HOSTA ENDGAME STATEMENTS
GM: Brian Frew
Started: March 2000
Finished:March 2001
Result: Russian WIN!

AUSTRIA: Chris Penny
ENGLAND: Nick Martin
FRANCE: Martin Coxell
GERMANY: Andrew Hain
ITALY: Bill Crosby
RUSSIA: Harvey Jones
TURKEY: Matthew D. Kasowski

         01  02  03  04  05  06  07  08  09  10
AUSTRIA   3   5   5   5   6   7   9*  8*  2*  1*
ENGLAND   3   4   3   2   2   2   2   0   0   0
FRANCE    3   5   5   5   5   5   7   8  10  10
GERMANY   3   5   6   6   6   5   5   7   8   5
ITALY     3   4   4   4   3   3   1   1   0   0
RUSSIA    4   6   8  10  12  12  10  10  14  18
TURKEY    3   4   3   2*  0*  0*  0*  0*  0*  0*

* Countries in Anarchy

Germany: Andrew Hain

After an absence from Diplomacy of some 14 years my objectives were to (a) have a quiet game, and (b) survive. I do believe I have achieved these. My NMR at the end was due to the fact that I had been ill and, in any case, I was under a mistaken belief that the deadline was the 9th!

Having drawn Germany I wasn't too bothered -- being in the middle gave plenty of options. Austria and I agreed pretty well from the start that we would maintain a fairly solid back to back position which we did do, right up until Austria's demise. If the French and myself could have trusted each other earlier then things maight have been a whole lot different, but that's how the game goes.

Our American cousins playing Italy and Turkey, were, quite frankly, a disgrace. Turkey couldn't hack the patience required and soon gave up, giving Russia a pretty free hand in that area. Italy was going to conquer the world according to his communications, but his moves did not back that up and in the end he gave up too. Not only that but he proxied to Austria!

England made an early basic mistake and Russia had it easy up north as well. The rest, as they say. Is history.

Congratulations to Harvey on winning, but I'd like to do battle again in a game where there will be no drop outs. Martin, too, played a fine game, and may have done better if, as I have said, he and I could have freed up the stalemate line we maintained for so long.

Next time chappies I won't be so quiet. Look forward to another contest!

Russia: Harvey Jones

My first game of Diplomacy for some years and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had drawn Russia. My initial aim was to consolidate my position in the south while holding on in the north and this really drove my initial diplomacy. My approaches to (Matthew) Turkey met with what can only be described as a bellicose response! (Chris) Austria on the other hand seemed much more co-operative. I resolved on an anti-Turkish alliance with Austria.

Elsewhere I successfully persuaded (Nick) England that a scrap in the north benefitted neither of us. I established cordial relations with (Martin) France - these latter continued throughout the game, although frankly I never actually got anything concrete out of France other than amusing and convivial e-mails! I discovered that (Bill) Italy was extremely unhappy to be Italy and had resolved on all out assault on Austria. Lastly through my alliance with Austria I found myself quite by accident (on the back of an Austro-German alliance) having very cordial relations with (Andrew) Germany. I could hardly believe my luck!

1901: I opened, fairly conventionally, with the Southern Defence in order to ensure Rumania - as my Fleet Sev was busy standing of the Turk in the Black Sea. In the Autumn I was able to take Sweden as well, courtesy of my German friend.

1902: In the Spring I knifed both Turkey (who I had persuaded that I was about to attack Austria) by taking Bulgaria with Austrian assistance and, opportunistically, England by taking Norway. England had made a hash of his opening it seemed to me and Norway just seemed too tempting. Turkey proceeded to sulk and NMR'd out in Spring 1903.

1903 / 1904: I grab all three Turkish centres and, again opportunistically, take Edinburgh from the hapless English who have left it undefended. I am on 12 supply centres and feel victory is in my grasp. As do others - there is an endgame proposal for a solo Russian win in Spring 1904! Ah, hubris!

It is here that I make my catastrophic mistake! My original agreement with Austria for taking out Turkey was that we would split his 4 supply centres (3 home plus Bulgaria). As it turned out thanks to Turkey NMRing out and Italy tieing up Austria I was left in the happy position of owning all 4 centres. Austria demanded his two centres and frankly I wasn't prepared to give them to him arguing that circumstances had changed. I resolved to turn my attention to taking out Germany and ignoring Austria - who I felt would now just move westwards. This foolishness was based on:

- reading too many Diplomacy strategy articles which suggested that a Russo- Austrian alliance was the greatest thing since sliced bread - a kind of crypto-Juggernaut that nobody would notice until it was too late.

- reading too many Diplomacy strategy articles that said that players should adapt to the circumstances they were in - and then expecting Chris (Austria) to follow this paradigm despite clear evidence that he wouldn't.

In retrospect I should have steamed into Austria in Spring 1904 with my Armies in Warsaw and Ukraine - which instead just sat their doing nothing. Instead I did the following:

1905: I attack Germany - unsuccessfully because Andrew continually outguessed me. I also foolishly withdrew from my creeping assault on Liverpool - which in the long run cost me Edinburgh (twice!) - and I would have taken it when England NMR'd in Spring 1907 too! Finally, I left my border with Austria unguarded - this became a huge problem when Italy NMR'd giving Austria an unexpected build which was to cost me dearly!

1906: Oh woe! Everything is going horribly wrong! I have lost Edinburgh, Bulgaria and Rumania. The gates to the motherland are open! I have to pull back from my assault on Germany. However, unexpectedly, I gain an ally - Germany is worried that Austria will now win and we join to prevent this. Ominously France begins his growth spurt.

1907: I re-establish my defensive lines in the east. In the west I take back Edinburgh but have to restore Denmark to my Germany ally. Unexpectedly in Autumn, Austria NMR's - the position may not be hopeless.

1908: Austria NMR's out into Anarchy! I gobble up 5 of his centres as a result. Germany begins the counter-offensive by relieving me of Norway. France continues to make gains - but is it too late?

Spring 1909: It's a race to the finish. Can I make the weight of my armies pay before France's fleets in the north and the Med cost me ground there? Germany and France still appear to be defending territory from each other - making no attempt to set up the stalemate lines.

Autumn 1909: It's all over thanks to Germany's NMR (otherwise I would probably only have had 16 centres). Not a moment too soon, I would have been sure to lose Tunis and probably Norway - although my fleet in the North Sea was set to break out behind French lines which would have tied up lots of his units. Ah well!

So thanks to everyone who played (in particular Martin and Andrew for sticking it out to the end) and to Brian for GM'ing. I thoroughly enjoyed the game - yes it was marred by NMRs and yes this probably was why I won but you can only play the cards you're dealt with! It is however instructive that Russia has won SO many games on Diplomacy 2000. This must reflect its position as the country best able to take advantage of NMRs - with its close proximity to 4 other countries.

Not only did I have a good game of Diplomacy but as a result of people I met, I'm now playing games of Machiavelli and En Garde.

Lessons for the future - Well, apart from my gross strategic error, I made a (large) number of tactical mistakes - which I trust I won't be repeating. In addition I discovered the folly of being too lazy to get my board out and instead relying on a bad photocopy of the map - causing my misorder!

GM: Brian Frew

Harvey won because he was the most consistent player though he was undoubtedly assisted by NMRs, as he acknowledges himself. Austria (who had played effectively up until then) disappearing late in the game gave Harvey all the assistance he needed. Those who completed the course will all be very welcome participants on future games on the site.