The irony in this statement is that I’ve got the same feeling
Update: I’m thinking of setting up a special GULAG-camp just for my cosmonauts, because they can’t even get a satellite in the air
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You need to get some German scientists.
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I think that, that late in the game, the option of sacrificing W Germany, considering how many USA cards in late war threaten Poland, is not so terrible.
Then again, I am really good at losing at this game.
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Except by surprise against me …
The exception that confirms the rule…
@qwertysoldier beat me soundly. I made it to final scoring by scrapping for points here and there (and ditching Europe scoring at a crucial moment), but was dominated almost everywhere and the final score was 24 to USSR. My only hope was a turn 10 DEFCON suicide, but that was more likely to happen to me because I had Lone Gunman in hand at the end.
Another win for USSR.
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It was a strange game. I think at least until Turn 6, the game was basically even. Somehow it changed after that, which seems counterintuitive with the US-upper hand in the mid and late war.
The best part of the game? After my earlier blockade play, Chris ditched Europe scoring twice (!) and managed to break my domination on the final scoring. At the end, that whole effort to get a succesful blockade only netted me 2 VP for having flipped the Federal Republic…
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The score was even, but the commies were everywhere. My points were mostly not from scoring cards and I had a lot of fortune with the timing of certain scoring events. By the end of Mid War that fortune ran out, which is fair enough. I did only one really dumb thing, I reckon, and I don’t think it affected the outcome. What might have affected the outcome is loads of DEFCON-dropping white cards in USSR hands, but that’s clutching at straws.
I wanted to revisit this, because I don’t think I’ve ever come back from such a hopeless situation as the US. So I’m reconstructing the game in Vassal. Ran out of time in my lunchbreak, but here’s where I got to:
Here’s the point in Turn 4 where we hit -19 VP:
USSR domination of Asia, ME, Africa, and presumptive domination/control of S America. Of course, the next AR was me scoring C America control (after spending 10 OPs to get Fidel out of Cuba and the US in).
And here’s the start of Turn 6 (AR marker in the wrong spot):
-15 VP, still USSR domination of Asia, ME, Africa, and now S America too. The mid-war turnaround has definitely not made an appearance yet. Only S America and Europe left to score. The scattering of US non-BGs in Africa represent an opportunistic use of Puppet Governments to play Africa Scoring for -3 VPs instead of -7 VPs in Turn 5 (where I also had to play SEAsia scoring for a VP loss).
The headlines were Voice of America and Missile Envy - given the choice of handing over De Gaulle and losing Europe, or Brush War and losing my shot at S America (and probably losing Thailand too), I handed over De Gaulle.
Up until this point in the game, the cards have been cruel to me. The dice have been cruel to both of us. Early Indo-Pakistan war was decisive for the USSR (why do I always lose wars?), but a lot of failed coups certainly hurt the USSR. One 6-er 2 OP USSR coup flipped Iran. 7 OPs realigning to oust Fidel hurt the US.In general, the USSR had very good access when needed (Indo-Pakistan War T2 success, Decol and Destal on T3), and more OPs to spread around, dominating the map.
From here, I think it was mostly all the bad coup rolls… will continue later.
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Dear goodness another loss for me - to @RossM - completely unforced defcon loss. Too tired. In defence I thought the app warned you if you were about to be foolish …
A real shame as at that point we were balanced in all theatres.
Europe Asia and Middle East all scored turn 1
US slowly driving the USSR out of the Middle East, just as the reds were gaining ground in Central America and Asia.
(In steam if you attempt to coup the dice has a warning when you hover over it at defcon 2.)
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Long technical breakdown of Turns 6-10, in which a US march to doom becomes a victory march... to doom
So T6 was pretty weird, and I guess a turning point. S America scoring would lose me the game, while losing Europe Domination would not, so:
HL Voice of America empties Brazil and Argentina
Missile Envy snags De Gaulle
AR1 the China Card gives USSR control of France, Missile Envy gives US control of Brazil.
AR2 South Africa Unrest coup fails, OAS Founded gives US control of Argentina.
So now S America is 1 to US, Europe is 1 to USSR. S America is very shaky though, vulnerable to realigns. The USSR card use makes it look like a weak hand.
AR3 Oh, Nuclear Test Ban into Venezuela, Colombia, Burma, S America looks shaky, but 2 in 3 chance for my Brush War… which fails.
AR4 Oh, ABM Treaty, Argentina coup… which fizzles! Nixon Plays the China Card to repair Argentina, and a point into Paraguay for realign recovery.
AR5 Cambridge Five controls Colombia, tops up Venezuela - must have Panama Canal. John Paul II event for pressure.
AR6 Korean War repairs Poland, Kitchen Debates controls Paraguay, making Argentina reasonably safe.
AR7 Panama Canal into Chile (thank goodness it wasn’t France), How I Learned to Stop Worrying breaks France control - with my hold card as Truman!
