Part of the campaign:

Welcome back to another fabulous round of Groundhog Day Mk. VI! After round 5, we reached the half way point of this series, and still nobody has won more than once. Will this be the round to change all that? Let's find out!

The second cities roll out, and although there are some civs who took the less common of their two preferred settles, only Phoenicia has really bucked the trends.

The first war begins on turn 37 when the Ottomans attack Austria-Hungary, and unlike many first wars, his one has a pretty good chance of going somewhere.

And in fact it does, as the Ottomans capture and raze Budapest six turns later.

Another war starts when the Tlingit attack the Iroquois. Defying Hiawatha, Sheiyksh has managed to settle a third city in a spot that Iroquois border expansion usually renders non-viable.

The Gauls attack Finland, and as so often seems to happen, Urho Kekkonen is completely unprepared.

...So Kekkonen gives away Espoo in the peace treaty. He was actually holding his own too, judging by the fact that the city is undamaged. What a shame.

The Tlingit capture and raze Osininka! It's a strong start for Sheiyksh, but it would have been better if he kept the city.

The Sabaeans attack the United Kingdom! The defenses around Birmingham are looking pretty sparse, since George has been fighting off an attack from Alexander.

The Gauls and Phoenicia team up on Syracuse! I hate to say it, but I don't think Dionysius stands a chance.

Saba captures Birmingham! That's the first city to be captured and not razed.

Turn 100 comes around and brings it with the stats. Somehow the Beothuk have the largest army. Okay, I'm not going to trust InfoAddict ever again

The Tlingit lead in science by one tech; a lead that small this early is probably meaningless though.

And the production race is very close with Phoenicia and the Tlingit tied for first while the Gauls are only one hammer behind.

The Iroquois give away Osininka to the Tlingit in a peace treaty, and on the same turn, Sheiyksh builds the Great Wall. The Tlingit are definitely doing well so far.

George V decides to split his empire in half by giving away Liverpool to the Wabanaki. Smooth move.

Suddenly, Syracuse loses its capital to the Mississippi! I didn't even take a screenshot when they joined the war because I didn't think it would amount to anything.

The Wabanaki attack Macedon! Can they unite their core with their colony? Personally, I doubt it.

The Sabaeans join the war against Macedon! Alexander might actually be in trouble now.

And Phoenicia captures Adranon, eliminating Dionysius of Syracuse in 21st place. Fun fact: this is the first time someone other than Greenland or Finland has finished last.

And then a stream of DOWs flows in as Peru and the Wabanaki attack the UK and the Mississippi and Tlingit attack Phoenicia! I definitely expect something to come from both of these wars.

Peru captures London! That was really fucking fast.

The Mississippi are also pushing in their own war, capturing Adranon from Phoenicia.

And some headway is finally made against Macedon when the Wabanaki snipe Veroia out from under Makeda's nose.

But Veroia quickly returns to Alexander's hands, and he seems to have made peace with the Wabanaki.

Meanwhile, Peru captures Manchester, eliminating George V of the United Kingdom in 20th place.

The Sabaeans capture Veroia! Now, can they hold it any better than the Wabanaki?

The Beothuk and the Gauls attack the Tlingit! The only city in any real danger here is Osininka.

Sure enough, the Beothuk capture it without much difficulty.

The Tlingit also may have received Byblos in the peace treaty with Phoenicia. I don't think they actually captured it.

The Iroquois give away Grand River to Taungoo in a peace treaty. Smart move.

But then the Beothuk, Greenland, and Carthage all declare war on Taungoo! Bayinnaung might be in trouble here, especially if the Iceni join in.

Han attacks Greenland! We all know what happens next...

Yep, Boudicca also declares war on Erik Thorvaldsson. This will be over fast.

The Iceni take Garedhar; numerous units are approaching Brattahlid.

And Han captures Brattahlid, eliminating Erik Thorvaldsson of Greenland in 19th place. That's actually their second best performance (their best is 18th).

Gaozu then moves straight for his next target: the Iceni. This might be a tough fight, but let's see what happens.

Meanwhile, Phoenicia has recaptured Adranon from the Mississippi.

