Game 149

[Lord Diamond]

Game Details

[kevindusi]

Well done to Hawk, Stillgard, and Nicodemus!

[Hawk_]

Thanks to everyone who participated in game 149.  I had a good time with this one and continue to like the anonymous team format.
Our  draft:

Round 1:  TR AN RD BL  (Nikodemus Got Troll)

Round 2:  AN EL GN GI  (Stillgard got GN)

 Round 3   RD GI DE WA  (I Got DE)

Nikodemus really wanted to build our team around the Troll for this game so we were happy when we got our first choice in the draft.  Gnome was not our next favorite pick but it worked out for us when the Red Dragon left Runnimede alone.  The Demon Princes were probably better than the Warlock would have been for us so I am glad we ended up with the Demon Princes.  They are a slow position to start up with in an exploratory format and just barely got their region on turn 4.

The success of our team was largely a result of only having to face one other team for most of the game.  Although the Giant did come and capture Zarathon early in the game he then moved on to fight the other east team and we could focus on Torvale.

The Ancient Ones aren’t as strong as they used to be now that the Diplomacy spell has been changed.   The Troll is a kingdom that can build strength quickly and we made sure he was able to recruit as many Orcs as possible to expand with. 

We also had the advantage of winter on our side since we controlled region 7 and 8 by turn 4 and could outspend the Elf and Witchlord during the winter months.

Our economic success helped us control the High Council and build a wizard death squad with the Demon Princes.  The death squad enabled our team’s troops to be successful by dispelling and slaying wizards that could cast wall of flame.  We used it to support both Troll and Demon Prince armies with good results.

We engaged in quite an agent battle in the west and both sides lost numerous emissaries to assassins.  I am curious who killed the Troll King at midgame?  Was it a Witchlord Demon? That was a nasty set back to overcome for our side.  I was also surprised to see the agents of the EL, AN, and WI still alive at game end.

Once we captured Torvale and had a Troll foothold into Oakendell momentum built for our team.  We simply had more orders, troops and resources at our disposal and were able to overwhelm the Elven and Witchlord kingdoms.

Amberland became the final piece of the puzzle because it had been uncontrolled for so long. 

The Demon Princes were able to enamour it to friendly and then use emissaries to quickly capture the pop centers.  The Troll Army group conquered Evanon and then turned it over to the Evil Prince to end the game


INFMAMOUS-  The Gnome Stillgard for stealing the Ring of Power and Destroying the Black Dragon’s capitol and killing the Red Dragon king and Black dragon king.

 

IRON WILLED- The Ancient Ones Lord Thanatos for enduring a game long onslaught and still surviving until the end.

[Lord Thanatos]

Congratulations to Hawk, Stillgard and Nicodemus!  Truly a monumental victory!

I love the Warlords format, but the team format is a bit more complicated for a player like me who does turns the morning they are due.  I am certain I was a handicap for our otherwise quite competent team.

By default, I assigned the kingdoms to our team as follows: EL (Mauler - the only one on our team to actually finish First in an Alamaze contest) because I thought allowing the player with the highest finish to build for the initial few turns would enable him to be more decisive with his kingdoms; WI (DuPont - the most experienced player on our team) because I thought the powerful WI wizards would be best utilized under his experienced guidance; AN (Lord Thanatos - I have never been eliminated) because I felt comfortable being under fire from the starting gun...

The changes to 171 make the AN a much slower starter than he was before.  This meant that our team lost Torvale to the Troll so that not only were we behind on production when Winter began, but also that we were behind three regions to two.  Quite a disadvantage when playing against three skilled players.  We simply had lower level wizards, smaller armies, less influence, etc... From turn one on Torvale had TR, GN, and DE assets present.

Even out-gunned we were determined to survive and, somehow, prevent our opponents from achieving victory.  That did not happen because as the game developed it became two separate battles of one team versus a second team.  Our hope was that someone would play like Morgan Kane and attack everyone else so that the four teams were all locked into battles against the other three.  it did not happen.

I have no idea how the other battle developed but our team suffered a slow death by economic strangulation...

Infamous = TR, for such a fast start without access to political power in Torvale.
Iron-Willed = EL, for a never-say-die approach to the contest.
Chancellor = EL, see below.

P.S. DuPont and Mauler are great teammates.  We even skyped once or twice during this contest, which is truly a monumental degree of communication for both DuPont and I.  Mauler gets tons of credit for achieving the impossible in leading the two of us to such heights of communication.

[DuPont]

That was me (WI) who cut the throat of the TR king at midgame. Oh, how the look of terror he gave thrilled my demon assassin!

[Mauler]

Congrats to the winners. As the whipping boy of the eventual champions, my highest compliments for the complete and utter dismemberment of the elves. I have never had the pleasure of being deprived of all of my pop centers. That hole in my Alamaze education has been filled

A hat tip to my allies. I fear that as I was the late addition to the team, I did not do them any justice but it was a privilege to play with such worthy and steadfast compatriots.

To the tale....

Having just played the elves and aware of the new changes vs. the trolls, I was looking forward to flexing my military might. Indeed, the first few engagements removed the heads of many orcs as well as a few trolls. However, as Hawk detailed, the onslaught simply became more than we could fend off. The HC issues knocked down the EL politically and when challenging in 1, the ELs ems where swiftly incarcerated. With multiple TR groups knocking over pop centers, the region soon fell to the punishing triple threat of the GN/DE/TR. From there, the juggernaut moved to the Mists and finally the winners podium.

I look forward to getting a rematch in the future against such worthy opponents.

Nominations:
I will put forward a new category: Shock and Awe: With Stillgard/Hawk/Nicodemus as it's inaugural winners
Infamous = Nicodemus and his unstoppable trolls

Iron-Willed = LT. As the AN, he felt the full brunt of the onslaught for the entire contest with nary a complaint.
Chancellor = My stalward allies LT & Dupont for inviting me to play in such an epic contest.