Game 193

[Hawk_]

Congrats to Jumping Fist for winning another one!

Congrats also to my Elven enemy  Imperial Tark and Underworld ally DuPont!  Glad to see the UN made the podium!

I was hoping this game would go to turn 40 because I was mounting a come back in this one.  Fun game regardless.



Victory By Rex Is The Darkelven Kingdom!

Game End Status Points

Place Kingdom Player Results-31 Grand Total

1 DA Jumpingfist 17,320 25,916
2 UN DuPont 12,840 21,158
3 EL Imperial Tark 8,305 15,189
4 DE HeadHoncho 6,700 14,705
5 TR Hawk 7,925 13,300
6 BL Vball Michael 6,700 13,060
7 GN Arch Mage of Entropy 2,000 3,400

[HeadHoncho]

DE

I roared out of the gate on this one, taking my region and taking out the RA. I then engaged in a pretty intense war with BL, where I got the upper hand, but miscalculated and took R10 on a turn I was hoping not to, as the third region would signal people to attack me.

When I took that region, I wasn't in position to launch an optimal attack on R7 for my fourth for the win, but I took a risk and launched a medium-sized invasion against only GN pop centers (possible via Demon Prince gating and Teleport Army Group).

This was when GN and UN both invaded R8, and I figured I had a one or two turn window to go for the Rex, and even though I felt my odds were less than 50/50, I decided to go for it, rather than finish putting BL down (I had him down to a bare handful of pop centers).

Anyway, GN left enough at home to stop me from taking R7, and it all went downhill from there, being attacked by GN, UN, BL, and then TR jumped in as well.

I actually held it together reasonably well, retaining a massive army with full Wizard support, and a load of politicals (including a new Baron per turn), but the attrition was just too much... couldn't match four Kingdoms against me.

Anyway, when I get to my turns, I will post about the In Memoriam section (largest I've ever had) and my Agent 15 Zam, who had a very nice run.

Great job to VBM who hung tough and then came all the way back against me, next time I will finish the job rather than go for the outside shot at victory.

Kudos also to UN and GN for a tough war, and for UN's final turn where he kidnapped my King and a DE Prince! It was a running battle but a lot of fun.

Finally, hats off to JF for winning another one! I think he has cemented his position as our top player. DA and I had a peaceful relationship all game, which was key for me since I already had too many enemies.

And congrats to EL, you JUST beat me to the podium.

[Hawk_]

Early in the game I invaded the Elf because I located his capitol in a village and thought I could surprise him there.
He moved his army there the same turn I did and proceeded to slaughter the entire TR military over 2 turns.
I was not planning on a group battle and did not expect his entire force plus veterans to be massed there:


Reports of our Military engagements:


Battle between the 1st Elven army group and the 1st Troll army group in the forest of area
AB:

Elven Troll

Commanders
Marshal Glorin Little Known Leader
General Kallis
Wizards
Power-4 Lhovik None
Power-4 Soarian
Brigades
8 Kingdom 10 Kingdom
3 Veteran 3 Orcs
Infantry
6,200 Light Footmen 6,000 Troll Clubs
6,400 Medium Footmen 3,600 Orc Light Clubs
800 Guard Footmen 2,400 Orc Clubs
Cavalry
800 Light Horse
1,100 Medium Horse
800 Elite Horse
Missiles
2,700 Bowmen 1,000 Troll Slingers
1,600 Longbowmen
800 Composite Bows
Combat Factors
Exceptional Leaders None
Tactical Selection
Determined Attack Standard Battle Plan


As the attack placed the groups face to face, the Elven leaders bolstered their troops
against the lumbering Trolls which raised the Elven fighting ability before the battle. As
the two forces drew closer, the Trolls were intimidated by the organized Elven force that
lowered the Troll fighting ability before the battle. Late in the afternoon, with a cry
from its commander, the 1st Elven army group raced to engage the advancing lines of the
1st Troll army group commanded by the group's little known leader. Among the Troll troops
were brigades of Orcs, which now raced to the front lines! Aware of the political
situation that had declared the Troll to be hostile to their nation, the Elven troops were
noticably energized and gained a morale boost as they prepared to fight their declared
enemy! Aware of the political situation that had declared the Elven to be hostile to their
nation, the Troll troops were invigorated and benefited from increased morale as they
prepared to fight their declared enemy! As the most important group of their kingdom, the
troops are visibly heartened by the presence of the first Elven's banner! As the most
important group of their kingdom, the forces are noticeably emboldened by being under the
first Troll's colors! As the attackers advanced through the dense forest, the battle
began.