And Han's DOW backfires and the Iceni take Brattahlid! Ouch!

Time for the turn 200 stats! The Mississippi have the largest army, with a decent down to the second place Sabaeans.

Makeda leads in technologies, however, so Tuskaloosa had better watch out to make sure that she doesn't overtake him by building better units.

And the Sabaeans also have the most production, beating out the Mississippi by 21 hammers. Interesting.



Anyway, as an interesting side note, the first war between the Ottomans and Austria-Hungary only recently ended.

The Tlingit declare war on the Iroquois! Hiawatha looks like he can hold out a while, but in the end he's probably screwed.

The Mississippi decide to take on Finland! With their longswordsman replacement going up against spearmen, this should be pretty easy.

Taungoo seems to have turned the tables on the Beothuk and captured Melgita't! Whoa!

Nonosbawsut recapture Melgita't and makes peace, handing over Osininka and Megwe'saqsit Lnu in the treaty. If I were Bayinnaung I wouldn't have accepted those terms, but whatever.

Sure enough, Tuskaloosa takes Helsinki without too much trouble, eliminating Urho Kekkonen of Finland in 18th place.

Taungoo then turns on the Iceni! This will be a pretty nasty battle—who will come out on top?

It looks like it might be Iceni, because Boudicca just captured Bayinnaung's second city.

The Mississippi attack Phoenicia again! And this time, they have musketmen.

Iceland joins the fun! Here we go!

And the Tlingit pile on its well! It's a Phoenicia partitioning party!

Apparently the Iceni are also at war with Carthage, and Dido just captured Taungoo! Somehow, both Boudicca and Bayinnaung are losing this war.

Iceland captures Sidon, and Tyre is down to yellow! Who will take the biggest prize of all?

Macedon makes peace with Saba and gives away Thessalonica, which Makeda elects to raze. Oh well.

Iceni recaptures Taungoo and makes peace with Carthage, only to face a DOW from Han.

Then Carthage, Macedon, and the Sabaeans team up against the Wabanaki! It's chaos on the western plains!

Han recaptures Brattahlid! Is Boudicca starting to collapse?

Oh my god! Iceland has captured Tyre, eliminating Hiram I of Phoenicia in 17th place! GO ICELAND!!!!!

Taungoo unexpectedly captures the Wabanaki capital, Kespukwitk! It seems that they made peace with the Iceni and were therefore able to redirect troops against Henri Membertou. Also pls ignore grid

The division of the Wabanaki continues as Carthage capture Potlotek. Pannaqambskek doesn't have long for this world either.

And Carthage captures that as well! Don't forget, the Wabanaki still have Liverpool and aren't eliminated yet.

The Mississippi declare war on the Gauls! Vercingetorix has a lot of units jammed into his borders, but Tuskaloosa's units are more advanced.

Han continues to push against the Iceni, taking Garedhar!

The Mississippi make short work of the Gallic defenses, taking Espoo after seven turns.

Another six turns nets them Vienne as well! Vercingetorix is going down!

And then Bibracte falls, eliminating Vercingetorix of the Gauls in 16th place.

The Sabaeans found the world congress. Right.

Iceland declares war on the Tlingit! At the very least, I expect Ingolfur to capture Byblos...

But first it's the turn 300 stats! The Mississippi still lead in military manpower, and their lead has grown too. Interestingly, Taungoo is in second.

The Mississippi also lead by three technologies, enough that it could be starting to make a difference.

Tuskaloosa also has the most production. After the previous round when the Mississippi played very well only to finish second, are we finally looking at a path to victory for Tuskaloosa?

The Mississippi declare war on Iceland, and in response Ingolfur makes peace with the Tlingit without capturing Byblos. For shame.

Tuskaloosa captures Sidon, but Iceland is definitely fielding a competent defense.

Sheiyksh finally captures Onondaga! Seriously, that took forever. Hiawatha of the Iroquois is eliminated in 15th place.

Taungoo and Carthage declare war on Macedon! Alexander has very little production and his capital is already taking damage, so this might be the end of the line for him.

Iceland and the Mississippi agree to peace with Ingolfur handing over Reyðarfjall.

