Gunboat game 64 post-mortem

General
#1

Well, this game had the most surprising turn of events. I played 12/13/20. North Gondor, whoever you are, you played with true genius, arranging the FP to sell their timber so you could buy enough to take out the fortresses at 3221 and 3122. I’m confident that if NG hadn’t somehow financially imploded, the game would have gone the other way.

I am puzzled that since the WK went out early as well, why Mordor has heard nothing militarily from the northwest? Surely Rhudaur hasn’t held off Cardolan, Arthedain, Noldo, and Dwarves? Why no armies marching into Mordor?

Despite the early setbacks for the DS, this was a very fun game for me, hope everyone else enjoyed it. And I learned a LOT about what is possible for the FP early on, and put it to good use in another game.

#2

Kevin and I played 17/19/21 and took over Rhudaur after the position was surrendered. The Rhudaur were finally removed from 2305 a few turns ago but had frustrated a few previous efforts by the FP to take it - tied up some resources that would have been better spent against Mordor. The FP actually had us on the ropes about 10 turns ago down south. We had finally wrapped up Harad and were ready to invade SG when they started flipping our pop-centers with emissaries. We had to pour just about everything into countering that … and then they went away. Similarly, they revealed the LR capital earlier in the game and wiped out a bunch of characters there - was really well done on their part…and then they went away. I am a bit sorry this one ended when it did, but I do think the DS’ had it in hand. Definitely enjoyed it!

#3

Hey, I should have mentioned, you guys were the game-winners for the DS IMO. I’m confident that if your conflict with SG and Harad had gone the other way, the game could easily have gone the other way, so well done and thanks!!

I agree, I thought the game had more play left for the FP and I’m still puzzled at their lack of armies from so many FP nations that up in the north and west. Oh well…

#4

Thanks Jeremy :slight_smile: I hope some of the others post their perspectives on the game. It looks like the CL was racking up some nice kill numbers. I had one double scout in his assassination company and they were definitely staying busy.

Doug

#5

By the way, on the last turn, Tormog assassinated Argeleb up in 2704, he had an army heading for my major towns at 3002 and 2904. Got all his artifacts.

#6

Dang, not easy getting access to this forum, sorry for the delay.

Played the BS+FK+IK combo, and took over CL at some point, and lost Ice King to stupid gold transfer mistake. You all know the story. :slight_smile:

Two turns ago I took out Elrond with a challenge from a Fire King commander (who had dwarven and arthedain command package), and Cirdan with curses. Last turn I took out NM capital with emissaries and can see that it was his last MT. Woodmen was probably close to follow, had my agents camping his capital basically, and he still had no backups.

At this point in the game, the agents were starting to move on Sinda, while I had an agent team and a curse team hunting his agents and other curse/sickness team in Mordor. I admit I was focussing on the noldo/sinda player, cause his agents and curse teams were the biggest danger to me. I hardly ever saw anything to arthedain/cardolan/dwarves/dunlendings, and locating on an agent artefact dunlendings were carrying showed him moving around in his own popcenters… not sure why—but not dangerous.

It was great knowing that the south was under control, I was pondering on heading into SG land or Mirkwood, but the messages I got from you guys got me moving Mirkwood (apart from camping SG and Harad (new) capital with agents from time to time).

Early in the game I thought we were goners as SG and NG had tons and tons of troops coming in through the gates, and Ice King capital fell without much I could do about it (I handed over BS backup to Ice King 1 turn before Noldo hid it as I could see it was coming–though good attempt by Noldo). NG seriously could have taken out the Fire King capital with that force without breaking much sweat. And the agents FAILED in taking out his army commanders. Apparently it must have stretched his economy too far, for at some point they just stopped and stood still looking without doing anything. I think the fact that Cloud Lord (not played by me at the time) didn’t help in the defence of Ice King capital with his starter army might have thrown off the NG economy calculation, for to be honest not attacking the NG army by Cloud Lord made little sense there as it might have saved Morannon (he may have thought that he would auto defend his allied popcenter). Perhaps the NG player can chip in on this at some point.

Dark servants in gunboat games definitely have a hard time guarding the gates due to the precise coordination needed there. I was for instance hoping that DkL would come and threaten minas ithil, but I guess Jeremy couldn’t read my mind. :slight_smile:

Not a lot of armies came to Mordor after the NG fall, a few that was handled fairly easy with agents, but no major threats.

The blind sorcerer starter army went crossed the mountain and went for NM capital, and got it, but then got nuked by agents. A second army later came out and took Dilgul, after LR had cleared the FP armies in the area. Dilgul was his capital at the time, and was camped by a few agents.

#7

Doug and I suspected you brought the hurt to the Noldo. It set back the LR when the Noldo hit me there. I didn’t lose any critical assets - but it hurt.

We developed armies in the south to take back every pop center the FP took militarily. I can speak from experience that taking pop center after pop center just to take a loyalty hit when your enemy takes the pop centers back is not sustainable for the nation(s) taking the pop centers with emissaries. That was our strategy. I believe it worked as the pop centers we were losing slowed to a trickle and then stopped. I had the LR tax rate at 39% the entire game so the LR pop centers (in the later part of the game) could not be taken with a single turn of a group of emissaries (I had camps and villages at 70+ loyalty). The lowest loyalty camp I had was 40+ and I was actively working to improve my loyalty at these “low” loyalty pop centers.

Brian - you played a great game and really set us up for victory. I was surprised when my LR army under Drurgandra ran into FK pop centers where the Eo was supposed to be. I took out the Arth army at 3112 protecting your pop center and allowing your army free rein. I was glad to do it though that was the end of my northward expansion for a few turns. Based on your play we felt we could win the game. Your stewardship of the CL was spot on and gave us great hopes of winning the game - which were accurate.

I built another monster army at 4425 (2000 HC all steel) that got to 3916 and demolished a Dwarven army when the game ended. I had also moved 700 HC (all steel) up to 3822 to retake that. I was going to combine that with Drurgandra and, with more HC from, 4425 continue my northward expansion.

The only thing we (Doug & I) lacked was a curse artifact to learn curses. We had 3 mages that were all 80+ with Meriot at 90 (with sickness) and the two LR mages at 82-84.

#8

Yes, I was working out to get pass of my spirit mastery artifact to you guys when the game ended.

And BS, wow, wow, challenging Elrond – what a gutsy move, I’ll be he was surprised! That sort of thing is like a blow to the solar plexus when you get your turn.

I still don’t understand why we never saw armies from the Arthedain/Cardolan/Dunlendings/Dwarves (and the Noldo). It just makes no sense to me. WK is out by turn 6, and 20 turns later no armies in Mordor?

Oh well. Good game folks!