[Psycho]

So, this one is finally over. I was TC until turn 60-ish and here is the AAR for that period. Dimaz will give the rest. I was pretty disappointed when I got TC, since I didn't like the nation at the time - all paths, but low levels in everything. But then I discovered how insanely powerful W5Es are and TC is now easily my second favourite nation (right after Kailasa).

Build: Dormant Lady of Fortune W9S5N4, scales are the standard Order 3, Sloth 3, Heat 1, Misfortune 2, Magic 1. First research goal was constr4 to equip my SC pretender after she wakes up, as well as some alt and ench for buffs. Together with nice blessed sacreds this meant an easy early game. After that I went for enchantment, since all important buffs for my sacreds were there - antimagic, elemental wards and arrow fend. Finally, rush to constr8 and pick up golems along the way. I aslo planned conj6 for celestial soldiers before that, but realized that I don't need them.

Expansion didn't go that great. Apparently my part of the map was crowded, since by turn 9 I ran into 5 (yes, five) neighbors and had nowhere more to expand. Also I ran into two neighbors with my two expansion armies on an early winter turn and lost practically all my army due to a bug with W5Es. I'll write more about the bug on the general forum - it is one reproducible cause of incorrect battle replays.

Fortunately, one of the neighbors was Kailasa with no bless and excellent scales, imprisoned oracle pretender (the only possible choice for those scales), recruiting tons of bandars and atavis. Kailasa without bless? Well, he asked for it. Of course, I rushed him. I quickly reduced him to his capital, but that is where the problem occured. Namely, his army size was 3-4 times larger than mine, so there was no way I could breach those castle walls and he refused to come out and play. I tried to lure his army out a few times, but unsuccessfully. He remained bunkered in the capital for the next 50-ish turns. Oh, I should also say that right after my pretender awoke, in the first two turns I got an elemental stuff and a ring of wizardry from random events. Can you imagine what kind of boost that is for TC.

On my south border Hinnom was growing insanely, gobbling up Ctis who overexpanded. At first, I though that Ctis would make a comeback or at least slow Hinnom down, because I profiled him as a better player than Hinnom, but this didn't happen. So, I had to attack a stronger opponent while having Kailasa with an army at least three times as large as my own sitting behind. I thought that others would join in once they see someone is making the first move against Hinnom - namely TNN and Pangaea, both of whom were in no wars and had borders with Hinnom. Boy, was I wrong. Thankfully, Ctis was doing some uber defence of his capital, crushing Hinnom's storming force three of four times, which really helped my cause. First year of the war I was probing him - took some territories, waiting for him to retaliate into traps I set for him. And also for others to join in. Nothing of this happened, so second year I went in with all my forces, save some token force on Kailasa capital. And I must say, I was disappointed with Pangaea especially at this point. Because, Hinnom had three armies, one of them on Ctis capital and the other two pinned by me in his castles, as well as all his SCs. Pangaea had a streak of provinces guarded by nothing other than pd on his border. The war with Hinnom was where W5Es buffed by masters really shined. Hinnom thugs/SCs were helpless against them. Imagine a Melqart or a Hinnom hero fully equipped with a frost/fire brand, vine shield and the rest of the standard equipment losing to a group of 20 sacreds, killing maybe one of them. All resistances, defence of 20, 16MR for those vine shields and astral shields and two short swords with water bless to go past luck and defence. Again, I quickly took the provinces, but the capital was the problem - three SCs fully equipped, one of them prophet and sphinx pretender.

Around that time Pangaea went full out on Ctis leaving his lands undefended and I reached constr8. Flying ship + flying mages = my troops on his capital instantly and without warning. And again Ctis helped me by destroying the force storming his capital. Djinn took the Hinnom capital on his own (those 30 att and 30 def are unbeatable, I love djinn). I was quickly done with Pangaea and proceeded towards Ctis. I felt bad about having to attack Calahan after all the help I got from him and the great game he played even though he knew he couldn't win since like turn 15.

Ulm was playing a superb game to my east, killed a very good opponent (Sauro), who I thought would last much longer. Again, as with Hinnom, I knew I must react in time. So, while I was attacking Pangaea and finishing Hinnom, I prepared the attack force for Ulm. I knew his bane and gargoyle thugs stood no chance against W5Es properly buffed. I also made some SCs of my own - golems and summoned lots of troops to breach castle walls. I tried to attack while his thugs were still busy north with Sauro, but he had more of them than I thought and he was ready for my attack. Still the attack was successful and his capital was under siege and about to be stormed by my more numerous and superior forces. The only problem were iron adepts he had and they were the only thing that saved him at the start of the war.

This is the moment when real life kicked in, I moved to Switzerland and had to find a sub. I hated having to quit the game, especially since I knew I was winning. Fortunately, Dimaz was out of the game early and at least I gave my nation into capable hands. So, he got handed this very hard late game position and did a great job with it. Anyone who subbed knows how hard it is to take over a nation in late game. He was in war with Ulm, nation about roughly the same in power as him, led by an excellent player and also Kailasa and Ctis left to mop up. And with my flawed plan about how to attack Ulm's capital. Namely, I thought that magic duel would target the highest astral mage in the army. So, I thought that sending the pretender along with the army, would make all Ulm's iron adepts try to magic duel the pretender, instead of the masters buffing the W5Es. I was wrong. That battle on Ulm's capital was the weirdest thing I ever saw - another case of bad replay. In the replay, iron adepts aren't very successful, the buffs go off and the whole Ulm's army is slaughtered with maybe 2-3 W5Es dying on TC side. In the battle report, however, Ulm loses 3 units and the whole TC army is dead, except the pretender. Crazy.

This was a really great game for me with many good opponents (Sauro, Ctis, Ulm just to name a few). Unfortunately, most of them killed each other and just as I attacked the best I had to leave the game. Winged Dog, I would love to fight you in another game. Thanks also WL for organizing and for playing a good game with Rlyeh. Would you share how you did your early expansion with aboleths. When I saw the HoF early on, I tried some tests with them, but they seemed to lack the killing power. And, of course, thanks rdonj our admin. When I left the game, I sent you a PM about my guesses for the remaining players. Do you still have it, I am interested how many I got right.