Civ Battle Royale November 26, 2024
yaampa/ItsTruckMonth
Some pick on the scraps. Others punch in their weight class. Either way, blood is spilt, empires rise and fall, and the cylinder turns regardless.
Hello everyone and welcome to another riveting episode of the Civilization Battle Royale X4, Episode 33! I’m your host, IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIItsTruckMonth (or u/yaampa on Reddit), and while it has been a minute since I’ve narrated, I’m happy to narrate another exciting (and as a Bora fan given recent developments, dreadful) episode!
We have quite the show for you tonight, so grab a snack or drink, and let’s ride!
Died Turn 369
Born Turn 404
Welcome back Burgundian Empire
u/Sonicfan0511’s new civball for England shows the worst fate any Englishman could befall: being French
Was Nader Shah peeved by the Khoshuts’ gluttony in the Harappan conflict, or is he secretly a devout linguist, obsessed with the details of the Harappan language?
Either way, u/LugalKisarra-UrNammu’s comic shows what happens when you intrude on the plans of the Shahanshah.
As per usual a massive shoutout to everyone who supports the CBR through our Ko-Fi page. Y'all are the reason this show’s been going on for God knows how long at this point!
The PR slide of the week goes to the Khoshuts, who won the “Bust of the Week” award for their abysmal drop of 16 points, following their dismantling by the Afsharids. Dishonorable mentions go to Bora Bora (-5), Vijayanagara (-6) and Kanem Bornu (-6).
Can the Khoshuts turn it around, or will they continue to tumble? Only one way to find out!
We open up the episode with Mexico putting on the pressure in South America, taking the Ecuadorian capital of Quito, as well as the city of Loja. The recaptured Ecuadorian city of Ibarra is now cut off, while their west coast city of Riobamba has been brought into the yellow by the Mexican air force.
In response, the Ecuadorian military is nowhere to be found outside Loja, hoping that New Holland’s peacekeeping forces can help slow down the Mexican onslaught.
Over in Asia, the Khoshuts are putting up far more resistance as they retake Lhasa, all the while the Afsharid force is starting to thin out. They could have a chance to hold off and make peace, though their ambitions of any resurgence are long gone by now, but that’s assuming Nader Shah and his airforce are willing to agree to terms.
The Wahgi retake Tevaitoa and surround their former city of Tolu with an array of helicopters, nuclear subs, and cruisers.
Stevan Stojanović Mokranjac witnesses the onslaught, but captures a flaw in the plans of Wahgi strategists in his newest composition, Helicopter Hymn, as a political critique of Bo’lim’s ignorance towards the fact that Helicopters cannot, in fact, take cities.
Despite the Bora campaign, Wahgi’s pure technological prowess allows him to construct the CN Tower in the former Maguindanao city of Simuay.
This wonder provides +100% Tourism for 20 Turns, a free Social Policy, 500 Golden Age points, and +1 Science from Engineers. Not exactly the best wonder for conquering the world, but when you’re a country mile ahead of the competition, you can afford to treat yourself now and then.
Ndongo, despite its empty carpet, has found itself in the torrent of war once again. Albeit against Bukhara…alongside the Mexicans.
Ndongo should really put its great military to use against Saba or Mogadishu if it wants to retake the title of top dog in Africa from Sierra Leone, speaking of which…
Sierra Leone continues to push into Kanem-Bornu, bringing the coastal city of Manan into the red, and surrounding the northern city of Njimi. Both have solid carpets on the front, but Sierra Leone holds the production and manpower advantage. In attrition, Peters will get what he wants.
The coalition against Bukhara grows, with Rome joining the Fray.
According to legend, Mithridates VI would attempt to build resistance to poison by ingesting sub-lethal doses of it. It’s clear he’s applied this tactic to this war, allowing Saba to take Damietta so his empire will eventually be unbreakable!
Just no one tell him this poison gambit backfired on him in the end…(btw credit to Aladar on the Discord for this one)
Mogadishawi naval vessels patrol the western coast of India, met with shock and disbelief. Higher leadership has told them that they would be besieging a city on the Indian coast, yet there’s none to be found, only the occasional rifleman or worker.
It was then revealed that the city of Penukonda, their target, was on the opposing coast, being besieged by Singapore. The Mogadishawi sailors sigh in disappointment.
To the north, the Afsharids have swiftly captured the former Siamese city of Nakhon Ratchasima.