- Archers -

Misslers from both sides stepped forward and let loose a volley of arrows. The Elven
forces caused minor losses upon the Troll lines and, in return, the Troll imposed light
damage against the enemy.

- Magic -

Elven conjurers dismounted just beyond the range of defending bowmen and began an animated
incantation. Power-4 wizard Lhovik threw back his hood and gestured in an animated
fashion, in rapid succession were cast many phantasmal forces and deadly pyrotechnics into
the ranks of the enemy. Power-4 wizard Soarian made a series of intricate gestures, in
rapid succession were cast many minor phantasms and magical bolts into the heart of the
enemy force. Power-4 wizard Soarian while seemingly detached from all else, seemed to draw
within himself and began to incant. A massive ball of fire sped toward the main ranks of
the enemy and exploded! To the satisfaction of their foes, the Trolls seemed greater
affected by the magical attacks cast against them than was expected. The Elven lines
claimed noticable damage upon the Troll lines while the Troll caused no damage to their
enemy.

- Cavalry -

The engagement favored the Elven kingdom at this early juncture, and they relentlessly
pressed ahead. Quickly, Marshal Glorin beckoned the Elven splendid, white horsed cavalry
down upon the mercenary cavalry of the Troll. The Elven lines imposed light casualties
upon the Troll lines in response, the Troll imposed negligible losses to their enemy.

- Infantry -

Soon the infantries of each side were upon the other, and now the fighting was bloodier
than ever. The Elven steady, green cloaked swordsmen confronted the Troll huge, darkly
scaled troops, which bared great fangs and wielded mauls to determine the outcome of the
battle. The Elven ranks dealt out heavy losses upon the Troll forces in return, the Troll
inflicted appreciable losses against the enemy.

- Conclusion -

Troll casualties had now exceeded acceptable levels in the judgement of the group's little
known leader so the order for retreat was sounded. The Troll rear guard met some hard
resistance, but the remainder of the force was able to withdraw in orderly fashion. Elven
casualties were put at 23%. All Elven leaders survived the battle. Fighting gloriously was
Glorin, who once again has distinguished himself. He is now a Marshal I. Kallis
demonstrated tactical awareness and has been recognized as a General I. In the proud
tradition of the Elven kingdom, a sharp-thinking champion has distinguished himself in
this battle. He is Captain Brinstar. All the Elven wizards survived the fray. The troops
are eager for further glory: morale is up! Troll casualties were put at 73%. The toll of
battle has diminished the group's morale.

I combined the remainder of my troops to the swamps and tried to defend against him here:

Reports of our Military engagements:


Battle between the 1st Elven army and the 2nd Troll army group in the marsh of area EB:

Elven Troll

Commanders
Marshal I Glorin General II Bigfoot
General I Kallis General II Shandaf
Captain Brinstar
Wizards
Power-4 Lhovik None
Power-4 Soarian
Brigades
7 Kingdom 9 Kingdom
2 Veteran 9 Orcs
Infantry
4,512 Light Footmen 5,400 Troll Clubs
4,794 Medium Footmen 10,800 Orc Light Clubs
658 Guard Footmen 7,200 Orc Clubs
Cavalry
658 Light Horse
846 Medium Horse
658 Elite Horse
Missiles
2,162 Bowmen 900 Troll Slingers
1,316 Longbowmen
658 Composite Bows
Combat Factors
Superior Leaders Exceptional Leaders
Tactical Selection
Determined Attack Stand And Defend


