Part of the campaign:

Welcome back, finally, to Groundhog Day Mk. VI! As many of you probably read, this was interrupted by a continuous string of hosting out-of-state friends, a family gathering, and two backpacking trips that lasted for over a month. But now all that is done, and we're back on track for another action-packed round! I forgot everything that happened in this round, so my reactions to the events are probably going to be genuine.

We start off with the second cities. I'm honestly not sure if any of these are new locations or not.

The Iroquois quickly expand to four cities. This is the Hiawatha we know and hate!

The first war starts one turn later as the Iroquois and Taungoo declare war on the Beothuk.

The Ottomans also attack Austria-Hungary. I find it hilarious that these IRL allies destroy each other in pretty much every round.

Syracuse attacks Iceland, and the Gauls declare war on Phoenicia! Hopefully one of these wars will amount to something.

The Austro-Ottoman war ends with Mahmud giving away Edirne in the peace treaty.

Finland declares war on the Iroquois! KEKKONEN STARTED A WAR OMG

Han attacks Greenland! It's just one DOW after another right now!

While Urho Kekkonen is distracted trying to besiege Akwesasme, the Mississippi declare war on them. This might not end well.

But Kekkonen does manage to take Akwesasme, making this the first time in Mk. VI that Finland has captured a city!

The Iceni join the war against Greenland! As usual, it seems Erik is shit out of luck very early on.

The Beothuk make peace with Taungoo and give away Megwe'saqsit Lnu, which Bayinnaung chooses to burn. A good choice, honestly; the city is worthless.

The Iroquois have retaken Akwesasme and look to keep it. A shame, really; I was super excited for Finland.

The Iceni capture Garedhar while Han bombards Brattahlid down to yellow. The end of Greenland is near, it seems.

Meanwhile, Finland gives away Espoo to the Mississippi in a peace treaty. Please, Kekkonen, don't do this!

And Gaozu captures Brattahlid, eliminating Erik Thorvaldsson of Greenland in 21st place.

Iceland makes peace with Syracuse and gives away Vatnafjorður in the treaty. Syracuse is off to a better start than usual, thanks to this—can they keep it up?

The war that started on the same turn as Syracuse vs. Iceland also finally ends, and Phoenicia gives away Sidon to the Gauls. Vercingetorix, knowing he can't defend the city, chooses to raze it.

The Gauls attack Syracuse! Although Vercingetorix has invariably won this battle in other rounds, this time Dionysius has more cities and more production. Can he hold out?

Before we find out, it's time for the turn 100 stats! It's a close race in soldiers, but right now Austria-Hungary seems to have the most.

It's also a very close race in science, with the Iceni, Mississippi, and Austria-Hungary all tied for first.

And Han leads in production, though not by that much, as Boudicca is only five hammers behind. This is anyone's race still!

Haha, you really thought we'd see action in the Gaul-Syracuse war? Psych.

Taungoo launches a massive invasion of the Iceni! Boudicca has the capability to defend, but it seems she's been taken completely by surprise!

Taungoo takes Garedhar with a naval attack, but I foresee a lot of flips in this city's future.

The Gauls attack Syracuse a second time, and Tuskaloosa joins in too. Dionysius barely has a functional army, and to make matters worse, he's still using archers while his enemies have composite bowmen.

Han and Carthage join the war against the Iceni! I think this might be the end of the road for Boudicca.

The Tlingit, who have been very quiet this round, build the great wall. This is the first time it has been built by someone other than Peru.

Carthage takes Thetford! It's a race for the two main cities now...

But Thetford flips back to Iceni and then to Han. It's still not clear who will get Caister and Venta Icenorum.

Well, that answers it I guess. Taungoo makes peace with the Iceni and receives Caister, which Bayinnaung razes. Can anyone reach Venta Icenorum now?

The Gauls smash through Syracuse's lackluster defenses, taking their capital!

