Power

Name

Duration

GM:

Former Trout

Spring 1901-end

Players:

Austria

Phil Ward

Spring 1901-end

England

Steve Caponigri

Spring 1901-end

France

Deepak Mohoni

Spring 1901-end

Germany

Stephen Worthy

Spring 1901-end

Italy

Nim

Spring 1901-end

Russia

Marcelo Moradini

Spring 1901-end

Turkey

Nathan Deily

Spring 1901-end

Nathan’s EOG

Thanks to all of you for a very interesting game, and your worthiness as adversaries. Every time I play gunboat I am reminded that so much of this game is played within one's own head based on the diplomatic efforts of others, that being able to focus on units and tactics without the barrage of diplomacy can be liberating, and I felt free to try a lot of unorthodox things I might never have attempted if I were playing in a regular game. Also, the fact that I knew I could nto rely on support from anyone else made a big difference.

I was a bit shocked to see France and Germany move so fast in the early game, that I thought long and hard about rolling the dice on my amphibious attack on Italy, but in the long run it paid big dividends, and kept the builds rolling as I pressed north towards Vienna and the stalemate line (which was where I expected to bog down with my land forces). Also, France turning its back on Germany to move with decisive force towards the Med was very unexpected, and I figured I wuodl be playing a defensive game until the stab came. Luckily I did not have to wait long, and I had already made my gambles to propel into the Balkans.

Finally, I must mention that Austria's pulls in the midgame allowed me to keep a strong position against an entrenched Germany, though I wonder if things might have turned out differently at the end had Germany not had to keep so many armies along the stalemate line.

As it is, great game.

My EOG

Well, well, a few familiar names.  But it's good to see a name I don't recognise as the soloist.  I was pretty sure that France and Turkey were the most experienced, (although to be fair, Austria and Russia never really had a chance to get going).  Nathan played a flawless game and clearly played the best even before France's capitulation.

For myself, gunboat suits me quite well.  I've never been good at diploming, but tactically I'm pretty solid, and it was fairly easy going once I'd established France as an ally.  I took on Russia while France took on England, and we both managed to finish them off pretty easily with a little outside help.  Deepak did the sensible thing in relying on an already solid alliance and heading south, and his later actions clearly indicate that he was aggrieved when I stabbed him.

However, I believe there were two errors there.  Firstly in holding a grudge in a game where stabbing is an integral part, especially where there has been no human contact.  I'd be interested in Deepak's views, because I'd thought till recently that veterans didn't hold grudges.  Another game has simultaneously shown me that this is not the case, and I expect Deepak will confirm this.  The alternative explanation for his late game actions is that he just wanted the game done, which would surprise me because the three-way draw would have been a cinch.

The second error France made was tactical, and that was sending too many fleets south.  He committed himself south while I remained uncommited (and with three fleets that could do nothing other than attack France). If I'd left those units idle, I'd have changed nothing in the south - Austria and my problems in linking moves later on demonstrated how hard it would have been to co-ordinate a defence against Turkey.

I moved south purely to establish a defensive line beyond the stalemate line and try to inhibit Turkey.  I now realise that this was my own first error - I should have taken a risk and thrown more units at France, as Nathan points out.  Of course, any less units in the area would have looked vulnerable to Turkey and might have led to an assault.

My move against France was held back partly by the fact that France is very difficult to attack by land.  I tried to blitzkrieg my fleets round Britain to give me leverage, but that turned out to be my second error - I should have secured Britain first.  Deepak defended brilliantly and I wavered crucially between a strategy of getting to Mao before Turkey and taking centres asap.  Largely my cloudy thinking put paid to my solo chances.

Then came the attempt at detente with France, and France's clear demonstration of spite towards me by disbanding in Turkey's favour and concentrating solely on me.  I know some people don't rate a draw as any better than a loss, but I can't understand why you wouldn't at least try for one.  It also seems not worth getting worked up over a stab in a fast gunboat game.  Perhaps I'd seemed greedy pushing for the solo, but that's the point of the game, and it's only greedy if you push for it too long.  Right up until the last winter disband, France could have drawn this game easily.

Well, I enjoyed most of the game, and I know something new about my opponents.  Nathan, well done on a very well played game.  I'm looking forward to the next time.  Trout, you've done a great job.  Phil, at least you'll have 1250 to console you (again, an imminent solo mainly secured through the pique of a fellow player).  Everyone else, thanks for the game!