Posts: 2,252
Threads: 75
Joined: Sep 2013
Reputation:
17
Congrats to DuPont on a well-earned Rex in our Confluence game. He had the RA/IL combo.
Posts: 204
Threads: 5
Joined: Oct 2016
Reputation:
0
Congratulations DuPont. Well done!
I love these confluence games.
1 RA DuPont 19,385 25,997
2 WA Warmaster 15,240 22,177
3 DE Vball Michael 10,475 16,413
4 IL DuPont 10,730 16,275
5 DW Warmaster 6,600 10,635
6 AT Vball Michael 3,140 8,116
Posts: 536
Threads: 14
Joined: Jul 2016
Reputation:
0
Congratz Dupont. Well played!
Posts: 2,776
Threads: 70
Joined: Feb 2013
Reputation:
3
I do so love this format. It's quite an interesting way to play because once you get past a certain point, the funding is not an issue and it's more about managing orders. I think the RA/IL is a good combo. At the start of the game, both #7 and #10 were unclaimed so in addition to #8, I had to decide which of these I would go for. I knew that the AM/SO would very likely go after #7 and the DA/LI would probably try for #10, so it was a choice of which combo I wanted to tangle with. I decided on #10 because at the end of the day, I felt that the DA/LI in control of #9 and #10 would be very likely to aim at #8 next whereas the same seemed less true for the AM/SO.
I had decided that the RA would take #8 and the IL would take #10. But I put my early efforts into #8 - I used IL to rebel the cities and the RA to flip them, giving me a good start. Thus I was able to claim the region on turn 4. This game me a head start in the race for 10 - I had already moved my Duke into Vanasheen on turn 3 and the DA/LI never opposed me there, letting me gain it on turn 5. This was a big help as over the next several turns, he did better than I did in claiming towns and villages. I think me having the city prevented him from gaining enough for control, though, and as I was able to bring the RA forces to bear, I eventually was able to overwealm him and take control of the Sands on turn 12. The AM/SO duo already had 4 and 7 and the AT/DE was in 5 and 6 so I was not too worried about being a target. The obvious thing was to continue to battle against the DA/LI and thus I moved into #9. I had been scouting it for a while so I had targets. The AT/DE seems to have invaded from the north at the exact same time. I considered backing off and instead moving against the AM/SO but this would have required quite an effort to get my forces all the way across the map and I felt that the AT/DE would just then attack me anyway, so I resolved to fight him for the region.
The DA/LI, hit by stronger forces on both sides, quickly folded leaving the two of us to fight over the bones of his kingdom. The early advantage was to the AT/DE - the AT gained control of the region on turn 15, had turned the RA hostile and in fact had dislodged me from every single pop center I had established a toehold in. But I regrouped and fought back - because control of the region was so evenly balanced between the AT and DE, I was able to knock him back out of control the next turn. I mostly used the RA armies and I started snatching up AT emissaries, who were then traded to the IL and tortured for useful intelligence. The tide had turned and each turn saw the RA's position improving. The turn 20 withdrawal of the DU/EL team, who were holding #1 and #2 reshaped the board. I was now less worried about the AM/SO deciding to expand in my area (I had preemptively denigrated both in #8 to discourage that and he'd done the same in reverse). The DW/WA team claimed both empty regions the next turn, which put him at three regions and made him the most obvious threat, even though he lost both the following turn. The AT/DE team seemed to give up on #9 - apparently to attack the DW/WA and the RA was able to claim it on turn 22. Now I started to slowly let him take over #10 with emissaries while the RA armies went to work in the Eastern Steppes. I found the AT capital and outclassed him on the sea, sinking his fleets and claiming most of his remaining emissaries. Meanwhile, the DW/WA went around nuking his cities, making it easier for me to control the Steppes. I actually got both regions on turn 26, but had not expected to get #6 until the next turn, so didn't declare victory until Turn 27.
I enjoyed playing against my worthy opponents and look forward to the next game like this!
Buddy/Ignore List
