2019 Champion

[VballMichael]

Please welcome The Painted Man to the ranks of Alamaze champions with a stunning victory on turn 30 as the Underworld in the 2019 Championship game.
And congratulations to the other podium placements and to all who played a great game. What a strange podium - UN/PI/RA.
As a reminder, there were prizes promised for the top 3 spots - Winner gets immortality (so you've got that going for you), along with $100 game credit, runner up $50, third place $25.

Victory By Rex Is The Underworld Kingdom!
                            Game End Status Points
         Place Kingdom    Player                Results-30  Grand Total
           1     UN     The Painted Man           50,631      67,691
           2     PI     Acererak                  33,482      45,137
           3     RA     Eregnon the Black         25,392      38,324
           4     AN     Draugr                    24,037      33,225
           5     LI     Wookie Panz               18,886      31,237
           6     AM     Vball Michael             12,800      22,158
           7     DE     Strongwill                10,684      18,930

Painted Man gets to join the champion list. Can you see yourself joining the list for 2020?
Year    Champion    Kingdom Turn won Type
2013    Wynand              GI         30          Diplomacy
2014    Thalion               EL         26          Diplomacy
2015    Vball Michael       BL         21          Silent
2016    Vball Michael       WA        30          Silent
2017    Imperial Tark      DU         35          Silent
2018    Draugr               NE          30          Silent
2019    The Painted Man  UN        30          Silent   

[The Painted Man]

Thanks, VBM! I'll try my best at a comprehensive write-up.

I chose the UN mostly because they are entirely too much fun and I wanted to see if there was a way to win with them. Going into the game, I was convinced the only way was via Lion's Share, but in the end it worked out.

Starting out, I was fortunate to get Zamora as my region. My impression is that a lot of people don't like the regions in the bottom left, but Zamora remains my favorite region. The shape makes it difficult to invade, you have decent odds at a water capital (sadly, I did not get one), and plenty of terrain to recruit/summon from. The city as a guaranteed port if needed is also a plus. In retrospect, the fact that I didn't build a port there is kind of a sign that my capital was coastal or water-based. Fortunately only a couple of people found it, and those too late to do much about it.

The Underworld is, to be blunt, a very boring kingdom for the first 10 turns or so. Only so many times you can enter "train agent" into the system before you start to fall asleep at the wheel. Along with that, I had a focus on getting to a Power-6 as soon as I could for bounty, a standing order to increase food at my capital, and otherwise just doing my homework on my neighbors. My initial plan was to invade Krynn around turn 10, but RD beat me to it and forced DU out of the game early by taking all his pop centers. Not being in a spot to really deal with RD at that point (no p7 wizards for domes just yet), I put the skids on that and looked instead to the Sword Coast. I divined and then scouted everything in the region at the same time that DA (the inhabitants of the region) had decided to pick a fight with RD in Zanthia. In an effort to preserve their resources, I assume, a lot of DA's emissaries had been pulled back to his capital. Over the course of two turns (15/16), I slept and kidnapped 6 DA emissaries (including king and then regent) and - to my knowledge - DA's entire agent corps. That stunted his ability to fight back and allowed me to continue to pick off his remaining guys. He continued to frustrate me by bouncing his army/army group around and taking a pop center a turn in the region, as well as constantly buying governors (I would love to know how he was able to do that; I must have missed a PC of his) that I would then kidnap. I had a standing order to scry his capital and would kidnap his new regent every turn. I believe from turn 15 on, I only missed a few turns. I also stole a couple of artifacts and killed a wizard or two. He responded by sending a flood of patrols into my region to track down my capital and finally found it, but too late to do much as I had finally put a legendary castle on it and knew he didn't have the resources to take it. He finally dropped when I took the city in the Sword Coast and put a citadel on it the same turn. I'm assuming that was the last straw as he ran into something he couldn't take with his military (and had no other resources).

In the meantime, when RD took Stormgate my alarms went off and I knew I had to move to keep him from his fourth region and an early win. PI apparently had the same idea. We both went into Krynn and Zanthia at the same time and RD suddenly found himself between two agent powerhouses and PI did the bulk of the work killing warlords and wizards (or at least that's what it looked like to me; I never killed any of his figures). Between the two of us, RD lost Krynn but was able to retake Zanthia militarily. I had taken a town in the middle of Krynn and was able to get it to a greater castle and had moved half my agents up to it so I could find the former-DU-now-current-RD capital. I found it the same turn RD's army group showed up at the town, but fortunately I had moved patrols and wizards into the region (to help with the search) and was able to dome the town and preserve my resources. I had gotten lucky and a patrol landed on the RD capital (and had intrinsic true seeing) so I could see everything there and had enough good resources in range to kidnap his king and over the next few turns several emissaries, I think 4 fools (wow he had a lot of those), and the rest of his agents. I caught a couple of barons sneaking into one of my towns in the sword coast and kidnapped them as well. RD had moved his troops down to Zamora by then and I pulled my patrols and wizards back to dome. He took a couple villages that I was able to retake (each one produced ~40k food so I couldn't let him keep them). His last turn he showed up at my capital (by then ~240k defense) with all of his troops, but I knew he only had one wizard to dispel dome (RD needs a p5 for this) and I had three in the region that could cast dome (UN p7), so I blocked his efforts and kidnapped his regent. I didn't know at the time, but that was his last emissary and it knocked him out of the game.

