 | 'Admiral' Gunboat Competition | |
Jean Bart - Spring 1911 |
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| GM - Ally Bain | ||
The strike going through the line below was put there as when I first put the EGS on site that existed but a number of players did quickly write back & say they will do there ASAP.Very unimpressed that only two of you wrote an EGS. As for Franz & Wilhelm, thanks for writing yours.
Either way, moving on. I know I've mentioned this before but the real-names of players, in this Semi, will not be shown until the final, Good Hope, has it's EGS on site. As for 'Admiral' IV, The Waiting List will open once III has ended & hopefully you, like I, would like more players in IV than in this competition. You can help me increase the number by telling me details of those you’re aware of & by that, I can drop them an e-mail. Of course, you can mention to them 'Admiral' but again, you must not tell them that you were playing in a Semi.
See below for the EGS.
Final SCs:
A: Bul, Rum & Sev = 3 SCs.
F: Den, Kie, Ber, Mos, Mun, Por, War, Nwy, Spa, StP, Hol, Bre, Lon, Lpl, Bel, Edi, Mar & Par = 18 SCs.
G: Swe = 1 SCs.
I: Tun, Ser, Vie, Gre, Tri, Ank, Con, Smy, Ven, Nap & Rom = 11 SCs.
R: Bud = 1 SCs.
The PRESS says...
Austrian-Hungian Gov't:
OK, this game started off poorly for me, got a little better and then went completely bad.
In 1901, my friendly neighbor Italy decided they would play a tricky march through AH and capture Serbia. The only problem is that without any way to communicate that gambit looks just like – I want to kill AH and take his centers. I borrow Warsaw from my friendly Russian neighbors for the year to help me fight off the Italians occupying Trieste the next year.
1902 – I push the Italians back out of Trieste and return Warsaw to the Russians. Things would be looking much better if the Turks didn’t take this opportunity to attack me and take Serbia. I am hoping that Italy and Russia realize that I didn’t have any particular animosity toward them and will help in the future against the now aggressive Turks.
1903 – I get the Turks back out of Serbia and am finally at a respectable five centers (or at least I think so for AH in this type game in 1903). The Italians are moving down to attack the Turks. France has taken the lead but once Italy gets some builds he will be able to move that way and even things out.
1904 – England’s NMR in the north really is a plus for France that now is taking a commanding position in the West. I am shifting my units down to try and help Italy. Hopefully Russia can do something to help out otherwise he will soon be too busy in the north.
1905 – Great, now France is really moving along and Italy and Turkey are deadlocked. Turkey (and me) miss a turn and finally Italy is able to break their defense.
1906 – With his new centers I expect that Italy will build and move West to stop the leader. He doesn’t and decides to come and fight me!!!
1907 – England is now gone; France is rolling in the West and the only one that has an opportunity to stop him is Italy – busy smacking me.
1908 – OK, I have pretty well given up at this point in the game. All I can do is defend myself against Italy who doesn’t seem to understand that getting second in this game is useless. If he would only do something productive instead of letting France win.
1909 – Fine, obviously Italy isn’t really interested in advancing. I begin to try to help France win so we don’t have to keep playing forever.
1910 – Hooray the game is over. I would love to have been in France’s spot in this game! Oh well, those are the breaks. Sometimes you are lucky and other times you are AH with a dense Italian player next to you.
Hints for Empires:
Germany – Don’t fight France, England and Russia all at the same time. Never worked well for Germany historically. Doesn’t work well in the game either.
England – Assume everyone is out to get you in Gunboat, you will live longer. Helps to turn in moves each turn too.
Russia – I am sorry I had to borrow Warsaw. I was hoping that by walking off and giving it back to you that I wasn’t trying to get you. Regrettably your unit coming to attack me instead of defending against Germany in the north likely was you undoing.
Turkey – You need some friends to do well. When I leave a center vacant next to one of your units it is not an invitation to take it – it means I am trying to indicate that I would like to work with you.
France – Nice job taking advantage of the opportunities presented to you. You played a good defense at the start and then took full advantage of the Italian non-position to move to the win. Good luck in the Finals – maybe you will draw AH and can show me some tricks for winning in Gunboat with it.
