This is my number one pet peeve. The "Key Lepanto" where Italy ends 1901 with armies in Serbia and Tunis IS NOT AN EFFECTIVE OPENING. DO NOT DO IT AS AUSTRIA.
The whole point of a Key, like Vecan said, is to get Bulgaria as fast as possible. The whole point of giving Italy an extra build is so he can forego the build in Tunis and go straight to Aegean Sea. There is literally no other reason to do it.
For example, look at the game Floodgates linked (
gameID=158084). Compare it to the standard opening with Austria in Serbia and fleet Greece. It is strictly inferior. Ignoring color of units, the only difference is that Greece is unclaimed and the fleet is in Albania instead of Greece. This is *strictly* worse and no surprise- Russia and Turkey easily fought it back. If you are going to make a risky move, it has to gain you tempo. Convoying to Tunis forfeits that tempo. If you are an Italy and Austria offers to "Key Lepanto" in the way where you convoy to Tunis, you should just do that then kill Austria. Like this:
gameID=166519 (which is what Valis is referring to- he as Turkey was like "why would I work with you you are clearly trying to Key" and then I was like "I convoyed to Tunis what are you talking about" and then he was like "I don't get it so instead of working with you I'll die instead").
tldr- if you want to run a key, go to Aegean Sea in 1901. Period.