Part 35: Turtle (2 of 2)

Part 35: Turtle (2 of 2)

Turn 19



Last we left off, our rocket was making a heroic last stand. Here it hits one medium tank for major damage, while two battleships combine to take out the one parked on a city.



Here's the hidden benefit of focusing on the left peninsula for so long - almost nothing is left defending the right peninsula, and the beaches are better positioned for dropping off two infantry at once. If we can take just one city, we suddenly have a forward base to use for repairs and refilling ammo.



We've also finally cornered the enemy indirect units that have been running around our island for far too long. They'll both get in a shot at our battleship that put in for new ammo though.



Our rocket falls to the APC and medium tank, formally ending the second invasion.



Another medium tank is baited forward for some chip damage on this lander.



These islands aren't all that large and medium tanks and APCs have a ton of movement (for this game), so they're already making their way up to our infantry.



Yes, another medium tank.


Turn 20



The invasion from Blue that I embarassingly allowed is now over. I have better uses for those medium tanks.



Not very exciting, but for the first time I'm re-using an old lander to take on the next pair of troops from the HQ instead of building a new one. Not having to build new landers will let us get more battleships and vehicles out more quickly.



Rather than continuing to whittle down the units remaining on the left peninsula, I leave them several turns away and move our battleships over to cover the right peninsula instead.



The medium tank can't get through to us.



Won't stop the AI from building more. This time there's also a new rocket.


Turn 21



Two battleships quickly remove a medium tank. The other one hits the nearby APC.



The capture continues (the infantry was slightly injured, so it'll take a third turn). But we merged together two other infantry for a healthier screen, then unloaded a medium tank for some stronger support.



The home defense force gets onto a new lander.



I moved this injured infantry onto the city specifically so that when this medium tank attacked it, it'd have to do so from the plains and forego any city protection.



Still not getting many units on the right side, and the ones on the left side are in no hurry to go anywhere apparently.



There isn't enough offense in this game to make dealing with a new medium tank every turn any fun.


Turn 22



Finally! 22 turns in and we've taken our first city from Blue.



One battleship is able to erase this APC even though it's on a city.



Another battleship gets in a shot on this medium tank. Note that hard mode effect again - battleships should do 8-9 damage to an unprotected medium tank, but we only got in 7 damage here.



Our medium tank rolls ahead and gets the kill here anyway.



I did not expect the first medium tank kill to not happen until turn 22.



Getting some more heavy hitters now that we have a forward supply point.



A second medium tank unloads right behind the first.



Two medium tanks hit us on the right side, but can't knock us free. The left side is starting to clear up again, with a mech starting to capture the last neutral city.



Before this map is over I should look up how many medium tanks Blue built.


Turn 23



A new battleship has arrived and can't reach anything on the right side, so I get a bit of enjoyment out of hitting the capturing mech.



Spending battleship ammo on this infantry isn't really efficient, but the other two battleships already hit the medium tanks, killing one, so there weren't a lot of better targets left.



Our damaged medium tank heads out to finish off another enemy. Notably that's two enemy medium tanks destroyed this turn, above replacement level.



Another battleship hits this docked lander - the fifth battleship attack this turn. A sixth battleship enters the bay on the left side. We also unload a fresh rocket next to our supply point.



Our damaged medium tank barely hangs on, eating an attack from one from Blue's endless supply.



I mentioned there were a lot of enemy medium tanks around, right? A second one moves in to finish off ours.



I went through all the trouble of getting this infantry back up to full-life for a quicker capture, and this tank up and ruins it.



I have run out of lines for talking about the AI building new medium tanks.


Turn 24



The left side is looking pretty vulnerable again, and Blue still hasn't taken that last city.



Battleship and rocket eliminate a tank. Three other battleships each hit a couple medium tanks and the docked lander, respectively, but don't get any kills.



Slight delay in the third invasion as we tactically retreat and regroup.



Only one fresh medium tank is able to hit us on the right side thanks to that momentary retreat. There's a new infantry on the left side but I'm not any more inclined to let it take that last city this time.



...