For all of Wahgi’s technological and military dominance, their carriers, helicopters, and nuclear subs alike, they are sure taking their time in their conquest of the Boran homeland of Polynesia. Thus shows the importance of having some actual melee units in your force, as I can only count 3 Wahgi units capable of taking a city within enemy territory.
But then again, when the opponent’s cities are blasted into nothing, it only takes one…
In the great Faroese empire, there exists a saying: Eg sigi altíð morgun tí um tað var ein góður morgun hevði eg verið og fiskað.
And considering their recent conquests of England, it looks like the Faroese are celebrating, living by their famous saying.
The sub falls under a deafening and eerie silence, the residents are told not to make a move or a sound. This is something the sub’s veterans have experienced before, and are prepared for: visitors.
With nothing to do during the Mexican conquest of Ecuador, a a contingent of primitive ships venture down to the Antarctic for some sightseeing. To their shock, they wake up the next day, recalling a bright light coming from beyond the mountains. Disturbed, they leave.
The sub remains hidden.
Here’s your friendly reminder to aspire to be as much of a hater as Singapore, as they add insult to injury by taking Vijayanagara’s Antarctic colony of Gadag.
Also, in comparison to the useless units on the Indian coast, the Mogadishawi naval contingents here can be of some use.
The Bukharan Coalition hits close to home as Kazan joins in on the fun. Granted the border between the two consists of a mere 2-3 tiles, so we’ll only see a modicum of action here.
Unless…?
Mexico and Ecuador exchange cities, as while the latter reclaims Loja, the former retakes Ibarra. Riobamba is in the black and the Ecuadorian military is about as nonexistent as the brains of their generals during the Tiwanaku campaign.
Francis Fukuyama writes great tales of the bravery of the sparse yet courageous resistance fighters.
In Africa, another Great Person feels otherwise about his nation’s military achievements, as Admiral Peter Wessel Tordenskjold looks in frustration at the underperformance of this campaign.
Kanem Bornu is putting up quite the resistance, as they both hold on to Manan and push away the Sierra Leonean assault on Njmi.
Peters will have Peter’s head for this if he doesn’t fix this.
Antonio Stradivari, a master luthier, works overtime to create string instruments for the Vijayanagara elite, who look to music for solace in these trying times.
On the less fortunate coasts, the Singaporean navy continues to bring hell down upon the shores, bringing Penukonda into the deep black.
The Afsharid assault continues into the Himalayas and Burmese highlands, as Nader Shah’s forces take Lhasa once again, and bring Nakchu into the black.
Gushi’s frontline forces are holding, but they remain the last line of defense for a weary and beaten Khoshut capital.
Singapore is yet another victim of Wahgi’s peacekeeping infestation, as paratroopers scatter across the Malay Archipelago and Malaysian Peninsula.
Pray for these poor souls, for as soon as Wahgi’s campaign out East comes to a close, they’ll likely be next.
Yeah, remember that Kalmyk city that was randomly given to Bukhara in a peace deal episodes ago? Yeaaaaaaaah its now flying the Kazan flag as units swiftly take the city of Saratov. Bar some insane development, this will likely be the end of anything meaningful coming out of this war.
Unless…?
One of Sorghaghtani’s assistants comes into the Mongolian empress’s chambers, only to be met with a gleeful face, a rare sight from the leader of a stagnating nation. When asked what the occasion was, she made an incredible peace deal with a neighboring power.
The only issue? She said she made peace with Shang, a power long dead. Many fear that Mongolia’s stagnating place on the world stage has driven her to madness.
The Khoshuts hold on, as they lose and retake Nakchu. The frontline forces abandon Lhasa and fall back to defend Gushi and Dam, the capital of the once decent Khoshut empire.
Nader Shah’s conquest is coming to a close…
Like sharks, Palawa smells blood in the water and decides to take advantage of the Waghi campaign by declaring war on Bora Bora.
Their actions are felt immediately, as they begin besieging the former Tiwanaku colony of Wariwillca in the Antarctic, albeit with primitive caravels.
Tevaitoa falls to Wahgi, but the presence of a Bora destroyer and constant air bombardment will ensure it falls back to Puni’s control. In the meantime, Bol’im focuses his forces on retaking Tolu.
However, an even more terrifying update has reached not only the ears of Boran generals and leadership but the rest of the world as well: Bol’im is the first to wield the might of the nuclear bomb.
