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My EOG
First of all my thanks and congratulations to all players for playing all
the way through – a first in my cat23 experience. This is the third game I’ve
started as a GM, but the first to finish. It has proved by far the most
interesting, being able to watch the action without the blindness of the
players. I hope to do a few more variants of this ilk when real life
commitments ease. Now to the game…
With builds anywhere in players’ own territories, the first season was the
most crucial. It gave the more canny players the opportunity to steal a march
on their less aware rivals. Russia had a natural advantage in being able to
grab Norway and Sweden, and Charlie exploited that while playing a cautious
opening down south.
England generally gets hammered in such variants for exactly that reason –
his neighbours have first dibs on all accessible neutrals and he’s doomed
unless a neighbour makes a mistake. None did – Karl was unlucky, although I’d
have liked to have seen him doing the unexpected and heading for Iberia. I
suspect Stab! would be fairer if England could build in the North Sea in
Winter 1900 as has been suggested before.
Italy and Turkey limited themselves by building only in their own supply
centres. Turkey’s relative success came mostly because Italy and Austria got
entangled. It was 1904 before Italy vacated Austria’s home centres and by
then Raymond already had Naples. Austria himself had started logically,
manoeuvring to take Rumania and Serbia, but if an Italian ruler has his heart
set on attacking Austria there is nothing the latter can do to avoid a
damaging stalemate. Thereafter Steph appeared to be hamstrung by Austria’s
position – surrounded by neighbours, with little scope to keep his troop
movements secret.
Germany had a solid start, but lost out because Charlie used the fog of
war more adeptly than him. Jorge piled into France, a dangerous prospect
given comparable strength, but kept no rear guard up, letting Russia in the
back door. This gave Charlie the platform on which to build his empire.
France left few gaps in his defence, but was weakened by leaving Portugal
when he thought he had taken it. He was then dealt a masterful blow by
Russia, whose Fleet waited undetected in the North Atlantic Ocean for a year
before swooping on Liverpool, soon followed by another unexpected fleet
attack on Edinburgh. He looked as if he would beat off the Russian attack at
first, but the fleeing English fleet and Turkey’s marauders snatched his
unguarded centres and finished him off.
In my opinion, Russia’s victory was well-deserved – his use of the variant
rules far surpassed his opponents’. But he was helped to a great extent by
Turkey’s opportunism. Russia was up to 12 centres in 1907 when Raymond took
Spain from France and 14 in 1908 when he took Portugal. This speculative play
undermined France’s defences against Russia and practically handed the solo
to Russia. His own attack on Russia then was too little too late. Thanks
everyone – any comments welcome.
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