Part 49: The Red Dawn...

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Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome back to the r/civ Battle Royale, part 49! Here to serve as your narrator today is yours truly, u/sledge115, loyal Korean supporter, usual sub commentator and first time slide narrator. Where we last left off, the Buccaneers‘ warmongering have finally caught up with them, resulting in a wave of DOWs from numerous civs from all across the globe, The Mughals and the Maori are eliminated and South America is deadlocked in a gritty meat-grinder-of-a-war between the resident powers, Brazil and Chile. Who shall come out on top this time around? Let us begin! Our titlecard today is by /u/LordBaconus!

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Our most recent map of the world, as made by our resident cartographers, u/LacsiraxAriscal and u/Malistrassa. Pay close attention to the current hotspots of the planet; a city today might be gone tomorrow as Yakutia painfully found out in their conflict.

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Finally, we have the Boers, rightfully reclaiming their top spot! While they have been laughed and mocked at for their dormancy, pay no mistake - their armed forces alone constitute the most powerful entity in the BR. Read them all here! http://imgur.com/a/PGM7r/layout/horizontal#0

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Our journey kicks off with a shot of the most recent of the Chilean-Brazilian Wars. Buenos Aires has flipped again to Brazil, and a group of Chilean units have been pushed back against La Plata, threatened with catastrophic losses. However, a sizable Chilean fleet is just off the coast - and with scarcely a friendly ship in the water, it‘s unlikely for the Brazilians to hold on to Buenos Aires for long, not without ample support.

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In spite of the numerous declarations of war, there has yet to be a task force from any of the numerous participants large enough to challenge the Buccaneer core, as shown by an Australian Digger, hopelessly surrounded by Buccaneer land forces near Laredo. The first wave of Canadian troops have arrived at the Texan border, ready to engage the last garrison of the Texan Army. But along the way they pass a peculiar group - that‘s right, the Inuit now have Powered Armor Infantry. These powerful front-line soldiers are sure to consolidate the White Walkers‘ clutch on North America.

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It‘s cannons and riflemen against GWI and artillery as Haile Selassie (Ethiopia) continues his rampage across North Africa, slicing a huge chunk off Hannibal (Carthage)‘s dwindling empire with the capture of Kongo Dia Nlaza. With even more reinforcements arriving from the rear, Carthage looks increasingly unlikely to defend their depleted core. Where‘s the rest of them?

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A lone Buccaneer caravel celebrates their victory in the frigid north - where we last left off in this tiny corner of the world, a Malian caravel was unfortunate enough to be caught between the Corsair and the Caravel. Ouch. Enough of that! There‘s rum to be drunk and plunder to be split! Who needs those fancy steel hulled ‘destroyers‘ when you have good ol‘ fashioned wooden ships? Seriously though - that captain needs a promotion back home. I‘m not sure he‘s even seen home in some time.

08

Bernard O‘Higgins (Chile) enters the Atomic Era! With research on atomic power available, it could prove to be the gamechanger in their ongoing conflict against the Brazillians. Buenos Aires flips back to Chilean hands - it‘s the real prize of this war and both Bernard (Chile) and Pedro (Brazil) are absolutely keen on holding on the devastated city. The overwhelming artillery and air support Chile has around the fortified city of Castro might prove to be a difficult hurdle for Brazil to pass La Plata. Just off the coast of La Plata, we see a dashing Brazillian helicopter pilot, eager to engage wooden ships with superior firepower. He promptly realizes his terrible mistake as Chilean sailors mock him from the nearby battleship. He will be missed.

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A shot of the fertile Brazillian core. Meanwhile, from Hanoi, Semiramis reports back with news of a Trung (Vietnam) plot against Pedro‘s interests. Whether or not it will amount to anything remains to be seen.

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Not to be outdone by Semiramis, Ishtar reports in from Stockholm, informing us of Gustavus (Sweden) plotting against Harun Al Rashid‘s Arabia. Surely, he must have noticed the increased Finnish activity in the region and plans to seize those delicious Arabian oil fields before Kekkonen‘s paratroopers can get there.

