Sadly no one posted about game 84 ending.
I just read where someone asked if ME games has one week games, and game 84 was a one weeker. I would say if you have the time a one weeker gunboat style is nice as does seem very fast paced compared to a two week game.
Dark servants won the game, it went 36 turns before the free conceded. The game was probably over around turn 20-25. The biggest problem I see with gunboat games is players quitting, and I think this was an issue with our game as well. I think we lost the QA/Fire King player at least once if not twice. Whomever picked up the position, I want to say thank you. Also, the original QA/Fire King player played well enough early to keep the dark servants from getting beat, so thanks for your play. The first ten turns looked like the free were going to win, but your play allowed my nation to rebuild, which ultimately allowed us to win.
I played the Ice King, my brother Tony played the Long Rider. I fired out the ice king troops on turn one, and the Eothraim managed to get all his starting armies on 3120 unopposed on turn 1. A very timely challenge killed Gorthog on turn 2 and Southern Gondor and the Eothraim managed to take every starting Ice king pop center except my camp inside mordor by turn 5. They also took the Dog Lord capital, Dark Lieutenant capital, Minis Ithil but I think they died on the Fire King capital (cant remember if the fire king capital fell or not).
I was given olbamarl 3329 to allow me to stay in the game, but the long rider lost all his plains camps, and unfortunately did not have great success with his emmy’s, so the long rider was an economic drain pretty much the entire game, and for those that know Tony, he doesn’t worry about money, he just builds armies, and more armies, and more armies. We also made the tactical decision to send the long rider cavalry to North Harad, which cost a lot of money and time, but might have aided in the elimination of Harad.
As the Ice king player, I made the incorrect assumption that the Eothraim didn’t have all five armies on 3120 on turn one and I kept my starting army going thru the gut of Northern Gondor and managed to take out 3020, 2619, 2520 and 2622 before finally being destroyed. I did block for one turn the eothraim off my capital just in case, but lost my capital on turn 3 as I didn’t win move initiative.
Fortunately, I had very good success with my emmy’s, and the play of the QA/Fire King allowed my nation to rebuild and by turn 10-12 with no armies I was pretty much an economic power, sending money to teammates as well as funding the black hole (that would be the long rider, who was always on the brink of bankruptcy with his large armies). I also had the ring of curifin and a turn one stealth agent, so I had an agent that could help. I did play poorly with him for the first 5-7 turns and was always in the wrong place, but from turn 8 and on I pretty much kidnapped/killed a free character every turn.
By now the black hole (Tony) was rolling through the Northmen and Eothraim as he managed to destroy the sinda navy and eliminate the northmen navy with agents leaving the long rider as the only naval power in the sea of rhun, and a newly created pop center on land that the long rider could recruit from with a couple of well timed agents allowed the black hole (Tony) to take every single starting northmen and Eothraim pop center.
Not sure who the Northmen player was, but he recruited archers, and didn’t really know what he was doing, which was probably the primary reason it allowed the long rider so much success. And although I am biased as he is my brother, Tony is still a pretty good military tactician in this game, and he took advantage of every opportunity presented to him. Harad was eliminated before turn 10, great job by the Corsair player, but we did lose Rhudaur on turn seven (really, you lost your nation by turn seven, come on Cloud Lord), the Witch king shortly after turn 10 to keep the game fairly balanced. But after the Eothraim and Northmen were eliminated, it was simply a matter of time.
The Free did get the ring of wind, but the cloud lord managed to get it from him at some point in time, and I think as the Ice king and Long rider we owned the rest of the agent artifacts. And although the cloudl lord asked for artifacts, when he managed to lose Rhudaur on turn seven, I didn’t trust him with artifacts and he rarely communicated anyway.
Overall, the one week game and game 84 was a lot of fun. They last ten turns were boring as it was all dark servants and I’m a little surprised it took the free that long to concede, as we had eliminated the Northmen, Eothraim, Northern Gondor, Duns and Haradwaith whily only losing Rhudaur and Witch King. And the dark servants owned almost everything East of the misties and all of the Duns and Cardolan starting pop centers. But it was still kind of fun as by turn 25 I had 8 very good agents.
The one real surprise came when Din Ohtar with a 145 challenge lost a challenge to a character we DID NOT SEE IN OUR POP CENTER. That was a shocker to say the least.
Overall, a very fun game. Early mostly free, and late all dark servants.
The one thing that makes a bid difference is diplos. Take advantage of the diplo just to let your allies know what you are doing. Every person that elects not to diplo is simply hurting their team and their chances of winning.
Tim Huiatt, Ice King game 84
paired with the Black Hole, Tony Huiatt, long rider game 84
