On August 2, 1914, Germany and the Ottoman Empire secretly signed a treaty of alliance. The Sultan, the nominal commander in chief of Turkish military forces, however, did not endorse the treaty, and Djemal Pasha continued in the attempt to reach a treaty with France. Eventually, the confiscation of two Turkish battleships being built in Britain and the flight of the Goeben forced Turkey's hand.
------------------------------
Ottoman Sunset is a State of Siege game by Victory Point Games. It is a solitaire simulation of the fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Ottoman Empire during the Great War. I played this game recently, and spoke about it in an upcoming GrogCast. I had so much fun with it, in fact, I would love to do an AAR. Hopefully I can catch the various nuances of the game in this AAR without getting wiped completely off the map!
The map, with no counters:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2F000%2520Map%2520Plain.jpg&hash=1c2fbcbd38eeb73a6bb0ac2886e6590c4152180b)
The game is not necessarily played to win, but rather, played to NOT lose. The Ottoman Empire is initially beset by three Allied armies - the Caucasus Front (Russians), the Mesopotamia Front (British), and the Sinai Front (British). There are plenty of other threats on the horizon, though; there is also the Arab Front, the Salonika Front (in Greece, as the French), the Gallipoli Front (in Turkey, as the British), and finally, the Narrows. The Narrows can end the game in one turn if the British manage to run the gauntlet successfully!
The fronts on the map, at start:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2F002%2520Map%2520at%2520Start-Fronts.jpg&hash=4079baeb848e5aaa716ffebcfe360e2fa0fe3176)
Finally, there's a little matter of National Will. At game start, it begins at zero (0), but can fluctuate based on two events: one, the Central Powers winning or losing a major engagement on another front, or two, from the various army fronts on the board capturing Strategic Sites.
Off-map battles, such as Verdun or Jutland, occur as Events from card draws. The only way the Ottomans can influence these battles is by contributing Resources to a theater. There are three theaters - the Western, the Naval, and the Eastern. Every time the Central Powers win a battle, this increases the Ottoman's National Will by 1. Every time one is lost, this decreases it by 1. If there's a stalemate, the National Will does not move.
The Strategic Sites:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2F003%2520Map%2520w%2520Strat%2520Areas_1.jpg&hash=46c49db5446ffdee3f597cb997c903fbd0a8ab3b)
The National Will track:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2F004%2520National%2520Will.jpg&hash=8b621b0315ab5265f99a3fa90f2011d79da06214)
So, the player wins this game by surviving through to the very last card draw. Each turn, a card is drawn, events carried out, fronts deployed/moved/removed, and Actions taken. I'll get more into that as the game goes on. The player loses automatically in one of three cases:
- the National Will reaches -3
- the British force the Narrows and capture Constantinople
- any Front advances into Constantinople
...so, I have my work cut out for me.
I will do my best to enhance this AAR with Photoshopping. I thought about doing each card, as this is a card-driven game, but that's a bit too much and I don't want to burn out halfway through as I have with some of my other AARs. I will, however, be as descriptive as possible.
Again, I hope this reaches the very end, or becomes as nail-biting as my first game...not as a complete failure as in my second game (when the British succeeded, barely, at running the Narrows).
I will play a few turns, do some graphics, and update this AAR as the game progresses. I hope you guys enjoy it, and hope it ends up being a good reflection on this excellent system.
Turn 1
Card Draw: 07 "Turkish Minelaying"
In November, 1914, after the bombardment of Seddulbahir by the British Navy, the Turks began fortifying the vulnerable "Narrows" against Fleet action. The foundation of the Strait's defenses was a series of 10 minefields, containing a total of 370 mines. Unbeknownst to the Allies, on the night of March 8, 1915, the Turkish minelayer Nusret laid a line of mines in Eren Koy Bay.
First, I get to immediately place one Minefield marker for free, if available (there are two, and none have been placed, so yes). This is a great way to bolster the Narrows. I place it in one of the two Minefield boxes - it does not matter which one.
If this sector activates, the British have to force their way through the straights. On the map there are four points where they would have to roll to avoid taking a hit to their Fortitude. If their Fortitude takes too many hits and gets reduced to zero, their Narrows adventure fails. If they make it to the end, though, without being zero, they get to Constantinople and win the game.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT1%2520Minefield.jpg&hash=78c9f0874582a037c28efc20bf4d843848e41e59)
This goes a long way to helping bolster against that 'quick win' the Allies can get.
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This card indicates the Arab and Caucasus Fronts need to move. Since the Arab Front does not exist yet (it has not yet been deployed), this part is ignored. The Caucasus Front, however, moves from the 5 space to the 4 space.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT1%2520Cauc%2520Move.jpg&hash=6ca355af7d953c8619c20541d88f521ff882f33a)
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Finally, the card indicates I can take two Actions.
Actions allow me to do any of the following:
- Conduct an Offensive (to try to push a Front back one space).
- Allocate Resources to a Theater (where one Resource gives a +1 DRM [die roll modifier] to a Battle in that Theater); however, it costs two Actions to do this.
- Redeploy the Intelligence Bureau (which helps for Coup attempts, but since it's not in the game yet, this is a waste).
- Place Turkish Defenses (either a Minefield or a Fortification in the Narrows).
Right now, the Caucasus Front would be very easy to push back; an Offensive against it would mean I'd need to roll a 3 or higher (note the '2' on the Caucasus Front's marker; a 1 or 2 would fail) to push it back one space. Better than even odds! But since I lost one game because of the Narrows and those pesky British with their super-ships, I'm going to spend both my Actions to fortify the Narrows.
I choose to place the other Minefield marker (1 Action) and then place a Fortification in Dardanos (1 Action).
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT1%2520End.jpg&hash=6d5fddecefbb6442b1fc435c9d69cb56d2a2a7b0)
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As our Central Powers buddies have not lost or won any major battles, and we have no Strategic Sites behind any Fronts, our National Will remains at a relatively stable '0.'
One card/turn down, dozens upon dozens to go! One hopes, anyway...
Turn 2
Card Draw: 01 "Intelligence Bureau of the East"
The Intelligence Bureau of the East (Nachrichtenstelle fur den Orient) was established at the start of the war to promote nationalist agitation against the British Empire. Headed by archeologist Baron Max von Oppenheim, the organization sent agents into India and Egypt in order to stir unrest and was also involved in subversive missions to Persia and Afghanistan.
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Interesting, because the only other time I drew this card was when the game was nearly over and two of the three British provinces (Persia, Afghanistan, and India) had already had Coup attempts. This card means I get to place the marker representing this power (and a +2 DRM to any Coup cards drawn) on any of the three areas I listed above. This move would cost 1 Action. Once moved, I could move it again, for a cost of 2 Actions. Since no Coups have happened yet, it is only a matter of time before one is drawn, and is a safe bet (unless the game ends prematurely of course) that I'll choose correctly. Whether I choose the one that actually Coups first, though... :-\ I'll have to wait until it's time to perform Actions if I choose to do that.
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The card orders me to advance the Mesopotamia Front, so it moves from the 5 space to the 4 space. This is the only Front to move for this card (thankfully).
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT2%2520Move.jpg&hash=9f5c4a0e1eaa7e1b3acd665fcf5d9af68cab40bf)
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This card gives me one Action. It also gives me a +1 to all Offensives versus the Mesopotamia Front. Since they are tougher than the Caucasus Front, I'm going to conduct an Offensive against the Mesopotamia Front to take advantage of that sweet, sweet DRM. The Intelligence Bureau will have to wait for another turn.
Meanwhile I have the great yet nebulous and not-appearing-in-this-film Ottoman Army attack the Mesopotamia Front. Their Battle Value is 3, so I have to roll a 4, 5, or 6 on a 6-sided die to beat them back into square number 5. However, since the card gives me a +1 DRM, I only need a 3, 4, 5, or 6.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FDie%25205.png&hash=6ebbd7fc7f858ed1fd1f52bab384bd829eef7f04) +1 = 6
The Sultan's glorious armies push back the Mesopotamia Front! Huzzah! HUZZAHHHH!!!!
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT2%2520Win_1.jpg&hash=bd0af3712d6fb76f97adf06f4dfcf2ce2a67228a)
Uhh...wait, what do you mean, there's more turns to play?
Oh, that's right. Two measly cards down...48 more to go.
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The National Will track does not budge as nothing has yet happened to move it. We're still in the war!
Turn 3
Card Draw: 09 "Armenian Volunteer Units"
Armenian volunteer units served in the Russian and British Armies during the First World War. The origins of these units varied from Armenians who escaped the Ottomans to Armenians who lived in areas under Tsarist control. Harsh treatment of Armenians within the Empire led many to resistance, which was used as an excuse for the genocide to follow.
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Despite the interesting description, there is no Event with this particular card.
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Advance:
The Arab Front advances, but as they do not exist yet, this does not happen.
Dashkov, leading the Caucasus Front, pushes further westwards to Van (space 3). They are now one space from the Strategic Site of Erzurum, so I'll likely have to take action against them this turn.
Finally, the Sinai Front under Murray have an Advance order to move from Suez (space 6) to El-Arish (space 5). However, the Sinai Front operates under limitations in this part of the map: thanks to the lack of potable water, an Advance order into spaces 5 or 4 have to make an Attrition Roll in order to complete the advance. There is an Event card that builds the "Sinai Pipeline," which provides enough water so that this is not an issue, but for now, it is. If the roll is equal to or less than Murray's Battle Value of 3, the Sinai Front may not move this turn.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FDie%25203.png&hash=9b91ccce8d714ff0b8a5c840ea89e05b8d432f39) ...so the Sinai Front is unable to move forward this turn due to scorching heat and a lack of water.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT3%2520Move.jpg&hash=cfe64f628949973bcab3cb6bbaf0d40c37d7ac16)
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This card gives me two Actions.
I'm spending one of them to try to push back the Caucasus Front. As it's Battle Value is only 2, I need to roll a 3 or higher to push it back.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FDie%25204.png&hash=3d258fd6dcfd8c227bd19f4494fed54341e04301) ...so the Ottoman Army facing the Caucasus Front manage to push them back a space.
I'm going to use my second Action to invest in von Oppenheim's little Bureau venture, providing him with the logistics he needs to move his infrastructure to Afghanistan. Why Afghanistan? Why not? At this point it's a crapshoot when it comes to upcoming Coups...if they happen, that is.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT3%2520End.jpg&hash=ac219c637075964241593b499a288683a67330fc)
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Our National Will remains at zero for the time being. We're surviving, but it's still early yet!
Turn 4
Card Draw: 19 "Senussi Revolt"
In November, 1915, Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi, the head of a religious sect of tribesmen in Libya, was encouraged to attack the British in Egypt. After seizing a few oases, British forces with South African aid expelled the Senussi from Egypt permanently by February, 1917.
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Retreat:
This card orders the Sinai Front to retreat a space. Since they're already in the 6 space, they don't go anywhere. This would have come in handy later in the game!
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Advance:
The Mesopotamia Front advances from Basra (space 5) to Ctesiphon (space 4).
The Gallipoli Front has an Advance order, but since Mr. Churchill's historically disastrous idea hasn't quite gelled yet and become a reality, there are no moves to make there.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT4%2520Move.jpg&hash=7d5f336e9ed3c0b98f1cca57e9fcbd7043cd0a0b)
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The Ottomans get two Actions from this card. Since the Caucasus and Mesopotamia Fronts are not immediate threats, and I really want to assist my Central Powers brethren, I'm going to spend both Actions on adding a Resource (and a +1 DRM) to the Western Theater.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT4%2520W%2520Theater.jpg&hash=fa4302bc1a04e720f5077c4f6117f7e0b9f39e48)
This will make a difference when those very influential battles start happening. I can add up to two of these Resource markers to each Front, if I choose to.
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Our National Will remains a solid zero.
Thoughts? Feedback?
