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XBuild33 -> (11/29/2002 7:22:22 PM)
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I have a favourite EIA moment I'd like to share.
This was back when I was in the military and all 7 of us were soldiers in the same company. The long and short of it was that diplomatic efforts occurred during many working hours while the game board collected dust.
I was playing France, and had formed an unholy alliance with Prussia which lasted most of the game. The game followed pulses as the adversaries would win or lose battles and then spend months rebuilding and diplomatic wrangling.
1812 opened up with the entire board converging on Prussia and France.
From the West, Spanish troops readied to cross the Pyrenees.
From the south, Turks and Ottoman troops were ferried by english and Turkish fleets. (Britain had ominously stopped her blockades a few turns before)
Russia and Austria launched a concerted attack on Prussia who'd created the confederation of the Rhine but wasn't as of yet fully recuperated from an earlier campaign which saw Austria cowed and Russia withdrawn after severe punishment.
A tall stack of English troops waited in London ready to launch.
Leaving Davout and Ney behind, Nappy attacked the Spanish, throwing them back toward Madrid, chasing them all the way there causing them to sue for peace.
Turkish and Ottoman troops caused Davout to lose 3/5 of his forces, in an Escalated assault versus escalated counter assault which gave the Turks a severe morale as well as numerical advantage. (This late in the game I was often choosing my tactic by grabbing one from my enclosed hand)
Ney held Paris (weakly) as the Turks drew near.
Austria was gobbling up the Confederation as well as menacing Berlin. (the Austrian army was still weak after the last campaign)
Blucher was fighting the Russians, but faring poorly due to bad die rolls. Three armies were converging on Berlin, one moving steadily backwards.
Nappy Rushed back to France (after forcing the most harsh penalties possible on Spain), meeting the Turk south of Paris just as English troops landed in Denmark. Two successive battles sent the Turk scurrying towards Italy, it's army gutted, bereft of cavalry.
With Nappy two long moves from helping his ally, the remaining allies prepared for their masterstroke. Three armies were to converge on Berlin from three directions, with a very much diminished Prussian army dwarfed six to one. Now, their devious scheme became plain, cast into the light.
For the first time Nappy took advantage of the dominant power rule. Moving last and then first, Wellington with 70,000 men was met at Hamburg by 250,000 French. Using the most random method of choosing my tactic, my attack would come in the form of a probe. The Brits had chosen escalated counter assault!(how my heart wilted!) Die rolls worked for me wonderously on this occasion while for the enemy they failed. Committing the Guard staved off a humiliating defeat, causing the Brits to retreat after losing some 60,000 men. I'd lost 70,000 plus. Praise God, and pass the powder!
The next month, began with the French moving first, noticing strangely enough that Wellington and his orange coated flock had failed to move from the Hamburg hex. Here began one of those rows that arise from different interpretation of the rules.
Mutual concensus decided that Wellington hadn't sought the safety of the fortress, and became a guest of France in Paris.
With 1/3 of their available forces stripped from their plan, Austria and Russia made one more final gamble for Berlin which failed.
Franco-Prussian forces led by Blucher drove the Ivans back across the Nieman, reducing their forces to a pittance.
Meanwhile, again Austria was humiliated, the last generous peace outdone by tremendous French vengeance.
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