That same turn, the Mississippi declare war on Finland again. Kekkonen has a solid defense force now, but will it be enough?

Austria-Hungary attacks the Ottomans! They probably should have reinforced Edirne before they did this, though...

Sure enough, Mahmud easily recaptures Edirne.

Syracuse recovers its capital, and the Gallic forces are nearly exhausted! Could Dionysius actually pull this off????

Austria-Hungary strikes back at the Ottomans, taking Bursa!

Syracuse is struggling yet again as the Gauls take Zancle, and their capital is in dire straits too.

The Mississippi take Syracuse! This has the side effect of cutting off the Gauls from the front, allowing Dionysius to maybe take it back again.

The Iroquois snipe Helsinki from under Tuskaloosa's nose! Urho Kekkonen of Finland is eliminated in 20th place.

Syracuse, now at peace with the Gauls, retakes its capital from the Mississippi! Dionysius has now restored his empire to its original borders, but at enormous cost from which he may never recover.

Austria-Hungary takes Istanbul! Franz Joseph is really punching above his weight this round!

Phoenicia declares war on Syracuse! Jesus Christ, Dionysius just can't catch a break...

And he loses his capital to the Mississippi again. Sigh...

The Gauls make peace with the Iroquois and unexpectedly give away Vienne. I guess we can write off Vercingetorix as a contender now.

Meanwhile, Austria-Hungary retakes Edirne, eliminating Mahmud II of the Ottomans in 19th place. That was actually a really impressive conquest.

Carthage takes Venta Icenorum two turns later, eliminating Boudicca of the Iceni in 18th place. But it seems a whole bunch of DOWs are stealing the show...

Yes, Saba has declared war on the UK, and Han and Carthage have teamed up against Austria-Hungary! This area is about to become a bloodbath.

Phoenicia makes peace with Syracuse and atcually gives away Sidon! What the fuck?

Then the Tlingit declare war on Phoenicia! Tyre is already taking damage!

Meanwhile, Syracuse continues to lose ground to the Mississippi as Zancle turns brown and grey.

Carthage takes Edirne while Han damages Istanbul! Come on Franz, what happened to that massive army that killed the Ottomans?

If you forgot, the Iroquois also declared war on Phoenicia, and somehow Hiram managed to take Vienne, even as the Tlingit continue to attack his capital.

Taungoo attacks Carthage! Something tells me Venta Icenorum won't last long.

Would you look at that. It didn't.

The slow dissection of Austria-Hungary continues as Han captures Bursa and drops Istanbul into the yellow.

But now it's time for the turn 200 stats! The Mississippi now have the most soldiers, but the Wabanaki are surprisingly close behind.

The Wabanaki and Mississippi are also tied in technologies.

It's also a close race in production, but the contenders are different, with Han and Taungoo at the top of the pack.

But then Han and the Wabanaki both attack Taungoo! This could be very, very bloody...

Han made peace with Austria-Hungary on the previous turn and received Istanbul, although they did lose Bursa. Regardless, Austria-Hungary is probably not a contender anymore.

Taungoo makes peace with Carthage and receives Edirne. This should make easy pickings for Han.

Sure enough, Gaozu takes the city with very little effort.

The UK gives away Birmingham to the Wabanaki in a peace treaty. Alright then.

Henri Membertou also takes Hanthawaddy. It's not clear they can keep it though.

...Especially since they just declared war on Saba, essentially giving up Birmingham.

The Mississippi declare war on Phoenicia! Vienne is clearly their target, and their chances of taking it are high. Also on this turn: the Iroquois and Taungoo team up on the Beothuk.

Saba took Birmingham some time ago and I didn't notice. So here it is, sitting pretty in yellow and olive.

Instead of fighting for the Vienne, Tuskaloosa justs asks for it in a peace treaty. Needless to say, Hiram hands it over. In other news, the UK has declared war on Saba to try to retake Birmingham.

