Hello Everyone
The following new games are filling up. (Descriptions of the type of game
follow - please check this when contacting me with regards to playing in
that game).
Waiting List: When I get all 25 nations into the game I will allocate you
your choice of nation from the list of nations that you have sent me -
please send multiple nation choices. All nations are potentially available
until I set up the game.
Upto 2 nation game: You can play one or two Aligned nations, or one Neutral
nation.
2 nation game: You must play two nations.
Bofa: 2wk [Game 4] Beginners game - (Vet: ALL 1650 orders available): 4
Nations taken. (Please note FP have been upgraded).
1650 2wk [Game 57]: 1-10, 13-18, 20-25 (Also 8 any, 1FP & 1DS taken - 12
more players needed)
1650 2wk [Game 53] (Gunboat 2 nation, waiting list game): 6 more players
needed.
1650 1wk [Game 135]: 7 nations available - Waiting List. One nation.
2950 2wk [Game 239]: Email & Postal game. Waiting List. 18 nations
available.
1000 2wk [Game 40]: Probably going to be a Normal game (ie one nation per
allegiance allowed +20% kid/ass). 5 FP, 4 Neutral, 4 DS taken so far. 12
more nations needed.
1000 2wk [Game ??]: Also we're planning a NKA game - it might be a two
nation game - please get in touch. 1 taken
Note please ask for variant games we can try to get you opposition for them
if you are interested - mostly Grudge teams though - if I get 10 players for
any single type of game then I will put it up for general availability below
and push it;
Grudge Games we need opposition for:
2950: Mark W (most of team) 1000: None 1650: None
Last Alliance: None WoTR: None World Championship team: None
I have drop-outs available - don't forget you get a free turn for taking
these up...
E [Early] = 0-10 turn, M (Midgame]= 11-20, L [Late game] = 21+ [A= Aligned
if a Neutral, N= not aligned if a Neutral, P = Postal and Email game, G=
Grudge, 1w = 1week game, 3w = 3week game]
Bofa: Veteran (NM - e)
1000: One (l)
2950: Rhun (m,m)
1650: Quiet (e), Dark (m), Harad (m - n)
Gunboat 1650 game: Nations available
4+22 Arthedain +Harad, 6+23 N Gondor +Duns, 7+1 S Gondor +Wood, 8+2
Dwarves+North, 9+5 Sinda+Cardolan, 10+3 Noldo+Eothraim.
18+14 Fire King+Cloud Lord, 20+24 D.Lieut+Rhudaur, 16+19 Ice King+ L.Rider,
11+15 Blind + Witch K, 17+13 QA+Dog Lord, 12+21 DragonL +Corsair
Please note you CANNOT talk each other about this game. (Nor pass any
information in any form whatsoever). 2 nation game - you must play 2
nations. No Easterling nation.
Rules for this game: Players are allowed to take offensive actions against
unknown characters upon their OWN population centres. In other words, if
Elrond, Erestor and John Smith appear on the Cloud Lord capital the latter
is now a legitimate target for challenge, curse etc by the Cloud Lord even
though the nation of the character is unknown.
List of Dropped nations once every two turns. List of players who are
playing but not nations nor side. No Diplomacy - under ANY circumstances
Note Game ENDS (then and only then are the players names revealed) after 50
turns - highest total team victory points wins (unless within 10% - then
draw declared) - Or one side has a greater than 4 to 1 player advantage.
Drop outs can be filled - but we will be discrete.
Individual victory points at end of game = average of your two nations (dead
nations = 400 )
Nations (normal WChamp rules except 21 +22 swopped around, Fort on 1910 &
4217, Easterling Capital with a camp - not to be affected by Players). If
you are playing nations 21-24 you will have a character called: Lead a-d
these are there for you to 175 (correct allegiance) and 740 - no other
orders allowed.
Trust the players not to try and find out who their team mates/oppo are -
and not to diplome even if they come by such knowledge - it being considered
unsportsmanlike. You are not allowed to use camp or character names to
exchange information.
No influencing, stealing, cursing etc on or from or to your team. No
influencing, stealing, cursing etc on or from or to your team. No ass/kid
if you do not know the nation of the character if you are not at your own
PC. If you think it is forbidden by the rules it probably is so don't do it
(ask us for clarification BEFORE the event). If you can provide feedback
that would be very useful - the first game is going very well so we hope to
make this one better.
Thanks
Clint
Game 221 player report
Adunaphel completed her survey of Forlond's stores, and was returning to the
town hall, when Zokhad appeared from the shadows.
"What are you doing here?" she snapped "Did I not order you and your minions
east?"
"Yes, your grace, you did, but word has arrived from the Misty Mountains.
The Noldor have surrendered. The war is over; we have won."
"What? But, it cannot be. My plans are not yet complete. I have three Nazgul
more to eliminate to assure my ascendancy..."
"Not to worry, your grace. I am certain you stand first among the Nine, er,
I mean the Five that remain."
Adunaphel(#7) did finish first, and Hoarmurath (#6), Akhorahil (#5), and Ji
Indur (#4) all died, raising her from #7 to #4. But did she really help
engineer their demise? I guess we will never know for certain, but given the
overall cooperation by all the Dark Servants, I'd have to say not.