As the attack placed the groups face to face, the Elven leaders bolstered their troops
against the lumbering Trolls which raised the Elven fighting ability before the battle. As
the two forces drew closer, the Trolls were intimidated by the organized Elven force that
lowered the Troll fighting ability before the battle. Early in the day, with a cry from
its commander, the 1st Elven army advanced upon the defensive position of the 2nd Troll
army group commanded by General Bigfoot. Among the Troll troops were brigades of Orcs,
which now raced to the front lines! Knowing that their liege had declared the Troll to be
hostile to their interests, the Elven forces were clearly anxious for battle and gained a
morale boost as they prepared to engage their declared enemy! Aware of the political
situation that had declared the Elven to be treated as an enemy of their nation, the Troll
troops were noticably energized and gained a morale boost as they prepared to meet their
declared enemy! As the most important group of their nation, the troops are visibly
bolstered by the presence of the first Elven's banner! As the attackers crossed the swampy
turf, the battle began.

- Archers -

Archers from both sides joined the fray and fired their arrows. The Elven ranks dealt out
light losses upon the Troll forces while the Troll caused minor casualties to their foes.

- Magic -

Elven mages dismounted scarcely past where the defensive missles were falling and began an
elaborate incantation. Power-4 wizard Lhovik slowly spoke in an arcane language, gestures
building to a crescendo, with awe-inspiring precision he launched many minor phantasms and
magical bolts into the ranks of the enemy. Power-4 wizard Lhovik incanted in a low
forceful tone. A faintly visible blue shimmering began to surround the troops and
noticeably lessened the effectiveness of the arrows of the defenders. Power-4 wizard
Soarian threw back his hood and gestured in an animated fashion, in rapid succession were
cast many minor phantasms and magical bolts into the heart of the enemy force. Power-4
wizard Soarian glowered intently and issued indecipherable utterances. A massive ball of
fire sped toward the main ranks of the enemy and exploded! To the satisfaction of their
foes, the Trolls seemed greater affected by the magical attacks cast against them than was
expected. The Elven ranks claimed light casualties upon the Troll ranks in response, the
Troll caused no casualties against the enemy.

- Cavalry -

The Elven force enjoyed a significant advantage in the early going, greatly pressuring
their foe. Cavalry from both sides did negligible damage.

- Infantry -

The Elven kingdom now held a decisive edge, and now looked to apply the finishing strike.
Soon the infantries of each side were upon the other, and now the fighting was bloodier
than ever. The Elven infantry advanced forward to meet the Troll ground forces in close
quarters. The Elven lines caused noticable losses upon the Troll lines in return, the
Troll imposed severe losses against the enemy.

- Combined -

Hour after hour passed, yet none could tell which side would be the victor since both
forces were evenly matched. Despite all that had preceeded at this moment, the battle
outcome was still in doubt. Now all remaining troops of all types hurled themselves into
the thick of battle to settle matters in decisive fashion. Still the glory of this day was
to be won. However, the last hours of combat sealed the fate of both forces. The Elven
steady, green cloaked swordsmen challenged the Troll thick hided 8' tall monsters, who
fought savagely with spiked clubs and great axes, to decide the battle. The Elven forces
claimed minor losses upon the Troll forces as the Troll caused noticable casualties to
their foes.

- Conclusion -

General Bigfoot saw that fortune was not with the Troll this day, and signalled the
retreat. Their foes harried the rear, complicating the Troll withdrawal somewhat. Elven
casualties were put at 49%. All Elven leaders survived the battle. Glorin has shown
uncommon skill and has earned a promotion to Marshal II. Fighting gloriously was Kallis,
who again has distinguished himself. He is now a General II. Brinstar showed great courage
and has been promoted as a Captain I. Sadly, the Elven Wizard Power-4 Lhovik was found
dead in the vanguard with many wounds. The troops are anxious for more victories: morale
is up! Troll casualties were put at 59%. Tragically, the Troll General II Shandaf was
killed. Fighting gloriously was Bigfoot, who once again has won further glory. He is now a
Marshal. The toll of battle has diminished the group's morale.