Down south, the Palawa send a couple of medieval and Renaissance-era ships to capture Pachacamac.
Amidst the sea of Wahgi paratroopers and machine guns, Singapore is able to squeeze the newly founded city of Tampines in the middle of Sumatra.
Able to squeeze a new city center into an already densely packed region is quite on-brand for Singapore.
The Dzungars join in on the Autocracy craze, which pairs nicely with their expansive, albeit slightly outdated, military carpet.
It would especially work wonders if they were to join in on the growing coalition against Bukhara.
Sierra Leone makes progress by taking Manan, with an excursion force up North beelining towards the former Alaouite city of Agadir.
The Kanem resistance at Njimi still holds firm.
As you may have noticed two slides ago, Nakchu fell back to the Afsharids and is now in solid control. The Khoshuts are now making their final stand, with both Dam and Shigatse deep in red and surrounded by Afsharid riflemen and cavalry.
Gushi Khan is in the midst of his final days...
Spurred on by terrifying news coming out of the South Pacific, Akaitcho is hot on the heels of the Wahgi and joins in on the nuclear arms race.
A collective shiver rocks the North American continent, mostly felt in the cold expanses of Thule lands.
A look at Faroese Canada reveals the vast might of their navy in the North Atlantic, and the sheer scarcity of units on the North American mainland. Clearly, this region is not Trondur’s main concern.
They do settle the new city of Darhan in the far north, which immediately gains prominence as the main air base of the Faroese Canadian colony.
Singapore takes Penukonda, but with little melee support, low health, and Vijayanagara melee units at the gates, it will likely flip back into Krishnadevaraya’s hands for the time being.
In less relevant news, Kanem Bornu decides to make peace with the Visigoths.
Gushi Khan is beginning to see the light as they’re able to retake Dam and Shigatse from the Afsharids. However, with little resistance left and Nader Shah not backing down, they’re only delaying the inevitable.
Wariwilllca falls to the Palawa, but Tarenorer is putting little effort into this front. Not only is he unlikely to make any further gains in the Antarctic, but he could likely lose his one gain to Boran destroyers and air bombardment.
He really only puts effort in against the Noongar, huh?
The insanity of leadership finds itself in the palaces of even the most successful empires, as Trondur now plots against the long-lost empire of the Rozvi. Perhaps they look to eliminate the final few nomadic remnants of their empire?
A peculiar follow-up to their dismantling of the English, but who am I to judge?
A detailed look at the world map shows us a complete view of how the great powers borders have formed (just ignore some of the cities that haven’t loaded in yet)
Of note is the sheer size of the Afsharids following their conquest of the Khoshuts, who now span from the Caucasus to the Bay of Bengal. Truly a superpower in the making should they keep with this newfound aggression.
And now a view of the map through a faithful lens, showing us the world’s religions.
Contrary to popular belief, the massive Eurasian mass is actually two religions (just shown as the same color for reasons), being the Kalmyk faith of Vajrayana and the Dai Viet faith of Mahayana.
The drumbeat of war finds its way to the Eastern coast of South Aborica, as Wahgi destroyers engage with their Boran counterparts off the remnants of what was once Rio Grande (yeah remember when they were in this game?)
They will find little success here though, as this scouting fleet pales in comparison to Puni’s Atlantic fleet.
The Kanem counterattack begins, as they retake Manan and bring forces within striking distance of Bo, which is already in the red. Meanwhile, the northern force facing Agadir has been met with fierce resistance.
On the bright side for Peters, a new force is building in Fez, perhaps to take Njimi?
Loja and Cuenca fall to Mexico, though the latter could be flipped one final time with the sparse Ecuadorian land military at its doors, alongside some newly acquired air support.
Also, can Mexico finally put Riobamba out of its misery? That city’s been bombed into the black for the last 10 turns or something.
And speaking out putting things out of their misery…
Shigatse and Dam fall again, and with that, the sun sets on the Khoshuts, who are eliminated at 44th place.
The Khoshuts started the game by creating a solid core around the Himalayas. However, a war with the Dzungars would cost them their northernmost city, cutting them off from fruitful advances up North. From there, the Khoshuts would develop an overwhelming, and debilitating, need to give away cities in peace deals, first giving away their core city of Lhasa to the Dzungars, and later giving away Shigatse to Siam, creating an empire that was, in both physical shape and competence, lobotomized.
