Introduction.

I, Lord Thanatos - still atop the Imperator's List, am proud to participate in Fall of Rome's inaugural Veterans Game. My request for the Ostrogoth position was honored and I take the reigns of this kingdom for the first time ever. What has fate in store? Actually, what care I about fate? I shall make my desires reality whatever fate would otherwise intend.

More important than which kingdom I lead is an analysis of which players are playing which other positions. This Veterans contest should provide ample opportunity to achieve victory since I will not need to race against a distant, skilled opponent who is surrounded by less skilled players. Everyone in THIS contest possesses great skill; this means that none of my rivals shall face opponents less skilled than I must face.

Turn 1

Ry Vor, Howler, and Aeneas are all my neighbors. Ry Vor is a masterful adversary. I do not fear his ability, but certainly respect his diplomatic skills - I have not yet been able to face him one on one. Thus, I decide for the first time ever to attempt to make him my ally. He readily agrees to my carefully worded proposition and the Huns are no longer a threat. Many players fear the Huns but I know that if they are not to be my ally they shall be attacked on turn one because this is the best way to hamstring their little steppes ponies. Anyhow, the mighty Huns are no longer my concern and I am confident Ry Vor will make my northern border impregnable due to his knowledge of the Fall of Rome contest.

Although I could likely convince both Howler and Aeneas to agree to peace with me that would leave me with no immediate enemy to pummel. This would be unacceptable! I prefer to attack the Thuringians as Raetia is a richer region and there is much greater glory in defeating this kingdom than in defeating the lowly Lombards. Yet, I hesitate to embark upon this path because I consider Ry Vor a greater rival than these other two, admittedly very skilled, players. If I were to reach a peaceful agreement with the Thuringians, led by Howler, odds are better that the Thuringians and Huns will eventually become embroiled. I think the Huns, led by Ry Vor, can easily defeat the Norse and Teutons because these are infantry kingdoms. The Thuringians, though, will give the Huns a fit. So I compromise with myself. . . I respond to Howler's missive with an offer of a limited number of peaceful turns and a promise to renegotiate as the game progresses.

Aeneas and his Lombards are now my first target by default. He is a skilled player and is steadily advancing up the Imperator's List in Valhalla so I am not at all troubled by hindering his ascent. I have no doubt that I can beat him one-on-one (since I have no doubt that I can beat any single player one-on-one) but know that every player in this contest is likely to be skilled at inter-player diplomacy. Thus, I figure he is likely to be arranging for allies as quickly as I am. I better enlist assistance as well.

Enter the Visigoths! Mallak is guiding this kingdom and we just finished a contest where we fought each other for 24 grueling turns. Neither of us won. So I ask him if he would consider the two of us working together this contest and suggest that he select our first opponent while arranging for peace between himself and his other neighbors. He agrees to work with me and the Lombards are clearly the best tactical choice for a target. My first turn diplomacy is now complete.

I enter a set of first turn orders that will result in control of my region at the end of turn two and await the next turn. Although this set of orders is the most common I enter, I have attacked enough players/positions with my first turn orders that I am fairly certain none of my immediate neighbors in any Fall of Rome contest are able to rest easy. . .

Turn 2

Most of my orders this turn are dictated by the choices I made on turn one. There is really no new diplomacy to engage in but I am certain to send out all necessary messages to strengthen my agreements. I even send out a message or two replete with truth, but intended to subtly manipulate a few of the more distant kingdoms. I always try to keep my hand in the cookie jar.

The big consideration on turn two is which secret victory condition to select. My High Priestess determined the location of two Unusual Sightings in my region so I am confident I can collect two artifacts. Of course, that third artifact will be very, very difficult to obtain with such skilled opponents. But if I select the Visionary condition that is too difficult to hold onto after setting the comet aloft. Therefore, I decide to wait one final turn before making this decision.

I do order a patrol filled with my best leaders to move upon one of the Unusual Sightings. Often I send a Division sized legion with my leaders so that if other players are attempting to "poach" these artifacts from my realm I will be able to attack their groups or will have priority over a patrol and so shall gain the artifact. This game I elect to rest all my troops to improve their morale (since I tend to use them harshly once I invade somewhere) and send only a patrol.

