[Spoilers]Don't Shoot the Archduke! Diplomacy Lurker Thread

[Gaspar]

I'd be down for a noob game. I played once in college but really barely understood it.

[novice]

Is Russia losing an army a big deal? They'll rebuild in the next build phase, right?

[Sareln]

Is Russia losing an army a big deal? They'll rebuild in the next build phase, right?

Provided they have an open home supply center, then yes, they can simply rebuild it in the next phase. However, it will be out of position, and in order to build in the next phase, one of St. Petersburg, Warsaw, or Moscow will need to be unoccupied.

[Maniac Marshall]

Is Russia losing an army a big deal? They'll rebuild in the next build phase, right?

That's a good question to ask. Sometimes the answer to a question like this is actually that it's a GOOD thing to lose an army/fleet (to the point of voluntarily not making a valid retreat even) because you can rebuild it at home and gain a more tenable defensive position. It just depends on the board situation.

[Maniac Marshall]

Looks like to me that if the German/Austria alliance holds out another year, England and Russia (and Turkey) are toast. England is going to lose 2 centers this year, and it doesn't appear stoppable unless Germany makes a mistake, which is highly unlikely.

Meanwhile, Russia is going to lose Moscow unless Germany intervenes... Seems unlikely, but, assuming they harbor intentions of a solo, you wonder how much longer Germany and Austria can work together before one of them has to stab.

The Balkans are more uncertain than the England situation, though not by much. Several things can still happen there depending on who cooperates with who and for how long, but if Italy and Austria cooperate and play the spring conservatively, and Germany doesn't stab Austria, the most likely result seems to be Russia down to Sev, Con, and Ank. possibly Rum or Bul (and maybe StP) and turkey eliminated.

If the Austria/Germany alliance holds another turn, and England/Russia are, for all intents, eliminated, Italy will become the wild card. Should be interesting.

[Wyatan]

With Turkey apparently not willing to cooperate with Russia, Russia seems doomed to fall apart very quickly, and England can only delay its own fall so long indeed.

Last turn has seen a shift in power, though : Austria is now in the lead IMO.

In hindsight, I'd say there were two mistakes last turn:

1- Italy not capturing Portugal.
Next fall would probably be the last chance Italy gets at a good stab at Austria (not the "gutting" type of stab, but the "equalizer" type of stab), with Austria's forces deployed in the East. But without that additional unit and most of Italy's forces in the West, that stab is a tad harder to pull out.
It may have looked that taking Portugal and hastening England's fall was handing the game to Germany, but not doing so may have handed it to Austria...

2- Germany's support of Austria in Warsaw.
Now Austria doesn't need Germany at all on the Russian front, and Germany won't get anything from Russia's corpse, including Saint-Petersburg. Unless the Norway retreat is done to the Barents Sea and Sweden moves East, but that would seriously delay England's capture.

[Gaspar]

Poor Lewwyn. Got too greedy, methinks.

[spellman]

I'm starting to think this is the most convoluted set of alliances I've ever seen in Diplo.

I like it.

[spellman]

So, wait. Italy is stabbing Turkey, Russia is aiding Austria, and Germany is still slowly taking down England?

[pindicator]

Don't forget Austria's vendetta against Italy.