Recollecting Game #102

[Ry Vor]

Although Game 102 started a couple weeks after Games 100 and 101, it was the first completed game in Alamaze Classic 2013.

This Game was won by Wynand, leading The Stone Giants in a Steel game, winning incredibly early at Turn 15 by Secret Victory. I'm guessing that will be a record in 15 player games for some time.

Now, we need accounts from any players in Game 102 as to "what had happened?" Come on, give us your victories, your defeats, your shagrins, your laughs - nothing is going to bite you now.

[kik1661]

I will start ... This was my second game after 100 started and I would be playing the Demon Princes. I was feeling pretty good about myself when I captured Arcania on turn 4.

Soon after I was invaded on two fronts by the Giants and Black Dragons. I didn't put up much of a fight as the BL sieged Treisa and the GI had emissaries flipping my PC's quickly. One of my Demon Princes was captured at Treisa after it fell. Within 3 turns I had ZERO PC's left.

I figured I'd learn some stuff and kept plugging away at it. I built and scraped navies in the Sea of Foreboding to get by while I built up some cheap skeleton brigades. (The skeletons not eating was huge for me when I had no PC's). I raven'd Avalon saw it lightly defended and figured what the hell. I landed my troops , roughly 23k worth of DE brigades and skeletons , the next turn. Lo and behold the GI had flipped it back to neutral from AN controlled. I was able to 171 it the next turn.

This is where I probably helped the Giant to victory as I missed the next turn through my own stupidity. I was helping all the first timers in 105 get their orders in and in the flurry I never sent 102. My orders that turn would have been to make Avalon my capital and to sea patrol with my 10 quality 16 fleets. I imagine that would have made the Giants landing at Avalon a little more difficult that turn. But alas we will never know and I tip my cap to Wynand for his victory.

Nikodemus

[Lord Diamond]

I played the Sorcerer and intended to make this a pure adventure game with no conflict. I was successful. My treaty with Cargus the Ranger, and outstanding neighbor, allowed me to take Synisvania for my ESO.

I spent the game raising wizards and looking for unusual sightings. It was fun, but I doubt that I will do it again anytime soon. Maybe if I had been more active, the game would have lasted longer. It was a learning experience for sure.

[Ry Vor]

I played the Sorcerer and intended to make this a pure adventure game with no conflict. I was successful. My treaty with Cargus the Ranger, and outstanding neighbor, allowed me to take Synisvania for my ESO.

I spent the game raising wizards and looking for unusual sightings. It was fun, but I doubt that I will do it again anytime soon. Maybe if I had been more active, the game would have lasted longer. It was a learning experience for sure.

Interesting in that I have in mind the Arda extension will have smaller starting kingdoms, an agent and emissary range of 7 instead of 10, dragon subduing in maybe five encounters and so having flying for a lucky patrol flying on a named dragon. In general, a longer game with less rushing and more development and more artifact hunting. Am I on the right path?

[Lord Diamond]

I played the Sorcerer and intended to make this a pure adventure game with no conflict. I was successful. My treaty with Cargus the Ranger, and outstanding neighbor, allowed me to take Synisvania for my ESO.

I spent the game raising wizards and looking for unusual sightings. It was fun, but I doubt that I will do it again anytime soon. Maybe if I had been more active, the game would have lasted longer. It was a learning experience for sure.

Interesting in that I have in mind the Arda extension will have smaller starting kingdoms, an agent and emissary range of 7 instead of 10, dragon subduing in maybe five encounters and so having flying for a lucky patrol flying on a named dragon. In general, a longer game with less rushing and more development and more artifact hunting. Am I on the right path?

You are for me! I would love more in-game quest opportunities and more ways to play a game without having to conquer my enemies.

[Cargus10]

I played the Sorcerer and intended to make this a pure adventure game with no conflict. I was successful. My treaty with Cargus the Ranger, and outstanding neighbor, allowed me to take Synisvania for my ESO.

I spent the game raising wizards and looking for unusual sightings. It was fun, but I doubt that I will do it again anytime soon. Maybe if I had been more active, the game would have lasted longer. It was a learning experience for sure.

Interesting in that I have in mind the Arda extension will have smaller starting kingdoms, an agent and emissary range of 7 instead of 10, dragon subduing in maybe five encounters and so having flying for a lucky patrol flying on a named dragon. In general, a longer game with less rushing and more development and more artifact hunting. Am I on the right path?

Yeah, I'd love a game with a bit more buildup to it. Maybe a larger map as well (and, um - hexes instead of squares?) to draw out some of the battles. Maybe concentrate each kingdom more instead of the current spread out into 3 regions thing. As it stands now, far and away the most viable tactic is the blitz, to the point that is really all you see almost. Larger distances might allow for some defence in depth and longer campaigns with more time for interesting stuff to develop.

