How Smoky are the Smoky Skies? Well, they’re starting to heat up ~

By Brant Guillory, GrogDude

Click images to enlarge

Last time, we kicked off the scenario and got our first city in the ground. This time, we’re going to poke around the area a bit, and put a few more cities down.

Howdy Neighbor!
Pulias is just north of me.

Swap Embassies
And poof! his capital is on the map.

More important stuff
I’ve got my second city going in. And Turku is much nicer than Chicago. I want that water mill, because I get a production boost once I finish it in Vedria, but then here come the Privateers – the only naval unit I can build right now – to start exploring the rest of the map.

The Landsharks, er…
…land ironclads are now circling. See that Puliasian settler? He’s about to be a goner. Remember, we each only start with 3 settlers, and you’re not going to build any others. If you can put your neighbor’s settlers to the sword before they ever found a city, you’re at a HUGE advantage – he’s down a city and it’s one less for you to conquer later.

Military Build-up Coming
Since I’m about to pick a fight, I’m going to put my El Dorado-induced bankroll to work and pick up an extra land ironclad.

Charge!
Or maybe it’s “ka-chunkada-chunkada-chunkada” since they’re mechanical contraptions.

Uh, hell to the yes
this does, in fact, mean war.

Nah…
just you

Running Home Won’t Help
It just means that your momma gets to watch you get your ass kicked from her front porch.

Crap
There’s a city-state in my way. Looks like it doesn’t matter if my settlers are Tyre’d, they gotta keep walking.

Roll out the welcome mat…
How the hell did Pulias not get there first? Oh yeah, they’re getting slapped around by my ka-chunkadas.

Meanwhile, back East
Two more city-states – someone to trade with, maybe get drunk at a bar with, maybe get in a fight with… we’ll see.

And Down Goes The Settler!
See that worker in nice Vedrian blü? That’s all that remains of that Pulisian settler. Boo freakin’ hoo.

Mission Accomplished
Can we kiss and make up?

No?
Guess your beard is too tickly to kiss and make up? Fine. I was trying to let you off easy. Oh well. We’ll keep this up.

Social Development
Cutting back maintenance on roads and railroads is going to save some much-needed coin.

Oy.
My scout tripped over a barbarian encampment and landed in the ass-whooping.

Holding the Line
I’m not going to try to take down Pulias (the city) and beat the snot out of Pulias (the man). But I am going keep a few ka-chunkadas on the border to keep them from getting frisky.

See?
Frisky.

Hmmm…
Now you want to cut a deal?

What do you think? Should I take it? Or figure out a way to keep kicking his ass?

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