http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=174341
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=174427
http://webdiplomacy.net/board.php?gameID=174227

my 3 most recent gunboats with the strategy. I think I messed up with the second game because I got too defensive and cautious.

Ank->BlS, Con->Bul are guaranteed.

Smy->Arm or Smy->Con are both legitimate. I prefer Smy->Con as I like a friendly Russia in gunboat.

I would also vote for Smy-Con; there's no need to make a 3rd potential enemy in Russia so early.

In my experience, it is always much more likely that Russia will want to cooperate with Turkey than launch an early attack.

I've never had Russia attack me from moving to armenia. It's a common defensive maneuver. I guess It's definitely not for everyone, so I respect the Smy-Con as well. A move that never quite sits well with me is the ank-con. I would never give Russia black sea.

Hedgehog. Always hedgehog.

Is getting a fleet with your first build the man priority as Turkey? I rarely ever get put as Turkey so it's a new country to figure out for me.

In a gunboat, most certainly.

In a full press game and you're cooperating with Italy against Austria, it's not absolutely necessary, but recommended

That makes sense. Gunboat is difficult to get a grasp on when you haven't done them much, especially when you end up different countries each time lol. Can't get a set strategy in place or any consistency to pick up the tendencies.

I'll agree with Chaqa on opening moves, but I throw Con-Bul, Ank-Con, Smy-Ank in every once in a while as well. What Italy does really determines what options are available for Turkey.

If anyone has advice on how to get Germany to not block Swe from Russia, or just how not to die as Russia, I'm interested.

I like moving to Syria opening phase. Its alluring and confusing and signals everyone something tasty

trip can you point me to a game where someone opened fleet to con and did well? I have a hard time believing that. I suppose that if russia doesn't bounce, but what if they do try to bounce like 85% of the other games? You never want to leave a game up to chance on your opening move

I disagree yoyo, a bounce in Black sea if you intend to want Juggernaut is just a wasted move that lets Italy and Austria seize the board faster.

Arm, Con, and H are acceptable moves for Smy. I tend to disfavor Con just because it's an awkward place for your army if you don't get two builds (i.e. most games).

Ank is bad, even assuming Ank-Con. If Russia is unfriendly, you want to be able to build F Ank. If Russia is friendly, what do you gain out of making this move in the spring? In a press game, you could have Russia in BLA with the intention of convoying to Bul/Rum; but in gunboat, Russia in BLA means you don't have a friend there.

Syria is bad (or, at best, a novelty opening) because it simply gives you less options than Smy.

brainbomb it is impossible to tell the intentions of Russia before the game starts so trying to organize a DMZ is a flipping a coin. a really bad coin at that that gives you a 80% chance of having Russia in Black sea. once they are in, they don't leave and will likely stab you down the line. But I'm still curious if anyone can find a game where russia have black sea in spring of 01 and Turkey does well.

Not sure how to post game number but i just finished a gunboat solo as turkey after con-bul, smy-arm, ank-con and russia took black sea.

paulyork64 is talking about
gameID=174108

I think the fact that Smy moved to Arm helped a lot.

Was only russias first or second game to be fair

How to get Germany to not block Sweden? I dunno, I always think, as Germany, that as long as England and France aren't squabbling over the EC right off the bat, I'm going to let Russia have Sweden. I'd rather get that fleet going west than south towards the Baltic.

Yoyo speaks the truth
Ank to Bla
Con to Bulg
Smyrn to Arm

far superior to anything else.

I always appreciate all the insight. The forum can actually be useful for getting tips on strategy and not just political opinions!

Yoyo: It's not the best strategy, but every once in a while I like to throw caution to the wind, just to keep things interesting.

That's fair, trip. Why do you move Smy-Ank in that opening?

If I'm making that play I want to be friendly with Russia, which is why I wouldn't go to Arm. I guess I could just hold too, but that doesn't give me the option to bounce armies in Con to protect Ank if I think the Rus may go for it. Ultimately I want that army in Con so it can be in position to support Bul in S-'02.