Part 36: Empires of the Smoky Skies

1

Welcome Babylonians, Lurkers and AIs alike to the 35th edition of the Civilization Battle Royale! Glad tidings: this Sunday’s edition marks the happy return of bi-weekly installments! With literally days of footage in the can, this hype train will be chugging steadily for the foreseeable future. Speaking of chugging along, the nations of our cylinder are rapidly industrializing and dealing destruction in unprecedented quantities. Join me u/true_spokes for a tour of a world warring at a tempo not dictated by the labor of men, but accelerated by the rhythm of machines.

2

On the city map loving crafted by u/Lacsiraxariscal we see the results of last part’s bloody labors. The Sibir gain a tenuous grasp on a swath of Soviet territory. With the production to crank out their modern arsenal, they’ll be looking to paint more of Asia steel grey. North America shows the Canadians gaining two American cities but remember: their northern territories are currently occupied by Inuit forces. More on this ice cold bloodbath in the slides to come. South of the equator, Machu is actually in native Incan possession though very much under threat. With a very central city in danger of falling to any of three separate powers, the balance of power in South America may change dramatically in the turns to come.

3

As of this writing, the Power Rankings haven‘t premiered. However I‘m going to take a pretty educated guess and bet this slide shows Kruger’s Boers still on top. With a tech lead and massive territory, the Boers are looking strong, but other civs are still nipping at their heels. Now that we’re all up to speed, let’s get to the action!

4

Our saga begins with the Lions of the North. Oslo falls as Haakon’s loyal riflemen selflessly sacrifice their promotions to heal up and retake their beloved capital. Trondheim is pressed by land and sea, but the Swedish ground forces are spread thin. Gustavus may not have the production to replenish in time. Is Tonsberg safe behind its mountain passes or will the first rumblings of Swedish aircraft sound their death knell?

5

A valuable shot of the Mexican heartland reveals a fairly developed population and army. They have more than enough units to supply their war with Hawaii, and the industrial base to replace any losses. The Brothers in Black to the north, on the other foot, are looking rather stagnant. The White Walkers are rising and their battleships can hurl snowballs into those mountain passes with impunity. Somewhere on the outskirts of Veracruz, a surviving Irish scout has infiltrated the local populace. Apparently able to pass his kelly green cloak for the local variety of verde, Benit O’Juarez stands as a reminder of how fleeting success can be in the Battle Royale. Elsewhere, a Mughal scout considers a famously dangerous border crossing. Further elsewhere, Sparta and Burma lay down their bronzed arms.

6

With only a tiny force remaining, China appears doomed to elimination. Shanghai has fallen low to a Mongolian force that would now be more properly termed a horde. The Mongols’ musket-heavy army indicates they’ve decided to quit horsing around and shoot for glory. To the west, Sibir does indeed capture Bamda (good eye u/lacsiraxariscal). Their air force is making light work of Nyingchi, despite the surrounding Tibetan forces. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese have knocked the walls of Chamdo low, but leave themselves in danger of losing the only melee regiment in the operational zone. Tibet’s trio of riflemen indicate they are ahead of the Mongols in military tech, but it is doing absolutely nothing to stop the feeding frenzy. Watch out, Genghis.

7

With Portugal reeling from two intercontinental invasions of their heartland, Rome is overrun by Spartan forces. A long-contested prize not far from their industrial centers calls for a cunningly constructed battle plan. Instead, they casually fling their units into an encirclement campaign that will ensure maximum losses before achieving their gains. Still, getting back in the race for capitals could make their ALL CAPS schtick a bit more meaningful. After much preparation and careful calculation, France is... present.

08

A brief liberation only forestalls the inevitable as Oslo is repainted yellow and blue. Trondheim rebuffs its siege, but Bergen looks doomed to flip. Gustavus is certainly getting great mileage out of both of his unique units with a one-two punch from land and sea. The Swedes also now have at least four air units, providing near total coverage of their airspace.