I linked this to the Ottoman Sunset thread at CSW
http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX/.1dd4e1b9/89
will also notify VPG O0
Sweet, thanks! :)
Admittedly, I love VPG. Their customer service is second to none. When I ordered Hapsburg Eclipse this past holiday season, my puppy chewed the bloody cover off of it. I wrote them to ask for a replacement cover...didn't expect to be able to get one without paying, which would be perfectly understandable given this was totally my fault. But they sent me one for free. I figure I owe them for that. O0
Thanks to all for the shares, likes, and views! I'll get some more turns posted later tonight (probably around 8pm CST or so).
Turn 5
Card Draw: 12 "Gorlice Tarnow"
In May, 1915, a combined Austro-German offensive was launched against the Russian Empire, seeking to reclaim the last territories in Galica. The Central Powers' breakthrough led to a substantial loss of Russian-controlled territory and the capture of an estimated 140,000 prisoners.
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Event:
This card calls for me to conduct an Eastern Theater battle (as mentioned above, Gorlice Tarnow).
This is one of many battles fought by the Ottoman's Central Powers allies. Victory can mean a reinforcement of will to continue the fight; a defeat will be a drag on it and can help lead to the Empire seeking terms. Since this Eastern Theater battle is relatively easy - it's Battle Value is 2 - hopefully the Germans and Austrians will whip the Russians just as they did historically...
There are no DRMs as I have no Resources associated with the Eastern Theater, so it will just be a straight die roll...
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FDie%25204.png&hash=3d258fd6dcfd8c227bd19f4494fed54341e04301)
The Germans and Austrians manage to defeat the Russian army, just as they did in history! This one will go into the 'Victories' box!
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT5%2520Win.jpg&hash=7583752b4eb39351f7d8054ff59f00ce6be899b7)
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Advance:
The Caucasus Front and the Sinai Front are ordered to advance by this card.
The Caucasus Front moves automatically, from space 4 (Sarikamish) to space 3 (Van). Again, the future Commie troublemakers are one space away from Erzurum, a Strategic Site. This is not acceptable.
The Sinai Front is still faced with the lack of water; however, I roll a 1, well less than their Battle Value of 3, so the jerks move from space 6 (Suez) to space 5 (El-Arish). They still have to make a roll to advance to the next space, so it's not all that bad. Yet.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT5%2520Move.jpg&hash=a5c01569bd90caa8ed22d051c7612793ed52be47)
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Actions: 3
With three actions, I can do some damage. Hmm...
First, I want to push back those weak Russians in the Caucasus Front. I roll a 2, and FAIL. Wait...FAIL?
Sigh.
Second, I want to push back those weak cowardly, hiding Russians in the Caucasus Front (because...yeah, because the terrain is all rough and all, and the Ottoman Army couldn't find them! That's the ticket!). I roll a 3. My Ottoman Army just kind of goes "meh" and gives the Russians a little shove, putting the Caucasus Front back to space 4. Then presumably they go back to sunning themselves on the shores of the Black Sea.
So I have one more Action. I can conduct another Offensive, or build another Fort in the Narrows. Since I've already moved the Intelligence Bureau for the East, moving it again would cost me two Actions instead of one (presumably the Germans give the five-fingered discount to Afghanistan and end up having a lot of souvenirs they'd need to move). And since the Narrows already have seven fortifications/minefields, I'll go ahead and have my army conduct another Offensive.
This time, I'm going to aim them at the Mesopotamia Front. While it would be funny to push the Sinai Front back a space, especially because they worked so damn hard to move just one space, the Mesopotamia Front is a threat to Baghdad if they move in the next turn. I roll a 3, which is a failure, apparently because the Ottoman Army out there is too distracted by...Mesopotamian stuff, I guess.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT5%2520End.jpg&hash=fa0af366d7da22be9bcd6ed6864b3f6b9c24d460)
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The National Will actually advances by 1! I did not reflect that in the last screenshot, but I will in the next one on the following turn.
Turn 6
Card Draw: 04 "Enver To The Front"
Enver Pasha was one of the "Young Turks" who took control of the Ottoman Empire through the CUP (Committee of Union and Progress). Insisting on taking personal command, Enver invaded the mountainous Caucasus region in the height of winter in December, 1914. The result was a resounding defeat for Ottoman Forces at the Battle of Sarikamish, involving over 50,000 casualties.
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Event:
There is no Event this turn. There are a few cards like this (obviously, as this is the second one I've drawn), which is both a relief and strangely, a disappointment at the same time.
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Advance:
Again, the Caucasus Front and the Sinai Front get marching orders.
The Caucasus Front moves from space 4 (Sarikamish) to space 3 (Van)...again. Notice a pattern? The Caucasus Front might be one of the weaker ones, but they are VERY active in this game. And, they can get stronger as the game goes on (this can happen to all Fronts, actually, depending on the luck 'o the card draw).
The Sinai Front has a chance to move from space 5 (El-Arish) to space 4 (Gaza-Beersheba). To do this, a die roll once again has to be less than their Battle Value.
I roll a 3. This is equal to their Battle Value, so the Sinai Front fails to move again, though just barely missing.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT6%2520Move.jpg&hash=c4ac0235fe7d148c6c78a0bc6736cb6fa230d5d3)
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This card gives me two Actions. However, it also limits me. In spirit of the card's description, I can only use these Actions to conduct Offensives against the Caucasus Front...which is fine. They need a little lesson in encroaching on Ottoman soil!
The Battle of Van (probably the third or fourth by now, I lose count; I imagine real estate in the area has dropped tremendously thanks to all these battles) results in a die roll of 4. They're forced back to Sarikamish!
Recall the flavor text, above...the battle was lost by OUR side, and rather splendidly too, apparently, at Sarikamish. Fortunately, in this retelling of history via the game, I roll a 6 and we manage to totally ravage Dashkov's troops, pushing them all the way back to space 5, Kars. HA!
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT6%2520Battle.jpg&hash=5136fa0a8fd924bd699961cff7d520725c4bb913)
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Our National Will remains at +1.
Just in case you were curious...you can see the National Will track goes to "5+." That's the limit; any values higher than 5 remain at 5. We do not automatically win the game if we get to that level. One can only assume lots of Sultan parties taking place across the lands and rabid nationalism sweeping many eager recruits into the armed services. Right now, 'my' people are only entertaining a partial grin and a shrug when it comes to Ottman fortunes, but that's better than storming the palace and beheading the leadership. (Note: that last bit isn't really a thing in the game, but it probably wouldn't be too far off the mark...)
Turn 7
Card Draw: 17 "Grand Duke Nicholas Takes Control"
In September, 1915, Grand Duke Nicholas, the grandson of Tsar Nicholas I, who had been removed as Commander-in-Chief on the Eastern Front, took the helm of the Caucasus operations. While his able subordinate, Nikolai Yudenich, was nominally in charge, Grand Duke Nicholas ran strategic affairs until the Provisional Government took over Russia in February, 1918.
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Event:
So, with Grand Duke Nicholas taking over, the Caucasus Front becomes a little harder to handle, with an increased Battle Value of 3. This will make Offensives a little more difficult, though far from impossible. As much as the game system likes to move this Front, though...
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Advance:
Three Fronts are ordered to advance by this card.
The Mesopotamia Front moves from space 4 (Ctesiphon) to space 3 (Kut)...one space from Baghdad.
The Gallipoli Front is ordered to move, but that's somewhat difficult as it does not exist quite yet, so this Advance order is ignored.
For the first time, the Sailonka Front is ordered to move, but like the Gallipoli Front, it is merely a dream, and remains as substantial. Only the Mesopotamia Front therefore makes a move this Turn.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT7%2520Move.jpg&hash=f890cb7ae20195036569682f67f6ff67f4a49f79)
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Actions:
This Card gives me three Actions. Thank goodness, because the Mesopotamia Front is in need of a little attention. I really would like to add another +1 DRM to another Theater, but with a two Action cost, my one offensive against Townshend's troops in Kut will have to be successful. With a Battle Value of 3, it's a 50/50 shot at success.
I roll a 6. What, me worry?
The Mesopotamia Front suffers a setback and all gains they get this Turn evaporate quickly. They're pushed back to Ctesiphon.
I'm also going to go ahead and spend my remaining two Actions to add a +1 DRM to...well, that's something of a toss up. There's four battles remaining in the Eastern Theater, three in the Western Theater, and two in the Naval Theater. The Naval Theater is by far the most difficult to win, while the Eastern is somewhat easiest of the three. Do I add a DRM to the more difficult theater, or add it to the easiest to ensure a victory?
There's no sure thing with anything, but a DRM modifier will come in handy, big time, in the Naval Theater. I have the Ottomans send resources to our Central Powers allies, in the form of...something awfully naval-like.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT7%2520Actions.jpg&hash=cb82a14b916ea2979a7ba3956d82df5f45c82134)
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National Will remains at a somewhat smug +1. Better than the negatives.
So far, we've managed to survive seven Turns, and managed it with quite a bit of luck. I've expected to get the Mid-Day Deck card, which orders those cards to be shuffled in with the Morning Deck I've been drawing from. Those make life much more difficult for the Ottomans. Thus far we've managed to build up some good defenses in the Narrows, and managed to hold back two uppity fronts, with a third one more or less stymying itself more than anything.
But, none of that will last forever. We've actually had it kind of easy so far. Things will NOT remain this way.
I hope I didn't just ruin it by typing all that...
My AAR posting might slow down/stop for the next couple of weeks. It's going to be a busy week at work, then with editing a couple of GrogCasts, and then some organizing and packing as the wife and I are headed off on a cruise ship this coming Saturday morning and will be gone for a week.
If I don't get more Ottoman Sunset posts in, they will definitely resume the second week of April. :)
Finally! After a two-week hiatus (vacation and work stuff kept me at bay), we're back! :)
Turn 8
Card Draw: 18 "Bulgaria Joins the Central Powers"
Bulgaria entered the war on behalf of the Central Powers in October of 1915, lured by German promises to restore their prior borders. Although Bulgarian forces won victories against Serbia and Romania and occupied much of Macedonia, the war soon became unpopular due to economic hardship and dislike of fighting as allies with Muslims, against fellow Eastern Orthodox Christians. In September, 1918, when a multinational Allied force broke through on the Salonika Front, the Bulgarians sued for peace.
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Event:
No Event this turn. (Whew.)
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Advance:
Both the Mesopotamia Front and the Sinai Front are ordered to advance. As the Sinai Front needs a 2 or less to advance in the parched deserts along their path of advance, rolling a 3 (which I did) means they are stuck in El-Arish for the time being. However, the Mesopotamia Front advances to Kut. Again.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT8%2520Move.jpg&hash=d3c216ead779f405467ff50682b48c6644f96d7c)
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Actions: 1
This Card only gives me one Action. As the Mesopotamia Front is doing its swing of the pendulum, I am going to spend it trying to push them back. Again.
I roll a 5, which puts Townshend once again back to space 4 (Ctesiphon). Things happened in this turn juuuust as they did in the last, which is very unusual for this game.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT7%2520Actions.jpg&hash=cb82a14b916ea2979a7ba3956d82df5f45c82134)
----
The situation remains a solid...well, the same. I'm surprised that there isn't more flux in the game, and now that I've said that, I'm probably totally screwed. As soon as I draw the card that adds the mid-day deck, things are going to get a lot more interesting. I guess I can't complain - I'm not losing!
Turn 9
Card Draw: 05 "Ghadar Conspiracy"
Early in the war, the Germans attempted to foment revolution in British India. Working with radical nationalists in the country, the Ghadar party in North America, and the Indian independence committee in Germany, a plot for a large-scale mutiny of Indian troops in February 1915 was launched. The plan failed miserably, as British intelligence had successfully infiltrated.
----
Event:
Coup in India.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FIndia%25205.jpg&hash=a446bbad09b2aa47b93eed48dc43d2c93ed51674)
A Coup means I roll a die and hope to exceed the number on the counter. As you can see, it's a 5, so only a 6 is going to win the day. My Intelligence Bureau for the East marker is unfortunately in Afghanistan, so the +2 DRM I was talking about earlier in this AAR does not apply here.
Further unfortunately, I roll a 2, which means the Coup in India fails about as miserably as it did historically. Ah, well.
