Episode 20 – Part 3: Waltz Of The Eagles

1

Welcome back for the third and final part of Episode 20 of Season 2 of the Civ Battle Royale X. I'm not BloodyAltima! This is Bulletproof_Cookie ready to narrate the next 50 slides.

Yes, 50 slides. If it has not already become apparent already, the game has started to slow to a crawl due to the advanced state of the game. A big reason behind this is unit overflow causing newly built units to spawn on random unoccupied titles on the cylinder resulting in wars reaching to a stalemate where troops can't move around, advance into enemy territory or take cities. As such, the next 200 turns have been condensed down to the aforementioned number of slides. Otherwise, we would have 30-40 slides of nothing of interest happening and trust me, you don't want that. This was a big reason why Episode 20 was supposed to be an overview of 400 turns, but it turned out there was enough to warrant splitting the episode into multiple parts.

ALL THAT SAID, that doesn't mean there aren't some noteworthy incidents going on, so let's get on with it!

2: The Front Line

Part 2 ended on a cliffhanger teasing the birth of the newest chapter in the Punjab/Chola rivalry. Part 3 commences with a battle line drawn in the Indian subcontinent where Raja Raja hopes to defend his frontline cities (Pazhaiyarai, Thirunelveu, Kanchipuram and Katharagama) from being captured. The situation is currently a bit more serious than in his southeast asian lands with Punjabi land units (supported by a seemingly superior airforce) trying to break through.

3: Infiltration Of The Clueless

A few brave Cholan XCOM units have attempted to infiltrate Yanbu and Thiruvarur but it's clearly a bad move as they'll get flicked off the cylinder within a moment's notice. Zaire's Middle Eastern holdings have no units supporting it, which could be disastrous should Uzbekistan declare war right this instant.

4: They massacred it...

A sole Advanced Destroyer remains from the destruction of the Mapuche last part. It was a ruthless move by William Barak to overwhelm and completely conquer Lautaro's empire, and one that has won the hearts of all but one fickle Power Ranker. Adjacent is more than a dozen Northern Yuan embarked units wishing to enter the borders of one of the two remaining South American powers. Among them is a Paraguayan admiral, lucky to see the demise of one of his homeland's neighbours.

5: The Flipping Game Begins

In an update to the War of Orange and Yellow, Thirunelveu and Katharagama are flipped and Punjabi units surround the city of Luang Prabang in an effort to make progress in the former Laotian territory.

6: A BOATiful War

An embarked Mississippian Infantry is in attendance as Pazhaiyarai falls and the Punjabi and Cholan navies square off. I am also reminded that the Yuan Dynasty still exists with 1 city, almost as if Kublai Khan is taunting us all with this fact.

7: Touring Season Is Upon Us

The situation with Two Sicilies is still a bit hairy, with their four eastern settlements one melee attack away from flipping. A music band visits Hewler during their tour as their country's army closes in on Jerusalem.

08: Orange Is The New Yellow

Kanchipuram and Pontianak switch to Orange, and a glance at the mini map shows that Pazhaiyarai switches back to Yellow.

09: Yellow Is The New Orange

Luang Prabang is painted Orange, but the Orange paint is peeled off from Kanchipuram, Katharagama and (from looking at the mini map) Pontianak.

Those are not the only cities that have gone through a colour refurbishment, as judging from the mini map, it appears Jerusalem is (briefly) sporting a shade of green...

10: That Sinking Feeling

As if the fall of your civilization was not enough, here comes a Taiping Privateer to bully your embarked Field Cannon into a watery grave. News reaches Fa Ngum (glorious dictator of the robust city State of Sai Gon) of a peace deal between Ranjit Singh and Raja Raja, ending another Orange/Yellow conflict.

11: Hands Off My Pearls

Before Fa Ngum could be informed of the details in regards to said War's end, he was distracted upon the announcement that the United Nations has enacted the strict order that there is to be no further business with any Mapuche immigrants looking to settle in a new home after theirs was destroyed. He cared little about the failed proposed ban on Pearls.

Meanwhile, Unit Overflow is stopping either of the German or Sicilians from making any progress against one another. Northern Yuan is the biggest offender with Paratroopers, Mobiles SAMs and Rocket Artillery crowding things up in Germany.

12: +10 +10 +10

In the aftermath of the Cholan/Punjabi war, Raja Raja gains back Thirunelveu and acquires Sarpang at the cost of Kanchipuram and the previously mentioned Luang Prabang. Chola should recarpet their lands to prepare for the next conflict between their rivals. Whenever that happens.

