CBR Mk 2.1 Part 84: Sticking the Landing (1/3)

The journey begins anew. In view is the submarine’s home new home, with our arctic mountain fortress having moved a few tiles to the left to escape the prying eyes of the Boers. Come get settled in fello sub mates, the view should be quite familiar to you.

Let’s begin by address the the three notifications on the screen. First is the reactivation of Armenia’s unique ability due to the religion reset. Their UA converts Armenia to the first religion founded in the game, and furthermore, they will be gaining 33% of the faith produced by the founder. As we can see onscreen, they immediately gain the pantheon bonus God of the Sea, which may not be the best given their geography, but should be quite welcome for the Armenian war effort.

As far as the conflict in view, Armenia has wasted no time in engaging Finland. Tiridates’ troops surround their former city Yervantashat, and prepare the siege. No damage upon this first initial startup turn but their Great Musicians are there to keep morale high.

We now see which religion Armenia has responded to. Australia establishes in Tokyo Catholicism. A very curious choice given Australia’s known preferences. One could be tempted to say that their troops abroad in Meso America could have influenced this decision, but this reboot is devoid of such religious history. Important to note too is that this means Australia has God of the Sea, which should be a blessing for all of those one tile islands.

In any case, this has been a good excuse to quickly show off the Inuit campaign in the Japanese main islands. A contingent of cybersubs and arsenal ships are prepared to bombard Tokyo and Wakayama. Will the new holy city see a change of hands so soon?

Back in Kruger’s favored Future Worlds wonder filled city of Klerksdorp, we find the monument the Boer’s have erected in the former sight of the Pholus Mutagen’s primary hive cluster. A much welcomed change to non-Boer fans, the absence of the Mutagen comes as the only nerf introduced in Mk 2.1.

This northwest region of Boer Africa also shows how sparse their military distribution has been left after the OCP war. Indeed, the robot horde has all but short circuited after the pirates spilled their rum on their way out. Not to worry Boer fans, their newly researched replacements are incoming.

A shot of the British Isles, Ingolfur Arnarson’s private domain. Quite a peaceful landscape, as this part of the cylinder has not seen war since complete Viking domination. A not so lovely view is the ocean, which CBR fans may find horror inducing by scanning through the carrier infested navy that congest the waters. Iceland currently leads in capitals, with a total of 9, and has indeed been met with great fortune the previous 800+ turns. We are all curious though what war at home will spell for their destiny.

We visit Iceland’s neighbor Sweden and find the sleepy giant in quite decent shape. Sweden is currently not in war, and their unit composition is definitely more attractive than their counterparts. That is, what they have stationed at the borders. Both Sweden itself, and their Central European territory, is quite empty. Gustavus Adolphus would be wise to continue rebuilding their former carpet of troops across his empire, as Europe may soon become the next area of contention.

A shot of the Boer core and their capital Pretoria shows that the mechanized menace is still indeed in full military production. Reinforcements are on their way north as soon as next turn is clicked.

We now turn to Finland, and oh boy what a concerning view. Finland is presently at war with the most civs, at 7 and they share borders with 5 of them. Chief amongst those opponents are the Boers and Iceland. A quick scan to the countryside reveals they have all the Future Worlds improvements to maintain the war effort, but once again Urho Kekkonen on the cusp of overextension. In more ways than one! Not that Finland fans would want it any other way.

Let us look at this screenshot from left to right. Outside Jerusalem we find SpartanShitposter leading the Sparta’s finest against Finland. Conditions of the reboot finds Hebron back at full HP, but Finland only has one hovertank and three aircraft here as its only defense. With the aforementioned attention Finland has to give elsewhere, the Spartans must be feeling confident.

Down the middle we see the rest of Tiridates’ tripartite state. We also see Vietnam’s far western stretch into Eurasia. Even here we find that there are drones at every corner keeping a watchful eye for the Trung sisters. This is a vital front for Vietnam, and they will need better military compositions than this to make progress against Sibir.

Now a full shot of Sparta. In the previous few albums, the exiles in Dvin were able make a triumphant comeback and capture Epidauros and Jerusalem. The latter in particular was worth all the extraordinary effort required.