Had it succeeded, the marker would have gone into my Victories section, but as it failed, it (fortunately) goes nowhere else.
----
Advance
The Card calls for three Fronts to advance.
The Arab Front...will not, as it has not entered the board yet. (Yay! It's the little things in this game...)
The Gallipoli Front...also will not, as it has not entered play yet, either. So far, so good...
The Caucasus Front (I knew they've been too quiet for too long!) will, however, advance. They're way back in space 5 (Kars), and move to space 4 (Sarikamish).
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT9%2520Move.jpg&hash=5f6a7084e5f2b97b1d5fadb9ebb553e0962c9185)
----
Actions: 2
As none of the Fronts are really a big danger right now, I'm going to spend both actions to invest resources in the Eastern Theater, giving me a +1 DRM to any future battles rolled there. For now, I have a +1 DRM in each of the three Theaters, giving me a decent coverage. I can add one more DRM per Theater if I want to later, but that's the limit.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT8%2520Actions.jpg&hash=1d059da3975f39f92c4ad014a02cbe95da974e0b)
----
National Will remains at +1, and this far into the game, I can't really hope for a better result (well, I can of course, but considering how much worse it COULD be...)
Turn 10
Card Draw: 11 "Gallipoli Landings"
Hoping to break the stalemate in the war and knock the Ottoman Empire out quickly, young British First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, conceived of a dynamic invasion of the Gallipoli peninsula. On April 25, 1915, the landings began, but incompetence, coupled with the resolute efforts of the Turkish defenders, bogged down the campaign for many months.
----
Event:
This is but one of many unsettling Events that occur in the game.
So far, I've managed to keep the Allied Powers at bay, and done so rather comfortably. The card draws have been in my favor. This one is not necessarily the final nail in the coffin, so much as it is one of the first ones. Things can only get more challenging from this point forward.
This Card instructs to place the Hamilton-commanded Gallipoli Front onto the map, in the 4 space of that track (Cape Helles); it is a 2-Strength Front, so it's not that strong, but it's just one more thing for me to worry about.
It also has the "added benefit" of destroying the Seddulbahir Gun Emplacement, one of the first points of defense in the Narrows. This will mean any British attempt there via sea will be that much easier. Good thing I spent some time reinforcing there early on in the game while things were quiet.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT10%2520Event.jpg&hash=464f036e303e2d8d858dbbd5f18cd506100d73e7)
----
Advance:
This Card orders the Arab Front and the Caucasus Front to both move forward. Since the Arab Front is not yet in existence (though I'm sure its time is coming very soon!), those pesky Russkies advance to Space 3 (Van).
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT11%2520Advance.jpg&hash=986365e97a6f041718d3237d263955f372bbeb68)
----
Actions: 2
I get two Actions this Turn. Right now I can't do anything about the Gallipoli Front appearing. The Russians in the Caucasus Front are the furthest advanced on the map, so I'm going to spend one Action trying to push them back. I have to roll a 4 or higher to succeed.
I roll a '4,' so the Grand Duke's troops are once again pushed back.
I have one more Action. With the destruction of that one fortress, I'm slightly paranoid (I did, after all, lose a game because the damned British got all the way through, by the skin of their well-manicured teeth no less), so I'm spending it to build the fortress of Yildiz.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT11%2520Advance%25202.jpg&hash=43f1dc18fce77c16130298cea6362a6ca4c71605)
----
National Will
This remains at a relatively solid +1. On a side note, last weekend I got home with my wife from a wedding; we had been out all day. When I got home, the board was half on the floor along with some of the game pieces. Apparently my son accidentally knocked it over the edge and then, of course, didn't notice what he did. As I have two dogs I was at first afraid of pieces going down their endless gullets, but it looked like all the pieces were present. I was, however, incorrect, as I've just realized my National Will marker is missing.
I swear, if it's not the Allied Powers, it's my dogs and my son's inattentiveness.
Such is life. The game shall go on!
I know I've been changing some of the formatting as I've moved along. I've not been as consistent as I'd like to be, though I'm pretty certain nobody really cares except me and other anal members of these forums that Shall Not Be NamedTM. :)
Turn 11
Card Draw: 10 "Second Battle of Ypres"----
In November, 1914, German armies clashed with French and British forces at Ypres, a small Belgian town. In April of 1915, the Germans launched an offensive, regaining the high ground east of the town. The battle was distinguished by the first major use of poison gas. In the third offensive in 1917 (also known as the Passchedaele), armies clashed with a half million casualties for all sides.----
Event:This Event calls for me to conduct the Ypres battle in the Western Theater.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT11A%2520Second%2520Ypres.jpg&hash=e13a8a73ac905b9da95ad1c45854c4c11504d1d3)
Apropos of nothing, my sense of history was ruined regarding Ypres the moment I saw this Monty Python sketch, back in the day:
In any case...
An Off-Map Battle is something slightly out of my control. I'm lucky that I invested in DRMs for each Theater, so I have a +1 DRM in each of them. As you can see from the Second Ypres marker, above, the Battle Value is 4. So I'll need a 4 or higher...a 50/50 chance that the Germans carry the day...
I roll a '6.' The DRM makes it a 7. Not that this is necessary as apparently the Kaiser's boys knock the Brits back and for a loop at the same time. This marker goes into my 'Victories' space and means another +1 to my National Will, for a total of 2.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT11A%2520Event.jpg&hash=e3b862b38b546c1ed789368b154cb9b2db34f342)
...good thing I have that 'virtual' National Will marker. Puppies, sigh.
----
Advance:This Card orders the (wait for it...!)
Caucasus Front and the Sinai Front to both move.
The
Caucasus Front, like a drunken prizefighter feeling no pain, lurches forward once again into space 3 (Van).
The
Sinai Front, placed as it is in space 5 (El-Arish) and without the benefit (yet) of a fabled water pipeline, must make a roll less than their Battle Value to advance. The die continues to be my friend; I roll a '5' so the Sinai Front remains, once again, still due to thirst.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT11A%2520Advance.jpg&hash=3e5431008d6973bdfbea7f377a8285df13053a78)
----
Actions: 1That's hardly enough to get anything done, but fortunately, there's not a target-rich environment right now except for...yeah, the Russians. Time to give them another 'Ottoman Meathook' uppercut and hope they stagger back.
However, this time luck is not with me. I roll a '3,' which means the Grand Duke stays in Van. That's not too bad, but it's not good news either...
The map doesn't change significantly as a result.
----
National WillThanks to our German brothers from other mothers, we've increased the will of the Ottoman people to a +2, giving us a bit more breathing room. We'll need it, because there's only two cards left in the deck for this 'Morning' set; that means the 'Mid-Day' set will be coming soon, and there's a 50-50 chance I will draw it for the next Turn.
Thank you for reading. I will update this again in a few days. O0
Heck with it, I'm onna roll, let's keep going and see where this takes us! O0
Turn 12
Card Draw: 03 "Jihad Declared"
-----
On November 14, 1914, on behalf of the Sultan, the religious leader Sheikh-ul-Islam declared Jihad (holy war), urging all Muslims, including those in Allied countries, to take up arms. The appeal had a limited effect in Muslim lands under British rule. Sheik Hussein ibn Ali, the Emir of Mecca, refused to endorse Jihad, saying that it was incompatible with an aggressive war.
-----
Event:
Shuffle the Mid-Day cards into the deck.
Well...finally. I guess? Ha...in a few of my previous games, this was the %*@#% card that showed up within one or two draws of game start. Things will decidedly get hairier now (not literally, unless these pretend soldiers answering this pretend call have lots of pretend beard face going on, but I digress).
As there is only one remaining card from the Morning deck, it's rather easy to shuffle everything. I guess that's something. We'll see next turn how this pans out. For now, though...
-----
Advance:
The Allied Powers make three pushes via the Caucasus Front (of course), the Mesopotamia Front, and the Sinai Front.
Ouch. The Russians are pressing way too close to our capital. One can almost smell the vodka and military failure in the air...
The Caucasus Front moves to space 2 (Erzurum), which also happens to be a Strategic Site. If I cannot kick them out of it, their occupation of it will cost me -1 National Will, and that's absolutely unacceptable.
The Mesopotamia Front under Townshend moves to space 3 (Kut), which is one space from Baghdad, and yet another Strategic Site.
The Sinai Front is, of course, only allowed to move if they can roll under their Battle Value (3). Well, I mean, *I* have to roll under 3 to move them. A 4, 5, or 6 means they stay right where they are. Fortunately, I throw a '4,' so they at least don't move. Again.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT12%2520Advance.jpg&hash=0e42062138b4756df082bad4734ab9713bbe624d)
-----
Actions: 3
+1 to All Offensives
This is good. Three Actions and a +1 to my offensives. Guess who I'm going after first?
Yep. Russkies. Hold on to your vodka, boys...my first Action is an offensive against the Caucasus Front. With a +1, how can I lose?
Well...apparently, very easily. I roll a '1.' My luck fails. +1 to that means a dismal 2, and the shoddy Russians manage to hold on to Erzurum.
I cannot let that stand! I have to spend another Action to try again to kick them out. This time it's better - I roll a '2!' Welp, that stinks too, because even with the +1, that means a result of 3, which is equal to their Battle Value. So they STILL remain in Erzurum.
This is one very annoying thing about the dice...when they want to hate you, they REALLY will hate you.
So I have no choice now. Well, I mean, of COURSE I have a choice, but the biggest threat to the Ottomans right now is the Caucasus Front sitting in Erzurum. And the fact that two easy rolls have just been blown. Seriously, failure can ONLY occur this turn on a 1 or 2, and those are the exact results I've gotten thus far.
Okay...one more try. The third Action goes to yet another offensive against the Russians. I roll a...
Okay, interesting story time. I rolled, and the die almost went off the table. I used my catlike reflexes to stop it, and it bounced off my hand, and resulted in a 1. Not having any of that, I re-rolled...and got another 1. I rerolled AGAIN...and got a 2. I then, in frustration, bounced the die off the table, and it graciously rewarded my feeble effort at punishing it by bouncing off the table and underneath it. When I got down on the floor to get it, the result was...a 1.
I think my die is haunted.
Nevertheless, I knew I'd have to go with the first roll, but it's interesting how it absolutely refused to be bullied into rolling better.
The Ottoman Army really sucks. Have I mentioned that yet? I can't believe three Actions were just wasted, but that's the way the Jihad crumbles, I guess.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT12%2520Actions.jpg&hash=87187036faac5fa084705a70468c25d4eeb7a272)
-----
National Will: +1
Our NW has dropped one point...the people at home apparently don't like Russians in their midst. Not this far inside the Empire, anyway. And I can't blame them...that was a truly awful performance by their Army.
As you can see, the Russians are now only two spaces from Constantinople and causing the game to end by default. They of course can only advance one space per Turn, but it's pretty much a guarantee (if past performance is any indication) that they are going to move again the next Turn. I can only hope the generals whip the Ottoman troops into a lather and kick the Russians' hineys back to the Caucasus Mountains, where they belong.
That was a pretty awful showing in Turn 12. Let's see how much worse it can get!
:))
Turn 13
(oh, great...'13')
Card Draw: 45 "Sykes-Picot Agreement Divulged"
-----
Between November 1915 and March 1916, the governments of Britain and France reached an agreement on the division of the Middle East in the aftermath of an Allied victory. The tsar of Russia subsequently ratified the text; however, int he aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution, Lenin revealed the plan. Arab nationalists and Zionists were outraged because the Allies had given them contradictory promises.
-----
Event:
No Event this turn.
-----
Advance:
The Salonika Front and Mesopotamia Fronts are both ordered to advance. Since the Salonika Front is not yet in the game, we move to the Mesopotamia Front to space 2 (Baghdad). And, as a Strategic Site, that means our National Will drops yet another point, to zero. Things are not going well.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT13%2520Advance.jpg&hash=7b924f31365ad1c437de75fb98721478ef5bf59f)
-----
Actions: 2
+1 to all Offensives on Sinai or Arab Fronts
Great. Two Actions. I have to try to split them between the Russians and the Brits. However, the Arab Front is not on the map so I cannot use it against them. The Sinai Front is indeed one space along its track, but its track record thus far (ba-dum-tisshhhh!) is somewhat unimpressive, so an attack there would be useless I think. No, I have to try my luck (such as it is) against the Caucasus Front and Mesopotamia Front.
