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2005 Local Games

2005 HuskyCon

Long Island, NY - August 19-21

Organizer/Reporter - Graham Woodring

2004 Local Games

HuskyCon
Long Island, NY
Reporter - Graham Woodring

NYC Game

May 23, 2004

Reporter - Brian Shelden  

Today's game at the Neutral Ground got moved to my Battery Park City apartment; as the Neutral Ground was filled with a Magic tournament.

We used Eric Mead's prefererence list method for country selection.  This suited Christian fine, as he'd been Germany for the last three or four games with us.  Mead, Maletsky, and Shelden all chose Russia 1st -- the only dispute -- with Maletsky winning the toss.  That resulted in the following

country layout:

The East settled quickly into an A/I vs. R/T layout.  The fact that Fact that R/T DMZ'd the Black Sea, and hence were in the Aegean in Fall 1901 meant that meant that the A/I's Key Lepanto didn't work for beans.

So all eyes were on the west.  It started as E/F vs. G, and that was going swimmingly.  Then, as Christian was starting to make progress in Scandinavia, he refused to give Nick Belgium, seeding the beginnings of an E/F war.  (I helped by making sure that F could build F Bre, by supporting a French unit into Munich.  Sorry, Rob.) 

During the E/F war, Dave was making good gains in Scandianvia; making it to 10 at the largest.  Given that Turkey had claimed his diplomacy ethics would allow him to be happy if his ally soloed, this put Dave at 14.  Ouch!  (Dave, not seeing any way to get to the Turkish dots, doesn't count it that way, which is fair enough.) 

I was attempting to hold what gains I had, but only had guesses to hold Budapest, Serbia, and Greece.  R/T could have forced them all, but didn't.  (While backfilling places like Ukr and Gal, which didn't make my luck in Austria feel that comforting.)

Three-way draws (FRI) were proposed by T, but vetoed by Eric. Six-way draws were proposed, but F wanted to eliminate E for messing with him unnecessarily.  Five-way draws (FRIAT) were proposed, but vetoed by Dave.  Not 100% sure why a six-way was ok with Dave, but a 5-way wasn't.  

Dave's theory was a 5-way draw was just as good as solo by France, and being sick of being the only person fighting France, decided to try and throw the solo to Nick.  He kept saying unless Italy moved on France, he was going to throw the solo.

Christian's one unit was in CD, but Nick could have taken it at will anyway.  He also didn't think it was right to play knowing about the CD, so he covered London instead of taking the offered Norway, etc.  Nick's reticence (and a misorder) which gave us A/I/T all enough time to start to work to stop the solo. 

I did have one unit I could move towards France.  (If a year later than Dave wanted.)  This was enough to get Randall to move slightly on Dave, in case he was serious about the solo threat. With Randall pulling away slightly, I was able to move to plug the Med, and started to do so. 

At this point, Nick's bypassing his opportunity, he proposed we stop.  Eric proposed a 5-way draw, which passed. 

I'm probably glossing over lots of details.  But a good time was had by all, even if the draw negotiations were a little heated. 

Chart: 

BackStabbers Union - Local 212  

March 20 - 21

Reporter - Brian Shelden  

I want to thank everyone who came!  Some came from near, some came from far, but it's gratifying to have this much interest in our little club.

0 = Is the Saturday game, 1 -4 = the Sunday games.

BackStabbers Union - Local 212

Columbia University

February 14, 2004  

Host/Reporter - Jay Heumann

Reporter - Brian Shelden

(1)Shelden - Dave soloed.  Conceded when he was at 14

(2)Heumann - The west started out with Germany and France bouncing in Burgundy also Par-Gas with Bre-MAO; and a standard opening from England (Nth,Nwg, and Yor).  France got mad at Italy for opening to the Tyrrhenian Sea, then convoyed Gas-Por and sent Mar-Spa.  England, being the only one next to Belgium, took it and Norway for two builds; Germany scooped up Denmark and Holland, and let Russia into Sweden.