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Iceland enters the Information Era, bringing forth a colourful new age of technology, wonders, and weapons of mass destruction in Europe. Or, at least, their side of Europe. For now, Ingolfur and his hardened sailors remain quiet - but pay no mistake, that fleet is large enough to challenge every single European power bordering the Atlantic and the North Sea.

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And with air support, too! No less than three atomic bombs and seven aircraft squadrons stationed in London. Anyone declaring against Ingolfur is just asking for it. Seriously - he‘s got enough air support to conquer almost all of Western Europe in one fell swoop.

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The first contingent of the Stop-Offshore-Piracy-Alliance arrives under Australian banners, sailing towards Tulum, a valuable stepping stone for anyone attempting to invade the Buccaneer homeland. And to the south, a flotilla of privateers, led by a destroyer, engage a lone Buccaneer submarine in the first opening shots of Australian-Buccaneer war. Henry Parkes must be ecstatic.

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Boer Paratroopers, exiled from Sweden, watch from their encampments as Siberian-Yakut forces continue to clash fruitlessly in the frigid Arctic wastes. Unless another front is opened, I don‘t see the Siberians or Yakuts progress past this meatgrinder. And with a lack of air support, there‘s nothing left to do for both sides other than send in a gunship or two across the mountains. Such is life.

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Meanwhile, further to the East, the Inuit bring in their newest advance in naval technology to the frontlines - a missile cruiser. Unfortunately for the Night‘s King- I mean, Ekeuhnick, he‘ll have to do better than that to overwhelm the sizable Yakutian Navy. Across the Kamchatka Peninsula, however, it would appear that the Trung Sisters are following in the footsteps of Kruger and Kekkonen, with Vietnamese forces spilling all over the area. Even as a Korean supporter on my end, I have to admit their recovery has been remarkable.

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Ah, such a shame. Canadian troops withdraw from the Texan border as Lester B. Pearson makes peace with Sam Houston. Texas lives to fight another day yet again. You have to admit their diplomatic tenacity even in their vestigial state - but of course, there are still others waiting for the day Austin waves their colors. Such as those eager Mexicans right across the border.

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Iceland shows off their new Mechanized Infantry, showcasing their tech superiority once again. With 90 strength, they vastly outclass the still-abundant, 50 GWIs fielded by the other European powers, Finnish Angry Birds be damned.

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Across the Atlantic, Icelandic workers show-off their new communications array in front of their jealous Canadian counterparts, a superior version of those old fashioned trading post huts. With +3 gold per array, they will prove useful in supporting any war effort Ingolfur undertakes.

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The meatgrinding South American War continues with no end in sight. Bernard secures Tiwanaku to the north, and Pedro‘s army looks lacking in melee units, save from some scattered paratroopers and a lone GWI at the front. Unless he commits more troops, he won‘t be able to hold a coherent front, and we‘ll risk a shittier border gore than the last time these two went at it.

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Well, it would seem that the Inuit are hell bent on lighting the biggest fire the North has ever seen. Another bomb has been dropped on Yakut lands, to the disbelieving eyes of Vietnamese and Boer personnel. Far from being horrified however, they decide to take notes on the use of atomic firepower. Surely, some upstart neighbor could use some cleansing. Speaking of atomic power, let us move on to...

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Sydney! The Emerald Down Under, bastion of the Trans-Pacific Australian Empire! They‘ve grown back to 15 population, and were it not for the everlasting fallout on the mountains, one could be excused for believing this bustling city has never bore witness to the all-destructive power of the atom. Sooner or later, Henry Parkes would have that power. And the Pacific will tremble once again.

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The victorious Finnish Army set up camp around their newly acquired city of Gyantse. Once Tibetan, then Mughal, now Finnish. It‘s worth noting that another newly acquired City by the Finnish (Agra) is home to the Statue of Liberty - a wonder that provides +1 production for every specialist. In the hands of a peaceful, scientific and progressive Freedom civ, it‘s a valuable asset. In the hands of an oppressive, militaristic power like Finland, however, it‘s a gamechanger. Akbar stares silently at the fallen bastion of Freedom, laughed at by Finnish machine gunners stationed in the city, before retreating into what‘s left of the Mughal legacy - a trio of submarines, a worker, and a Great Musician. Well, at least he has music to accompany him.