Finland’s refugee haven of Batticaloa temporarily finds itself back in pristine shape. The Afghan remnants have surrounded the city with their camps, but Sri Lanka next door wants to reclaim their lost city. Time will tell if this estranged community remain willing to shield their hosts.

A look at the western front of the Sibir / Vietnam war. The mountain range here is cleanly dividing the two powerhouses, but the Sibir side lies in smoke. However, the Vietnamese side seems equally empty with fighting units. Right before the reboot, Sibir launched a few nukes around Kandahar, and it has left quite a dent in Vietnam’s frontier garrisons.

Also something we should point out in this slide is the curious case of a certain teleporting Ashanti pikeman in the top center section of the screenshot. We ourselves don’t quite know why, perhaps some bizarre open borders interaction, but it seems Kruger has thrown open a portal in time, and has flung them into the future. In this timeline, they find themselves lost in totally foreign territory. Lucky for Ashanti fans tho, they are not at war with Sibir in the reboot. Not so fortunate is the fact that a certain other popular refugee unit also perished around these parts.

A better view of the Sibir side of Central Asia and we find that the worker army of Kuchum Khan is ready to repair all the damage done by Vietnam’s bombardment. Although, what is supposed to be their production core seems all but empty of troops. Not a good sign as others may have hungry eyes on this clay. Lucky for them that Finland has its hands, and toes, busy elsewhere.

Near the upper right we find a Chinese Knight. Standing on a Communications Array perhaps they wish to phone home.

Now a complete look at Mongolia’s core. Say what you want about Mongolia, but the days of cramming every single tile with horse archers are long gone. Mongolia boasts a very attractive army. Not as big as others, but this looks very solid indeed. They have time to rebuild after having first held Yakutia in a long stalemate, and then a victory march with the Koreans inside the disgraced empire’s interior. Genghis Khan would do well to take this time to asses the situation and prepare for any opportunity to continue their upwards progress.

The rest of Mongolia is view here, and so is Finland’s satellite of Khoro. The city sure takes a sizable portion of this region, and within its borders are quite a few useful resources. Finland better beware, their garrison is tiny compared to the Mongolian horde.

What many are waiting for, the Yakutian holdout city of Beryozovo. Mongolian and Korean forces could not break into the frozen fortress, but all the Brazilian peacekeepers are now in range of the city. The city is now back at full HP though, will the Brazilians be able to deliver enough firepower?

The full stretch of what remains of Sri Lanka. They have made the Indian subcontinent’s interior their comfy home, but they are surrounded on all sides by their Vietnamese overlords. Can they reach a similar deal as the Tibetans have with Vietnam, or is this a meal for another day? Sri Lanka will surely not make it easy if there is conflict in the horizon, as their military is taking shape, and their unit composition biases are quite good. We hope to return here with keen interest soon.

The Kimberley Antarctic colonies. So far from home, but so safe from danger too! In view is the newly designated capital-in-exile Wulungarra. The Kimberley administration will now surely have cooler heads in charge here, especially after the brazenly heated decision to invade Japan.

The Jewel of the Trung’s crown, Tibet continues to look after the valleys of the plateau’s interior. Viewers will now see that Tibet’s military has been strengthened by its devotion to freedom in the form of six brand new Foreign Legion units. Quite a boon for their defenses, as their value has multiplied many times over.

All around Tibet, we continue to see the endless sea of drones. All the skies around the Himalayas are congested with their traffic.

A return back to Yakutia and the Brazilian peacekeepers. It is still the same turn, so this just serves as a reminder. Of note though are the Finnish troops scattered about. Surely Kekkonnen could use them elsewhere in their southern reaches.

A look at satellite city Turfan, which has only Mobile SAMs for company. What a lonely view in my opinion. This screenshot also gives us the first decent look at Korean territory. All of this former Yakutian land is still being redeveloped, but Korea seems to have order all settled. One can hope they can capitalize on safely regrouping their armies as well.

One can also hope they are paying good attention at the events happening just opposite of their mainland. Korea has quite a good navy here. Some carriers here and there but not too any worrisome degree. With the Inuit applying pressure on Australia’s far east holdings, Korea can be the one to benefit by coming in at the right time and snatching it all for themselves.