Interestingly, I receive a message from the Visigoths that he is going to be delayed in controlling his region and would like us to delay our attack in Italia a few turns. I agree and know that next turn I shall focus upon nation-building in Noricum.

Turn 3

I control Noricum this turn, as planned. Yet my first problem is encountered. I order markets, storehouses, and mills to be constructed throughout Noricum.

My leaders successfully reached the first Unusual Sighting and have been ordered to investigate. I accept a large risk/reward roll of the dice and order the cream of my kingdom to throw caution to the wind and exert every effort to obtain the artifact even if they must Go Out In A Blaze Of Glory!

As I also issue an order for this patrol to move to the second Unusual Sighting I realize that the patrol cannot reach the new hex, even if it force marches. Those damn mountains simply cannot be crossed as quickly as I demand. I yell, curse, and grumble at fate as I order the patrol to move as close as they can to the next artifact location and command my High Priestess to Heal those in this patrol in case they are injured while investigating. Then I change my mind! Although I would normally heal those in the patrol, I depart from this tendency to protect my best leaders since it will be an additional turn before they can reach the new Sighting anyhow. I decide to use my High Priestess to divine the location of popcenters throughout the east of Italia. Let fate stew! I care not what obstacles are thrown in my path I shall make them work to my advantage! Now I shall have the location of my intended enemy's popcenters earlier than I normally would.

Ry Vor, Howler, Aeneas and myself have all controlled our regions at the end of turn two. A few others have as well, but that is to be expected. I remain unconcerned about events elsewhere because I cannot yet control or impact those events. Still, since my hand remains in the cookie jar, I learn that the Saxons have attempted an early invasion of Gaul. But I see that the Saxons also control their region (the Alamanni in Gaul do not!) and realize that he did not attempt the all-out assault that I generally prefer. He appears to have split his orders between gaining his region and delaying his neighbor. This I have attempted in the past, but have always been dissatisfied with the results. I prefer to attempt to gain my neighbor's realm outright if I am going to interfere with him at all. Still, I am pleased that particular battle will apparently last a while.

Turn 4

The Ostrogoth King successfully attained great glory by defeating the Renegade Romans and retrieving the legendary Sword of Light! This is an excellent artifact and shall assist when these leaders battle the next artifact guardian. Only one leader, a general, was wounded, albeit seriously. The High Priestess is summoned to Heal him and the entire patrol is ordered to the next Unusual Sighting location.

I continue to build improvements in my land as it keeps the peasants happy so the nobles can tax them and have enough gold and supplies to do my bidding. I command that a couple of fortresses be constructed in case the Huns or Thuringians betray me, but more likely in case the Lombards raid into my lands when I invade Italia.

Every region except Aquitania is now controlled. Even the Alamanni control their region; alas, the Saxons were unsuccessful in preventing this occurrence. I gleefully send my condolences and promise of assistance (should I ever advance this far) to the Saxons. Sentinel is an imaginative and skilled player and I have no doubt he will still by around and in a good position when I have finished destroying the Lombards. While my message is good diplomacy under any circumstances I do have an ulterior motive. I do, in fact, plan on assisting the Saxons. . .

As I analyze the board I conclude that I like the great security provided to me by having both the Huns and Thuringians as allies. Therefore, I send messages to again strengthen these ties and attempt to negotiate an even longer peace arrangement with Howler. He appears interested and after a few more messages we greatly lengthen and expand the terms of our former peace agreement.

Now, I conclude that once the Lombards are ground into dust (as they surely must be) I do not want to attack my erstwhile ally the Visigoth. Mallak will be as eager as I to continue our campaign somewhere and this means the most likely region for us to work together in will be Gaul. Although I do not share these plans with any of my allies I do send messages to the Saxons praising his efforts and promising my future support. I hope the thought of future assistance from Lord Thanatos will bolster the Saxons hopes. Of course, much like the end of WWII I run the risk of the Saxons attempting a nuclear attack so that he will control all of Gaul before I can carve out a piece for myself. Whatever happens I am not granting fate any momentum - I have seized the reigns of my own destiny and refuse to relinquish them!