Han declares war on Taungoo a second time! And jesus, Venta Iceonrum is huge...

The Iroquois found the world congress. This is the only significant thing Hiawatha has done so far besides lose a city to Finland.

Suddenly, the Wabanaki attack the Iroquois with a powerful naval attack! But will it be enough to pierce Hiawatha's defenses?

We'll find out after this short intermission for the turn 300 stats. The Mississippi still have the largest army, but now it's Han that's biting at their heels.

Four civs are tied for first in technologies. Clearly this is still anyone's game.

But the Mississippi are beginning to pull ahead in technology. It's early enough that this lead is anything but insurmountable, but it's definitely large.

Han takes Venta Icenorum! That should propel them above Taungoo and into second place in production.

Taungoo then makes peace with Han by giving away Garedhar! Is Gaozu the civ who will stand up to the Mississippi? They seem to be getting stronger with every passing turn!

Han declares war on Carthage and the Mississippi attack the Iroquois! The two biggest contenders are on the war path once again!

In a surprise turn of events, the Wabanaki snipe Helsinki. I'm not sure this can last though.

In fact, it does not, and the Iroquois retake the city three turns later.

Meanwhile, Han has captured Qart Hadasht, uniting the two halves of their empire!

And on the same turn, the Iroquois also lose their capital! It may well flip, but the damage has been done!

Saba peaces out with the UK moments before taking London, but don't worry, George haters: Peru is here to finish the job.

And finish the job they do. London has fallen!

The Wabanaki and Iroquois peace out with Onondaga firmly back in Hiawatha's hands.

The Mississippi then start another war, this time against Syracuse. Adranon's defense strength is ridiculously high—can Tuskaloosa even hope to take it?

Just in case, he starts another war against Peru. Trujillo should be easy pickings.

But first, Peru takes Liverpool, eliminating George V of the UK in 17th place.

Saba attacks Carthage! Dido is staring elimination in the face—can she survive?

Meanwhile, the Mississippi take Trujillo, and Peru's response is splintered and disorganized.

Han attacks Taungoo again! How many cities will they take this time? Place your bets!

The Tlingit and Syracuse attack Phoenicia! This is an interesting move by Dionysius, considering that Adranon is in the red.

Sure enough, Adranon falls. Dionysius is left only with cities he received in peace treaties.

Han captures and razes Taungoo. You know, it still fucks me up that this is Taungoo's second city, not their capital.

And the Sabaeans capture Utique, eliminating Dido of Carthage in 16th place. That didn't last long.

Then Saba attacks Macedon! Fun fact: Alexander has done so little this round that I forgot he was in the game.

The Wabanaki and the Mississippi team up on the Iroquois again! Can Hiawatha hold the line?

He can't! Osininka has fallen to the Wabanaki!

And the Mississippi take Vatnafjorður from Syracuse, pushing Dionysius into his last city.

The Mississippi also take Helsinki from the Iroquois, though it might flip a bit.

Bayinnaung gives away Pyaymyo to Han. Gaozu burns it, which I consider the correct move for any snow city.

Saba captures Veroia, but doesn't get a whole lot of land out of it.

Somehow, Macedon has captured Helsinki. Don't even ask.

Onondaga falls, and this time it doesn't look like Hiawatha is getting it back.

Macedon seems to have given Helsinki back to the Iroquois. LMAO

And then the Wabanaki take it again. This city just can't catch a break.

Han attacks Austria-Hungary! Those citadels have already done half the work for them, too.

Turn 400 stats! Han now has the most soldiers by far, though the Mississippi still aren't to be trifled with.

The Wabanaki and Han are now tied in technologies, but only just barely lead over the Mississippi and Syracuse.

Han has also surpassed the Mississippi in production. Gaozu now seems like the top contender, but we've got a long way to go.

The Mississippi start clawing their way back toward Han by taking Akwesasme. However, they seem to have run out of accessible cities they can take from their enemies.

