GM : Andy Scott
Starting date : 6th October 2006
End date : 3rd May 2007
Result : Solo win for Turkey

AUSTRIA	Ryan Kenny	Eliminated
ENGLAND	Yousuf Shaikh	Survived
FRANCE	Anna Rosita	Anarchy
GERMANY	Heinrich Gunther	Anarchy
ITALY	Jan Willem Omlo	Survived
RUSSIA	Morgan Phillips	Survived
TURKEY	Ally Bain	Won

GM : Andy Scott
Hornblower was an interesting game in many respects, not least because it was the first game I ran using the new GM program! And whilst sometimes I felt like a dinosaur trying to use it, I have to say that I think it is brilliant and that everyone should use it. Mind you I'm used to it now! :-)))

The game also brought together some good friends of mine in JW and Ally Bain who are both GM'ing along with myself in Ally's Admiral competition. Of course they didn't know that at the time :-)) Add to that the experienced heads of Morgan and Ryan and this had the potential to be quite a game as all four of them were in the East.

However I was obviously disappointed by both Germany and France going into Anarchy. Neither player has contacted me with an explanation so has since been banned from the site. That really unbalanced the game sadly and I know it didn't add to Yousufs enjoyment of the game even though he benefited the most. To be fair I thought Yousuf did a good job overall and whilst he made some moves I wouldn't have I can at least understand why he made them which is more then I can say for JW's extraordinary evacuation of Greece??? That move so confused me I half convinced myself I had entered it wrong and had to go back and do it all again but no it was JW being an idiot, a memory I will treasure :-)))

So in conclusion I want to say well done to all 4 survivors but the big congratulations go to Ally as Turkey, and thank you as well for putting up with me learning the new system :-)) Cheers, Andy

AUSTRIA : Ryan Kenny
Well, even though my participation in this game ended in S1905 I have kept a keen interest in the game. Unfortunatly I NMR'ed in my last turn and want to apologise for that. It was not intentional. It was not the way i wanted to end this game but ce la vie. I started the game with the intention of going all out on the balkans. It was almost perfect when Italy showed strong signs of an early alliance. With Russia heading north early on I decided to take Ukr with the intention of either an attack of just getting another border on rum. Sadly Russia pushed me straight back out and I didnt get Rum,. Luckily though Italy got into Greece, taking it from Turkey. However as from S1904 Turkey and Russia teamed up and surrounded our forces, eventually leading to my exit in S1905. Not my finest performance in a gunboat game, I must say. A huge crongratulations to Turkey is in order as is a thank-you to Andy Scott for another extremely well run game. I hope to see you all in future games.

Regards, Ryan

ITALY : Jan Willem Omlo
In one week time I started two Gunboat games on Dip2000, and because I had not given any preferences, both times I got Italy. It doesn't seem to be a popular country.

I was afraid I might confuse both games, but looking at the way they developed, that was not a problem for long :-) The other game was "Wishing I would stay" from Greg Pierce, where I drew at 17 centers against an EFG-stalemate. Here I survived at two...

In Hornblower I tried a conventional opening, being friendly to Austria and setting up for a Lepanto. And in the spring of 1902 he did signal support for a lovely convoy Tun-Gre. So I obliged in F1902, just to see he supported a different unit. That meant Turkey got into Greece and built a third fleet. Yuck.

When you keep on trying things will work out fine and in 1903 Austria and me managed to keep our moves conventional, and the convoy to Greece succeeded, having Turkey drop a unit.

In S1904 I make a terrible mistake. I decide to let Austria get Greece, because I feel my army there blocks things. So I convoy my army back, but forget that I cannot diplome with Austria that it might be a good idea. So Turkey is probably very surprised to be in Greece, and Austria at this crucial time moved his F Alb back to Tri, so there was no chance at regaining Greece. I tell Andy I'm an Italian idiot.

But Russia and Turkey now see the merit of their ways and a belated Juggernaut is starting to get into full steam. And I see my only chance at getting a survival (and who knows, a place in a draw) if I fall back, leave Austria and my homelands into the jaws of the oncoming Juggernaut, and try to consolidate as much as possible from the centers I still have, so I have units left to take Iberia.

From 1905 to 1907 I manage to hold onto my 4 units and in 1908 and 1909 I finally lose my home to Turkey, while I settle in Iberia. Mostly thanks to a France that NMRs regularly and goes into anarchy together with Germany. As a result England starts to grow, albeit slowly and in the meantime Russia and Turkey are starting to fight.

I see my chances on a draw growing because Russia starts to lose out to the brewings of both the witches, and I can see that Spain & Portugal might be the place where that last solo-center lies. I decide to put some pressure on Turkey and leave Iberia in 1910, but England grows quickly now and borders the Mid-Atlantic, so I retreat again, and just in time to secure my holdings.