09

Off the coast of Burma, Anawrahta’s galleasses bravely defend the Buddhist holy city of Rangoon from heretic Indonesians and Mughals. While Indonesia seems relatively contained, the Mughals have launched a flotilla of frigates and privateers. Such a (comparatively) advanced navy might seriously damage the Burmese city. The Desert Folkwars continue to roll in, with Che Bong Nga the latest to declare against the Lost Tribe. (See equally pointless DOW on Israel by The Blackfoot on slide 1.) All these DOWs clearly come from outside Judaism’s sphere of influence, so it’s doubly fascinating that the only real war against Israel was declared by their insta-convert Armenia. The rest of the Middle East should be hitting themselves symbolically with a shoe right now. While they won’t accomplish much abroad, the Champa’s bay of privateers could put a solid dent in any invading neighbor and maybe even help them build a modern navy.

10

The People’s Liberation Army fights bravely to hold the ruins of Shanghai. So inspiring is Chairman Mao’s leadership that even a wealthy Great Merchant joins the struggle of the people. Meanwhile the bourgeois Mongol AI stubbornly refuses to pick up the hammer and crush them. Instead, they declare war against poor David. Vietnam claims Chamdo and celebrates by inaugurating its air force at a time when warring through mountain passes is an incredibly useful skill. Speaking of mountains, Sibir appears to be consolidating quite the defensible border. With a mountain range opening into vast plains, Kuchum looks to fortify a bulwark against future incursions.

11

Stalin wisely but belatedly peaces out with Kuchum Khan, sacrificing a strip of territory that stretches north to south across the entire continent (all ice cities appear to have been taken/traded as well.) This may turn out to be a wise move for Kuchum too, as it allows him to consolidate and redecorate his new properties. Perhaps new carpeting is in order? Meanwhile, the Top Kekks appear frozen. One of the first civs to artillery, they have accomplished little in spite of some seriously populous cities. The Soviet core is theirs for the taking, with little more than its notoriously malnourished workers standing in their way. If they don’t take initiative, border tensions with the Silver Horde and the newly airborne Swedes may eventually draw the Finns out of their saunas.

12

Loyalist riflemen fight to the last man to reclaim Oslo, and Swedish forces are nowhere to be found! In every province, the Norwegians are resurgent, with all three threatened cities looking safe from capture for at least a turn or two. A Great Musician tours the Norwegian countryside filling the commoners’ hearts with hope! Gustavus’s contingent of riflemen north of Stavanger and the flotilla in the Baltic Sea had better get themselves in this fight before Haakon can regroup and repulse them entirely.

13

Canada takes back Oohenupa, presumably because of how funny they must sound pronouncing it (and this entire sentence, really.) Pearson now commands an air force and appears to be using it to deter Inuit incursions into the Bay, though the Inuit maintain a clear advantage in the air. With both sides fielding similar armaments into challenging terrain, we may be soon be looking at a bay of bombed-out cities and recurrent flips. Frustratingly, the main force of the Ice Sheet Fleet appears to be sliding through the Northwest Passage well out of range of the action. If they’re searching for Iceland, they should start by eliminating the collaborators reinforcing the Canadians in Hudson Bay before a snipe puts two enemies on their doorstep.

14

War with the Buccs appears to have killed off all but the hardiest Texan ships (and rewarrrrded them with some booty of their own.) Now those hardened sailors are mounting an amphibious assault on the beleaguered Union. Lincoln’s artillery may repel his ships temporarily, but Houston’s got “a whole heckuva rowdy bunch of rustlers and boom-thingies a’hootin’ and a’hollerin’ on thataways.” Stay tuned on that I guess. Further north, Chile’s Backdoor Squadron may have finally spotted a crack they can force themselves into. With a reputation for trans-continental city swipes, they may just be able to sneak a handhold in the Americas.

15

The Alohola War between Hawaii and Mexico has reduced the once prosperous port of Waipahu to a ruin that still somehow promotes positive vibes. Benito has very smartly used artillery to deny Hawaii entry to the Bajaloha Bay and much of his coastline, and looks ready to deliver another sacrificial melee unit onto the crimson shores. With a steady stream of ships sailing (lol @ wind power) into combat, the Hawaiians should regain the city. This is quickly becoming a draining war. The civs’ mismatched sea vs land domains means neither can effectively hold ground against the other. One strong navy vs one strong military = no change except millions of virtual lives. Of note, the eastern border of the Hawaiian home isles is visible in this shot. The world is shrinking, and the nations are only getting bigger.

