I wondered if that was something to do with the last 1000 game, that was just finishing when we started this one, having France as the winner?

Sarg, I thought so too. I know as England I was primed to prevent another early E elimination by France. I found the combination of soloing with France and then getting to turn around and join in on the subsequent French beat down the next game to be pretty funny.

Barn: I know, I thought the same. When I found myself as France, I thought oh great, I bet The Czech's imaginary nationality that Barn3tt will be England and that I will get yet another lynch from him! I'm glad we were far away from each other in Disgrace, Coetzee :)

I bet The Czech's imaginary nationality... ha

Also, congrats to DipperDon- strong game- well played. Gah, there goes my reign having the top two gunboat solo's... darn you, Vaft. :)

Thanks Sarg and Barn3tt. Tough, tough game. I felt fortunate that Austria joined be against Turkey. And after T was dead, I just didn't have anywhere to expand except through Austria. Not very nice considering what he did for me, but there was no avoiding it. Was good to see E/G fighting until I could build up there. I got a lot of breaks, to be sure. That's doesn't happen often at this level of play.

A/R both had moments of aggression. I wanted to work with AH. He wanted ntohing to do with me. I stopped following the game after I was out, but congrats dipperdon a very impressive win.

Sarg, I just like Italian invasions of France. If GE form an alliance and Austria doesn't stab, it gives Italy a lot of possibilities. Everything looked very anti-French in S1901, so I decided to commit to a French attack in A1901. Then Austria stabbed. Sure, I gave him the opportunity, which is necessary for an Italy moving west. But I don't think he made the right decision. In the end, he traded an ally for a long fight and at best 1 SC. Maybe I could have done more to stop the Russian solo if I'd stopped fighting Austria sooner, but on the other hand, I didn't want to stop any solo if it meant being eliminated... Something to think about.

Let's have another one :D

Fuck it, why not? I've been Italy, Russia and England in so many gunboats lately, I'll consider it divine punishment for my faggotry or something if I draw one of them again.

Let's waste these points!

Oh by the way, I did write a detailed EOG for a while but got extremely bored. But I can share the first four years if anyone wants some reading:


Spring 1901: Italy! Probably the country I like least in a gunboat, but it does have its perks. As long as I don't piss off my lovely burgundy neighbour to the east, I should have a strong defense against anyone wanting do to a Hannibal. I've been experimenting lately with Italian attacks on France, rather than the standard Lepanto fare of slugging it out with Turkey. I often look at the current trends in gunboats before forming a strategy. Lately, the zeitgeist has been very anti-Jug, so I want to try to head west in the hopes that Russia and Turkey will keep each other occupied. However, any definite decisions have to wait until autumn. There's no reason to dive straight into Piedmont, I prefer to open conservatively and see if there are any indications of the western dynamics.

Autumn 1901: To everyone's surprise, Italy claims the Ionian Sea. Mouths are wide open throughout Europe. APULIA? What a brave and unique choice, Italy!

Looking at the board, I am a bit saddened by the conservative Russian opening. However, the Gal bounce and Germany to Denmark should guarantee that Russia either ends up with no builds or loses Bla. Austria decides to trust me, which should grant him Greece. The German opening to Burgundy is a useful indication, and makes me hopeful that I can form a central triple with G and A. What's most important is that France now has the real possibility of three builds. I want everyone to fear the frog.

My hope is that England will bounce France in Belgium, creating an initial conflict and pushing GE towards an alliance against France. For Italy to have any shot of picking up Iberia, it's vital that at least one other country attacks France, preferrably two of them. I decide to go for it and put in the orders to take Piedmont with my army and Tunis with my fleet. It's a very clear declaration of war, giving France a build phase to react. But it also sends the message to Germany and England that France will now be attacked from the south, making him weaker and a better target. If I tried to be passive and sneaky, I could not form an alliance with Germany, and I would be stuck in the usual Italian trap of passive ambivalence.

