This plan aims to turn the recent vassalisation of Japan and the Vikings against Alpha as much as possible.

If my understanding of capitulation is correct, then Alpha has made a decision that cannot be reversed. Japan will be a little protectorate for the rest of the game. Alpha cannot expand into their territory (except through culture) and will never be able to utilise those Japanese cities. In fact this vassal is causing additional maintenance costs for Alpha. The Japanese are no threat to us militarily, and are highly unlikely to make any significant technological progress that they can trade to their master. To flip Japanese cities, Alpha will have to spend a fortune in EP's which they need against us.

I therefore suggest we leave Japan alone. It is doing a fine job for us.

The Vikings became a voluntary vassal and therefore theoretically could "pull out" of the deal allowing Alpha to crush them and gain 4 cities.

I suggest we destroy Haithabu and Nidaros. This will make the Vikings another useless appendage, taking up valuable space and contributing little. I have no idea whether it will convince them to cling to Alpha (as I hope) or not. Even if they reject their master, they will be a pathetic two-city state. I don't believe the Alphans will be expecting this, so I doubt they have, or will, reinforce these cities. Certainly their priority will be to protect their own coastal cities first. IIRC Haithabu is also the Taoist Holy City and destroying that now precludes all possibility of Alpha ever getting its thieving hands on it.

This suggestion, perhaps, goes against the logic that we should strike at the cities of our main rival. Firstly, that is what they will expect. Secondly, I think we need infantry to be truly effective against them. Thirdly, it will increase our war weariness. Attacking Ragnar will, I believe, have less of an effect as we have hardly built up any WW with him at all (it was usually his ships in our waters). If the cities are defended with outmoded troops we should win easily and pick up some promotions into the bargain. This would not be viewed as a suicide mission. We need to hurry though, before the Vikings discover rifling. If it turns out these cities are heavily defended then we ditch the plan and divert the troops either to an Alphan target, or stack 'em in treasure Island for future upgrading. In an ideal world, attacking Haithabu and Nidaros would be a diversion with the real attack against Alpha coming in from the opposite end of the continent, possibly against one of the Alphan-occupied Japanese cities with less cultural defense. However, I doubt we have the troop numbers.

2. Kerrrrching. The Pirate Option.

Now that we are at war with everyone and we have pretty much mastery of the seas we should attach a privateer to each blockading unit. Protected by frigates and Ships of the Line they'll be invulnerable. This will extend their useful life way beyond the normal and we can make an income from them for years (possibly until The End) Build them now before they become obsolete. Eventually they'll be protected by Battleships and still be pulling in the cash!! Forget what I said about operating them in stacks - things have changed.

But suppose we made it look as though this were a diversionary attack? How much would they commit to protecting their vassal. A vassal who, as you say -

Anyway, against an outmoded foe I am a great believer in amphibious assault. OK so the modifiers are horrible. But if it works and takes one turn less I do it. Cannon from galleons still cause collateral damage. Just wait until I'm Dictator

I didn't say that, though perhaps I could have put it more clearly. War weariness will accumulate vs the Vikings but it is far less of a factor because our base WW with them must be close to zero which is not the case with Alpha. Thus increasing it (by attacking their towns) will have less of an effect on our overall WW than attacking Alpha in their homeland

Frankly I don't give a bugger what our future relations with the Vikings are like. It seems pretty irrelevant to me. As soon as they renounce their vassalage (as you seem to think will happen) Alpha will march in and take them. That is precisely what I am trying to avoid or at least, if it does happen, I want the spoils of war to be meagre.

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You say that Japan is a long way from their interceptor stack. This can change in two turns. However, I do agree with you on your points above. Those are good targets.

I was merely proposing a slightly more, um, subtle plan with longer-term consquences. If you were in their shoes, where would you expect us to attack? That's where we don't go.

Well, true. It gets very confused after a few iterations and you probably end up at the beginning. Or not. Maybe.