Come on, Maniac, you underestimate Germany.

If he moves to Baltic with support, and allows England to regain the North sea, E/G can be fine. He made a risky attempt to get into Nth, but he didn't commit to an attack on the English at all.

Being flexible, that's what counts now.

Maybe Germany can even do F Ber, A Kie. Kiel moves to Ruh, Hol to Bel, and Mun-Ruh. Ber-Bal with Den support. That's a pretty clear message, isn't it?

Mind you, England still has an army in Wales on the verge of convoying to Bre/Pic/Bel.

IMO that Move would antagonize Both Russia and France, and do little to dispell any distaste England might have. It would cause Germany to look like a mad dog, which is not good for a cental power in the early game.

Im feeling for italy, its going to be an interesting few moves to try to ensure s/he doesnt get trapped

You say mad dog, I say a flexible player who reacts quickly to a changing board situation.

Whatever happens, Germany has to change course. Consistent play would be to attack England, and that's the most suicidal plan avaible right now.

but its not your opinion that matters Its the 2 confused six unit powers you just moved toward, and the England, who, as an opponent in a gunboat, you have to assume is an idiot ;)

@ "the England, who, as an opponent in a gunboat, you have to assume is an idiot ;) " +1

of course, i read this as, assume anyone who plays gunboat is an idiot :p

thats the rule I live by, There are so many times when im making elaborate plans to work with someone I stop and tell myself, wait, remember hes an idiot. Everytime i stray from that formula I get burned

BTW, last post in here for a while, but I used to think the key to Gunboat was cautious balance of power, but the more and more I play Im starting to realize the key to gunboat is to hold strong with 6-8 SCs waiting for an opening after which you pounce. Defense in Gunboat deters action against you, and allows idiots to do their idiot thing and try to snipe empty SCs that embroil them in unecessary showdowns with other neighbors. Do people agree? Should the early game in gunboat be played above all defensively?

Nah! Go big or go home. Throw everything at one enemy. You'll either rake in a huge pot, or bust out and be going home early.

Many of the things I wanted to say were already said, so let's play Predict-a-build:

Russia
F St P (nc) +2
Leave St p empty 0
A StP! +1
France
F Mars +1
Leave Mars empty +1
A Mars! +1
Germany
F kiel +2
A kiel +1
Eng
F Edi +2
F Lon +1
Italy
F Naples +3
F Rome 0
Turkey
Build two fleets +2
Build 1 fleet/1 army +1

I think you need a balance on defendse and aggresion. You need to move to 6/7 centers first, so you don´t get a target on his back (it´s different from regular game, specially WTA where when you got big quick you get a target), and then you can wait a little, improve your position and let the others powers fight until you make your great move into a solo (or into elimination :-).

About this specific game, I think Germany, Austria and Russia relationship is the key for what will happen. For me it´s pretty obvious that France and Turkey will be growing over his neighbours quite fast and England and Italy will be dead corpse along this road, so if those three countires will be able to counter balance Turkey and France power is the question.

About the builds: Russia
F St P (nc) +3
Leave St p empty 0
Warsaw + 1
France
F Mars +2
Leave Mars empty +1
Germany
F kiel +3
A kiel 0
Eng
F Edi +2
F Lon 1
Italy
F Naple +3
F Rome 0
Turkey
Build two fleets +2
Build 1 fleet/1 army +

I'm game:

Russia
F St P (nc) +3
Leave St p empty 0
A StP! +1
France
F Mars +2
Leave Mars empty +1
A Mars! +1
Germany
F kiel +3
A kiel +1
Eng
F Edi +2
F Lon +2
Italy
F Naples +4
F Rome 0
Turkey
Build two fleets +3
Build 1 fleet/1 army +1

@draugnar - "Nah! Go big or go home. Throw everything at one enemy. You'll either rake in a huge pot, or bust out and be going home early" - we really must arrange a poker night soon..

A St P has 1 vote, what is the rational behind that? I think if your taking norway you will want to follow through to England, what good is an army?

The more I look at this game the more I have to agree with the Germany needs to change tact arguements which is a shame because I think he has played so well in signalling moves and building alliances, but as others have said flexibility is key in any diplomacy game, i just hope Eng isn't an idiot and realises which side his bread is buttered.

@Maniac - That's my approach to torunament style poker with fast blind schedules. Cash games are another story. I play slow and steady and usually rake in 2-3 times my initial stake when I get up and walk away.

Most fun steal ever. My buy in was $300. Had $800 in front of me. Girl two to my left has $300 behind (she just bought in a few hands earlier) and bet's $100 pre-flop. I have pocket deuces so, up as much as I am, I call. Everyone else folds. Flop comes garbage garbage deuce. I've got a hidden set of deuces. Girl all ins, I insta call. She flips over pocket Aces. I flip over my pocket dukes to show the set. She calls me an asshole. Turn and river don't help her. She stormed off broke and I raked all her chips bringing me to over $1100. When she came back with a rebuy, she didn't try that again. Just sat there and glared at me the rest of the night.

@Draugnar - I think we have spoken about his very hand before, fun yes, good play - no! I know you know the math(s) as to why this was poor play. I'm not a great player and don't pretend to be, but making calls based on being 'up as much as I am' will not earn you $ in the long run. Play the hand a thousand times and tell me you are still winning. The only way that you move made sense is if you both had $2k and you knew she would lose it all if you hit your set.

Well done to anyone who said France would leave mars empty (just me); and that we would see fleets in edi, keil, st P and naples (all me again) god i'm good!

What will germany now make of the builds and in particular france's excellent play in delaying his mars build. England is obviously the target, will germany join in or get england as an ally?

germany, russia, france all going after english centers. This bodes ill for england, but also i think germany... depending on how the alliance progresses...

still kiel can still move to baltic sea and threaten sweden while sending at least one army to deal with warsaw...

turkeys builds are telling, mostly i think germany and france probably made good calls regarding england, but russia would be better off focusing on austria/turkey...

Russia definitely made the right move. it's basically a free SC in Norway unless Germany and England work together.

Germany is definitely in a tight spot. If he's lucky Turkey will keep that army in Warsaw occupied. It will be interesting to see if Germany sticks it out with his french ally, or tries to find a new English ally.

France, imho is going to have to go all in for England right now, and hope germany or Russia is willing to support him.

oh, and England needs to be ready to kiss and make up with anyone haha.

I don't know why everyone is freaking out about Germany needing to switch. They certainly do not. Russia is staring down a three army Turkey that made what read to me as very anti-Russia builds, and Turkey has every incentive to move on Russia to encourage Italy to move on Austria. Right?

yeah, russia may have a guaranteed center in norway, but that is very short term.

weakening england lets germany and france have their way with brittania, leaving russia with nothing else, and with a fleet which can't do anything but take norway, russia limits her options and with the possibility of three turkish units closing in (and the loss of at least one southern center - assuming austria isn't helping russia) keeps russia at best in balance.

an army in stp could have taken norway or have been sent south as necessary.

Fair enough.

While the Turkish build does read as anti-Russian, you can never be too sure about the reactions to that. But, yes, Germany's "problems" may have been over-exaggerated.

Orathaic's explanation hits close to my point about Russia building an army in StP. Sometimes it's very important to have flexibility, and an army build there wouldn't offend either England or Germany.

Russia and France already own this game, thanks to weak moves from the central powers, except Italy, you rock Il Duce!

Oh except for that attack on germany, that was dumb ;P

@fiedler. u trolling?

it's a good life. you hatin?