[SPOILERS] - TT's Italy Take II - Return of the Bunga-Bunga

[Twinkletoes89]

Sorry for the radio silence - as you will have seen in the organizing thread, I've had a run of technical bad luck combined with uni end of year exams.

But I'm back now.

My surmisement of my position is that I am still pretty damn weak, but not without hope.

Turkey's fleet builds have scuppered any chance of a Lepanto, whilst posing a long term threat to my security and ambitions for next couple of years.

Austria is hard to steal from right now as I need him strong to hold off the potential juggernaut that seems to be brewing.

Which leaves me having to go after France.

My main advantage here is that I should be able to surprise him by taking Piedmont (and voiding our deal) in the spring, meaning he will not have units in reach to defend Marseilles in the fall and secure me a build.

I would like to be able to move my fleets to threaten the Iberian peninsula for '03 but that will likely mean that I have to sacrifice ION to the supporting Turkish fleets. I don't think I can afford to do that.

Also, if Austria decides to go for Venice, I'm potentially screwed but I'm hoping my holds in '01 should be enough to demonstrate good faith compared to Turkey & Russia.

[Twinkletoes89]

The more I think - the more I worry about the risk of leaving Ven free in the Spring.

It could ruin my game, but I'm prepared to take the gamble if I can get Germany on board.

[Twinkletoes89]

Germany has lost this game and I'm gone too I think.

He won't attack France by moving into Ruh and Bur this turn.

Combine that with me moving into Pie and France would have been caught out of position and in serious trouble. Once our hand is played I am sure that England would have come on board and we could have taken Scooter down.

Now I can't attack him and he will end up with Spain SC plus maybe one on the UK this year and be too strong to attack. He will build a med fleet most likely and I will be screwed with fleets on both sides. I then bet that scooter and rowain ally and carve up Germany between them. Its the natural move. Hence why I think Bigger has doomed himself too.

I'm going after Austria, simply because I can and I have no other option now.

Sigh. Annoying.