Italy – DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE,… Ok, I am not really that annoyed. Ok, never-mind, I was. I waited a long time write the EGP so I would have a chance to cool off. Did you read the tourney rules? Did you understand that the board top advances? Do you understand that you did not once through the whole game do anything to actually stop the empire that eventually won? Do you know that France didn’t have a fleet in the Med to defend against you until 1909?
Good Luck to France in the Final!
Thanks for GM’ing Ally – you did an admirable ;-) job.
Franz Joseph
Paris Gov't:
Here we are with this game. I took France and it's great!
1901 For the opening I decide to go cautious and so does Germany ! Great.
The possibility of english opening in Ech is real, but I decide to risk.
The move in Bur from Mar is succesfull, but A Par - Gas should show my intentions to Berlin. I expected to bounce in Bur, in order to convoy to Por and have the fleet ready to use in Mao, but A bur can now be useful in Hol.
Italy opened agains Austria and this is great for me.
Winter. I get 3 builds and build 2 fleets. Now I expect Italy and England getting mad at me. Luckily Germany didn't covered Mun and builded another fleet: I have a friend there.
1902 I decide to go north, and England stall my move in Ech. Italy is going west, but fortunately Austria is there and puts him under pressure. Good for me. Germany is doing well, and everything is fine at the moment. It seems that the others are fine for now with me being at 6.
In Autumn I make some difensive moves and occupy Mar and Bur with armies, while my fleets are staying in the middle and waiting where to go.
Winter. Italy goes away! Fine, so my new goal would be England. Germany manages to take Nor and has an easy strike on Swe. This is kinda bad. I can loose years while fighting England while Germany can run away. So the decision for the next year is to attack Germany, and try to be friendly with England: I still didn't do anything against him, so I'll try.
1903 I make it to Ruhr, while defending the Channel and not going to the North Sea (this is my first step in order to make peace with England). Italy tried to Mun. He expected to have my help? Why he didn't convoyed from Tun instead? If England accepts truce, I can easilly take Tun.
In Autumn I take Mun ( I could also take Hol, but I expect to support there England if everything is ok), and make only unsupported moves around the Channel.
Winter. I have some choices: if England attacked me, build F in Bre, if not build F in Mar. Sadly, England is definitely against me and I see a new fleet in Bre after the winter. Germany haven't lost nothing, but has 3 fleets in the north and does not have the possibility to retake Mun soon. Fine. Italy finally convoys A Tun in Turkey and Austria does not take Ven from him !!! If only England would be cooperative, I could have a great opportunity in the south.
1904 In this year I stay on 7 centers, but manage to go to the North Sea and to Ruhr. My position is strong either against England and Germany, who is still attacking Russia in the north and do not care much about me. Perhaps because I only build fleets? Italy is all on turkish soil and it'll be easy for me to take Tun, but I already have two enemies: three would be probably too much. Sorry, Sultan. You have to slow down Italy and Austria without any help from me.
1905 In spring I take Hol and Iri: now England has to worry about Lvp. Russia is helping Turkey to resist and this is great! Well done.
Autumn: It's the second NMR for England. It means I'm in Lvp and in North Sea again and Edi is undefended. Good news. But there are also some bad news. Germany is tired of war against Russia and is returning home. Luckily Russia is still angry, so I try to support him in Ber. Perhaps I can gain a friend. Another BAD news is turkish NMR. Italy finally gets Smy and builds. That's not much for now, but Turkey is now very weak.
1906 I move in Edi asap and England is almost dead. North Sea is still mine and the good thing is that Germany does not want to fight with me: he is going completely east against Russia. Well I might reconsider gaining Russia as an ally. Also because Russia hoped in austrian anarchy and didn't get my second support on Ber. What is Italy doing in Tyr? It does not seem to be an attack, but I have to keep in mind this possibility. If some hostile moves are done, F mar is the planned answer.
Autumn is a bad season. I write down wrong orders and do not enter in the North sea as planned. Russia is back knocking on Berlin doors, but I'll support Germany there instead of him whilepositioning against Norway. Italy gets 2 builds. I have 3 units of advantage and he has turned Austria against him. This should be a good thing.
1907 in the spring I ignore german support and position myself to convoy an army in Nor in Fall. Lon is surrounded and I'm also in Boh, while Italy is loosing Tri. I have a good advantage and decide to keep Italy quiet with some help. I want Ita and Austria to fight each other, and if I'm not helping, Italy can arrange a peace and turn himself against me. I'm not really worried about that, but why taking this risks?
