1901
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I draw Germany. Not my best country by far, but I love getting one of the central powers and usually the game is most fun when I do draw them. It should be an interesting game, my first GR game. Austria immediately contacts me and wants to do a central triple. I contact Italy before replying to him and feel the Italian out on the offer. He seems to like it, and I tell Austria that I’m in, and suggest a Key Lepanto to try and cover up the triple. England is the second one to contact me, tells me France is quiet, and wants to work things out. Knowing about the triple, and that Turkey wants to fight Russia (got that from Austria) I invite England into Belgium, hoping to foment a fight between him and France, and tell him I wanted Sweden. Italy then tells me that he’s moving west at Austria’s behest. I puzzle about it, but frankly don’t care much. In fact, I only joined their idea of the triple because (I thought) it couldn’t harm Germany to be part of it. I could easily deny being in the triple, playing it as an A/I alliance, and I had all the intention on reneging my promise if a better offer came up. I even told Italy that I wasn’t too committed to it. And something better did come up. France and England proposed a Western Triple to me (I was so popular lol). France seemed genuine about it, and England was skeptical. I myself thought that this would create an Eastern Triple in response, and I would be on the front lines of the war, and tried to be noncommittal (hindsight, bad move). I was also thinking long term and realized – and told both of them – that I would probably be the easiest one to stab in the end game, and then flat out told them no. England didn’t mind much, and France wanted to work things out. Russia talked to me and we agreed to DMZ and give him Sweden. Still spring, France threatens and E/F alliance if I don’t join the triple, and England is pretty nonchalant and tells me to lie to France just to keep him satisfied. I planned the bounce in Bur with France. In the fall, I see Italy in Piedmont, and suggest to England to bounce France out of Belgium, keeping France to one build. At the same time I talk to Austria and Turkey, telling them ways that I see can keep Russia to no builds, since I was going to bounce him in Sweden. Russia sees an E/G alliance forming, and tells me that he will be on my side if E/F stabs me. France tells me that England says I’m not committed to the triple (though neither was he) but he wasn’t concerned about it. Turkey tells me that talks between him and Austria are promising, but France is worried about a possible Central Triple. Great, autumn 1901 and everybody already thinks that there was a central triple (mind you I, again, was not terribly committed to it). I try and tell France I am committed to the Triple, telling him I will bounce Russia to show my commitment. England seems ready to move into France, and we are already talking about the division of SC’s. I am generous to him and say he can take Brest, Spain, Portugal, and Belgium. He too tells me that he’s worried about the Central Triple (where are they hearing this from! The moves don’t show it yet) and I try to ease him too. England at this point is my most serious candidate for an ally. Turkey tells me he has worked a plan out with Austria against Russia. Italy says he will hit Marseille. I decide to bounce Russia in Sweden, and move to Burgundy. If all works out, then my two biggest enemies, Russia and France, will be crippled and ready to either die soon, or submit to a favorable peace treaty. In autumn, there’s the unexpected bounce in Burgundy, and the odd Russian-Turkish moves.