Deep breath...here goes...
The first Action is spent in an offensive against the Caucasus Front. I need a 4 or higher to push them out, so it's a 50-50 shot. Worse odds than in the last turn. I roll a '2.'
Great. Of course.
Welp, so much for that. Now I'm in a quandary...which Front do I fail in attacking, now? Do I fail against the Russians or against the Brits?
I'm going to go for the Russians again. They seem to get more movement orders than anyone else. Hopefully this is the right call. And it's pretty moot now as I still have to throw a good roll...you know, like I used to do a few turns ago.
Anyway. I roll a '5.' FINALLY. Some good news. The Russians are finally dislodged and fall back to Van, space 3.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT13%2520Actions.jpg&hash=0b630e891fee1f1b4a2ed7685bd97a0664d42a3d)
-----
National Will: +1
We're back up to +1 as the Russians have been pushed out of that Strategic Site, but the Mesopotamia Front is still dug-in at Baghdad, another Strategic Site.
Things COULD be a lot worse. But they suuuure could be a lot better. Still, I'll take what I can get. And you'd be right, I was indeed lamenting earlier that things were kind of slow, wasn't I? Not so much now.
Turn 14
Card Draw: 41 "War Weariness Sets In"
-----
The massive suffering caused by the war undoubtedly took a toll on the Central Powers and the Allies as well. Of the 60 million European soldiers who were mobilized from 1914-1918, eight million were killed, seven million were permanently disabled, and 15 million were seriously injured. Germany lost 15.1% of its active male population and Austria-Hungary lost 17.1%.
-----
Event:
Place the War Weariness marker in its box on the map.
Well, this kinda stinks, but there's rarely good news for the Ottomans. It's not about success...it's about how you deal with defeat, ultimately.
The -1 DRM that the War Weariness marker affects is against all off-map battles. So, the +1 DRMs that I've worked to cultivate are now pretty much a wash. I have to invest another two Actions if I want to add another +1 DRM, and as I indicated before, only two +1 DRM markers are allowed per Theater. And with the Allies so close to the capital, that's a luxury I cannot afford right now! So, it is what it is.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT14%2520Event.jpg&hash=6ab692b7926e521a6aba25ef9208c36b89558894)
-----
Advance:
This Card orders that one Front move, but the Front that moves is chosen by the roll of a die.
I roll a '4,' which means the Arab Front is selected to move. Fortunately...it's not on the map. So I get a bit of breathing room.
-----
Actions: 0
You got that right, folks...no Actions allowed this Turn.
Everything's coming up roses...
Okay, now I'll take a break. I'll post again in a few days. I mean it this time. O0
As a side note to everyone: if you were wondering about why the cards are numbered, it's because there is an optional rule in the game to play them in order. So, you'd draw Card 01 on turn 1, Card 02 on turn 2, and so forth. This is modeled to follow the historical course of the war.
I'm obviously doing it in a random order, as the main game suggests one do, though there is some order to it in the form of the Morning, Mid-Day, and Dusk decks. Each of those decks are shuffled in when a card tells you to, as you've seen above, so the events in each of those decks are randomized, but the period of the events (early war, mid-war, late war) are followed.
Have you tried playing the cards in order? I'm curious if it makes the game harder or easier.... ???
I have not played it in a historical (card order) fashion. At least, not yet.
The rule book states that drawing the cards in numerical order is a "Neutral" and therefore neither a handicap nor an advantage, but there's talk over in the BGG forums where several people state that going the historical/card number order path is much more difficult than random:
https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1295388/random-or-historical
Turn 15
Card Draw: 39 "Allenby Takes the Helm"
-----
On June 27, 1917, Edmund Allenby was made the commander of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. Allenby quickly won the respect of his troops by frequent visits to front line units and by setting his HQ outside comfortable Cairo. After breaking through the Turkish lines at the First Battle of Gaza, his army became unstoppable, conquering Jerusalem and Damascus.
Wonderful! Just what I need, an "unstoppable" army in the Sinai.
-----
Event:
Flip the Sinai unit to its Allenby (4) side.
So, the incompetent Murray (3) is replaced with the historically awesome Allenby (4). Obviously, the British were rather cheesed off at Murray's lack of progress in the Sinai. (Meanwhile, I was perfectly fine with their immobility.) This gives the Sinai Front a 50/50 shot at advancing as opposed to a one in three shot. Not good. Especially not good considering its increased Battle Value will also make it that much harder to push them back.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT15%2520Event.jpg&hash=566e4150e1a35ecb2117eb07ffd2205569efff9b)
-----
Advance:
Both the Arab Front and the Caucasus Front (arrrg!) are called on to advance this Turn.
Of course, the former will not as it does not exist (yet), while the latter continues to be a pain in my headquarters and advances to space 1 (Ankara). This is yet another Strategic Site, and means another -1 to my National Will. Technically I do not record this until the National Will phase at the end of the Turn, but I go ahead and record the hit now because I don't want to forget.
I might have been recording this wrong previously, so I do a spot check and note that the two Strategic Sites (-2 total) in Russian hands and the one Strategic Site (-1) in British hands means a -3 to National Will, but two Victories from off-map battles brings it back up to -1. I was thinking it was equal to zero. Sorry for the error in the below screenshot. I will rectify this later.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT15%2520Advance.jpg&hash=0fd545ef051dc1ca09e83b5834cd71803631af3f)
-----
Actions: 2
Gee, what do you think the Ottomans are going to do here?
Yep. The pesky and potentially game-threatening Caucasus Front is one card draw from ending the game for me. I have to kick them out of Ankara. Hopefully, all the way back to Van. I have little choice in the matter.
For my first Action, I choose an offensive against the Caucasus Front. I have to roll a 4, 5, or 6 to push them back. Let's see if my luck from last turn continues or if I can make this bleak situation better...
YES! I roll a '6.' The Russians are pushed back into space 2 (Erzurum).
I'm spending my second Action to push back the Russians once again...I hope. Here we go...
Well, apparently, the Ottoman general facing the Russians is making amends. I rolled another '6.' The Caucasus Front is pushed back to space 3 (Van). This gives me a great deal of relief, not to mention breathing room!
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT15%2520Actions.jpg&hash=2fe93ff8520237382f5b65efb5d04a4133fb71f2)
-----
National Will: +1
Okay, so I'll start counting everything that affects the Ottoman's National Will here, as I should have been doing.
Two Off-Map Victories = +2
One Strategic Site Occupied = -1
Total National Will: +1
Our victories against the Russians this turn were spectacular, and desperately needed to stave off utter defeat, which easily could have come on the next Turn with a Caucasus Front advance. The game is starting to get more tense now.
This playthrough has been rather fortunate, actually, because the 'quiet time' in the first 10 or so Turns gave me a chance to build up DRMs for the other Theaters, and to build defenses for the Narrows. The game could have hammered me right out of the gate, as it does in so many other playthroughs, but this time, I was very lucky.
We are now 15 turns in. There are 49 total cards. How far will we go?
Turn 16
Card Draw: 17 "King Constantine Flees Greece"
-----
King Constantine of Greece was favorably inclined toward the Germans, while his subjects and Prime Minister, Eleftherios Venizelos, were oriented toward the Allies and against the Turks. Conditions became increasingly uncomfortable for the King and his family when arsonists torched his palace, Allied forces occupied the country's second largest city (Salonika), and a coup was launched.
-----
Event:
Despite the rather dire flavor text associated with this Card (which seems to indicate the Salonika Front opens up), there is no Event here. so no Front appears.
-----
Advance:
The Caucasus Front (of course), the Gallipoli Front, and the Salonika Front are all called on to advance.
The Salonika Front of course does not move, since it is not in existence yet.
However, both of the other Fronts advance one space, putting more pressure on me as the Strategic Site of Erzurum falls, giving my National Will yet another hit.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT16%2520Advance.jpg&hash=5ba145fddec22784b072e6d4b44b75a4b8c86abe)
-----
Actions: 3
Wow, three Actions? I have a bit of room to maneuver, here. I could add another DRM to one of the Theaters, and since the Kaiserschlacht battles are coming eventually (basically, think of the massive German effort made on the Western Front near the end of the War), adding another +1 DRM to the Western Theater to help bring that back into a positive light (no thanks to the War Weariness -1 DRM now in effect).
But, I really want to push the aggravating Russians back, so I will spend my first Action on attacking them, hoping to recover the Strategic Site they occupy now.
For my first Action, I conduct an offensive against the Caucasus Front. I roll a '4,' which pushes them back to Van.
I probably should buy that DRM for the Western Theater, but the Russians are really annoying the crap outta me. I'm going to spend another Action to push them back yet again. I roll another '4,' pushing them back to space 4 (Sarikamish), where they've not been in a while.
Enjoy the view, vodka-swillers!
So, one more Action. I could build the last fortress in the Narrows, and consider everything in that area done. Or I could try to push back the Gallipoli Front, which is one space from a Strategic Site. Decisions, decisions.
I think I'm going to go ahead and spend the last Action on building that fortress, which is Nagara. I can no longer do anything in the Narrows and have to wash my hands of it. If I draw the Card that has the Royal Navy forcing the Narrows, I can at least know I've done all I can there to prevent them from winning the game in one fell swoop.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT16%2520Actions.jpg&hash=a0cf41a5392e8c9e252b1c875954f189845498c5)
-----
National Will: +1
Two Off-Map Victories = +2
One Strategic Site Occupied = -1
Total National Will: +1
In hindsight, I probably should have spent that last Action in pushing the Mesopotamia Front out of Baghdad. Maybe even one of the Actions I spent on the Russians. As you can see, though, the Russians get a lot of play...at least for now. Often you cannot do everything you want to do and the game has you juggling, while throwing more and more things in for you to juggle, until you collapse and drop everything.
So far so good though. I will probably focus on the Mesopotamia Front in the next Turn, depending on what happens next.
Turn 17
Card Draw: 38 "U-boat Campaign"
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Since Britain had naval supremacy at the start of the war, the Central Powers looked at a way to level the playing field. Advances in submarine warfare allowed Germany a chance to interdict supplies to Britain in retaliation for the effects of the blockade. While effective at first, the policy of unrestricted submarine warfare caused American entry into the conflict.
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Event:
Conduct this Naval Theater Battle.
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It's time for another off-map battle, and this time, the Atlantic War in WWI is to be decided on my die roll! Success means a +1 to National Will, while failure means a -1. A stalemate result means no effect...at least for now.
So with trepidation I roll yet again. Normally I'd have a +1 DRM to my die roll, but the War Weariness marker ruins that advantage. I need to roll a 5 or 6 to make this a success.
I roll a '3.' Unfortunately, this is a dismal failure and the Germans are losing in that theater, as they did historically more or less. Not good news for our National Will.
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Advance:
The Arab, Sinai, and Mesopotamia Fronts are all ordered to move out this Turn.
The Arab Front of course does not move, as it's not there. Yet.
The Sinai Front and Mesopotamia Front, unfortunately, are both there. So they both move one space. The Mesopotamia Front is now in a position to win the game for the Allies on the next turn, if I do not do something immediately about that.
The Sinai Front has to make a roll to advance through the scorching desert, of course, and of course as it has improved its Battle Value by 1, I roll a '3,' which would have caused a failure with the last commander. This one, though, manages to push the Brits to the next space. Wonderful.
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Actions: 3
I have little choice but to face the Mesopotamia Front head-on and pray I can turn them back. I'm not so much worried about failing to do so, as burning all three Actions to do so. :-[
So of course, it makes perfect sense that my first die roll is a '1.' An utter and total failure.
With visions of a cascading failure this Turn, I decide to burn my second Action to push them back again - or try to. Fortunately this time I roll a '4,' which is over their Battle Value of 3, so they are forced back to Baghdad (space 2).