13: You’re Either Nexus Or Against Us

Jerusalem falls to the might of several Zaire Nexus units. A second music band is on tour in Sine. Reports from attendees indicate that they opened the concert with “We Are One”.

14: CBRXT Takeover Herakleopolis

From Jerusalem, The Nexus units target and capture Herakleopolis. Two Sicilies deploy their Cybersubs to take down the faction of units.

In other news, the Neutrals are still dead (they’re on a 441 turn streak!). This has been your daily Neutral update.

15: Yuan Flew Over The Kaiser’s Nest

If you were wondering if the situation in Germany has changed... No, no it hasn't. Stop asking.

16: Burying New Talent

The Nexus push has been derailed by Ferdinand I overcoming the odds and delivering an attitude adjustment to Mobutu to reclaim Herakleopolis and Jerusalem.

17: Cashing In

Then a German Giant Death Robot runs in and captures Jerusalem to hand Wilhem another capital to his collection.

18: Walking In A Jurassic Wonderland

Speaking of Giant Death Robots, Kolchak has ordered his group to patrol the outskirts of Kurgan and Yekaterinburg after Nigerian Velociraptors were spotted within proximity to the latter. He hopes that the pack will cross into the barren Soviet lands since Lenin prefers his military to take the skies.

19: North Of Yuan’s Borders

Seeing all these Future Era Units treading the desert and sailing the seas makes me wonder... Do the Babylonians on the sub still use simple machinery? I ask only because I keep noticing that Babylon is still in the Medieval Era.

20: Wada Wurrung Balug Is A Great Name

As an embarked Georgian Worker and a remnant of the Chinook fleet sail south of Oceania, the overpopulated City State of Pangani prepares itself for the storm that will inevitably come. Embarked Mobilized Infantry is an interesting (see also bad) choice of defense against the bloodthirsty Kulin armada.

21: The Neutrals Are Still Dead

We skip 22 turns because the 2260's turned out to be super uneventful, so Zaire kicked off the 2270's by retaking the two tile city of Herakleopolis. If that Uzbek musician is heading to Hewler, that place must be a popular touring location.

22: Giving The People What They Want

*Drum roll*

And now... For you overpopulation porn addicts... I present for your eyes to see... The great autocratic City-State of Sai Gon with its 178 populace that somehow manages to exceed the city's defense of 150!

*Cymbal hit, Round of Applause and whistling ensues for 10 seconds as the five Laotian Great Musicians play for a bit, hoping to distract from the fact that Ngum's team of scientific engineers have completed the Manhattan Project*

23: The Late 23rd Century Kinda Sucked

Guess what? The 2280's were super uneventful too so we skipped that to bring you an update on the cylinder's most coveted city this part; Herakleopolis!

... They're blue, Da ba dee da ba di, Da ba dee da ba di, Da ba dee da ba di, Da ba dee da ba di, Da ba dee da ba di, Da ba dee da ba di, Da ba dee da ba di... Once more.

In other Sicilian news, thousands of War Elephants originating from Laos have stormed the fields of Chieti and Foggia. Ferdinand is powerless to deal with the group of pachyderms without resorting to military intervention which would surely upset the empires who have branded Ivory as a Luxury resource.

24: We’ll Need A Fourth Digit

Unit overflow is still a problem and the bombardments of Sicilian and German cities recklessly continue despite no route to capture them. Also, we say goodbye to turn numbers being triple digits.

25: The Nenets Were More Memorable

Man, I can't believe we are now a thousand turns in and a notable portion of Scandinavia has still not been settled. I don't know why the Soviets, Sweden or any of the other European powers haven't expanded there yet. Maybe those Uzbek settlers next to Sundvall will be the ones to finally do so.

Speaking of which, Blue Cassette would like to apologise about the accidental exclusion of Finland in this game. They were supposed to be the region civ there, but the team overlooked their inclusion for whatever reason (possibly due to the pressure of setting up and balancing everything and all the testing/recording that had to be done) and they only noticed the error hundreds of turns into recording. They will be sure to add them into Endgame.

26: Paraguayan Paranoia

A lone paraguayan Privateer is damaged close to a pair of Cholan island cities (the ones furthest away from the African west coast) though I can't tell if Chola is the aggressor. Nigeria maintains a small platoon of Units in Mogadishu in case someone tries to liberate the Somalian descendants.

