Huddle Up - Game 104 post mortem

[Ry Vor]

We are interested in your role in Game 104, our first completed Magic (alliance victory potential) game. Also, interesting for all to note that although Alliance Victory is possible, it is not necessary in this variant. Congratulations to Nikodemus for winning as The Troll Uprising Over the Trembling Ground!

[Jumbie]

Also, please state your kingdom at the start of the recap since us outsiders won't have that info.

[Harry O]

Ancient Ones Game 104

This being my first game back after 20 years I felt like I had a target on my back. I really enjoyed mulling over strategy and orders throughout the game. I made some good first moves that helped me all game and some dumb ones that cost me early. The good, I put in a standing 480 order for my lead Consul turn 1. This enabled me to raise influence and emissaries throughout the game. My lead consul would issue 478 (cost of 6000) denigrates whenever I was low on gold. Sometimes when I was bellow 15000 gold and didn’t need to issue 478, order 480 wouldn’t go off and I still had enough for priestess and agent orders. The other good thing I did was raise defenses at my capital turns 1 2 to 20000 with wizards. This made a decisive difference when the Red Dragon showed up at my capital turn 2 with his southern division. He moved off but came back to Torvale after turn 5 reinforcements and we battled for half of Torvale most of the game, the Troll had the other half. Now here’s the bad. Besides having the Red Dragons on my capital turn 2 I proceeded to issue order 320 on all the neutral towns I landed emissaries on. If that wasn’t bad enough about Turn 4 the GI straitened me out and clued me into the fact that Avalon was in Torvale and not in Amberland. To this day of all things I remember from 20 years ago about Alamaze Avalon’s region isn’t one of them. The Troll took Meridon with a siege so I figured I’d grab the towns and villages. I’m not sure how much of a difference moving on Avalon early would have made since on turn 6 the Red Dragon moved to with an Army Group so I would have held it 2 or 3 turns at most as it worked out.

The Troll didn’t know how I was defeating myself. He saw me grab the council seat and send the Red Dragon packing leaving my capital intact. The Dwarf gave me the gold to take the council seat BTW so he deserves all the credit on that one. Anyway I was faced with of the 2 top militaries in the game so when the Troll offered me a truce till turn 10 or 15 I took it. This lead to a battle for half of Torvale between the Ancient Ones and Red Dragons along with the Gnomes poking a finger in here or there that lasted from turn 6 to 14 when I finally got control of Torvale.

Before I talk about the last 4 or 5 turns of the game I’ll make a comment about the Classic Team game. I’d play with my team mates again but I’d hope all the other teams were in the game together as well. Some strange things happened with the alliances. I found myself at common purpose with the Underworld but at the end it looked like the Witchlord was going to join the Troll, DE, and DA in taking the AN apart. It seems the Gnome and Red Dragons really wanted to take on the Dwarf and Ancient Ones while the Sorcerer and Black Dragon took on the Ranger. Some players didn’t show and others can comment on that who know more if it’s appropriate. It didn’t work out the way the Neutrals wanted because the Underworld proceeded to take apart the Gnome one or two throats at a time. I’m very interested in the Underworlds perspective on this early part of the game. Anyway, instead of focusing on one fight the Gnome and Red Dragon seemed to divide their attention between the Underworld who I doubt they wanted to fight and the Ancient Ones who they really wanted to fight. If this is in fact the case I just want to say thanks to the Underworld who put in a great performance.

Turn 15 came and the end of the truce was upon us so I figured I’d have enemy groups on me. I was determined not to go down without a fight so I launched an emissary and consul assault on the DE and TR. I didn’t anticipate the Troll would go after the Dwarf. I’m not sure I would do anything different except maybe request the Giant join me in Oakendell instead of Torvale and then Arcania. The emissary assault went OK against the Troll but didn’t gain any traction against the DE. I cannot overstate how much winter hurt the Ancient Ones at this late point in the game. I got my ESO turn 15 and had a consul in Oakendell and Arcania and 2 in Torvale. Because of winter I had to have my lead Consul issue 478 in my capital instead of letting 480 go off. I was issuing 21 orders the last 5 turns and had 6 standing orders do stuff but I still didn’t have enough to move my main group out of my capital which resulted my 2 of my Wizards getting slaughtered turn 17 by the DA. I only needed a couple more orders by turn 17 but winter stopped it. I suspect the DE was going to launch a massive Skeleton assault at my capital but having the Giant Army Group in Arcania sent him the other way so it worked out. It was actually not a bad thing for the game to end when it did. I got more status points I suspect than I would have gotten coming in 9th place turn 19 than if what looked like 4 or 5 maybe 6 evils were about to jump all over me. Have no doubt, except for the great performance by the Sorcerer and Dwarf, the neutrals and goods lost and the evils won with the Troll taking the top prize. Congrats to them.

Regarding my own performance! I viewed the Ancient Ones as sort of a machine with lots of small moving parts that all needed to work in harmony. I think I did really well with the Consuls, I did OK with the emissaries, I did OK with resource management except for groups which were a drain and ineffectual. Despite some good early 601 orders raising defense with wizards they didn’t do much, except make gold, some food and did some sleeps and wards. My agents only did recons. I never got the machine I believe the Ancient Ones can be properly tuned and working all together. One of these days I may try again.

OH ya, thanks to the Dwarves who gave lots of gold and took the Red Dragons capital twice. Once in Talking Mountains and once in Runnimede.

Harry O

[kik1661]

Game 104 Troll

I have to start by saying I had two great team mates in Loric and Hawk. I learned more about strategy from their email discussions than I learned in my first two games. I could never have achieved my victory without their help and it would certainly be an honor to be on their team again should another team game start.

It was fun playing the Troll. The military is obviously insane. I had over 200,00 in army values at the end with morales in the 160% range.My food costs were crazy though as it cost me 60k food a turn to keep everyone fed

I also enjoyed my ability to hire new governors at little influence loss. It was fun to be able to flood a region with emissaries. I had a duke , 2 counts , 4 barons , and 5 governors at the end along with a 22 influence.

I controlled 6 different cities during the game and 5 at the end. My gold and food supply was humming along and at its height was producing 230k gold and 140k food. I also had gold and food reserves at turn 16 of nearly 300k each which allowed me to survive the winter and the AN's late charge at taking my villages.

I have to also give kudos to the AN as a worthy adversary and the WI and RD as honorable allies.

[Ry Vor]

Game 104 Troll

I have to start by saying I had two great team mates in Loric and Hawk. I learned more about strategy from their email discussions than I learned in my first two games. I could never have achieved my victory without their help and it would certainly be an honor to be on their team again should another team game start.

It was fun playing the Troll. The military is obviously insane. I had over 200,00 in army values at the end with morales in the 160% range.My food costs were crazy though as it cost me 60k food a turn to keep everyone fed

I also enjoyed my ability to hire new governors at little influence loss. It was fun to be able to flood a region with emissaries. I had a duke , 2 counts , 4 barons , and 5 governors at the end along with a 22 influence.

I controlled 6 different cities during the game and 5 at the end. My gold and food supply was humming along and at its height was producing 230k gold and 140k food. I also had gold and food reserves at turn 16 of nearly 300k each which allowed me to survive the winter and the AN's late charge at taking my villages.

I have to also give kudos to the AN as a worthy adversary and the WI and RD as honorable allies.

Wow!

[Lord Diamond]

Game Details