553 ends by Team Green Victory

[Netstrider]

Congrats to Ohman, Rellgar and Jon Doe! Nice victory.

This was a really fun game that I enjoyed immensely. Action packed from the very beginning.

Our team of Eregnon, Calidor and myself found ourselves pressed on all sides for most of the game. We had no choice but to begin the fight against Team Blue as we were competing over Arcania to get a 3rd region. But Team Red developed an early interest in coming after Amberland
and Eregnon's Sacred Order spent most of the game trying to fight off the CI, DW and DE - mostly by himself. He played an incredibly good game. Things went our way early, when the SA captured and executed a Demon Prince when he took Evanon by assault. One down, two to go.
Fortune continued for the SA when on T7 he intercepted three small CI units at GO. Hats off to Avantar for role-playing the CI and launching three determined attacks against the mighty Sacred Order Army group! Although brave, the CI units were no match for the SA juggernaut and all three groups were essentially destroyed. But ahh the ballads that will be sung to honor those brave sons of the North!
Meanwhile Calidor was doing well against the mighty Ranger, taking control of Arcania on T6. Another masterful job of playing by Calidor!

I was definitely the weak link in the team, not doing much other than annoying the DE once in a while and trying to put enough pressure on the AN to keep him from helping his ally in Arcania. I couldn't really figure out which way to go, south or north, and our team suffered because of it. And I was trying to build up the DA wizard army to get ready for the end-game, but that didn't really happen.

I would like to know who kept killing DA wizards, agents, etc and generally making my life miserable. Was it the DE, AN or UN? I never did find a UN PC in my area but suspect there was one there the whole time.

Unfortunately, while we were fighting Teams Blue and Red, Team Green seemed to be mostly unmolested, although they did launch a fairly early attack on the HA in Runnimede, bouncing that region by T9.

By T14 the Amazons, Elves and Underworld all started pressing the TY hard in R8 and it was about over. The SA continued to valiantly try to hold on against what seemed like every other kingdom in the game but was eventually worn down as well.

Thanks to both allies and enemies alike for a great game.

[RELLGAR]

A big thank you for all players sticking it out and playing well. That was as I like these games, Fast and Furious. I will leave the blow by blow to either Jon or Ohman, but we had a plan and I wont deny the best 3 kingdom positions to work with. My favorite part was the region rope a dope in the last 2 turns. The high council seems over rated in a team game.

Are you supposed to be able to parley a pc against a kingdoms P.C. that controls that region? That was one thing that seemed odd.

Im open to forum only instead of silent.

[Mad Hatter]

I was playing the HA, absolutely horrible position to play in a team game, especially with the UN/AM/EL attacking me. Being the left flank of that team composition (UN/RA/AN) is an extremely vulnerable position. If they were cradle in between AM/RA or AM/AN that would be doable.

But in this game, with the AN/RA trying to get 8 back, I was literally on my own and couldn't hold off any of UN/AM/EL. Emmy's were vanishing left and right, couldn't put together a military group and no agents worth anything that early in the game.

We had control of the HC, which we did not use effectively, lesson learned. But as far as everything else is concerned, knowing who traded what was useless, having the Trading House is not very effective in a team game, unless you're going to set back and trade with your allies, but that would require you being unmolested to be able to utilize the orders. Having played games where you get to the point you have a ton of gold, and don't have enough ways of spending it, what good is it?

I think it will be awhile before I consider getting into another team game.

[Calidor]

Was a fun game. I learned a ton and much props to the Ranger for sticking it out to the bitter end.

For quite a few turns we knew the true threat was the Green team but simply weren't able to pivot as the other two teams were relentless in their assaults.

I tried to raise the alarm by declaring the RA and AN neutral even though we were still fighting and making the AM and UN enemies. What really hurt was having the EL pop in as well. That caught me off guard. At one point we had me, AN, RA, UN, EL and AM all in Arcania... ouch!

Was very our surprised our northern foes didn't seriously go west earlier. I know that Amberland was a more contiguous region for them but since nobody (from what I could tell) was attacking Green they were able to build up unmolested.

In hindsight perhaps I should have stayed in Runnimede and fought the HA instead of the RA but geography was just real hard for my team.I think even if I had been successful against the HA it would have been short lived .


Good game!

[JonDoe]

Jon Doe (AM)

Thanks to all the players. Likely what made this such a fun game was that nobody dropped while they still had any reasonable fight left in them. Thanks to my two team mates; Rellgar and Ohman. By far the most communication and teamwork I have experienced in a game. Most every turn we would discuss over the phone our next turn and what the path to victory would be.