[Cargus10]

As for game 102, I played the Ranger. I made a deal to share Synisvania with the SO early on, and to get part of the Southern Sands early as well after cordial discussions with the BL. My good relations with both kingdoms were to continue the rest of the game.

Once I had established a base, I sent a team artifact hunting and fairly quickly came up with Ruler Eliminator. The BL suggested I join her in goring after the DE, so I knocked off a few villages in Arcania, and traded for Demon's Bane (which I never actually used on a Demon Prince).

Once the DE was suppressed, the BL then suggested we go after the DA, who had been ominously silent. Little did we know that the DW was attacking him on the same turn the BL moved, I was supposed to follow 1 turn after the BL, as my assets were so far south and we didn't want to take time to move them up before the BL leaped. Anyway, we worked out an arrangement with the DW and divided the DA holdings 3 ways pretty much. My Fanatic-10 with those two covert artifacts took a shot at the DA King (why not? He's a fanatic after all, and I had a high level Agent to back him up if he got killed) and succeeded. After that I traded Ruler Eliminator to the UN (who was sniping DA emissaries left and right) in return for the Armor of Anon, to go with the Standard of Valor and Dragon Slayer which I had unearthed.

Along about turn 13, I saw that I was really close to my SVC. I think I could have gone for it, but it would have meant stabbing the BL, and I just won't betray a declared ally, so I didn't, thinking the game had a few more turns in it than it did. Obviously, I was wrong

Fun game all the way around, even if I did only fight one battle (an inconclusive fight with the DA main army - he had a Power-5 and a Power-4 that did a fair amount of damage while my troops did lesser damage to him. I did kill a leader with Dragon Slayer and I had assassinated one of his Power-2's a couple of turns earlier. He dealt more casualties in the battle, but owing to how badly he had been mauled by a huge (19 brigade) BL army, I had lots more casualties to give. I trailed him and we were set to fight again the turn the game ended.

[DuPont]

I played the EL. Right off the bat, I made peace with the WI. I didn't want him coming after me and I didn't plan to go after him, either. I also felt out the AN and the TR. I was trying to discourage the TR from coming after me, but I didn't get a good read on that situation. I also resolved to leave the GI town alone so he wouldn't feel motivated to come up and get me. I got my region on turn 3 - the only other player to do so was the WI and I was feeling very happy about my position. I decided that it would be best to invade Torvale because the TR was indeed moving against me with his groups and I had every reason to suspect the AN had sent him given that the AN was gobbling up most of Torvale. In fact, it turned out that the AN was planning to attack the WI. Had I held off one more turn, the AN would have been totally out of position but even so, he was still off balance when I moved against him. The GI also came into Torvale to help. The TR dropped very quickly around this time, not sure why as he was still viable.
At that point, I got bogged down in a war of attrition with the AN. I can't blame him for throwing everything he had at me. I would have done the same thing. But the end result is that it enabled the GI to get what he needed while I was busy playing Whack-A-Mole with the AN. I enjoyed the game and was glad that since I wasn't the winner, the GI was. Tip of the hat to the AN as well for putting up such a good fight!

[Ry Vor]

I am enjoying these reports - good stuff!

[kevindusi]

I played the UN in 102. I started the game working with RD and DW, both great allies, with WI providing spell support. Negotiations didn't go well with GN and RD was willing to front an assault in that direction, so started the game at war with GN. RD did a great job bottling him up, with me working in the background to kidnap agents and lower-level emissaries. At one point the GN had his troops at my capital and I think he only failed at taking it by the thinnest of margins. Had he won that battle, I think things would have gone much differently for both of us. However, due to the loss, the only thing left to do was complete the siege at XF that RD had started and chase down his few remaining emissaries, which RD was willing to handle.

At this point DW was ready to expand and I agreed to support his move into region 6. As Cargus noted, we didn't know that RA/BL were also jumping into 6, so it ended up being a very busy region in short order. I kidnapped a decent amount of DA emissaries and agents but did not take much in the way of pop centers. While there was a bit of disorganization at first in region 6 with the attack on DA, RA and BL both proved very good to work with and DA was never able to mount a serious defense that I could see.

Before I could finish my push to win, which needed a city and a second region, GI had declared. I'd like to think I was only a turn away, but that would have required a lot of luck. My status points at the end reflect a lot of prisoners, as well as a decent amount of artifacts, which I had been hunting with my 1UN as time allowed.

I have to give credit to GN for his tenacity and willingness to issue however many 385 orders to have the same agent escape twice. The second escape was with two fanatic 4's on guard duty, which I thought would push the chances to only a very small shade above nil.

Next time, I'd rather not be in a war at the beginning. However, I'd happily work with just about any of the kings from 102 in future games... both allies and enemies. A lot of good skill, luck, and stubbornness on display.

Thanks all for a great game!