I think thats the first turn forcing upon us a real strategical decision

Why not fight a proxy war in south america and get scandinavia this turn and prolly march toward india
Impaller is pretty far from our bonus to do us harm anytime soon.
If he chooses not to use armies in southamerica and use em to expand in propably china we have a huge block of armies standing around in southamerica doing nothing.

We could use the card to ensure expansion and walk towards india. If the Impaller defends as you assume with a huge block of armies that wasnt the best way to go, I admit. But if he doesnt?
I mean how does he think? You played against him. Is he assuming we are doing the right thing, killing him in southamerica from both sides?

I would expand in scandinavia making sure he isnt in greenland anyway and move towards india this turn.

Play the card add 9 to norway 1 to moscow 3 to ufa and 2 to columbia. March with 6 from argentina, with 2 from mexico to central america, attack sweden and finland with 3 and norway with the rest and march into caucasus, then attack him in venezuela from columbia with 2.

If he choose to deploy fully we know that didnt go into expansion, while we are approaching his bonus base.

I take it you'd be more aggressive? I've been advocating for the safest options since I think we have a significant income and army advantage to exploit. If 10-12 show up in Columbia next turn -- this strategy will pay off, if they don't then we've yielded a little bit of our fast start advantage. Looking at the big picture this strategy is obvious. Imp has lost a starting bonus permanently and given up the ability to blockade us, if we get SA, we have a +4 income advantage and are positioned to snag Scan before Imp gets another bonus.

For Imp I think the choice is relatively simple, keep slugging it out with us to hold his block in SA or throw all that income at grabbing his +4 bonus now and reengaging as quickly as possible. I would've cut and run from SA last turn when he put 8 there. I suspect he attacked Columbia with 8 because he expected us to go for SA last turn (my initial instinct was to do precisely that). Had we not gone with 2 attacks of 8 and instead attacked with a bunch of 4s to try and get the SA bonus, Imp would've busted the bonus and had a lot more armies left overpermitting him to hold the block. Now he can only hold the block if he deploys all 13 to Columbia (and then he loses it no matter what the following turn, along with the bonus).

Thinking of this game in chess terms, we've managed to go up a piece in the opening and are looking to play it safe and trade down to maintain the advantage and grind out a win. Imp can't afford to stay with the status quo and needs a break. Holding his bust in SA is essential to him and getting a second bonus would bring him back to income parity. We are making sure he has to choose one or the other but not both (we also are making it tough for him to use even one spare army elsewhere to get a card piece missing a card piece can be devestating later).

BTW - we again managed to only lose 1 army while attacking 2 twice, while Imp lost 2 doing the same thing. All these attacks where we net up an extra army have really started to add up. Just guessing but I'd say were up at least 12 armies right now on the map (28/16) -- which is a lot for 4 turns.

Fire -- I wrote that to Pink before I saw your post. I was initially leaning toward grabbing Scan, putting the rest in SA and trying some late small attacks there.

We're assured another bonus and if Imp goes for holding the block with everything, we think we'd have a +7 income advantage next turn to go try and recapture SA.

It's a very sound argument. Heading for India is still premature I think, but gettign Scan now coudl work.

Basically it comes down to whether Imp focuses everything on holding SA or not. if he gives it up without much of a fight, 9 was not the best choice. But if he loads up in Columbia or tries to split the baby and puts 6-10 there, then 9 looks smart. Considering we think he sacrificed all his income last turn to get Columbia, I think he decided holding that block was crucial, hence 9.

I wouldn't have played last turn that way if I were Imp, but we're playing Imp not me.

Against me going for Scan now would be the right choice because I'd give up on Columbia, but I don't think Imp will. I don't think it will do us much harm if we're wrong either. Worst case Imp ignores Columbia and next turn we very safely finish off SA, take Scan and head for India.

I like #1, if he loads up and slips over we will still have numbers on him and can kill him next turn and get the bonus. If we kill him this turn with our large army we can divide it and move them to expand in western US and into africa and use our income to get scan next turn and go looking all in one. I cant see the real downside to doing this, can you tell me?

He can slide to Colmubia with a small number of armies 1st move and cause us to have to send the whole stack at Columbia the following turn. We might keep missing.

On the plus side: (i) we'd get the most net gain from the attack if it went off and (ii) assuming Imp puts all 13 in Columbia (defending with 14), 23 gives the best chance of taking it out, becasue it kills 13.8.

Because of (ii), I took this option very seriously and definitely consider it viable. I just think Imp will put at least 1 less than 100% of his income in Columbia and for the reason like 9 better

I would tweak the moves in WR on 1 to match the ones in 9 for efficiency in takign Scan.

VOTED

We're giving one more day for voting this time - have votes in by the end of the day today!

Number 9 has won! The next thread will be posted soon.

This game appears to have gone off the rails a bit now.

At least post the turn and let players suggest moves. letting a week go by without posting anythng makes people lose interest.

I agree WTF Where is it this is taking forever we know what no. won don't we? Imp isnt afk Cmon

You guys are getting trolled.

Does anyone want to volunteer to take over moderation duties?

Meh i would but i wouldnt be as good as Troll

give it to duke this is getting ridiculous

DUKE DUKE DUKE DUKE DUKE

I declined. I am way too busy at the office right now. I can barely manage to take my turns. Sry.

Fizzer, why don't you do it?

how about we let the impaller do it? he has to spend time on it anyway :)