Episode 24: The Sun Sets on Sumatra

1: Narrator? I hardly know ‘er!

Hey folks, it’s ExplosiveWatermelon (or EW) here! Before we start, I’m going to cover a few things of note.For those viewing the CBR from Reddit, I want to say thanks to everyone who keeps making posts. I really like seeing what everyone contributes to the community, and I want to encourage more of that. So, for anyone who’s hesitant about sharing art or memes or even just your basic thoughts- please, feel free! The game has gone through highs and lows of ~8 years because of the dedicated community.

For those listening in from DocIdo’s wonderful audio narration, you’re welcome to join the wonderful folks at the r/civbattleroyale subreddit or within the discord. Cheers!

2: Vihreaa Map

Vihreaa’s map is our first OC for the week. Simply put, it’s too useful to have a map in order to showcase the current state of the world at the end of the last episode.

3: Stats - Winners and Losers

I’m not personally a stats person. I base a lot of my judgements on Civilization strength with what I can see from their performance in-game and some personal assumptions. That said, even if you’re not a numbers nerd, I think the Stats Sheet is a wonderful contribution to the game that really gets into the heart of how and why civilizations act the way they do. If you haven’t checked it out, I recommend giving it a glance before making your predictions for future episodes. ; )

4: Praise be!

Thanks to all our worshippers for sacrificing a bit of their coin to make the CBR gods happy. While the CBR is more a labor of love, the funds earned through Ko-Fi do help keep the show going.

5: Afghanistan

I chose to showcase the Afghanistan ranking for two reasons:1. There were some major events happening with Afghanistan last time, and they had a significant drop.

2. JDT did a really fantastic write-up for them this week, and I feel it deserves credit. It’s in-depth and creative, and while some might see it as being a bit wordy- I like that.

6: Durr-i-Durran Duran

Historically, Ahmad Shah was appointed king via the Loya Jirga. On the death of his predecessor, he had taken the Koh-i-Noor diamond worn on the corpse- an action that one might consider unbefitting of a ruler. Perhaps he even doubted whether he deserved being Shah, if only for a moment.

Today was different for Ahmad Shah. Afghanistan has adopted Communism. A new form of Loya Jirga convenes- one that takes the form of workers, laborers, and the petty man- to appoint Durrani as ruler once more. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind as the decision is made- his reign has shown great expansion and prosperity for the nation. Thus, Ahmad Shah had no fear about his new rule. What better coronation is there than one by the proletariat- the common citizen?

Around the conquered city of Aral, he fields his Unique Unit, the Jezailchi, in defense of his proper lands. Permian soldiers attempt to surround the former Massagetae city, and odds are looking that they’ll take the city. Not only is it heavily damaged, but there’s a squadron of units in reserve waiting to pour in. However, there’s still a chance they won’t keep it- and the Jezailchi’s strong defensive bonuses could be a deciding factor in which of these two nations gets to keep the city.

>> The Jezailchi replaces the Cavalry. It’s a ranged unit with a range of 1 tile, but it gets bonus Combat Strength on Hills and in Friendly Territory.

7: They Might Be Potsdam Giants

Let’s cover some basic details: Zagreb has a population of 25. It is the most populous Yugoslav city currently. If it falls quickly- which is certainly possible, given the damage it has taken- a lot of the population may be retained, and Brandenburg will get a strong core city. Josip Broz Tito would have to scramble his forces outside Ljubljana near Zagreb to increase his odds of holding the city.

All this, however, can be broken down into the core principle of Brandenburg’s society: the state’s borders are defined only by what it can take. Brandenburg CAN take Zagreb- it’s so wide open that it’d be a surprise if they didn’t. Whether they WILL take it is the next question.

08: The Land is always Greener on the other side

Michael Collins is an enigma of a man, if one can even refer to ‘Immortal Rulers’ as men. Ireland’s fortunes continue to ebb, as Greenland takes the native Irish Tralee from under their noses.

What goes on through Collin’s skull? Is he really incompetent? If so, how is Ireland still prospering? Is he playing the fool simply to get other leaders to lower their guards? I don’t think there’s an answer I can muster- an immortal is very much a different entity, and their reasonings are beyond me.

09: Predecessors

Despite their vastly different origins, Shuja-ud-Din and Suharto still share some similarities. For one reason or another, they were intent to counteract the legacies set by their predecessors.

Shuja-ud-Din tore down works constructed and the order of his predecessor, and executed his former employees.

Suharto had policies set in place by Sukarno, abolished and the foundation he set for the country undone.

Within the context of the royale, both leaders contend for the island of Sumatra- both utilizing impressive land and naval forces in unison. Currently, the tides favor Suharto- however, Yogyakarta in the north is also taking significant damage from a Bengali naval siege. I’ll wait before making any judgements on who’ll emerge triumphant from this war- they both seem to be in strong positions.

10: Castile in the Sky

The Irish-Castilian war ends with Oviedo in Irish hands. Furthermore, in the top left, you can see Tralee has flipped back to Collin’s control as well. This slide generally seems good for Ireland, despite their constant bad calls…

Perhaps this is the famed “Luck o’ the Irish”?

11: It’s Snowing on Mt. Fuji

In the former Ming center of Nanjing, now in Han territory, Katsushika Hokusai has appeared! They’re known for their impressive woodblock prints, including the world-famous Great Wave off of Kanagawa- a portrait that most people forget is actually about Mt. Fuji. They’ve also done paintings of waterfalls and octopi in silly and uncharacteristic settings.

