• S21: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S21.EleSav Doh! Something's wrong with the spacing on this thread so I'll just paragraph my comments instead of bullet point. The bandit walked further away from the conquered settlement. Whew! Decided to queue up a melee unit in the capital so I can hit up that inn with my sov for a quest - might be a good source of cash to finance my Altar campaign. Capital is hitting level 3 next round - will take the gildar buff. Will focus my sov on questing, exploring, and leveling now. The push for the capital to level 4 is a longer haul.
• S24: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S24.EleSav Lots of good stuff happened this round! Bought Janusk an oak spear and q'd up another melee unit in 2nd settlement. Both refugee camp and fertile land around capital are now complete. Building a study in capital to double current research. 1 more turn and I'll have a melee unit in capital. Sovereign got the silver flute quest so I know there's a 100 gildar flute waiting at the end. Moved my two original melee units out to support sovereign on quest. By the time I get there I'll be able to arcane buff all 3 units. Don't have the funds yet to buy my sovereign armor - I think I can do that quest without it. Need to save gildar for my Altar campaign.
• S25: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S25.EleSav Q'd up a hut in second settlement. Q'd up a second melee unit in capital. There's a spider and wolf stack near my capital zoc (love at first sight apparently) so I think I'll deal with that in a round or two (waiting for arcane weapon next round) before I move on to the silver flute location.
• S26: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S26.EleSav Decided to bypass the wolf spider combo for now and head straight to the silver flute location. I just noticed Altar suddenly jumped to 28 FP - not sure how yet, my campaign plans would change. They're not sending any units yet. I now have arcane weapon and am researching heal.
• S27: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S27.EleSav Moved Janusk out into Altar zoc around capital. Destroyed his refugee camp. I'm going to grab the goodie huts around his capital. PROBLEM: Please note Altar has not fully geared his sov or spouse. Also note he is not grabbing the goodie huts so I'm going to. My zoc around the capital expanded thus that spider/wolf stack tripped the alert. Not worried yet - capital is defended, sovereign stack is making a beeline to silver flute quest location. I'm watching what that 8 attack power bandit is doing around my 2nd settlement. May need to move Janusk back in. Another melee unit next round. Will arcane buff them all if needed.
• S28: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S28.EleSav Bandit moved away from 2nd settlement. Lejadiri was attacked by two monster stacks! What the monsters didn't realize is that Leja ran track in high school so she made a quick exit from both battles. Q'd up melee unit #3 in settlement near Altar in preparation for my assault. Wolf/spider stack moved outside my zoc. However, a lone wolf is near my refugee camp - will dispatch a crew from capital next round to get a new pelt.
• S29: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S29.EleSav Fun times! Altar decided to create a pioneer and move him outside the city without escort (despite the fact I'm running amok in his zoc) so Janusk clubbed the pioneer upside the head. Sov stack is moving towards silver flute location. Moved my capital garrison out to deal with the wolf. PROBLEM: Please note I cast arcane weapon on that stack and duplicated the bug where when there is one unit left in the stack without the buff, it auto-selects a unit and puts the buff on again. So my stack has 1 unit without it, and the other with 2. I'm not going to exploit that but I could make a 100 attack power melee unit and nuke the wolf.
• S30: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S30.EleSav Altar must have heard me complaining because he is now building a forward observer. I'm just not ready to tackle his capital yet. Dominated the wolf and moving the garrison back to the capital to heal. There is a bandit nearby but not worried. 2nd settlement is building a study. Arcane laboratory is almost ready in capital.
• S31: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S31.EleSav Well made a serious mistake. That stupid bandit sacked my refugee camp. I'm hightailing it back to the capital to heal that garrison and await melee #3 then I'm gonna whoop some bandit ass. Sov stack just completed the flute quest so now I'm heading back to heal and sell the flute. Time to put the nails in Altar's coffin.
• S32: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S32.EleSav Moved by capital garrison back into city to heal. 3rd unit will be ready next turn. Sent my sov to grab a goodie hut and sent his escort back towards my capital. 3rd melee unit completed in 2nd settlement, q'd up another one, moved stack out and arcane buffed, attacked bandit. PLEASE NOTE: the arcane buff correctly buffed all 3 units this time instead of double buffing one of them. Killed the bandit.
• S33 http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S33.EleSav Capital completed 3rd unit. Decided to build a merchant since I already have the fundamental improvements built. The buff to revenues will certainly help. Moved garrison stack out to deal with the bandit. I'm two squares away from bandit so decided to arcane buff the stack now in case it's attacked (worked correctly). Sovereign and escort moving back to zoc. Still light on the gildar - awaiting selling silver flute to gear Janusk and make final push for Altar capital.
• S34 http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S34.EleSav Bandit near capital is moving away - garrison is chasing. Completed study in 2nd settlement - now building arcane lab. Leja found one of the 10% production champions - going to see how much she costs. Sov and escort moving back to capital. Final campaign to defeat Altar will happen soon! Rebuilding the refugee camp since it's out of danger.
• S35 http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S35.EleSav Capital garrison dispatched the bandit and moving back to capital. A wolf moved in front of sov and escort - buffed the stack (worked correctly).
• S36: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S36.EleSav Melee #4 ready in 2nd settlement. Q'd up another. Sov stack dispatched the wolf but took some damage. Only 1 tile away from zoc so next round can sell the flute and finish Altar.
• S37: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S37.EleSav Sold flute and the midnight stone to raise some cash. Only 3 turns until leather armor so waiting on armor purchase for Janusk. Leaving capital unit queue empty to refocus on Altar. Bear moved in near 2nd settlement so moved garrison out to deal with it (arcane weapon buff prior and dispel after, worked correctly as I left Janusk to last). Dispatched bear and rounded out Janusk's stats to get 10 across the board.
• S39: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S39.EleSav 2nd settlement completed arcane lab - building hut so level 3 is a sure thing. Leather armor in 1 turn, heal in 2 turns.
• S40: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19969679/Elemental/PlaybyPlay/119a%20PlaybyPlay%20S40.EleSav Now have leather armor. Researching diplomacy to get trading for caravans. Moved sov back into capital (curently has +2 prestige bonus due to charisma). Upgraded melee design to replace padded cuirass with leather cuirass. Q'd up melee in 2nd settlement but left 1 garrison. Bought Janusk leather chest, head, and arms. Moving stack to take Altar out. PROBLEM: please note despite the fact Altar has at least 1 tech in warfare (proven by the forward observer) neither the sov or spouse has an oak spear or armor sets. Since I'm at war I can't see their current gildar but they probably have enough to gear thoset two. Also please note Altar is building a pioneer instead of spamming forward observers. Arcane buffed the stack - next round Altar is mine.

Summary:

Next round Altar is gone. Why did this happen? They left their 2nd settlement unguarded which allowed my completely ungeared Janusk to waltz in and obtain a foothold. Second, the AI is not gearing their sov and spouse. Third, they are making pioneers instead of defensive units. Fourth (minor), they aren't grabbing goodie huts which allowed me to gain some extra resources to strenthen my army. I'm also unclear why their faction power is over twice as strong as mine (also see it fluctuate from turn to turn, or after reload). It's obvious the faction power, in this situation, is completely incorrect and misleading. I'm one turn away from putting them six feet under and in total control of the situation. Brad - I hope this helps understand what some of us are saying. Thank you.

For seasons 41-60 see here: https://forums.elementalgame.com/404949