After a long period of contemplation, however, the Khoshuts, for lack of a better term, locked in. They would be the biggest winners from the Harappan coalition, netting four cities, including their capital. From there they would reclaim what was once lost, retaking Lhasa from the stagnating Dzungars, and Shigatse (as well as Nakhon Ratchasima as a treat) during the Siamese fall. From there, it seemed as if the Khoshuts could become a dark horse. That was until Nader Shah realized his potential (and the power of flight), and no matter how great your XDawg stat, it can’t shoot down a bomber. F.
Thus ends the Khoshut empire, but as the sun sets on one empire, it rises on another. The Afsharids have come out of this war an empire stretching from the Caucasus to the Burmese highlands, and being surrounded by weak and middling powers, it can stretch even further.
Been a while since the Nivkh-Thule war has been covered, but the Nivkh are able to retake Ytyk’ from the Thule, and look to have it pretty locked down as the Thule consolidate their previous conquests.
With airpower and little military resistance from the Nivkh on land, the Thule could push through the mountains to contest Ytyk’ once again.
Call Wahgi the 5th Inning Yankees in Game 5 the way they completely forget the fundamentals of the game, as they begin to disperse their units across Bora Bora with no city captures to show.
As a result, Bora swiftly retakes Tevaitoa, the only unit nearby with the ability to conquer it once again being a lone cavalry.
Down south, Bora Bora swiftly retakes Wariwillca, and as of now, the Palawa threat in the south is neutralized. With little Palawan defense and air and sea units present, Puni’s in a prime position to turn the tides and take Narawntapu.
Ecuador retakes Cuenca, at the cost of losing Guayaquil and (finally) Riobamba assuredly to the Mexicans. Now with practically no military outside of Cuenca (aside from the planes in Lukurmata, things are surely looking bleak for Moreno.
The tides begin to shift in Thomas’s favor once again, as he both captures Manan and begins besieging Njimi. Meanwhile, his flanking forces up North head for Agadir.
All the while, the Kanem-Bornu frontline begins to thin…
Tarenorer hears from his admirals the situation involving Wariwillca and is urged to further move the Southern fleet to reclaim it, with the Northern fleet aiding the Wahgi invasion.
To the admirals’ horror, however, Tarenorer makes peace with Puni. He’s quoted saying this was his “little getback” for when Puni declared war on him and that “these hands are reserved for the Noongar”. The admirals fall into despair knowing they’ll forever be damned to fighting over the Australian highlands.
Meanwhile, Wahgi commits to the bit of neverending bombing of Bora cities with nothing to show for it.
Bukhara picks up autocracy for its ideology, and who can blame them? Assume similar ideals as your stronger neighbors to delay the inevitable, all the while preparing for your final stand through war games and propaganda. That’s how the game is played.
Inspired by the peculiar Wahgi strategy of sending helicopters into enemy territory and hoping for the best, one of Bora’s great artists, Odd Nerdrum, has conjured up a piece inspired by the brilliant tactical minds of the Wahgi military.
He titles it: I-Helo-a
Cuenca falls to Mexico, and with it, the last of Ecuador’s territory now flies under the green and yellow banner. Ecuador falls to its last two cities.
Meanwhile, New Holland takes advantage of having a silver tongue as they slip units through foreign territory. The objective: kill Tiwanaku.
Kazan joins in on the Autocracy bandwagon, and given the absolute sparsity of their military, they’ll need the leadership.
Especially when you’re surrounded by the Selkups, Latvia, and the Afsharids, having a lackluster military is essentially begging for death.
If I had a nickel for every power that plotted against the Rozvi I would have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it's weird it happened twice, as it is revealed that Rijkuo–Maja has now begun plotting against the long-dead Rozvi.
Meanwhile, the great empire of Latvia has yet to arise from its slumber. Surrounded by tempting expansion options, it would be wise to take advantage before others sense the opportunity.
Pontus finally retakes Damietta, with a Latvian peacekeeper, paid off by Mithridates’s forces, looking to stall Saba’s oncoming counterattack.
That isn’t all Mithridates has planned, however, as a contingent is now pushing through the slim borders of the Arabian peninsula towards Tamna. Does Pontus plan to kick Saba off the Asian continent?
The Osage aren’t very fond of people picking on the little guys and proclaiming that they have Bukhara’s back by declaring war on Kazan.