In the east, Italy's two armies went to Tyrolia and Venice; Austria played a standard opening (Alb, Ser and Gal); Russia bounced Austria in Galicia and me in the Black Sea and brought Mos-Ukr; and I just quietly sauntered into Bul and Con.  In fall, Austria was so busy supporting himself against Italy that he allowed me to walk into Greece and Bulgaria for two builds; Russia supported himself into Rum for two builds (with Sweden); and Italy scooped up Tunis but was repelled by Austria, so got stuck on 4.  In other words, every neutral was taken in 1901!

In the west, no two powers could get an alliance going against the third long enough to really do damage.  France walked right into Liverpool in '02, but after England started fighting back he changed strategy and came for Italy, eventually taking Tunis.  In the east, I stabbed Eric Mead as Russia in 1902 with some Austrian help, but the Austrian's aid was limited due to a full-on AI war.  I eventually convinced him to vacate Serbia so I could support him into Rumania, which I did as I took Sevastopol.  From that point on, Eric Mead was willing to work for me in exchange for his life (with the one exception of when he re-took Sev), so I stabbed Austria for Serbia in 1903, also giving Italy his sixth build--he had taken Vienna in 1902, but he had 4 armies and one fleet! With fear of a Western Triple building, Italy's 6th center was built as a fleet, and as Italy and France got entangled, I solidified my position from Budapest and Rumania down to Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria, and my home centers.  Then in 1905, just after France took Tunis off of Italy, he offered me a support to Tunis as his armies were shifting to Piedmont, Tyrolia and Vienna.  One turn after taking his support, I stabbed into Vienna, Trieste, and convoyed an army into Naples--jumping me from 8 to 12.  Since Eric Mead was still working with me, I looked like a solo threat, and the rest of the game consisted of EFG vs. RT.  We had numerous draw votes.  Finally a 5-way was voted up in 1907.

Final center count: Turkey 13, France 7, Germany 6, England 5, Russia 3.  Russia was kept in the draw because at the time he offered his services to me, he asked for my word that I would keep him in the draw

if I deemed I could not solo.  He kept his word to me, and I to him--I didn't try to cut him out, and it made no sense for anyone else to try to cut any of the Western powers, since they were screaming about throwing the solo to me if they thought they were being cut out. Hence, the large draw.

New York City Game

February 7, 2004

Neutral Zone

Reporter - Brian Shelden

Solo conceded to I before Fall 1910, as Eric could force Ank was sitting on Brest, & Portugual, and could walk to Bulgaria.

After one of the most wacky 1901s most had seen (A Vie - Boh; A Ven - Tyr; Germany opened to Holland...)

It was a wacky game all around...including a 4-center France sitting in the Ionian.

But Eric played a very good game.  He looked doomed after stabbing Austria for Trieste, (instead of taking Munich, which Christian did not cover); but was eventually able to pull R away from T.

And, of course, when it counted, he convinced France with his patented line: they're just going to cut you out anyway. When Tom bought that (and really, Tom, I needed you to hold Iberia, so I meant it when I offered you the 4-way.  That's all there was to offer you), it was all inevitable from there.

New York City Game

January 3, 2004

Reporter - Christian Pedone

Act I: Austria and England on the Ropes

The west looks to be shaping up to be GF vs. E.  A planned standoff in Bur coupled with some gut wrenching misorders by England in the fall allowed both powers to use their neutral builds to bolster their navies. Italy, though opening to Tuscany, quickly knifed AH and was of no concern to the French in the first two years.  All looked well for FG.

In the east, RT agreed to a tentative plan to cooperate through the first year.  This was a standard Bul/Rum split with a bounce in the Black Sea.  R also agreed to a Galacia DMZ with Austria, which he immediately violated. (sorry Jeff!).  Italy jumped on the Russian wagon and by the end of 1901, Trieste was Italian, Vienna was Russian and Jeff Kolb was congratulating us on a game well played.  Russian successes in the south led to Germany bouncing Russia out of

Sweden.

