EA Game "A Blessing in Disguise"

[IndyPendant]

Hee. Aww. Good game, Ulm. Things *might* have been different if you hadn't had such *perfect* timing as to attack my 68-PD home province with your SC just as all my leaders that could hurt it left to attack your provinces...

...but then again, it might not. *shrug* My capital's now besieged and I have almost nothing left to fight with, so going A.I. Have fun, everyone!

The AAR has a couple of silly moments in it, so I'll quickly whip one up here. If I stomp on anyone's toes, revealing something I shouldn't, please accept my apologies. Shouldn't happen, though.

So at the game start, I'm doing initial exploration, and bump into Yomi and Fomoria. Grand; Yomi I might be able to handle, but they're far from ideal for my crappy crap-crap armies and trampling elephants; Fomoria is just about the worst nation Caelum could possibly have for an early neighbour. I offer NAPs to each of them; Yomi accepts, Fomoria...attacks me. With blessed giant troops.

Uh oh.

I'm reasonably certain I can't defeat him, so I do what I can to hurt him, by calling public attention to the location of his capital and the fact that he and I are now in a war. Then I *do* hold him back--possibly because he encountered the scale bug and I did not, I'm not sure. But my public post may not have had the results I intended...

Imagine, if you will, foxes and wolves carefully slipping through fields of high grass. Suddenly, they hear the snarls and yelps of fighting, off in the distance. They look at each other--who could have been so unwise as to advertise their position, and their weakness, so loudly?--and begin to prowl towards the sound. With a fight of that severity, even the winner might just be weakened by his wounds...

Strangely enough...everyone suddenly flocks to the provinces I had indicated, while I'm driving Fomoria away. Oops. Still, I'm far from certain even now that I can besiege his capital, so when Vanheim offered to do it for me, I basically smiled, shook his hand, and patted him on the back as he passed through my territories to get there.

And found the rest of my neighbours: Yomi, Fomoria, Vanheim, Arcosephale, and Ulm. Oh gods, not exactly an ideal selection for Caelum. Still, Ulm is probably the one that needs taking down the most--being the most powerful at the time--and who knows? Maybe my tramplers can do it.

So I secure NAPs with everyone else, and attack Ulm. Driving deep into his territories--I think, at peak, I had conquered 8 or 9 of his provinces--only to bump into his capital.

Imagine, if you will, a small regiment of soldiers deep inside enemy territory. Their morale is high, for they have met little resistance thus far. They break out accross some plains to spy a castle in the distance...and guarding that castle, over three hundred enemy soldiers formed in strict battle line. The regiment leader starts screaming into his radio for reinforcements, only to hear it squawk about another army of almost two hundred Ulmites threatening the other regiment somewhere off to the east, and an Ulmite Prince of Death that has conquered the capital and is besieging the home castle! The regiment wilts in near-despair, and they can feel the grins on the Ulmites faces...as their counterattack begins.

Driven steadily and surely back, I retreat to my capital. For the second time this game. Twice now I have been driven back to my home province; my chances of winning this game are now completely kaput. Still, I can have some fun by fortifying the home province and seeing how long it takes for someone to crack the egg.

Then I have a brilliant idea: I note that Ulm is nowhere near me, and divide my army into four parts to attack four of my home province's neighbours. It works like a charm--with one small hitch. The Prince of Death makes another appearance that very turn, attacking my capital just when I led my armies out of it. Aw, no. No! He's left me alone until then, why now, of all turns?!? One turn earlier, they'd have been waiting for him. One turn later, they'd have been back and patrolling again.

*watches 68 PD go poof in the blink of a PoD's eye, and sighs*

A few turns later, yet another 250-unit army defeats the meagre PD I have been able to replace, as well as the armies I had patrolling the province.

Caelum has fallen.

[cupido2]

[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Balloons.gif[/img]!!! Lands for sale !!![img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Balloons.gif[/img]

The Atlantian Real Estate Ltd. is proudly offering 3 of the best provinces known to this world for sale:

1. The beautiful mediterrean island of Elvis (254). A pearl of an island with untouched nature and undiscovered magical sites awaits its new owner. This wonderful piece of land has despite its wild charm surprisingly good connections to the biggest cities of the known world.
For 300 gold you could own your own personal Elvis.