With my final Action, I'm going to once again push against the Mesopotamian Front as they seem to come up almost as often as the Russians do. I roll a '6' and we push them back to space 3 (Ket). Whew...some breathing room! And both Strategic Sites along their track are liberated from their fish and chips oppression!
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National Will: +1
Two Off-Map Victories = +2
One Off-Map Defeat = -1
Strategic Sites Occupied = 0
Total National Will: +1
Our two of three successful offensives against the Mesopotamian Front really helped us claw back into the positive National Will zone. With the German defeat in the U-boat Campaign, our prospects are a bit bleaker, but things could MOST definitely be worse at this point.
The Gallipoli Front is a concern, only because I'll likely have to spend an Action to move them back if they advance to the Strategic Site on their track (Chunuk Bair, space 2). Their low Battle Value (2) would make it very easy to do so...then again, it is possible to roll a '1' on a die, as I've proven time and time again in this AAR.
The Sinai Front's resurgence is another concern. You can see how 'upping' a Front from one Battle Value to one just +1 higher can be a big deal - it's advance this Turn was only because of that upgrade, otherwise it would have failed. Now I have to contend with that, not to mention the Front itself being much harder to push back. I'm going to hope it remains relatively immobile for now. Unfortunately, the 'thirst roll' is no longer necessary for them at this point, unless I push them back again (and the card for their pipeline doesn't get drawn, of course).
Note: Somehow, my +1 DRM for the Intelligence Bureau in Afghanistan disappeared from these images. I rectified that for the future.
Well, I just realized I royally screwed up back on Turn 12. For some reason I shuffled the Dusk deck into the card draw pile and not the Mid-Day deck. So the last five turns have been the 'tougher' Dusk deck cards. Great.
Since there have been a lot of views I think I'm just going to go ahead and remove the Dusk deck cards, keeping the results I've done thus far, and set them aside. Then I will go ahead and shuffle in the CORRECT freakin' cards.
Sorry about this, everyone. I can't believe I totally missed this. Though to be fair, a lot of my Ottoman Sunset games rarely got so far that I included the Dusk deck cards. :tickedoff:
Again, sorry for screwing up and shuffling in the wrong deck. I'll just move forward with the Mid-Day deck shuffled into the Morning deck (though you might recall there is but one Morning card left). I'll just pretend some tougher later-war-years events just happened, but to be honest, things are overall pretty decent for the Ottoman Empire. I just hope I didn't break the game, but I will keep going as long as you guys are still reading this.
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Turn 18
Card Draw: 14 "German U-Boats in the Mediterranean"
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On April 25, 1915, the same day as the Gallipoli landings, the German government dispatched U-boat 21, under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Otto Hersing. After clearing the Straits of Gibraltar and stopping in the Austrian port of Cattaro, the submarine made its presence felt in the Mediterranean. On May 25, the U-21 sunk the British battleship Triumph.
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Event:
This Card heralds a total and utter protection from the Forcing the Narrows card (number 8 ). I have not drawn that card yet obviously so the British have not challenged my full fortifications and minefields I spent a good part of the early game in building. Now, all that work is pretty much out the window, though I can't look a gift U-boat in the torpedo tube. This eliminates one of many ways the Allies can win this game, so I won't have to worry about the Narrows being forced and having my game come to an abrupt end (which has happened before!). There are other ways the game can come to an abrupt end, though.
Note: I missed the one battle marker...I didn't see it was above the 'fog' layer, so sorry about that.
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Advance:
Both the Caucasus Front and the Sinai Front receive marching orders. While the Caucasus Front's move simply moves it into space 3 (Van), the Sinai Front's move pushes it into Jerusalem, which is a Strategic Site. Not good for my National Will.
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Actions: 2
+1 vs. Gallipoli and +1 vs. Salonika
Too bad that's not a +1 vs. Sinai. I don't have much choice but to try to push the Sinai Front back.
"Try" being the operative term, as it has a Battle Value of 4 and that means I have to roll a 5 or a 6 to succeed.
My first roll is a '1.' Of course it is! Nothing says "Ottoman Empire Offensive" like something totally opposite than that. I don't have a choice now but to roll against them again.
My second roll is another '1.' That's about a 3% chance of doing that. God hates the Ottomans, apparently, and the Sinai Front stays right where it is in Jerusalem. This is not good.
Since the status of the game did not change thanks to the 'glorious' Ottoman army, I've not included an update screenshot for this section.
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National Will: 0
Two Off-Map Victories = +2
One Off-Map Defeat = -1
Strategic Sites Occupied = 1 (-1 to National Will)
Total National Will: 0
The Sinai Front's advance into Jerusalem is a very worrying thing. Pushing them out is going to be tough and two '1s' in a row is a hideous thing. I might exercise the demons from this die by burning it later. For now I will stick with it.
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Turn 19
Card Draw: 31 "The Somme"
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Between July and November, 1916, the British and French Allies launched a major offensive against the Germans on the WEstern Front. The campaign resulted in a massive loss of life and only translated into the conquest of 6 miles of German-held territory. On July 1, 1916, alone, the British Army sustained 60,000 casualties. The campaign, however, did feature the first use of tanks.
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Event:
Conduct this Western Theater battle.
And so, we've come to another external battle. Normally this might not be too bad, but the durn War Weariness modifier nullifies my Resources investment DRM of +1. This Somme marker has a Battle Value of 3, so let's see what disasters the die has in store for me this time!
Huh, I rolled a '5.' I guess the die likes the Germans more than the Ottomans. But in any case, the Somme ends up costing the Allies dearly and the Germans give them a terrifically bloody nose. This marker goes into the "Victories" area of the map.
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Advance:
The Gallipoli Front moves to Chunuk Bair, which happens to be a Strategic Site. There goes any advantage I get from the Somme victory.
The Salonika Front moves too, but as it is not on the board, it goes nowhere. Thank goodness for small favors. So far, anyway.
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Actions: 1
(Sigh) Only one Action means I have to go for the easiest possible victory. I want to kick Allenby out of space 3 on the Sinai track, but also, there's Hamilton on the Gallipoli track too. Since the Gallipoli Front's Battle Value is 2, I'm going to have to spend my one Action on beating him back. Or trying. Boy, this will be embarrassing if it fails.
A '6.' Just when I think I want to melt this die into a lump of charred plastic, it pulls stunts like this. The Gallipoli Front is pushed back and out of the Strategic Site.
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National Will: +1
Three Off-Map Victories = +3
One Off-Map Defeat = -1
Strategic Sites Occupied = 1 (-1 to National Will)
Total National Will: 1
I'm still managing to hold on to a positive National Will despite some looming threats. Several Fronts are just one step from Strategic Sites, and a heartfelt push by any of them will put the Ottomans into some deep poop and pretty quickly, since they all pretty much border Strategic Sites. And the way I've been rolling on my offensives, the game might end within a few turns at this point. Stick around, let's find out for sure.
Turn 20
Card Draw: 20 "Landings at Salonika"
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In October of 1915, Allied forces landed in Salonika in Northern Greece in an attempt to forestall the conquest of Serbia. While the new front failed in that respect, it remained an active front for the remainder of the war. This was extremely awkward at first, as the King of Greece, Constantine, was very pro-German, while his Prime Minister, Venizelos, was pro-British.
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Event:
Place the Sarrail (2) Salonika unit on the 4 space of its track.
Oh, greeeeeat! Welcome to the party, Frenchies!
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Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.
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Advance:
The Caucasus Front gets marching orders, and they move into space 2 (Erzurum). Yet another Strategic Site falls to the Allies.
As you can no doubt see at this point, things can dogpile quickly on you. You're like a juggler starting with one ball, then two, and then eventually, all of 'em.
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Actions: 1
One Action. There's two immediate threats - the Caucasus Front on a Strategic Site, and the Sinai Front on a Strategic Site. One's Battle Value is a bit less than the other's, which should be a deciding factor, but I keep thinking I need to go after the Sinai Front just on general principle.
So that's what I'll do. The Russians will be easier to deal with later. Hopefully when I draw a card that gives me more than one Action, anyway.
I roll a '6.' My luck stays with me this turn, and the Sinai Front gets dealt a defeat that they're not quite accustomed to yet.
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National Will: +1
Three Off-Map Victories = +3
One Off-Map Defeat = -1
Strategic Sites Occupied = 1 (-1 to National Will)
Total National Will: 1
Six of one, half dozen of another. Win in one place, they advance in another. Part of the tremendous fun in Ottoman Sunset (or any State of Siege game they make, actually) is in the tenseness of juggling limited resources and staving off utter defeat as it continually presses in on you.
Strangely, I feel as if I should be losing a lot worse than I am; the National Will of +1 is rather good so far. At least, it is right at this moment, before I have flipped the next Event Card to see what calamity or Godsend comes our way.
That's it for today. I might post another turn or two tomorrow, though. Thanks for reading and putting up with my errors in the game thus far.
Turn 21
Card Draw: 15 "Armenian Massacres"
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On the night of April 24, 1915, the Turkish government placed under arrest 200 Armenian community leaders in Constantinople. Thereafter, the Turks began a massive systematic program of extermination, initially couched in terms of deportation, but in reality including mass executions, and death marches in the Syrian Desert making [this the] first genocide in the 20th century.
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Event:
No Event this turn, despite the horrors mentioned above.
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Advance:
Gallipoli Front moves from space 3 (ANZAC Cove) to space 2 (Chunuk Bay), a Strategic Site.
Salonika Front moves from space 4 (Salonika) to space 3 (Monastir).
Sinai Front moves from space 4 (Beersheba) to space 3 (Jerusalem), a Strategic Site.
In one turn, the Allies have occupied two of my Strategic Sites. Not good.
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Actions: 3
No Offensives vs. Caucasus this turn.
Well, at least I get three Actions. Not being able to push the Russians out of space 2 (Erzurum) is kind of a pain, so let's see how well I can fare against the Sinai Front and the Gallipoli Front.
I'm going to kick this off with an offensive against the Gallipoli Front. Might as well start with the easiest of the two. I roll a 4, which succeeds in pushing Hamilton's Aussies back down a bit, out of the Strategic Site. One down, one to go.
That leaves me with two Actions. The next one, I will spend on trying to force the Sinai Front back. I roll a '6' - success! Things are going well. I've managed to defeat two of three advances this turn so far.
With my last Action, I could try my hand at any number of Fronts, though my choice of all of them would be the Russians. Thanks to this card, though, I cannot do that. I'm instead going to push back against the Gallipoli Front again. This time I roll a '1' and fail miserably against a weak front. Figures. Could be worse I guess, especially since I've nullified both Strategic Site occupations. (Whew.)
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National Will: +1
Three Off-Map Victories = +3
One Off-Map Defeat = -1
Strategic Sites Occupied = 1 (-1 to National Will)
Total National Will: 1
That could have gone much worse and put me into a -1 National Will, had either of the two offensives that succeeded, failed. I'm still hanging on.
Turn 22
Card Draw: "Italy Joins the War"
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On May 23, 1915, lured by Allied promises, the Italians entered the war against their former allies. Shortly thereafter and lasting into the Fall, the poorly prepared Italians launched the First Battle of the Isonzo, hoping to seize the town of Gorizia. While the Italians outnumbered the Austrians by more than 2 to 1, the offensive was a complete failure, which inspired the Austrians to attack.
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Event:
Conduct this Eastern Theater Battle.
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Well, another Battle appears, and here's another chance to either help or hinder my National Will. The Battle Value on this one is 3, and with no DRMs, it will be a straight die roll.
I get a '5' so history repeats itself and the Italians fail miserably against the Austrians. Another Victory!
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So let's see what happens to try to mess that up...
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Advance:
Arab Front advances, but doesn't exist, so that doesn't happen.
Salonika Front advances from space 3 (Monastir) to space 2 (Lake Doiran), which is also a Strategic Site.
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Actions: 2
I have a chance now to push two Fronts back, and they should be (operative term: "should") be easy to do. At least, the odds should be in my favor. We shall see.
For my first Action, I'm spending it to conduct an offensive against the Salonika Front. I roll a '4' so it goes back to space 3 (Monastir). That's right, that's what you get, Frenchies!