Our first choice was that we would specialize with each kingdom playing to each kingdoms strengths. AM would have the armies and priestess, EL political and wizards, UN political and agents.

Our first success came by getting 2 regions on turn 3. This was possible due to the UN agents and AM great foot speed.

Seeing that we would get our regions we also positioned ourselves to be ready to attack early. We saw the TY and RA were already at war. So figured with the HA teammates RA and AN distracted we could hit The HA and they would not be able to offer much help. The UN moved his capital and emmies to TA and could reach most any PC in R7. We decided to waste a bit of the teams gold by the AM moving an army in first. This worked very well the HA declared AM enemy and dinigrated. The UN was friendly and launched his political attack the following turn. We took our time in runimeed. The AM taking a town a turn and recruiting westmen while keeping a group back to recruit champions. We purposely kept ourselves out of arcania and did not touch TY PCs in R7. By the time the UN had gotten control it was close to turn 10 and time to get our ESOs.
The EL had built a skilled political force and with a starting village at QF could quickly move and take either R8 or R5. The next phase we would go after two regions. R8 and R10. Falling back on our same tactic we moved the AM in first to draw out the denigrates and enemy declares. The EL launched a full political attack on R8 and the UN had moved back to his hidden capital in R10 to launch his attack. By this time the UN was beginning to become an agent power, able to early kidnap most any emmy that stood in our way. Also already having both the staffs we could denigrate the regions owner at the same time we launched our attacks and could raise reactions from suspicious to friendly in a single turn not even using up a kings action. This became a standard tactic.
As the AM I assisted both teammates taking the fortified or hard to reach PCs. By the time we invaded R8 and R10 I had an army group and 3 full armies each with 3 hill giants.
We secured the two regions but they were both still resisting. We decided to go after amberland with the EL and the AM/UN would try to hit R9 hoping to get one of the two to claim a victory.
R9 was ugly agent flying around killing leaders and wizards. The UN could not send many emmies in due to the AN resistant in R10.
R8 fell neutral and the EL only had a couple emmies in R8. The UN was going toe to toe with the AN in R10. So we abandoned R9 and I would support R8 and R10. I started destroying Enemy PCs to create less census and allow my teammates to keep control of there regions. The EL was able to regain control of R8 without taking any PCs.
We were ready to declare victory but the DW decided to throw us a loop. He launched what looked like an attack on all the towns of R1. But it ended up being a full political assault covering villages and towns. We though we had a chance to stop enough of the DW to keep control but he was able to over power and take the region in one turn. At the same time we pulled off one of the more interesting moves I have seen in alamaze. Ohman and Rellgar came up with a plan. The EL could get 9 EL emmies and his army into R2. He could once again raise his reaction to friendly with the staff and I could denigrate the CI.
As a backup the UN and AM would position ourselves to take back R1 the following turn.
Although our first victory check failed with the DW able to take control of R1 our check the next turn was successful as the EL claimed R2 for our 6th region. 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10

Keys to victory for our team
-laying low and trying to avoid multiple enemies as long as possible
-the EL becoming the wizard power. Finished with 5 P6 that could dome and cast influence. The influence was key to developing emmies for the EL and UN.
-UN relentless search for artifacts. -not something I normally like to do but having both staffs, crystal of seeing, 4 or 5 range extenders for UN agent really turned the tide for us in the end game.
-fully untilizing ToT between our team.

Some personal favorites while playing the AM
-completely eliminating an AN army with my AM army using flanking (the AN had a lord commander, one more level and I would not have been able to flank)
-eliminating the TY by plundering his last PC.
-giving the EL a region by plundering PCs
-the crazy mobility of the Amazon army. My main army group started in R4 then to R7...R8...R10...R8...R9...R8...R5 and finished the last turn in R1. Plundered two cities and took multiple capitals.

[Calidor]

Actually TY was eliminated when you captured my King and Count. I had no other emmies left after all the captures and kidnaps. I still had Zarathon and a village... I think... I'll have to go peek at that turn again.


By the way what was the strategy at SO? There was a turn where you had your Army group there and an EL wizard patrol but didn't attack. It worked because I ended up moving away... rookie mistake assuming you'd attack.

[JonDoe]

Actually TY was eliminated when you captured my King and Count. I had no other emmies left after all the captures and kidnaps.   I still had Zarathon and a village... I think... I'll have to go peek at that turn again.


By the way what was the strategy at SO? There was a turn where you had your Army group there and an EL wizard patrol but didn't attack.  It worked because I ended up moving away... rookie mistake assuming you'd attack.