Granted, outside of killing a couple of scouts in Texas and Louisiana this is solely a big load of thoughts and prayers…
…Is what I would have said had Pawhuska not had friends in high places, as now the mighty Selkups have declared war on their yellow rivals!
The effect is immediate, as not only do the Selkups instantly take Semey, but bomb the cities of Taraz and Tates into the red and yellow specifically.
Burgundean-England? Bengland? Englundy? Whatever you call the desecrated corpse of what was once the English empire has chosen to bandwagon Autocracy and at a pretty good time.
The Romans are still at war, and with the power of flight they bring Nancy to the red.
New Holland finds itself at a crossroads.
To its East, the Mexicans chow down on its easiest expansion opportunity in Ecuador.
To its South, Bora, while a fellow top power, is currently engaged in a war with the most powerful civ at the moment.
And to the North lies the Taino, a stagnating mid-tier power.
These are all ample opportunities that Johan must pounce on. Instead, he goes after the inland Visigoths. Ok…
Damietta falls back to Saba, but Pontus forces continue to flood across the Red Sea, yearning for an African foothold.
For the time being though, Makeda can breathe easy knowing that his Arabic holding is secure, as the excursion force has been swiftly repelled.
We get a first look at one of two Dzungar unique units, the Zanbur Cavalry, which replaces the, well, Cavalry.
It’s well-fitted for the Dzungars’ starting terrain, as it receives a ranged attack and defense bonus on hills. It also receives extra movement from city-states they demand tribute from but that doesn’t apply here really.
Tevaitoa falls to Wahgi once again, but with no Boran units nearby it looks to have finally secured the city.
It seems that Wahgi has realized the importance of melee units, as a paratrooper stands at the shores of Tolu, in the black, and another stands at the new front in Fare.
Wahgi’s beginning to shift the momentum of this war.
Puni’s very well aware of the threat the Wahgi possess, and as such has lined the coast of South Aborica with an abundance of cruisers.
He’s willing to give up his homeland. Bora isn't a place, it is a people. The values of a true Boraliever.
Damn Leogivild, other than the horrific display of forgetting How to Fight Wars Good, what did you do? He’s now attracted the wrath of the Faroes, Finns, AND Ume Sami.
Well, honestly, it may have been your horrific war record. It’s why I’m (and likely most of the viewers) praying on your (continued) downfall.
Yeah, remember how we thought the Bukhara-Kazan war would go nowhere past that Kalmyk exclave?
That was until the Selkup air support came in, as the advantageous Bukharans take the bombarded city of Taraz. It will almost surely fall back to Kazan but talk about punching up to the competition!
The momentum in the Leone–Bornu war has completely turned on its head, as not only has Peters locked down the city of Manan, but has brought the long-elusive city of Njimi down to the yellow.
You can thank Sierra Leone’s recent discovery of aircraft for that development.
The Kazan military and the geography are doing well to hold off the encroaching Selkup armies, but the Selkup air force is putting in the work, as both Alatyr and Tates are deep in the black from bombing runs.
Down south, as expected, Taraz falls back to Kazan.
All is quiet in the foothills of Ganondagan, as the Seneca great artist Tom Thomson bathes in the beauty of Appalachia and the Adirondacks. As a landscape artist, he finds great joy in a land filled with such inspiration.
It is about as much as the Seneca can do, with little to no opportunities to return to relevance. They enjoy the fleeting act of life, lest they waste what little time they may have.
In case you were tired of the Wahgi stealing all the wonders, here’s Bol’im now constructing the Hubble Space Telescope.
This wonder grants 2 free Great Scientists, a free Spaceship Factory, and +25% Production when building spaceship parts for a science victory. The extra science and production boost is a nice touch for any domination game, and keeping the tech lead wide open is essential for Wahgi’s success.
Tolu finally returns to Wahgi’s hands as the invasion force makes unprecedented gains in the archipelago, bringing both Fare and Pachacamac to the yellow.
Puni’s greatest strength here would be the silver tongue, as a peace deal could save Bora and its chances of remaining a great power.
Sorghaghtani seems to be a gang bully, as they declare war on the city-state of Siam. Perhaps they should take a lesson from Kazan, especially when surrounded by the Selkups and Goguryeo: what goes around comes around.
Njimi finally falls to Sierra Leone, with Yao seemingly their next target as they come under heavy air bombardment.
The fall of Yao would be a crucial development in this war, as it lies as the last city before the crown jewel of the Kanem-Bornu empire: Ngazargamu.