27: Fort-ify Your Lands

Lesotho has been relatively quiet since its conquests in Namibia. A closer inspection shows the once lush fields have been converted to citadels and forts to defend against the menace that is Zaire. Also, I feel like every slide is full of Northern Yuan and Kulin units despite most of the slides so far focusing on Europe and South Asia. I CAN'T ESCAPE THEM!

28: No Yuan Is Here

GOOD NEWS: Germany is no longer home to dozens of Northern Yuan units!

BAD NEWS: This gives Two Sicilies the opportunity to recapture their capital (Naples).

Kristjan Eldjarn is just happy that the Germans are distracting themselves with the Sicilians.

29: RED-dy Fo Another Song?

I have another update on the city of Herakleopolis...

When the wind is slow and the fire’s hot, The EAGLE* waits to see what rots...

Oh how pretty... All the scenery, This is nature’s sacrifice...

When the air blows through with a brisk attack, The CANINE's** tail ripped from its back...

When the sun sets, We will not forget the Red sun over paradise...

(*Replaced vulture with eagle since the latter is Germany's national animal

*Replaced reptile with canine since the wolf is Italy's national animal and I needed two syllables)

30: ENACT: Embargo: Embargos

Within the midst of a long and frustrating war with Ferdinand, Wilhem proposes another embargo, this time against Lesotho. The United Nations reject the proposal because everyone is fed up with all the embargo proposals the Kaiser has thrown around all game, resulting in a lot of shouting between the roundtable of leaders. As the meeting comes to a close, Wilhem warns them that “one day, democracy will fail us all, and when that day comes, we will not all be pointing fingers at one another, but rather guns at all of our throats.”

31: Kosovo Does Nothing This Part

Back in his headquarters at Berlin, Wilhelm sends an ultimatum to Ferdinand, ordering him to surrender to the German Reich at once or extreme measures will be taken. Ferdinand, who has just reclaimed Naples, Teramo and Jerusalem, as well as making peace with Mobutu (while giving away Bouto, San Severo and Avellino in the process), refuses the demand. He cannot afford to give up any more of his empire if he is to survive.

32: Bombs? You Want It? It’s Yours!

Wilhelm hears the response, rolls his eyes, turns to his highest ranking commanders, and utters “Arlight, let nuclear rain fall onto the mediterranean shores!”

And that was when Ferdinand's people learned to stop worrying and love the bomb. Well, the ones killed by the blasts and radiation poisoning, at least. The German citizens reacted positively to the usage of nuclear arms which ushered in a new Golden Age for Germany.

Also, don't get your hopes up, lads. That declaration from Lesotho against Yuan doesn't lead to anything.

33: The Man Who Put The MAN In Germany

With nuclear fallout plaguing the shattered remains of the once great Sicilian empire, the Germans moved in to capture Naples, Teramo and Bari once more.Coiot’s Note: The longtime provisional Sicilian capital of Chieti is no more.

34: When Two Becomes Three

And I presume that was when Ferdinand finally surrendered Salerno, Campobasso and yes, Herakleopolis. What you see in this slide is all that remains of the “Three Sicilian States.” Their chances of surviving the impending storm may have just faded away.

35: An Open Invitation

There has been a lack of news regarding Iceland in recent centuries. LET'S CHANGE THAT!

Lawtiliwadlin begins the campaign to melt the Icelandic civilization from the cylinder once and for all. The Chukchi government sends invitations to their fellow communist allies in hopes of support for their goal.

36: Remain Calm, You Will Die Quick That Way

The invitation is immediately answered by Wilhelm who is more than ready to expand the great German empire to new horizons!

Have no fear my Iceland supporters, I am certain Kristjan's loyal armada of Privateers will push back the German Adva-hahaha... The Advanced Destroy-hahahahahaha... The-PFFFFFHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA who am I kidding? Eldjarn, your country is boned!

37: The Eagle Has Landed

The Germans waste no time in occupying Reykjanesbaer and are already on the doorstep of Reykjavik. Gotta be honest, I thought Iceland might have been able to squeak by into Endgame, but they are getting rolled over right now.

38: Not Easy Being Greenland

And with the loss of their capital, and their Greenland holdings being rushed with nothing but Industrial units to defend with, if it is not already obvious to you, spoiler alert, but Iceland is about to be eliminated. Prime your F keys.

