by Brant Guillory, 20 April 2025
As he studied the map, Qin Shi Huang was nervous. Although he’d ordered his armies northward to face the Khmer renegades who dared to settle land he’d intended to claim, he was uncertain of the sequencing of their arrival, the readiness to fight in cold climes, or their competence of their commanders.
This is the latest episode in a running playthrough of Civilization 6 from Sid Meier; you can find the links to all published episodes at the end of article, with new installments each Sunday
It had been several generations since the last pitched battle in Chinese history, and even more since they’d faced down the local barbarian neighbors. And of course, what was to be found even further North of the contested lake of Tonlé Sap.
The development of the Crouching Dragon may prove to be a significant military advantage, but only if he can successfully mass his forces for the coming fight. For now, though, Qin Shi Huang continued to dispatch his soldiers and settlers, and await word from the North about the success of his campaign against the dreaded Khmer, and their idiotic urban planners.
His palace staff continued to scurry to and fro, as messages and updates came and went. Most of these were routine traffic that were handled at their appropriate echelon. But when something significant was mentioned in dispatches, it was brought to his attention, often accompanied by a bugle call and an adorable British accent. Today, however, no such bugles or accents were present to lighten the mood.
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“Of course we need as many as we can build,” Qin Shi Huang exasperatedly bellowed at his defense ministers. “We didn’t spend all that time, and all the lives of those unfortunate field testers just to stop building new Crouching Dragons!”
Even small redeployments can pay future dividends he noted, as Qin Shi Huang ordered his troops back to within friendly borders.
His ministers ensured him that this bold flanking maneuver with the founding of a new tundra city would give the Chinese a base from which to operate, and heal, as needed in the upcoming campaign. However, settling a new city between the Khmer one they’re trying to kill, and a barbarian camps that’s a bit too strong for a single unit to raze, makes him nervous. That his boats lack open-water navigation, or true breakaway speed to escape attacks is also not comforting.
Qin Shi Huang consulted his royal cartographers again, double-checking that no vital resources were to be found below Vimayapura. Although it was likely that their presence along the border was telegraphing their intentions, he liked the idea that an array of his soldiers could strike fear into the Khmer, and minimize their, uh . . . “friskiness”.
The Chinese knights were still ranging across the tundra to clear the site of Qin Shi Huang’s next city from the red horde. A tundra-dwelling menace in red? “Hmmmm,” thought Qin Shi Huang. “I’ve read somewhere that these savages were referred to as ‘Canadians’ and are begging for eradication. I shall oblige them.”
Starting with this slinger, in particular.
And continuing on with this scout.
Another Crouching Tiger joins the force, as Qin Shi Huang’s army continues to build. “Excellent,” he thought, as his fingertips danced off of each other maniacally, and then wondered where he’d heard that phrasing before. Perhaps it was only a fevered hallucination, he thought. In any event, the boat to take them North is about to arrive in Handan.
Another crossbowman is outfitted and marshaled toward the front lines. Although Qin Shi Huang’s roads are among the best in history, they are still foot-mounted troops who take time to move.
“He what?!” sputtered Qin Shi Huang. “Are you serious?!”
“Y-y-y-yes, milord,” stammered the page, clearly eager to be literally anywhere else on the planet. “It appears as though Deng Shichang was so eager to return to the North that he departed without awaiting the full embarkation of the 3rd Crouching Tiger Brigade.”
With a facepalm worthy of a bald man in a tight uniform he clearly purchased in the kids’ section, Qin Shi Huang growled, “Turn him around. NOW. Even if you have to launch a messenger onto his ship by catapult. NOW!”
The terrified page turned and ran, completely forgetting to bow in the presence of the divine emperor. He was eager to deliver the message, and eager to not be the messenger loaded into a catapult, and most of all, he was eager to change his now-soiled undergarments after his harrowing experience at the palace.
“Can’t anyone move actually move in a coordinated fashion toward an objective?” Qin Shi Huang muttered to himself?
Another page appeared as his elbow, and flatly noted, “Funny you should mention that, Your Divine Qinness. One of our men-at-arms and his accompanying battering ram have marched across the Khmer frontier in perfect formation.”
“So it’s war” Qin Shi Huang asked?
“It very much is war,” answered Jayavarman from his own palace.
Civilization 6 AAR – The Destruction of Vimayapura
PART 1 ~ PART 2 ~ PART 3 ~ PART 4 ~ PART 5
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