Playing Burning Banners vs Gemini
Campaign 11: Across the Oskolton
This is my second time to play Burning Banners against an AI. You can read about my first attempt, versus ChatGPT, here. I decided to play Campaign 11 - Across the Oskolton against Gemini to learn how effective the AI could be at learning the system and playing the game AND teaching myself the Advanced Rules for Magic, Blessings, and Monsters. I love the art and vibe of this game, and getting to play more of it would be great!
Campaign 11 is a Scrolls of Sandaria (stand alone) scenario set in the year 593 in the middle of the War of the Burning Banners. The Campaign starts in Summer 593 with the turn order of:
Army of the Night, then Oathborn, and finally the Goblins.
The AotN and Goblins are 'the Invaders' and are limited in their power and the Oathborn are 'the Resistance' pushing back on the initial onslaught of their holds in the Oskolton Mountain range.
I took the role of the Invaders, and the Resistance will be played by Gemini.
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| The Map used for Campaign 11 - Across the Oskolton |
I initially loaded the Undying rules and asked Gemini to learn the rules and deploy initial units. I uploaded a picture of the initial board state after my setup. Gemini created a solid initial strategy, but made up info for units and spells that it 'drew'. It also made up two settlements it thought it controlled at the start called "Oskolton" and "Skov". It also invented a Hero that did not exist. I corrected this information and it made an initial deployment for a miner, 2 Iron Legion, and 2 Crossbowmen.
Summer 593
I flew my Giant Bats up to meet an Iron Legion and fought to a draw. I produced another Giant Bat unit and flew them toward the settlement of Barzirak.
Then Gemini took over. It attempted to add flavor text to the turn and built units and rebuilt Highgarden.
The Goblins surged forward and took Highgarden, looting and sending armies to the surrounding mountains.
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| The end of Summer 593 |
Autumn 593
The Army of the Night enslaved an Iron Legion, using it to rebuild the Bjornfoss but filled with undead. The ghouls spilled out into the surrounding countryside. I think I cheated here by deploying these immediately. But as you will soon learn, it mattered not.
The Oathborn took back Highgarden with a Oathtaker army. The Goblins were in a tough spot now!
The Goblin armies threw themselves at Highgarden and Barzirak in an attempt to take a settlement. They all failed, most of them being destrroyed in the process, and th Goblin Army collapsed.
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| The End of the Game - The Goblins collapsed |
The Oathborn won, but mostly by my mistakes with the Goblins. The ripe a razor thin line in this scenario, needing to get in the way of the Oathborn, but also be conservative because opportunities for pillaging are sparse.
Gemini was a fun, narrative, and thematic opponent, but did not have a good grasp of the rules and made up units, rules, and heroes. Spells and Blessings were basically useless for Gemini.
I will try the same scenario again, to try a new strategy with the Goblins, and to test out the ability of NotebookLM to handle the Oathborn.
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