16

The global happiness statistics feature a few familiar faces, with Australia, The Boers, Vietnam and Iceland proving that conquering can be fun. Seriously, are we admitting to ourselves how pathologically murderous these societies would be? No? These numbers are obviously too large to matter but they do indicate who still has the public support to go conquering. In particular, the Australians and the Boers are each sitting on about a continent’s worth of excess happiness. Take the hint, gentlemen! In the background: Lisbon is back in Portuguese hands, but may soon return to Buccaneer hooks and parrot claws.

17

The bottom of the list is largely dead civs, as well as a certain sub riding high on the resumption of bi-weekly observations. At the bottom, Sibir is sitting on a single cent of happiness! They’ll need to integrate their new conquests quickly if they hope to press their advantage. Unbelievably, the Inuit find themselves comparatively unhappy in spite of building Prora (2 happiness/social policy.) Ice city spam will do that to you. Remember that Canada possesses Notre Dame and Chichen Itza, both of which offer happiness bonuses, so the Inuit have extra incentive in their current conflict.

18

In a complete reversal of game trends so far, Arabia appears to have rebuffed the Ethiopian forces and Harun has even built himself an impressive navy (c’mon, give the guy some credit). Haile embarks entire divisions of Mehal Sefari to provide target practice for the Arabians. Across the Boerder, Kruger appears to have lost the manual for all that shiny new tech.Of little note: Haakon manages to make peace with the wrong Lion.

19

In the Far East, the Yakutia use a trio of battleships to press their claim on the remaining Japanese cities. Further north, a substantial Yakutian battlegroup has been growing steadily. One can’t help but wonder if the current aggression is to gain greater strategic freedom in conflicts to come. The Australian (now sporting subs!) and Korean fleets remain safely separated by a couple of enormous islands.

20

Bajaloha remains orange and yellow, with the Hawaiians even managing to take the shine off of Merida to the north. With their lack of naval production facilities showing, the Mexicans appear to be floundering at the shoreline.

21

Hey Texas, those ships work better when you put them next to the cities you want to take. Same goes for you, Chile. Nonetheless, the cowboy commandos are fielding such an overwhelming force that resistance may be futile. Sibir DOWs America, maybe to mitigate ideological pressure and conserve happiness? Maybe because they’re a lame duck?

22

Machu is Argentinian once again, and Ollantaytambo is weakening under intense shelling by Pedro’s Brazilwood Bombers. Overall, the Inca look to be on the back foot in this war. Outclassed in technology, facing a pair of very numerous foes along a long stretch of open land, their best hope is to withdraw into their mountain passes and hope the invaders lose interest.

23

Against all odds, Shanghai prevails! Though their final melee unit has died bravely in service of the people, they march onward. Sibir continues its assault on the Himalayan highlands, despite threats of internal strife. They do seem to be feeling some war weariness, however, as their air numbers have decreased slightly and their core is largely empty of units. Nearby, Afghanistan repositions their air force “just in case.”

24

Yakutia inevitably claim Kanazawa, thanks in no small part to their proprietary privacarrier, capable of supporting aircraft, capturing enemy ships, and hibernating for centuries. With this acquisition, the Yakuts show signs of a resurgence, and the beginnings of a true Pacific coastline. With additional naval production centers and distracted neighbors, Darkhan may be ready to stage a grand re-entrance to the world stage. Speaking of lopsided massacres, what is Parkes’s WindBeGone armada doing up there?

25

Oohenupa is recaptured by Canada after an undocumented flip by the Inuit. As before, both nations’ powerful ranged arsenals are crushing city defenses without sufficient support for captures. To the north, the Ice Sheet fleet powers toward Greenland.

26

SNOW SNIPE!!! Iceland uphold their reputation for deep inland raiding with the capture of Sarnia. They’re even moving in a full complement of land troops to secure their new base. Cut off from resupply, the city is almost certainly doomed, but it may provide a buffer during the Canadian turn that changes the dynamic of this war. Strangely, the Inuit and Iceland both go to war with the Ayyubids, proving… nothing, really.

27

Lisbon is back in the clutches of Blackbeard’s raiders, but Portugal may have the forces to reclaim their lost capital. The Buccaneers still have only a token land force, and Maria is unlikely to give up until one or both of them are utterly exhausted. Offering his art in service of the nation, a Portuguese Great Musician translates a medley of David Bowie songs that’s sure to be a hit with his countrymen and submariners alike.