Russia crumbles and Turkey grows, so I hope England recognizes my vital position in the south-west of the map. But unfortunately England makes some very suboptimal moves in the last two years, allowing Turkey to gobble up 5 centers in 1912 and 1913 and grab the victory.

This game was fun despite, or maybe even because of, my bad position in most of the game. I made an error in S1904 but apart from that I made the right choices. The only problem I had, apart from size, was the lack of influence I had on the remainder of the board. I wish I could've aided England in the setting up of the stalemate and recognizing key-centers in the end, but it was not to be.

Congratulations to Turkey, you played a great game. Russia and England did well indeed to survive until the end and also Austria played on almost until his own end. Only one NMR (the lone Austrian unit in Tri) from the five of us, good for us! Germany only NMRd twice, so perhaps something went wrong in real life there. Unfortunately France was an NMR-horror and I hope he never crosses this site again.

And Andy did a great job GMing, once he got the automated system under control ;-) I think he enjoyed himself with this game and probably laughed to himself more than once about my grumblings with my orders and my two fleets making all kinds of trouble.

I'm actually more happy with this game than with "Wishing you would stay" since apart from that stupid action in S1904, I think I recognized the situation on the board pretty quickly and battled successfully for survival. It didn't amount to much, but hey, I enjoyed myself and that's what this game is all about after all :-) Cheers, JW, Italy

RUSSIA : Morgan Phillips
First, thanks to Andy for his work in adjudicating this game. As I always see from him no issues and a well run game. On to the whining! Oh Well! I have always stunk playing Russia so I should be very happy to be writing as a survivor at the end of 1913, especially after my start. It is quite disappointing though that I never seemed to be able to get England to work with me - I think it would have resulted in a draw for us instead of a Turk Solo at the end. Blow-by-blow... 1901: Pretty bad start for Russia. Turks launch Russian Attack. Austria-Hungary is in Galacia. There is an English army in Norway and I only get one build. (Well considering I have had no builds before as Russia this is not bad for me, but still bad for Russia) 1902: Spend the year repositioning to guard St. Petersburg from the English and driving the Austrians from the Ukraine. The Turks at least went for a Western Navy at the end of the year. 1903: England claims Sweden completely destroying any realistic chance of me doing anything in the north for a long time. The Italians are fighting the Turks though so the pressure in the south is much less, letting me concentrate on AH - into Galacia! 1904: A nice relationship has developed with Germany and I look forward to being able to cooperate against England if I can get AH finished off and keep the Turks happy. I am able to get armies in Vie, Gal and Rum to begin AH constriction. 1905: Assist the Turks into Ser and it appears that they are going to work well with me for a Juggy in the south. AH is dying out and almost gone. Germany decides to go sailing for St.P and is also in NWG! Time to switch and help England instead. 1906: Austria-Hungary is gone. Moving on to fighting Germany now. England can't seem to get the idea that he is supposed to attack Germany and is pecking at StP with their fleet in Norway. Progress with Turkey is moving well in the south. 1907: England, Turkey and Russia are now starting to move SW (except that stupid fleet in Nwy) Looks like progress to at least a three-way draw is very likely. 1908: YEAR OF CHANGE!!! - Germany Goes into Anarchy!!! I REALLY Hate this, especially in gunboat because I don't have a way to guess it might happen. Loads of German controlled centers are sitting wide open along the English Channel. To make things worse, I mess up my build order for the fall and don't end up with what I need where I need it. The Turks decide now is a good time for a stab and build fleets along their northern border. 1909: England and Turkey both tie into the Bear. :-( Sandwiched between two powers that are almost each as powerful as me puts me in a horrible situation that will likely not get better for a long time. My only hope for a stong showing is that one of them does a bad job ordering and lets me get away with something. I try to get a build so I can produce another southern fleet but to no avail. My reach to do this only hastens my collapse as I am spread from St.P to Paris with only 12 units. That big blotch of purple looks like a lot but most of it is worthless territory. England and Turkey have 17 centers between them already, France now goes into Anarchy too and Italy decides to sit on the Iberian till the end of the game. 1910 - 1912: This is too depressing for me to describe so I will just say I quickly decided Turkey or England weren't goint to mess up and my best shot was to try to keep them balanced and maybe hold the last center that prevents a solo by one or the other. I kept hoping England would get rid of Italy before the Turks got to the Western Med but he didn't and so any draw would likely have to include the Spanish Caesar as well. 1913: OK, positioned everything so that the Turks would be behind the except Ber or Mun whichever England didn't take back and that I would be able to take the other - hopefully when Warsaw fell the following year to put Turkey on one side of the statemate line and England, Italy, Russia on the other. Even if I didn't make it I expected I would be eliminated and EIT would have a three-way in the same situation. ENGLAND WALKED OFF AND LEFT TURKISH MUNICH UNCOVERED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh Well, I guess I was hoping England (or Turkey) would do something like that when it would have benefitted me. I guess that's just one lucky Turkey. :-) Austria-Hungary - tough luck. It is really hard to do gunboat with AH but the second move to Gal rather than south to Tri or Bud put you on the "must be eliminated" list. Italy - Congratulations on your survival, but I really wish you had done something besides sailing in circles after 1908. Even though you would have been in a "dangerous" position by sailing back to your homeland I likely could have given you some support against, my then enemy, the Turks with the armies I had sitting in Tyr, Vie or Bud. England - When someone keeps ordering support for your unit it means they aren't likely to want to attack you. If you had spent your energies moving south we likely could have ended up with a draw (maybe even just the two of us). My second fleet in the north was built to defend against your continued efforts to get into Norway (that you already owned) which was a clear indication StP was next. Build Orders from Fall 1905 "Assuming I get a build use the first condition that is true... 1. If England has a unit in Norway, build F StP(nc)...." No unit was a threat to you up there and France/Germany were smacking you in the south. Turkey - Congratulations to the Sultan for a well played game. Nice use of the alliance until you were in pretty good shape to fight against me. If I were you I would have probably waited another year BUT I also wouldn't have managed to get an English attack to occur simultaneouly. I am practicing my Arabic now. :-) Tsar Morgan the Pole

