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Message from England to Russia
Eric -
Sorry about the move to BAR. It's got nothing to do with *you* or even our
relationship as such. It's just Jason's decision to collapse and throw his
centers to you puts me in a position in which I need to be closer to the
stalemate line.
Oh well.
Anyway, Jason's collapse *does* put you closer to the Med., though if you
would like to pursue a 2WD option, you probably will need a string of F
SEV's. . .
Ben
Message from England to Italy
Andy -
Can you afford that VEN - PIE now?
Ben
Message from England to France
Erik -
Well, that went pretty much as well as we could have hoped. Except for my
marines' failure to land in Norway. . .
I expect I will see a Russian A FIN in the fall, and some kind of build in
STP.
Anyway, it's good to be working with you again, and let me know if you have
any tactical suggestions.
Ben
Message from Italy to England
> Can you afford that VEN - PIE now?
That is the plan.
Message from Russia to England
Ben,
When (if) you read my private press from before the moves, you will see that
the problem I encountered with these moves was much more about what I did and
didn't do (despite knowing better) and less about your moves. Yes I'd prefer
to see you not attacking me, but obviously I saw the possibility clearly.
As to Jason, you can see how effectively he's handed me his centers :). No
worries for you there (though arguably the same comment from above holds true
there).
So where do we go from here? Losing Mun will actually make me much less
inclined to push towards a 2way if that's where Erik is going, but I don't
know if that's what's going on with the moves.
--- Eric
Message from England to Russia
Eric -
> When (if) you read my private press from before the moves, you will see
that
> the problem I encountered with these moves was much more about what I did
and
> didn't do (despite knowing better) and less about your moves. Yes I'd
prefer
> to see you not attacking me, but obviously I saw the possibility clearly.
"Attacking" is a strong word. . .
> As to Jason, you can see how effectively he's handed me his centers :). No
> worries for you there (though arguably the same comment from above holds
true
> there).
:-) The observers had an interesting game, for awhile. No doubt there is
life in it yet, though not much right now.
> So where do we go from here? Losing Mun will actually make me much less
> inclined to push towards a 2way if that's where Erik is going, but I don't
> know if that's what's going on with the moves.
I'm not interested in seeing you lose MUN, and noone has asked me about it
(yet). Overall I am pleased with our - yours and mine - status quo. I
agree the 2WD becomes more difficult for *you* to pursue without MUN, just
as it becomes more difficult for *me* to pursue without BER. These centers
will be essential for fine-tuning later, depending on how the south plays
out.
Defend MUN, is my suggestion, in case I do feint at it. I'll clue you in
if it's anything weird. I've had virtually no press this phase, from
anyone.
Ben
Message from Germany to England
Hi Ben. Maybe time I look on your side of the board. Eric did usually agree
with me but never carried out the moves suggested.
If I were you I would go for position this fall.
a edi - pic supported by bre
a ruh - bur supported by bel
This ensures that edi makes it to pic (right in the front line) and that bel
cant be taken.
This ensures a nice set up for the push into France next spring.
You dont have to worry about MAO being dislodged as it could then retreat to
POR.
Good luck.
Message from England to Germany
Tony!
Excellent to hear from you, my tulip-picking, windmill watching, canal
boating Dutch friend. Your proposal is intriguing.
Can Erik use what he has left to throw a solo to Eric?
I can't believe, after all the lies we told each other, you are
corresponding more with Eric - a *novice* liar! a *tadpole* of untruths! -
than you are with me. I weep for our lost friendship.
Ben
Message from Italy to England
Ben,
What are you thinking....I will be moving to Piedmont.
What can we do together.
Andy
Message from England to Italy
Andy -
You are catching me staring at the map.
I do need you to make that move to PIE now. I am looking at convoying edi
- pic but I am worried it will leave me too weak in the North, given what
we are likely to see from Eric.
Ben
Message from England to England
Poll:
How much better would Ben be, if he had his own tactical skill, and did not
rely so heavily on the advice of other players?
a. A lot.
b. A fair amount.
c. A little bit.
d. None.
e. [gallery is vacant]
Message from Germany to England
Good to hear from you too mate. I have just gained a solo and four 3 way
draws so I have been quite busy. VGNP is going crap though. I am always
unlucky it seems. Take any country in any game and it will come out better
than the same power played by me in another game. I always get the bad luck
of the draw. I doubt i'll be improving my 2003 standing.
Back to this game. Going by Erik's last moves he is intended on staying in
the game for as long as possible. I gave up on Eirc following his last two
moves ;-) he just wasnt agressive enough.
I think the only one of a real solo now is you but even that will be very
difficult.
I would forget STP for now and concentrate in the south/middle of the board.
STP can always be picked up. I think Eric made a big mistake defending it
with 3 units. Two would have been enough to slow you down for a while.
I also advised him on moving to PIE last turn to get three on VEN 9push all
armies from WAR one place up). I also had an agressive Turkish solution
which he liked but didnt execute. I think he has lost the momentum. How are
talks with Erik going?
I like my PIC suggestion, I think it is the most progressive. WIth MAO you
may as well push for SPA although he will no doubt cover it and POR.
This should end in a 3 way. I dont see anyone throwing it to Eric that easy.
Italy is still quite strong.
EIR should be the outcome. TUN is no doubt your 18th but pretty unreachable.
Russia has to many armies to have to worry about you breaking through in
Germany. I think once France is eliminated the 3 way will be a fact. I dont
see you making a big enough mistake to allow Eric to solo. You do need to
grab those last 4 french towns asap. A challenge to say the least.
