Maybe my move wasn’t the greatest but they just cost our team penalties. Which is worse?
In Turn 1, the triple crest (lower right) and then the Sultan both charged straight in at Dracula in Pilesti. The result? They were both completely destroyed. Dracula was beat down but then he Recruited and Impaled a bunch of prisoners. Still 1/3 of his army is gone.
I attempted a third attack on Dracula but 3/5 of my army ran from the Impalements. Luckily, most of Dracula’s army was sleeping when I arrived (failed their search rolls) so I was able to withdrawal before a battle with no losses.
Now it is turn 2. I have to move first. What should I do?
The Castles to the left and right are already under siege.
If I attack Dracula, I’m liable to get smashed. I also now have the only remaining army in the center. I feel an obligation to hold that but I don’t want to just sit here and waste a turn. We only have 3 turns left to conquer Wallachia and Transylvania. The Sultan and triple crest can go back across the Danube and raise new armies.
I could storm the Castle at Targoiste to the right. Dracula hasn’t moved yet though. This will weaken me and leave me vulnerable to a strike from him later.
I don’t want to take the hit. I’m the only one left with an army around here! But on the other hand, we have to start wearing him down. We can’t beat him head on but we have to start chipping away at him, so that he will collapse by turn 4.
This is just an example to illustrate some of the tough decisions in this game. Note how the dynamics would play out in a real multiplayer game. In this case, the Sultan is there. I could strategize with him and the triple crest on what to do. The Sultan could even order me to make the move HE wanted if I disagreed. He could even take all my Troops and send me back to Rumelia to raise a new army.
If you are off on your own, the decision is all up to you. You also CAN’T consult your teammates for help. Communication is against the rules. What if I forget about some stupid rule and make a real bonehead move? Yes, I’ll look like an idiot but I have a good excuse! I forgot and nobody was able to tell me.
Even better, when I make a really bad move, my ‘smart’ team mates are liable to groan and howl. Guess what? That’s “communication”. Dracula gets penalty Re-Roll tokens for that.
Maybe my move wasn’t the greatest but they just cost our team penalties. Which is worse?
This is a real dilemma reminding me of the tension between the grand strategy of WW2 Britain(wait, hold, chip away at the enemy) and the USA(direct and devastating force brought down on the enemy). Would holding while the Sultan and the triple crest went recruiting truly be waste of a turn, if they came back with fresh forces allowing one more crushing attack on The Count? Will the Impaler be improving his numbers at the same time? Be the Anvil? Be the Hammer?
In this game there is a real time pressure. The Muslims only have 4 turns to conquer Dracula.
We considered no time limit. Just let both sides fight until somebody gives up. Yes, Dracula can Recruit new armies too. It is interesting and possible to play the game this way.
That is a real interesting comparison. We’d like to see this game method brought to other subjects. WWII is one of my favorites! I could see an interesting American Blitz across France with different players running different competing commands as a cooperative team like this.
We’ve talked about a Fall of Berlin game also. Those could be really good games.
I wonder if this same method would work for Battle of the Bulge?