The Mississippi then declare war on the Tlingit. However, Sheiyksh has geography and the Great Wall on his side, so I don't expect Tuskaloosa to gain anything here.

A war between Han and the Ottomans that I didn't even record ends with a bang when Gaozu captures Edirne then receives Bursa as well in the peace treaty. Wow.

Iceland declares war on the Tlingit again! Can Ingolfur actually take something this time?

The Mississippi declare war on the Wabanaki! Can Tuskaloosa breach Henri Membertou's mountain fortress?

Iceland captures Byblos! Woo!

And in a surprise development, Taungoo captures Pella, eliminating Alexander of Macedon in 14th place.

Taungoo declares war on Carthage immediately afterward. Is this a good move? I'm not sure.

Perhaps it wasn't, as Dido captures Pella.

But then Taungoo recaptures it and the two sides make peace. That was pretty pointless.

And Tuskaloosa captures Liverpool, eliminating Henri Membertou of the Wabanaki in 13th place.

Taungoo and Carthage, still fresh off their earlier scuffle, team up against Iceni! Boudicca is probably screwed here.

Somehow, the Tlingit have managed to capture Reyðarfjall with a naval attack. Impressive.

Then Shieyksh makes peace with Tuskaloosa and hands over Taku. But he will at least keep Reyðarfjall.

Taungoo recaptures its namesake city! Carthage nearly got it, but Bayinnaung was very much determined to get that city back.

Whoa, what? The Ottomans have declared war on Han! And they're already winning!

Iceland declares war on the Tlingit again! It's time to take back Reyðarfjall!

Not content fighting only Iceni, Taungoo declares war on Han as well.

Iceland recovers Reyðarfjall! Spectacular!

The Ottomans retake Bursa; Edirne looks like it's next in line.

It's a clash of the titans—the Mississippi have declared war on Taungoo! But can Tuskaloosa push through the difficult geography that lies between them?

Taungoo captures Venta Icenorum! Will Bayinnaung go all the way?

Han brings the hammer down on those upstart Ottomans, retaking Bursa and putting the pressure on Istanbul itself.

But just when hope seems lost for the Ottomans, Carthage attacks Han! But is it too late?

Taungoo captures Garedhar from Han, showing that indeed, not all is well for Gaozu.

Turn 400 stats are here! As they have since turn 200, the Mississippi lead in soldiers, while the Sabaeans have risen to second.

Tuskaloosa's tech lead hasn't changed at all.

But their production lead has grown significantly. There isn't anyone who can challenge that right now.

But Bayinnaung is going to try anyway, and so he has captured Taku with a naval surprise attack.

It seems there wasn't any hope for the Ottomans after all. Han has captured Istanbul, eliminating Mahmud II of the Ottomans in 12th place.

And then Taungoo takes Caister, eliminating Boudicca of Iceni in 11th place.

The Mississippi also recapture Taku, and it doesn't look like Taungoo can do anything about it right now.

Bayinnaung continues to push forward against Han, capturing Brattahlid!

Carthage is doing damage to Han as well, taking Istanbul!

Gaozu retakes Istanbul, only to lose Edirne.

Then Carthage holds both cities. Gaozu is losing his grip here.

Iceland attacks the Tlingit a fourth time. This seems to be an ongoing rivalry.

Carthage has made peace with Han, but Taungoo continues its rampage, taking Jinyang.

The Mississippi attack the Tlingit, and now that they have an easy route over the mountains, Sheiyksh might be in major trouble.

He does, however, manage to capture Borgarnes.

The Sabaeans attack Carthage! This is going to be bloody!

Jinyang flips, and this time Bayinnaung decides to raze it.

Carthage is the first to strike in this war, taking Sirwah from Saba.

Tuskaloosa takes the Tlingit capital! The end is near for Sheiyksh!

Saba responds to the fall of Sirwah by capturing Utique. The two civs have now traded their second cities.

Han makes peace with Taungoo and receives Luoyang. Gaozu is now fully crippled.

Then Carthage and Iceland declare war, ensuring that Gaozu's struggle continues.