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And here we see exactly why having the Statue of Liberty in the hands of Finland would be bad news. Finland‘s carpet is massive, and backed by the production boost of the Statue, every unit lost is hardly a crippling one. Now, if only he‘d turn his eye towards another vestigial empire - Stalin‘s USSR. But of course, this is Kekkonen we‘re talking about. He‘ll probably declare war on France first, and it‘ll be raining men in the Seine.

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A lone Arabian scout sets up camp in the Mongol enclave of Ulaanbataar, as we see who‘s who in the North Asian balance of power. We have Kuchum Khan‘s Sibir Khanate, backed by what could be the largest armored force in the world. Unfortunately, he can‘t move it past those upstart Mongol troops stationed in the border. Genghis (Mongolia) has a weird sense of humor. Next we move on to the Boers! These orange and blue - oh, right, they‘re not exactly from around here. Move along! Tryghyn 'Trigger' Darkhan‘s Yakutia! A longrunning top contender, most of their army appears to be off screen. Oh for goodness sake- put some meat into it, Trigger. Those Boers are laughing at you behind your back, honest.

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What is this travesty? The King in the North Ingolfur Arnarson has declared war on Azor Amao, the fool! Doesn‘t he know his true enemies lie to his east and west - the Lion Gustavus and the Inuit White Walkers?

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So it begins - the Battle of the Atlantic commences! Malian-Boer ships engage the first Buccaneer ships on the front. It‘s wood vs metal, iron and steel. The seas shall be stained with blood and oil, and the skies will burn. Ahem - in spite of numbers, the Boer-Mali fleet present are outmatched against the pair of Buccaneer destroyers, and that‘s not even counting the naval task force they‘re keeping in reserve further north. Of course, the bulk of the Boer fleet is lying on the other side of the continent, and the war has only begun. Of note is the sizable Morrocan Navy patrolling the seas off Sale - should they join the war on either side, it would make or break them.

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Tiridates (Armenia) enters the Modern Era! He would need to upgrade his army and improve his core, however. The only civ that matches them in technology by military alone seems to be the neighbouring Persians. And that‘s bad. GWIs form the backbone of all the surrounding powers, and Tiridates would be wise to modernize his riflemen army. He‘s still at war with Sweden, after all. Sooner or later a stray Swedish Infantry will come along, after thousands of years navigating their way through the densely populated region.

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Now that‘s a sight for sore eyes - the nations of the world agree to construct the International Space Station, even with all the wars still raging on this is quite the uplifting news! Of course, this uplifting announcement is shown along with the utterly ridiculous shot of the truly massive Boer Army present in Yakutia. Seriously - they outnumber the Yakut ground forces on their own lands. Here‘s to Kruger declaring war on Ekeuhnick, with the cover of ‘peacekeeping‘ duties.

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On the other hand, the other half of the UN members vote on banning Citrus, a valuable commodity for sailors. Things don‘t look good for Henry Morgan‘s men, with the threat of scurvy on the horizon. The Wobbegong Armada task force sent to invade the Buccaneer holdings in South America grow larger and larger still - and soon, they‘ll be all over the coast. With scarcely any naval units close by, the Australians are sure to flip a city or two with their invasion force. Unless Morgan mobilizes his Atlantic fleet to intercept the task force, the coast of South America may be painted green, as the Kimberley and Maori before them...

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The Trungs continue their plotting, faithfully monitored by Semiramis. Their next target? Tiridates. Clearly, the advancement of another nation to a new age of discovery is too much for the Sisters. Like the Boers and Finns before them, the Vietnamese have covered their lands in a sea of red and green, an army large enough to rival the Sibir and Mongols to the North. Before long, we may see another war engulf East Asia.

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In spite of the Wobbegong presence, Morgan still has a trick or two up his sleeve - make that four, hah! Four atomic bombs, poised to strike at the Australian fleet. With the memory of the Maori strike still fresh upon the older officers‘ minds, the fleet hesitates in their advance. But the board is set, and the game is on. Tulum shall be theirs to take.

