[boltcutter]

I'm new. . . We'll see. I have A Plan.

I also have my notes with me for this post. I think I'm playing The Desert Eye- it's hard to tell, because of the wraparound. Which I didn't realize the map had. . . My enemies are Abysia, Pythium, Caelum, Pangaia, Vanheim, Jotunheim, Mictlan, T'ien Chi and Machaka. Plenty of Sorcery to go around.

Turn 4:

Results- Ulmon takes out some regular troops- about 30, again- while the First Army knocks out 3 commanders, 15 troops while taking no casualties- no kills, no injured. This turn, not last, is where Ulmon picks up his never-healing wound. Ulmon's new province has a Library- nice, but with the crippling Drain I don't think Sages are worth it.

Shopping- I recruit 7 archers in the First Army's new province. They can fire into melee with my Black Plate infantry and basically damage only the enemy. Also, more Black Plate and another Smith. I end the turn with 164 gold and big plans for a castle in the northern bottleneck.

Plans- my First Army goes back to the capital to collect the archers. I move Myself, alone, into the province where my spy waits- and keep him where he is.

Turn 5:

Results- Ulmon cleans out a variety of heavy infantry, light infantry, archers and militia. One gets a lucky hit on the side of his knee and I develop a slight limp. Time to stop Phase I- at least for now; My physical toughness isn't sufficient to keep me entirely safe, and the next affliction could be more serious.

Shopping- I buy a second Spy. My Spy starts building a fort in the bottleneck, and I raise 8 Province Defense. For Ulm, PD below 8 or above 20 is cost-effective. Desperate for cash, I convert 5 Earth vis into gold and buy more flailmen

Plans- the First Army goes back to pick up their archers. Ulmon, protecting his bottleneck, searches the province for gold and gems.

Turn 6:

Results- none.

Shopping- I buy a Priest. First Army is now 8 flailmen, about a dozen light Ulmish infantry, 10 crossbowmen and 7 archers.

Plans- I move Ulmon to the province with the Library. Spy keeps moving. First Army heads back to Ulm , with the goal of heading south and converting the rest of my isthmus. Pippin will become my Prophet. [I missed the chance to rename him, alas.]

Turn 7:
Results- Mictlan is the neighbor of my fort-to-be, which is protected by a spy and nine crossbowmen. . . it would be bad to lose that. Evocation 2 is reached.

Shopping- My planned push to glory- a Smith every turn, researching their hearts out- has been sapped by lack of money and focus, and the castle on my north. More troops, of course, but no Smith.

Plans- I will search My internal province, risking my expensive, expensive construction project. I am betting that the blood-drinkers of Mictlan will pause before starting a war. First Army heads south to conquest, with 18 Black Plate and nearly 50 troops in total.
Turn 8:
Results- Mictlan did, indeed, hold off. I found no magic sites in My province. First Army crushed the independent pagans, with neither deaths nor permanent afflictions.

Shopping- I can, barely, afford another Smith. And the Forges of Ulm continue running at full speed.

Plans- First Army will continue to a chain of islands to the south; I will move to protect My construction project. Pippin shall north with five of Ulm's finest flailmen as a personal guard.

Turn 9:
Results- First Army took the chain of islands, and along with it a magic site- the Wormwood Forest, producing 1 Nature gem. Truly fortunate. Evocation 3 has been researched, and my Smiths are now capable of sending Magma Bolts down on the unbeliever. Mictlan seems to have backed their army off, and my fort is complete.

Shopping- I, Myself, build a lab in my new fort- while I would like another Smith [I have six] the fort is maintenance-free and the cost of my army is starting to become significant. I purchase a Commander of Ulm along with the flailmen- my army is large enough for a second-in-command.

Plans- I send First Army agaisnt a large force of Woodsmen. This is the last "bottleneck" province I will be able to hold and I wish to move as far as possible before putting in the choke point. 210 gold of Point Defense is not a small investment.

Current status( start of turn 10):

Upkeep: 105 gold.
Income: 376 gold.
Treasury: 276 gold.
Research: partway through Evocation 4. 30 RP per turn.
Gem income: 5 Earth, 1 Nature.
Magic Resources: 40 Earth, 2 Nature.
Provinces: 8
Soldiers: 49 in First Army; 5 with Pippin; 10 in Capital.

Notes: Some of my turn-by-turn results are off; I didn't save the turns as they happened. I got sloppy on the latter turns- Pippin is still one province behind my fort, my spies are in my own territory, and my new fort has not turned out a single Black Plate Soldier. Second Army is forming as slowly as I feared.