28

Bingo, a Desert Folkwar that actually matters - Arabia vs Israel! Israel seems to be holding off Armenia pretty effectively, but they hardly seem prepared for a two-front war. Crossbows aren’t going to win them any wars, but they can stall the enemy lines in open terrain. With calm assurance, David orders a squadron of missionaries to invade his former province of Bethlehem. Though they’re preaching to the choir, it’s clear they don’t have a prayer.

29

Icelandic Greenland remains as sparse and windswept as ever, with the most miserable camels on Earth tasked with sustaining Akureyri. In addition to their incredible barrenness, these lands are mostly empty of units. Ingolfur seems to have committed all regional forces to North America.

30

Rangoon begins taking damage as the Mughals run the Burmese fleet aground. Akbar’s ships seem to control the battlespace, but do they have the manpower to see it through? In peaceful news, the Trung Sisters construct a gigantic statue to the resurrected god of their sworn religious enemies. Apparently this type of tolerance results in a moderate reduction of social policy cost. Vietnam has clearly gone far up the top of the tech tree, but their lack of investment in core industrial military techs is beginning to show in their land forces. Looking at their territory, I only see 7 military units that aren’t cannons or privateers.

31

Moor War on the horizon as Carthage sounds the trumpets of battle. Carthage has clearly planned for this day by constructing a citadel chain, but their forces are occupied at the gates of Cairo. I may be the only narrator to say this, but Morocco looks to be in a strong position here. With a unique unit and bonuses to friendly defense, they may just survive this one.

32

Meiji peaces out to live another day. Though this seems a silly decision, Darkhan has gotten what he wanted: access to Korean and Inuit sealanes. With his vast and undeniably modern carrier group waiting in the wings, expect him to leverage this leibensraum sooner than later.

33

Chile declares war against the Inca. Too bad his forces are busy loitering around Vinland! Seriously Chile, even Brasil has more ships in Incan waters than you do. Inca is now at least nominally pressed from all sides while fielding an army of yesteryear’s weapons. Though Machu is back in their possession, their Amazonian holdings may soon crumble.

34

Texas just goes full-AI all over the eastern seaboard of the United States. Granted the Union is not strong, but if Sam Houston expects to make any progress against the remaining bastion of Freedom, he’ll need to fully commit to the assault. Speaking of questionable AI tactics, the Chilean Backdoor Squad looks torn by indecision.

35

Semiramis reports that Kruger is planning an invasion of Carthage. YES PLEASE. Seriously, the Boers are sporting three units I haven’t seen anywhere else: machine guns, anti-aircraft guns and landships. The reason we can’t see them is they’re all bunched up just south of their borders with Carthage and Mali. With aircraft carriers serving up air support and plenty of happiness to burn, it’s hard to tell what’s holding them back. Off-screen, plucky Portugal liberates Lisbon.

36

In an absolutely unforgivable moment of self-doubt, Pedro makes peace with Pachacuti. With a full unit carpet and uncontested air force, he’s really sold himself short on this one. Perhaps the line of GW Infantry along the Argentine border are a sign of redirected momentum? Whatever Pachacuti had to give for peace, it was probably worth it. He has greatly reduced the length of his battlefront, which may allow him to staunch the bleeding and keep a grip on Machu. Off-screen, poor Portugal loses Lisbon like lightning.

37

The Inuit gather Sarnia to their icy bosom. By now everyone should know that these cities are all very much still in danger of flipping. Even the Vikings remain capable of capture, though Canada seems to be saving their lone ironclad for a special mission.

38

Peace in Scandinavia, but at what cost? Trondheim was conquered a few slides back, and Bergen may have been taken or traded for peace. Even Oslo looks damaged by recent fighting. Clearly a struggle down to the line, but Gustavus has claimed the Lion’s share. Amazingly, Sweden has the lead in capitals conquered. With a hard fought war behind him, Gustavus licks his wounds and prepares for regional domination.

39

Texas commits! The Chilean Escuadras Nacionales look on in fascination as another nation executes a brute force attack on a war-weakened neighbor. Similarly Canada, still bound by a peace treaty, can only stare. Hey also some funny guy put up World Ideology: Order for the World Congress. Expect that to get voted down faster than an appropriately timely bit of political humor. Mirwais might want to be careful that his proposals don’t annoy his autocratic neighbors. Embargo: America is a frankly petty waste of a proposal opportunity, Lester.