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What the fuck, Sejong. No seriously, WHAT?! He‘s done it. His Majesty‘s done it. Good Lord China‘s days are numbered. That‘s all I can say. Mother of God. Senshi‘s Note: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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Carthage burns. Ethiopia rises. Kwilu falls to the red, and a GWI is at the gates of Carthago Nova. I fear this is it for Hannibal - the days of the Elephants are long past, and with not a single melee unit around, every capture made by Selassie is theirs to keep. Unless the Boers, or Mali intervenes, there‘s nothing left for Carthage to do, but wait for the blade to strike. Help them, Cossack. You‘re their only hope.

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Olongapo - the Eastern Stronghold of the Blackfoot. Noone really expected them to swoop in out of nowhere, but here they stand, a solitary watch for the men of the New World. The Vietnamese continue to pour everywhere, and soon enough all the Blackfoot men are staring in jealousy over their fancy new rifles and parachutes. On that note, how on Earth are they occupying Olongapo‘s tile? Did the Blackfoot declare it an open city?

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The Emperor of the French has awoken! Soon, his armies shall march with triumph into the lands of... Afghanistan. Sigh. Well, it‘s something. With luck, they might be able to squeeze in a few armies through the gaps across the continents. Oh well.

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As advised by his councilors and mamikonians, Tiridates has decided that Autocracy shall be the new way of life for the Armenian people, in the hopes of protecting himself further from the wrath of Sibir or Arabia. That‘s all they can do for now, really, along with Persia.

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Chile makes peace with Brazil once again, with a scarcely changed border. Once again, Pedro has failed to claim what should have been his all those years ago. Really, the war served nothing but weaken both Bernard and Pedro‘s armies - the Andean Mountains are simply too treacherous to pass, and the Brazillian core is far too deep to be invaded. For now, South America slumbers yet again...

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....or not. The Wobbegong Armada‘s might is unleashed upon Morgan‘s vanguard of Tulum! Should it fall, it would give Parkes a valuable foothold for his fleet to resupply and strike, again and again at the black heart of the Buccaneers! Where will he go next - the vast yet unprotected Gran Colombiarrr, or the Nassau Canal? However, Morgan‘s not going down without a fight - and the power of the atom is within his grasp. Five atomic bombs in Tulum. One is enough to cripple the Wobbegong. Two will destroy them once and for all. But will it be enough to stop the endless fleet of Henry Parkes, streaming in from his Trans-Pacific Empire, from the Sunrise Land to Sunshine Coast?

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Oh sweet-Jesus, Maria the Mad has declared war on Morgan, in spite of her advisors and common sense itself! The Buccaneer-held Iberia is nearly empty, but that Buccaneer destroyer‘s not going to sit still and watch the maddened queen take her ancestral lands once again. Well, they‘ll go out with a bang. Good to know you, Maria.

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Another one! This time, the Trungs have rightly decided to correct Mirwais (Afghanistan)‘s god-awful borders, and then some! Even as a Korean supporter, I salute their just cause - because honest to god Afghanistan‘s borders are just the worst. Balkh and Mawlamtine are set to fall to the Vietnamese with their overwhelming Paratrooper Corps, and then they shall reclaim their Mandate of Heaven. Tis a glorious day for Vietnam, it is.

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I‘ve summed up their strategy too soon, because Jalalabad is also within striking distance! With only a handful of artillery and a lancer to defend the city, the entire Eastern side of Mirwais‘ Empire is at risk. His air force is certainly large enough, but with the sheer number of Vietnamese soldiers pouring in through the Himalayas I don‘t think they can kill them quickly enough.

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Tulum falls to the red, but not before the Buccaneer air force stationed there is evacuated to nearby Huamanga. A group of Buccaneer ships attempt to halt the Australian advance, but it‘s too little too late. If Morgan plays his cards right, he could drop an atomic bomb right at Tulum as it falls to the depleted Wobbegong Fleet, annihilating them in one swoop. Vitcos, meanwhile, falls to the yellow under heavy carrier-based aircraft bombardment, with a destroyer looming behind the carrier group. No sign of the main Buccaneer fleet, so for the time being, Parkes reigns supreme over the South American coast. And the coveted Nassau canal is within his sights.