The Selkup forces break past the Urals and swarm into the Eastern plain to take Tates. Up North, the Selkup airforce brings the former Kazakh cities of Atyrau and Oskemen to their knees.
Down south, units begin to pour towards Archa.
Because of COURSE Wahgi needs more wonders, they finish work on the Great Firewall.
This wonder focuses more on espionage, well, preventing it at least, as it reduces the enemy Spy steal rate by 99.9% in the city it was built in, with all other cities getting a 25% reduction in enemy Spy effectiveness.
There is no war in Wahgi.
As you may be aware, Trajan, despite having the city bombed to rubble, has still not taken the city of Nancy.
This development has begun to tear down Trajan mentally, thinking that for some reason, the lost empire of Royal Hungary is behind this deceit, and begins plotting.
The plague of regal madness continues to spread…
Yao falls and is put to the torch, displaying the lack of popularity this war has amassed with the people of Sierra Leone.
That matters little now, the last bastion has fallen. The defense has fallen back to Bornu. The capital is ripe for the taking.
Wahgi has still yet to take Fare but has it in the yellow, with Pachamac in the red and units approaching Tiva. That said, they’re also up to their antics of not bringing melee units to the front, resulting in a stalled advance.
We also see that Wahgi is the first to flaunt Supercarriers.
Ecuador is down to its last two cities, and with the Mexican army descending at a breakneck pace, he knows he is not long for this world.
But if he’s going to go down, he’s going down swinging, as he enlists the use of great war bombers to turn his former homeland into nothing but ash and brimstone. He’s hellbent on making this conquest hurt for the Mexicans.
Bukhara retakes Taraz, but with a flood of Kazan units flooding in from the shallow gap between the southern border and the Urals, it will almost be retaken.
That said, given this is the first Bukharan achievement in centuries, Shaybani declares that this is a new Golden Age for the Bukharan empire, and the people celebrate. Let them have this one.
Does life imitate art, or does art imitate life?
That’s the question some ask when looking at this view of the South China Sea, as the lands of Zheng, Singapore, and the Wahgi are absolutely smothered in military carpeting.
The Wahgi’s borders and peacekeepers will make any war between the regional powers a slog, but will ensure that any war involving the mighty Bol’im will be a bloody one.
The siege of Ngazargamu begins as Sierra Leonean aircraft bring the city to half health, while cavalry begin to trot over the border.
Idris seems to be content with letting his capital fall, as the majority of his forces remain stationed around Bornu.
The Selkups secure the northernmost Kazan cities of Oskemen and Atyrau, and bring units down to Shymkent, the last Kazan city east of the Urals.
West of the Urals, however, the going is slow, as Selkup units merely trickle over the mountains towards Archa.
Penukonda falls back to Vijayanagara, but with Singaporean ships at the gates the city will flaunt the lavender and blue banner shortly.
However, the music of the inland stops at the arrival of despairing news. Singaporean land units are now moving into the inland regions. They’re all in.
The Wahgi are able to briefly take Pachacamac before a Boran destroyer reclaims the city.
A brief delay in what is now a full fledged assault on the archipelago, as Wahgi units besiege Fare, Tiva and Anau, with melee units in hand.
The Wahgi are inching ever closer to Nunu’e.
Bogged down by thoughts of war and bloodshed, Peters needs some time to unwind. As a result, he turns to renowned game developer Michel Ancel for some of the best games Sierra Leone has to offer: Rayman and Beyond Good and Evil.
You know what Beyond Good and Evil Two and Sierra Leone’s rise to greatness have in common? They’ve been both plagued by unholy delays (but hey at least the latter actually arrived)
Nancy remains in the black, but now a Roman rifleman stands at the gates of the former Burgundian city. Better yet for the Romans, the English didn’t have a melee unit nearby to retake it, supplanted by an excess of artillery.
To the third parties go the spoils.
Damietta falls back to Pontus and looks to reinforce the city as Saba units are slow to react.
The assaulting Saba forces, for reasons unknown, bring along mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal, hoping to either bring some advancements to their military technology or just to supplant the soldiers’ education, given Saba’s less-than-ideal science output.
The Selkups bomb the south of Kazan into oblivion, bringing Shymkent to the red and reducing Alatyr’s defenses to ash.
Despite the air superiority, the going has been slow in this war, especially in the north where Archa and Yelbuga are left defenseless yet also free on Selkup pressure. The only blessing for the Selkups is that Kazan is just as unserious about this war as Vonya is.