Act II: Germany goes Beserker

Suffering from big dog syndrome, Russia was pushed out of Rumania by AT before IRT all came together and decided to relieve Austria of its last three centers.  Russia soon regained Rumania and a seemingly balanced three-way division of the Balkans emerged.

Up in the west, F&G each had two fleets on a stunted and friendless England. Then all hell broke loose.  Germany simultaneously pushed England out of the North Sea and made a land based attack on France. Russia was still griping about his claim on Sweden and saw an opportunity to get England back on her feet.  Italy was offered deals by both Russia and Turkey, but in the end took neither. 

Act III:  The Axis collapses

Russia, ticked about being forced out of Sweden 54 times, supported England into Denmark.  England also succeeded in convoying to into the lowlands (Germany was hyper extended by this point) and was back in business.  RT decided to cooperate against Italy when the game broke wide open.

Italy supported himself into Munich!  Germany pulled his forces out of France, leaving Mr. Heumann none worse for the wear.  Russia and Turkey grabbed Trieste and Vienna away from the Italian and..in three seasons' time,  England was in Kiel,  Russia was in Munich and Turkey held all three Italian centers. (France snagged Tunis in the melee). Germany was left with only Berlin.

The game was drawn after Adjustments in 1907. 

Turkey: 10 (Con,Smy,Ank,Bul,Ser,Tri,Ven,Rom,Nap,Gre)

Russia:  9 (Stp,Mos,War,Sev,Rum,Bud,Vie,Mun,Swe)

France:  7 (Par,Mar,Bre,Spa,Por,Bel,Tun)

England: 7 (Lon,Edi,Lpl,Nor,Hol,Kie,Den)

******************************************

Germany: 1 (Ber)

The game was a manageable 5 hours and 15 minutes.  If played further, ET may have chosen to ally with France or Russia to make it a three-way draw.  However, builds after 1907 were non aggressive across the board and a draw vote was quickly agrees upon.

2003 Local Games

Columbia Game

November 7, 2003

Reporter - Jay Heumann

((masterpoints;   * = NADF Rating))

NADF masters - ratings only

NADF experts - greatest place gain

Others - masterpoints only

Ratings may be found on the NADF Ratings page. 

Mastepoints made be found on the NADF Masterpoints page.

OK, with Chris Mann, the board leader, assenting to call it a 6-way, I am posting the results

We had some trouble getting everyone into the building.  Apparently I walked right past Christian Pedone on my way back from dinner.  Then, Chris Mann didn't have my cell phone number, so he had to wait for Brian Shelden to call me to get signed in.  That accounts for Chris's posts on the list: apparently he was looking through the list archives for my cell phone number, but I actually sent it to him in private e-mail.  Anyway, long story short, the game actually started relatively close to the advertised start time, at least as far as

Columbia games go.  Spring 1901 started at 8:15.

England and France set the tone in the West by bouncing in the English Channel the first three turns of the game, before France finally let England in. Meanwhile, Christian as Italy faked attacking Austria, then went west, while Austria, trying to stab me, allowed Turkey to get a second build from Greece.  I, however, expecting a stab from Turkey, not from Austria, made to build a second fleet, but wound up not doing it, with the Austrian sitting in Galicia and the Turk in the Black Sea.  The deciding factor was that Austria ordered a void Ser SBul-Rum.

I played an indecisive game, switching from one to the other.  It got me up to 7 centers in 1902, but that was all for me.  I hovered around 4 or 5 the rest of the game as I was forced out of Rumania, Vienna, and Sweden in 1903 and Budapest, which I had taken in '03, in '04. A/T, however, was never able to put the finishing touches on me.  (I didn't lose a home center until 1908.)

In the west, the story was basically G/I rolling up E/F, who refused to stop fighting.  In the beginning, Italy got the better of the deal, eventually even coming back east to get Smyrna (and looking like a solo threat), but as Italy got tired later into the night, Germany surged ahead, and looked capable of a solo when we called the game on time at 3:15 AM.

