AImerica Tournament #3 - Gunboat Diplomacy

Welcome to the third group stage of u/carbon14's AmericAI tournament! In this match, we have MayorS' America under Woodrow Wilson, MayorS' America under LBJ, another MayorS America in the form of JFK, and CBR's very own Millard Fillmore.

For variety, I've shaken up the starts a tad.

Woodrow settles St.Louis on the tip of southern Florida, whilst JFK ventures to Sonora with the canal city of Philadelphia.

Soon enough, LBJ founds Los Angeles in Michigan, while Fillmore goes south with New Orleans (as per his ability, which gives a separate city list to cities south of the capital or north of the capital).

Twenty turns later LBJ sets out to take the midwest with Detroit, which always seems to be founded there or about the Great Lakes, no matter which America.

As Kennedy seeks to persuade the gods to protect him with the Statue of Zeus, Johnson founds Catholicism.

Somehow the Pope drummed up a crusading army in the last few turns, as Johnson now sports an impressive force, while Wilson looks on with three warriors and two scouts.

The genius of Fillmore is honoured with the building of Colossus, but his army's looking increasingly thin. Will he be a know-nothing and refuse to defend himself?

Our first two wars begin between Wilson on one side and Kennedy and LBJ on the other, eager to wipe out the Dixiecrats once and for all.

Chicago heads into the green, Wilson's army completely gone.

into the yellow...

Six turns after the war started, Chicago is lost to Lyndon, leaving Wilson stranded in Florida. The Kennedy-Johnson coalition remains dominant for now.

This victorious coalition doesn't last, however, as LBJ turns on Kennedy.

Detroit is scratched and JFK's army looms around Chicago, but he's feeling the heat around rocky Washington, especially as Fillmore decided to join in on the fun.

JFK makes peace with Lyndon, but the spectre of Fillmore still hangs close.

Fillmore founds Boston.

LBJ interrupts Wilson's retirement and declares war on him. Meanwhile, the southern Californian front has fizzled out on a burnt citadel, leaving the two to lick their wounds.

Soon enough St.Louis falls to LBJ, eliminating Wilson from the game.

Kennedy constructs the Sistine Chapel, as the front heats up again.

His army depleted and distracted, JFK finds himself cornered by Johnson.

In just six turns, Washington falls! To celebrate this momentous event, LBJ builds the Globe Theate.

Philadelphia falls not to LBJ but to Fillmore, rounding out the west coast of America.

Escaping on a rickety Galleass, Kennedy makes amends with Johnson.

With only two civs remaining in more or less equal strength, it's clear Johnson and Fillmore will go through to the next round. However, this peaceful compromise is uneasy, especially around the northern and southern extremes.

Fillmore has developed an armarda of Gunboats, which can't take cities but should serve as a major obstacle for Johnson, should he go to war again.

After a seven-turn peace, LBJ decides to challenge his know-nothing neighbour, sending his planes to attack Philadelphia, which goes into the yellow.

(Historical note: Fillmore's Know-Nothing party really, really hated Catholicism)

Philadelphia briefly flips, but it's recovered by Fillmore's Ironclad squad.

Philadelphia flips again and Louisville goes into the red.

Millard recaptures Philadelphia, but he can't stop New Orleans from being bombarded into the yellow.

More flipping...

New Orleans falls to the red.

Fillmore founds Baltimore in the icy north, perhaps as a compensation for his recent loss of New Orleans.

Louisville falls to Lyndon, and probably for Good. Fillmore at least recovers New Orleans and Philadelphia.

Fillmore builds his first plane, and tries to bombard Louisville with Gunboats.

Philadelphia falls to LBJ again. Fillmore's got some forces in New Orleans, but it unlikely he can take back the city easily.

Surprisingly, he does, taking Louisville to boot. He's on his last ironclad, though, so he'd better be careful.

Not surprisingly, Fillmore loses the ironclad and the two cities are lost once again. Great War battalions make their way southwards.

New Orleans flips again...

and again...

and again, but Fillmore's army looks increasingly thin...

Another flip, and down to three land units...

...and New Orleans falls, Fillmore retreating to his capital as he knows he can't take it back.

He flings the last of the antiquated Gunboats and Submarines at New Orleans, but none of them can take it back.

Perhaps inevitably, Buffalo falls, leaving Johnson as the victor of his match.

Buffalo flips briefly but Fillmore's term is pretty much over.

Boston falls...

...and so does Baltimore, leaving President Fillmore hiding amongst an embarked work crew in Hudson bay.

Johnson and Fillmore, as the top two civilizations in this match, proceed to the quarter-finals, where they will meet whoever the top two civs are in the final round of the group stages.

Thanks to anyone who watches this instalment of Americai; the next part should be out this Friday.