[Trout's note - originally posted on Redscape, I am posting it here so that it is captured in DC as well...]

A huge thank you to Christine for GMing this marathon of a game. I don't know if she knew what she was getting into when she started this - I can't believe this went on for something like 20 months.

This has been an enormously enjoyable game for me, filled with interesting situations and fascinating competitors. Having spent countless hours thinking about the game for the past year and a half, I'm excited to have pulled off the solo but sad to see the game end.

I'll try to remember everything the best I can - feel free to call me out if I get anything wrong.

I came into the game as a replacement player in Winter '83 with five units: http://www.redscape.com/forum/.....p?t=39177. My initial thought was that I was more or less finished. Brazil had a free shot at a home center of mine (GUI); none of my other units were in a position to make any offensive progress elsewhere.

Brazil reached out to me, offering a Brazil/South Africa/Ghana alliance. I wasn't sure what any of us had to offer the others, but agreed to the plan, fully expecting Brazil to take GUI immediately. In the meantime, Libya informed me that the 2 remaining Kenyan centers were to be divided between Libya and South Africa, and that I should not interfere.

I figured my best bet was to try to get units back to my home centers to defend against the Brazilian threat, while also reaching out to Kenya to try to keep him alive. The Kenyan liked the idea; I agreed to support him against South Africa and Libya.

Surprise! Spring '84 and no attack on GUI. Now my armies were in position to protect GUI and GHA, and the Kenyan attack on South Africa had succeeded (for now). Brazil was a little perturbed about my deception, but seemed to understand my explanation (i.e. needing to protect my home centers). I told Brazil that I'd be moving those armies into GUI and GHA, but decided on moving them to ALG and CHA, which had been left almost completely unprotected by Libya.

That plan worked, giving me two builds. I built two fleets in order to drive Brazil away from my home centers.

Having secured CAO, and with the Western European fleets no longer threatening my northern centers, I started an offensive against Libya and South Africa alongside Kenya and his one remaining unit. MidEast helped me take out Libya, but South Africa was a lot tougher nut to crack. South Africa seemed to me a good player and someone I wanted to ally myself with, but I figured that I had no chance for a favorable outcome in the game unless I controlled all of mainland Africa.

Thus began a long back-and-forth tactical battle with South Africa that lasted several game years. I was worried at this point that I was falling behind some of the other major powers in the game, but couldn't really do anything about it until South Africa was eliminated.

Fortunately, Australia and Argentina were skulking around South Africa's southern borders and, after quite a bit of persuasion, I got them to help me against S. Africa. At the same time, I made the decision to throw Kenya under the bus when his loyal efforts on my side against S. Africa meant that he was about to get another build. I felt bad about it, but decided to eliminate Kenya before he grew to the point where he could potentially threaten me (possibly in an alliance with what was left of Libya and S. Africa).

Kenya was soon eliminated, Libya was soon to follow, and S. Africa was on his way out. In the meantime, W. Canada, Russia, and I were setting up what would become a long-term non-aggression pact in the Atlantic (NWA/MAO/CAO). This combined with a completely demilitarized Mediterranean was enormously helpful in that it minimized the number of units needed to guard my northern centers while I worked on the talented, stubborn South Africa.

Argentina, after having helped me with S. Africa, started getting a little greedy, demanding certain concessions that didn't strike me as reasonable. With the rest of Africa having been consolidated under my control, the clearest threat (and opportunity) seemed to be represented by Argentina.

My fight against Argentina lasted several game years and was helped greatly by Oz stabbing Argentina and taking several of his Antarctic centers. At the same time, Russia and I were collaborating to eliminate MidEast. I agreed to let Russia take most of MidEast's centers since I didn't see how I could sustainably hold any his centers aside from SAR, plus it helped cement my friendship with Russia.

Argentina came to me offering a truce and offensive alliance against Brazil and W. Canada after I took his centers in South Africa. I agreed and collaborated with him for several rounds against Brazil, but then stole three centers from him in one round, earning what was probably a well-deserved tongue-lashing from the Argentine. I simply didn't see him as someone I could trust given our past in the game.

Next on the agenda was Antarctica. I was helped out here by some NMRs and general apathy from the original (or second?) Oz. By 2000, we were down to the final players in the game: W. Canada, Russia, China, Oz, and myself.

Sometime after this, I made a move into the Med. Russia was not happy. I threw out some feelers to Russia to see what he would think about me attacking W. Canada if I were to retreat from the Med. He didn't have a problem with it, so I retreated from the Med. Russia promptly moved in and started attacking my north African centers. I guess W. Canada pointed out to him that I was going for a solo, which is what changed his plans.

Around the same time, Former Trout subbed in for the previous Oz and agreed to help me hold a defensive line in the South Pacific in exchange for help in keeping him alive. This proved to be a big help. Thanks Trout - could not have pulled it off without you!

From this point on, W. Canada, Russia and China knew I was going for a solo, so it was simply a tactical battle.

China's line was bulletproof, so aside from the occasional change of control of NEI, not much happened over there. I was quite disappointed when China and Russia closed off the opening in PAK - I had been planning on pulling off a sneaky convoy over to there at some point, which clearly they picked up on.

The war against W. Canada in South America was pretty slow going as well. I eventually took BRA and PER after a LONG time and numerous convoys over there.

I made the most progress against Russia. A good 10-12 of his units were deployed on the border with China and in the Mideast, which didn't help him against my move into the Med and up through Western Europe. By the time those eastern armies made their way back west to defend, most of the damage had been done.

I thought I played a good game, but in a world game like this it seems to me that any solo is impossible without a perfect storm of favorable circumstance, luck and helpful allies at the right time, all of which I had the good fortune of having.

I enjoyed playing with all of you. A special thanks to Former Trout for the assist in the end game. Hope to see you guys in future games; Christine, thanks again for GMing!

Best,
CL (Ghana)