Also, we get a good look at what remains of Ming, and the growingly-scary army of Kokang. If Kokang is able to take the remaining Ming cities, which are admittedly well-defended, that would open up a wide route to expansion via the distracted Han.

12: The Great Northern Expedition

History twists and warps the perception of war. Despite all the bloodshed, we as observers tend to prioritize events such as this:

1916 A.D. The Great Northern Expedition of Han.

There were some initial doubts about Wu’s invasion of Gokturk lands. What may have seemed like a rash decision of an overconfident warlord… Yet, the brutality of Wu’s Horde has proven to be effective. Karabalghasun and Guzang’s defenses are quickly being chipped away, and defenses around the former have crumbled to little more than tombs and forgotten dreams. Guzang, itself, is a former Han city- and any ruler would not forget the shame of defeat if they failed to reclaim what was once rightfully theirs.

While Bumin Qaghan tries to stage a counter-offensive near Chenxian, defenses around the city hold still. It seems as though Bumin Qaghan wishes to create a separate front in order to distract the forces of Han, but in doing so has left a major hole in their Western defenses. Time will only validate one of these leaders.

13: Admiralty and Admirability

Chittagong and Midnapore enter the red, but Yogyakarta also falls below half health as both sides of the Sumatran War pursue absolute dominion. Don John commands Indonesian Naval forces from within the mainland city of San Juan del Monte.

Out of all Suharto’s admirals, Don John had the most to prove. Historically, he was an illegitimate son of Charles V, and he served as Admiral during the Battle of Lepanto. However, within the Cylinder’s timeline, Don John was most well-known for inventing the staple Naval strategy of Indonesia- the Parachute Boat. By launching boats in the air using hot air balloons and slowly lowering them into nearby waters, Indonesian Naval Units were able to wrest control of both the air and sea- a strategy that would hopefully serve them well in their invasion.

However, such a legacy also meant that Don John- pride of Suharto’s navy- had a lot to bear. As enemy naval units push back against Indonesia’s flotilla near Midnapore, one wonders how he might hold up to such standards.

14: Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night

Ziryab, historically, was a minister and musician within Al-Andalus, as well as having significant roles throughout other areas of the Islamic world.

Within the Cylinder, however, he is merely set on watching as Kayapo soldiers march towards the front lines of Rio de la Plata.

Kayapo’s vanguard was composed of Rifleman, Cavalry- revolutionary and inventive soldiers. However, it seemed a bit overkill against the Swordsmen and Crossbows of the Platanese forces. However, as war gongs ring out throughout the city, a sense of dread hangs within Ziryab’s mind-

The Amazon has awoken with the sound of gunfire. The Kayapo begin their invasion of Rio de la Plata.

15: What makes a man go Neutral?

The Arapaho are one of those civilizations who, despite their overall strength, still manage to disappoint. Beautiful colors, expansive playstyle, and you can even see them fielding some of their UU- the Beniiinen.

However, their adoption of the tenets of Neutrality is a perfect example of why my support for them has quickly dwindled. They don’t compete- not in the way other civilizations do. They fight not with spears, nor diplomacy- their strategy instead seems to be focused around making sure the vast North American Plains are taken up by them and not a more militaristic civ.

In all honesty, I think that’s fairly important. Typically, when a militaristic civ conquers the Great Plains, they end up flooding it with units in order to beat out all other competitors by sheer numbers. Pretty Nose has made her empire into a Kingmaker- by occupying the most significant flat lands in North America, it effectively comes down to whichever Civilization will conquer the Arapaho in the end. Still, they’re putting up a decent fight, so one shouldn’t count them out yet.

>>Beniiinen - Replaces the Knight. Ignores Zone of Control, and generates Yields upon defeating an enemy unit, depending on their level.

16: The Paths of Rhythm

A Tribe called Quest is an American hip hop group. They actually inspired a separate group named ‘A Tribe called Red’, now known as ‘the Halluci Nation’, that’s composed entirely of First Nations people in Canada- so I think it’s fitting that they end up in sovereign Cree lands.

As an aside, the Bering Strait has been a contentious area. Not only was it the former stomping grounds of the Kwakwaka’wakw, it is now home to both the Gokturks and Cree, vying for who gets to paint the lands their preferred shade of blue.

17: Believe it!

My previous narration made a joke about Irataba of the Mohave being a weeb due to his historical ownership of a katana. Today, he continues the trend by employing Fuma Kotaro- a ninja under the Hojo clan- as an Admiral. The Wind Devil himself surely must’ve garnered fame on the cylinder for his command of an impressive flotilla of sailing ships- as seen here, suspiciously heading south.

18: The Southern Hajj

Historically, there were pirates who sieged Mecca- the Qarmatians under al-Jannabi sacked the city and desecrated holy sites. In a recreation of that historical event, we have Windradyne stepping in for al-Jannabi, as he sends his privateers south to Antarctica to take control of the Holy City.

19: Norman’s Land

Around Salerno- the heart of Norman territory- the farms and plantations have been turned into trenches and craters. The homeland has become a warzone for Guiscard, and he has now been kicked out of Melfi by the Yugoslav forces. Tito truly lives up to his epithet, ‘the Conqueror.’

However, any further push against Robert Guiscard’s territory will likely be held back by one of the cylinder’s fiercest navies. The Mediterranean is practically more Norman Naval units than water at this point, although there’s only a smaller counterforce trying to retake Melfi. Odds are slim that the Normans are going to sustain much more of this war, but if they’re able to hold the line, they may be able to at least bear the weight of the entire Yugoslav army.