Our first look in Southeast Asia and right in the center is the Blackfoot vacation paradise of Olongapo. Not a well kept secret, but this curious satellite lies right in between two superpowers. On the Vietnamese side of the region, we see more drones and a mostly cyber sub navy patrolling the waters. On the Australian side, there appears to be an equal number of workers to that military units. Australia is all but distracted on other fronts. One wonders if war will return to these islands sometime soon in the future.

Oh Australia, perhaps the most polarizing of remaining civs. The sub may be divided on their opinion of the Oceania superpower, but this image is quite a show of force. That is of course, if you can ignore all the carriers scattered about. Before the reboot, Henry Parkes was content with keeping such a large defense force in the mainland. The next few turns will see if units here will be coming to the aid against the war effort in the rim of the Pacific.

The Chukotkian region of the Inuit’s empire finally knows peace, but the presence of a few Australian units here will mean some skirmishes are inevitable. This land was a hard earned prize for the Inuit, who fought one of the longest ongoing conflicts in the simulation’s history to finally consolidate it whole. Once these cities are built up, it could be the springboard from which the Inuit can make progress into Asia.

Now onto the Inuit core. Everything is advanced and shiny here, and not only because of the reflection of all the ice! Quite a number of Psionic and Bionic troopers lie in wait and ready to be deployed. If only there was a hostile target here for them to actually find use with.

A target like this one here. The Blackfoot homeland looks better than ever now, and with slightly more breathing room. There are enough paratroopers here to make Brazil, Finland, and Armenia jealous. Not that Crowfoot will be moving these troops elsewhere. It is in the best interest to keep the Inuit intimidated. Who knows how the reboot may have affected their relations.

The Caribbean at last! My heart swells and my pride rejoices. Henry Morgan may now just have to settle for the Buccaneer core for supplies of rum, but there are still quite a few pirate captains willing to fly the black flag with him. The navy is nearly gone, but there are more pirates ready to take the seas. What remains of the fleet is moving towards Nassau. Sadly for them the city is back to full HP, but lucky for them Australia will now be all but distracted to focus on these trouble makers. A storm is coming, and it screams Ayylamo.

A little bit to the West we see more of Australia’s Meso American colonies, and also what remains of Texas. Laredo is the biggest city now in the region, and they seem to be rebuilding just fine given what they have to work with. It is unknown whether the Hawaiian peacekeepers will continue to be an asset for them, or if they are getting in the way.

The Australians for that matter are bracing for the coming Inuit offensive. Already some XCOMs have made the jump over and have begun to rouse a ruckus. The defense seems able for now, but there is no telling if there will be any reinforcements for the Australians anytime soon.

Further northwest, we see a glimpse of the Blackfoot’s newly acquired nuclear wasteland. More paratroopers mark the dominance they now display here. If it was not for lowly Olongapo in Southeast Asia, the Blackfoot might be tempted to make easy gains here by declaring on Australia. Surely most viewers would find it to be a worthy trade.

Often ignored South America, now all but in Brazilian control. Here we see the Brazilian core, and quite a massive land army assembled. Ever since mini-Pedro came to big Pedro’s life things have been going oh so well. Australia stands to lose their South American trophies to this might.

A look back to Sparta. Quite a contrast in color, I dare say. Not much more to point out here as it remains the same initial turn. Although, I can have you direct your eyes at the Boer worker’s transforming North Africa. I’m afraid not much of a desert will remain soon enough.

Proper assessment now of the detachment of the Ice Shelf Fleet that the Inuit have here aimed at Australia’s Japan. The Inuit can cause much damage, and with great speed, if they use these units wisely. There are a few melee warships where as well, we can only hope they will be used correctly and on the right time.

The former Hawaiian homeland. Not much of a paradise now, and war has returned to the islands. The Inuit have already landed XCOMs outside Hilo and are poised to take it soon. Their navy is also just within range.

Blackfoot cities flank this region. Again I’m left to wonder if the Blackfoot would do good in taking advantage of the current situation.

Back in Nassau we can see the Inuit are ready to lend the pirates a hand. More of kind gesture for now, but this screenshots shows that there is not much to defend these cities from the pirates if and when they can spill forth from the great canal.