Saba makes peace with Carthage and gets Sirwah back. Thanks to that last-minute trade, Makeda has won the war.

Han takes the Icelandic city of Flókadallur! The tiny colony never stood a chance.

Saba declares war on Austria-Hungary! After being rendered irrelevant in the very first war, it's kind of a shock to discover that they're still around.

Taungoo declares war on the Beothuk! Nonosbawsut had better start writing his last will and testament.

The Tlingit make peace with the Mississippi and give away both Kaliakh and Borgarnes, exiling themselves to Onondaga and their city on the island.

And the Sabaeans finish off Vienna, eliminating Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary in 10th place.

Melgita't falls. The end of the Beothuk is near...

Apparently Taungoo is simulatenously at war with the Tlingit, and they just captured Onondaga!

But then the Mississippi declare war on Taungoo! Onondaga is in trouble, and Pella is already taking damage!

The Sabaeans attack Han, seeking to grab their outlying colony of Bursa.

Bayinnaung captures Gwitn Tewje'g, eliminating Nonosbawsut of the Beothuk in 9th place.

Tuskaloosa captures Onondaga, but he'll need a lot of reinforcements if he wants to hold it.

Saba declares war on Peru, which they really should have done a long time ago, considering how easy it would be take London in its current state.

Makeda captures Bursa, and there's no hope that Gaozu could get it back.

Taungoo, however, is able to retake Onondaga and repel the Mississippian invaders.

Taungoo attacks the Sabaeans! Can they actually conquer anything from such an awkward position?

They can! Veroia quickly falls!

The Mississippi declare war on Iceland! This may be the end for Ingolfur, unfortunately.

Veroia flipped and then was razed, but Makeda makes gains elsewhere, taking London.

Somehow, the first city Tuskaloosa captures is Reykjavik. That's not a good sign for Iceland.

Reyðarfjall is the next to fall. Iceland is just coming apart at the seams.

Time for the turn 500 stats! Interestingly, Taungoo has now overtaken the Mississippi in military manpower by a considerable margin.

The Mississippi's tech lead has grown, however, from three techs to six.

And Tuskaloosa still leads in production, but Taungoo isn't that far behind.

Anyway, back to the game, we see that the destruction of Iceland is continuing with the capture of Þingvellir.

Taungoo somehow managed to take Bursa from the Sabaeans. Huh.

Vatnafjorður falls! Ingolfur has now lost all of his original cities!

Just like what happened to Veroia, Bursa flips and gets razed by Taungoo.

The Mississippi take Tyre; only one Icelandic city remains...

Meanwhile, the Sabaeans continue to push against Peru, capturing Arequipa.

And then Byblos falls, eliminating Ingolfur Arnarson of Iceland in 8th place.

Peru makes peace with the Sabaeans, handing over the utterly useless city of Manchester.

Also, for some reason I have the "fought against a common fore" modifier with a whole bunch of civs, even though I never went to war with any civ, not even accidentally for a couple seconds with IGE.

The Mississippi dominate the world's fair!

Taungoo founded Dagon near the ruins of Bursa, only to lose it to the Sabaeans. Nice.

Makeda also strikes back in the east, capturing Pella!

But Taungoo eventually takes it back again, and the Sabaeans counterattack has been routed.

Bayinnaung makes a new push from the north through Carthaginian territory, taking Sirwah.

Then chaos erupts across the western plains as Taungoo declares war on Carthage! Jesus Christ...

Potlotek falls as Taungoo sweeps through Carthage with hardly any resistance!

Pannaqambskek is captured and Qart Hadasht itself falls to yellow!

Qart Hadasht is captured! I will also point out that Taungoo is no longer at war with Saba.

Dido makes peace with Bayinnaung and gives away Edirne, reducing Carthage to a city-state.

Taungoo then turns on its next target: Han.

Flokadallur quickly falls, and Chang'an is already down to black! In the background, the Mississippi declare war on Peru, and the Sabaeans attack Carthage, both of which could definitely amount to something.

And just like that, Chang'an falls, eliminating Gaozu of Han in 7th place.

Two turns later, the Mississippi capture Lima, eliminating Ramon Castilla of Peru in 6th place.

