Scorched earth

[Alneyan]

Amhazair said:
But, if/when that happens to fail I actually see it not only as justified, but actually as my duty to the game and all the other players to try and hurt my opponent(s) as badly as possible, by any means I can think of. Mostly this resolves about using my troops to directly do as much damage as they can before they die, and try to gain as much time as possible. I can't remember ever going so far as to pillage my own provinces for that purpose (usually, by the time I'm actually ready to throw the towell, all troops I've got left are besieged inside a fortress, as part of one of the doing damage/gaining time tactics) without the possibility to pillage ), but I definitely won't rule out doing it in the future.

Sounds like a great platform for the Gandalf Parker 'there's no I in surrender' manifesto. That pretty much sums up my own views too, in so far as my primary goal is to gain as much time as possible (I'd raze everything in sight, but I sorta need the buildings in place to save my own skin, alas).

I'll add that I normally don't make gifts to my neighbors; I tend to invest my resources for my own good, including such unoptimal uses as raising PD everywhere to converting non-Astral gems to another non-Astral gem type. I might send out the non-combat items on the turn before my magehold falls, but I usually prefer to strike a deal with another nation (the usual 'five hammers for a bag of storms so I can cast Wrathful Skies on that bloody army, and there's no time for haggling, so better hurry up if you want those hammers' deal).