Turn 10 - FP 11. Highest is Yithril at 18, lowest is Gilden at 10. Well, Lady Irane is downright scared. Decent starting spot with 4/3/2 and next to forest for logging camp. However, mountains to the west and ocean to the right. Expansion available to the north and south. Unfortunately, Air Shrill lair up north blocking next city expansion slot with 4 packs of roaming air shrills. To the south is a mite lair already sending out rabid packs of mini-devils. The roaming air shrills have over 600 hp and have already approached the city proper once. Lady Irane, along with Bannon Heighsley are together along with two spear chick units. Have upgraded the town watch so Irane now has 4x5 city spearmen defening the city along with Tarth's fledgling army. Irane must avoid paralysis by analysis and make a move. But to what direction and with how much force? Irane is considering maxing out city defenders at 9 with cheap spear units (which along with the 4 unit army) would provide 13 defenders against the air shrills. Could also consider making some pioneers to make an outpost to the north and south, each within 2 tile distance from the city hub to ensure armory/fort stacking. In addition, Tarth needs some tanks and range units. Technologically pursuing weaponry (for the tanks) and making a beeline for banditry to get the heartwood shortbow. Whether Tarth thrives or joins the history books may well depend on the decisions Lady Irane makes now. Save.

Kingdom Report:

 Lay of the Land:

Bane of Tarth:

Turn 20 - FP 19. Yithril highest at 28 and lowest is Resoln and Gilden, both at 16. Pretty uneventful prior 10 turns. Hope is now a level 2 town. Built a Tower of Dominion, Logging Camp, and are now upgrading to a Lumber Mill. Roaming mobs near Hope and then move on. Have 4 city spearmen and 1 city archer defending plus sov, hero, and 3 spear units. Designed a tank unit, researching banditry to allow bows. Also allows building an archery range and hideout to increase the number of archery defending units. At this point believe caution is the better part of valor - will proceed making an outpost to the north and south. Lady Irane is considering quitting her day job and return to pole dancing. Save.

Kingdom Report:

Lay of the Land:

Have you taken a look at the special Tarth traits for unit design? They are pretty awesome. I posted my unit designs in the MA thread if you want to take a look at how I designed them.

Staff, Mark of Tarth, Pugilist, Mark of the Claw makes for a pretty strong turn one meat shield. I like to pump out 6 of those from the start. If you already have Weaponry, Get Warhammers, Full Leather, Weapon Proficiency, Mark of the Wild and Mark of the Tiger. You can do some serious bash damage.

Turn 50 - FP 32. Yithril highest with 51, Tarth is now the lowest. Turn 50 was absolutely devastating. Irane's entire army was wiped and obliterated by the rat quest - a corpse spider. A corpse spider on crack, weed, meth, steroids, an energy drink, and a pack of Marlboros (& 700+ hp). After clearing the mite lair with little trouble, and spending the last 10 turns training a tank and a few bow units, some little crackhead asked Lady Irane to clear some rats from a cellar. Joke's on Irane... absolutely devastating. Irane will spend the next 5 seasons licking her wounds and Tarth will need to retrain a new army. Save.

Sean - I thought you hate spiders. Why, for the love of Curgen, WHY?

Kingdom Report:

Lay of the Land:

The beginning of the battle... Irane's got this:

Or not... Mother F$%k@r!

500 hp less... the spider is roaming the land.

Turn 60 - FP 30. Highest is Magnar with 63 and Tarth, unfortunately, is lowest. At this point Lady Irane is completely happy to lay low and not meet any of the AI fearing a massive dogpile. Furthermore, a game-ending stack of bandits is toying with Tarth's northern border. Do not yet have wardens to keep them at bay - must survive until then and explore south west for a possible 2nd settlement. Researching heroes to get wardens and nightwatches. Must also finish upgrading the outposts... too many things need to be done, not enough time. Magnar appears to be just outside Tarth's northern border... no dialoge yet, Irane senses a storm brewing... Save.

Kingdom Report:

Lay of the Land:

Tarth's Bane:

So that others may see through my eyes the dangers of spiders unchecked. 

Christ-all-mighty that those bandits have silly levels of HP. Volcanoes ASAP! Grand crusade against the mighty wolf army, their hit points may not be as glorious but valor to the Tarth all the same.

Wouldn't mind seeing the occasional stat screen for heroes or units you have a surprising break through with.

Turn 80 - FP 41. Altar is now in the lead with 85, Tarth is bringing up the rear. Being outpaced by the faction AI, hemmed in by impenetrable mobs. Irane has 2 choices: blast a wall through the mountains to the west via lower land (not practical, have only 2 mana per turn income) or move north, settle that spot, and stick the best 9 man army in there and immediately upgrade the defenses. Nothing left to lose... need to expand or toast. Risk of that move north is dialogue with Magnar and immediate border tension - once Magnar knows Tarth exists, let the dogpile begin. Irane is heading back north to prepare the advance settlement. Hope will start training a pioneer... as Iron Maiden says, if you're gonna die, die with your boots on. Save.

Kingdom Report:

Lay of the Land:

Tunr 90 - FP 40. Yithril highest at 116, Tarth by far is lowest. Irane is trying one slow methodical approach up north... push the boundaries of Tarth on top of the Air Shrill lair and the out of control bandit lair. Upgrade to warden and hope the beasties leave and wander into Magnar's area. The primary lair guardians may not move but that's ok... I think. If Irane can push the mobs out and then settle that tile, Tarth can immediately move in 9 defenders plus obtain the city defenders. Immediate upgrades to city defenders would be priority, including getting that town to a level 2 fortress asap. Irane is not optimistic the plan will work but there's nothing really left to do other than party or raise some land around the mobs and hope Earth exists out there, Battlestar Galactica style. Save.

Kingdom Report:

Lay of the Land:

Northern Boundary (those are my lonely and isolated wardens!):

Part of the reason you have so many lairs in one place is that your map size is rather small. The current strategy you have should work though. Hideouts are definitely your friend.

Turn 120 - FP 56. Yithril is in the lead with 151. Nothing much has changed the past 10 turns. Now building high towers to expand zoc on both existing outposts. Magnar has not yet sent any stacks. Still trying to hoodwink those mobs into letting me settle that spot up north...

Thanks for the input, Salurian. Magnar is beginning to send some nasty stacks Irane's way, built off Sean's diabolical default unit templates. This could be over sooner rather than later...