40

Still in possession of the dominant fleet, Akbar just can’t seem to make any headway against Rangoon. His land forces are useless with nowhere to land, and honestly probably better off on the Afghan border anyway. No doubt the Burmese Great Musician has raised her people’s spirit with traditional Mahagita ballads. The Boers are now plotting against the Mughals as well, which is made sadder by the fact that they could actually take Lahore but just won’t.

41

Tibet, long touted as the everlasting mountain turtle, has been rapidly dismantled by Sibir and Vietnam. Pacifists to the end, they’re even trading overland with the Mongols - a sight almost as pitiful as the Viking ice camels. In the west, a Tibetan settler takes a final hike in search of free land.

42

In spite of difficult, dual-river terrain around Albany, Texas continues chipping away at the city defenses. America has begun losing irreplaceable artillery units, and the end doesn’t seem far away now. Elsewhere, Hawaii and the Boers agree to an orange peace. Elsewhere2, Kyoto collapses into Korean clutches.

43

Kruger hosts state of the art military training exercises in his northern domains. His units are actually overkill for the region (no need for AA, PK!) but he can’t seem to get started. He does however enter the Atomic Era. Given his current units, it’s likely he went through with either Radar or Atomic Theory, either of which spell doom for his rivals just as soon as he lights a fire under his Transvaal. To the east, the Arabs are absolutely shaming the Ethiopians on their own turf. A capture is unlikely but I’d say this is a convincing moral victory for Harun.

44

Action packed shot of the western Mediterranean. Now on the losing side of the city-flip turn cycle, the Portuguese forces are nevertheless putting up a strong fight here, sheltering their troops inland of hills which the Buccs can’t fire over. The Buccaneers’ ships just aren’t holding ground. Perhaps a Great War infantry can turn the tide? With their ability to ignore national boundaries, they could easily harass Goa and Funchal if they choose. Sparta continues flailing against Rome. Only ranged units surround the city, presumably hurling cannonballs with their bare hands. Leonidas has fresh musketmen on the way, but his troops will have to absorb fire until they arrive. In North Africa, they gave a war and nobody came. Carthage is patrolled almost exclusively by scouts.

45

Vietnam earns yet another city in a peace deal, this time nabbing Nagchukha in return for postponing Lhasa’s inevitable demise. The transfer also gives this area of the continent some of the hottest borders around. Messy territories between three air-equipped nations and one outdated but scary horde carpet mean that this area will be a flashpoint in turns to come. Off-screen: Kyoto clashes conclude in another Aussie annexation.

46

Lhasa is surrounded on all sides by Vietnam. As a matter of fact, under normal circumstances I doubt Lhasa would have enough food to feed itself. Still the mountain monks om on, stoic as ever. A Tibetan great musician composes a throat-sung symphony that alerts the world to Tibet’s subjugation.

47

Flipsbon is back in white and blue after a breathless assault by Maria’s partisan riflemen but the Buccs are right there waiting to retake the once proud capital. Portugal had better make peace soon, because their lands are beginning to run rare of units. Morgan is amassing some great war infantry for a marine assault. A guess from ‘Ramis down in Africa: Boers take some time to DOW the Legion that never died. Et tu, Krugei?

48

The Spartans are looking broken, without the forces to finish the Italian job. They even gave one of their precious melee units permission to take a communal bath in the sea rather than pursue glory in battle. This is truly no longer the Age of Heroes. At this rate, Maria may just sacrifice Iberia and set up a refugee state that features none of real-world Portugal.

49

Sam Houston looks poised to capture Albany, with a healthy deposit of fresh coal at stake. Houston is splitting his efforts between the two cities so evenly that I think he has total elimination in mind, and with it access to the Atlantic uncontrolled by the Black Fleet.

50

Harun does Haile the favor of peacing out of their war for him. This may allow the Arabs to focus their energies up north where Bethlehem appears to be under some pressure from David’s forces. Remember, however, that Israeli pressure is about as damaging as an infant teething. Still, Arabia is looking strong, with a whole generation of young riflemen ready to make David pay. To the north, Carthage is making very little headway against the Ayyubids, a civ who apparently never set its sights beyond the Renaissance.

