Duel Game Beta Feedback

[Jumpingfist]

I think evasion is considered a defensive order with respect to being cleared. You can not attack if you evade so would think it applies to defending a PC.

I am not to excited about the tactic either but will see. WouLD be crazy if you must figure out what invis group is there before you can take a PC. Hopefully they do not block passage as they would need to attack.

The WoF example also Could a rider issue a flank and WoF and never fight? Flank forces tactic 2 WoF only allows determined attacker to advance

[Mauler]

Just wrapped my first contest as the AM.

A big shout out to Tomag, whose Cimmerians scorched earth tactics made him a terror across the lands of Westania. Lots of fun testing with you.

I'll post the turns on Google Drive for review.

Thanks to Uncle Mike for clarifying a few things that seemed counter intuitive.

Initial impressions were that I think the summer hitting the east penalizes that player more than the western player. I was able to time my attacks in both games to cut the food production to my opponents. In the early game, it's harder to time that attack due to the multiple steps in getting HPs, focus on gaining your own region, etc...

Even though I did not play a "magic" kingdom, I believe that the speed of this format is less conducive for a satisfying game as one of the magic kingdoms. I found that I had to "settle" for a bunch of p3's to achieve my goals.

Huge advantage for dragons or highly mobile kingdoms in these smaller maps for both scouting and movement.

The pop center defense boosts made them more intimidating for attacks. That said, I was not playing a heavy hitting military kingdom.

The artifact richness of the lands was a fun addition.

Agents are potent as they can hit pretty much everywhere.

Overall, the head to head format is a lot of fun. For those that are constantly paranoid of being broadsided by a bunch of invading kingdoms, it allows for you to play out specific strategies against your opponent without that worry of your plan breaking down into a free for all.

Mauler

[Jumpingfist]

Nice perspective Mauler. the season cycle I believe got addressed but I had found it to be rather hard for the west because you get hit first and then when you start taking the other region you are looking to be hit again now that you own PCs in the east. I agree and when I played a eastern kingdom I right away targeted the western kingdoms villages knowing he would starve. It is interesting that with a smaller map how effective a scorched earth tactic can become.

[Tomag Ironfist]

It was a good game playing against you, Mauler!

I must say, I was not expecting your agents to be active. You assassinating so many emmys and agents early on really hurt.

Every turn I was trying to recruit three companions and at least 4 human brigades, but since you own emmys were trailing my groups and rebelling every PC I took, my troops began to starve. I was hoping to face your largest group head to head, but it was prudent of you to avoid my 1 CI the whole game.

Since you began to starve me, I thought that I would do the same by my own means, and so I began plundering every PC that I stumbled across. Once I started doing this, you began taking PCs in my home region with your own military.

At this point, I lacked influence, the agents, and the emmys needed to contest your two-sided war (political, military) verses my military campaign. Your amazon groups having greater masking in the plains made it impossible for me to know where you were at all times. After you sacked my capital, I felt that was my last hope (the unfortunate thing is, the turn you sacked my capital, I had attempted to relocate it across the map to Westania).

This was a really fun game, and I am impressed by how well you played and managed your sparse resources. I enjoyed reading your perspective! Would you be up for a rematch?

[Mauler]

Always up for a rematch!

It is the second time around that people realize that most of my strategy is based on dumb luck

Let me know the when and where.

My email is mauler.alamaze@hotmail.com

Looking forward to it!

[VballMichael]

Ok, Game 1004 is over. I played the Demon Princes and UM started with the Sacred Order.

UM got off to a nice start and his army was soon in my region. But the bad season (fixed now, I know) and my demons popping around taking things back are just too much.
Once I picked up Dome, and then a second Dome, it was just a matter of time before the DE won.

I think UM had to drop out around turn 8 due to time restrictions and someone took over for a couple of turns but I think momentum was on the DE side anyway. Maybe a different story if his armies were big enough to hit my cities quickly or if he found my capitol, but I think this duel favored the DE due to politics and the bad season issue.

I think the DE is a very competitive kingdom in this format and would gladly play them again.

[VballMichael]

Ok, Game 1006 is over. I played the Necromancer and Canticar played the Sorcerer.

The bad weather hurt him badly and my finding his capitol harmed him also (even though I never took it due to the new requirements we did not know of having to chase away all defending groups, I did tie up his emmies for a bit). Again, a lot of this was due to the bad season for him. I was in his region pretty quickly while he did not get to scout my region much.

Having said that, by turn 12, the game was pretty even. We spent the last 3 turns trying out some spells and some pre-arranged battles rather than trying to win, so it is hard to say how it would have turned out.

Anyway, I conceded today to his well-played position. Without the bad season effect, this would be a very even contest decided mostly by player skill (and as always some by luck).

[HeadHoncho]

Game 1008

AN (HeadHoncho) vs. GN (Canticar)

Combination of the bad season for GN, general AN advantages in any head-to-head matchup, and the fact that I took my region a decent amount earlier caused this game to become uneven rather quickly, even though the initial AN denigrates vs. GN failed. He built up Wizards as I built up a big army, and I invaded Westania with emissaries, even as the denigrates started to take hold. He ended Hostile in both regions as my Army camped on his northwestern city, ready to take it, but my emissaries ended up being all I needed.

Fun game, I think AN is a tough Kingdom to beat in this format.

[Tomag Ironfist]

I'm glad to hear some good reviews of some political kingdoms being competitive in this format when the very mobile military kingdoms have been talked up as having such a advantage! I can't wait to join more duel games!

Is anyone playing as the UN in the duel format? I'm curious to know how they're doing!

[Atuan]

LT played the UN vs me as the Nomad. Our posts were up above.