The the Mississippi declare war on the Sabaeans! it's showdown time!

Manchester falls almost immediately, though its capture was always a foregone conclusion.

Even as she fights against the Mississippi, Makeda captures Istanbul, eliminating Dido of Carthage in 5th place.

But Tuskaloosa continues to push, taking Arequipa.

Turn 600 stats reveal that Taungoo has surpassed the Mississsippi in military power, but only barely.

The Mississippi still lead in science by five techs, down by one since last time.

And Taungoo now has more production, but not really by that much, and if Tuskaloosa takes over the Sabaeans he'll catch back up again.

And indeed the Mississippi continue to push through Saba, taking London!

Birmingham falls as well! Those paratroopers are really coming in handy.

Tuskaloosa takes Ma'rib almost entirely using planes! Jesus

And then Utique falls as well! Holy shit... how far will they go?

Pretty far it seems, as the Mississippi capture Vienna!

And Dagon as well!

Nashshan falls; only one Sabaean city remains...

And that falls as well. With the capture of Istanbul, Makeda of the Sabaeas is eliminated in 4th place.

The Mississippi, unsurprisingly, win another international project.

Turn 700 stats reveal that the two superpowers have almost exactly the same number of troops, with Taungoo fielding only a very slight advantage.

Taungoo has also surged ahead in technologies, going from five behind to five ahead in the space of 100 turns.

But the Mississippi have overtaken Taungoo in production by a significant margin. This will be an interesting finale, that's for sure. It's not at all clear who will win.

On turn 753—because I forgot on turn 750—world war begins. May the odds be ever in your favour!

Taungoo starts off on the offensive, capturing Birmingham! Is this the beginning of a wider trend, or a fluke precipitating a Mississippian victory?

Tuskaloosa reminds Bayinnaung that his production is higher by building the international space station.

But Bayinnaung barely blinks, striking back by capturing Istanbul and Dagon!

At some point he also captured Sitka, eliminating Sheiyksh of the Tlingit in third place.

The two sides make peace, but I restart the war. Taungoo has XCOMs now, but they aren't building them consistently.

They definitely have the advantage, however, as their forces push forward and capture London.

Ma'rib and Nashshan swiftly follow as I restart the war yet again.

The Mississippi strike back, retaking London, Ma'rib, Istanbul, and Dagon, but it's clear that the Taungoo still field more units in this region.

And indeed, Bayinnaung strikes back, retaking all those cities as well as Utique.

He then begins to push south, capturing Arequipa.

The Mississippi use an XCOM and a Giant Death Robot to capture Danubyu and Onondaga respectively, but it doesn't look like it will be enough to halt Taungoo's advance.

With the fall of Vienna, Tuskaloosa has lost his last foothold on the western peninsula. Note how many nukes have been dropped so far—it's quite shocking.

Taungoo begins the final push into the Mississippian core, taking Taku and flipping Helsinki.

Lima falls and Liverpool flips...

Liverpool and Helsinki are both captured; Lima flips back to the Mississippi...

Then all three are in Taungoo hands again, and Bayinnaung is now pouring in XCOMs behind Tuskaloosa's front lines.

Manchester is captured; more nukes are dropped, spreading fallout across the entire battlefield.

Moundville falls and Taku flips back to the Mississippi...

Tuskaloosa loses his capital! The end really is near now!

Espoo falls, and an unstoppable wave of Taungoo units rolls across through Tuskaloosa's core.

Spiro falls to a hail of XCOMs, even as the Mississippi briefly recover their capital.

Bibracte and Chilkat are captured! And look at all that fallout, jesus...

Kaliakh and Vienne fall...

Syracuse and Tyre are captured; one capital remains...

Sidon and Adranon fall...

Borgarnes and Reyðarfjall...

Byblos and Vatnafjorður...

And finally it's over! Bayinnaung of Taungoo has won round 6!

The score now stands as follows:



Taungoo: 1

Han: 1

Phoenicia: 1

Peru: 1

The Gauls: 1

The Tlingit: 1



Thanks for reading, and I'll be back soon with another round!