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The Ethiopians continue their ruthless advance, taking both Carthago Nova and Kiwilu. Ejura falls to the red, and it‘s only a matter of time before the first Ethiopian soldiers reach the gates of Carthage itself. Prime your F keys, ladies and gentlemen. With no single melee unit to be seen, there‘s literally nothing Carthage can do other than stall the Ethiopian advance long enough for a foreign intervention.

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Amidst the carnage and bloodshed in South America and North Africa, the International Space Station is 50% complete! I‘m absolutely sure that either the Boers, Inuit, or Sibir are focusing all their production to gain yet another technological lead over the rest of the pack. Because they‘re clearly not strong enough already. Speaking of technological leads, I think there‘s an ancient group of Mexican composite bowmen somewhere in this slide...

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The Battle of the Atlantic rages on, and the Buccaneers are absolutely trashing the combined Mali-Boer fleet. Mansa Musa has a few ironclads in reserve, but judging from the look of things they are, for the time being, stuck in Tomboctou until Ahmad Al-Mansur (Morocco) decides to open his glorious, Gateway to Africa open borders for Mali.

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As the Chilean navy conduct naval exercises, the last Maori admiral watches in bitter silence, lamenting the could-have been and neverweres of the Maori Empire. They could have been great. They could have challenged the Australian might. They speared the god-forsaken devil itself, a shame it will never forget. They fell all the same, for the vengeance of Parkes was terrible and swift. Wiping a single tear away, the admiral retreats to the depths of the submarine, hoping to find news of Te Rauparaha‘s whereabouts in the vast, unforgiving ocean. Damn them all.

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The Boer Military proudly show off their newest accomplishment - the Drone Fighter! Boasting a strength of 100, compared to the Jet Fighter‘s 75, and a range of 12 over the latter‘s 10, these are the ultimate in air superiority, fully securing the Boer dominance of the technological arms race. But that‘s not all Kruger has to offer...

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Behold, the Mech Artillery. The ultimate city-killer. With a ranged combat strength of 90, it will pound a city to oblivion before its realized what‘s hitting it. And what‘s more, it can carry two missiles along for the ride, adding to its tremendous firepower. Be afraid.

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The Drone Fighter is the last in a line of units dating back to the days of the humble triplane. Instead of oil or aluminum, however, it requires nanomaterials, enabling mass production.

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Same is the case with the Mech Artillery - it is, after all, a great descendant of the humble catapult and the robust artillery. Unlike the Drone Fighter, however, it requires aluminum to run.

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Pay your final respects, ladies gentlemen - I don‘t expect to see our old friend Chairman Mao around after this part. The Paratrooper nearby is within striking range, and Shanghai is in the yellow. Godspeed, Chairman Mao.

52

Well I‘ll be damned - Hannibal‘s still got it in him! Hannibal gives up most of his rapidly collapsing empire to Haile Selassie, reducing him to a two-city, vestigial empire. They‘re not dead yet, but I don‘t expect them to make any major moves in the future. So, for all intents and purposes, I take my hat off for the Once-Punic Empire. They had a brilliant run, bouncing back from a massive tech disadvantage to create, however briefly, an empire spanning from Dvin in the Sinai to Carthage in Tunisia. We‘ll miss ya.

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Well well well! Will we see a double elimination again this part? Funchal falls into the yellow under Buccaneer bombardment. Maria desperately makes peace with Ahmad, but it‘s all too late - her suicidal attempt to reclaim the Iberian peninsula backfired horribly. Alexios must be proud.

