Russian EoG,

This was a very unusual A & E, and a highly frustrating one, but it must have been rewarding for Frank to get his first (and well-earned win). Though I was not able to ever get particularly large, and was therefore not ever able to be a major power in the scheme of things, the game was noteworthy because I managed to somehow stay in contact with at least a few of my neighbors (namely Austria and the Ottoman Empire) throughout most of the game.

In the opening, I figured there were three possible ways of advancing--either to the South towards Crimea, towards Poland, and towards Sweden. In retrospect, given the apparently sincere desire of Sweden for peace (which I misread entirely), it probably would have been better to go after Lithuania and make a claim for Courland. As it was, a frustrating border war against Sweden in the north (which left both of us weak and unable to expand) allowed the Danes to become huge (which later became a huge problem) and left me vulnerable to stabbing from Poland/Prussia. Needless to say, once the early opportunity was lost with the Great Northern Stalemate, there was little hope for expansion once many of the other powers raced to a significant head start.

Diplomatically, I sought to stay on good terms with both Austria and the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans were my first real "ally" in the sense that he avoided stabbing me in the south when he easily could have, which kept survival as a possibility in the face of the Swedes and Danes. As far as Austria is concerned, he was the only player actively trying to stop the solo, and so I sought to aid him in the face of the opposition he faced around. I cannot mention the amount of times I sent DP's to Two Scilies or the Papal States in order to help preserve the Austrian position in the boot.

More frustrating than being outnumbered in the north (where Denmark played very skillfully) was the silence and lack of communication from Prussia and Poland. I wanted to work with one of these nations, and wished for an avenue of expansion through the other, but neither of these players were communicative at all. It was like talking to a stone wall trying to coordinate with these guys. This is yet another reason why, in retrospect, it would have been better to work with the Swede and Dane to carve up the uncommunicative Pole and Prussian. It would have been better for all of us, I think. I'll chalk that up to experience, and hope for no hard feelings from my frosty northern neighbor.

All in all, it was well-played, and I appreciate the tenacity and skill of the players on this board. I apologize that my trip to Chile in April caused some e-mail difficulties, but overall, I have to say this game played pretty cleanly, without a huge number of NMR's. And the press, as usual, was excellent from those who contributed.

Happy stabbing,

Czar Nathan "The Mad" of Russia