Hi Christine,
 
Many thanks for your most efficient GM'ing of this game through what were obviously difficult times for you.
 
The consistent speed of your adjudications throughout the game set a new standard for me at least! It was great to know that the moves would be updated within an hour of the deadline, and on occasion just 15 mins! Phew!
 
My thanks to eveyone who made this game most enjoyable, and my apologies to Jason and Nigel who I felt I had to stab...
 
My end of game statement will be brief:
 
 
As Italy I felt I had to have an alliance with France (Dario) while we both went our separate ways. I looked to Jason (Austria) for a Lepanto against Turkey, but not much positive response was forthcoming, while Brian (Russia) and Nigel (Turkey) were both lukewarm about an early alliance.
 
I went therefore for a wait and see strategy, but no offers came in...At decision time it was either attack Germany or Austria, and I felt Austria to be geographically speaking, the easier target.
 
All went well for a while, then Russia (Brian) encouraged me against Turkey but at the same time broke an agreement with me about GAL. This pushed me towards the (somewhat!) willing arms of Nigel, and for a good while it looked like we might have a strong Turkish/Italian alliance. However, his reluctance to finish off Austria and detail future plans made me nervous that I was being set up, and Brian (Russia) came in with a very good offer. So that was it Nigel, sorry, we nearly made it, but your reputation of two Winter Blitz wins went against you this time.
 
In the meantime there was a bit of tension between me and GP over TYL and the possibility of me assisting him in his attack against France. However, he was not offering very much and insited that if we went ahead, he would be the one to take MAR, and that he would relinquish it once he had taken SPA and POR. Not being of the jam tomorrow brigade I wasnt happy with this, had to guard against his coming into TYL (which in the event he never did do) and so missed taking BUD ahead of Russia.
 
Once the R/I alliance started it worked well as Germany for some inexplicable reason appeared to pull back from France just as it looked at his mercy... (Would love to know the reasons behind that manoeuvre GP?) and England continued to complicate things in the North.
 
Turkey was divided amicably between Italy and Russia, and on we went with Russia pressing in the North, myself in the South. I lent a bit of key assistance around MUN, and this helped break Germany down, as although strong, without his home centres there was not a lot he was going to be able to do. We were now down to Russia, Italy and Germany.
 
Was Russia going to attempt a Solo? Brian as Russia was in a better position than me as Itlay, and the Englisg centres under German control were going to fall to him more quickly than the Franco/iberian ones would for me, but we had an agreement, or so i thought...It was at this point, as i reorganised my forces in the eastern Med that Brian attacked and captured CON. This was the moment. was he going for a Solo? He said not, and fell back to ANK as agreed, and I breathed a sigh of relief.  We just had to swap MUN for BUD and the draw was set up. Without this swap Brain could have got the solo almost at his leisure, so when we did it the game was as good as over.
 
The last part of the game really was a testament to GP's great defensive work. attacked on all sides by Russia and Italy, he pulled off some daring defences that slowed us down and that might on another occasion have split our alliance, so well done GP.
 
My thanks to everyone in the game and sure would like to hear your views on how the game progressed.
 
Good luck to everyone in the second round!
 
Joe
 
 
 
 

 
On 3/20/09, Christine <dawench2(at)yahoo.com ([email]dawench2(at)yahoo.com[/email])> wrote:

The end game proposal of Italian/ Russian Draw with a German survival has passed.

Thank you all for playing,  I look forward to everyone's EOGs.  I hope that the players who were eliminated earlier will remember enough of the game to send EOGs also.  This was a very interesting game to watch and I'd love to hear about the game from all of your perspectives.

Good Luck everyone in the 2nd round.

Christine

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