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'Send a foraging party, their siege begins at sunrise.' '...It won‘t be a siege, your grace.' Korean Lancers. The whole lot of them, charging across the plains. Chairman Mao knew the day would come. He draws his sword forwards. His advisors promptly knock him out cold and drags him inside. They promptly realize their horrible, horrible mistake when Korean AA personnel storm the walls of Shanghai and, amazingly, capture it. Shanghai falls. China still has a single knight to reclaim Shanghai - but with the amount of overwhelming firepower, Mao won‘t live to see another dawn. It‘s the bitter truth. Senshi‘s Note: I think John Lennon said it best in Revolution 1: If you go carrying pictures of-

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The Yakuts bring their new and improved infantry. It‘s like normal infantry, but mechanized! With an additional 20 strength over the infantry‘s 70, it could prove to be the unit they need to hold the line. Isit has been recaptured and from the looks of it, there‘s hardly any Inuit unit nearby that can recapture if for them. A huge detachment of the Ice Sheet Fleet outnumber the badly mauled Yakut Navy by a margin of 3 to 1 - but with all those pesky new Vietnamese peacekeepers in the way, they won‘t be able to pass the Kamchatka. The Yakut land army looks incredibly small for an empire their size, but the Inuit have yet to bring a sizable enough army to the frontlines. Looks like the war‘s slowing down, just like the recent Brazillian-Chilean Wars.

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Meanwhile, across the country, Yakut workers brag about their new skills by building their first Communications Array. Not much has changed in the Sibir-Yakutian Front, not unless the Boers move out of the way, or the Mongols declare war on their increasingly empty neighbor.

57

Tulum falls to the red under heavy Australian bombardment, but they seem to be lacking in actual city capturing units. Indeed, the Wobbegong detachment sent to invade the Buccaneers has all but disintegrated, with hardly any reinforcements - except for those submarines, to be seen.

58

Well, it seems I spoke too soon about the Australians. The Buccaneer holdings in Central America looks distinctively untouched, and apart from the fact that their ships can‘t leave port without being torpedoed to death, I‘m sure Morgan‘s not all that in a haste to fortify it.

59

The USSR looks increasingly screwed with every Finnish unit spilling into Siberian lands, and those Siberian atomic bombs look scary as all hell - wait. You‘re kidding. You‘re kidding right? Semi, dear, how could you miss this part of the Vietnamese plan? The Trungs decide to end Che Bong Nga once, and for all, and somehow they‘ve dragged poor Kamehameha into the mix... don‘t ask me how, they just decided to. Things are looking very dire for Champa, given the overwhelming Vietnamese superiority by land, and by sea. It won‘t be pretty. But hey! At least those pesky border gores are about to be fixed right? Right?

60

South America, peaceful once more. Both Chile and Brazil lick their wounds in preparation for the next gritty meatgrinding war in the continent, but they‘d better do it decisively this time. For now, Buenos Aires remains firmly in Chilean hands.

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In the Atlantic, a flotilla of Buccaneer destroyers intercept and harass a Austro-Malian naval group, led by Stede Bonnet. The Gentleman Pirate rubs his hand in anticipation of the legendary wealth of Mansa Musa, but for that he‘ll need to move North - Bamako over there looks like a juicy first blood target, and with the overwhelming number of Malian Gatling Guns, it‘ll be easy enough to hold.

62

Vietnamese Paratroopers pass their Finnish counterparts as they march across Afghan lands, in their quest to fix the Afghan border gore. Mawlamyine and Senggezangbo are firmly in their grasp, and Balkh is on the verge of flipping over to the Trungs. A solitary Champan lancer faces off against a Vietnamese paratrooper just outside the city.

63

Amaravati falls to Vietnam, Thi Li Bin Nai drops to the yellow, and even My So‘n has taken damage. Che Bong Nga‘s days are numbered - that border gore with the Kimberley is preventing him from effectively mobilizing what‘s left of his navy to protect his holdings.

64

Realizing that the real enemy, hidden in plain sight, has been Sitting Bull all along, Emperor Haile Selassie declares war on the real mastermind behind the Pirate World War. It could take some time for any Ethiopian units to arrive, much less take Mdewankantonwan. Speaking of which, it seems to be recovering nicely in pop - unlike the Union‘s brief revival, the Sioux have a chance to actually develop. And Sitting Bull‘s already building a new, archaic army, but an army nonetheless. Mexican soldiers marvel in awe at the Sioux longswordsmen, the first to walk the Earth since centuries ago.