51

Ingolfur proves he belongs in the lead pack with somewhat belated entrance into the modern era. Though he’s still sporting an all-wood fleet, it hasn’t stopped him staying on terms with the Inuit, who are short enough on oil to be floating quite a few frigates. Ingolfur’s fleets are contending seriously for Sarnia and successfully bottlenecking the Ice Sheet Fleet at Akureyri. Canada appears glad for the chance to rest and refit their Hudson Bay forces. Canada has clearly invested significant production into their air force - they’re nearly at parity with the Inuit now.

52

Gold vs Bronze! Sweden declares on Sparta for Round 2! Sweden looks a bit unprepared with a noticeable lack of ranged units except a small contingent of planes. Sparta, on the other hand, is swarming with outdated units who scramble to grab the high ground around Lodz. If this were open ground I’d say advantage Sparta, but with choked approaches to Lodz, they’ll have trouble capitalizing on their superior numbers. The Boers joining this war is irrelevant tactically, but it may represent a detente between Kruger and Gustavus. Perhaps they plan to meet each other at the Mediterranean? Breaking news: Buccs blacken lazy Lisbon.

53

The Vietnamese officially have their unique unit: the Viet Cong. These nasty infantry replacements gain invisibility in jungle and forest, but cannot capture cities. At a time when Vietnam can and should diversify their armed forces, these units may provide just the incentive they need. In unrelated news, a Mongol cannon wandering in Afghan territory gives a peek into the alliances forming in this newly redrawn section of the map. Also Burma has been all up in Tibet’s foothills this entire part. What do you want, Peacocks?

54

Chile defends their reputation as “The Iceland of the South” by entering the modern era as well. They look to have finally found their way to the combat zone and commit to an ill-fated attack against the concave coastline of Tiwanaku. Give the Inca credit - they’re fighting very effectively despite being outnumbered and out-teched. Machu remains Incan, though its fate is very much in the air. Take a look at how many Great Generals Argentina has - as many as 25! It looks like they may be planning a citadel tunnel through the mountains from Rioja to Cusco, which would be just about the coolest thing to happen in the match so far. Hawaii continues its weird habit of positioning small armies near wars they’re not involved in.

55

A look at the Great Grey Wastes of north eastern Asia. Sibir and Finland have some seriously tangled borders. High city defensive values on the Finnish cities indicate a level of distrust for their new neighbors. However, they appear to be sharing open borders. A note on Finland: they now have machine guns, indicating decent tech achievements. However they completely lack oil-based units, which may mean that they haven’t even gained access to this vital resource yet. Stalin’s once-mighty Arctic fleet is now frozen in place with no port to call home.

56

Great Musician Francis Scott Key finds himself so inspired by the naval assault against his homeland that he pens “The Star-Spangled Banner.” With Texas’s bombs bursting in air, the world will long remember what happened to those civs that choose the path of Freedom. In unrelated news: Burma denounces Champa, threatening a clash so mighty as to produce detectable gravitational waves.

57

Ingolfur is pushed back out of the Hudson Bay, though his units are successfully containing the Ice Sheet Fleet to the north. Ekeuhnick has slipped a sub under the sea ice, suggesting plans for a totally badass run on the blockade. Frozen out of the action for a few turns, Lester B. Pearson readies a landing force for another campaign.

58

Kame and Benito must have crossed streams, as they’ve undergone a total protonic reversal. A rather unorthodox exchange of territory has resulted in a situation that neither can be very thrilled with. At this point both forces look evenly matched navally, but Hawaiian ships must operate under a constant hail of Mexican artillery fire. Also, Mexico has almost as many artists as Argentina has Generals. Not really but still way too many. Off-screen: Korean coup at Kyoto, Wobbegong won’t be long responding.

59

Unbelievably, Shanghai survives to fight another day! By brokering peace with the Mongols, China may have slipped itself into the “already lost its capital, nothing left worth conquering” zone that kept Byzantium on life support for centuries. However, Mao’s remaining enclave occupies a very strategic position between two rivals. Any future conflict may just begin with annexation of the Middle Kingdom.

60

Iceland joins the Autocratic Axis. He’s annexed a fair number of former British and Irish cities, and with that much coastline he can certainly crank out naval forces. Indeed, his current coast guard look sufficient to raid the French coastline or snatch Cologne from the hapless Portuguese.

