[Khellendros]

Also @IH and anyone else:

You know I could just be paid off not to take Imperial, right, rather than resorting to giving Morgoth bioweapons?

[Nicodimas]

I have already said the best chance for victory would be dropping the speaker token on Blend anyhow. Statistically speaking that is.

I mean dropping on one of your three doesn’t help at across the board as that just drops imperial to sol again.

IH is completely correct as a runaway victories do occur with VP’s.

[Imperial Historian]

Khellendros, on 09 May 2018 - 07:15 AM, said:

Imperial Historian, on 09 May 2018 - 07:10 AM, said:

Khellendros, on 09 May 2018 - 06:42 AM, said:

Imperial Historian, on 09 May 2018 - 06:36 AM, said:

Twelve/blend/Nico anyone willing to give me two trade goods this turn? Can offer my trade PN or my support in the coming vote.

Also the tapper/tatts/gnaw/morgoth contingent, great with the scheme to keep first and take politics, but if one of you doesn't take imperial to keep it from the holder of mecatol rex each turn (likely khell or twelve), then we may as well stop playing anyway as they will have won.

The game is a race for VP, and scoring 1 or 2 a turn is most probable, the fact that khell is already 2 ahead means he's very likely to win without a concerted effort to stop him, if he gets the imperial card even one more time it's going to be very difficult for anyone to catch him. Especially considering all the additional secret objectives he has and his strong board position.

I'm going to be stealing action cards from khell (and can confirm he does not have any which would give him a combat boost since I nicked shields holding from him) while he holds mecatol, and twelve if he takes it but you guys have to contribute or we are all fucked. I don't want this game to be a race for 2nd place.

Equally if twelve gains mecatol, he is one of the races best suited to getting the various tech VP objectives which again puts him in a strong position to win,letting him get a free imperial VP is most likely going to result in a win for him.

So please for the sake of the galaxy consider this is your wheeling and dealing.

PS anyone wants my help in a scheme to kick khell off mecatol let me know.

For all you know, Sol could be the best thing that's ever happened to this galaxy. Why not give us a chance, Martian dwarf?

To be fair if you win it would be a worthy victory you've played the board very smartly. Just would like a chance to win myself.

PS if you take imperial again I'm researching bioweapons and telling morgoth which way I voted.

Well that seems extreme. A short-term solution which would only replace me with an even more powerful Morgoth controlling Mecatol. Not sure how you think such an action will help you to win, which you seem to be equating with me losing!

Yep, it is extreme. I don't want to do it. But if you keep gaining VP there is no way I'm going to catch you, so I'd rather give morgoth a boost and stop you running away with the game and deal with morgoth later and at least stand a chance of winning.

So simple answer don't take imperial again and I won't have to do it. You are already 2 VP ahead and have strong resources, keep gaining points by regular means and we've got no problem. Take imperial again and I'm going to do everything in my power to shake up that side of the board so the game isn't over before I even have a chance of winning.

[Morgoth]

Khellendros, on 09 May 2018 - 07:20 AM, said:

Also @IH and anyone else:

You know I could just be paid off not to take Imperial, right, rather than resorting to giving Morgoth bioweapons?

Why would you say such hurtfull things? As a fellow meatbag I would never act in an unethical manner. Bioweapons! Psha! No feeling biped would use such a thing.

[Tapper]

Imperial Historian, on 09 May 2018 - 06:36 AM, said:

Twelve/blend/Nico anyone willing to give me two trade goods this turn? Can offer my trade PN or my support in the coming vote.

Also the tapper/tatts/gnaw/morgoth contingent, great with the scheme to keep first and take politics, but if one of you doesn't take imperial to keep it from the holder of mecatol rex each turn (likely khell or twelve), then we may as well stop playing anyway as they will have won.

The game is a race for VP, and scoring 1 or 2 a turn is most probable, the fact that khell is already 2 ahead means he's very likely to win without a concerted effort to stop him, if he gets the imperial card even one more time it's going to be very difficult for anyone to catch him. Especially considering all the additional secret objectives he has and his strong board position.

I'm going to be stealing action cards from khell (and can confirm he does not have any which would give him a combat boost since I nicked shields holding from him) while he holds mecatol, and twelve if he takes it but you guys have to contribute or we are all fucked. I don't want this game to be a race for 2nd place.

