Well Austria is always a challenge and I believe you have to grow to five centers quickly or you become too tempting a target.  My hope, which I thought I accomplished was to have alliances with Italy and Russia, but I was disappointed to see Russia let Turkey take the Black Sea.  Russia seemed so concerned with Germany that he didn't want to alienate either A or T and I think that ended up being his undoing.  As for Italy that NMR was disastrous and with my inability to get R to commit against T, i decided to take the Italian centers and cooperate with France.  I just wish he had decided to shift against Britain
earlier and left me with those centers.


 


With Russia disappearing and a deal in place with F, i wanted to take Tout, an objective from the start, but he reneged and I quickly found my self being eaten at the edges from every direction.  I was proud to see Austria emerge from the brink and believe that was possible as I was able to argue with F the point that T was more of a threat to him with their fleet.


 


G and I, had a non aggression pact from the start that was very helpful in letting us focus where we needed to.  I really hoped that would establish a friendship that would last when he turned on F or E.  I really didn't believe an E, F, G would last the whole game.  It lasted a little longer than I needed it to. Had it dissipated a year earlier I would have been in great position.


 


My greatest error was hitting Italy in the game.  He would have been a great barrier against France  and would have allowed me to both assist him and deal with the west. 


 


Anyway Dave described the late game very well.  I was obviously happy with a three way and very surprised that f and G would go for a 2 way.  I don't believe in two ways and offered my assistance first to G, who was loyal to F and declined,  then to France.  i wasn't sure France would go for it til I saw the final set of results and I congratulate Dave.  I figured Dave would be hoping the attack on Vienna might precipitate my support for his solo.  and in the end it did. 


 


Ended up being a great and fun game.  Let's do it again sometime. 


 


I am an avid 190 player.  you all should give it a go.


 


Mike