20: Jackaroo-of-all-trades

Russell Drysdale was an Australian artist whose style included painting scenes of the Australian landscape in dry reds. Unrelated, he shares my birthday of February 7th.

Looking at his pieces, personally, I feel they evoke a sense of ‘reconstruction’- which makes sense in the context of the cylinder’s timeline, as he observes the Afghan army retaking Aral from Permian forces. The city had flipped off-screen, but there’s still an Afghan contingent of Jezailchi to defend against the hordes of Perm- which have notably been slowed by the terrain on the western side of Aral.

21: Shocking Innovations

As Chittagong falls, the Bengali inventor James Watt, historically a Scottish engineer who lent his name to the unit of power, is thrust out of his home onto the streets. Indonesia claims first blood in the Sumatran conflict, with the capture of a now 9-population city!

However, Bengal seems poised to reclaim it AND take Yogyakarta… Even still, Indonesia holds a decisive advantage south in Midnapore. If they’re able to take the island city, that’ll be a distinct advantage for their push to control all of Sumatra- and maybe even further into the mainland, as Patna seems fairly undefended.

22: Pink Casimir

Casimir Pulaski, the Polish-born father of American Cavalry, leads a notably unmounted unit of Musketman in defense of the Anglo-Dutch heartland from Irish invaders… in France. This screenshot is the cultural equivalent of trail mix.

23: Rootin’, Tootin’ Aleutian

Providing evidence to the aforementioned point of the Bering Strait being a strong warzone, the Cree have begun a siege of Gokturk-controlled Dzawadi! The Gokturks are already struggling against the Han, and now an added naval front to the East is sure to divide their attention. Things are not looking good for Bumin Qaghan nor his kingdom.

24: Grabbing the Bulbologlu by the Horns

Polad Bulbologlu is an Azerbaijani musical artist (notably still alive and active as Ambassador to Russia) whose jazz-inspired pop songs have won numerous awards. Currently, he’s playing for Tito himself in the Sarajevo Theatre Hall.

Stategos Josip Broz Tito looks over his soldiers while listening to the soft tenor of his musical accompaniment. Melfi is in the red once more, with a Norman privateer poised to retake the city. However, the eastern wing of the Norman navy is quickly deteriorating- there’s only so many ships, but there’s always enough men.

However, his forces have been pushed off the walls of Salerno, and the capital remains undamaged. Even a groovalicious pop song such as Polad’s can’t sway the blues of the Strategos’ heart- how much more can he conquer? What’s the true cost?

25: Dust in the Windradyne

I’ll be honest, this is a bit of a confusing slide- there’s no real focal point. We can see that Mecca is still under siege, with some Naval reinforcements just up North under the Active Player header, and the growth of the former Maori colonies of the Wiradjuri.

So, while a slide like this might seem like pure ‘filler’, there’s some stuff we can glean. First off, the Wiradjuri army is fairly modernized if not entirely cohesive. Second, Wiradjuri naval reinforcements are depleted- which could leave them open to an invasion by some of their northern neighbors.

Third, because the Zulus are active, it gives me a perfect time to transition into-

26: Spice, Spice, baby

The Yemeni invasion of the Zulu Kingdom, with the city of Nodwengu under a growing naval siege. Furthermore, Isandlwana down south has taken some damage at the very edge of the screen. It seems Arwa al-Sulayhi seeks to expand her dominion over historical spice trade routes.

There’s also the husk of Uganda to the far left- devastated by attacks from Chad, Yemen, and the CBR power rankers.

27: Government Screen - Part 1

Let’s go over the current state of Governments. I’ll bring up some of the notable actors within this episode and talk about their governance-

The Cree have developed a strong sense of Nationalist identity. After having spent generations resisting Colonialism, I can understand why it might be prudent to develop a sense of self-interest. That said, in combination with Poundmaker having established himself as a military dictator, it feels like their soul has been lost in order for the Cree to maintain their sovereign identity.

Robert Guiscard has established a military dictatorship as well, with the military (obviously) retaining control.

28: Government Screen - Part 2

Shuja-ud-Din did hold some military honors and titles- all of which sound really cool. It’s not too far-fetched to claim that his leadership was similar to a military dictatorship rather than a monarchy.

The Gokturks, although ruled by Bumin Qaghan as King, has actually established a society with principles of social justice and welfare. Some claim the inspiration for these policies comes from wolves- which hold symbolic value for the Gokturks due to the legend of Ashina and other stories of wolves as fathers to humanity.

The Permians, similarly a monarchy, are maintained by a lot of peasant republics within their territory. As such, power is most often held by farmers and local merchants.

29: Government Screen - Part 3

Finally, we see that Turkey has also established a progressive government for its people. Ataturk might be a warlord, but at least there’s free healthcare.

30: Queen of Soul

Aretha Franklin, American songwriter who originally gained attention for her Gospel singing before transitioning into a wider genre of music, performs for the Brandenburg army- giving them a bonus 1d12 they can add to ability checks, saving throws, or most notably- attack rolls.

They seem to have taken advantage of this as their forces pounce upon Zagreb with incredible speed. Their vanguard is composed of cavalry, although they do have cannons in range. The city is at half health, but it seems Tito has reinforced the garrison around the city. Who will win- the Queen of Soul, or the Brotherhood and Unity of Yugoslavia?