Equally if twelve gains mecatol, he is one of the races best suited to getting the various tech VP objectives which again puts him in a strong position to win,letting him get a free imperial VP is most likely going to result in a win for him.

So please for the sake of the galaxy consider this is your wheeling and dealing.

PS anyone wants my help in a scheme to kick khell off mecatol let me know.

It is a long way to 11 VP to win straightaway, even for Khell. At some point, someone will take Imperial (and probably charge through the nose for it) to stop whomever owns Mecatol 'for the greater good', but with Khell at 4/11 VP and 3/8 rounds of play, we have just entered the mid-game and most players have only just finished their land grab and are now building their economies and techs.

I agree with you that the situation needs some monitoring. But, there's a limited amount most players can do, certainly at this point.
Most only border him at Mecatol, and Khell's strength is in ground troops: he has more GTs on Mecatol than most players have on their empire. X89 is almost the only way to deal with that garrison, but who can research it?
Twelve, Nico and Morgoth are the ones with a large amount of fleet power, but Twelve has been more worried about Nico than about Khell and Morgoth is understandably less than keen to fight his neighbour just for altruistic purposes (also given the Support PN Khell gave him). The deal Twelve made with Morgoth on the fleet size of Morgoth's units in Tarmann is incidentally not really going to stop Khell from moving Carriers to and from Mecatol...

The next question is: if not Khell, then who? It is an illusion that Mecatol will be left empty, and the players who can conceivably conquer it might be bigger issues than Khell can be.

[Tapper]

Nicodimas, on 09 May 2018 - 07:21 AM, said:

I have already said the best chance for victory would be dropping the speaker token on Blend anyhow. Statistically speaking that is.

I mean dropping on one of your three doesn’t help at across the board as that just drops imperial to sol again.

IH is completely correct as a runaway victories do occur with VP’s.

Blend has been such a good custodian of the Speaker Token, selling it to the highest bidder twice in a row. His track record suggests that he will either sell it to the highest bidder, or give it to Twelve, who will be the next problem then. Twelve essentially has Mecatol at his mercy already, through X89. Blend too could have that tech next turn, he has 3 green already.
That might mean that Morgoth or someone else will also get that tech, sure - but Morgoth is always going to get his hands on the best tech available.

If you want someone to take Imperial in the mean time, why not make an offer?

[Morgoth]

It’s certainly an interesting board!

It’s your turn by the way, Tapper darling

[Tapper]

Morgoth, on 09 May 2018 - 08:25 AM, said:

It’s certainly an interesting board!

It’s your turn by the way, Tapper darling

On it, Romeo.

[Tapper]

Morgoth, are you cool with taking Politics next round?

[Morgoth]

Tapper, on 09 May 2018 - 09:53 AM, said:

Morgoth, are you cool with taking Politics next round?

Yeah, I'm fine with that.

[Imperial Historian]

Stuck a move in. Will pretty later.

Tapper I think you are fundamentally misunderstanding the significance of a 2 point lead in a game where VP gains are limited.

[Khellendros]

Imperial Historian, on 09 May 2018 - 11:11 AM, said:

Stuck a move in. Will pretty later.

Tapper I think you are fundamentally misunderstanding the significance of a 2 point lead in a game where VP gains are limited.

If it makes you feel any better, I'm unlikely to complete any of the current public objectives, and my secret objective is extremely unsuited for my race.

[Morgoth]

I'm going to claim my first objective this round I think, which feels way late, but better than never.

[Tapper]

Imperial Historian, on 09 May 2018 - 11:11 AM, said:

Stuck a move in. Will pretty later.

Tapper I think you are fundamentally misunderstanding the significance of a 2 point lead in a game where VP gains are limited.

Perhaps. I do understand it is sizeable.

Like you, I will do something within my realm of possibilities - which currently are not exactly many.
I do not have active abilities, I do not border Mecatol, I do not have large fleets. All I have is a great racial one-shot PN that I offered to Twelve and could offer to anyone who wants to kick Khell out. I haven't traded with Khell and I will not. That's about all I can do personally right now and I am willing to see if I get more options later.

Moving the Speaker Token just to keep Imperial from Khell, as Nico suggested, is imho not a valid option.
I'm cynical enough to think that every single player would look to the players between themselves and Khell and think: "I will make my optimal choice, maybe one of them will take Imperial" - right until it comes down all the way to the last player picking before whomever holds Mecatol - it is a classic theme in the BGG game reports.
We want someone who picks before Khell to take Imperial? Awesome, but at the least sweeten the deal and don't rely on altruism.

