Pong 3: Turns 187 - 192 of Russia

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St. Petersburg has fallen. The Norsemen push their advantage, and threaten the great Russian north. Our people pray to Moo, but the onslaught does not end.

For as long as most can remember the priesthood has held high positions in the Russian government, and faith in Moo was enough to sustain our people. Great works of art and grand wonders were built under the Mooish Theocracy of Russia, but those days are waning.

The old ways cannot win this war. The demons of Norway cannot be beaten back solely by the zealots of Moo. If we are to rebuild our empire to greatness, it will take the strength of every citizen of Russia.

In Smolensk, a revolution has begun. The priests were cast out, and all classes destroyed. We are all just Russians now.

United forever, in friendship and labor.

Scythia is my third friend, joining Nubia and Japan.

This allows me to sign a research agreement with them for Economics. I'm still way behind in technologies, so I'll take what I can get.

Without any Bombards in range, there's nothing I can do to scratch the steel walls of St. Petersburg's Urban Defenses.

Pushing now would essentially be suicide, letting his Battleships bombard the crap out of my units. I elect to fall back, giving him nothing to fire on easily.

If I can keep these units alive, I'll be able to upgrade the Bombards to Artillery, which should have a better chance at breaking down these walls.

Nate splits his fleet, moving through the northern passage towards Voronzeh. That city has walls, but ancient ones, and I don't think it will be able to hold out against two Battleships.

As noted in my last report, I had been hoping that he would split his fleet. Any push to St. Petersburg would end up with many volleys of Battleship fire, and having half of them even a tad out of position is good for me.

Cossacks are strong enough to take two poundings from Battleships and still be at half health!

Based on this, I'm assuming he has 2 Battleship units (some of which may be fleets/armadas). Two up top, two on the bottom.

I produce 6 Frigates in my inner sea, and attempt to hide them away long enough to upgrade to Battleships.



Norway goes atomic. I'm not sure what tech he did it with, but he later mentions being able to see Uranium, implying he has Nuclear Fission.



Hojo re-ups the friendship.

He's still the weakest civ in the game, and he doesn't even get me any Research Agreement opportunities because he's so far behind, but there's very little downside in accepting.



Having lost St. Petersburg, I move to ensure I can build Bombards and Musketmen. I buy some Niter off China.

This may have been a mistake. I only end up getting 2 more Bombards before getting Artillery, and don't build any Musketmen during the session. Always good to have the option, though.



I continue to fall back, trying to keep my units alive long enough to upgrade.

I throw my scout up north as sacrifice, hoping to delay the sacking of Vorozneh long enough to get Steel.

I move my Field Cannon Army there, in hopes of being able to bombard the passing Battleships.



Most of my money is coming from trade deals with the AIs, as I continue to sell my luxuries around.



Vorozneh takes bombardment. Not good.

I'm crossing my fingers hoping that the city survives another two turns for Steel, but am doubtful.



Solikamsk is bombarded, and rushed with a Tank! I wasn't expecting that, but it's not so surprising. He probably rushed it.

Cossack armies are close to on-par with tanks. Until he gets reinforcements, he'll need to be careful with it!

As a fairly new city, Solikamsk isn't much of a loss. I mostly built it as a filler city in range of the Colosseum.



Immediately after taking the city, Nate kills a Field Cannon with it. I think it's kind of silly to be able to bombard with a city you've just taken, but so it goes.




Nate steals Zanzibar from me.

I take it back next turn with my saved envoys, and he steals it back the turn after.

Their units aren't upgraded, and don't do much damage. I'm able to fend them off with the Pikemen I have laying around, city bombardment, and the Frigates I'm hiding.

They manage to pillage a trade route, though.



I check what my various units can do to Solikamsk. Not much.

I need Artillery already.



I'm so happy losing my city state allies pleases you, Freddie.



I teased it in the beginning, but I didn't actually make the switch until now. I blew whatever faith I had on units (Bombards and Field Cannons), and jump into Communism.

The actual policy cards don't change a whole lot!