Turn 25



I'll have to move up this battleship eventually, but for now it can still reach and finish off the closest medium tank.



This battleship finishes off the docked lander and the supply it's been carrying the whole map. We also unloaded a new medium tank and re-arranged everyone else to let the other medium tank repair on the city and protect the rocket and infantry. Yes, that's a supply I have on the front line, it'll be fine for one turn.



Two more battleships each finish off a medium tank that took damage on prior turns.



We also unload an APC on each island. The last unit type on the checklist!



This medium tank could've reached our medium tank or supply, but instead wasted its turn getting in a single point of damage on a battleship that only has one ammo left anyway.



An APC does make it to our supply but that's it. And for once Blue doesn't build a medium tank! Instead the open port fills up with a new lander, and the leftover funds are only enough for a regular tank.


Turn 26



Not letting this infantry take this last city. It was already hurt from when it got hit inside an APC a few turns ago, and the battleship finishes it off here.



The lander repeats its setup act from the first half, bringing the APC down to critical health.



More than enough for our APC to get its first kill in.



Challenge complete! APCs are hard to use in an island invasion but now I don't have to anymore. With the challenge over with, we can focus on the unit types that are actually helpful here. Let's go win this thing!



Rockets and battleships make a great team. The rocket goes first and gets in enough damage for the battleship to finish off this medium tank.



A fresh medium tank finishes off this APC after a battleship strike weakened it.



There's a rocket approaching us on the left side, so we unload a rocket and move in two battleships to keep it in check. On the right side, we unload another medium tank to form a solid line while our infantry starts capturing another city.



The rocket goes after one of the battleships, a good trade for us since battleships don't take any nonsense from anyone.



The AI really prioritizes hitting units that can't counter-attack, once again sending a medium tank against a battleship, this time one that's already out of ammo and about to retreat anyway.



Another medium tank and some trash to go with it.


Turn 27



The rocket+battleship combo strikes again, wiping out this enemy rocket.



The rocket+medium tank combo isn't quite as effective, "only" doing 9 damage to this medium tank.



Starting to make some headway on the right side now. If I could get some footsoldiers on the left side we'd have a good foothold there now as well.



The AI is getting desperate now. We had the usual attacks from a couple medium tanks and a tank (all our units lived), but also both of Blue's landers came out and attacked our landers. Even the rocket moved up into battleship range and close to our medium tanks. The remaining enemy medium tank highlighted here, heavily damaged, just merged into one of the other ones.



I don't really have to tell you what Blue built this turn, do I?


Turn 28



The ports give strong defensive bonuses to naval units, but battleships make quick work of landers out in the open ocean.



Three battleships going back for more ammo, and three landers (one off-screen) going back for more reinforcements.



We've got a second city on Blue's island. It's all downhill from here.



A battleship finishes off one medium tank, while I have a rocket and medium tank finish off another one. Blue's only medium tank remaining is the one that just got built last turn - that turned around quickly.



Another battleship gets in a first strike on the rocket that tried to sneak up on us, pretty much neutralizing it.



The last battleship in range finishes off this tank.



This medium tank is probably doomed so I use it to finish off the rocket. The only rocket that Blue has left now is sitting uselessly on the last remaining lander.



The mech starts capturing another city, somewhat protected by a line of vehicles.



Our medium tank on the enemy port eats the attack from the last enemy medium tank and somehow lives through it.



Likewise our damaged APC on the left peninsula survives the surprise arrival of an enemy APC.



Remember how I thought the mech was protected?



I'm not sure if this is a bug or a feature, but apparently a lander on a coast tile allows for ground units to pass through it as if it were a plain land tile. So the APC here is able to bypass our line and shred our capturing mech. That lander-coast tile only cost the APC one movement, too.



Some other nuisance attacks on our APCs and that's it for this turn. Blue turns out a rocket instead of a medium tank for once.


Turn 29



Battleships straight out eliminating vehicles will never not be fun.



The left side is back under control as well, with a battleship taking out an APC and a rocket, medium tank, and lander all combining to kill a mech.