61

The Swedes are finally arriving from the Scandinavian core, sporting several cannons, finally. Meanwhile, Gustavus’s air force is knocking Lodz’s defenses down in preparation for a single-unit swipe. Sparta seems to be holding back from combat. Perhaps they plan to use the citadel chains behind Lodz to create a protein-rich meatgrinder? Smart play, but it requires losing Lodz first...

62

The sun never sets on the British empire... as Napoleonic Scouts continue to harass them, presumably poking sharp sticks in their side whilst they sleep like some sort of Promethean torture for simply existing. The French have a strange sense of humour, I‘ll give them that.

63

The Maori finally build one of their unique tile improvements: the Pa. This hill improvement produces additional food, as well as a small bonus to military production when worked. This screenshot shows a transformed Maori. Compare their forces to the Aussie fleet next door. While Parkes’s contingent it almost non-existent, Te-Rauparaha has a healthy force and even holds a distinct advantage in submarines. Parkes’s fleet is painfully absent in this shot, but the heartland remains secure under regular aerial surveillance. They need to get back on their tech game and take those bombers abroad! Across the Pacific: Benito marches into Merida, banishes Bajaloha.

64

Chile chooses Autocracy to no one’s surprise. They’re now successfully blockading the southern Incan coastline, with Pachacuti’s galleasses unlikely to do anything about it. However, a viable city for capture remains elusive. Machu stands bravely in spite of wave after wave of powder blue bullets. Eva’s forces have been saturating the area for some time but just can’t seem to finish the job.

65

Spy reports indicate the Kimberley are plotting against Indonesia. Indeed, the mixture of Kimberley and Aussie troops just south of the border raises hopes of a joint declaration. The Kimberley-Australia alliance continues to baffle all rational analysis. They seem to both realize how much would be lost in a conflict between them. Quick note: Jandamarra has far and away the highest defensive city stats of any civ pictured in this part. The Red Fort may just give its owner the edge when it counts.

66

Saladin stubbornly rebuffs Carthaginian forces and a cunningly disguised Icelandic scout. Give the Sultan some credit here: he’s repelling mass riflemen attacks with not one but two longswordsmen still on payroll. He even manages to broker peace with Finland, which kind-of-but-doesn’t-really matter. On the other side of the Red Sea, Israel continues pressuring Bethlehem, hoping its citizens will rejoin their brethren. David had better watch his back, however, as thinning his troops will leave him open to siege by Armenians marching across the holy desert.

67

Hawaii skewers Merida and Waipahu to control both simultaneously for the first time. Neither city is safe, but they look as if they may be out of the red for the moment. The bigger question here is Hawaii’s commitment level. Mexico has troops to throw at this problem and a much greater incentive to see the war through. Hawaii’s resupply lines are looking bare at the moment and that could signal long-term vulnerability.

68

Iceland declares an antipodean war in frustration as the White Walkers gradually push back his expeditionary force. The Inuit press forward, finally bringing their battleships and carriers to the operational theater. With regular infantry rushing to match against Pearson’s riflemen, this war may just be heating up.

69

Jandamarra declares on Gajah Mada! Though they’ll have a bit of trouble bringing their aircraft to bear against Indonesian cities, the waters of the Timor Sea promise to be a bloodbath. Elsewhere, Juarez waxes Waipahu. Even elsewhere, Machu is captured by Argentine generals or possibly completely enveloped by citadel bombs. Even Elsestwhere, Kyoto reconquered by the Australians.

70

A symbolic Canadian flip of Oohenupa does more to inconvenience the Inuit than slow them down. However, the Maple Leaf air brigade does seem to be holding strong. With a mixture of offensive and defensive craft, the Canadians are preserving their forces for the long winter ahead. Ingolfur’s forces are generally on the run, but if the Inuit choose to pursue they’re sure to be cut down by a combination of air and city bombardment through the frozen straits.

71

Genghis rides into the modern era. Any guesses what ideology he’ll choose?

72

Finally, your religion map on which little has changed. Islam still clings doggedly to a single city. Since there were a ton of recurrent flips, here are their current statuses: Lisbon - Buccaneer Rome - Portugal

Part 36: Empires of the Smoky Skies – mk2

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