England had not yet been eliminated (and it would have taken 2 more years to accomplish that feat, at least), Austria and Turkey were going nowhere, and I had just been knocked down to 3 for the first time in the game.  The 6 powers simply could not agree to decide on an ending, so I think by default it's a 6-way.  Brian refused, point-blank, to vote for anything less than a 3-way (though he didn't demand it include him), but England and I both refused to vote a  3-way.  I might have voted myself out to a 4-way, except that my centers, had they been taken by Germany, might have contributed to a solo, so I felt for that reason that I shouldn't have been voted out.

Final center count: Germany 12, Italy 8, Turkey 5, Austria 4, Russia 3, England 2.  We played 8 years.  Had we had more time to finish this game, I think England would have been knocked out, then me, but I couldn't see who else. With enough time to actually finish the game, Germany might have soloed.

New York Game

September 26th

Reporter - Brian Shelden  

Eight people showed up at my Battery Park City digs.  So, as least far travelled, I sat out.  Below is my commentary, but as I wasn't negotiating with anyone, it may be incorrect.

A Western triple quickly formed; against which an Eastern Quadrupple responded. The problem was that Chris Martin was Turkey in this scenario.  Just about the time Austria took Munich off the triple, DQ took Greece and Serbia off the Austrian.

Meanwhile, despite a few misorders, E/G continued to make progress in candinvia, Norway and Sweden had fallen, and StP was next.  F was making progress in the Med, but wasn't looking to take a dot for another year or two.

At this point, G kicked the Austrian out of Munich.  A retreat of Burgundy left nothing stoping him from walking to Paris. A year later, the English supported that army to Brest; while moved from Burdundy - Paris - Picardy.  No one noticed except a gentlemanly Andy that Paris was still Austrian.

I had to leave at this point.  But I'm told that soon Germany and England feuded about Belgium, which generated a general G/E melee.  The draw vote tells me G was getting the better of it.

All this while little, yellow, Chris was stealthily getting his way to the Tyrennian sea?  Fortunately for those that don't like to watch Chris Martin solo, the Italian was at the expense of France.  But it didn't look good for anyone who wasn't Turkey.

We had a midnight deadline, so a draw was called.

Congratulations to our 1st and 2nd-time players Christian and Brett (1st/2nd time with us, I mean!  We've been known to eat our young) for being part of the draw.  And congrats to the whole board for stopping Chris from soloing.  Welcome

to Adam and Scott; I hope we'll see you again!

The rest of the evening was spent on Texas Hold 'em. I think I lost money there, but it was confusing as we were using my quarters as a bank.

Thanks everyone for coming down!  Eight in NYC is definitely worth sitting out for!

The French player took his sweet time getting to the game, but we finally got it underway; the English and German players were newbies and Italy and Austria were second-timers.

Eric and I went with a Slingshot Juggernaut to start.  Italy moved against Austria in Spring '01 and made it into Trieste as Austria was  trying to bounce him out of Tyrolia.  In the West, England and France bounced in the Channel and Germany opened to Holland and held Munich. In Fall, Germany moved Hol-Nth and actually made it in, as England misordered F Lon-NAO and took Norway.

 It was pretty clear that England was going down, but whereas England fought pretty hard for a newbie and clung to Portugal until 1905, on the other end, Austria was gone by '03, with Vie/Bud falling to Russia

and Ser to me.  Italy turned west against France in 1902, and in 1903 I slipped into the Ionian and took Tunis. From there, a few well-placed convoys landed me in Naples after 1904, and Italy went from 5 to 2.  On the other end, Russia expanded into Norway but never had to fight the F/G, because he convinced France to stab Germany.

After 1905, Germany was brought from 6 centers down to 1, and Italy was also at 1, in Munich.  We had a draw vote for the 3-way that was vetoed (Germany told us she vetoed it), so we played 2 more turns, knocked out Italy and Germany, and then voted up the draw.

Final center count: Turkey 12, Russia 11, France 11.  Described by Eric Mead as the most natural 3-way he'd ever played.

So that's that.  Hopefully I'll see some of you at Carnage.  I doubt there will be any Columbia Diplomacy before then.

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