Part of the campaign:

Welcome back to could very well be the penultimate round of Groundhog Day Mk. VI! We've gone through eight rounds and still nobody has won more than once. This is really unprecedented, and it may well be that we don't have a winner until the very last moment.

The second cities are founded, and Taungoo seems to have chosen a new location. It's rare for anyone to do that this far in.

The first war breaks out quite late (in other rounds, civs have been eliminated earlier than this round's first war). Taungoo has attacked Carthage, and Utique seems vulnerable.

Another wars starts, between Austria-Hungary and the Ottomans. Neither seems prepared for conquest, but you never know.

Iceni attacks Han, and Luoyang is looking pretty... squishy.

Two more wars start: The Gauls attack Finland, Syracuse attacks Phoenicia. We're off to a strong start so far!

Carthage makes peace with Taungoo and gives away Utique. Bayinnaung burns the city. RIP.

As usual, the Gauls have little trouble capturing Espoo. The only question is if they'll try to go all the way and eliminate Finland.

Apparently the Ottomans settled Bursa and Austria-Hungary captured it. So that's a thing that happened.

Han makes peace with the Iceni and gives away Luoyang, a city Gaozu probably could have held on his own. A shame, really.

Anyway, it's approximately turn 100, and that means it's time for stats. The Beothuk, thanks to their Demon Heads, are on top in military while typical frontrunners the Tlingit and the Gauls are close behind.

Three civs are tied in tech; there's nothing of great note to found here.

And Austria-Hungary leads in production, with three civs tied for second. It's a close race, that's for sure.

Out of nowhere, the Mississippi give Moundville to Syracuse in a peace treaty. The ultimate test for Dionysius will be holding onto this city, and I'm really not sure he can do it.

Well, I didn't see that one coming either. Iceni has just declared war on Carthage, only to lose Luoyang. I see a lot of flips in this city's future.

Luoyang is back in Iceni hands, and now Saba is doing major to Qart Hadasht. The end might be near for Queen Dido...

And just like that, Saba captures Qart Hadasht. But Dido isn't quite dead yet, because she captured Luoyang one last time...

And then Boudicca retakes Luoyang, and Dido of Carthage is eliminated in 21st place.

Saba joins Austria-Hungary in attacking the Ottomans! Edirne might be in serious danger, because the Sabaean army is huge.

Syracuse builds the Great Wall. That's an excellent step toward fortifying Moundville.

Sure enough, the Sabaens quickly capture Edirne.

And then Austria-Hungary takes Istanbul. Mahmud II of the Ottomans is eliminated in 20th place.

Out of nowhere, the Gauls capture Cahokia, eliminating Tuskaloosa of the Mississippi in 19th place. Whoa.

The Tlingit then make peace with the Gauls and give away Taku. Vercingetorix is on a roll.

Greenland and Han attack Iceni! Will this backfire on Erik as it so often seems to do?

We'll find out after this break, because it's time for more stats. The Sabaeans now have the largest army, with Syracuse rocketing into a second. That's a surprise.

The three-way tie for first in tech has turned into a five-way tie.

And the Sabaeans and Gauls are neck in neck in production. This is really anyone's game still.

Back to the action, where Phoenicia has declared war on Iceland!

And of course Greenland's DOW fails as Boudicca captures Garedhar.

The UK makes peace with Syracuse and gives away Liverpool! Dionysius's indefensible exclave expands!

Meanwhile, Iceni captures Brattahlid, eliminating Erik Thorvaldsson of Greenland in 18th place.

The Gauls attack Finland again! Are they going for the kill this time? In the background, Saba also attacks Iceni.

Iceland makes peace with Phoenicia and gives away Vatnafjorður. (As a side note, I don't have an Icelandic keyboard, so every time I want to type out their cities with the extra Icelandic letters, I have to go to the Wikipedia page for Icelandic Orthography and copy them. Fortunately, it now comes up as the third suggestion when I type "w" into the address bar. :P)

The Sabaeans snag Luoyang from Iceni. Can they hold it?

And just like that, Vercingetoric captures Helsinki, eliminating Urho Kekkonen of Finland in 17th place.

More civs, including Taungoo, join the war against Iceni! This is when Boudicca really needs to live up to her reputation!

Here we go boys! It's the Sabaeans vs. Austria-Hungary!

...And it's already over. Franz Joseph has given away Prague in the peace treaty.

Suddenly, Syracuse and Phoenicia declare war on the Gauls! This will be a sight to see!

The Sabaeans move on their next target: the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, more civs join against the Gauls. Moundville drops to yellow.

But Vercingetorix is not winning this fight. As Moundville distracts basically his entire army, Syracuse rolls in and takes Vienne.

Austria-Hungary restarts the war against the Sabaeans! Several cities might be in trouble now...

But that doesn't stop Makeda from capturing Birmingham.

16 turns later—because I was very distracted—Austria-Hungary appears to have overrun both Prague and Nashshan.

Peru founds the world congress. I find it appropriate that a civ that has basically done nothing the whole game gets to be the neutral meeting ground.

