Season 1: 'Official' Tourney Pyramid

[nnason]

Sent email

[Amadeus]

Sorry nnason, I missed that.

[IrishGuards]

Hi guys - open for a game in the ladder - PM me if interested
IG

[X(]

[KorutZelva]

Irishguards: I think pretty much everyone but you and me are locked in a game. Either you convince someone else to join the tourney or issue me a challenge.

I'm just one floor above so I'm a valid target! [:)]

[johanssb]

Hi,

I'm open for a game in the ladder. Is there anyone waiting for an opponent ? I can play either side.

Johan

[IrishGuards]

sent you a pm johanssb
IG

[LLv34Mika]

Hi everyone!

I have to admit that it makes me pretty happy that more and more players are joining our system. The more players we are the more fun we will have.

Unlike Twilight Struggle this game misses online statistics (W/L ratio or something like an ELO rating). I still hope for someone with enough html skills to set up a simple ladder/pyramid that shows the actual rankings of our group.

So thank you everyone for bringing this to life. Spread the news about our turney, encourage others to join and play and keep playing and challenging other players.

[Ironclad]

Hi,

I'm up for a game - its a fair while since I had an SC start. 39 scenario preferred.

[johanssb]

Game Started.

Tourney Game #1: johanssb (allies) vs IrishGuards (axis) GameID104824

[sillyflower]

another ladder start SoE version 12.1

Ironclad is the nazi swine

[sillyflower]

Is one allowed more than 1 tourney game at a time?

[KorutZelva]

ORIGINAL: sillyflower

Is one allowed more than 1 tourney game at a time?

Just one at a time. Else it could get a bit chaotic tracking players' ranking. [:)]

[sillyflower]

I'm ignorant about spreadsheets etc, but I don't see why [&:]. Surely rankings are only affected by finished games, and it would only be potentially confusing if there are 2 or more concurrent games vs the same opponent.

[KorutZelva]

ORIGINAL: sillyflower

I'm ignorant about spreadsheets etc, but I don't see why [&:]. Surely rankings are only affected by finished games, and it would only be potentially confusing if there are 2 or more concurrent games vs the same opponent.

Player 1 is at level 2. He challenge player 2 at level 3. While this is ongoing, player 1 receive a challenge from player 3 from level 1. Player 1 has already one loss at level 2, so one more loss sends him back to level 1. Now let's say he wins vs player 2 he technically gets promoted to level 3... but what if he loses vs player 3... technically he supposed to be sent down to level 1. Now let's say he finishes his game vs player 2 first than proceeds to challenge a player on level 4 before the game with player 3 is concluded...

Now imagine all players doing the same.

Like I said, it would be a mess. Nothing stops you from playing exhibition games if there's not enough SC 3 in your life. [;)] But for simplicity sake, let's keep it one tourney game at a time. Also raises the stakes of all tourney games since you can't spam them. [:)]

[LLv34Mika]

what everyone is free to do (if you ask me)

play a mirror game!
The overall winner is the one who wins with both sides. Time is tie breaker. so one win by august 1943 and one loss by summer 44 are better than one win by summer 43 and one loss by somewhere later than summer 44.

Still love it how many players we already motivated playing ranked games!

[KorutZelva]

ORIGINAL: LLv34Mika

what everyone is free to do (if you ask me)

play a mirror game!
The overall winner is the one who wins with both sides. Time is tie breaker. so one win by august 1943 and one loss by summer 44 are better than one win by summer 43 and one loss by somewhere later than summer 44.

Still love it how many players we already motivated playing ranked games!

Yeah mirror game are fine. Both games would be considered 1 match.

Personally I'd save those for special events (Grand finale or top rung matches) but I'm not opposed leaving the option open for players.

[sillyflower]

ORIGINAL: KorutZelva

ORIGINAL: sillyflower

I'm ignorant about spreadsheets etc, but I don't see why [&:]. Surely rankings are only affected by finished games, and it would only be potentially confusing if there are 2 or more concurrent games vs the same opponent.

Player 1 is at level 2. He challenge player 2 at level 3. While this is ongoing, player 1 receive a challenge from player 3 from level 1. Player 1 has already one loss at level 2, so one more loss sends him back to level 1. Now let's say he wins vs player 2 he technically gets promoted to level 3... but what if he loses vs player 3... technically he supposed to be sent down to level 1. Now let's say he finishes his game vs player 2 first than proceeds to challenge a player on level 4 before the game with player 3 is concluded...

Now imagine all players doing the same.