Autumn. Italy guessed well, and my support was not wasted. On the other hand, Germany helped Russia in Nor !!! I was counting on that center. Now I'll loose some more time aroung there. After this move I regret helping Italy.
Winter. I still have a good advantage, but if Germany and Russia are toghether against me it'll be more difficult no lose this advantage.
1908. NMR !! I'm very sorry but it happened also to me. At least Germany didn't supported any more Russia in Nor. Anyway, I can't risk Nor again, so I decide to try Nor with a fleet, while entering Ska: if Germany helps Russia again, next year it won't matter any more.
In autumn I take Nor. Good. At this point Italy has some more units and I think it's not a good idea to go south. I didn't wanted take other german centers, except perhaps for Kie, but italian gains are changing my plans. He has no strengh to attack me, but it'll be a bad idea for me to attack him, also because I have all the units around scandinavia.
1909 is a year of development. I gain two centers and also Italy made a big step forward. Only 3 centers left. I'm sorry for Germany but two of them would be his centers. At least I'm not going to kill him. Not really sure if it's good or bad for him. Hope he'll appreciate it.
in Autumn I wanted to help Austria in some way: the move in War was intended to cut the support, but Russia goes in Mos from War, thus giving me that center and I didn't helped Austria :( But he is in Sev anyway.
1910 I take the last three centers, while helping Austria in autumn: his defence was really good.
To sum up, in this game I had some real luck. First of all, Germany didn't reacted badly after my attack, and Italy lost much time against Turkey. Some NMRs where also lucky for me (finally), but not really welcome. It's always better not having them at all.
And last but not least, thanks very mych to our GM. Very nice game.
See you all,
Émile François Loubet
German Gov't:
This was a good game that was always interesting and kept me thinking, though I only really enjoyed the first half when I had some prospect of winning! I made quite a lively opening headed north, making ground against England and Russia, but was dependent on French neutrality to do so; however when France made a well-executed stab against which I could not really reorganise, the game slipped away. I tried for a short while to get builds out of Russia to use to hold back the French, but that did not work. Unfortunately with Italy asleep to the danger of France running away with the game there was little to do but hold up the French as long as possible, and I was surprised to make it through to the end of the game.
Thanks to all for an enjoyable game. Congratulations and good luck to Emile F Loubet in the final, and many thanks to Ally for running the game in his usual professional manner.
Wilhelm II
Russian Gov't:
Firstly thanks to Ally and his helpers for putting on the competition and apologies are due for not taking the effort beforehand of posting an EGS on time.
Congratulations to France on his solo victory and commiserations to the the rest of us for a chaotic defeat.
I decided to open with a very obvious passive, to Germany, move of F(StP)-Fin , ie nowhere near German soil, hoping to gain a Scandinavian foothold and then attack south. This was foiled by losing Warsaw to Austria in A01. This weakened me and I was thinking I would be down to 3 SC's fairly rapidly.
I was grateful to Germany for not taking Swe off me though and this ensured a further spate of survival.
It was apparent by S03 that France was looking to be a contender for victory but it seemed that the rest of us just could not co-ordinate any worthwhile defence against him. I commented to Ally that England's A04 NMR meant that France was going to be the winner and for the rest of the game France just had to keep moving north west and he was assured of a solo, and that's what he did.
The final nail in the coffin was 06 when Russia ( what was he thinking) and Germany attacking each other. My relationship with Germany was very frustrating as I'm sure it was to him too. We just couldn't seem to develop a level of trust between us.
This in-fighting, along with Italy's pipe dream of soloing by continually attacking east meant that it was going to be a rapid demise for all of us.
Thanks all for an enjoyable game and good luck to France in the final.
Nicolas II
Deadline
N/A
Seasons
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Countries & Leaders
| Countries | Leaders |
| AUSTRIA-HUNGARY | Franz Joseph |
| ENGLAND | Marquess of Salisbury |
| FRANCE | Émile François Loubet |
| GERMANY | Wilhelm II |
| ITALY | Victor Emmanuel III |
| RUSSIA | Nicolas II |
| TURKEY | Abd al-Hamid II |
| GM | Ally Bain |
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