Part 133: Hinnom - Turn 39

Turn 39

The slow grind of ages marches on. King Hippomnomnomnom knows he can afford to be patient. His enemies will be crushed like so many Cheetos in the bottom of a lunch bag, but it may take time. An entire bag of Cheetos is not crushed in a single period, nor is a nation ground down to nothing in a single month. Unless it's a very good month.

First up, research. I briefly detour to get Conjuration 4 for Voice of Tiamat. Bloodhunting yields 50 slaves and there are four battles this turn.


Tiamat had a thing for King Hippomnomnomnom once when they were younger but it never worked out. Now all he can hear is her dead voice whispering of power under the sea. He sure hopes she's OK.


Having completed that project, I turn back to Construction. I'm headed for Mechanical Giants (fire immune, cold immune, lightning immune and poison immune, 80 hp, mindless so they never flee and only 12 gems with a construction site) at Construction 7. They will, I hope, replace my Melqarts as force projectors.


A group of dust warriors commanded by UNFROZEN CAVEMAN LAWYER reconquers Cacian Forest.


The Raksharaja raider advances homeward into Laerian Swamps where he kills a scout. I'm surprised at TheDemon as I was sure he would use the lab in Cacian Forest to Cloud Trapeze elsewhere.


Under the sea, additional mermaids are captured and forced to play opposite Tom Hanks in smash hits from the 80s.


Then Lanka. It turns out I've made a terrible mistake. Rather than sending PIMP ROBES or CODE RED ORDERER to attack Lanka with orders to retreat or telling them to hold their ground, I ordered them to attack. Even though I knew that TheDemon had a new method of killing giants (frozen heart) and was forging a weapon to defend against it. This is either hubris or stupidity and I am rewarded appropriately. Two Palankasha and 40 Gana die before my giants are cut down in the flower of their youth.


Let's see how! First, TheDemon throws up storm. I don't know why he continues to waste air gems on that. Maybe he's counting on me to send in a giant without lightning resistance. It certainly wouldn't be the first dumb thing I'd done in this game.


CODE RED ORDERER casts fire shield. Fire shield is going to absolutely murder Gana. Just watch.


TheDemon puts up Darkness again as well. But darkness doesn't change anything for me. Fire shield procs on attack and the fire brand has an AoE fire attack that automatically hits everything in a square. The fact that two giants wreathed in flames are flailing about in the dark like a hobo who found a jug of moonshine has very little effect on their ability to kill.


Once again the Palankasha slam into PIMP ROBES and do nothing.


But this time, this time something is different. Peak Theorycrafting has arrived once more to champion his worshipers. With cold, crustacean malice in its tiny eyes, the giant lobster lifts a claw and freezes PIMP ROBES solid.


Ouch. That's a single frozen heart.


PIMP ROBES manages to take out another Palankasha while the chittering horde of Gana throw themselves on CODE RED ORDERER's shield of fire.


And then, it is the end. Peak Theorycrafting silences PIMP ROBES forever.


CODE RED ORDERER quickly follows, but not before the rest of the Gana suicide on his flames. Only two are left, the smallest of the litter. In another age they might have entertained a crowd of Ermorian cavalry, cavorting with a ghostly organ grinder, but today they have little to look forward to. Their home is safe, but for how long?


In the distance the ground trembles as KING HIPPO JR heaves his bulk forward. He is accompanied by a horde of barbarians, avvites and dawn guard. I have mixed feelings about this attack. On the one hand, I had been hoping that this force would be able to besiege and storm Lanka. They may still accomplish this goal but, on the other, they're all vulnerable to thunderstrike (there is something I'm missing here and it is big) and we've seen how effective that is. I'm hoping that dispersing the units a little and setting them all as far forward as they can go will help with that. I wouldn't mind losing the barbarians as their upkeep is fairly expensive. I would prefer not to lose anyone else.


In Cacian Forest, UNFROZEN CAVEMAN LAWYER continues to pursue the raiding Raksharaja.


The last few turns I've been casting call of the Winds. This is what the spell is really good for - patrolling. I have two casts patrolling and am sending a third. The ability to overtax and patrol will provide a much needed income boost.


This turn has been as disastrous a turn as I've had in some time. Although I hope that the loss of his Gana blockers will expose TheDemon's Palankasha and, after that, his mages, the cost was too high. I knew frozen heart was coming and I should have waited a turn when I could have handed out frost brands, rendering my giants immune. Instead I sent them in hoping I don't know what. Whatever it was it didn't happen and now, rather than thinking it through I'm making another mistake by attacking TheDemon again rather than playing defense where I could use PD to soak up thunder strikes and a first turn advantage to get one turn closer to murdering Raksharajas before the lightning started flying. To add insult to injury, PIMP ROBES could have cast Returning and teleported back to my capital untouched. Still, this war has been incredibly costly for me already and it's not like a little more blood is going to affect my chances of winning the game.

Gemgen Counter

Bloodstones: 15
Cost: 75E, 120 slaves
Gems Generated: 74