Civilization V: The Swedish Saga, part 1 (4000 B.C. to 430 A.D.)

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The German collapse

That's two major religions on the continent now, and I don't have one of my own to defend against their spread. I'm going to start building some temples to speed things along.

410 B.C.: After several failed invasions of Denmark, the conquest-hungry Germans declare war on Greece, re-igniting the conflict between them after over 400 years.

Later that year, the Austrians approach the Swedes requesting a donation of luxury resources. Flush with wealth and wanting to foster continued positive relations, they accept.

Normally I laugh it off when one of the AI civs requests one of these completely one-sided trade agreements, but I figure it's a worthwhile investment when I'm playing as a civ that benefits from having as many active declarations of friendship as possible.

335 B.C.: After launching a massive counter-invasion, the Greeks capture the German capital of Berlin under a Spartan Great General. What remains of the German government relocates to Hamburg, one of the few cities it still holds. Germany is crippled, while Greece further asserts its dominance on the continent.

305 B.C.: The victorious Greeks request a declaration of friendship with Sweden, which they accept.

I may be running the risk of being in bed with too many leaders for the sake of my civ power, but at least for the moment, Greece is on good terms with everyone but Germany. Aside from never having done anything for me, Germany is easily the weakest civ on the continent right now. And on top of it all, Greece is the last civ I want pissed at me.

Len Hafer
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Len Hafer is a freelancer and lifelong PC gamer with a specialty in strategy, RPGs, horror, and survival games. A chance encounter with Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness changed her life forever. Today, her favorites include the grand strategy games from Paradox Interactive like Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis, and thought-provoking, story-rich RPGs like Persona 5 and Disco Elysium. She also loves history, hiking in the mountains of Colorado, and heavy metal music.