1902
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I immediately sound the word among all the powers about the Jugg, and try to get some forces mobilized. Austria sounds pissed at R/T, Italy agrees that it’s a Jugg and says everything is cool with him and Austria. I yell at Turkey for lying to me when there was no reason to. It’s my firm belief that if they are not your neighbor in 1901 tell them the absolute, god-honest truth for the first year. Still, I keep channels open with all countries. Turkey says he’s worried about the CT, England says he’s okay with a F Berlin build, and I’m a little confident that we’ll crush Russia first, and worry about the Turk at a later point. I was under the impression England, Austria and I would unite against him and overwhelm him. Russia again lays out the line that he will help against an E/F alliance. England and I try not to alienate France with our builds, and still try to keep the idea of a WT up in the air. I am suspicious about England despite everything he says, and try to court France to be on my side in a fight I see coming. To gain his trust, I tell France the exact moves I plan on doing. At the same time, I try to court Russia, surrounding myself with allies against the English attack I feel coming (because he didn’t build a fleet in London or Liverpool). I still want Sweden, so throw it up to the Russian that I’d move to Ska and let him have Norway, while I move a fleet into Sweden. I am scared shitless though, because I see an E/F alliance coming at me. I tell Italy to move east, and feed France all of his moves to try and get on his good side. Even I could not predict what would happen though. Somehow everyone knew about the central Triple, and formed a Jugg and E/F to counter it, AND turned Italy on me, moving into Tyrolia. It looked pretty hopeless to me. All my best efforts, and every one of my neighbors stabbed me. I begin spewing out press even more than before, trying to get anyone onto my side. I’m pissed at France, because I showed him the most kindness, and he attacked me. I saw the English stab coming, as well as the Russian attack, but it was the French that killed me. On top of that, at this point France stopped answering my messages! Now I learn that its Austria’s fault the alliance against the Central Triple was formed, but Russia is very nice to me. He starts feeding me some of the English plans (but it turns out, not all of them) and talks to me more than everyone else combined. Turkey tosses around the idea of stabbing Russia, but, despite my pleas won’t do anything. I announce globally that I will invite one power into my SC’s. I hoped that, in the rush for the spoils of war, they might start fighting each other and I could work myself into a draw. Russia feeds me a plan for defending my territories, and I eat it up. My efforts to break up the Jugg aren’t going well, as R and T refuse to stab each other. Very little press from E and F, so I throw all support behind Russia. I lose Denmark in the fall, but it could’ve been worse. I retreat to Ska to cause some trouble next year.
1903
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I try to talk Turkey into a stab yet again, telling him to use Austria as a vassal and cripple the Russian. At this time, there is no press with France, a trickle with Turkey, and loads of press with Russia England and Italy. England basically says he will continue killing me, but keep the alliance option open. England isn’t worried about the Jugg, and seems to think it will fall apart pretty soon. Russia offers to support me into Norway, and notes that he and England have been very cordial. Russia at this point tells me what to do, and I do it. I feed him every piece of information I get from England especially, and the rest of the powers. France isn’t nice in his army builds, and Russia tells me that France asked him for support into Munich. Russia says he won’t do it, and I take this as another token of Russia’s faithfulness and the health of our alliance. England tells me he is still going to attack me. Press with Italy starts to die off. At this point, I talk almost solely with England and Russia. England is very nice and I still like him even though he’s killing me. England is also getting very frustrated with France, and there are some French moves he doesn’t like. I offer him terms for peace. I wanted my home centers back, and I wanted peace between him and Russia (how naïve of me). Russia was at first hostile to peace between England and I, but when I told him the terms, he softened quickly. I tried one last time to get Italy and Austria working together against the Jugg, and Italy was receptive, but I heard nothing from Austria. Russia told me no on the support holds I asked for, and neglected to tell me that Frane would move to Ruhr and not Munich, forcing me to waste a support hold with which I could’ve taken Kiel. At this point I start trusting England as much as Russia. England took Kiel and France snuck into Ruhr. Russia told me he’d try for Denmark, but was bounced out. But the good news is that by taking Ruhr, France stabbed England! I have hope.
1904
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England is very receptive to working with me, Russia gets France to start talking with me, and I’m a popular person again. Everyone, even Turkey and France is talking to me again, and I am one of the main suppliers of information across the board. I kinda brag to Turkey that the west will fall the way I want it, and he asks how much influence I have with R and I lol. I pass on to Italy that Turkey is serious about working with him. Working with England, I arrange for Denmark to be open, and for England to move to Holland while I get support into Kiel. France asks me to hit North Sea, which I do, but not before telling England to have North Sea hit Belgium. I made France support me in, with no intention on ever helping him in return. Russia still wasn’t a big threat on the board, so I wasn’t worried about him. Unfortunately, I NMR due to no internet access in the fall. Speaking of Russia, he gives me a little ego boost for negotiating my survival until E and F went at each other. He also slaps on a friendly support to Munich, feeds me some French communication which shows I had France completely fooled but by the end of the year Russia is looking very big. Russia tells me he wants to build a fleet in St. Petes south. I’m not happy, but seeing that Russia will do what he wants anyway, and that he can kill me quickly, I don’t have much of a choice.
