Autumn 1915 – is there still some hope??

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Developments: Russia tried to throw the game to me??

• Russia attacked Austria and Turkey! HOLY CRAP, if I had attacked Vienna and Sevastopol instead of Tyrolia, I would be bragging about my solo win right now.
  • I did not in any way anticipate that Russia would try to throw the game, but I can see why: Russia got freaked out about Turkey moving his fleet to Black Sea, which was not at all necessary to hold the stalemate line. So Russia was either trying to throw the game to me (Germany) in revenge for Turkey “attacking” him, or else he didn’t actually think Turkey would do that but took a gamble to show that he was willing to throw the game to me if Turkey doesn’t help him defend. Hoo-wee wow!!
• Damn. I am really kicking myself that I did not somehow anticipate Russia‘s move and attack Sevastopol and Vienna. Oh well. It seems that I’ve missed a lot of guesses here in the endgame. At this point, I have nobody to blame but myself for failing my solo win attempt. This is a humbling experience.^[1]If you are interested, review this other gunboat match I participated in almost a year later in which I played out in a very similar game as Germany. I began by allying Russia and crushing England before fighting Russia and approaching a solo win. The endgame included all the same powers as the … Continue reading

Orders: I doubt Russia will try to throw the game a second time, but let’s find out

• The fleet at North Africa move to Western Mediterranean.
• The fleet at Mid-Atlantic Ocean move to Spain (south coast).
• The fleet at English Channel move to Mid-Atlantic Ocean.
• The fleet at Irish Sea support move to Mid-Atlantic Ocean from English Channel.
• The army at Gascony move to Marseilles.
• The army at Burgundy support move to Marseilles from Gascony.
• The army at Paris move to Gascony.
• The fleet at Holland move to North Sea.
  • This almost certainly will accomplish nothing, and could even result in my North Africa fleet getting destroyed.
  • I’m still going for a solo win right now though, so I’m going to give the defending players a chance to make a mistake so that I can win. This moveset gives me the biggest chance of taking Marseilles, because if Austria doesn’t support-hold Marseilles, I take will  it.
  • If my fleet in North Africa is destroyed and I don’t win, that makes it a little bit easier on me in back out and away from Portugal so that Italy can take it and finish off France, once I decide to whittle down the draw. I probably will rebuild it as an army or not rebuild it at all.  
• The army at Ukraine move to Sevastopol.
• The army at Moscow support move to Sevastopol from Ukraine.
  • Well, this is the attack I wish I had made last turn (in hindsight) because it would have worked.
  • Because Russia tried to throw me the game last turn, Turkey is in a difficult situation: he has to choose between making a supported attack on Sevastopol (which would bounce me out and protect Russia and the center) and doing another support-hold for Russia. If he does a support-hold and Russia move his army, then I’ll take Sevastopol. But if he attacks Sevastopol and Russia interprets this as an attack, Russia could continue to try to throw the game on future turns.
    • It would be awesome if Turkey starts making supported attacks on Sevastopol because that means, even if I don’t solo win, I could support Turkey in there to finish off Russia and get the elimination next year.
• The army at Galicia move to Vienna.
• The army at Bohemia support move to Vienna from Galicia.
• The army at Munich move to Tyrolia.
• The army at Silesia move to Galicia.
• The army at Warsaw support move to Galicia from Silesia.
  • This is the other attack I wish I had made last turn (in hindsight) because it would have worked.
  • If Russia pokes Budapest and Austria fails to poke Bohemia with Tyrolia, then this attack will work. Probably that won’t happen, but I’ll give it a try.
• The fleet at Holland move to North Sea.
• The army at Kiel move to Berlin.
  • I’ve got nothing better to do.

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