Part of the campaign:

Welcome back everyone to what might well be the final round of Groundhog Day MK. VII! As you might recall, Great Qing still leads with 2.5 points, while the Kalinago and the Coast Salish each have 2 points, making them the only civs that ould overtake Great Qing. As such, this round will continue until such time as both of those civilizations are eliminated, or until somebody wins, whichever comes first. If another civilization reaches 2.5 points after this round, then the game will go into tiebreaker rounds.

Anyway, let's get started. Already we have a major shakeup, with both Great Qing and the Mughals choosing city locations they've never used before. Several other civs also pick spots that they haven't chosen in a while.

The first war is Ethiopia vs. Liège. Erard de la Marck has a very small army and he needs to start building units ASAP if he wants to survive.

A few turns later, the second war breaks out between Hejaz and South Korea, probably because Park Chung-hee has already settled a third city into disputed territory.

Sure enough, Hejaz takes Incheon.

Park Chung-hee makes peace with Hejaz and gives away Busan in the peace treaty—just in time for the Mughals and Algeria to declare war.

Algeria bombards Seoul down to the black but loses all of its melee units. South Korea will live on... for now.

Meanwhile, Semien gives away Wolleka to Tuscany, as is tradition.

The Mughals and the Faroe Islands team up against Great Qing! The first step in usurping Cixi's title is to eliminate her this round, so this is the right move.

Cixi joins the land trireme club. I honestly have no idea how or why this is happening.

Tuscany attacks Semien again, as is tradition.

...And loses Wolleka again, as is tradition.

The Mughals capture Peking! That's incredible; never before has Great Qing been the first to lose its capital.

The turn 100 stats reveal that Hejaz has the largest army, followed a short distance behind by Calusa.

Hejaz also has the highest crop yield.

But the Coast Salish edge out Hejaz in manufactured goods by two hammers.

Anyway, we return to—oh my. The Mughals have captured Anqing, eliminating Cixi of Great Qing in 21st place. That is a sentence I never thought I would write...

And it seems Seattle is already plotting to secure victory this round, as he attacks a much weaker France.

I'm not sure how I missed the DOW, but the Kalinago have captured that stupid Samoan forward settle, as is tradition.

Oh, and guess what. Semien just gave back Wolleka to Tuscany. As is tradition.

the Coast Salish, now with considerably fewer troops, capture Lyon.

Meanwhile, the Ilkhanate attacks Bosnia, and as so often seems to happen, Vhrbosna is already in trouble.

Ethiopia builds the Great Wall to keep out the Danes. But can it stop berserkers? We'll see, I guess.

Anyway, the Salish have now captured Paris, eliminating Napoleon III of France in 20th place. If Seattle keeps this up, this game could still be competitive.

Tuscany attacks Semien again! The question now is will they lose Wolleka again?

The Mughals attack the Faroe Islands, though it looks like Tróndur í Gøtu has set up a decent defensive force.

The Ilkhanate rolls into Vhrbosna, and although Bosnia might be able to flip the city initially, their chances of regaining it for good look pretty slim.

Montenegro attacks the Cherokee, threatening the border city of Tahlequah. Those British units cluttering up the area had best get out of the way.

Hejaz attacks South Korea again! This time, surely Park Chung-hee won't survive...

The Cherokee cock-block Montenegro by giving away Tahlequah to Great Britain. Naturally, Victoria razes the city.

The Ilkhanate send a naval strike force to the islands, capturing Srebrenik.

And Hejaz captures Seoul! Park Chung-hee of South Korea is eliminated in 19th place.

Denmark attacks Liège, presumably in order to grab Maastricht, which Erard de la Marck can't possibly defend.

Meanwhile, Tuscany captures Gondar, eliminating Gudit of Semien in 18th place!

And back in the northwest, Denmark has captured Maastricht.

And another capital falls as the Ilkhanate takes Bobovac! Bosnia continues to exist on a small tundra island.

The Cherokee resettled Tahlequah, only to give it to Montenegro in a peace treaty. How nice of them.

Ethiopia attacks Liège again, and this time, there really is nothing Erard de la Marck can do to save himself.