Builds 1901: Perfect, England made the bounce. A fleet in Nap for me of course.

Spring 1902: The southern Turkish build is worrying, and early Jug warning bells ring. The German builds look good and anti-French though, so does England's. France building north instead of south gives me more room, and more importantly, the fleet in Bre should guarantee further conflict with England!

Time to claim mare nostrum! I push west, expecting Por to move to Mao and Spa to Mar without support. I decide to bounce the French move to Mar since I want to avoid the combo Mar + Mao, bouncing in Spain.

Autumn 1902: Success, England and Germany both attack France! England taking Sweden is a bit worrying though, since I want a strong Germany for our triple (that he might not even know of, nor want, but I'll make him!) I'm hoping that they can crack France before they start tearing at each other.

In the east, things look dire. Turkey and Russia are cautious, but seem to be forming a cozy relationship based on mutual love and trust. They will probably pop out a baby or two very soon. Greece bouncing Smy-Aeg went as planned, and gives me room to move west. But very soon, I will have to turn around and help Austria, unless Russia does something unexpected and daring. The Russian moving to the south is very hard to read. It indicates a blossoming ER alliance, but who will be the Bear's target? He could sneak into Arm and join Austria against the Turk, but it seems more likely that he'll go for the easier kill, Austria.

I decide to keep pushing west. Having already angered France, an eastward turn now could only spread me thin, and my number one priority as Italy is to gain momentum and avoid being stuck in a passive, defensive position. It's worth taking a bit of risk. My plan of attack is supporting Spa-Mar, in the hopes that he will stay in Mao to deny it to the English (or me), and move western med into Spain. A plan that could easily fail, but with Tyr moving into GoL, I should nevertheless have a better position next year. If Turkey moves into Eastern Med now and I don't get a build, I'm in deep shit, since Ionian will be lost. But it seems more likely he will keep bouncing Aeg, anticipating a Jug and waiting for Russia to get into position. I decide to also move Ven to Tus so that it can be convoyed next year. Opening myself to an Austrian stab seems fine, Austria really needs an ally right now and it would be a good trust-building move.

Builds 1902: Plan failed, but it was a long shot at best. France in North Africa? I had considered the possibility, but I thought it would be a retreat. Hmm.

Spring 1903: Time to gamble even more. I think I'll let France take Tunis. I can force Marseilles now, and unless France through some miracle gets Bur back, I should be able to take Spain in autumn. That will give me the build I need to reclaim Tunis. This plan assumes that Germany and England have not formed such a strong friendship that they will support France just to keep him alive and deny me a part, but that seems highly unlikely. England should take Mao and then grab Brest. Germany should aim for Paris. It is after all the German thing to do.

A small part of me hopes for Bre-Mao with support from North Africa, which would be an unexpected move, slowing down England and saving my Tunis. He may expect me to go to Tun anyway, drawing me away from my front. But it's nothing I'll bet on, I expect to lose Tunis.

On the topic of the east, what the hell is Russia doing? He's remaining passive, it looks like he's waiting for a better view of the board. It could be interpreted as flirting with Austria, and just to be sure, I'll cover Venice.

Autumn 1903: Fuck my ass and call me Sally, I did not see a lot of that coming. Is Austria stabbing me? Looks like it, and Russia shifting around like that only gives him incentive. Austria is now under no threat from Russia, and doesn't seem to care that much about the Turk. And what is Germany doing in Tyr? Anticipating an Austrian stab and supporting me? Well done if that's the case. My wish for the French move came true at least. Tunis is safe.

I really should have seen the Austrian move coming, and I'm hurting myself with rusty nails. There was no way for him to know that I intended to return to the eastern Mediterranean once I'd picked up a centre or two. I did see Russia being friendly with him, but I had expected them to go after Turkey first. But the fact remains, I left the Ionian WIDE OPEN, and deserve what's coming to me.

