Per Christine's request - Ghana EOG:

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)