31: Cinders off Sumatra

Midnapore falls as Indonesia completes their conquest of Sumatra- but for how long? There’s a few Bengali reinforcements in the area, and some privateers coming down from up north, so there’s potential to flip the cities back.

However, that relies on whether Suharto would falter. Much like he worked to remove Sukarno’s legacy from Indonesia, he will likely work to remove any of Shuja-ud-Din’s legacy from Sumatra… How far will he go?

32: ORK - One Radiant King

Like a horror story come to life, Raoni Metuktire composes himself as an ultimate life-form beyond the reach of Rio de la Plata. Sao Salvador has only taken a small chunk of damage so far- but the armies have very little comparison. Riflemen vs. Musketmen, Gatling Guns vs. Crossbowmen- Cavalry vs. Knights. Even the western border near Machu has entered into small conflicts, albeit with Jose de san Martin on the offensive.

This isn’t a war I expect Rio de la Plata to win. Not at all. However, they can hold the line- hopefully luring the Kayapo back into their slumber. If you look at the geography, there’s a lot of rivers in their territory- which are a HUGE boon to Kayapo, who are able to generate food from all those tiles. If Raoni Metuktire can grab any of those Cities, that opens up another source of production, food, and science for their radiant empire.

The Kayapo must not be touched. No Civilization on the planet is up to the task as of now.

33: Copium Poppies

Jan van Eyck was a famed Flemish painter known for his oil paintings- with claims that he even invented the style. For now, he wanders through the Principality of Kokang within the domain of Holy Roman Empress Olive Yang. Like many other painters, perhaps he’s inspired by the poppies- for one reason or another.

In a more analytical overview of Kokang, they’re actually looking pretty good right now. Bengal, Han, and Indonesia are all occupied, and they’ve managed to build up an impressive army within their core. Furthermore, their Navy’s not a joke anymore either- while it’s still relatively small, they’re at least defensible. As such, Kokang is going to do the obvious and find some way to throw all of these units to waste in the fields of Cambodia.

34: Kyiv and Take

I’m a little conflicted about what to say with this slide. The Kyivan Rus’ is about as unimpressive as it usually is- although with growing threats surrounding Olga’s precious state. Grand Master Gediminas probably poses the biggest threat- while the Lithuanian soldiers are currently distracted to the Northeast, the Red Mass of Europe could change directions given a few turns’ notice. I think I’ll leave it at that.

35: None of Norman Birth

Picture this-

You are a citizen of Melfi. Two years prior, you were tending to the flowers in your garden- your eldest born and inheritor to your legacy, playing with your youngest kids as your beloved, by your side, speaks of what’ll be in the future. They couldn’t have imagined the next day- the Yugoslavs arrive. Your eldest is killed in the defense of the city, your youngest are taken from their home and educated into partisans… your beloved, with no love left to lose, succumbs to her pain.

Yet, in such a short amount of time as you lost everything, the Yugoslav garrisons depart. One of your youngest children has managed to escape re-education, returning to a home they feared abandoned- but you couldn’t leave it behind. No, you built this home out of hope for the future- that generations after you would remember it as fondly as you felt while building it.

Melfi is devastated, but not only have the Normans reclaimed it, Yugoslavia’s forces have been pushed backed- there’s no fear of it falling again for now. Hopefully Robert Guiscard will be able to fortify the city, otherwise… What would all of it have been for?

Further, the offense on Salerno falters as Tito desperately tries to manage both the Norman front and the Brandenburg front.

36: Ashes like Fireflies

From one broken home to another, we see that Yemen has not only captured Nodwengu, but the city- with little strategic importance- has been set to the torch. Isandlwana isn’t under any threat, and the Yemeni navy had Nodwengu fully under its control… I don’t understand why they’re burning it down. Sure, there’s little value in keeping it, but ‘little value’ is better than ‘no value’, isn’t it?

37: Political Commentary

America has adopted Fascism. Make of that what you will- I’m going to stave off from the obvious joke.

38: The Bite of the Bengal

Shuja-ud-Din lives up to his moniker, the Lion of War, and not only retakes Midnapore- he captures Yogyakarta, too! Unfortunately, we saw last slide that Bengal was in a dark age- as such, they felt the need to torch it down to a manageable size. It’s rather contrary to the historical nature of Shuja-ud-Din, known for being an inclusive and people-friendly ruler… but, when placed on the Cylinder and seeing endless generations of war, who can tell what would become of a kind man such as him?

39: Hero of the State

From beyond the groves of the Indian subcontinent, the susurrus of stirrups and footsteps alerts us to another side of the Bengal state. Not only is Shuja-ud-Din putting up a fierce resistance to Indonesian conquest, he’s launched an impressive force against the wide open Southern front of Afghanistan. The Afghan carpet of Great Generals might put up some resistance- but not much. Jalalabad is already taking damage.

40: The Iron Curtain

Brandenburg, a German government based in Berlin, builder of the Great Wall, and adopter of Communist ideas…

I think we’ve entered the Cold War.

Zagreb takes damage from Brandenburg Cavalry, as the city hangs on a sliver of health. There’s a cannon and melee units nearby- the city might fall next turn.

41: Fishy Business

Alli Rani showcases her opportunism by utilizing an impressive force on the Afghan city of Chaghcharan- although her units are a bit outdated, the city’s already taking damage and she has plenty of reinforcements. Hopefully Bengal distracts Afghanistan’s northern forces long enough that Pandya is able to add another pearl to their collection.

