Moot XI, Round 1, Board 1

This Post Has 4 Comments

1. 

   Chris Martin June 24, 2017 Log in to Reply

   While I recognize that I’m not one to talk about odd results, lets discuss that Russian army in Edi.

   1. 

      Chris Kelly June 26, 2017 Log in to Reply

      The best part is that between S04 and S08, that same army spent at least 1 turn in *five* of the six English provinces (London being the only one it never occupied).

2. 

   Jim O'Kelley July 2, 2017 Log in to Reply

   [quote]While I recognize that I’m not one to talk about odd results, lets discuss that Russian army in Edi.[/quote]
   By way of explanation, Nick Rohn.

3. 

   Jim O'Kelley July 2, 2017 Log in to Reply

   So frustrating. Nothing worse than failing to learn from a mistake, and I pulled the same boner twice in eight turns here.

   First though, can a Turk ask for a better gift than the Italian running in on Austria? And when the Austrian is your friendly arch-rival? Are you kidding me?!?

   This game was a golden opportunity for my yellow pieces, and I failed to convert. Ugh.

   I was willing to work with either Chris Glassburn in Italy or Nick Rohn in Russia. I eventually chose Chris because Nick balked in 1902 at doing his part to adminster the coup de grace against Matt Sundstrom in Austria. Instead of picking up an Austrian dot, he stayed even. Meanwhile, I threw down two pieces and immediately wheeled on the softer target: Nick.

   My decision in Fall 1903 to take Sev [i]and[/i] Rum might have been a mistake. Once I had the draw on Nick, he said he would gladly disband the fleet and would be able to rebuild in the north if I allowed him to keep Rumania. I didn’t, and for the remainder of the game, Nick was aligned against me.

   But the big mistake I made, and later repeated, was taking Moscow in 1904. Moving units north thinned out my Balkan forces and tipped the balance of power there to Chris at a time when staying put was his best option. He gradually outpunched me there, while Nick regained Moscow with help from Germany (Brian).

   I withdrew into a more compact position after that and started secretly voting down draws. That led to my favorite moment of the tournament. Frustrated that someone was refusing to concede the board-top to him and inexplicably unaware that I was the culprit, Brian pulled me aside and said:

   “If those guys aren’t going to let me top the board, I’m going to give it to you. Do you want it?”

   Um, yah.

   Unfortunately, in the short term, all he could do was support me to Moscow, so once again, I sprang north from my compact position, thinning out my Balkan forces. And once again, Italy outpunched me there.

   The first draw I voted for was in Spring 1908 when I had sole possession of the lead at nine centers. It failed. The next year, with my German ally in rapid decline and an I/T suddenly threatening to roll the board, I voted to give a well deserved board-top to Chris.

   Fun, if frustrating, game.