Han captures and razes Bursa, and something tells me Franz-Joseph won't be able to reverse this.

Bursa is gone, and now Han has taken Prague as well. Budapest is somehow still Austrian.

Oh wait, not anymore. RIP.

The Wabanaki, meanwhile, have taken Bago. That means Bayinnaung of Taungoo is eliminated in 15th place.

The Wabanaki then attack the Sabaeans, though it doesn't look like it will be an easy fight.

But then Han also attacks Saba! Maybe it will be after all...

The Mississippi attack Phoenicia! Obviously this is just an intermediate step to allow them to finally finish off Syracuse.

The Wabanaki manage to capture Veroia, but just like Saba, they realize they don't get a whole lot of land for it.

Peru joins the attack against Saba! Makeda is under siege from all directions now!

The Wabanaki also declare war on the Iroquois, though Hiawatha seems to have better technology.

Syracuse joins the fight against Phoenicia! So, I see Dionysius is now siding with his mortal enemy...

And it pays off as Syracuse takes Tyre, eliminating Hiram I of Phoenicia in 14th place! Unbelievable!

Suddenly, Han declares war on the Wabanaki! This could be the turning point in the game, and Henri Membrtou does not look prepared!

Peru makes gains against Saba, taking Birmingham!

Tuskaloosa, feeling cheated out of his prize, decides to eliminate Dionysius once and for all.

Three turns later, Tyre falls. Will they push on to Sidon?

Even as they battle against Han, the Wabanaki find time to finish off the Iroquois. Hiawatha is eliminated in 13th place.

Time for the turn 500 stats! Han still has the largest military, and their lead over the Mississippi has grown.

They've also built up a decent lead in science, with the Wabanaki and Mississippi trailing by five and six techs respectively.

The Mississippi now have the most production, however, with a significant lead over Han. The Wabanaki are in second, which is a surprise too.

Han, now fielding great war infantry, takes Meductic.

And the Mississippi finally take Sidon, eliminating Dionysius of Syracuse in 12th place. Well played!

Peru flips Ma'rib! At the same time, it can be seen that Han is dealing serious damage to Veroia.

Peru takes Ma'rib again. Can they keep it?

Maybe. They still have it, slightly offscreen, as Han takes Veroia.

And then Han and the Wabanaki make peace. Henri Membertou definitely lost the war, but it could have been worse.

The Mississippi contribute the most production toward the world's fair, with the Wabanaki coming in second and Han in third.

The Tlingit attack the Wabanaki, though it's not clear what they might get from it.

Macedon also attacks the Wabanaki, but their army is woefully outdated.

Somehow, Iceland has captured Grand River! What the fuck?

The Mississippi decide it's time to finish off the Gauls, who were basically dead anyway.

Bibracte swiftly falls, eliminating Vercingetorix of the Gauls in 11th place.

The Wabanaki take Pella literally seconds later, eliminating Alexander of Macedon in 10th place.

Then the Mississippi declare war on the Wabanaki! Will Tuskaloosa finally be able to get Helsinki?

Han also attacks the Wabanaki! Henri Membertou is in real trouble now!

The Mississippi capture Helsinki, perhaps for the last time.

Peru attacks Saba again, and this time I think the winner is clear.

Han goes straight for the Wabanaki capital and takes it! Incredible!

The Mississippi, meanwhile, are working their way up the east side, taking Osininka.

Henri Membertou makes peace with Han, giving away Hanthawaddy and Sebayik, while the Tlingit take Onondaga.

Peru captures Utique, reducing the Sabaeans to one city.

That's when Han decides to step in, immediately dropping the city to yellow.

And it falls. Makeda of the Sabaeans is eliminated in 9th place.

The Mississippi continue to take cities from the Wabanaki, capturing Pella, while Peru joins the war to try to capture Pannaqambskek.

Han declares war on the Beothuk, bombarding Melgita't to red instantly.

