I'd like to apologize for being too lazy to write an EoG before now. Thanks a lot to Mike who ran a great game. It was a fantastic board (or at least the small part that I saw was) and I would be interetsed in trying it again sometime.

The opening part of the game went nearly perfect I opened exactly the way I wanted to start and Boetia was soon crushed under the might of Athens and Thessalia. (Sparta will take credit for bringing him down as well but originally I had planned it split completely between Max and myself.
This game was probably a first for me. It was my 6th game or so of diplomacy and I jumped out to a great start and really though I could easily find myself in a place to solo. (foolish now as I look back on it, but I will be the first to admit I'm a rookie).

It was here where I made my first mistake: I refused to engage Jorge until Boetia was completely destroyed. I did not want to open up two fronts and leave myself vulnerable. Fall of 302 should have seen me taking DOD and moving to THG. this would have given me a build and a fleet on Jorge's doorstep. I then would have been able to power my way into Jorge's home centers. Instead I fell a turn behind and Jorge was able to build up his home centers and defend himself. By itself it wasn't a huge problem, then he got the army into my line which took an entire year to corall. This gave Macedonia pleanty of time to place his armies in a great defensive position.

Then I made my second mistake: Jorge and I had been in communication and he convinced me that if I moved after Athens he would support me and leave me be. Two reasons made me accept his offer: Athens was growing very large and relatively unchecked, while I knew I was going to be in a long trench fight with Jorge. Jorge and I still disagree about how this happened. He feels that his tactics were not out of line at all (for lack of a better description). I felt that he came out and told me a bald face lie. Which I agree is 100% fine and I have no problem with at all, it is diplomacy after all, not go fish. But his tactics still left me with a very bad taste in my mouth.

While I held my units in place waiting for Macedonia to prove to me that he was intent on moving cooperatively against Athens, Jorge took his units and created a choke hold around my centers (I believe this was Spring 305). What could I do? Macedonia slowly began to gobble me up center after center. While this went on Sparta grew and grew. Out of sheer bitterness I helped Mark as much as I could, making it as difficult for Macedonia as I possibly could.

Then finally Jorge reached out to me from across the channel--help us forge a stalemate line and we can all share in a four way draw. I couldn't refuse but by then it was too late. A few seasons later and Mark had gotten his 21 centers.

Congratulations Mark on a game well played!
Thanks again Mike for taking the time to GM this!

Thessalia,
Alan Farrington
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