A better appraisal of the mismatch awaiting the Australians here as the defenses don’t seem at all adequate here for what the Buccs and Brazilians will soon be unleashing upon them. Brazil is not quite ready to begin attacking in mass, but their odds are looking very good here. Although, Belize may be in trouble of flipping.

Oh. Here is the Garbage Patch remnants. Outside Hervey Bay and not Tulum. Not the best deployment orders Parkes, but it will have to do. Further north it may look dire for the Australians, but this screenshots shows that Brazil’s Incan holdings are in equal danger if the coasts remain so empty. The ever persistent diggers are coming!

An even further front in Australia’s Pacific Rim defense. Concepcion is surrounded, and Brazil has the paratroopers and XCOMs to swamp all their open tiles.

A return to Central Asia, and the obstacle that is the Finland satellite of Tyumen to Vietnam’s push into Sibir territory. Tyumen bottle necks troops to Bamda, and the reboot has Sibir looking pretty good here. Vietnam needs to get those drones to the front right away.

Iceland’s newly acquired Balkans last part have all been healed up. Their forces are still not pushing together, but this will surely be the meeting place for all the troops coming from Iceland’s production centers. Already a few paratroopers go forth to Iceland’s prize, and probably true objective in this war, Constantinople. If Iceland can claim that city, they will be the first with a double digit count of capitals. Currently a great achievement for the Vikings.

Our first look at the religion overview. Australia has picked up two production bonuses, and both will serve them well in the future. That is of course if Catholicism can spread down to their territory. They do gain the pantheon bonus, but with Tokyo tucked in the far reaches of their domain, it may not be likely their homeland will get to benefit from any further bonuses. Armenia having converted may just spread more faith than anything from Japan.

We wondered why Australia was so quick to getting the religion right away. For those wishing for an answer it is because of the religious wonders built by the Kimberley in Rubibi that have given them the edge. Those bizarre wonder choices have come back to baffle us once more.

The Boer Indian Ocean. This area was the sight of a brief scare by Australia not too long ago further south. There is quite an empty ocean here. Perhaps room to grow after the robot armies are rebuilt in the mainland.

Herat, city at the center of the Vietnam / Sibir war. Also sight of many nuclear drops. Amongst them could have been what extinguished the flame of the beloved Legion. We will never know exactly.

A view of Hanoi, and the rest of Vietnam’s primary production clusters just up north. Drones fill the skies in all directions. How different things may have been if Vietnam had focused on different techs as Vietnam’s unit biases in their mod file is quite different to what is on display.

Say hello to our Babylonian spy division. Some returning names, like the lovely Em, but also fresh new ones. We waste no time and send them all off to have a look-see at some of the leaders of the simulation. We might get something juicy from them, or we might be shared their pipe dreams. Hopefully more of the former.

As astute viewers have seen, we are now finally at turn 2, and Iceland here has made their first move. More paratroopers converge on Constantinople, and XCOM are not too far behind them. The city of Elis takes damage from the Finnish aircraft stationed nearby, but Finland has no units to do anything about it at this time.

Back in Tibet, and still no new religion. Maybe the faith output is still not strong enough, even after our palace modification. Some may notice that Vietnam has indeed moved some units towards Sibir, but quite a long way for them to go to reach the flashpoints.

Inuit forces are en route to battle, too. However, these troops can close the required distance in no time.

Let us focus on the top half of the screenshot. In the upper left we see that the Boers are moving a number of Mobile SAMs northwards. They may have run out of hovertank parts as there are only two of them here. Now in the upper right we see Batticaloa has taken damage right away. Also of note is that a Sri Lankan bazooka is already at the port, and a Finnish carrier was sitting there just a turn ago. It seems the Boers are prepared to give them a hand in this fight.

Fighting is all over Finland’s southmost territory. The bordergore here looks in danger of being cleaned up as Kekkonen has moved out the hovertanks to focus on Constantinople’s defense rather than Nicomedia and Hebron. The Spartans rejoice!

A look at Armenia shows that they have taken a heavy blow right away in one turn. Yerevan is surrounded by hovertanks, and at first glance the Armenian units they dispatched seem to be in disarray after their battle lines were breached.