We were close to equal strength.  So I was issuing defend orders but happy to stay there as it was keeping your army busy and I had other armies to move around.   The EL wizards cast dispell to keep your wraith from hurting my group.   I would have reinforced the group soon and could then attack.

[Ry Vor]

Jon Doe (AM)

Thanks to all the players.  Likely what made this such a fun game was that nobody dropped while they still had any reasonable fight left in them.  Thanks to my two team mates; Rellgar and Ohman.  By far the most communication and teamwork I have experienced in a game.  Most every turn we would discuss over the phone our next turn and what the path to victory would be.

Our first choice was that we would specialize with each kingdom playing to each kingdoms strengths.  AM would have the armies and priestess, EL political and wizards, UN political and agents.

Our first success came by getting 2 regions on turn 3.  This was possible due to the UN agents and AM great foot speed.

Seeing that we would get our regions we also positioned ourselves to be ready to attack early.  We saw the TY and RA were already at war.  So figured with the HA teammates RA and AN distracted we could hit The HA and they would not be able to offer much help.  The UN moved his capital and emmies to TA and could reach most any PC in R7.  We decided to waste a bit of the teams gold by the AM moving an army in first.  This worked very well the HA declared AM enemy and dinigrated.  The UN was friendly and launched his political attack the following turn.   We took our time in runimeed.  The AM taking a town a turn and recruiting westmen while keeping a group back to recruit champions.   We purposely kept ourselves out of arcania and did not touch TY PCs in R7.   By the time the UN had gotten control it was close to turn 10 and time to get our ESOs.
The EL had built a skilled political force and with a starting village at QF could quickly move and take either R8 or R5.   The next phase we would go after two regions.  R8 and R10.   Falling back on our same tactic we moved the AM in first to draw out the denigrates and enemy declares.  The EL launched a full political attack on R8 and the UN had moved back to his hidden capital in R10 to launch his attack.  By this time the UN was beginning to become an agent power, able to early kidnap most any emmy that stood in our way.   Also already having both the staffs we could denigrate the regions owner at the same time we launched our attacks and could raise reactions from suspicious to friendly in a single turn not even using up a kings action.  This became a standard tactic.
As the AM I assisted both teammates taking the fortified or hard to reach PCs.  By the time we invaded R8 and R10 I had an army group and 3 full armies each with 3 hill giants.
We secured the two regions but they were both still resisting.  We decided to go after amberland with the EL and the AM/UN would try to hit R9 hoping to get one of the two to claim a victory.  
R9 was ugly agent flying around killing leaders and wizards.  The UN could not send many emmies in due to the AN resistant in R10.  
R8 fell neutral and the EL only had a couple emmies in R8.   The UN was going toe to toe with the AN in R10.  So we abandoned R9 and I would support R8 and R10.   I started destroying Enemy PCs to create less census and allow my teammates to keep control of there regions.  The EL was able to regain control of R8 without taking any PCs.
We were ready to declare victory but the DW decided to throw us a loop.  He launched what looked like an attack on all the towns of R1.  But it ended up being a full political assault covering villages and towns.  We though we had a chance to stop enough of the DW to keep control but he was able to over power and take the region in one turn.   At the same time we pulled off one of the more interesting moves I have seen in alamaze.   Ohman and Rellgar came up with a plan.  The EL could get 9 EL emmies and his army into R2.  He could once again raise his reaction to friendly with the staff and I could denigrate the CI.
As a backup the UN and AM would position ourselves to take back R1 the following turn.
Although our first victory check failed with the DW able to take control of R1 our check the next turn was successful as the EL claimed R2 for our 6th region.  2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10

Keys to victory for our team
-laying low and trying to avoid multiple enemies as long as possible
-the EL becoming the wizard power.  Finished with 5 P6 that could dome and cast influence.   The influence was key to developing emmies for the EL and UN.
-UN relentless search for artifacts. -not something I normally like to do but having both staffs, crystal of seeing, 4 or 5 range extenders for UN agent really turned the tide for us in the end game.
-fully untilizing ToT between our team.

Some personal favorites while playing the AM
-completely eliminating an AN army with my AM army using flanking (the AN had a lord commander, one more level and I would not have been able to flank)
-eliminating the TY by plundering his last PC.  
-giving the EL a region by plundering PCs
-the crazy mobility of the Amazon army.   My main army group started in R4 then to R7...R8...R10...R8...R9...R8...R5 and finished the last turn in R1.  Plundered two cities and took multiple capitals.

Nice synopsis.  Shows how going to each kingdom's strengths and coordination can make the difference.  Still think the Alliance format is the best.