1905
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With England’s help, and Russia’s council, I take back Ruhr from France. I’m not liking what I see to the east, with Turkey starting to crumble, but hope that Italy will be up to facing Austria alone in the future. He still has a friendly army in Tyrolia, which I like. Because of losing ground, France offers the WT again to England and I. England and I seriously consider it, because we see the danger of Russia and Italy splitting the board. I offered France a way for him to fleet up fast, telling him I would move into Bur, he could destroy, bounce in Marseilles, and build the fleet there in the spring. We work out a compromise where I would “attack” Bur, and he would destroy Wales after England dislodged it, then he would fight Italy and E and I would fight Russia. England wants Belgium too though, and while I’m not happy with it, I tell France that I am supporting England in his choice (2nd major blunder with France). I was still telling all of my moves to Russia, thinking he wouldn’t attack his own minion. I didn’t know he had gotten another minion though. I told Russia of my agreement with England to take Denmark and support him to Belgium. In a move that I still don’t understand, France stabs me and takes Munich, with Italian support! Italy and Russia close in on me, and Russia bounces me out of Denmark. With French fleets being built, and a French army in Yorkshire, I knew England couldn’t help me defend Norway, so I destroyed it, trying to find a way to save myself. The double-treachery of Italy and France was too much.
1906
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So R/I have turned on me, and tricked France as well. France just says that I shouldn’t have worked with the English again. Russia is set out to kill me, but at least is doing so with a smile. I try to break up the trio, and Italy seems to be the easiest target. I offer him Munich, and he accepts. It worked, and even though I will have a destroy, by fall France is clearly alienated from R/I, not coordinating his attack on Berlin. Italy, however won’t listen to me when I say sooner or later Russia will turn on him. It is at this point where I state to Russia my goal is to be in Paris before I die. England and Italy support me into Burgundy in the fall. Russia offered me Denmark, but I didn’t take it, because I knew England was the best shot at stopping his expansion.
1907
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In the spring I came up with a plan to support France to Berlin and thus bounce Russia out. I don’t know why I delegated the support task to Italy and not myself, but I told Italy to support him in there. Not wanting to put down two supports and have France actually IN Berlin, I held Kiel. Italy self-bounced in Bohemia, the French army was destroyed, and Berlin was lost. Chalk up stupid move #1 for Italy. Russia was at 11 centers. I moved to Gas to cause some trouble in the French backfield. At this point, even France was serious about combating Russia, convoying out of London. Everyone was talking actively on how to stop the Russian solo, but Italy for some reason didn’t like the idea of helping a French unit survive. He agreed to get me into Marseilles though. And as I didn’t want to destroy, I accepted. Fall was the game ender. I had in the Spring announced that I was going to keep things lively and shake them up a bit before I died. I didn’t think I could lose Kiel. I didn’t think it was possible for me to lose Kiel, so I decided to go for one of the English centers, seeing that England would get the London SC, and build another unit in Kiel. England didn’t like this at all, so decided to self bounce in Holland (a guess) and not try to bounce me in Denmark, allowing Russia to get in there. The rest of that turn’s monstrosity falls on Italy, who supported Russia into my center! That blew my mind and I was furious. I destroyed Mar, but realized there was no way to stop the solo
1908
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England tells me he wants to finish off France before we die, seeing that his stabs kept us from attacking Russia and that he didn’t touch Italy the entire game. I gladly obliged.
//you are posting too frequently, please slow down//
shut up