Like I said, it would be a mess. Nothing stops you from playing exhibition games if there's not enough SC 3 in your life. [;)] But for simplicity sake, let's keep it one tourney game at a time. Also raises the stakes of all tourney games since you can't spam them. [:)]

I get it now [&o]

[BPINisBACK]

Game against Sugar finished.
As it was clear since spring 1942, Axis wins and get a Total Victory in July, 1943.
So, Sugar: CONGRATULATIONS! A new victory for you.
In 1943, almost all the axis fleets were moved to the French border next to the English Chanell (also in BENELUX) and they obliterate the south and center of England.
As it was said before. A very unwavering game for Sugar.
His axis focused on Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe (remember that 4th level tanks in 1942!!!) despising Kriegsmarine.
His forces advance at all times gently but forever. He never breatk throught the soviet lands asymmetrically, the border was homogeneous. With no rush.
So, he made very well. A perfect plan, i guess.
What could i do?
Well, Sugar thinks that nothing. And i must confess that if the German Commander don't make mistakes, Germany must win the war. But my duty, as the Allied Commander, is to "force" him to make mistakes. And i never could.
Maybe, in the beggining of the game i spend a lot of british money in naval war (i guess that more than 2.000 MPP). Of course, I didn't know that Sugar will not fight the Atlantic war. Only in late 1940 i focused on earth and air tech. What could i do with that money? Yeah, more diplomacy on Spain (sooner) and maybe less disavantage in air war. But, who knows...
Regarding my soviets, I think i did my best. I think i build more units than ever (before Barbarrosa), i focus on AA, infantry, armor & industrial tech. No research on air or naval (of course) tech. I could made many fortifications and any of the main cities fall in the first year (probably because Sugar didn't want to). I never had more than 80 units. But the technology gap (and experiece) with german was so huge...
In 1942, i was ready to make "something" to temp Sugar... I started my traditionally bombing campaing with the western allies with five SB (lvl 3 for US, lvl 2 for British). It was quite succesfull, but very short... I was thinking in double operation: to bomb Germany and France and, at the same time, to land in Norway. My focus was to force Sugar to move back some units of his Luftwaffe to France/Germany and that this was a "light" relief for soviets.
I was trying to land in Norway because it's an easy target for British and because i wanted to try a "Scadinavian Gambit" as Sweden was "quite" easy to joing the allies if i put more diplomatic chits on the country. That's the reason because i sent 1/2 of the Siberians to the north of Finland, to cut the land communications from Finland and Sweden and to prevent a CA over the country once it joins the allies. Soviets did well (it's was easy) and they get some cities in the north of Filand.
But... after some bombing i discovered (it was shocking) that there was ANY GERMAN FORCES in BENELUX and western GERMANY.
Of course, i had any chance to make a deep offensive over Germany with my little western forces. But i cancelled the land in Norway and i land in Holland and France. I thoung i will head off more axis forces in this way that with my previous plan.
What was the problem...? That Germany had sooo many good units that Sugar could take a bunch of planes and tanks and mech units back to Germany and kill quickly my little expeditionary force and, on the other hand, he made a big advance in Russia, conquering the three main cities in a few weeks.
Since that, war was lost (more than ever).
I tried to hold in Caucasus, and some other eastern places in order to receive more soviet forces (and to get more tech advances) and i tried to build a real threat for the axis planes in Britain. But, of course... it was too late.
Well, maybe with a better investment of that British MPP and some other changes in tech with the western allies i could made more, but... if the German Commander don't make ANY significant mistake and he is able to play calmly. War is lost for allies.
Your way of playing, Sugar, remember me to Terif and the big players of SC1 and SC2... Do you know them?

[LLv34Mika]

Any conclusions? I only read a bit of your game but it sound similar to what I experienced when playing vs sugar.

I think there is one thing worth trying it. Usually I build up a good air force with the USA first. In my next game I will try to research a bit less and build some infantry instead. Maybe it works if someone manages to attack with US infantry in 1942. I don't know where but you can try the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, France, Algeria --> then to the east to threaten Italy or even Egypt. In any case these troops should be more competitive and should be a distraction for any Axis player.

I'm not sure if it is the right way to do but the distraction is a MUST. If you let players like sugar do what they want they go for a victory in 1943. Same pattern. slow but steady advance until Leningrad/Moscow/Stalingrad are done. Meanwhile the DAK captures Egypt and then massive bomber attacks soften up everything around London and finally the paratroopers come in and take the city. Deceisive Victory!

The only way to survive a bit longer is to distract the German forces. If any Axis player has to deal with a second front early enough that might be the time the USSR needs to get strong enough.

That's theory so far...

I'd love to hear what sugar would do to himself if he wants to speak about it. In fact I'm asking to tell us how to beat him. Not sure if that is his first intention

[Taxman66]

If no counter is found to that strategy, then either game designers will need to take a look at it, or the game will be all but unplayable.