2. Sea of Rond (186) is a fish-rich part of the ocean. With its still intact coral reefs it is a dream of all scuba-divers and amphibious creatures. (Hint to Yomi: Lots of whales looking to be "researched" ) This province is well worth its 500 gold.

3. Lucky Lake (139). You had bad luck in this cruel world? Do yourself a favor: Buy the province Lucky Lake, known for its water that has magical powers to prevent unrest and diseases. It's a, if not THE, place of pilgrimage because a young triton maiden has the one and only true god seen wandering through this province. For 500 gold this place of holy wonders could be yours.

If you're interested, send a messanger to our new firm headquaters.

Grandfather Seaflowers, CEO [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Teddy.gif[/img]

[MrSparkle]

Hehe I must say I did have a bit of luck there and throughout the entire conflict with Caelum and Yomi.

The "timing" was meant to correspond with an attempt to surround the capitol and fear rout most of the army there. Prince of Death had taken a beating the last time he tried to solo the province and was regaining strength in high dominion and rearming with better magic items. I didn't think he would necessarily win and if in trouble retreat to an open province, but as you have written he got lucky and only faced provincial defense.

When Caelum started the invasion I was in a bind because if I was to meet that threat it would leave my southwestern flank exposed. Thinking other nations might be involved I park an army nearby Yomi and offer gold, gems, items or land to stay neutral or agree to a NAP. He refused because there were no independent provinces left and proceeds to attack the next turn. I lose some land to Yomi, Mictlan attacks and takes a province, and Caelum keeps marching toward the my capital.

I go into turtle mode since most of my army is pinned down defending key provinces. I finish building a fort in one area freeing up those defenders and get a random event creating another in a wasteland near Caelum. I love maxed luck scale

Ulm goes on the counterattack. Caelum retreats to the capital pinning down his army. I then flank Yomi from his south through Caelum's former territory. This breaks a stalemate forcing Yomi to attack a well defended position.

Ulm goes on the counterattack. Captures Yomi's capital and remaining provinces. That army is now free to march on Caelum. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth along with about a hundred ulmish casualties in the final assault, Caelum was felled.

[cupido2]

We, the trustworthy Atlantian Real Estate Ltd., assure all future landowners that the provinces for sale are native property of our company.
Lucky Lake is a border province of Atlantis itself. Sea of rond only two provinces away. The island of Elvis was bought by our company from Mictlan.

Or did I misunderstand your message, dear Lord of Oceania? Is your message here a buying offer in the rustical tongue your vassals speak and you want to be sure, that no other nation snitches the lands you'd like?
So we glady agree to your offer and await your paying of 1300 gold. It's a pleasure to deal with you.

(Though we're sure he gave his best, please send next time a messanger with the ability to express himself properly. It sounded so rude to our ears.)

Grandfather Seaflowers, CEO [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Teddy.gif[/img]

[Tichy]

What Oceania calls an unprovoked attack I call "attempting to come to Atlantis' aid." And unless Atlantis' claim that Oceania asserted sovereignty over all the sea is false (and Oceania's behavior suggests it's not) then my attack was not unprovoked. If you tell someone else you're going to kill me, you've still said you're going to kill me...

Crossing the land bridge was something I had to do early in the game because my start position was a 3 province lake and had nothing to do with him.

It wasn't so much the dominion that killed me, but the fact that R'lyeh is worthless if the mind attacks don't take, and Oceania's sacreds seem designed to counter just those kinds of attacks, even without the s bless. Add the s bless to it, and it's ludicrous.

[vfb]

C'tis declares war on the evil alliance of Rlyeh and Vanheim!

Onward lizard soldiers! Now is the time for action, while our blood is hot from the summer sun!

Sssla

[Tichy]

I'm in an alliance?

[Tichy]

I don't *feel* like I'm in an alliance.