But before we get to see that, we have the turn 600 stats. Han still has an insane military lead; in fact, it's only gotten bigger.

Their tech lead has also increased from five techs to seven.

And the Mississippi still have the most production, but the gap has narrowed considerably.

That gap is about to get even narrower as Han captures Melgita't, eliminating Nonosbawsut of the Beothuk in 8th place.

And then Peru takes Pannaqambskek, leaving the Wabanaki with just one city.

The Missisippi declare war on Peru! This is the first war where both sides have artillery—will it allow either side to make headway in the mountains?

It does, and Tuskaloosa takes Liverpool!

However, Peru flips Pella, and we get to see the sheer scale of Han's unit carpet. It's spilling into Peru and making it hard for Tuskaloosa to make headway.

The Mississippi come out on top in another international project, suggesting that their production lead persists.

Peru and the Tlingit decide to finish off the Wabanaki. It's a tall order, but they might be able to do it.

Lima has been bombarded into the black, but the Mississippi can't get there because of all the Han units in the way.

To make matters worse, Peru has recaptured Liverpool, and the Han units immediately move to fill the gaps.

Turn 700 reveals that Han's military strength is simply unparalleled.

They've also just about finished the tech tree, while the Mississippi are 13 techs behind.

And Han now has the most production too. I'd say the winner is fairly clear.

Amazingly, Peru has taken Potlotek, eliminating Henri Membertou of the Wabanaki in 7th place!

Then Peru and the Tlingit team up on Iceland. How long can they continue doing this?

Sheiyksh takes Grand River without much resistance.

And despite Han having more production, Tuskaloosa absolutely demolishes the competition on another international project.

Peru also managed to take Vienna in a war I didn't even know was happening. Franz-Joseph of Austria-Hungary is eliminated in 6th place.

Han then declares war on Iceland, while Þingvellir is already taking damage from Peru.

Turn 800 arrives, and the stats show that Han still has more than twice as many soldiers as the Mississippi, and more than every other civ combined.

They have now in fact finished the tech tree, allowing the Mississippi to almost catch up.

Production remains somewhat close, but with a clear lead for Han. And now, since it's turn 800....

...It's time for world war! Let's see Han's XCOM carpet wreck some shit!

Lima immediately falls, probably because the Mississippi were still bombarding it to black.

Birmingham, Utique, London, and Pannaqambskek quickly follow as Peru is completely eviscerated.

Han also takes Potlotek and Grand River. Still, clashes between the two superpowers have been limited...

...Giving the Mississippi time to invade Iceland, capturing Reykjavik.

Arequipa falls, and XCOMs begin to swarm into Mississippi territory.

But that doesn't stop Tuskaloosa from capturing Kaliakh.

Han captures Ma'rib and Chilkat...

And the Mississippi take Þingvellir, eliminating Ingolfur Arnarson of Iceland in 5th place.

On the same turn, the Mississippi also captured Onondaga, eliminating Sheiyksh of the Tlingit in 4th place.

But now the hammer begins to fall, and Gaozu takes Grand River, Onondaga, Osininka, Pella, and Loverpool. Ramon Castilla of Peru is eliminated in third place.

The XCOMs swarm ever thicker, taking Helsinki and Kaliakh!

Akwesasme and Bibracte fall!

And Espoo and Vienne!

Tyre falls... it's down to the coast now...

Han takes Spiro, Moundville, and Trujillo...

...And Cahokia, Sidon, and Angel Mounds...

And Syracuse and Zancle...

And Adranon and Þingvellir... all they need now is Reykjavik...

As if taunting us, they decide to take Vatnafjorður first.

And then finally it's over. Gaozu of Han has won round 5!

The Mississippi were completely eliminated; victory was total. The score now stands as follows:



The Gauls: 1

Peru: 1

The Tlingit: 1

Han: 1

Phoenicia: 1



See you all again soon!