121 - Steel and Passion

[Ry Vor]

This game was won this day by VballMichael, guiding the Gnomes to their first gold. Head Honcho with the Underworld took silver.

Tell here of the tales in this contest of some notoriety. Were you a part of a big alliance, a victim, a kingmaker, or kingbreaker? Did you win great battles, take a big risk?

[Ry Vor]

Please always remember to identify your kingdom when telling tales.

[VballMichael]

My goal in Game 121 as the Gnomes was simply to enjoy a long game and learn how some mechanics work that I had not experienced yet. In fact, I worked it out with the Warlock early on that we would be spoilers to anyone who looked like they might win.
On Turn 0, the Underworld (Head Honcho) and I agreed to share turns and strategies and split the region and just develop. I spent the first several turns doing 603 orders, 978 orders and 799 just to get to level 2 so I could do more 603 orders. I agreed that HH could take the region and I would just take the City, my capitol and two villages. Even with just that, my gold production was over 100K in just a few turns. Then the Reds dropped after the Dwarf took his capitol and the region. So, I picked up another town and village in Runnimede. HH was cajoling me to raise defenses, but I was too busy pumping up gold. Fortunately, the Troll was busy fighting the Ancients and the Giants, and the Demons and I were going to work together to go rescue the Dwarf who was holding off a few invaders. So, nobody ever invaded Runnimede (until near the end when the Elf came down and hit the Underworld capitol). By turn 14, I was making a ridiculous amount of money, my wizards were pretty much maxed out, I had three agents of level 15, and I was pretty bored.
So, I divined towns and villages in Northern Mists, moved all of my emissaries into Amberland and then popped into Northern with 4 teleporting groups, 9 emissaries and 3 agents. I was able to take the region away in one turn and owned everything except the Witchlord capitol on the next turn. I still had no intent of doing anything toward victory; I was just attacking the Witchlord while the Demons attacked the Ranger, and the Blacks and Warlock attacked the Darkelf, all to relieve the Dwarf. But then the Demons needed help in Synisvania because the Ranger was putting up a terrific struggle, so I popped over there and took some towns. Then the Darkelf took Evanon so I went and took that. Then some folks tried taking some towns back and they got themselves a free visit to my dungeons, and suddenly I had prisoners which made me think about my victory conditions.
Around Turn 22, I thought the Underworld was going to win, and I agreed he could take my city or whatever he needed to do so. With my status points, I figured that would net me 2nd or 3rd. But the Elf spoiled those plans and HH told me that his victory was no longer in the near future. I looked at my conditions and realized I already had everything except a second region and it would only take a city and a town in Arcania to make that happen. I knew the Darkelf was about to take a second region (which he did on the final turn) and I was concerned about his victory conditions.
Since Turn 15, my priestess had been checking victory conditions and I was concerned that the Demons and Dark Elves were close. So, the Warlock messed with the Dark Elves and I took a couple of things from the Demons. I knew HH had the most status points, so I went ahead and prepared to declare a win on Turn 24, knowing he would still take 2nd and my Warlock ally would likely take 3rd. In hindsight, I should have checked back in with HH as I think he could have claimed in a turn or two more, and a dual victory would have been cool.
I learned several things here. First, a lot of gold and a few turns being left alone can make for a very well-rounded kingdom. Second, a well-rounded kingdom can take over a controlled region really quickly. Third, that Rod of Denigration is amazing and helps cement control of the region beyond recovery. Also, the Stone of All Minds let me get 7 wizards to Level 7 with awesome spells. IMHO, this is just as strong as any mage kingdom since the spells above 7 for those kingdoms really don't add that much. Thanks to the Warlock for the loan of that Stone.
My agents were killing envoys left and right for small influence improvements and were stealing artifacts for status points. My armies were strong enough to make diplomacy of cities and towns easy. Gold production was near 200K at the end, mostly from one town and one city.
Gnomes, undisturbed, are a very strong, well-balanced kingdom and I had really good luck with my agents.
So, my only advice is to round out all of your assets and then create a laser focus plan and hit it hard. I see too many people send in a couple of emissaries and a group or two, exchange a few towns, and then get chased away. On your first hit, take the opponent out of control and limit his ability to denigrate. Congrats to all on a good game and especially to HH and GKmetty for podium appearances.
For Chancellor, I nominate HH, who really helped me get the early strategy right and who stood by every statement he made and every agreement he made in the game with me and others. He really is a pretty bright guy who has lots of podium visits.
For Notorious, I nominate whomever had that killer agent who assassinated lots of important emissaries and agents (I am guessing it was the Dark Elf based on location of the various kills and because it was not me nor the Underworld). I would love to hear who it was (took out a Demon Prince and the Demon King as well as a couple of my top agents).
For Iron Willed, I nominate the Dwarf who took a licking and kept on ticking, to the point where late in the game he even took his army through a Witchlord wall of flame, wiped the group and won an artifact, long after he should have just curled up and died.

[Hamlet]

I thought I was going to win this game. Damn. Played the Demon Prince, got a great start, had the whole productive region, maxed out my wizards, made some nice agents, then invaded sysnisvania and hurt ranger a lot, but kind of floundered there and did not really finish the job and had to call in the gnomes, lost a couple of key folks to some nasty assassin, spent 10 turns building up a skeleton army only to have it disappear in one battle with the ranger, did also pretty much wipe out the ranger army, but those skellies are pretty weak and certainly not worth several turns of 3 demon princes building on that - maybe a couple of them for 171 purposes but not army material, never really had a plan past synisvania, had to be on the high council for my victory and forgot to put in a bid on turn 5, made a wraith but wasn't that helpful over a normal level 5 and then could not go to level 6 or 7 again, did find that 273 orders are pretty great (special DE denigrate ability that hits before an opponent's 330 orders), anyway that sums up my learnings.

[Lord Diamond]

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