Suddenly, five civilizations attack Great Britain, including Montenegro and the Ilkhanate. (Insert joke about Victoria taking it from both ends)

Denmark grabs Liège before Ethiopia can take the city. How rude.

However, Ethiopia does get Tongeren, eliminating Erard de la Marck of Liège in 17th place.

Three turns later, the Mughals finally make some headway in a war that has been going for ages, capturing Torshavn from the Faroe Islands.

The turn 200 stats reveal that the Salish now have the largest army, edging out Hejaz by a decent margin.

The Salish also lead in science by two technologies.

However, the Mughals have overtaken them in manufactured goods.

Hejaz, seeing that they're being overtaken by the Salish, decide to fix that by attacking a depleted Montenegro.

But that doesn't stop Petar II from capturing Leeds.

Hussein bin Ali takes Tahlequah and moves on Cetinje...

Cetinje falls, but somehow Montenegro has retaken Tahlequah.

But then Hussein bin Ali finds himself in major trouble as Tuscany attacks from the west! It's clear that Hejaz is completely unprepared.

Meanwhile, the Ilkhanate finally makes some headway against Great Britain, taking Birmingham.

Algeria, desperate to do something in Mk. VII before it's too late, joins the fight against Hejaz.

The Ilkhanate takes Manchester and then negotiates peace with what remains of Great Britain.

Looks like Abdelkader's gamble is not going well, as Hejazi forces storm into Oran.

But just as Hejaz gains Algeria's second city, they lose their own to Tuscany.

So Hussein bin Ali naturally makes up for it by taking Montenegro's second city as well.

But Algeria captures it right away with a naval attack.

Ghazan decides it's time to finish off Bosnia. I agree with this sentiment.

Out of nowhere, the Mughals plunge down from the north and take Algiers, eliminating Abdelkader of Algeria in 16th place.

Akbar immediately declares war on Hejaz, which seems like a bad idea, given how isolated Algiers is.

Sure enough, Hussein bin Ali easily takes Algiers.

And then the Ilkhanate captures Jajce, eliminating Tvrtko I of Bosnia in 15th place.

Oh boy, seven civilizations have declared war on the Mughals! Calusa and the Faroe Islands are among the belligerents, so that means Akbar is at war with all of his neighbours.

In a move that strikes me as potentially suicidal, the Cherokee declare war on Hejaz.

Ethiopia also attacks Hejaz. Interesting.

But then Denmark attacks Ethiopia! This is the moment of truth: can the Great Wall stop Vikings?

Tuscany declares war on the Cherokee, ensuring that John Ross won't take Tahlequah, even if he survives.

Denmark takes Tongeren, at least proving that the Great Wall is not very effective at stopping naval attacks.

The Faroe islands decide to commit suicide by attacking Hejaz while still at war with the Mughals. The Kalinago come along for the ride. Also on this slide, the Mughals are bringing major pain to Calusa by capturing Muspa.

Tuscany takes Chota! John Ross of the Cherokee is eliminated in 14th place.

Even as his western lands are overrun by Denmark, Amda Seyon finds time to take Busan from Hejaz.

However, he immediately loses the city to Denmark.

The Kalinago navy begins harassing Hejaz, flipping Podgorica and blockading Algiers.

The Mughals capture Escampaha, exiling Calusa to a tundra island. Ouch.

Ethiopia flipped Busan back from Denmark, only to lose it to Hejaz again.

And then end is rapidly approaching for Ethiopia, as Harald Bluetooth takes Shire (and with it, the Great Wall).

Somehow, with his dying gasps, Tróndur í Gøtu captures the Busan canal with a single carrack.

Meanwhile, Akbar is reminded that he's at war with the Coast Salish when Seattle storms in from the sea to capture Escampaha.

And Denmark takes Tegulet, eliminating Amda Seyon of Ethiopia in 13th place.

Later that same turn, Hejaz takes Klaksvik, eliminating Tróndur í Gøtu of the Faroe Islands in 12th place.

Turn 300 arrives, and the stats tell us that Seattle's military advantage hasn't budged an inch.

His tech lead has also increased from two techs to three.

However, Denmark now has the most hammers, while the Coast Salish have fallen all the way to sixth.