65

Well, fuck. Al-Mansur has decided to finish the job Leonidas and Selassie started! What the Spartans and Ethiopians could not take, he will claim. With an overwhelming force of GWIs at the forefront, there‘s a fair chance we‘ll see another elimination this part or the next. Once again, the title Ahmad Al Manslaughter shall belong to the Sultan again. Prime your F keys, ladies and gentlemen.

66

And we have lift off! In a brief moment of levity from the conflicts and wars to come, the International Space Station has been launched! Kuchum Khan puts his production to good use and gets the top spot, with 3,000 production lead over the White Walkers. And apparently, the wars declared on him aren‘t Morgan‘s main concern; the Colombian holdings he own must be quite the boost. Surprisingly absent on this list are Urho Kekkonen and Paul Kruger - what are the Finns and Boers up to?

67

Benito Juarez decides he wants to join the Nuclear Club and leads Mexico into the Atomic Era in anticipation. An atomic bomb or two will enable him to compete partially with the White Walker supremacy in North America. We can only but hope.

68

The lovely Agent Em has uncovered a plot by His Majesty Hierarch Sejong in Seoul, behind Tygyn‘s back. That unit carpet was certainly no mistake - he‘s seeking to reunite Pyongyang with the rest of the Empire. Rumor has it a megalomaniac dictator has taken a foothold in the city‘s politics. All jokes aside, the Korean Army is large enough to begin spilling into Yakut lands, a testament to their power. If Sejong declares, he should be able to seize some of the cities with citadel based borders, like Tyokhtyur, or the airbase of Hiroshima. I wouldn‘t worry too much about the Vietnamese Army just below the screen - the Korean Air Force stationed in Suwon is large enough to hold off whatever units the Trungs fling across the border. Also of note is a naval detachment of the Ice Sheet Fleet slowly making their way around the Kamchatka Peninsula. They simply won‘t give up.

69

Ishtar brings us with more promising news; the Lion in the North is busy plotting against Stalin‘s vodka intoxicated men. He‘ll need more than the air force stationed in Corinth or those units waiting in the border, though. Get a proper carpet, Gustavus!

70

The Inuit bring their jet fighters to the frontlines, hoping to gain total air supremacy over the Yakut airspace. The nuclear-irradiated Yakut lands are looking dangerously empty, with only their Navy waiting in the Arctic Ocean. If only Ekeuhnick would bring actual land units. That‘ll teach ‘em to leave their lands empty.

71

Genghis Khan leads Mongolia into the Atomic Era! Mongolia has been surprisingly quiet for an empire with their historical reputation - but his unit carpet is diverse and advanced enough to compete with the likes of Korea and the Boers present in this shot. Yakutia does look like a juicy target; if the Boers are teleported out, I don‘t see a reason why Genghis can‘t take a city or two from Tygyn. Cross your fingers! Also, Kamehameha is warned by Selassie of Sitting Bull‘s master plan against Henry Morgan, and accordingly declares war on the False Shepherd.

72

Amaravati flips over to the Champan side once again - but a nearby SAM unit isn‘t going to stand still now is it? Champa is valiantly holding their ground, but Vietnam has so much more to throw at them. It‘s not going to be pretty.

73

F. Henry Morgan claims the rest of the former Portuguese Empire and reaches out deep into the Mediterranean. With only two melee units remaining, Maria the Mad is simply unable to recapture Funchal. Portugal had some promise in the Renaissance, but eventually they proved to be too small, too isolated, and too boxed in to reach out and expand their influence. Another Firaxis Civ is down for the count. In celebration of this victory, the Buccaneers enter the Information Era - even more naval units to marvel at. Those former Corsairs must be excited just thinking about it!

74

And boom. Amaravati and Thi Li Bi Nai flips over to the Trungs. A single Privateer is all that‘s left of the Champan Navy, once a proud navy protecting an empire stretching from Manila to North Sumatra. A helicopter gunship looms threateningly over My S‘on, and with a carrier group nearby, the city will be bombed to rubble. Sooner or later, the Kimberley‘s turn will come, and the region will be painted green.

