by Brant Guillory, 4 May 2025
The battle is joined and the Chinese conquest of Vimayapura is proceeding. Qin Shi Huang has avoided a dark age, though barely, and his forces are rallying to the fight as the Khmer are getting frisky elsewhere.
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Whilst en route to Vimayapura, Chinese forces continue to encounter Khmer troops along their border, and Qin Shi Huang has authorized them to take their shots when they have them.
The combination of a catapult bombardment, and . . .
. . . an attack by the men-at-arms cleared the threat. But was it an unnecessary distraction from the ultimate goal?
Ah yes, the great Khmer “flanking maneuver” of trying to sneak a settler past their former city of Preah Vihear. Qin Shi Huang is more than happy to liberate those colonists, but their escorts appear to be among the more well-trained of Khmer crossbowmen. That he has no available cavalry to run them down is disappointing, but that won’t stop their pursuit.
But it will be challenging, as the Khmer are running away and refusing to stand and fight. “No matter” thought Qin Shi Huang, “as long as there’s no Khmer city to the south, we can keep them contained.” He turned back to his map of the realm.
“What of the ultimate objective of our campaign?” Qin Shi Huang inquired of his advisers.
“Vimayapura has taken a battering,” one of them piped up, “and is unlikely to withstand the next wave of our assaults.”
“Good, good,” Qin Shi Huang replied, hoping his remaining forces will withstand the inevitable counterattacks.
This is the penultimate 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
His settlers are in place, and ready to establish the eastern end of his cross-continental waterway, but for the existence of Vimayapura. “That damned city needs to fall!” thought Qin Shi Huang, “Our settlers are far too exposed to the Canadians until the city is built.”
The Chinese Crouching Tigers continued their bombardment of the city, as Qin Shi Huang allowed himself a satisfied smirk at the payoff for their investments in the weapon. Their attacks were devastating enough that Vimayapura’s defenses were shattered . . .
. . . and allowed the Chinese knights to take control of the city! Qin Shi Huang’s standing orders were very clear . . .
. . . the city was to be razed, and erased from the Earth. Its ruins would live on in the history books, and the occasional field assignments of graduate students with an overdeveloped sense of adventure. But it would no longer appear on the local Ordnance Survey road maps, and the Khmer would no longer interfere with Qin Shi Huang’s dream of a cross-continental waterway.
“Time to pull back and regroup,” especially his damaged and vulnerable units. “Wounded chariots against spearmen would be a losing proposition at the moment.”
His knights have leveled up, and will be promoted for their battlefield prowess . . .
. . . choosing to add “barding” to their abilities to better withstand the dangerous crossbow attacks from the Khmer.
His men-at-arms, escorting the battering ram that wrecked Vimayapura’s defenses, are also promotable.
And with a similar concern for Khmer bombardments, they also choose . . .
. . . to upgrade their defenses against ranged attacks.
The destruction of Vimayapura allows for the settlers to finally establish the northernmost Chinese city.
“Finally,” exhales Qin Shi Huang, as his court celebrates the founding of Changsha, the first of the cities needed for their ultimate naval connection. The Western shore will still need a canal to connect their eventual city to the lake, but the first link in the chain is now built.
Civilization 6 AAR – The Destruction of Vimayapura
PART 1 ~ PART 2 ~ PART 3 ~ PART 4 ~ PART 5
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