Phoenicia declares war on the Tlingit! Neither side is what I would call weak, so this might be bloody.

Time for another round of stats! Syracuse now has the most soldiers, which I don't think I've ever seen before.

The Wabanaki and Sabaeans are now the only two civs still tied for the tech lead.

And the Sabaeans now have the most production, with Austria-Hungary and Syracuse chasing them at a safe distance.

Anyway... What's this? Iceni and Saba have declared war on Taungoo? Have at it!

Boudicca quickly captures Sagaing, the city built next to the ruins of Utique.

Phoenicia takes Kaliakh, and judging by its population, this isn't the first time either.

Suddenly, Syracuse and Phoenicia team up a second time to take on the Gauls! GO SYRACUSE!!!

The Tlingit join in, despite their one-tile capital being entirely surrounded by Gallic territory.

Meanwhile, the Sabaeans attack Macedon.

And Peru declares war on the UK! A new set of wars is now fully underway!

HOLY SHIT that was fast! Syracuse has capture Bibracte and shows no signs of stopping!

Espoo falls! I can hardly believe my eyes!

And Syracuse snipes Taku from the Iroquois!

Meanwhile, Saba takes Veroia, initiating a long series of flips.

The Iroquois swoop in and take Helsinki! Only Cahokia remains!

Peru captures London in the meantime, eliminating George V of the United Kingdom in 16th place.

And then Syracuse takes Cahokia, eliminating Vercingetorix of the Gauls in 15th place. Dionysius has done it, the absolute madman!

Suddenly, almost every civ declares war on Iceni. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Boudicca might be fucked...

Indeed, Taungoo starts by capturing Garedhar.

The Wabanaki capture Sagaing, but they might struggle to jam their troops through the narrow gap to Venta Icenorum.

Turn 400 stats! Syracuse still has the largest army, but somehow Phoenicia's military is almost as big.

However, Syracuse has taken the lead in technologies and seems unlikely to lose it.

And Syracuse now leads in production by a decent margin. It's not a sure thing yet, but we might be looking at our next winner already.

Oh. Oops. The Sabaeans have taken Pella, eliminating Alexander of Macedon in 14th place.

Syracuse contributes the most production to the world's fair, surprising no one.

Um, somehow Phoenicia has captured Garedhar. Alrighty then.

Boudicca then suffers another major loss as Han takes Brattahlid.

And then the Wabanaki capture Venta Icenorum! I eat my earlier words.

Brattahlid flips back to Iceni and then to... Phoenicia? Well, I'm not going to complain.

Then finally Taungoo captures Caister, eliminating Boudicca of Iceni in 13th place.

Then a new war begins: Beothuk and Iroquois vs. Taungoo! Nonosbawsut's tech advantage is surprisingly large, too.

In fact, he uses it swiftly to capture Hanthawaddy.

And then the Wabanaki join the war! This will be a slaughter!

The first city to fall is Caister, using only a handful of units.

Taungoo is next, though it might flip back.

It does flip back, but then the Iroquois capture it. It looks like it will stay in their hands.

But that's not stopping the Wabanaki, and they continue on to take Pyaymyo.

But then the Iroquois capture Bago! This is... unexpected.

And finally the Beothuk recapture Hanthawaddy, eliminating Bayinnaung of Taungoo in 12th place.

The Sabaeans win the next international project, suggesting that Syracuse is not 100% top dog just yet.

The Iroquois attack the Beothuk, betraying their former ally! Ouch!

They start by taking Hanthawaddy, adding further to their disconnected western territories.

But suddenly, Syracuse attacks the Iroquois! And Dionysius has FUCKING MODERN INFANTRY. This could be rather disastrous for Hiawatha.

And then the Wabanaki decide it's high time to clear up those cheeky Phoenician colonies.

Garedhar quickly falls. Brattahlid doesn't have much longer either.

Syracuse captures Helsinki, though there's considerable danger that it could flip. But fear not, for Syracuse has invented artillery!

Meanwhile, Iceland is making short work of the Iroquois colonies on the island, taking Buffalo Creek.

And the Wabanaki take Brattahlid. I have to say, he got in on the game very late, but Henri Membertou is definitely making a name for himself this round.

And Iceland takes Awkesasme, kicking the Iroquois off the island.

And then Iceland turns on its next target: Phoenicia. I'm really not so sure about this one... I can't really see how this won't backfire in Ingolfur's face.

Sure enough, the Phoenician navy takes Buffalo Creek, but it might not last.

And elsewhere, Iceland has recaptured Vatnafjorður! Perhaps Ingolfur made the right choice after all!

Back on the other major front, Syracuse has flipped Osininka for the first of around a dozen times.

Turn 500 arrives bearing more stats. Syracuse still has the largest army, and its lead is growing.

Their tech lead has also increased from two techs to thirteen. Jesus.

But their production lead has eroded to the point that they are now just three hammers ahead of the Sabaeans.

Iceland takes Byblos! Ingolfur's army is actually really badly worn down, but he's still fighting!