So, in T6 both to-be-scored Dominated regions go to Presence only, which is much safer for me. Two big failed coups, and a failed War.
T7 shakes things up further. I know the USSR’s entire hand, which gives me confidence that the Truman headline will work, that Grain Sales is going to cause problems for him, and Nuclear Subs will give me an AR7 coup.
HL: Truman regains Europe control, Latin America Death Squads does not bode well for the Americas.
AR1: Independent Reds coup fail, then Junta flips Colombia and realigns 2 influence out of Venezuela. Looks like Venezuela will be mine.
AR2: Camp David Accords makes the ME a friendlier place, repairs Venezuela, Then Shuttle Diplomacy realign fails, fails, then removes 3 US influence from Venezuela, killing my chances of a Venezuela takeover.
AR3: Defectors coup empties Paraguay, Our Man in Tehran repairs.
AR4: Europe Scoring hurts the USSR, “Ask Not” clears Allende, Lone Gunman, “We Will Bury You”, and S America Scoring from US hand.
AR5: U2 Incident all-in to Israel, S Africa unrest to space.
AR6: Containment to space, RSP all-in to Israel. I know the last two USSR cards are Nuclear subs and Grain Sales, so my MilOps are guaranteed.
AR7: Nuclear Subs into Israel, Indo-Pakistan War coup flips Zaire, making Africa look less hopeless.
The Truman flip undid everything the USSR had gained in Europe, just in time for scoring. The two weak coups certainly hurt the USSR, but the realignment own-goal really hurt the US. Bit of a wash on the dice, but dumping 4 problem cards was great, while the USSR is still stuck with Grain Sales.
AR8 continues the trend
HL: USSR scores Asia, Missile Envy hits jackpot with Muslim Envy and a strong coup flipping Angola and thereby Africa.
AR1: USSR coup flips Ethiopia, taking Africa back to presence, Voice of America flips Nigeria and empties Libya. Africa and ME now look good. The struggle for Africa commences, with US holding the scoring.
AR2: Reagan Bombs Libya coup flips Sudan, NORAD coup flips Cameroon
AR3: An Evil Empire influence flips Nigeria, North Sea Oil influence flips it back.
AR4: Arab-Israeli War coup fizzles in Cameroon, providing the opening for Africa Scoring.
AR5: Bear Trap and Che to space.
AR6: Kitchen Debates puts an influence into Israel and triggers! This really hammered home that things had turned a corner. Iranian Hostage Crisis filled Libya, a point into Israel.
AR7: Marine Barracks Bombing event takes 2 from Egypt, presumably thinking I had the scoring. Iran-Contra Scandal fills Egypt, another point into Israel.
AR9 less eventful
US Brush War fails in Venzuela, again. Yuri and Samantha
AR1: Iron Lady Mexico coup fizzles, Formosan Resolution repairs Mexico and Argentina
AR2: Star Wars and Soviets Shoot Down KAL-007 into Israel
AR3: AWACS Sale to Saudis and Terrorism into Israel. My decision to not event Terrorism here is telling. I thought I had actually a better chance of winning conventionally than by Defcon, and I feared giving up ME and hitting Grain Sales with the discard.
AR4: Latin America Debt Crisis into Israel, which is now at 13/14! Middle East Scoring.
AR5: East European Unrest to space, Alliance for Progress nets 5 VPs to put the score at +2, firmly on track for a US win.
AR6: Colonial Rear Guards mess further with Africa, but to no real effect, Solidarity event destabilizes Poland. Bit of a toothless threat with Warsaw Pact still in the deck, but a threat that 's hard to ignore regardless.
AR7: Chernobyl repairs Poland, Aldrich Ames Remix fills Costa Rica and a point into Israel - most importantly discarding Ortega Elected in Nicaragua, a nasty Defcon suicide card for a US player in control of Cuba.
Turn 10:
How I Learned to Stop Worrying headlined to keep the pressure up on Grain Sales… and the USSR was apparently dealt CIA, and unfortunately decided to headline it for a Defcon loss.
In conclusion, Voice of America is amazing, Truman did good, and dice can be cruel.
Dear Comrades/Capitalists, how are the various matches going?
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Beginning of turn 9 in our game. Waiting on my opponent.
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Still on going with @Captbnut . It’s me thats being slow though
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The US (me) defeated the USSR (Whistle_Pig) on turn 10, AR 4 with a score of 22. Control of South America won me the game.
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The USA rather guiltily defeated the Soviets (@lalunaverde ) by time out. I was getting battered
Whoops! My damaged ceiling took over my life (but it’s sorted now.). But thats how it is lol! A lose is a lose.
Does that conclude the tournament? I thought there would be a lot more matches, but reading back it looks like @qwertysoldier said only 4 rounds.
Sorry. There was no way I was winning any other way.
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