For my last Action, I'm going up against the Caucasus Front. (I sure hope this works, it's been a while since the Russians have gotten a butt-kicking.) I needn't worry as I roll a '6,' pushing them out of the Strategic Site of Erzurum (space 2) into space 3 (Van).
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National Will: +3
Four Off-Map Victories = +4
One Off-Map Defeat = -1
No Strategic Sites Occupied = 0
Total National Will: 3
This was a great turn, but the +3 National Will I've attained can easily be brought down as each of the five Fronts on the map are all one space away from a Strategic Site. It doesn't matter which of them moves in the next turn, because they WILL occupy at least one of them, which will end up being the focal point of my Actions on the next turn, no doubt.
Still...the Ottomans are doing well at this point.
Turn 23
Card Draw: "Sinai Pipeline"
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British operations into the Sinai were continually hampered by difficulties with transport and supply. In 1916, the British made considerable efforts to construct a rail line and water pipeline to facilitate an advance into Palestine. After building up supplies for an offensive at the end of the year, on January 8, 1917, British forces succeeded in capturing the Gazan town of Rafah.
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Event:
Well, THIS is a rather eventful card...
First, I'm instructed to shuffle the Dusk deck into the draw pile. (So, my screwups from earlier are a bit lessened now.)
Next, the Arab Front activates, and I place the Faisal Hussein marker (with a Battle Value of 2) into space 6 (Jidda) of the Arab Front track.
And lastly, the Pipeline Complete marker is placed in its Sinai holding box.
So now, this means that ALL Fronts that are drawn from this point forward will get to act; there will be no more "this doesn't exist so I ignore it." I knew this would be coming eventually, but it still makes the game a bit more challenging.
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Advance:
Gallipoli Front advances from ANZAC Cove to Chunuk Bay, a Strategic Site.
Salonika Front advances from Monastir to Lake Dolran, a Strategic Site.
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Actions: 1
Well, those advances wouldn't be too bad as they're both weak Fronts, but this card only gives me ONE action.
I'm going to go ahead and spend it to conduct an offensive against the Gallipoli Front. Unfortunately, I roll a '2,' which is unfortunately not enough to win; the odds are against my Ottomans and the Aussies hold on to Chunuk Bay.
Nothing changes on the game board, unfortunately.
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National Will: +1
Four Off-Map Victories = +4
One Off-Map Defeat = -1
Two Strategic Sites Occupied = -2
Total National Will: 1
Like I said at the end of the previous turn, that +3 National Will wouldn't last long. I never would have imagined I'd fail against a Front that has a Battle Value of 2, even though goodness knows I've done it several times before! Shows you exactly what you get for assuming your Ottoman forces are good enough to push the Allies back; the die roll will often reflect a success where a failure was expected, and vice versa. We're still in the positives, but the next card's advances will probably put me further into the hole, so I'll need something with a lot of Actions, and quickly.
Turn 24
Card Draw: 33 "Yudenich Named Commander-in-Chief"
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Although Grand Duke Nicholas gave General Nikolai Yudenich a free hand in running the Caucasus campaign, after the Russian Revolution of February of 1917, Yudenich was officially named as Commander-in-Chief. By May of 1917, however, he was dismissed for insubordination. He later became a powerful figure in the ensuing Russian Civil War.
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Event:
If in play, replace the Caucasus Front with its Yudenich unit.
This means that the Grand Duke counter with a Battle Value of 3 is replaced by the Yudenich unit, with a Battle Value of 4. Wonderful; the Russians just got a bit more uppity.
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Advance:
Arab Front moves from space 6 (Jidda) to space 5 (Hejaz Railroad).
Mesopotamia Front moves from space 3 (Kut) to space 2 (Baghdad), a Strategic Space.
Only one Strategic Space lost this turn. Not bad. Not great, but not disastrous.
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Actions: 2
I'm going to spend my first Action conducting an offensive against the Mesopotamia Front. It's Battle Value is 3, and I roll a '4,' so it goes back to Kut. Yes!
Now that the Baghdad Strategic Site is out of the woods, I'm going to spend my other Action to push back the Salonika Front in Greece. It has a Battle Value of 2, so my roll of '4' is more than enough to send them back to Monastir. Another Strategic Site liberated for the Ottomans!
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National Will: +2
Four Off-Map Victories = +4
One Off-Map Defeat = -1
One Strategic Sites Occupied = -1
Total National Will: 2
That was a pretty good turn of events (pun intended, MetalDog). Back up to +2 in the National Will area is a good thing, but again, we don't have any breathing room as each Front (except the Arabs) are next door to a Strategic Site. And with the increase in the Caucasus Front's Battle Value, they just became that much harder to defeat. The Gallipoli Front will be (relatively) easy to push back when the time comes (I hope, anyway).
Dammit, I keep calling them Strategic Spaces. They're Strategic Sites. You know what I mean.
Turn 25
Card Draw: 44 "Balfour Declaration"
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Seeking to curry favor with Jewish Zionists and reward Chaim Weitzman, the British inventor of synthetic acetone for explosives, Lord Balfour, British Foreign Minister, announced on November 2, 1917, that "His Majesty's government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people." Ultimately, this was to become the modern State of Israel.
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Event:
None this turn.
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Advance:
Arab Front advances to space 4 (Aquaba). They just keep on truckin' across the desert.
Gallipoli Front advances to space 1 (Anafartalar Range). Not good. Now they're next door to Constantinople. Not to mention it would take two successful offensives to push them back past the Strategic Site of Chunuk Bay. (Hey, I called it "site" this time!)
Mesopotamia Front advances to space 2 (Baghdad), a Strategic Site.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FT25%25201%2520Advance.jpg&hash=a8ecb5d5295e354d2c788f302f0c6601c92586a1)
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Actions: 2
+1 to all Offensives vs. Sinai
That's a pretty tempting thing, to go after Sinai, but I have a big issue with the Gallipoli Front right now. It needs to be pushed back or my game will be over on the next turn, if they advance again. I roll a '2,' so they go nowhere.
I don't have much choice but to try again against them. This time I roll a '5,' so they're pushed back into space 2, Chunuk Bair.
That hurt. But at least the immediate threat is gone.
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National Will: +1
Four Off-Map Victories = +4
One Off-Map Defeat = -1
Two Strategic Sites Occupied = -2
Total National Will: 1
It's starting to feel like the Ottomans are sinking more than they are advancing; the Fronts are relentlessly pushing in, but we're still managing to hang in there, staving off enemies from conquering Constantinople. I can only hope we continue to succeed.
With 49 cards in the game, we're past the halfway point now, which is an accomplishment in and of itself. Hopefully I can push a bit further and survive to the end!
Turn 26
Card Draw: 34 "Yildirim (Thunderbolt)"
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On March 11, 1917, after the fall of Baghdad, the Ottoman Turks assembled an Army Group called Yildirim in order to recover the city. After setbacks in Palestine, the force was redeployed to shore up defenses there. Originally commanded by German General Erich von Falkenhayn, after his unpopular position on retreat, he was replaced by General Liman von Sanders.
-----
Event:
Place the three Yildirim markers in their Holding Box. They are now available to use.
These markers are VERY useful. If a card calls for the advance of either the Sinai or Mesopotamia Fronts, I can spend one of these tokens to negate its advance. The rules are not very clear on if I can negate both, if both advance, but I'm going to assume it is allowed.
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Advance:
Caucasus Front advances to space 2 (Erzurum), a Strategic Site.
Salonika Front advances to space 2 (Lake Dolran), a Strategic Site.
Both of these are manageable, if I get enough Actions this turn.
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Actions: 1
Of course, I don't get enough Actions.
I am going to spend my Action going after the tougher of the two Fronts, namely, the Caucasus Front. I roll a '6,' so thank goodness, they're pushed back to space 3 (Van).
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National Will: 0
Four Off-Map Victories = +4
One Off-Map Defeat = -1
Three Strategic Sites Occupied = -3
Total National Will: 0
Okay, things are getting measurably worse now that I'm at a zero for National Will. I have no breathing room anywhere except for the Arab Front, so I'm going to have to wait and hope for an Arab Front advance in the next card draw. Otherwise I'm going to start looking at a hole that's just getting deeper and deeper with no chance of getting out of it.
I can also hope for a Mesopotamia or Sinai Front advance, as I have those Yildirim markers. Heh-heh-heh.
Turn 27
Card Draw: 28 "Jutland"
-----
German policy for many years before the Great War was to build and maintain a "threat fleet" that could hamper British Naval hegemony. The problem with this policy was, in order to maintain the threat, the Germans were reticent to deploy their fleet. On May 31, 1916, the Germans overcame their inertia and engaged in battle with the British off the coast of Denmark.
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Event:
Conduct this Naval Theater battle.
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This is obviously one of the tougher Theater Battles to deal with. The Battle Value of this marker is 5, which makes a victory a miracle. I'm almost afraid to roll the die on this one.
And with good reason. I roll a '1,' so this becomes a complete and utter German rout. The British sink most of the German Navy in this engagement, ensuring their dominance of the surface ocean for the rest of the war.
Boom, one more for the Defeats box. Sigh.
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Advance:
Gallipoli Front advances to space 1 (Anafartalar Range).
Mesopotamia Front advances to space 1 (Mosul). BUT NO THEY DON'T. I spend one of my Yildirim markers to make sure there ain't none of that happenin' here!
The Salonika Front also advances, to space 1 (Adrianopole).
This is definitely not good. Both the Gallipoli and the Salonika Fronts are poised at the gates of Constantinople. I will have to spend all available Actions to try to push them back!
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Actions: 2
Looks like I get just the right number of Actions to push back both of these Fronts. If either of these offensives fail, I'm at the mercy of the cards and could lose in the next game turn.
I spend my first Action to launch an offensive against the Salonika Front. I roll a '2.' The Frenchies aren't going anywhere. :(
Now, I can either choose to try again or go up against the Gallipoli Front. It's pretty much hit or miss at this point and who knows what the next card draw is. So I'll stick with my original plan and spend my other Action conducting an offensive against the Gallipoli Front. I get a '5,' so they're pushed back.
If I draw a Salonika Front advance on the next turn, it's game over, man.
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National Will: -1
Four Off-Map Victories = +4
Two Off-Map Defeats = -2
Three Strategic Sites Occupied = -3
Total National Will: -1
Back in the negative numbers again after so long in the positives. Things are looking bleak for the Ottomans and we might lose the game on the next turn.
Let's find out...
I haven't been moving the National Will marker in the above images. I'll try to watch that in the future. If there IS a future.
Turn 28
Card Draw: 42 "Hoffman Offensive"
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In Mid-1917, General Max Hoffmann requested additional German forces from the Western Front in order to knock Russia out of the war. When six divisions were sent to him, he launched a major offensive, which captured Riga within a fortnight, and sent Russian troops and the Provisional Russian Government reeling.
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Event:
Conduct this Eastern Theater Battle.
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Here's something of a 'gimme.' The Battle Value is 2, so this SHOULD end up as a victory for the Ottomans and a tiny bit more breathing room on the National Will track...
...right?
I roll a '2.' So it's a Stalemate. Neither a win nor a loss, so it doesn't count against my National Will. I guess that's something. Not so good for the Germans, though.
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Advance:
Arab Front advances to space 3, Tafilah.
Sinai Front advances to space 3, Jerusalem, except no they di-int, because I spend another Yildirim marker to stop those hijinks of theirs.
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Actions: 3
+1 to all Offensives vs. Caucasus
A decent bonus, but I have bigger things to worry about...at least to address first.
First, I spend one Action to fight back the Salonika Front. I roll another '2' and the French prove rather dogged in their defense, so they don't budge.
I'm forced to spend another Action to try again, and this time I roll a '4,' so they're FINALLY pushed back after two failures.
So who's next? I'm going to go after the Gallipoli Front. I roll a '6' which is more than enough to push them back to space 3 (ANZAC Cove), and out of the Strategic Site they occupied.