Both Twelve and Blend can trade across the table - as such, PNs, Action Cards, TGs and votes are all in the game.

[D'rek]

Khellendros, on 09 May 2018 - 06:37 AM, said:

D, on 09 May 2018 - 01:03 AM, said:

@Khell:

Khellendros, on 08 May 2018 - 10:59 PM, said:

Tactical Action

ACTIVATE Quann.
MOVE Carrier from Mecatol Rex and Cruiser from Jord to Quann.
SPACE COMBAT N/A.
INVADE N/A.
PRODUCE UNITS N/A.

Both those 2 carriers are 2 systems away from Quann, and your carriers only have a Move of 1. How are you proposing they both reach Quann?

I moved 1 Carrier and 1 cruiser, not 2 carriers.

Ma bad

Khellendros, on 09 May 2018 - 06:39 AM, said:

D, on 09 May 2018 - 12:53 AM, said:

Blend, on 08 May 2018 - 11:27 PM, said:

Khell - how did your strategic command tokens go from 4S to 5S since your last turn? Did I miss something?

Agreed, it should be 1/2/4

I started 5the round with 1/2/4. I gained three command tokens with leadership secondary - 2/2/6. Blend took one by using the PN I gave him - 2/2/5. I took a tactical action - 1/2/5

You forgot using TECHNOLOGY secondary, which brings it down to 1/2/4.

[D'rek]

twelve, on 09 May 2018 - 07:10 AM, said:

Nicodimas, on 09 May 2018 - 06:49 AM, said:

twelve, on 09 May 2018 - 06:32 AM, said:

Blend. Looks like Nico stole from you when you used my pn to take my goods. Since he didn't hold up his end of the deal who are you giving those 2 trade goods to instead? He can't steal from Tatts and he might not steal from IH. I don't think he borders ItwasGnaw. Or someone else. Just noticed D'rek edited my post saying that he swiped a good but it wasn't clear if your action post reflected that.

I’m not pilliaging Blend actually... so you might have modified your post to try to suggest I am. Interesting tactic

I expect you to take one when I gain some but why did she say specifically that you are taking it from Blend. Look at the post it says last modified by D'rek. I can't change that.

I added it to Twelve's post based on what Nico's PMs said to do.

[Blend]

Twelve - I am told you did not use my Trade Agreement PN?

[Tattersail_]

Tapper, on 09 May 2018 - 08:08 AM, said:

It is a long way to 11 VP to win straightaway, even for Khell. At some point, someone will take Imperial (and probably charge through the nose for it) to stop whomever owns Mecatol 'for the greater good', but with Khell at 4/11 VP and 3/8 rounds of play, we have just entered the mid-game and most players have only just finished their land grab and are now building their economies and techs.

Just had to read this again as was confused the first time. I understand its first to 11 VP but what do you mean by 3/8 rounds?

[Tapper]

Tattersail_, on 09 May 2018 - 01:45 PM, said:

Tapper, on 09 May 2018 - 08:08 AM, said:

It is a long way to 11 VP to win straightaway, even for Khell. At some point, someone will take Imperial (and probably charge through the nose for it) to stop whomever owns Mecatol 'for the greater good', but with Khell at 4/11 VP and 3/8 rounds of play, we have just entered the mid-game and most players have only just finished their land grab and are now building their economies and techs.

Just had to read this again as was confused the first time. I understand its first to 11 VP but what do you mean by 3/8 rounds?

The maximum length of the game (which I got wrong)
When there is no longer an Objective to be turned over, the game ends.
Before the game, 10 Objectives are placed (5 rank I objectives, 5 rank II objectives, Speaker turns a new one over just after the scoring part of the Status Phase iirc).
Round 1 starts with 2 objectives revealed. End of round 1, a 3rd comes into play, end of round 2 a 4th.

My mistake was that I thought (length of game = # objectives -2). It isn't, as a full turn is played before the Speaker fails to turn over an Objective.
So the actual maximum length is 9 rounds, 8 in which an Objective is turned over during the status phase, plus one where there's nothing to turn over.

[twelve]

Blend, on 09 May 2018 - 01:43 PM, said:

Twelve - I am told you did not use my Trade Agreement PN?

I did use it. It was in my first post but somehow removed during its many editings. I didn't give myself the trade goods on my turn because you hadn't refreshed your commodities yet.