unknownsoldier 3 - 2 lobstrosity

very tough games, with good dice winning it for me in game 5.

Quick summary of unknownsoldier-lobstrosity matches:

All games were on the standard medium earth.

We've played against each other a few times, and also as teammates. I know a bit about my opponent, but not so much. I am short of time and so don't review my opponent's recent games (useful to do, but I'm so short on time).


1st game unknownsoldier won http://warlight.net/MultiPlayer.aspx?GameID=2747170
I try for greenland+scandi combination plus small backup starts (aim to get greenland turn 2or3), but lobs takes scandi start.
Lobs goes for distributed starts.
I have good intel (scandi, ant).
Lobs has no intel.
Lobs invades greenland and blocades, nice trick - how did he guess i was there?? :/
Some interesting tactical play, leaves me with higher bonus but bad medium-term prospects (lobs can get 2 safe bonsues from his starts, i only have 1). Only option is to wipe out lobs in the east, after a few turns, and roughly even luck (in terms of first moves etc), i manage it.
Game over. That was a tough game, I'm fortunate and happy to have won it.


2nd game lobstrosity won http://warlight.net/MultiPlayer.aspx?GameID=2769239
I go for oz+indo combination (to get oz).
Lobs goes for 2 starts in c am & s am, but not a direct combination.
Neither of us has intel.
Again, lobs seems to know where I am - invades indo and stops me getting the bonus from one of my starts :/
Then he also hits my w russia start area, game over, this player is smart :/


3rd game lobstrosity won http://warlight.net/MultiPlayer.aspx?GameID=2797723
I go for s am + w af combination, to get s am turn 2. Backups are india+indo pair, to get +3 india bonus on turn 2 with few men, if fighting in s am area.
Lobs has same plan for s am, and also takes 1 start in india.
We both have good intel, but I have 1 safe start and lobs has zero.
Lobs wins this game through good play, and my errors - you should watch it to see how lobs turns his bad start around - great play on his part (part of the key was that he managed to pace his attacks on neutrals, so as to get a card part each go).

So now I have gone from 1-0 up to 1-2 down. This enemy reads my mind :/
I reinforce the doors of the bunker, stick new tinfoil in my hat, and go onto game 4 ...


4th game unknownsoldier won http://warlight.net/MultiPlayer.aspx?GameID=2828230
I go for scandi+w russia starts, to get scandi with few extra men, turn 2. Plus other starts.
Lobs goes for africa combination (w + e af) to get w af turn 2.
I have no intel, lobs knows about my scandi+w rus starts, but cannot do much against them.
I grow my start bonuses faster (nature of the bonuses more than luck). We both swing at ant, and both find neutrals there :)
turn 5, we meet across the s atlantic, turn 6, i cross the pacific and also threaten indo bonus. Lobs in bad position - he has to defend both bonuses, I only have to defend one.
I manage to guess well enough, that my advantage works out, I break indo bonus, game over.



5th game unknownsoldier won http://warlight.net/MultiPlayer.aspx?GameID=2857873
I go for scandi+greenland combination (+3 bonus on turn 1). lobs goes for india-e china combination (+3 or +6 bonus on turn 2 (with c am bonus also)).
Neither side had any intel.
Dice are good to me, lobs has ok luck but not good enough. lobs in very bad position by end of turn 2.


btw - we were also playing a few other 1v1 games from tourneys at the same time - we're both tired of fighting each other on this medium earth map now :)


Lobs - can you write anything about what you were thinking on your side of the hill? (Also what mind-reading devices you favour, etc etc).

Nice write up unknownsoldier.

Gracious in your defeats and humble in your victories.

Hats off Sir.

@TYT - nice of you to say so. I think it is important to see reality in WL games, else you lose, and you don't improve. So what I write is the truth as I see it. I think that a lot of average players stay average because they do not see their games accurately, and choose to blame luck for their losses, and their skill for their wins.

Though, I am sometimes puzzled about how I manage to win some games - I see that I won, but I don't understand why. It is a rather unnerving feeling, because I fear that my winning ability could just disappear...