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National Will: 0
Four Off-Map Victories = +4
Two Off-Map Defeats = -2
Two Strategic Sites Occupied = -2
Total National Will: 0
This turn was a definite turn-around, but how long that lasts depends on the next card draw. Not drawing a Salonika Front advance saved our butts, quite frankly. And two of three successful offensives isn't too bad, though it smarted to lose yet another offensive die roll to a Battle Value of 2, but that's the way the game goes.
FYI, I started a thread asking for help in figuring out my next AAR:
http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=13727.0
Turn 29
Card Draw: 46 "Kaiserschlacht!"
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The 1918 Kaiserschlacht Offensive (Kaiser's Battle) was the last major effort of the Central Powers to win the war. Realizing that war weariness had set in and that fresh American forces were arriving en masse, General Ludendorff committed his final reserves and infiltration forces from the Eastern Front. While the campaign was initially successful, by July it petered out.
-----
Event:
Place the Kaiserschlacht marker on the map. Conduct this Phase each turn from now on.
Oh, $@!+.
This can be...a problem. The Kaiserschlact (or, Kaiser's Battle) was exactly as the description said. With thousands of German troops released from the Eastern Front after victory there, they were thrown into the Western Front in the hopes of bringing the war to a swift end. In game terms, this means there are now six battles to fight on the Western Front. A new phase has been entered into the game where I need to resolve one Kaiserschalct battle each turn. Once all six battles are fought and placed in the appropriate box (Victory, Defeat, or Stalemate), I have to roll to re-fight another one, so each turn, this happens until the end of the game.
Since National Will is zero, losing too many of these battles might end the game in a few turns. Of course, the game could still end by an advance into Constantinople, and right now, the only way I could positively influence the Western Front Kaiserschlacts is by spending two Actions to add another DRM to it, giving me a +1 to my die rolls. I might do that, but something tells me I'm going to need all my actions now just to try to keep the Allies at bay.
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Advance:
Caucasus Front advances to space 2 (Erzurum), a Strategic Site.
Mesopotamia Front advances to space 1 (Mosul), another Strategic Site.
I could use one of my Yildirim markers to keep the Mesopotamia Front at bay, but I'll save it for when I might really need it. (Hopefully I won't.) There's another reason I am holding off, as you will see in a moment.
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Actions: 4
+1 to all Offensives including Kaiserschlact.
That's why I held off from using the last Yildirim marker.
So right now I have no less than four Strategic Sites occupied; the Mesopotamia Front has two of those four, and not only that, it's poised to enter Constantinople on the next turn. So I'll have to focus on them, first.
I have to beat their Battle Value of 3, and I roll a '6,' and with that +1 DRM that's a 7. I manage to push them back to space 2.
I'm going to try against them again, to push them out of Baghdad, the other Strategic Site. I roll a '3,' which would fail normally, but with the +1 DRM, that's a 4, and another victory. The Mesopotamia Front is now back in space 3 (Kut), thank goodness.
Next, I'm going to try to push the Caucasus Front back to Van. I roll a dismal '1,' +1 for a 2, which still isn't good enough.
I'm going to use my last Action to go against the Salonika Front. A '6' +1 means their measly Battle Value of 2 fails to hold back the Ottoman onslaught, and they're pushed out of space 2, which was a Strategic Site. So I've managed to clear three of the four occupied Strategic Sites. Not a bad turn's work.
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Kaiserschlact:
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The first Kaiserschlact battle commences. This one has a Battle Value of 3, and I a +1 DRM for it. I get a '3,' which results in a stalemate, normally. However, since the card gives me that +1 and it applies here, that's a '4,' for another Central Powers victory!
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National Will: 2
Five Off-Map Victories = +5
Two Off-Map Defeats = -2
Two Off-Map Stalemates = 0
One Strategic Site Occupied = -1
Total National Will: 2
The Kaiserschlact adds just another dimension of tension to the game, making an off-map battle happen every turn. Fortunately, it worked in my favor this turn, but with five more to resolve before going over them again, there's plenty of wiggle room. Like I said - just one more layer of tension to add, but that's the fun of the State of Siege game system.
Turn 30
Card Draw: 30 "Asia Corps"
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After the fall of Serbia, it became possible for German troops to be dispatched directly to the Ottoman Empire. The first major German relief expedition (Pasha I) was dispatched in March of 1916 and sent to the Palestine Front. In April, air assets were also dispatched. In August, 1917, a second expedition (Pasha II) was dispatched. Ultimately, most German forces were decimated.
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Event:
Enter the Asia Corps marker to gain +1 DRM on all offensives against a single front for one turn.
This is a nice little DRM. However, the only thing I'm not clear on is whether this is a permanent in-place marker, or if you're only allowed to use it one time. The rules do not specifically say you can only use it once, nor do they say you can use it every turn. There is, however, a line at the end of the rule that says "There is no advantage to ending the game without using the Asia Korps marker," which tells me this is a one-shot deal, and so that is how I will treat it.
It's also my understanding that I have to allocate the Asia Korps to a die roll before said die roll is made, not after.
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Advance:
Mesopotamia Front advances from space 3 (Kut) to space 2 (Baghdad), a Strategic Site.
That makes two Strategic Sites now under Allied thumbs. Could be much worse.
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Actions: 3
I'm spending my first action as an offensive against the Mesopotamia Front. A '5' on the die and they are sent whimpering back to Kut! (Well, maybe not whimpering so much, because I'm sure they'll be back soon enough.)
Now, I think I could spend another action trying to push the Russians out of that Strategic Site, but this is an opportunity I can use to grab another +1 DRM for the Western Front. This could make all the difference in those battles, so I will go ahead and do that.
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Kaiserschlact:
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The second Kaiserschlact battle has the same BV as the last one, 3. I roll a '5,' +1 for my new, shiny DRM, and that 6 is more than enough to assure another Central Powers victory on the Western Front.
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National Will: +3
Six Off-Map Victories = +6
Two Off-Map Defeats = -2
One Off-Map Stalemate = 0
One Strategic Site Occupied = -1
Total National Will: +3
My National Will keeps getting good padding, which will help tremendously in the coming card turns. Now that Turn 30 is done, there's something like 19 cards remaining to survive through to gain a victory. So far the game has played out as I'd hoped, in that it has given you a good idea of how it works and what events can come at you. You can see easily throughout this AAR how die rolls could have gone either way, and how that victories could have been defeats. For the moment, the Ottomans are doing rather well, riding the fortuitous wave of victories of their Central Powers brethren, but things could always change.
The Kaiserschlact battles, for example, get harder. The first two are at a Battle Value of 3, but the next two are 4, and the last two are 5 each. This is mainly why I spent two of my Actions this turn getting that one last Resources +1 DRM for the Western Theater. Hopefully it will make a difference.
Turn 31
Card Draw: 26 "Verdun"
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German Commander Erich von Falkenhayn launched a major offensive on the WEstern Front in February, 1916, with the aim of capturing the historic city of Verdun and "bleeding the French white." On February 21, the Germans began with a 10-hour bombardment, launching over 1,000,000 shells. The battle also saw the first use of flamethrowers.
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Event:
Conduct this Western Theater battle.
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So, it looks like I'll be conducting not one but two Western Theater battles this turn. This could really amp up my National Will score and reinforce it against future...bad stuff. If things go my way, of course.
The Battle Value of Verdun is 4, so I roll a '3' of course. With the +1 DRM, that makes it a 4, and therefore a tie, and yet another stalemate. Verdun goes neither way and becomes the historic meatgrinder that it was in real life.
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Advance:
Caucasus Front advances from space 2 (Erzurum) to space 1 (Ankara), a Strategic Site. The Caucasus Front now has two Strategic Sites under its heel.
Mesopotamia Front advances from space 3 (Kut) to space 2 (Baghdad), a Strategic Site. However, I'm going to go ahead and burn my last Yildirim marker to halt that. I might regret that later but you'll see in a moment why I chose to do that.
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Actions: 1
Now that the Caucasus Front is next to Constantinople, I am yet again on the cusp of an immediate defeat on the next turn, so I have no choice but to burn my one action on an offensive against the Caucasus Front. Its Battle Value is 4, and I roll a '4.' and it fails.
One thing I've not taken advantage of, and perhaps you may be aware of it if you're familiar with this game, is that I can 'spend' one of my +1 DRM Resources markers to gain an additional Action. This is called "German Staff Operations." However, I have to permanently remove the Resources marker. Given that the Ottoman Empire is on the brink of defeat (and at the hands of the Russians, no less), I think I'm going to go ahead and burn my Eastern Front Resources marker to get another Action. Hopefully this makes the difference.
Unfortunately, it does not. I roll a '2.'
I'm afraid that the Caucasus Front gets a LOT of play in this game, so I'm going to have to burn another Resources marker for one more chance. So I burn off the Resources marker for the Naval Theater.
And of course I roll a '1.' So much for that.
I could do it again and burn off my Western Front markers, but if I DO manage to survive this next turn, I would need them to help me get through the Kaiserschlact, especially since their Battle Values have gone up by one. Probably moot but I'm trying to look at the big picture here. This is but one of the agonizing yet exciting choices one has to make in these State of Siege games.
Since the map doesn't change, I am not posting an update in this portion. Also, I know I've been forgetting to update the National Will marker on its track. Oops.
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Kaiserschlact:
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The next Western Front Kaiserschlact is at hand. I roll a '6' making my +1 DRM moot, and there's another one for the Win column.
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National Will: +3
Seven Off-Map Victories = +7
Two Off-Map Defeats = -2
One Off-Map Stalemate = 0
Two Strategic Sites Occupied = -2
Total National Will: +3
The Ottoman's National Will continues to ride high, but the Caucasus Front is poised to knock us out of the war with a single stroke. The Central Powers seem to be doing very well, but if the Ottomans get knocked out, that'll probably be what turns the tide against the Allies. We'll only know for sure when I draw that next card...
Turn 32
Card Draw: 49 "Vittoro Veneto"
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During the battle of Caporetta in 1917, the Italian Army lost over 300,000 men and was forced to retreat to the Piave line. In June, 1918, the Central Powers failed to pierce that defensive position. On October 24, 1918, the anniversary of the Caporetta offensive, Italian troops surged forward and broke through. Austria-Hungary soon collapsed as the war neared its end.
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Event:
Conduct this Eastern Theater battle.
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Here we go again. This time though I'm faced with a -1 DRM thanks to War Weariness. I probably should not have burned it last turn, but had it worked...oh well, what's done is done. I did it more to illustrate to you that this is an option.
In any case I roll a '3', so that's a 2 with the -1 DRM, and an utter failure for the Central Powers. One more for the Defeats box.
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Advance:
Arab Front advances to space 2 (Damascus), a Strategic Site.
Gallipoli Front advances to space 2 (Chunuk Bay), a Strategic Site.
Salonika Front advances to space 2 (Lake Doiran), a Strategic Site.
Not a good turn for the Ottomans. Three more fronts advance, and all of them occupy Strategic Sites now. That's FIVE they occupy as of now.
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Actions: 3
With three Actions, but four Fronts that are problems, I have some choices to make.
First, I'm going to go after the Salonika Front, as its Battle Value is 'only' 2. A '5' on the die pushes them back to space 3 (Monastir).
Next, I'm going after the Russians since they're right on my front steps. I roll a '2,' so that was a failure.
I am going after them again - I need to push them back or the game could be over. I roll a '6,' which succeeds, giving me at least one more turn worth of breathing room.
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Kaiserschlact:
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Another Western Theater Kaiserschlact battle. I roll a '4' and with my +1 DRM that's a 5, and a win. That offsets the defeat from this turn, thank goodness.
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National Will: +2
Eight Off-Map Victories = +8
Three Off-Map Defeats = -3
Two Off-Map Stalemates = 0
Three Strategic Sites Occupied = -3
Total National Will: +2
We're still hanging on with a good National Will but many Allied fronts pressing in. The pressure is mounting but at least there's some breathing room for some follow-on turns.
Turn 33
Card Draw: 29 "Brusilov Offensive"
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On June 4, 1916, the reeling Russian Empire launched a major offensive against Austria-Hungary in the Ukraine under the able leadership of the Tsar's best general, Aleksei Brusilov. The assault broke the back of the Austro-Hungarian army, which was only saved from collapse by the transfer of German troops from other theaters. It represented the high point of Russian fortunes.