At the same moment of this defeat I got blitzkrieged by the Giant and almost knocked out of game 193.

If the Giant had not decided to drop I would never have accomplished much in 193.   I did manage to slay all of the GI wizards and cast sleep on the giant King each turn but that was about it.

Fun game.   Anonymous games can be relaxing to play without any emails to send out each turn.

[IMPERIAL_TARK]

EL

My early intent was like most Elven players, secure my region, build up my wizards, and then come out and take either Torvale or N. Mists depending on which kingdom was weaker. Imagine my surprise when the Trolls came into Oakendell early in the game (WTF!). Fortunately, I had already pulled my military together and used Intercept to make sure I found his armies before they could do any real damage. And while I did manage to crush him militarily, I lost a P4 during combat which in turn upset my run at my ESO since I had selected the 2 P4s as one of my goals. I literally, had just enough time to get all my goals met on Turn 15! It was fortuitous that the GI made the TR leave because while I had managed to bust up the TR, I would not have been able to sustain a never-ending war. Once I realized that the TR and GI were now going at it, I spent my time rebuilding and keeping watch on the WI who was duking it out with the RD and DA. I waited till they were all pretty well beat down and pre-occupied with one another and made my move to take the region. Thankfully, once I took it the RD and DA essentially left.
Next up I was going to take Amberland (and then take Torvale for last and make that TR pay!). As luck would have it, the GI dropped the same turn I was invading R5. So I got the early jump on everyone else but unfortunately too many other kingdoms were also making a play. My main miscalculation came with the UN. He took Avalon with a diplomat who went underground blocking me from taking the region. I should have just pivoted into Torvale and come back for Amberland later. Instead, I declared the UN an enemy and went back with my teleporting army to re-take Avalon, which I did but this then brought the full weight of the UN against me. Needless, to say, I had agents and emmys disappearing every turn. Thankfully, I had two armies both with 3 wizards each (all between 5th and 7th level), so they would take their PC and then teleport to the next one so as to not give the UN a chance to take out my leaders/wizards. But with a tiny court left, the two armies couldn't take PCs fast enough to cover what I was losing.
Then I caught a real break. I divined the location of the UN groups and used it to track down his capitol. Unfortunately, it was in the water in Torvale. He must have had 30+ prisoners there from all kingdoms. So when the game ended, I was building fleets as fast as I could in the Sea of Mystery to go capture it with my Army Group and wizards, but JF won too fast!
If not for the early TR war and/or the miscalculation of antagonizing the UN, I think I could have contended for 1st. Glad to slip in to the podium though since the turn before I was in 4th. As JF and HH were my two mentors when I first joined this game 6 months ago, I tip my hat to them, I would not be on the podium without their excellent guidance!

[VballMichael]

BL

This was a tough game. The Demons (aka Head Honcho) hit me hard and early. Almost eliminated me, but I did have a couple of decent armies so I could stay alive for a while. So, he went off to do other things, and I slowly climbed my way back in. I eventually took back Southern Sands and then took Synisvania from the Demons. Then, just as I took the last of the DE pop centers in 9 and 10 (except his water capital), and started to move my groups to get phoenixes (about turn 30), and figure out how I go forward with lots of troops but only 3 emissaries, the DA came in first sneaky then all-in-force. On a turn where I thought nothing was going to happen, I opened my turn to see that invisible DA armies had taken both Vanasheen and Jukanta and my towns and villages were now crawling with DA emissaries. My entire defense was two 310 orders, a late denigrate, a late High Council issue to denigrate and let the world know the DA was near victory, and 2 groups coming back. But alas, all too slow. JumpingFist planned it well and took both regions from me on the next turn and claimed his victory. Now he gets to be the status point king and the king with the most wins. Congratulations. Well done.

As for HH, after the pounding you delivered, my only goal was to come back and take what I could and try to keep the Demons from the podium. I was actually on my way to Runnimede to hit your final region when the game ended. Oh well, thus are the vicissitudes of war. Good game.

And congratulations to all of the podium winners. I really didn't get to interact with many folks given my very limited world-view in this one.