42: A Song of Ice and Fire

A single Cree ship lands in the harbor of Dzawadi, and the crew quickly turn the port into plunder. The 13 population settlement will likely survive, thanks to the mod that recalculates razing at the beginning of each turn- but how much population will be lost before the Cree halt their pillage?

43: Do the Mario!

Koji Kondo is a Japanese composer best known for their contributions to video game soundtracks, such as the iconic Mario overworld theme and tracks to the Legend of Zelda series. If the Inca have recruited them, surely the Republic must be thriving! Who deserves more credit that Praetor Tupac Yupanqui, the August? They’ve built an empire that, while not without fault, is able to stand against their South American peers… well, barring the Kayapo.

44: Chicken Perm-esan

Permian soldiers launch an impressive pincer maneuver around the relatively undefended city of Vladimir- the only city remaining of Vsevolod’s state after the great Lithuanian conquest of his lands. The city has yet to take damage, but their future is paved with shallow graves.

45: Turkey Dinner

Novgorod takes damage as Ataturk’s soldiers surround the city- there’s even some Frigates nearby to deal damage from the glaucous waves of the Black Sea. Olga responds by abandoning the city, and her nearby soldiers, to the Turkish forces while she maintains solid defenses around Kyiv proper.

46: Yogscast

Indonesia is able to take Midnapore back- but Yogyakarta remains in the hands of Shuja-ud-Din. The city is no longer burning, and there’s actually a hefty defense around it. Furthermore, while the offense around Chittagong is sparse, the defense is as well. There’s a few opportunities for Bengal to turn this war around- let’s see if they have the drive to accomplish such a feat!

47: Green, Green Land of Home

Greenland is a large, cold mass in the northern Atlantic- certainly, not a place an empire could arise, historically. That said, the cylinder exists in a universe not dictated by the rules of man, but rather by the whims of the immortal leaders. Iceland conquered Ireland in Mark 2, and now we might be seeing a similar play from their neighboring landmass.

Greenland continues to hold Tralee, although it’s still contested by Irish muskets. However, while maintaining their grip on Tralee, Greenland has sent a powerful fleet to capture the undefended Oviedo from Ireland- a move that would give Hans Egede a foothold on the mainland.

While some may be critical of Greenland’s performance overall, if they pull this off- which, there’s no guarantee- it’ll be an impressive maneuver.

48: Stalwart Defense

I should probably be a bit cautious about hyping up the Kayapo too much- this is a scary invasion, but Rio de la Plata can still fend them off. Sao Salvador has actually recovered a bit of health, but a solid wall of units continues their assault- furthermore, Rio de la Plata’s frontline has almost been completely eviscerated. While some might maintain healthy skepticism, the fact of the matter remains this is still very advantageous to Kayapo.

Frederick William Beechey surveys the coast of South America once more. For historical information, he was an artist, explorer, and naval officer under the employ of the British empire. Here, he aligns with Raoni Metuktire.

49: Vladimir, Vladiminished

The city of Vladimir and capital of their namesake realm has fallen to red health. There’s no other Vladimir cities in sight, and only a few outdated units to hold the line against a fierce Permian offense. We might get another week of eliminations this episode…

50: Restoration of Relations

Kokang and Afghanistan make peace- seemingly, nothing was exchanged. This is likely to the benefit of both principalities, as neither wanted to commit to any full offense. However, the greater benefit is given to Afghanistan who’s already losing a number of their units to a war on two fronts.

51: Borders Without Doctors

Here, we can see the borders of Tuva and Afghanistan recreating the Creation of Adam by Michelangelo- they softly reach for one another, but are just out of range. Permian borders provide the negative space- truly, an artistic slide.

We can also observe that Aral is firmly in Permian hands now.

52: Pore one out

Midnapore falls again, the city now having diminished to 1 working citizen. Bengal has managed to hold onto Yogyakarta, but a closer look reveals that the city is undefended- the only nearby units being Workers and a Privateer. Bengal’s offenses around Chittagong are gone, too- Shuja-ud-Din may have overexerted his soldiers, and is now facing the consequences.

That said, the Indonesian offense is still centered around Midnapore- if they aren’t able to swiftly surround Yogyakarta, the city may remain in Bengal hands.

53: Wait, this city is still under siege?

Zagreb, for another year, remains in Yugoslav hands. However, it’s clear it won’t last long- Brandenburg soldiers are breaching the walls as a siege led by Shajar al-Durr- historically, a woman who was Sultan of Egypt during the Mamluk Bahri dynasty. Any resistance Yugoslavia had put up until now is gone.

54: The Chenxian Counter-Offensive

In terms of a numbers game, the Gokturks have a larger army on the frontlines of their war with Han. They’ve started their siege of Chenxian, although there’s some impressive Han retinues nearby to defend it. However, the more critical point here is that they’ve left their Western front open- abandoning the city of Karabalghasun and openly letting Han siege their capital.

The Gokturks are trying to turn the war around on their invaders, but I really don’t think it’ll work- Karabalgasun is in the yellow and Otuken has already taken some damage.

55: Big Nest in a Small Pond

Alas, Vsevolod- having been disgraced from his citizens and overthrown by the Permians, finds his way to the submarine, having been eliminated in 47th place.

I don’t really have much to say on their performance in X3- there’s obviously a reason they lost this early on. However, I actually had high hopes for them in the beginning, as Vladimir had actually proven itself to be a fierce competitor in other settings. That said, it seems they weren’t able to bring the fight to the cylinder. So it goes.