The war between the Salish and the Mughals ends with Escampaha firmly in Akbar's hands.

Ghazan decides to finish off Great Britain.



Knock knock.

Who's there?

It's the Ilkhanate!

And London falls, eliminating Victoria of Great Britain in 11th place.

Apparently the Mughals are at war with the Kalinago, because they just took Podgorica. Interesting.

But the Mughals are also at war with Montenegro, and Petar II has retaken Podgorica!

The first international project is completed quite early, and Hejaz takes the top spot by a decent margin.

Tuscany ends a long grindfest against Denmark and immediately attacks Hejaz! Lorenzo de Medici seems pretty unprepared, however, so he'd better get units to the front as fast as possible.

The Ilkhanate and the Salish team up against Samoa. At stake is a huge city, one of the largest in the world, with very few attached land tiles.

And, naturally, the Ilkhanate takes the city and kills everyone there. Salamasina of Samoa is eliminated in 10th place.

Four civs suddenly attack Hejaz, including the Kalinago, the Mughals, and Montenegro. Note that Tuscany has conjured up a fearsome army and is now using it to threaten Hussein bin Ali's western cities.

Denmark joins the numerous other civs attacking Hejaz. It won't be an easy fight, however, as Hussein bin Ali hasn't skimped out on fortifying his Danish border.

But he's in major trouble elsewhere, as Tuscany takes Mecca itself! Goddamn!

The Mughals slowly make more progress against the Kalinago, capturing Pago Pago.

And Tuscany continues to fuck up Hejaz, taking Tahlequah.

The Kalinago capture Algiers with like three units.

And Denmark takes Busan as well. Hejaz is just completely crumbling now.

Tuscany pushes all the way through to the other side, taking Cetinje.

And the Mughals fight over the scraps, capturing Algiers from the Kalinago.

But suddenly, the Salish declare war on the Mughals again! Pago Pago is utterly screwed; Escampaha might be in trouble too.

Sure enough, Pago Pago falls almost immediately.

The Mughals wisely make peace with both Hejaz and the Kalinago with Algiers still in their possession.

Tuscany, however, continues to tear through Hejaz, taking Incheon.

Oran falls as well, and Seoul is in danger.

Seattle manages to take Escampaha, but his navy has pretty much evaporated.

Surprise! The Ilkhanate captures (and sacks) Algiers. This city just can't catch a break.

Tuscany takes Seoul! Really, the amount of land that Lorenzo has conquered in this war is astonishing.

And Denmark captures Klaksvik, eliminating Hussein bin Ali of Hejaz in 9th place.

The Mughals have retaken Algiers, so Tuscany immediately declares war to try to take the city. Unfortunately for Lorenzo, the Ilkhanate moves before he does.

But now, the turn 400 stats. Denmark has the largest army this time, with the Ilkhanate close behind.

The Salish still lead in science by three techs.

And the Ilkhanate have now taken the title in manufactured goods, while the Mughals have risen into second.

Anyway, the Ilkhanate has recaptured Algiers while Akbar and Seattle continue to squabble over Escampaha.

And then they make peace with Escampaha firmly in the hands of the Salish.

Seattle's next move is to declare war on the Kalinago. Kairouane won't stand a chance.

Camerhogne falls, and will almost certain flip.

It flips several times, but after nine turns, Seattle finally captures Wai'tukubuli and eliminates Kairouane of the Kalinago in 8th place.

A few turns later, he finally decides to finish off the Calusa. Mayaimi is captured on the very first turn of the war, eliminating Caalus of the Calusa in 7th place.

The Salish then turn on their next target: the Ilkhanate. However, I feel this might be a mistake, as Seattle hasn't had time to fortify Camerhogne and Wai'tukubuli against the Ilkhanate's navy.

Sure enough, Ghazan takes Camerhogne from the sea.

Wai'tukubuli follows shortly after ward as Camerhogne flips back and forth unceasingly.

Eight turns later, it's plain to see that both cities are still flipping.

However, after another 21 turns, it begins to appear as though the Ilkhanate has the upper hand.

And Seattle makes peace by giving away Pago Pago. Any chance of a Salish victory seems to have faded, but the round will continue until they're eliminated, per the rules.

