Many thanks to Shi Huangdi for taking the Ukrainian mercy position. I'll keep him on hand if any more viable powers need a replacement. The Ukrainian experience is kind of an object lesson as to why you need to be a bit agressive in diplomacy, all that docility does is let someone else get the initiative on you.
I need retreats from France and Russia ASAP and builds/disbands by Saturday 11:30 PM EST
France (SnowFire) (0 builds, unless Auv retreats OTB, in which case 1 build)
A Swi S A Mar
A Lyo S A Auv
A Auv S A Mar (unit dislodged can retreat to Bor, Par or OTB)
A Mar S A Auv (support cut)
F Bor-Nav
Ukraine (Shi Huangdi) (1 diband, Ukraine dies)
Army KHA-KIE (move fails, unit dislodged)
Russia (chegitz) (0 builds if neither unit retreats OTB, 1 build if one retreats
OTB and 2 builds if both retreat OTB)
F WHI - BRN
A STP - LAT (move fails, unit dislodged can retreat to Fin, Mos, Gor or OTB)
F LIT H (unit dislodged, can retreat to Bal or OTB
A BIE - WAR
A CRP - Kha
A KIE S A CRP - Kha
F VOL H
Spain (FrozzY) (1 build)
Sao - Mao (move fails)
Mor H
Nav - Auv
Bar S Nav - Auv
GoL S Nav- Auv
Mon - Mar (move fails)
UK (*EndIsForever*) (0 builds)
F WME-SOG
F ENG-MAO (move fails)
F Den-HEL
F NTH S F Den-HEL
F BHM-Den
F Swe S F BHM-Den
F Mur H
F Lap S F Mur
Germany (Orange) (0 builds)
F Hamburg - Bornholm Sea
A Munich Hold
A Czech Republic - Krakow
F Belgium Supports A Holland
A Holland Supports F Belgium
A Berlin - Prussia
A Saxony - Silesia
Poland (Amon) (1 disband)
A Lat-StP
F GOB S A Lat-StP
A War-Lit
A Gda S A War-Lit
A Kra-Bie
Italy (Imran) (0 builds)
F (Ven) - Adr
F (Cro) S F (Ven) - Adr
A (Rom) - Ven
A (Aus) - Cze
A (Hun) - Aus
F (Tys) S F (Nap)
F (Nap) H
Turkey (Vlad) (1 build)
TA Rum-->Hun
TA Ser S TA Rum-->Hun
TA Mac S TA Ser
TF Alb-->Adr (move fails)
TF Gre H
TA Bul-->Rum
TA Izm H
TA Ada H
TF Ode H
TF Sev H
TF Don H
Egypt (GePap) (0 builds)
F Adr ->Apu
F Ion Support F Adr->Apu
A Ale->Lib
F Lbs convoy A Ale->Lib
A Cai->Ale
F Mal-> Nap (move fails)
Power Ranking:
#1 Turkey. Who else? Still no signs of a viable Stop Turkey coaltion, and until
that happens Turkey's just going to keep getting more dominant.
#2 UK. Since the Spanish stab on France things have gotten a lot more uncertain
for the Brits but with the Spanish knocking their head against a stone wall I
don't see who else to give second place to. Their biggest problem is that with
the Poles running into difficulties, if the Russians get any builds they'll be
knocked out of Mur. On the bright side the lack of Spanish growth and the
incapacity of the Germans or the Russians to build Mediterranean fleets, the
Brits maintain their near-dominance of the Altantic, which is worth a lot. If
they are able to grab a SC or two from the Germans they should do just fine.
#3 Russia. After a lot of thought and because of the continuing lack of any
indication of a Turkish stab into south Russia, I'm giving Russia third. If they
can kill the Poles before they get themselves in any new wars they should be
able to position themselves as a strong land power. However they are still
hurting from wasting resources in their remarkably counter-productive northern
war against the Brits.
#4 Egypt. Well being Turkey's lap dog may not be the most glorious position on
the board but it is pretty safe and the Italian defensive line is starting to
crack and Spanish Africa is looking pretty damn vulnerable. A good argument
could be made for sticking them in third, but after all the Russian blood that's
been shed in the frantic (and very interesting to watch) fighting up north I'm
just a bit biased towards the Ruskies.
#5 Spain. The anti-French war has really turned sour for Spain. It looked like
France would be easily squished with a little German help, but with the mass
east-ward migration of the Germans that's hope has faded and meanwhile there's
an annoying British navy to deal with, Frenchies to kick out of Navarre and the
Turkish/Egyptian juggernaut is grinding inexorably westward. The French
defensive line is still strong and won't break until there are Spanish fleets in
Gol and Lig or Bis and because of the westward position of Spain's fleets and
the British blocking of Mao, it looks like that isn't going to happen too much
before the Egyptians start showing up in the Western Mediterranean.
#6 Germany. Not a great position (due to the Italian stab which leaves the
German west painfully vulnerable to the Brits) but if the Germans can grab a SC
or two in the east to make up for Brittish attacks in the west they should
remain on their feet.
#7 France. Things don't look to good for the Frenchies but then time is on their
side. Its hard to imagine the Spanish, Germans or English attacking them now so
if they just wait for someone to start harassing the Spanish (most possibly the
Egytpians but possibly the English) they should be able to pull through.
#8 Poland. Not a pretty position, but concerted British assistance should be
able to keep them on life support, at least for a while.
#9 Italy. Kind of bizarre putting a nation that's never been given a disband and
has a pretty good defensive line this low down, but then the Turkish/Egytpian
juggernaut is a bit much to fight by oneself. The only thing they have going for
them is the tactics of their enemies are a bit plodding and unimaginative
(Turkey is a newbie and while he's been brilliant strategically, he's still
learning the tactical ropes) so they just might be able to buy themselves enough
time for the diplomatic situation to change.
