This was a very fun, challenging variant. In fact, it was easily the most challenging variant I have ever been a part of, and I thank Mike for GMing, because it must have been tough.

Initially, Austria and I conspired to crush Turkey. I think this was, in large, part, due to the fact that Austria and I talked to each other a lot, and Turkey didn’t say much initially. So the plan was to shrink the Black Sea and use our 2 to 1 seismic advantage to wear him down. Turkey wanted to bounce in the Black Sea, and I wanted to make sure I got Rumania, so I let him have the Black Sea. That proved to be a costly mistake, because I never took it back. We didn’t get very far into attacking Turkey when Italy stabbed Austria. It would be just me against Turkey. Turkey then sent me an email entitled “Peace in our Time?” offering to convoy me to Budapest from Armenia. I accepted. Looking back, I probably should have continued the war against Turkey, because no sooner did I have Budapest than Turkey stabbed me, taking Budapest and Sevstapol. I started using my seismics defensively, cutting off Turkey from my other supply centers. We then agreed to another peace.

In the North, I was faced with a choice. Germany and France were attacking England, and asked me to join in the fray. I thought I was going to, strength in numbers and all, but I figured I would be on their list next, so I waffled for a couple of turns, then decided to help England against the FG Alliance. England, I figured, would be endebted to me, plus Germany and France would be concentrating on him, and I would be able to get some centers. I felt bad about stabbing Germany, but it worked out pretty well at first.

Then Turkey stabbed me again. That in itself probably would not have been so bad, because he only took one center, but England also stabbed me. I then allied myself with France and we crushed England. Then, the plan was to slowly push out Turkey, and I used Switzerland to cut off areas from Black Sea Support. France gained faster than I, and then he asked to borrow Holland the one turn that I was going to gain 2 SCs, but would not have any home SCs open.

I had to concede him Holland. I was planning on turning on France as soon as I got Sevastapol back, figuring that even if he took Kiel, Denmark, and Sweden, he would only be at 17, and wouldn’t have good prospects for further growth with Turkey and I against him. Unfortunately, I forgot about that Austrian unit in Naples. D’Oh!