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Event:
Conduct this Eastern Theater battle.
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With the -1 DRM thanks to War Weariness, I'm a little worried, but a roll of '5' means a 4, and therefore, another Central Powers victory. It's pretty impressive how well we're doing in that regard.
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Advance:
Salonika Front advances to space 2 (Lake Doiran), a Strategic Site.
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Actions: 1
With only one action, I have to go for the offensive that will be the easiest...so it's the Salonika Front. I roll a '2,' which fails, and the French stay right where they are.
No change in the map situation.
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Kaiserschlact:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FK-5.jpg&hash=53e13eca28710a8fff0a025c4e14aceecc4e70b7)
This Kaiserschlact battle has a Battle Value of 5 (the next one does too). And I roll a '5,' +1 DRM, for a total of 6, and...well, whaddya know, the Germans win again, steamrollin' the Allies on the Western Front. Hopefully they can get to Paris before we end up getting sunk under Allied invasions.
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National Will: +4
Ten Off-Map Victories = +10
Three Off-Map Defeats = -3
Two Off-Map Stalemates = 0
Three Strategic Sites Occupied = -3
Total National Will: +4
Our National Will soared this turn with German and Austrio-Hungarian victories. With no immediate threat to Constantinople, we are good for at least another turn, and we're doing pretty well getting this far into the deck!
Turn 34
Card Draw: 24 "Gallipoli Evacuation"
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After the failure of the August offensives, public support for the Gallipoli operation dried up. A scathing report by Keith Murdoch, fater of media magnate Rupert Murdoch, undermined the will to continue the campaign. In October of 1915, General Hamilton was replaced by Sir Charles Monro, who had the unenviable task of evacuating the peninsula.
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Event:
Remove the Gallipoli Front unit if in play. If it is in play, flip the Salonika unit to its D'Esperey (3) side.
So, good news/slightly worse news. The Gallipoli Front goes away, giving me one less Front to worry about. On the other hand, the French in Greece just got a little stronger.
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Advance:
Mesopotamia Front moves to space 2 (Baghdad), a Strategic Site.
Sinai Front moves to space 3 (Jerusalem), a Strategic Site.
After being quiet for several turns, the British in the Sinai move into Jerusalem. Both moves put me two more Strategic Sites down, but with our National Will so high, it's not too big of a deal.
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Actions: 2
I'm going to first try to push the Arab Front out of Damascus. With a roll of '3' I am successful. One less Strategic Site to worry about, at least THIS turn.
Next, I'm going to try to push the Mesopotamia Front out of Baghdad. A '6' means they're sent packin'! That's two Strategic Sites I've liberated this turn.
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Kaiserschlact:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FK-6.jpg&hash=25ae11f2e3f7f8012f6bab608903b1c0e57d02a3)
This battle is the last of the six; starting next turn I'll have to randomly roll to re-fight another one.
This time my luck runs out; I roll a '3,' and even with a +1 DRM sending it to 4, it's still too low, and this one goes into the Defeats box.
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National Will: +3
Ten Off-Map Victories = +10
Four Off-Map Defeats = -4
Two Off-Map Stalemates = 0
Three Strategic Sites Occupied = -3
Total National Will: +3
We dropped a bit to +3, which is not too bad considering it could always be worse. There's a couple of Allied fronts that are in space 2 on their tracks, but they're not immediate threats to Constantinople. We're holding our own, but the Allies got a bit stronger in Greece even if they lost a Front this turn to political pressure (though to be honest, the Gallipoli Front has been close to victory a couple of times!).
Turn 35
Card Draw: 02 "Goeben Dominates Black Sea"
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The SMS Goeben was commissioned as a German dreadnaught. Caught in the MEditerranean at the outbreak of war, the Goeben sailed into Constantinople, where she kept her German crew, but changed her name to Yavuz. On October 29, 1914, the Yavuz began the shelling of the Russian port of Sevastopol, even though Turkey had not yet entered the war.
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Event:
Retreat both the Salonika Front and the Caucasus Front.
Well, that's somewhat fortuitous. The automatic retreats of both Fronts frees up two of my Strategic Sites. It also saves me the Actions from having to fight them off.
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Advance:
Arab Front advances to space 2 (Damascus), a Strategic Site.
Sinai Front advances to space 2 (Damascus), a Strategic Site.
The retreats of the two Fronts earlier is made up for here as both of these Fronts move into the same space. The issue with fighting them now is I still have to fight them separately to push them out, and now I guess I know what I have to do with my Actions...
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Actions: 2
First, I'm attacking the Arab Front. A '4' and the Arabs are sent back to space 3 (Tafilah).
Now, for the Sinai Front. Their Battle Value of 4 is going to be tough to beat. But strangely I roll a '5' and push them out, too!
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Kaiserschlact:
Time to re-fight a Kaiserschlact battle.
I roll a '1,' so we're re-fighting this one:
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I roll a '2,' with +1 DRM giving me a final result of 3. That's a tie, so I have to move this one from the Victories box to the Stalemate box.
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National Will: +4
Nine Off-Map Victories = +9
Four Off-Map Defeats = -4
Three Off-Map Stalemates = 0
One Strategic Site Occupied = -1
Total National Will: +4
We're back up to a +4 National Will, and had a pretty good turn to boot with Fronts pushed back just about everywhere.
And I know, I still haven't used my Asia Korps marker. I'm holding on to that until I desperately need it!
Turn 36
Card Draw: 47 "Army of Islam"
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The Army of Islam was a late-war creation that reflected a growing movement among the Ottomans of Pan-Turanism, the unification of all Turkic peoples. Consisting exclusively of Muslim Turks, Dagestanis, and Azerbaijanis, the force was deployed on the Caucasus Front. After the exit of the Bolshevik regime of Russia from the war, the Army of Islam was deployed to seize the Caucasus.
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Event:
No Event this turn.
That's a shame, because this sounds like it would have affected the Caucasus Front in a good way (for me, anyway).
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Advance:
The Arab Front advances back to Damascus (space 2), a Strategic Site as you obviously know by now!
The Mesopotamia Front moves to Baghdad (space 2), another Strategic Site.
The Sinai Front moves once again to Damascus also (space 2), and it's a...well, you know.
Welp, so much for the victories of the last turn. Both the Arab and Sinai Fronts decided to just hop right back into Damascus, and now the Mesopotamia folks are getting uppity, too.
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Actions: 2
+1 to all Offensives
I'll spend my first action to 'offend' the Sinai Front. That +1 DRM should help, hopefully, giving me a 50/50 shot at victory. I roll a '2,' and with +1 that's not good enough and they stay right where they are.
I'm going to try again as they are the tougher of the three Fronts that advanced this turn. This time I get a '5' and they're pushed out. Not that it matters as the Arab army is still there.
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Kaiserschlact:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FK-6.jpg&hash=25ae11f2e3f7f8012f6bab608903b1c0e57d02a3)
And now, I get to refight one of the two hardest Kaiserschlact battles, but with a +1 DRM.
The roll is a '2.' A +1 does nothing to help, as a 3 is much lower than this battle's 5. This one stays where it is in the Defeats box.
No map changes.
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National Will: +3
Nine Off-Map Victories = +9
Four Off-Map Defeats = -4
Three Off-Map Stalemates = 0
Two Strategic Site Occupied = -2
Total National Will: +3
Turn 37
Card Draw: 43 "Bolshevik Revolution"
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The Bolshevik Revolution took place on October 24-25 of 1917 (Julian calendar). Led by Lenin and his Soviets, the Revolution succeeded in toppling the Provisional Government and replacing it with a "rule by the proletariat." The first task of the new government was to keep its pre-Revolution promises of withdrawal from the Great War.
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Event:
Remove the Caucasus Front unit from the map and set it aside (it might re-enter later).
Yeah, it might re-enter. Hopefully, not. For now it goes bye-bye!
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Advance:
The Arab, Salonika, and Sinai Fronts all advance one space.
This puts the Arab Front right next door to Constantinople.
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Actions: 2
I don't have much choice but to try to push the Arabs out of space 1 (Adana).
My first roll is a '1,' which is about the worst luck. The Arabs remain unmoved.
I have to try again, otherwise Constantinople might fall. Unbelievably, I roll a '2.' The Arabs still stay in Adana.
No change to the map, unfortunately...
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Kaiserschlact:
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1175.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr624%2FMichaelE6%2FK-5.jpg&hash=53e13eca28710a8fff0a025c4e14aceecc4e70b7)
I roll a '5' so once again I get to re-fight one of the two strongest Kaiserschlact battles. This one is in my Victories space, so let's see if it moves...
A roll of '1' continues my great luck; +1 DRM to 2 means nothing, and this battle moves to the Defeats box.
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National Will: -1
Eight Off-Map Victories = +8
Five Off-Map Defeats = -5
Three Off-Map Stalemates = 0
Four Strategic Sites Occupied = -4
Total National Will: -1
This was a terrible turn of luck; two failures against a weak Arab Front, then a blown Kaiserschlact roll, and you can see how quickly one can go from a +3 National Will to a -1. If the Arab Front moves on the next turn, that will be the end of the game, unfortunately.
Turn 38
Card Draw: 48 "Dunsterforce"
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Established in 1917, under the leadership of General Lionel Dunsterville, this Allied military mission consisted of 1,000 Australian, British, and Canadian troops drawn from the Mesopotamian Front and deployed out of Persia. While initially set up for training, it was called upon to seize the Baku oil fields after the withdrawal of Russia from the war. It was defeated by Turkish forces.
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Event:
You must forfeit this card's 2 Actions OR receive the Dunsterforce DEFEAT marker.
Basically, this means I give up the two Actions I get with this card, or get a Defeat marker to put into my Defeat box. What's another Defeat marker when it compares to losing both Actions and trying to push off the Arab Front from space 1?
Oh, wait...well, it doesn't really matter now, unfortunately.
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Advance:
Arab Front moves. (So does the Sinai Front, but that hardly matters now.)
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As the Arab Front advances into Constantinople, the leadership of the Ottoman Empire realizes how futile resistance is now, and decide to seek terms with the Allies. Having nearly made it to the end of the war, the Allies are likely to be very unforgiving of the Sultan and his commanders, thanks to the rough time the Ottomans gave them.
The game ends in a Defeat. There are levels of defeat, though, depending on the number of unrevealed cards remaining. I have 11 left, which means I get a Marginal Defeat result. Here is what the game rules say about this level:
The Western Allies make a separate peace with the Ottomans, reducing the Ottoman Empire to a rump state of Turkey as a result. Allied mandates are set up to govern the former Arab territories. Within a couple of years, Mustafa Kemal launches a bloodless coup, removing the CUP from power and forcing the Sultan to abdicate. Turkey becomes an Axis power in World War 2, making Hitler's defeat much more difficult.
An interesting ending to the game. The historical result is "Crushing Defeat," which is had if the player has 36 or more cards in hand. Thankfully I survived much longer than that.
Thank you to everyone for reading this AAR and making it a success, encouraging me to continue with it, and other AARs as well!
I wish I could have played this to a successful conclusion, but the odds are definitely against that. I'm surprised I lasted as long as I did, and even more surprised at how quickly a game can go south. No matter how much loving care you put into your empire, it can be destroyed easily by a few blown rolls. This is true throughout the game, but as you saw, I survived quite a lot longer, and maybe tipped history in favor of the Axis in the upcoming sequel, "World War II." ;)
In any case, thanks for reading. I hope you all enjoyed it.
(PS: I realize I forgot the Korps marker, and that would have continued the game...I only just realized it now after packing everything up. My apologies. I will have to pay closer attention as it looks like an AAR of Hapsburg Eclipse is in the lead for the next AAR. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed reading this.)
Well done. Made the game I'd never heard of move onto my long list of Must Someday Get. O0
I've enjoyed this! I wrote my master's thesis on the Sinai front, so any game that deals with that gets my O0. Looking forward to the next one.