There is a fine line between a player making a stupid move and making a calculated risk.
I give you game 2414262.
I have been working on my esculating strategy and in many games I come close but no cigar. Im usaly good at making it past round 5. I watch the board, spread myself evenly as possible, take the easy cards and have since learned that coninent bonus are meaningless compared to possition. I do not go for continents unless its really really there. I also dont break continents now because if one gets a chain of card captures continents are meaningless. In fact it seems to make the job easier of taking out folks if one person or two hold continents.
This game I feel I played my best game ever. I did everything right. I ignored orange as he took SA. 2 army bonus is meaning less. Orange went on to take africa as well. He had 2 continents and still got wiped. I took small guys for cards and when the time was right I took out 3 plyers in a row.
On my last turn in I had to make a choice . Blue has 5 cards, Tiel has 5 cards and purple had 5 cards. Tiel was the one vulnerable to be wiped next but do to positioning It was unlikely and would set up purple to take everyone out. Tiel had only 4 armies in Irktusk, while next door in Siberia Blue had 11. Tiel had his remaining in Australia with 6 in West Aust and 4 in New Guine. To complicate matters Purple has three in Eastern Australia. I knew I couldnt take Tiel out but someone else would unless I blocked effectively, which is what I did. I was very proud on how I played it. I saw to it that it would be exttremely difficult for any player to take out tiel in Australia AND Irktusk.
I take out purple in Japan and Alaska so he cant hit Irk if he tries from Oceana. I block Blue by putting 5 in mongolia and 10 in Siam. A person could take one but not the other. I would think that a smart person would recognize that if one takes one the other person will win.
Blue gets 23 on his turn and plops them in Siberia for a total of 34. He needs to take out 4 in Irk, My 5 in mongolia, 1 in China My 10 in Siam and Then Take Tiels 6 in WA and 4 in NG. He falls short and leaves 3, which purple takes his next turn.
left a neutral response on Blue move calling it a stupid move. Left alone Tiel would not have eliminated anyone and blue would have 35 plus armies on the board. I understand that once blue took the 4 in Irkust he had to commit.
Stupid move or calculated risk? Im interested in opinions.