Quiet Avenger - Andrew Jones - 1733
Dog Lord - Ulrik Bisgaard - 1575
Witch-king - Stuart Taft - 1509
Corsairs - Jon Shushan - 1425
Dark Lieutenants - Timothy Minnig - 1425
Khand Easterlings - Brian Porter - 1150
Long Rider - William Minnig - 1142
Fire King - William Flynn - 1108
Ice King - Mark Woodsmall - 1075
Cloud Lord - Vassilis Manologlou - 1058
Dragon Lord - Iain Watson - 900
Blind Sorcerer - Namgyal Dorje - 750
The final standing were impressive for the Dark Servants, twelve of the top
thirteen, and doubly so when you consider that the White Wizard lost three
cities, two major towns and a town on the very last turn, knocking him all
the way down to 400 Victory points. Another turn or two and the Dunlendings
would have fallen from his twelfth place as well. And just what did Saruman
and Enion do to incur the combined wrath of the Dark Servants? It is a long
and twisted tale.
The game opened much as expected, but it soon became apparent that the
Corsairs, Dunlendings and White Wizard had formed an alliance against both
the Free Peoples and the Dark Servants. Their form of diplomacy did nothing
to endear them to the Dark Servants, even though they did manage to
eliminate the Dunadan Rangers. The question of eliminating them went from if
to when very early.
Many times during the course of play one or more nations demanded the Dark
Servants attack the White Wizard, but until the elimination of the Gondors
was nearly complete, cooler heads prevailed.
The Dark Servants recruited the Khand, and managed to gain the Corsairs'
support only after the original player dropped out. So from the Dark
Servants' perspective, we had a team of twelve.
What happened with the original Long Rider and the Rhun Easterlings remains
largely a mystery to the Dark Servants. About all we can say for certain is
that the Free Peoples destroyed the Rhun Easterlings and the Long Rider
dropped by turn 8. We found a replacement player for the Long Rider, but the
position was in really bad shape. Why this happened is even more of a
mystery. Some speculated that the Long Rider and the Rhun joined together,
but at least one mutual acquaintance denies this, and if they had, I for one
would have expected them to fare much better.
The Dark Servants first signal victory was the three Kings and Dark
Lieutenants capture of Osgiliath(3024) on turn 6, which enabled Dark Servant
forces to cross the Anduin for the first time. Despite the subsequent
destruction of both Anduin bridges, from this point on the Free Peoples
proved unable to completely clear the west bank of Anduin of Dark Servant
forces and recruiting bases.
About the same time, the Dunlendings and White Wizard apparently attacked
the Rangers, which left the Witch-king free to focus on northern Mirkwood.
So the fighting there took place entirely in the initial Free holdings,
which made effective defense that much more difficult. The Neutrals' move
also made it
possible for the Dragon Lord to hold onto Goblin-gate(2409) the entire game,
which still astounds me.
Another Dark Servant signal victory was the Dog Lord capture of
Edoras(2321), the Riders capital, on turn 15. While this move did not
eliminate the Riders, they were so weakened that they were no longer
considered a threat. Their neutralization effectively isolated the Gondors,
allowing the bulk of the Dark
Servants to focus on them alone.Around this time the original Corsair player
dropped out and the Dark Servants recruited his replacement. This sealed
Gondor's fate both by adding the Corsair forces to the Dark Servants and by
freeing the Quiet Avenger forces from having to guard against a hostile
Corsair. Within a turn or two the southern Anduin bridge was restored and
the raiding in Gondor escalated into a multi-national invasion.
Unexpectedly, turn 18 witnessed the only major Free People capture. The
Sinda managed to pull together enough troops and war machines (80 or so) to
capture Dol Guldur(2715). They didn't hold it long, and soon thereafter were
driven from most of Lorien, but it was a commendable effort.
At this point, effective Free resistance rapidly disintegrated. Free People
major towns or capitals fell about every turn for the rest of the game:
Maethelburg(2508) on turn 16, Pelargir(2927) on turn 19, Aradhyrnd(2908) and
Dol Amroth(2227) on turn 20, Azanulinbar-dum(3707), Buhr Widufiras(2711),
Caras Galadhon(2514), Minas Tirith(2924) and Linhir(2527), the new Riders
capital, on turn 21.
With Gondor subdued, and multiple avenues of approach available for attacks,
the Dark Servants now attacked the White Wizard and Dunlendings, taking five
major towns and cities from the White Wizard in the two turns before the
game ended, including Angrenost(2219), which was by then a City/Citadel.
While the military successes are much easier to quantify and appreciate,
what went on behind the scenes had at least as much, if not more, impact on
the results of game 221. Consistent teamwork among the Dark Servants was the
most important. Agents, emissaries, and mages supported and were themselves
supported by the Dark Servant military efforts.
Thanks to generous economic cooperation among the Dark Servants, no position
suffered from a lack of funds, and most were able to maintain a full or
nearly full slate of characters throughout the game. And the market moved
according to Dark Servant desires virtually every turn.
And of course, the Dark Servant agents made their mark. The Cloud Lord alone
accounted for 42 kills, almost 2 per turn, along with many key
fortifications and armies. Other nations agents accounted for many more
kills and untold amounts of gold.Again, an impressive team effort. Thanks to
all for a fun game! Andrew Jones
Check out our Message Board: www.PbmForum.com and the "mepbmlist" via
http://www.MiddleEarthGames.com