75

The Vietnamese Conquests proceed smoothly in the West too - Vietnamese Paratroopers secure Balkh, Peshawar is within range of their army, and Jalalabad is in serious danger of flipping next part. As much of a Korean supporter as I am, I have to admit that Vietnam has proven itself to be the East Asian version of the Boers and the Inuits. If they keep this up, their empire will stretch from Modern day Afghanistan to Central China. Anyways, from the looks of it, Peshawar should be their next focus. Should the Vietnamese hold it, it will open the floodgates as they break out of the Himalayan barrier and into the Afghan core. Pay close attention to the region, I guarantee it will see the fall of another power.

76

Our old favorites, the Australians enter the Information Era! Stagnated for a while, they soared back to prime form with their brutal conquest of the Kimberley and the Maori, securing a very stable core. The nuking of Sydney seems to have left Parkes traumatized, though. Where‘s their Manhattan Project?

77

Not to be outdone, The Ethiopians is led into the Atomic Era as well. Exciting development in North Africa here. The Moroccan Army flips Utique over into their hands, and Carthage drops into the yellow. With only a few riflemen and cannons, facing off against the overwhelming strength of Ahmad Al Manslaughter, Hannibal has nothing left to do, but wait.

78

Alas! My time is at an end! We end this part with a shot of the Finnish Core, swarming with Kekkonen‘s Globetrotting Angry Birds. Exciting development all around, and I believe the best is yet to come in our 50-part milestone! Will Hannibal live another day? Will Chairman Mao punch his way through the Koreans? Find out next time!

79

Statistics, statistics, and more statistics! The Boers lead the pack in population, with Australia recovering healthily from their still-fresh nuking of Sydney. Those Maori holdings are extremely fertile in good ol‘ sheep after all. Creeping up in the 13th spot is Morocco, surprisingly enough.

80

The usual suspects down below - but what‘s curious is Mexico. Despite being one of the major powers of North America, they don‘t seem to have a large population. They‘re below France, for goodness sake. Carthage is reduced to just Carthage, flinging it all the way down here. The war with Ethiopia was truly a disaster they will never recover from.

81

Australia leads the way! Their Trans-Pacific Empire earns them the top spot in territory - and who knows? Should they gain a stable foothold in South America, they will become an Empire where the sun never sets. Of course, they also need a colony in Africa, but fuck it.

82

Same case goes for their cities, all scattered around the Pacific. Australia‘s got a 17 city lead over their nearest competitors, the Inuit, while Sibir and the Boers mark a large difference in city count as well.

83

Ah, it‘s always nice to see our favourite City States! Hannibal joins the club over down here, and Chairman Mao is, for the first time since the BR began, absent. F, again.

84

The Boers‘ science lead is absolutely staggering - a 5,000 science lead over the tenth spot! Other than that, it‘s the usual suspects, including of course, the one civ with a science based UA, Korea! Canada, surprisingly enough, is creeping up at the bottom here. Pearson‘s learnt his lesson from his war against the Inuit, it seems.

85

The world‘s armies in glorious statistics! The Boers, again, lead the pack with a 600,000 manpower lead over the Sibir Khanate. The Wobbegong might is shown with Australia occupying the third spot, and with the exception of Yakutia, all the civs in the top ten are a million men strong at least.

86

Catholicism finally takes the lead over the long-time leader Judaism. But of note is Islam - it has returned at last!

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We close this part with the religion map! The world‘s last unconverted lands are finally being graced by missionaries - and curiously enough, in the Middle East, it seems that Islam has somehow taken a foothold in Jerusalem!

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And finally, here we have the Three Migrations theory, retrieved from Pretoria. Written by Boer scientist Jan Ryker nearly 40 years ago, the theory receives new coverage from Australia, as reported by Johann Smatz. Read it all up! (image by /u/ anarcho-cynicalist) It‘s been quite the lengthy part - one the longest even! I patiently await for our 50-part milestone. Who knows what glorious events await us next time around? It has been an honor serving as your narrator this part. u/sledge115, signing off!

Part 49: The Red Dawn... – mk2

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