Our right-side units are getting a little worn down, but Blue's actually down to just nine units remaining now. And two of those are trapped on a lander. The medium tank also took a battleship hit this turn and won't be hurting us again.



We've got two landers coming in at once to pick up some new troops, and enough cash saved up for a fearsome foursome.



We lost an APC to an APC and a lander to a lander, but our medium tanks held strong. The rocket also scratched our battleship. And Blue is back to building medium tanks.


Turn 30



Rockets and mechs don't do much damage to landers, but this one was already weak enough that they're able to take it out together. Along with the rocket and APC it was carrying!



Sometimes the key to winning these slugfests is using your own damaged units to most effectively finish off your opponent's damaged units. That leaves the fresh ones free to maximize their worth.



I can't decide what to do with this almost-dead medium tank, and end up just leaving it there to soak up an attack and try to keep our capturing infantry protected. On the left side I have a killing zone of rockets with an almost-dead APC out in front to bait the enemy medium tank.



Our medium tank and mech on the right side both fall to attacks, letting this APC through. But our infantry survives with enough life remainining to finish the capture next turn.



The AI opts for a rocket again this turn.


Turn 31



First things first, taking a third city from Blue here.



Only one of our rockets is able to hit the medium tank, but the other one teams up with our medium tank to finish off an enemy rocket here.



Two battleships are then able to destroy the other rocket.



If I didn't have to keep sending battleships back for more ammo, we'd be done a lot more quickly here. We do get rid of an APC on the right side, but we're running short of front-liners over there. Luckily a lander just arrived to drop off a new medium tank.



This medium tank is the last real threat remaining for Blue, and while it kills off our rocket here it's sitting in range of two rockets, two medium tanks, and two battleships.



The two tanks waste their turns attacking a battleship and a supply, but this APC does manage to finish off our infantry. We won't be doing any more captures on this side, but I don't think we'll need to anyway.



Blue still has plenty of income.


Turn 32



That last neutral city that Blue was never able to get? It's now ours.



Two rockets and a medium tank team up to take out a medium tank.



The battleships focus on the biggest remaining threats, a tank and the new medium tank.



Another battleship damages the last tank, while a rocket and this medium tank take out an APC.



This medium tank can't do much but I can have it beat up on a supply and block a build point.



Blue still has a lot of income left for what is now the mop-up phase, but the only attack they get in is a damaged tank chipping on a battleship.


Turn 33



We wipe out the new rocket, the tank, the mech, and both APCs with a series of overwhelming attacks. At least it wasn't just a supply left standing at the end this time.



We've actually taken four of Blue's cities now (plus a neutral one on their island that we never let them capture) but they still have enough income for all this.


Turn 34



Ha it wasn't the supply left at the end. But we're just one attack short of being able to end it this turn again.



Now we're in business, that rocket doesn't stand a chance.


Turn 35



Enough medium tanks, rockets, and battleships can overcome anything. At least in our hands.



Blue ended up building 22 medium tanks in 34 turns. Our heavy hitters were more evenly spread with a focus on the mighty battleships.



Let's allow the medium tank to finish things here.



There we go. This map was something of a slog as advertised, with the AI dumping a lot of income into turtling up on its island, but the challenge at least kept me engaged, so thanks for that. Hopefully it helped you all as well.



We ended up not even having that much of a cash advantage, with both sides having a huge base of funds for most of the map. But by the end we'd taken almost a third of Blue's cities anyway.



Well, 35 turns is a slightly better than average score. Pretty sure we would've been faster without the challenge and a higher focus on battleships early on (or maybe even all-battleships), but where would have been the fun in that?



We're back to a single island for the next map, a long skinny one at that. I'll keep the challenge options simple here:

• Unlock Mode 2.0 - Can't build a unit type until the AI has built one of that type (including on the first turn)
  
• Max Production 2.0 - Must build as many units as possible, while spending as much as possible, and merging together any units at half-strength or less.

Vote for your preferred challenge option in the poll here. If you have any other challenge ideas, toss them out there and maybe I'll pick up some extras!