Um, alright then. Austria-Hungary has captured Chang'an, eliminating Gaozu of Han in 11th place.

The Tlingit apparently joined the war against Phoenicia and have recaptured Kaliakh! Incredible! And offscreen, Iceland has captured Sidon.

And then Iceland takes Tyre, eliminating Hiram I of Phoenicia in 10th place. Holy shit, I can't believe Ingolfur pulled that off...

The Beothuk turn the tables and attack Iroquois! But can they get anything before Syracuse finishes the job?

Well, they definitely aren't getting Onondaga, because Syracuse just captured it.

And on the northern front, they're actually losing, as Hiawatha captures Megwe'saqsit Lnu.

But then the Wabanaki attack the Iroquois, and it's all over for Hiawatha!

Grand River falls immediately, and there's little Syracuse or the Beothuk can do about it.

Hiawatha makes peace with Syracuse and gives away Taungoo and Hanthawaddy. It's now up to the Wabanaki to finish the job.

But wait—there's more! Syracuse has declared war on the Beothuk!

And then the Wabanaki take Bago, eliminating Hiawatha of the Iroquois in 9th place.

Peru takes Gwitn Tewje'g... excuse me, what?

Nonsbawsut manages to take Hanthawaddy from Syracuse, but it's all futile in the end.

Gwitn Tewje'g flips back to the Beothuk and then to Syracuse.

Then Dionysius takes Melgita't itself!

And Megwe'saqsit Lnu...

And finally Syracuse retakes Hanthawaddy, eliminating Nonosbawsut of the Beothuk in 8th place.

And then... OH GOD. Syracuse has declared war on the Wabanaki!

Austria-Hungary joins in, because why the hell not.

Henri Membertou starts by taking Taungoo, but in the long run he's probably fucked.

Grand River is the first city to fall. If he had artillery, maybe Henri would stand a chance, but without...

Syracuse continues to push forward, taking Pyaymyo.

Keskpuwitk itself is the next city to fall! Goddamn!

Taungoo is captured...

And Potlotek...

And Bago...

And Sagaing...

Austria-Hungary takes Brattahlid...

And Syracuse captures Venta Icenorum...

And Pannaqambskek...

And Garedhar...

And Austria takes Caister and gets the kill. Henri Membertou of the Wabanaki is eliminated in 7th place.

The Sabaeans attack Peru! Time to whittle down the contenders even further!

Somehow, Makeda takes Arequipa before taking London.

But then she takes both of them again anyway.

BUT WAIT! Syracuse has declared war on Saba! It's game over, boys!

Austria-Hungary joins the fun, immediately capturing Arequipa!

The Sabaeans respond by capturing Pannaqambskek from Syracuse. Can they hold out?

They also retake Arequipa. Makeda might actually hang on here...

Or not, as the Syracusan navy arrives to take Arequipa.

Dionysius also retakes Pannaqambskek and captures Qart Hadasht.

London falls; everything is crumbling...

Veroia is captured...

Pella is captured...

Sirwah falls...

But wait! The turn 600 stats! And guess who has the biggest army...

And leads by 17 techs...

And has more production than everyone else combined...

And just like that, Saba makes peace by giving away Birmingham and is left with only its capital.

Syracuse then decides that it's time focus on Iceland.

Sidon falls quickly and with little resistance.

At the same time, Syracuse and Austria-Hungary team up again to kill the Sabaeans.

But that doesn't prevent Dionysius from capturing Reykjavik and Þingvellir.

Ma'rib falls, eliminating Makeda of the Sabaeans in 6th place.

And on the same turn, Syracuse captures Tyre.

And then Byblos...

And then Iceland makes peace, giving away Buffalo Creek, Akwesasme, and Borgarnes.

The next civ on the chopping block is the Tlingit. Chilkat falls on the turn war is declared.

And it only takes one more turn for Syracuse to take Kaliakh as well, eliminating Sheiyksh of the Tlingit in 5th place.

Syracuse is not stopping! It's time for war against Austria-Hungary!

The first gains are made up north, where Syracuse has taken Caister.

And Brattahlid...

And Chang'an...

Then Dionysius begins to capture cities down south as well, beginning with Istanbul.

Nashshan follows...

Then Prague... XCOMs are raining across Franz Joseph's core now.

Vienna falls!

And Budapest!

And finally with the fall of Bursa, Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary is eliminated in 4th place.

This might be the largest margin of victory in an international project that I've ever seen.

Anyway, having just missed turn 700, I declare world war on turn 701. This should be over fast.

And guess what, it is. With the fall of Lima, Syracuse wins round 9! And what a game it was, fucking hell...

The ranking now stands as follows:



Syracuse: 1

The Gauls: 1

Peru: 1

The Tlingit: 1

Phoenicia: 1

Han: 1

Taungoo: 1

Iceni: 1

The Ottomans: 1



Now, it might come down to round 10—or even overtime rounds—to determine the winner, so make sure you don't miss any of the round to come!