MEPBM List copied ME32 FP team
A nice start to the New Year, game 32 ending in FP victory. It ends on
turn 24, which is just long enough IMO to qualify it as a "proper game".
Final team was:
Jonathan Phipps Woo and NGo
Robert Seeney Art and Sin
Peter J. Gregory Car
Simon Arnold SGo
Hayden Leach Dwa
Richard Farrer Nol
Brian Ensig Cor
Benny Ensig Har
Mathias Shroedter Dun
Yours Truly Nor and Eot
I have to say, that this game was a shocker for me, when I made the
early discovery that most of the starting team were new, or nearly new.
"Oh hell. If I'd have known, I'd not have joined this game." I have to
say though, that my initial prejudices have been thoroughly reversed,
and I now regard most of these guys as good players, having positively
raced up the learning curve, and being well rewarded with victory.
As you will see from the list above, we were helped a lot by the fact
that the three large neutrals came our way. Rhu declared against us
early - cheekily claiming that I had upset him. Moi? Actually I think
he'd expected to be courted, and I said something along the lines of...
since he's the weakest neutral, we weren't actually too bothered.
Anyway, he duly declared against, then made quite a fool of himself by
getting squished in the next few turns. We were also helped by the
antics of my old adversary and comrade Mike (Barking Mad) Barber, who
made his appearance as the Easterlings. We negotiated long and hard.
He attempted to build his empire, with limited success, then attacked
the Corsairs. Unfortunately for Mike, Brian declared for us round about
Mike's intended D-Day. This threw us into some chaos, Brian obviously
wanting to call on full FP retribution against his enemy, myself
desperately fearing the damage which Mike could do to my embattled Nor
position, if we went for all out war. The result was a war in the
south, and a sort of curious stand off in the North. Mike finally
declared DS in the last couple of turns - a gallant if futile gesture.
Far more significant to our victory however was the inept play of the
ClL. Interestingly another one of my best ever games was characterised
by an early elimination of the ClL. It really redresses the (2/3 of all
games won by DS) balance and makes for an interesting game. In this
game, he wasn't eliminated, but he may just have well as been. All
credit then to the rest of the DS team, who still managed to give us a
good game and really keep us on our toes.
Evidence suggests that most of the DS were inexperienced at game start
too - Eot cavalry went down and popped out the IcK in the first few
turns. Like taking candy from a baby. But then they rallied, and we
made no further progress into Mordor. WiK and DrL fought fairly well,
and delayed us for a good while. In the East, my Nor position got a
real bashing, and Mike Barber told us that the DS had commented upon the
fact that the Eot pops were not garrisoned. But then it all stopped.
LoR with BlS and other help, had ripped up Rhun, but then seemed content
to stay there. Perhaps the fact that they were unsure of Eas intent had
something to do with it, but the result was that it allowed me to
recover and rebuild the Nor position. This proved quite important as
Dudannis was our second best agent, and killed regularly throughout the
game.
Despite all the successful efforts of the DS to delay us militarily, the
ClL agents never came, and consequently our massed armies finally
crashed into Mordor. There were apparently "mass drop-outs" two turns
back, positions I think picked up by the remaining players. ClL doubled
agents returned to their capital, so I'm guessing that the ClL position
may have changed hands - so my remarks concern only the main ClL player.
We hadn't finished levelling Mordor, just broken in with overwhelming
force, so the DS presumably conceded as a team, my thanks to them for
that sportsmanship. BTW where do you think the ClL agents were in the
last 5 turns, while we took Morannon, and fought heavy DS resistance
around Osgiliath? - Stealing gold from Harad! Didn't make poor Benny
too chuffed I can tell you, but the rest of us simply could not believe
our luck.
Victory Points and Victory Conditions are not worth a fig to me, so
here's my personal rankings:
FP
1st Richard Farrer Nol, for playing the position unselfishly. Constant
gold support for my under-funded nations, and use of his powerful
characters for team objectives.
2nd Hayden Leach Dwa. Prime example of an inexperienced player, who
became very good, very quickly. Dealt with the menacing DoL when no one
else could, and contained the LoR in Rhun.
3rd Jon Phipps Woo and NGo. For bringing experience and dedication, and
being willing to argue with me.
DS
1st DoL player, for making Bulrakur a right damned bl*dy nuisance to us
throughout the game, with an army which moved up and based itself in the
mountains north of the Greenwood, and which I believe was probably a
starting army still unbeaten on turn 24.
2nd FiK player, who with DoL fought me turn, after turn after turn at
Durthang, preventing the Eot from penetrating further into Mordor, and
held the West Gate against the Gondors and Corsairs to boot.
Regards,
Laurence G. Tilley http://www.lgtilley.freeserve.co.uk/