56: More for Leste

As mentioned previously, the Wiradjuri have no homefront defense- and it seems Timor Leste has noticed. A contingent of Riflemen marches south from former Yolngu cities, on towards Wiradjuri borders. Their leader, Xanana Gusmao, has declared war on Windradyne’s Wiradjuri.

Quick Analysis leads me to lean in favor of Timor-Leste in the short-term. They’re packing some Artillery, and even making use of their ability to turn Citizens into Soldiers by having their Great People become combat units on the front lines! We can’t see their names, but there’s a Great Musician and a Great General fighting alongside Timor’s bravest.

In comparison, the Wiradjuri units are scrambled and weak.There’s some easy conquest in the near future for Timor-Leste if Xanana Gusmao can commit to the invasion.

57: Burning Down the House

Zagreb, having finally fallen after Brandenburg takes their sweet time besieging the city, is almost immediately set ablaze. I prefer to think that some Yugoslav politician hit the city’s self-destruct button right as they handed it over to Brandenburg. Regardless, it’ll probably stop burning soon.

We can also see that Yugoslavia’s forces are so focused on an offensive push against the Normans that they’ve practically left the back door open to Brandenburg. If Frederick William is able to make the most of this opportunity, it could spell the end of Tito’s reign.

58: Tralalalala, lalala, lalalee

Tralee falls back to Irish forces as Michael Collins also musters some defense- albeit, a fairly unimpressive one- against Greenland’s invasion of Oviedo. I don’t see Tralee remaining in Irish hands for too long, but it’ll at least divert some resources- however, Oviedo is below half health as Greenlandic naval units fire their grapeshot into the city’s fortifications.

59: Mechanisms to Music

Sao Salvador’s siege begins in earnest as the city drops into red health- with a healthy garrison of Kayapo soldiers beyond the city walls. A separate force of Kayapo soldiers seems to be either heading towards Machu or trying to hold back Rio de la Plata’s reinforcements before they can reach Sao Salvador.

Rio must be having a Carnaval because we’ve seen a lot of Great People coming out of that city. Antonio Stradivari is a fun choice for a Great Engineer- they’re a renowned luthier whose name is now synonymous with stringed instruments such as the guitar, violin, and cello.

60: Great White Fleet, Mk. 2

America, under Franklin Delano Roosevelt, shows off its incredible naval might as they field destroyers near Muisca’s borders. While it is an impressive display, the Muisca also have a significant naval advantage purely in numbers- even if they couldn’t handle a few destroyers, throwing privateers against America’s Caribbean cities would quickly wipe the smirk off of FDR’s face.

61: El Jefe Maximo

Novgorod falls to an impressive landing ploy by Plutarco Elias Callas- a general during the Mexican revolution who later led Mexico proper. Although he has somewhat of a mixed legacy, he is mainly remembered for bringing peace to Mexico after the revolution- and, in this case, he wrests peace from the hands of Rus’ citizens.

62: When life gives you Yemens, make Yemenade

Previously, the former Zulu city of Nodwengu was being razed by their Yemeni captors- however, the city still stands. Furthermore, Yemen has finally sent some ships south to take Isandlwana. Arwa al-Sulayhi seems poised to take the city and gain a colony on Magadascar, but access to the other Zulu cities down south are cut off by Kilwa.

However, it seems Yemen is also trying to reclaim Jibla, which could give them another good launching point for a future invasion.

63: Shifting priorities

Josip Broz Tito, Strategos of Yugoslavia, finally waves in his conviction against the Normans- not only did Guiscard keep Melfi, no other cities were traded and he’s effectively proven himself as the undisputed ruler of the Mediterranean’s waves.

Yugoslavia is now fighting only on one front- but it’s against Brandenburg, and they’ve already lost Zagreb. However, they’re pushing to retake the city, and the odds aren’t looking so bad for that. Time will tell if, in the case they recapture it, that they can keep it until peace.

64: Pandya Express

Remember how Pandya was previously on the offense against Afghanistan? It seems that, not only has their offensive on Chaghcharan been annihilated, Afghanistan has sent a navy south to besiege Thoothukudi and blockade the ports of Madurai and Mannar. I don’t expect it to last for long, but that’s got to be a slap in the face to Alli Rani.

65: PLOT TWIST

Jonas Savimbi, leader of Angola known for his anti-Communist rhetoric, has embraced the tenets of Communism!

… What?

66: Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me

Idriss Deby, leader of Chad, is about to block out the sun as he launches his invasion against the primitive Egyptian state. Akhenaten… I don’t have much to say on his defenses. They’re outdated, limited, and mostly composed of Crossbowmen. Godspeed, Akhenaten.

67: Han Soloes

Han, led by the determined Wu, has effectively thrust Gokturks into panic mode- not only has Bumin Qaghan’s ploy to turn the tables failed, it has cost him dearly. The city of Karabalghasun has been captured, Guzang is under siege, and Otuken is wide open. Furthermore, the composition of Han’s front line is terrifying- it’s basically a great wall of death.

Off in Pengcheng, Ernest King appears! He was one of the longest-serving Naval Officers in US Naval history, with a career spanning 55 years.

68: Salvation lost

Kayapo has taken Sao Salvador as their units quickly change pace towards sieging and capturing the still-occupied city of Machu. I’ve covered a lot about the army compositions of both sides here, and not much has changed beyond the loss of Kayapo’s more structured offense. That said, I will bring up that Rio de la Plata is in no position to retake Sao Salvador- their only nearby melee is a Longswordsman.

