry of trades on the BRSE with seven civs (China, Germany, Huns, Japan, Kongo, Poland, and Portugal) on the verge of losing their capital in the next installment, granting their captors a 10% boost in value for each.

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Catholicism is nipping at the heels of Judaism, just a handful of followers away from being the primary world religion. The main difference being that Mexico can defend itself without having to rely on its spiritual brethren. Eastern Orthodoxy is also doing quite well. Islam still struggles to gain a foothold in its own backyard.

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Portugal, Ireland, parts of Nowray and Sweden, the Mughals, Morocco, Maori, Australia, and native South America are all still heathens. Is there any correlation between atheism and success? You decide.

Part 25: The Rise of Draka – mk2

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