Tuscany attacks the Mughals again, though their border is rather tough to filter units through. Lorenzo does have one advantage, though, which is that Akbar is already at war with the Ilkhanate.

Anyway, the turn 500 stats. Tuscany has just barely overtaken Denmark in military manpower, while the Ilkhanate is only a short distance behind as well.

The Salish still lead in science, but that lead has shrunk to just one tech.

And Tuscany now leads in production by a decisive margin.

That lead just got even bigger because Akbar decided it would be a good idea to give away Torshavn to Tuscany in a peace treaty.

Suddenly, the Ilkhanate attacks the Coast Salish! This might be it, folks—as soon as Seattle is eliminated, Great Qing will have won.

Lorenzo de Medici clearly knows this, and so he attacks the Ilkhanate in an effort to save the Salish!

The first city to fall is Algiers. Let the flipping commence!

But it won't be enough, because the Mughals and Denmark have now also declared war on the Salish. It seems unlikely that Seattle will survive this.

Escampaha falls as Mughal fleets surround Mayaimi.

And the Ilkhanate sacks Old-Man House! The end is near!

Denmark snipes Mayaimi, somehow.

The Ilkhanate makes peace with Tuscany, letting Lorenzo keep Algiers.

As Old-Man House flips back and forth, it somehow ends up in the hands of the Mughals.

Lorenzo, meanwhile, attacks the Mughals again. His army is much superior, but there's still no way he can defend Torshavn.

Meanwhile, the Ilkhanate once again has possession of Old-Man House, and they've taken Spahbahdeed now as well.

Lyon falls, and Seattle makes peace with the Ilkhanate. But he still has to worry about Denmark, which is sending a large army toward Paris.

Tuscany makes its first foray into Mughal territory, capturing Muspa.

As if on cue, the Ilkhanate joins the fight!

Ghazan quickly takes Escampaha and sacks the city.

Amazingly, Agra falls before Torshavn does. Could Lorenzo actually manage to hold the city?

Whoops, spoke too soon.

Escampaha flips to the Mughals, then to Tuscany. I have to say, Lorenzo de Medici is following a very unorthodox path of conquest.

The Mughals actually manage to strike back at the Ilkhanate yb taking Lyon.

But, hilariously, Akbar is still at war with the Coast Salish, and Seattle has managed to retake Lyon.

But before long, it flips back to the Mughals.

Somehow, Seattle manages to make peace with Denmark, ensuring that the round continues on a little longer.

Denmark attacks the Mughals and instantly takes Torshavn. Akbar responds by making peace with Tuscany and giving away Gaur and Anqing.

However, after 16 turns, the Ilkhanate manages to take Peking, eliminating Akbar of the Mughals in 6th place.

The turn 600 stats show that Tuscany still has the largest army, and their lead is growing, albeit slowly.

Tuscany has now also taken the lead in science by two technologies.

But the Ilkhanate has overtaken them in production by a mere 24 hammers.

The Ilkhanate attacks Denmark, which is interesting, considering they share a land border of just one tile.

Ah, this must have been the real target. Denmark's cheeky island capture of Mayaimi is now solidly in Ghazan's hands.

Amazingly, however, Harald Bluetooth manages to push through that tiny gap to capture Peking.

Ah, here it is at last. The Ilkhanate has decided to finish off the Coast Salish. When he takes Paris, that will be it—it will be impossible for anyone to overtake Great Qing, and the mark will end.

Just like that, Paris falls, eliminating Seattle of the Coast Salish in 5th place.



And with his elimination, so ends Groundhog Day Mk. VII. Cixi of Great Qing emerges triumphant with a final score of 2.5. Honourable mention must go to the Kalinago whose heroic feats in round 9 prevented the mark from being cut short.



Of course, there willl be a mark VIII, and the civ selection will be very soon! On Sunday, December 24th, I will post TWO threads eight hours apart. The first thread will be posted at noon US eastern time and the second one at 8 p.m. US eastern time. That's 5 p.m. and 1 a.m. in London, 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. in Israel, and 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday in Australia. Each session will have 10 slots, while the 21st civ will be chosen by me. Both suggestion threads will fill up within minutes, so make sure you get there as soon as it's posted.



Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!