I keep all of my military cards, and add two more: Professional Army and Grande Armée. I'm planning on doing some upgrades soon, and I'm going to need all the units I can get.

Economically, I add Market Economy, which gives me culture and science from my international trade routes. Over the last few sessions, I've been slowly moving my trade routes from domestic to international, so it's a pretty decent swing.

Still behind.



Feeling brave and pretty sure he only has the 2 Battleships up there, I move my Field Cannon army out of Vorozneh to bombard one, taking it to half health.



I was correct in my estimations, and my Field Cannon Army survives. Barely.

I run it back into the city.



My Cossack army stands up pretty well to a city bombard. Certainly seems strong enough to scare away that Tank for a bit longer. He's just needs to hold the line for one more turn!



Sofiya, a Guerilla Leader, finishes setting up her contacts in Sarpsborg, where Nate has a neighborhood. I decide to try my hand at Recruiting Partisans.

I've never done this before, and I'm not sure what sort of units are spawned, or how many. Should be fun to see!



My injured Field Cannon Army doesn't do a whole lot of damage to the Destroyer Nate has sent. I fire anyway.

I pondered running away, fearing the city would be taken with 2 Battleships + 1 Destroyer, but there's nowhere to run. The city bombard would be able to hit it wherever it got to.

I regret moving it there now. It did slow things down a little, but without backup in the form of Frigates or other ranged units, it wasn't able to affect any real change.



Freddie doesn't like that I'm friends with Nubia.



Another turn of holding the line, and Steel is mine!



Nate pokes with his Tank, but runs it right back into the city.



Voronzeh falls.

Sadly, I was unable to delay long enough to get the free modern walls from Steel. Even if I had, I think it would have been difficult to keep it.

The Field Cannon Army dies within.



Reviewing upgrade costs, and realized I don't have any Coal. I buy it off Scythia for a load of gold.

I find out that you don't get any discount when upgrading corps/armies, as I had assumed, but instead pay more! Ugh. Luckily I have the cash to cover 3 artillery upgrades and 2 Frigate Fleets.




I move in my Cossack and move-upgrade the Bombards to Artillery so that they start in range of the city.



Nate can't do much about the eastern Artillery, but the one to the southwest was in range of his Battleships. I assumed this was likely the case, but didn't have anywhere else I could move and upgrade it at the same time.




Nate comes for my Battleship fleets, bringing a 4-upgrade Battleship, a Destroyer fleet, and an admiral.

It seems like his other Battleship is still healing from the pelting it took from my Field Cannon Army! I may actually be able to hold my own here!

Thank you for your sacrifice, Field Cannon Army!



I use both Battleship fleets to destroy his Battleship, while two Frigates flank from the east.

The Zone of Control from his Destroyer and Privateer prevent me from kicking his admiral out of the area, so I opt to use the Frigates to kill the Privateer.

The Destroyer fleet is still a threat, and there's a Battleship lurking in the fog somewhere in the north, but I'm pretty happy with how this went.



My Artillery don't perform as well as I had hoped. The siege will last several turns.

At least they're out of range of Nate's Battleships! The city bombard is tolerable.

End of Session: Turn 192

The core of Russia, where these battles have been fought.

St. Petersburg still stings, and it sucks that I've lost the other two cities, but in terms of culture and tourism they're not much.

I'm sure he's reinforcing his fleet and land units and I'm not sure I can fight him back, but I do feel as if the tide has turned. At the very least, this isn't a one-sided fight anymore.



World Rankings



Military force. Still lagging behind.




Score breakdown.



Nubia still hasn't advanced in the Space Race.



Culture. In 5 turns this session, I gained 4 tourists.

I still think I have a shot here, especially if I can beat Nate back just a little bit and force him into peace. I think I could even survive permanently losing St. Petersburg.



Techs and Civics.

Tech-wise I'm still a bit rudderless, so I decided to head for Radio.



Great People.

Now that I'm out of my Theocracy and can't rush units with faith, I'm considering trying to get a Great General.