69: Sorry to all Afghani-Stans out there!

Cutting back to the Permian invasion of Afghanistan, we can see a reinvigorated offense coming from the Permian side of the war. Permian ruler Azykay has made one mistake though- he doesn’t have many melee units within range to take Lashkargah, whose health has been depleted to the point that a poorly-timed cough could shatter the defenses of the city. Afghanistan has gone from a world power to a crippled state in a short amount of time- even given the context of years in-game.

70: Botswana is in this Royale

I had low expectations for Botswana, and in all fairness, they were able to meet them. I think that’s about the most that can be said for these kings- Ataturk the Beloved is taking the opportunity to declare a war on Botswana, purely for the optics of it.

71: The Filler Slide

So, no turns have passed since we last saw Egypt and Chad- this slide seems to exist solely to point out Galvarino Riveros Cardenas as a Great Admiral. He was commander of the Chilean squadron during the war of the pacific. To be honest, I prefer the guy who swapped his hands for swords.

72: Blunderstruck

Afghanistan takes the city of Thoothukudi from Alli Rani, who has sent no units to even attempt to retake the city. Even looking at her navy, it seems to be going the wrong direction- I don’t think she wants to go to war with Bengal at this time.

73: Twilight Princess

Midnapore is once again in the hands of its original sovereign- Bengal’s Shuja-ud-Din continues to put on an impressive display during the struggles in Sumatra. Chittagong is in the red as well, but with no Bengali units around to capture or damage it. However, Bengal has managed to solidify their grip on Yogyakarta for now- Indonesia seems to be making no attempts to grab the city.

74: Coo-coo Kachew

Greenland, having retaken Tralee a little prior, has managed to capture Oviedo- giving them a perfect mainland base to launch invasions of Ireland and their cities on Albion. Irelands navy does not seem fit to contend for Oviedo, and while Tralee can probably flip a few more times- I think this cements Ireland’s loss in this war.

75: The Miracle of St. Olga

The Kyivan Rus’ manages to retake Novgorod, and the only nearby Turkish melee units to take the city are two Cavalry- who have an inherent penalty towards attacking Cities. While the lives lost may never truly be recovered, Olga has managed to pull off a miracle- it seemed like they were in no position to contest for the city, yet as soon as we look back, it’s in their hands.

76: mfw relevant Botswana war

Botswana declares war on Mali- and normally this would be where one might end things, but Mali actually settled the city of Bambouk within range of Botswana’s Navy. However, Botswana’s navy is critically outdated, sporting a lot of Galleasses with little variety. As much as I try to remain optimistic about Botswana, there’s a point where it starts sounding more sarcastic than genuine.

77: New AIs in Ainu lands

The Cree, having fortified their conquest of Dzawadi, march their guns towards Sat Poro Pet. The city is notably already in yellow health. The city, once the capital of the Ainu, would be a very sizeable gain for the Cree if they’re able to take it.

There’s some other battles of note here- the Cree are sending Cavalry over to Kalugwis, hoping to unite mainland Alaska under their rule. The Gokturks are trying to conquer the city of Usukeshi, but distractions on multiple fronts have lead to their forces being enraptured in chaos and poor logistics.

78: Multan of Swing

Bengal begins a siege of Multan with a mostly horse-back force- although there’s a skirmisher and cannons nearby. A lone Jezailchi regiment in Multan holds back all invaders in a Seven Samurai-style showdown. No matter how much it hurts, no matter how exhausting it is, no matter if they’re already doomed- they must continue to fight.

79: Recognition

Norman leader Robert Guiscard’s heroism has attracted the attention of even foreign contemporaries. William III of the Anglo-Dutch, distraught over the defeat of Tito, surrenders Amsterdam to him. The population does not drop when given away during peace deals, so they city maintains a hefty 19 population. This… really wasn’t necessary.

To the west, the Irish reclaim Oviedo from Greenland, but the city looks to quickly flip back.

80: Defending the Holy Land

Uluru is a sacred site to the Anangu people centered in the heart of the Australian outback. Although the Wiradjuri likely didn’t share the same connection to it, they continue to take up arms to defend the holy territory. The Wiradjuri have their own holy sites, ones they wouldn’t wish to see tarnished by invasion either…

Grand Master Windradyne, known as the Crusader, leads the Wiradjuri forces in defense of Mainland Australia. Although we don’t get a good shot of that portion of the map, we do at least get to see some naval skirmishes off of the Western coast.

81: Hoopla for Jibla

Yemen reclaims their former city of Jibla- citizens with Yemeni ancestry rejoice as the decadence of Arwa al-Sulayhi’s rule returns to them.

Further west, Isandlwana is hanging on by a thread. Yemen has plenty of Naval Units in order to seize the Northern Madagascar outpost, so odds are likely that this is the last time we’ll see it under Zulu control.

She also makes peace with several other nations across the map- just in case.

82: Serve the People

Han soldiers, seeing their collective action serving them well during their invasions of Gokturk cities Otuken and Guzang, realize that having people unified under a state that serves everyone equally might be the key to achieving victory. They propose this to Wu, and he ponders it for a moment… before declaring it so, that Han will adopt Communist practices under his eternal rule.

His soldiers, united as brethren, manage to fend off counter-attacks at Karabalghasun, in addition to bringing the sieges of Otuken and Guzang to near completion. The Gokturks attempt once more to push for Chenxian- and to be fair, the defenses are pretty lacking- but it might be just too late for them to make any meaningful gains during this war.