TURKEY : Ally Bain
Did I enjoy that victory? Oh, yes!

As you may know I do the stats for Gunboat games & I know that Turkey has more wins than the others so perhaps winning with Turkey isn’t as good as winning with another one but believe me, I did enjoy winning that game as actually, the game was very tight. Yes, Hornblower had two anarchies but remember those were Germany & France, which is a long way from Turkey. If I’m right, I didn’t have a battle with either of them & Russia did own them before I took Mun & finally Ber. Add to that the fact I didn’t get any Franco SCs.

So how did I win? Bloody good question!

My Opening was the Crimean Crusher, which is very anti-Russian however, the opening can, & did in this game, work well if Austria-Hungary & Italy ally to attack Russia & Turkey (not the Juggeranut in this game, as Russia & I hadn’t started it). Seeing the mutual support, between A/I in S01, in A01 I supported the Bear into Rum & didn’t attack Sev.

For a number of seasons it was A/I attacking what had become the Juggernaut. Frankly, I thought I was in trouble & soon was likely to be eliminated. I’m not sure if it was Germany but seeing, in S04, Italy convoying A(Gre)-Nap meant I was now unlikely to be eliminated bar of course if Russia did it.

The Juggernaut was running & to me, seeing the Juggernaut taking over the whole of Europe would have been great. Unfortunately, Russia changed my mind. Why? Trieste!

To Mr Bear, in Juggernaut, as for Austria-Hungary SCs, Bud & Vie should be yours but Tri to me. By you taking Tri, it became evident that you can grow faster than me, your ally, & in Gunboat, orders are ‘communication’ so there was no way I was going to allow you to win by you seeing that stabbing me would mean you’ll win.

As for stabbing Russia, I had to sit & wait whilst also thinking that the Bear might stab me first. To me, the Russian A(Tri) did help me get into Italy & obviously, thank you.

In 1908, Germany went into Anarchy & that was the key for me to stab Russia as otherwise, Russian will win. Thankfully, England was heavily attacking Russia so even though my SC were not as high as Russia, they were higher than the other Wicked Witch.

All future moves became so very tactical that it was taking me ages to decide which to use. On a few occasions, I thought & did move in a way that perhaps I wouldn’t have normally done. The year 1910 was a good as in 1909, Russia had 12SCs, England 7SCs & me 10SCs. In A10, Russia had 9SCs, England 10SCs & me 12.

I’m not sure how the other countries were thinking but when England, Italy & Russia allied, I thought I was very unlikely to win. I thought I‘ll get to 17SC but miss the vital SC. Based on that, I decided to give it a change & try a few odd moves. If they failed, so what, as I’ll still be in the same draw.

Autumn 1913, 18SCs, how did that happen? The arms were in the air & followed by a few tumblers of whisky.

To those who know, I do stats for Gunboat games & the opening & ending are shown on: http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/alb_gsb/diplomacy/stats/stats.htm

To all who played, thanks for the game. To Andy, brilliant GMing.

See you on the boards.

Abd al-Hamid II AKA Ally Bain