I think you provided a pretty fair portrayal of how the games went Unknown. While we had only a small amount of experience against each other in 1v1, I knew going into the series that you were a very strong opponent. I was not sure your style (I also did not do any research), and frankly I still am not entirely sure, but I knew that if I was going to have a chance I would need to surprise you.

Game 1 I managed to predict your pick in Greenland mainly based the fact that since I got my top three picks you must have some sneaky counters planned. Unfortunately I think I was slightly too aggressive, which allowed you to expand faster and push me out of SE Asia. I wish I could replay this one, slight changes would make all the difference.

Game 2 same story, I was not sure of your location, but I guessed based on if I were to pick again and follow an entirely different strategy.

Game 3 I felt pretty hopeless at the start, you had the perfect counters for my picks. I knew I need a lot of luck to have a chance, so I picked a risky strategy which paid off. If even one of my 3 on 2 attacks had failed that game I would have had no chance.

Game 4 was pretty standard, you simply out played me.

By game 5 you had worn my nerves thin, I made rash picks and left a fast start uncontested. I am disappointed to have ended the series on one of my poorer showings,perhaps if I had managed to unite SA second turn it would have been more interesting, but you outpicked and outplayed me once again.

It was a good series, I am glad I managed to take it to five games. I learned a lot playing you (one thing being that I want to avoid 1v1's against you for at least a while- too stressful). I don't expect your winning ability will disappear anytime soon, although I have that same unnerving feeling once in a while. I look forward to future games with you, hopefully fighting for the same team!

Match 7: Yeon - Aziridine 0-3

The final score was too high and mostly reflects my good fortune!

Game 1 - Strategic 1v1: http://WarLight.net/MultiPlayer.aspx?GameID=2747199
Yeon simply forgot to play his reinforcement card at the worst possible moment, allowing me to break Central America on turn 5. Nothing more to say, really.

Game 2 - Imperium Romanum (blockade cards only): http://WarLight.net/MultiPlayer.aspx?GameID=2814226
If the previous game was anticlimactic this game more than made up for it. I picked Greece* and Thracia based on the idea that the eastern part of the map seemed easier to defend than the west because of the numerous choke points in Italy and Africa. But by getting first-turn bonuses Yeon jumped ahead in income and indeed he had more armies than I did for almost the entire game.
Thus a dramatic struggle ensued, pitting the safer position of the East against the superior numbers of the West. Initial elation at having broken into northern Italy on turn 11 was dispelled when the crafty Yeon struck back hard in Africa on turn 13. Then came the turning point: first a sharp rebuff of the enemy advance in Egypt on turn 17, which was almost desperation on my part - I had intended to blockade Pelusium a turn earlier and had forgotten to play the card! But this sudden aggression apparently impressed Yeon, luring him into a fateful decision two turns later when I held my ground and watched him turn a stack of 28 in Cyrene into stone. To Yeon's credit he was able to show that the game was still not over: I needed every trick in the bag to get him to tap out.

*I have no idea why it's named Illyricum on the map - the real Illyricum lay much further to the north. Some of the names on this map are way off!

Game 3 - Latin America (1v1 ladder cards): http://WarLight.net/MultiPlayer.aspx?GameID=2884433
I got the upper hand in this game through sheer luck - Yeon missed two bonus-completing 3v2s on turn 1 while all three of mine went through on turn 4. However the clustering of his other picks in the north made it impossible for him to fight back after he decided to abandon the Guianas. (We didn't fight in Patagonia since it was cut off from the rest of the map by two wastelands.)

Dunga, am I correct in thinking I'm to face you next? I'll be ready when you are...

I second what Aziridine said about the games, and I'll just have to say that he's definitely one of the best few I've played here on Warlight. Kudos for the strength!

I think I'd have had a better chance in the second game than any of the others, especially if I got the bonus on turn 2 which would've had an exponential influence on my income. But later on I just couldn't seem to guess right :) Also I didn't notice the non-standard game settings until later, which didn't help.

Bump for information?

dunga and I are tied 2-2 in our match but I think dunga is busy with the Warlympics so we haven't started the last game yet.

How about Chris, Lollipop or HHH Widzisz? The last one retired I think, so does HHH advance automatically? Also do any of the premier division players still remember this?