83: Lithuanian Ka-mmonwelth

Emilio Aguinaldo was a renowned revolutionary of the Philippines. Although he might’ve pressured people to join an organization with the unfortunate acronym of ‘KKK’, he actually opposed American imperialism and denounced racial violence within the United States. He later became president of the Philippines.

Within the Cylinder, he conducts a survey of recent Permian conquests- such as the city of Vladimir. He seeks to join a band of forces in Southern Permian lands near the Caspian.

84: Sapping Sapporo

Sat Poro Pet is in the red- but there’s no Cree melee units within range to take the city! Dzawadi also faces a minor siege, but given the defenses around the city, I don’t think it’ll fall. Even if it does, it probably won’t remain in Gokturk hands.

The Mori have also managed to push back Gokturk’s navy, to the point where they are now the ones invading. Perhaps we can see a clever snipe?

85: Perm-anent damage

Lashkargah falls to the Permians! It’s becoming clearer and clearer that the Permians won’t stop- they’ve got momentum behind they soldiers. Unless someone times an invasion, the Permians stand to gain a lot this episode.

86: No Novgorod November

Novgorod- once a sizable portion of the Kyivan Rus’ core- has now been reduced to one population as Turkey regains the city. While Olga has plenty of chances to flip the city, they’re never going to recover what’s been lost to the war. This is a disastrous blow to a Civilization that was already in a horrible position.

87: Yemen Demon

Isandlwana is captured and promptly razed by Yemeni forces! The city has 7 population, so it’ll probably survive the razing, but still- sacrificing that population lowers the prospects of the captured city. Yet, it can recover, but Arwa al-Sulayhi’s tendency to immolate her enemies has been noted.

88: Power Ballard

Louis Ballard was a member of the Quapaw native tribe known as the father of Native American composition. He leads the Yugoslav army in a heroic march to reclaim the city of Zagreb- perhaps he’s giving an inspirational song meant to counteract the strength of Aretha Franklin’s performance?

Zagreb is already in the red, and Yugoslavia’s army is actually really well-maintained. While some might consider it weaker per person, the sheer numbers might be enough to drive back Brandenburg- although, Zagreb will be a ghost town for generations afterwards…

89: Thoothache

Afghanistan maintains their control over the island colony of Thoothukudi- and it looks like there’s no Pandya units in position to take it. Their advanced Destroyers have also brought Mannar down to half health, even with only two of them. Still, Alli Rani is committed to defending her seas from Bengal- who, might I add, isn’t invading them.

90: Back-Han’d

In one turn, Han manages to grab both the Gokturk capital of Otuken and the former Han city of Guzang! Chenxian has taken very little damage, and it seems Gokturk King Bumin Qaghan has moved his provisional capital to far eastern Siberia in order to better defend it. The Gokturks are losing any chance of victory, and fast.

91: Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo

The Cree join civilizations over the world in adopting Communism- whether it’s out of a true belief in the ideas or out a diplomatic ploy is up for debate. However, this gives us the opportunity to take a close look at their territory, and we find…

A very sparse landscape with only a few units around the capital. That’s not good- especially since the Arapaho down south are now fielding Landships, compared to the Cree’s cavalry.

92: Resist and Reclaim

Bumin Qaghan manages to put together a counter-offensive and retake not only Guzang and Otuken, but the city of Dzawadi in the Aleutian isles as well! Furthermore, their offense around Chenxian has closed in, and the city is in red health- will the king be able to turn this around?

It’ll take some clever maneuvering, which the king hasn’t managed up until now. Let’s see if this is more than just a fluke.

93: Dzawadi under the Bridge

Here, we can see that Dzawadi has returned to Gokturk hands. Cree ships around the city have mostly dispersed, and though it seems like reinforcements are coming, it’ll probably take them another turn before they arrive.

Incredible play, honestly! I was very critical of the Gokturks’ maneuvers as I was writing previous slides, but they’ve turned things around impressively.

94: Traitor

Carlos III of Spain was a Bourbon king of Spain whose wikipedia page has the most punchable face. He ruled over an era of reform and in regards to military achievement… isn’t that notable.

On the cylinder he has betrayed his homeland and joined Sundiata’s Mali as one of his premier generals- plotting out fortifications in preparation for a potential invasion of Castile.

95: Back Afghan, once again

Lashkargah returns to their rightful ruler, the Principality of Afghanistan, but Permian forces still remain in the area. Permians also seem to be approaching the city of Sar-e Pol with Artillery, which should allow them to siege the city in spite of its natural defenses.

96: Why do I keep getting these slides?

We see more of Timor-Leste’s naval invasion of… nothing in particular. We can see some of their units going inland towards the very edge of the screen, but really? I’m stumped with this one. There’s a war going on to the Northeast, and instead we get to see some small struggles near Antarctica. There’s a single frigate in range of Maraekowhai

The most notable thing occurring on this slide is Novgorod being flipped off-screen.

97: Slavs and Salvation

We end the episode with a bang- Yugoslavia has managed to reclaim Zagreb from Brandenburg. Although the city might flip some more, Tito’s at least restored his territory from before the war. He also looks to be catching up to Brandenburg’s military advancements, as his army now fields some Riflemen.

Thank you everyone, I hope you enjoyed my narration- remember to show your support for the CBR through various means, the easiest being to simply subscribe to the /r/civbattleroyale on reddit! Cheers!

Episode 24: The Sun Sets on Sumatra – S3

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