The Wahgi’s decision to bring melee units in this fight bears fruit in the form of the Boran cities of Tiva and Fare, their next targets being Pachacamac and Anau.
And in the ashes of war brings new life, as the new city of Numbkora is settled in Fiji.
Thule peace out with the Nivkh, and for their troubles are given the city of Ytyk’ in the peace deal. This grants Thule control over the Bering Strait, but the question remains: Where does Thule go from here?
They border the Yellowknives to the east, and Goguryeo to the west, two major powers. Their most realistic options are to either push further into Nivkh at a later date, or go after Ikko Ikki, but would the gains be worth possibly invoking the wrath of their much more powerful neighbors?
The Ecuadorian Unique Unit, the Granaderos, makes an appearance. This Lancer replacement gets bonuses from fighting near the capital, and if trained at a time when all cities are connected to the capital or follow the capital’s religion, it gains a bonus to combat strength when fighting in friendly territory.
One issue, the Ecuadorian capital is now in Mexico’s hands, thus negating their bonuses (unless it also applies to new capitals, I could be wrong here).
That said, it may be too little, too late, as the Mexicans have brought Lukurmata down to the red. The only blessing here would be New Holland units maintaining the peace, but they have bigger fish to fry.
It may be slow progress, but its progress nonetheless, as Ngazargamu falls into the red, surrounded by enemy units.
Not only that, but it seems like Idris is falling back even further East, leaving Bornu behind. Could Idris be planning a cunning scheme, or is he fleeing in his nation’s darkest hour?
Citadel shenanigans ensue on the tripartite border of the Selkups, Mongolia and Gorguryeo. A joint citadel campaign by the two powers has created a Mongolian exclave in Tiflis.
I can already hear the mapmakers having an aneurysm from this tomfoolery.
Shymkent falls to the Selkups, ending the Kazan reign east of the Urals. At least, for the time being, as Kazan has a massive carpet just southwest of the city.
The Selkups seem to have placed a heavier focus on the North, as a large carpet of riflemen and cavalry looks to descend upon Yelbuga.
The Finns and Faroes agree to put an end to another pointless war and make peace with the Visigoths, who are becoming newfound victims of Peters’s conquest by citadel.
Meanwhile, Trajan has still yet to take Nancy from the English.
The Noongar are low on options, being surrounded by the likes of the Wahgi, Palawa, and Singapore. To bide their time and act like they are actually doing something productive, they begin scheming against the once-middling Ecuadorian empire.
Does Ecuador have friends in high places as well? We must wait and see.
Wahgi brings Anau to the red and looks primed to take it. That said, both Wahgi and Bora Bora look deprived of units here, so it is probably best for peace to be made.
It’s a win for both sides: Wahgi expands West and sends a message, and Bora leaves with minimal losses (and I’m definitely not saying this as a biased Boraliever hahaha… please Puni get a peace deal here)
Kazan reclaims Oskemen, but Selkup units continue to pour west of the Urals, eager to reclaim the city.
There also happens to be remnants of the Rozvi civilization roaming around the frontlines. Eagle-eyed readers may have spotted the lone Rozvi settler in the Aral Sea. Should the Selkups start razing cities, could this war be their chance to revitalize a once-dead empire?
The Yellowknives have mastered the art of Combined Arms, and to prove it they flaunt the first tanks of the cylinder.
They’re also aware of the power of aircraft, both of its benefits to the Yellowknives and the danger it presents from Thule skies, thus their investment in anti-air guns. That said, they may have gone overboard on that front…
Joy Division brings their talents to the lands of the Osage, and, contrary to the name of their band, sing of the beauty of peace: a concept the North American continent has known for quite a bit (even as they engage in war overseas).
Eventually, however, all good things must come to an end.
We end this episode with a tale of two city-states. Ecuador is down to its last city following the fall of Lukurmata, bordering Tiwanaku, a civ whose downfall was partially Ecuador’s fault. Tiwanaku seems to have picked the shorter straw here though, as New Holland has surrounded the city and brought it down to the yellow. That said, you’ll likely have to save your F keys for the next episode.
And with that, we part. Sorry to leave on a big cliffhanger, but this, alongside the multiple big wars that started and continued in this episode, should leave you hungry for the next! And with that, I, ItsTruckMonth, will be signing off!