#123 - Anonymous Steel Resurgent

[Ry Vor]

Hail to Wynterbreeze, who has won this Anonymous Steel contest leading the Witchlord to victory.

So, let's hear how this anonymous game played out, how it was different from a diplomatic game, what was unexpected, do you favor this format?

[Lord Diamond]

I do like this format. While I do enjoy diplomacy, it's nice to have a game or two that doesn't require me to coordinate with anyone else or to take anyone else's needs into consideration. It's kind of like going on vacation by yourself. You wouldn't want to do it all the time, but not having to consult with anyone else about where to go, what to eat, or when to go to bed can be relaxing.

I played the Ancient Ones and ended up in 3rd place. This game ended on turn 19 before it really got started. I collected a number of artifacts this game and built up my wizards a little. I spent a lot of the game focused on getting my ESO, which required me to have two cities. I chickened out on attacking Esteria Vale on turn 10 because of a DE army at the city, so I had to come back again and take it on turn 15. While I was doing that, the Black Dragon was conquering Runnimede and the rest of Arcania. He attacked my possessions in Arcania the same turn that I moved a boatload of nobles into Runnimede. I knocked the region neutral the same turn he made a play for the win, so Wynter Breeze owes me one!

HeadHoncho the Demon Prince must have been very distracted elsewhere, because he didn't do much to deter me in Arcania.

I don't know what Helix the Gnome was doing. The Gnome knocked two of my R4 villages neutral just as the Black descended on Runnimede and that's the last I heard from them. My recons showed a dead and inactive kingdom, but Helix never dropped. That's nice, but it would have been nicer had they put up some sort of fight. I'd like to read the story there.

[Brogan]

I played the Darkelf, and I really do appreciate this format. We started not knowing which 3 positions were not chosen, which was cool. It turned out the Ranger was not played which opened up room for me to expand fairly fast into Synisvania. On turn 2 I reconned Jukanta and saw that not only was the RA not there but the SO just moved a Duke into the city. I slept him that turn trying to slow down the SO in the region. I really didn't want to take region 9 and 6 so soon, so I just played around in region 9 slowly building to a substantial. The DE had to come in and ruin the party. He assassinated a few emmies, and must have hit the SO pretty hard at the same time. While under assault by the DE, the Red joined in the fight in region 9 just a few turns later. I am glad that the Red by passed Eastern Steppes as it was mostly empty. Luckily the DE got flanked in Arcania and pulled out of Synisvania. From there on out it was me and the Red going back an forth. I lost the region 3 times and the Red got me kicked off the HC by releasing a skeleton. The Red had an interesting tactic - He used no political power in region 9, just armies. He was amazingly lucky in that every time he attacked a pop center with an emmy in it the emmy got captured! He had 10 of my guys at his capital at one time. I finally had enough and did a locate character on one of my guys he had to find his capital. I reconned it, and slept the king while teleporting an army up there on turn 17. On turn 18 I took the capital, recovering all my guys and a few bonus emmies to boot. Good timing since it was a status point turn! The Black tried to declare victory on turn 18 and failed the WI succeeded on his SVC on turn 19. I do think starting with 12 sped up the game a bit, but I really like the format.

[DuPont]

Sigh - I actually had this game won on turn 17, but didn't declare. Silly me. I started off getting my region with no problem. Early on, I saw my ESO was blown because it required the RD to have no region and once he took the Mountains, there was no way I was going up there to try and knock him out. I had to ignore that and just concentrate on the win which required 3 regions, being on the HC and having an influence of 21 (plus some agents). Early on, the DE and I bumped heads and we declared each other enemies. But I really didn't want to go and fight him in Arcania - certainly not with him expecting it. I decided I wanted to go into Runnimede instead. I used the format to be sneaky - I voted 'yes' on one of the GN's HC issues so they would think I was friendly, all the while I was setting up to invade. I got them just as they had moved into Torvale and took them down fast. I was afraid that they would be a bitter-ender, but I honestly saw no activity from the position after I took Cradia. Now I had two regions and felt I was probably a target. I spent the next couple of turns buying governors to put in all my towns - I really did expect some sort of attack, but none came. So I went for my third region, which would be Arcania, which I now sandwiched. I first hit Zarathon and then went to a random town. Lucky me, it turned out to be the DE capital. I took it then moved to another town - which was the next capital. This damaged the DE quite a bit and they did limited damage to me at that point.
I had trained a wizard up to 6 to help me raise my influence, since I didn't think anybody would let me use the HC to raise my influence - I had too many enemies on it. On turn 17, I took Arcania and also had an influence above 21 - had I declared, the game would have ended. But the WI had put an issue up the turn before to lower my influence and I expected it to pass (it didn't) and there is only a 75% chance of raising your influence with a spell. I should have risked it, but I also wasn't 100% sure I would get Aracania and didn't want to panic people. My mistake - saw the AN was coming for me, but thought I would be able to hold Runnimede. I had crappy luck - the WA showed up on Esteria Vale and took that with an invisible group and my level 6 got killed with a spell - how unlucky was that?
I had enough forces to take back Runnimede - I think I would have gotten it back this turn and I was going to try and declare again, but alas, time was up. Congrats to the WI for the win. I expected this game to go on a lot longer than it did. I also figured I would be attacked sooner than I was. I really do love this format and look forward to the next one.

[Lord Diamond]

DuPont, I had tried to be peaceful with you by not attacking some towns I encountered, but then you went and attacked Esteria Vale and my other town in Arcania. I was planning to attack you anyway, but you made me feal good about it.

I noticed the invisible group at Esteria Vale and wondered who it was. I killed your P-3 I think, but your P-6 wasn't there when my P-6 tried.

I don't think you could have regained Runnimede. I had my own armies there and a whole mess of nobles. I was moving more in. If you could have regained it, Arcania would have beed wide open.

[Lord Diamond]

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