The Juggernaut.
Its very name inspires fear across Europe. The hint of its formation can solidfy two other pairs, for when the Russian-Turkish alliance starts to roll, it flattens everyone in its path.
In Game No. 216, played last Saturday at Peter Lokken’s home in Old Town, Russia and Turkey looked more like Jughead and Archie than the feared alliance. When the game ended by draw vote in Spring 1908, there was nothing left of them but stains on the board.
The final center counts were:
Austria (Josh Heffernan): 8; 22.695 points.
England (Chris Kelly): 10; 35.461 points.
France (Dan Burgess): 6; 12.766 points.
Germany (Peter Lokken): 1; 0.355 points.
Italy (John Gramila): 9; 28.723 points.
Russia (Ted McClelland): 0; 0.000 points.
Turkey (Josh Mendoza): 0; 0.000 points.
England (Chris Kelly): 10; 35.461 points.
France (Dan Burgess): 6; 12.766 points.
Germany (Peter Lokken): 1; 0.355 points.
Italy (John Gramila): 9; 28.723 points.
Russia (Ted McClelland): 0; 0.000 points.
Turkey (Josh Mendoza): 0; 0.000 points.
For Kelly, the top was his second of the season, to go along with two eliminations. Gramila and Heffernan were close on his heels, with the latter earning enough points to climb from seventh to fourth place.
The supply center chart is here. Check it out.
This Post Has 2 Comments
A very enjoyable game, because (as John G. enthused about afterwards) the alliances never became set in stone.
After Austria/Italy defeated the would-be Juggernaut and as England/France whittled down Germany (after some vacillati — umm, I mean strategic flexibility by England), it briefly looked like a typical east/west midgame scrum on the stalemate line might develop. But at the last moment, Italy & France decided not to come to blows and instead tried to stab Austria & England, respectively… guessing (accurately!) that the latter were already tempted to do the same to them.
When the game was called a draw, England/Austria had luckily deflected the stabs & held a slight edge over their respective ex-allies. But the edge was very slight in both cases, and it would have been a complicated tactical battle to press the advantage further.
I think Chris had an advantage over France, but in fairness to Gramila, he had the advantage over me. His fleets were all over the Eastern Med and he outnumbered me by one.
The biggest advantage for Chris and I is that there was still one German center to pick up and it was now behind our line with the new alliance pairing. So even if John took one of my centers the next year, I would probably have been able to stay at 8.