After missing out on going to see Pineapple Express and then getting stood up by another friend, I played another dominating game – this time as the Zulus.

From Zimbabwe, on the south coast of Little Africa, my fast moving warriors moved north and found little to their liking.  A coal deposit in the northern hills provided some hope for the future but otherwise, the lack of resources disheartened the Zulus.  Fortune favored us however when the conquest of a barbarian village yielded us a treasure: a ship possible of traversing the sea.  After sketches were taken and a second ship was put under construction in Zimbabwe, the galley vessel set forth to explore.  Numerous islands as well as a long narrow continent were discovered to the northwest.

In contrast to Little Africa, many of the discovered islands were found to be rich in resources and numerous colonization efforts were undertaken successfully.  The Zulu nation quickly expanded to encompass several islands as well as a city on the northeast coast of the continent, near the newly discovered Mongol nation.  Soon thereafter, a turn-coat Mongol undermined the council of Kashgar and the city joined the Zulus and expanded their influence on the main continent.  The rapid expansion of the Zulu nation was not without its risks and a city off the coast of the continent was seized by the Arabs, another nation.  Two additional nations were encountered, a very strong civilization called the English and a much weaker civilization known as the Japanese.

The extremely rich cities on the numerous Zulu islands began to pay their dividends.  Relying on the separation provided by the sea, the Zulus eschewed security for prosperity and all resources were used to develop markets and libraries.  Shortly thereafter however, the belligerent nature of the Zulus found too much in common with the Mongols and soon Mongol legions were laying siege to Kashgar, the one-time Mongol city.  Fortunately, Kashgar and its sister city on the continent proved formidable obstacles and the Mongols lost many troops attempting to seize the city.  A second, wiser assault attacked and seized the other Zulu city on the continent.  The victory was to be short-lived as the Zulus had been preparing for a counter-offensive and a Galleon was just off-shore with a landing party of Cannons and Riflemen.  Quickly recapturing the city, a small defense force was re-established and then the Zulus marched north.

The major production city of Basra held off the Cannons and Riflemen for a few years but couldn’t lift the seige.  Eventually the city fell and the path to Karakorum was open.  Karakorum fell, helped from naval support from the newly developed cruiser Z.S.S. Shaka.  In panic, the citizens of Aleppo revolted and asked to join the Zulu nation.  Shattered, the Mongols envoys requested and were granted a cease-fire.

By this point, the Universities of Zulu were developing new and world-changing technologies at a breakneck pace.  Highly sophisticated military forces were developed and shipped overseas.  Two armies of artillery and mechanized Infantry landed in the center of the continent.  The northern army laid siege to Canterbury, a critical city in the powerful English kingdom.  A deployed force of Mechanized Infantry defended the city against the cream of the Zulu forces, a veteran Arttilly unit from the Mongol campaigns.  Both forces were led by competent generals and the Battle of Canterbury would be recorded as the bloodiest battle of all history.  The inevitability of the Zulus saw through and Canterbury became a staging point for the eventual English capitulation.  As per their usual strategy, the Zulu artillery then drove straight through the English heartland and assaulted the capital, London.

At the same time, an amphibious assault on Tblisi, the Arab capital, was poorly planned and Zulu forces pulled back to regroup.  Despite this setback, cities from around the world followed the path of Aleppo and revolted.  Each was granted admission to the Zulu Empire and soon, very few cities were not flying the Zulu flag.  Settling for nothing less than complete domination, the Zulu armies mobilized.  London fell quickly to the elite artillery of the northern army and Kyoto, the last remnants of a much maligned Japanese nation, fell very shortly thereafter.  Tblisi, though facing a much less experienced army, proved incapable of holding off the Zulus as well.  With over 90% of all cities in the world under the Zulu flag, either by military conquest or citizen revolt, the remaining cities acknowledged Zulu superiority and capitulated.