I need retreats from France and Russia ASAP and builds/disbands by Saturday 11:30 PM EST
France (SnowFire) (0 builds, unless Auv retreats OTB, in which case 1 build)
A Swi S A Mar
A Lyo S A Auv
A Auv S A Mar (unit dislodged can retreat to Bor, Par or OTB)
A Mar S A Auv (support cut)
F Bor-Nav
Ukraine (Shi Huangdi) (1 diband, Ukraine dies)
Army KHA-KIE (move fails, unit dislodged)
Russia (chegitz) (0 builds if neither unit retreats OTB, 1 build if one retreats
OTB and 2 builds if both retreat OTB)
F WHI - BRN
A STP - LAT (move fails, unit dislodged can retreat to Fin, Mos, Gor or OTB)
F LIT H (unit dislodged, can retreat to Bal or OTB
A BIE - WAR
A CRP - Kha
A KIE S A CRP - Kha
F VOL H
Spain (FrozzY) (1 build)
Sao - Mao (move fails)
Mor H
Nav - Auv
Bar S Nav - Auv
GoL S Nav- Auv
Mon - Mar (move fails)
UK (*EndIsForever*) (0 builds)
F WME-SOG
F ENG-MAO (move fails)
F Den-HEL
F NTH S F Den-HEL
F BHM-Den
F Swe S F BHM-Den
F Mur H
F Lap S F Mur
Germany (Orange) (0 builds)
F Hamburg - Bornholm Sea
A Munich Hold
A Czech Republic - Krakow
F Belgium Supports A Holland
A Holland Supports F Belgium
A Berlin - Prussia
A Saxony - Silesia
Poland (Amon) (1 disband)
A Lat-StP
F GOB S A Lat-StP
A War-Lit
A Gda S A War-Lit
A Kra-Bie
Italy (Imran) (0 builds)
F (Ven) - Adr
F (Cro) S F (Ven) - Adr
A (Rom) - Ven
A (Aus) - Cze
A (Hun) - Aus
F (Tys) S F (Nap)
F (Nap) H
Turkey (Vlad) (1 build)
TA Rum-->Hun
TA Ser S TA Rum-->Hun
TA Mac S TA Ser
TF Alb-->Adr (move fails)
TF Gre H
TA Bul-->Rum
TA Izm H
TA Ada H
TF Ode H
TF Sev H
TF Don H
Egypt (GePap) (0 builds)
F Adr ->Apu
F Ion Support F Adr->Apu
A Ale->Lib
F Lbs convoy A Ale->Lib
A Cai->Ale
F Mal-> Nap (move fails)
Power Ranking:
#1 Turkey. Who else? Still no signs of a viable Stop Turkey coaltion, and until
that happens Turkey's just going to keep getting more dominant.
#2 UK. Since the Spanish stab on France things have gotten a lot more uncertain
for the Brits but with the Spanish knocking their head against a stone wall I
don't see who else to give second place to. Their biggest problem is that with
the Poles running into difficulties, if the Russians get any builds they'll be
knocked out of Mur. On the bright side the lack of Spanish growth and the
incapacity of the Germans or the Russians to build Mediterranean fleets, the
Brits maintain their near-dominance of the Altantic, which is worth a lot. If
they are able to grab a SC or two from the Germans they should do just fine.
#3 Russia. After a lot of thought and because of the continuing lack of any
indication of a Turkish stab into south Russia, I'm giving Russia third. If they
can kill the Poles before they get themselves in any new wars they should be
able to position themselves as a strong land power. However they are still
hurting from wasting resources in their remarkably counter-productive northern
war against the Brits.
#4 Egypt. Well being Turkey's lap dog may not be the most glorious position on
the board but it is pretty safe and the Italian defensive line is starting to
crack and Spanish Africa is looking pretty damn vulnerable. A good argument
could be made for sticking them in third, but after all the Russian blood that's
been shed in the frantic (and very interesting to watch) fighting up north I'm
just a bit biased towards the Ruskies.
#5 Spain. The anti-French war has really turned sour for Spain. It looked like
France would be easily squished with a little German help, but with the mass
east-ward migration of the Germans that's hope has faded and meanwhile there's
an annoying British navy to deal with, Frenchies to kick out of Navarre and the
Turkish/Egyptian juggernaut is grinding inexorably westward. The French
defensive line is still strong and won't break until there are Spanish fleets in
Gol and Lig or Bis and because of the westward position of Spain's fleets and
the British blocking of Mao, it looks like that isn't going to happen too much
before the Egyptians start showing up in the Western Mediterranean.
#6 Germany. Not a great position (due to the Italian stab which leaves the
German west painfully vulnerable to the Brits) but if the Germans can grab a SC
or two in the east to make up for Brittish attacks in the west they should
remain on their feet.
#7 France. Things don't look to good for the Frenchies but then time is on their
side. Its hard to imagine the Spanish, Germans or English attacking them now so
if they just wait for someone to start harassing the Spanish (most possibly the
Egytpians but possibly the English) they should be able to pull through.
#8 Poland. Not a pretty position, but concerted British assistance should be
able to keep them on life support, at least for a while.
#9 Italy. Kind of bizarre putting a nation that's never been given a disband and
has a pretty good defensive line this low down, but then the Turkish/Egytpian
juggernaut is a bit much to fight by oneself. The only thing they have going for
them is the tactics of their enemies are a bit plodding and unimaginative
(Turkey is a newbie and while he's been brilliant strategically, he's still
learning the tactical ropes) so they just might be able to buy themselves enough
time for the diplomatic situation to change.
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