Turn 5

WAR! ! !

Even had I not been planning from turn one to invade Italia I would have to do so now. There is a Lombard patrol in the same hex with my patrol at the location of the Unusual Sighting. Without compromise or any hesitancy, if another player violates the sanctity of my region's border to pilfer an artifact I shall overturn heaven and earth via diplomacy, orders, and lavish promises to other players to shift my entire focus upon the encroaching player. I am, indeed, a greedy monarch and shall not share the natural resources of my realm with any other player - at least so far as artifacts are concerned.

Aeneas is either addled or suicidal - he has forced my hand without even knowing what my intentions were. Not only has he attempted to poach artifacts but he also sent all his brigades into Noricum (a hex or two behind his patrol) and Usurped from me the village I begin with in his region.

Since I previously laughed at fate and divined Italia popcenters early I am prepared to immediately invade the Lombards homeland. I order my patrol to attempt to retrieve the artifact and then move to the nearest town, which shall have a fortress completed soon, and join with all my starting brigades. The troops which just arrived this turn will form a second legion and along with a brigade of mercenaries are dispatched west toward Italia where they shall end their movement a single hex on my side of the border.

All, every single one, of my nobles are ordered into Italia popcenters and the Ostrogoth King denigrates the Lombards in Noricum. I know that my starting regional reaction in his realm is better than his starting regional reaction in my realm and I intend to widen that disparity in my favor. It is far cheaper to denigrate than to enamor. Thus, I cheaply counter any expenditure he made to improve his regional reaction. I intend to denigrate the Lombards in Noricum for three or four consecutive turns - all the while I shall be attacking both politically and militarily in Italia.

My diplomatic efforts now pay off as the Visigoth and I exchange the location of popcenters in east and west Italia so that we both know the location of all the popcenters in that region. The Visigoth also promises to move this turn upon the Lombard village in his own region and send a few nobles to the westernmost popcenters in Italia. Howler, the Thuringian leader, also promises to invade Italia from the north on turn 8 when his agreement with the Lombards expires. I know how a big game hunter must feel as the steel jaws of my trap are set for Aeneas. He shall pay dearly for daring to enter my realm!

Turn 6

The artifact is mine! It was random chance as to which kingdom would be able to investigate the Unusual Sighting first. Since I gained the artifact I can only assume that fate is now properly tamed.

The Lombard patrol retreated to the hex where his military awaited and combined there. Since he did not invade further into my realm I can only assume he hopes to negotiate peace or neutrality between us. There shall never be peace between Lord Thanatos and anyone who dares to attempt to pilfer artifacts in my land - this is simply a fact of which all other players must makes themselves aware. Therefore. . .

I issue seven noble orders combining Stir Unrest and Incite Rebellion at five Lombard popcenters in Italia. I also order both of my legions to move upon two additional Italia popcenters. Once again, I denigrate the Lombards in Noricum. Invasion is fun! Aeneas chose the timetable, but I responded with every possible resource at my command. Since my borders are otherwise secure and my diplomacy has assured me of staunch allies I am certain to teach the Lombards a harsh, unforgettable lesson. Lord Thanatos is never to be trifled with!!!

I switch from peace to total war in a single turn, and my interest level in the game rises accordingly. I usually play the full compliment of games allowed at the Imperator level so that at any one time my concentration is divided equally among the various contests. But when the time arrives to go on the attack, I contemplate that game much more keenly than all the others, as Aeneas shall shortly recognize. He is already dead, his mind just won't accept that fact yet.

The first Veterans Game is off to a rousing start and promises plenty of enjoyment and excitement. With twelve skilled players the essential key to victory is undoubtedly inter-player diplomacy. I continue to send messages to my allies, potential allies, and even my enemies. I also send game-wide messages to all the other players and enjoy the banter this generates. In fact, this very turn Aeneas has sent a message to every other player begging for assistance. It shall never arrive in time. Muwahahahahaaaaaaaa!