39: OM NOM NOM NOM

Moments away from their final city Akranes falling, Kristjan Eldjarn boards an escape vessel with one of his three remaining musicians (the other two are to be decoys to help his escape), and requests the musician to play him one last song. When asked what kind of song, he simply replied “dealer's choice.”

Home is behind

The world ahead

And there are many paths to tread

Through shadow

To the edge of night

Until the stars are all alight

Mist and shadow

Cloud and shade

All shall fade

All shall...

40: Intertwined Fates

... Fade...

With the sixth and final Icelandic city in his hands, Wilhelm ordered for another eulogy to be made in the hopes that his mother doesn't yell at him like last time.

A civ with low expectations heading into Season 2, much like their mk2 counterpart, Iceland showed a lot of potential early on, taking advantage of the poor performances of the Welsh and Neutrals to establish settlements in Scotland and Canada. If he had played his cards right, Kristjan could have expanded further into North America or claimed the entirety of the British Isles. The opportunity to replicate his predecessor's success and become a major player was wasted with the unsuccessful conquests of New Netherlands and the Neutral Nation. They eventually got kicked out of North America by Mississippi and the Vandals and the British Isles by Germany. From there, the withering Icelandic empire stagnated to the point where they were unable to progress any further scientifically. While most of the remaining world had embraced the technology of the future, Iceland was still figuring out the Industrial Revolution until they were at last put out of their misery.

The boat carrying Eldjarn and the musician eventually passed a group of icy mountains to reach an unfamiliar submarine. As they were guided onto the sub, Eldjarn was informed by Pedro to follow him, where he was reintroduced to Karl. When Pedro was asked byKristjan why the Brazilian wanted him to see Karl, Pedro replied “the two of you remind me of two great leaders that I once knew.”

FUN FACT: With this album technically being a part of the same episode as the previous two albums, this marks the second time where Sweden and Iceland were both eliminated together!

41: Everyone Has The Biggest Brain

We are 1100 turns in! Guess what? Almost everyone knows how to read a book by now! Hoot!

42: PARGs And Recreation

The final nine slides are just a look at some of the cores of the major players heading into the final stretch of Cycle 1 (more on that at the end). First, let's take a look at PARG, who have opted to carpet most of their land with Giant Death Robots. There is a notable mixture of Vandal and Dene units, however.

43: I Have To Be A Lonely Warrior Tonight

The Chukchi have done a good job in carpeting their whole territory from land to sea with very little of anything else. A lone Neutral warrior stands on a tundra island and a Georgian Lancer holds on to dear life..

44: Gaul Teched Up

The Gauls meanwhile needed a little help from the two South American powers Marajoara and Kulin. There were concerns about their science output, but they appear to have completed the tech tree.

45: Count The Settlers In This Slide

Punjab seems to be fairly carpeted while Uzbekistan needs the help of Chukchi Chimeras to fully carpet their borders.

46: We’re In The Green

As expected, Nigeria is carpeted with plenty of green coloured units (some of them are Dene). While The Vandals are carpeted, they appear to have an inferior airforce to Nigeria's. That could be a problem.

47: I Sees Ya, Pikeman

I take back what I said about Punjab, the Chukchi have some presence in places such as Viang Chan. The Chola have built themselves back up for any further conflicts...

Wait, what happened to Sai Gon's population? They've dropped to 55!

48: Something Something Free Real Estate

Zaire's core is devoid of any foreign units but has little aircraft presence. The Lesotho city of Hlotse looks submissive and breedable.

49: Kurdistan Did Nothing This Part

Malacca and Kulin pack their oceans with enough military to defend their waters from intruders.

50: Calm Before The Storm

Finally, we reach the heart of South America, housing the native Marajoara and the South American colonies of the Kulin. It's a shame we could not get a look at North America, Scandinavia, China or the Middle East, but I reckon nothing fishy is happening over there.

And with that, we FINALLY draw Part 3 and by extension Episode 20 to a close! All three parts combined were over 250 slides long! As mentioned at the beginning, very little happened these past 200 turns due to the advanced state of the game, but the two most notable events were Iceland's elimination and the ruining of Two Sicilies.

This has been Bulletproof_Cookie, and I wish you a good day. Tune in next time for the finale of the first cycle of CBRXS2. THE TIME FOR GLOBAL WAR IS UPON US!

Episode 20 – Part 3: Waltz Of The Eagles – S2

Abstract

1