The question now is, can I turn this around somehow? I should at least be able to deny Austria a fleet build, and Italy is defensible. I won't be down any units, Germany may get involved, although he could just as easily slip into Pie for the backdoor into France, through me no less. Can I form an alliance with Turkey? He seems to be out of allies, as am I. But Turkey needs to build before he can do any permanent damage. At least Austria can't convoy Albania in without compromising Greece. This is where I take a break to really think about my moves.

I'll head back to play it safe. I'll cover Tunis. I'll support Germany into Tri, on the off chance it works. It should at least signal my intention to work with him. I won't cover Pie. Reckless? Maybe, but I want to make it perfectly clear I'll work with Germany. Has he already decided to invade me, there's not much I can do.

Builds 1903: I'm extremely happy I read Germany's intentions right. Am I creating a German monster? He's not giving England an inch of advantage in the north. But tension between England and Germany is good, because an EG alliance is the last thing I want. Conflict between Turkey and Russia is good. Should keep him from flights of fancy into the Ionian, he has important shit in the east. The question remains, how do I retake Naples? Not a lot of ways it can be done in a year, and I'll probably have to move into Italian turtle mode. Bah. Syphilis and slow death to all Habsburgs.

Spring 1904: Time for some guesswork. I can either cover Rome or stay in Venice. If I move to Rome, Austria might very well stay put or go to a sea zone, which means that Venice will be open for the retreating army when Austria attacks Trieste. Although Austria might expect this and go to Rome. If I stay in Venice and support hold Trieste, I'll save Germany's army. But it's not a long-term solution, and Austria might expect this and take Rome. My gut tells me that whichever option I choose, it'll be the wrong one. I go for the Rome option.

Autumn 1904: Damn you, gut. I'm thoroughly raped at this point. If Austria wants to, he can simply support France into Tunis, leaving me with three units, scattered across the Mediterranean. I could leave Spain and hope that France is grateful enough to keep me alive, but I doubt it. Since I'm so doomed, I might as well do something radical. Marseilles will not go to Pie to retake Venice, Germany might bounce this and if I'm extremely lucky, he'll leave Venice. Rome will support Turkey into Naples. He might not do this, but if he does, I'll have earned a friend. Although it's a friend attacked by two nations at this point. Germany has managed to piss off every single on of his neighbours except Russia, so I think I'll help England. He might give me a home in Iberia as long as I'm useful to him. I'll move Mar up into Bur. I do hope that with all these different countries in and around my home, noone will be able to coordinate enough to take Rome.

A short EOG from me, as I'm out of time:
1901 - typical opening from me, as I don't like having the fleet stuck in Trieste. Italy and Russia seem friendly enough. Excellent!
1902 - boring bouncing to keep Turkey out of Aeg.
1903 - you might not believe me, but the move to Ionian wasn't intended as a stab on Italy. The intention was to catch Turkey on the back foot, looking to outguess him in the fall to take control of either Aeg or East Med. Of course, the move to Trieste was made just in case Venice were still wide open so a stab could be pulled... but Germany had moved into Tyrolia! That German move forced me to capture Naples to avoid a possible disband.
1904 - Italy and Turkey start working together as I expected. But by then I had helped Russia into Bulgaria.
1905 - I get a bit lucky in guessing what Italy and Germany would do and get a new fleet.
1906 - repositioning.
1907 - Turkey is in trouble so I get Smyrna.
1908 - Italy do weird stuff, so I get Rome. Turkey is dead.
1909 to 1912 - Russia has nowhere to go but stabbing me. It's all downhill from there. I don't know how I screwed the disband when I had just Venice and Albania, but it was a busy day for me and it's possible that I have missed the deadline and was done by the autodisband. At that point I still had hopes of being vital to the stalemate line.
1914 - One last desperate try to stay alive, but at that point I didn't deserve it anymore.
Well done, Russia! Brilliantly played!