BER is stalemated with BAL in place. Norway is a little open. I think you
have to cover it with BAR. I would opt to keep the momentum going and push
for France as suggested. Their is little chance of Russia pushing for FIN &
STP. Unless I advise him to do so sneakly ;-) but I wont.
For now it is safe and you always have north to hold it in the spring next
year along with BAR. So it is safe. Nothing can prevent the convoy to PIC
with the moves suggested. This also means that you hold the stalemate line
in and around MUN next year as you would have 3 units to do so.
BAL S BER
BAR - NWY
BAL S BER
BER HOLD
KIE - MUN
RUH - BUR
BEL S RUH - BUR
EDI - PIC supported by BRE
MAO - SPA/POR/GAS whatever.
A safe set of moves. If you want to be really safe;
BEL - RUH supported by KIE (bounce in case they go for RUH)
RUH - BUR (cut support of PIC and or attack on BEL)
EDI - PIC supported by BRE (Dislodge PIC) guranteed.
Good luck mate. Shame I wont be able to assist you in gaining a solo but
maybe at least we can try.
Hope the advice is of some help, I dont think I will be able to help Eric
any more so I may as well change sides ;-)
Tony
Message from England to Germany
Tony -
Thanks for the follow up.
I had thought a timely I/R war could get my 18th in MOS but Eric's
effectively stopped Andy from growing. TUN would be tough but also a
possible - if either is possible.
VGNP is for me an unmitigated disaster. I am terrible at nopress and I am
in the DPNP too, so I have a complete nopress overload. Ugh.
Ben
Message from Germany to England
Well in the 2003 VGNP tournament I made it to 23rd. This year is going to be
a disaster though.
Luckily I am now down to 16 games. 7 press, 7 no-press and GM in two of
them.
I may have to work in Brussels for 3 months so I hope I can start to wind
down some games. So as it happens being eliminated in the VGNP games quickly
saves me from having to find a replacement.
Message from France to England
Last minute, I know, but do you have any thoughts? It would be nice to move
to shore up my position against Andy, but not until I see evidence that I
can stop bouncing in Paris and Portugal.
Erik
Message from England to France
Erik -
> Last minute, I know, but do you have any thoughts? It would be nice to
move
> to shore up my position against Andy, but not until I see evidence that I
> can stop bouncing in Paris and Portugal.
:-)
I have no problem bouncing in Paris and Portugal. I had planned on
ordering KIE - MUN - feel free to support it if you want. Somehow I
suspect you wouldn't trust me to offer that support to *you*.
Anyway if you want to bounce me in PAR from PIC then you can offer the
support from BUR. I hope this is a good way to ease back into a trusting
relationship - I will see what you do. Let me know if you have some other
ideas.
Ben
Message from Russia to England
Yeah, well I've sent hardly any press either of the last two seasons, so I
can't complain much about the silence.
--- Eric
Message from Italy to England
Ben,
I am moving to PIE, are you moving on the Russian with all your extra
units.
Andy
Message from England to Italy
Andy -
> I am moving to PIE, are you moving on the Russian with all your extra
> units.
Yes.
Ben
Message from England to Russia
Eric -
Please do not go to FIN. I don't now & won't in the near future even
*threaten* STP, the way you have it defended. You don't, I imagine, want
to pull away from your central/southern defenses, and I don't want to have
to start crowding DEN, SWE, etc., myself.
As I said before - defend MUN.
Ben
Message from England to England
I've decided not to go too aggressively after France because I worry it
will, by hastening the fall of France, simplify the position and make my
remote solo chance even more distant then it is. Right now I'm hoping for
a French suicide against Italy which hopefully will put me in position to
contend for TUN. If I go hard against France it will never happen.
Ben
England: Fleet Baltic Sea SUPPORT Fleet Berlin
England: Fleet Barents Sea SUPPORT Army Edinburgh → Norway
England: Army Belgium SUPPORT Army Ruhr
England: Fleet Berlin SUPPORT Fleet Baltic Sea
England: Army Brest → Paris (*bounce*)
England: Army Edinburgh → North Sea → Norway
England: Fleet English Channel SUPPORT Army Belgium
England: Army Kiel → Munich (*bounce*)
England: Fleet Mid-Atlantic Ocean → Portugal (*bounce*)
England: Fleet North Sea CONVOY Army Edinburgh → Norway
England: Army Ruhr SUPPORT Army Kiel → Munich
France: Army Burgundy → Paris
France: Army Picardy SUPPORT Army Burgundy → Paris
France: Fleet Spain (south coast) → Portugal (*bounce*)
France: Fleet Tunis HOLD
France: Fleet Western Mediterranean → Spain (south coast) (*bounce*)
Italy: Fleet Aegean Sea → Bulgaria (south coast)
Italy: Fleet Ionian Sea SUPPORT French Fleet Tunis
Italy: Army Rome → Apulia
Italy: Fleet Smyrna HOLD (*dislodged*)
Italy: Army Venice → Piedmont
Russia: Army Ankara SUPPORT Turkish Fleet Eastern Mediterranean → Smyrna
Russia: Fleet Bulgaria (east coast) → Constantinople
Russia: Fleet Constantinople → Aegean Sea
Russia: Army Livonia → St Petersburg (*bounce*)
Russia: Army Moscow SUPPORT Army Livonia → St Petersburg
Russia: Army Munich HOLD
Russia: Army Serbia → Greece
Russia: Army Silesia → Bohemia
Russia: Army St Petersburg → Norway (*bounce*)
Russia: Army Trieste → Venice
Russia: Army Tyrolia SUPPORT Army Munich
Russia: Army Warsaw → Silesia
Turkey: Fleet Eastern Mediterranean → Smyrna
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