That left me with solid control of Zamora, and timing on RD elimination was a turn before DA dropped so I had control (though only just) of Sword Coast. I owned a town and village in Zanthia and a handful of things in Krynn. RA had just busted into Pellinor and looked to be pushing for the win, so I had to move if I wanted to try for a win. I had recons on most everything in Krynn and Zanthia, so put together a plan to get me control of those two with the resources I had (just my original emissary roster and groups, which were mostly patrols, as all I had been doing was building agents). I took 'waiting for player' from DA as my sign and moved everything I had to the final two regions. Zanthia was fairly straightforward as I could reach just about everything with emissaries and only needed a patrol to summon phantoms and attack the village on the far right. I had recons of everything and cast wards out of an abundance of caution, and that got me the region fairly smoothly. I did NOT have a recent recon of the city and one of the towns in Krynn and (wrongly) assumed they'd have been fortified since when I last took a peek (around turn 18) so I chose to ignore them. I had an army and two patrols to do the lifting on villages in Krynn (as well as casting dome to preserve the last village I held from DE, who was slow-rolling all the pop centers) and emissaries at the hidden town that RD held before he was knocked out. That didn't quite get me there, so I had to rely on PC improvements to clench Krynn. Even then I knew it would be a near thing, but I eeked just over the 60% needed and snuck the win. PI had just moved back into the region and I'm not sure if he would have been as nice if he saw I failed a victory check. We met at a couple of different spots when we attacked RD earlier on and had managed to avoid conflict, including when his army group let my division walk away from a village in Zanthia. I think we both knew nobody wins if our agents go after each other...

Overall this was a really fun game and I (re)learned a ton about the UN and how fun and scary they can be. I'm thankful that I received the time needed to build my agent and wizard base, and I'm glad I didn't run into any greater castles (except for the city in Zanthia, which I left alone). Thanks to all for making it awesome! Canticar, you frustrated me to no end with your unending line of governors. Carl, Cerl, Cirl, Corl, and Curl had me in a fit when they kept popping up.

I'm sure I missed some stuff in there, so please add to it. I'd love to hear how things progressed outside of my corner of the world.

[Wookie Panz]

Congratulations to Painted Man and what a nice write up too.  Also well done to the others that made the podium.
Here is the tale of what happened in the South East regions:

I had the Lizards in Pelinor in this one and it was about the most challenging  game I have ever played.  I came up against several of the most experienced players in the game and was lucky to have survived.
My capital was in the water so it was a lucky location.  DuPont's TY was in Untamed and Vball Michael's AM in Mythgar.  P.T. with DE was to the west and Draugr and AN in Nyvaria to the north.
Ty took my village in Untamed on turn 4. No big surprise but on turn 7 his groups showed up in Pelinor and struggle began.  He had several groups going for my villages and was obviously after my food supply first.  I had scouted his region and my army group was within range of his capital and moved on it straight away.  He had build secret passages so his capital and everyone in it moved to the city of Blackfire when his first capital fell.
On turn 9 Blackfire fell  but... yep, more secret passages.  He is still taking villages but I am retaking them too and have emissaries taking his pc's in Untamed.  Things are going okay and I have the Staff of Disdain so I have tanked his reactions.  I am taking his pc but it is like playing wack a mole with the secret passages everywhere.

My agents and wizards are improving and I am finally strong enough in troops to face off against those TY groups.  I see him moving towards Blackfire and move to intercept him there.
Turn 12 and I catch up to him at Blackfire but AM shows up too and Vball Michael has more troops than either TY or I.  In fact, I am the smallest force but I have the best magic, good tools and quality troops.  TY runs away and AM and I exchange blows with him losing a couple more % than I but both under 20%.  By now I have hurt the TY groups several times with cold darkness and poisoned food.  My agents are making good progress against the TY politicians and I have the ring of invisibility on my best fanatic.  Vball  has had 12 turns to develop his AM without interference and is sure to be tough.
Turn 13 I start looking for the hidden AM capital.  I start looking around a nice cluster of PC within range of my capital. I have a bunch of agents that are over level 4 so I put them to work and get lucky, finding the capital on the first turn.  My army group is in range so I go for it and the AM army group was out of town.  The capital falls but...more secret passages.  Am is taking pc in Untamed from both Ty and I and TY is still taking villages from me.  His weakened groups are getting too low in moral to take towns anymore.

By turn 17 I've about cleaned TY our of Pelinor and Untamed is split between the 3 of us.  I still have the original AM capital and a level 17 fanatic is cleaning up TY politicians with the occasional AM guy joining then in the dungeon.  I've got TY about on the ropes.
Turn 20 I just took the TY capital again, for at least the 4th time.  I got control of Untamed and broke AM control of Mythgar.  Things are really coming together and I move on an AM town in the swamp, my favorite terrain.  Guess who else shows up?  RD with his army group!.  Now I get to fight 3 at a time.
 RD is always tough but I have a few more troops and decent quality, better leaders, much better wizards, and some decent weapons too.  I get 20% in the swamp so let's trade blows with big red.  I lose 47% to his 30% as most of his troops were elite.  Ouch, 1/2 of my army gone and now I'm now not even a match for the AM army group.  Time to fall back and recruit and recover.
Turns 21-22 while I recruit I send a couple of small groups after the last of the TY pc.  He retook a few villages and some are in Pelinor.  I take one and notice that the village of Cornucopia, part of region 13, is still human and is within 5 (speed spell) so I decide to swing north and pick up the extra 20k food a turn that comes with the village.  Summer is turns 22-24 and resources are down.  I'm concentrating on finishing off that pesky TY.
Turn 23   There is a pair of RA barons in Cornucopia but I decide to take it anyway.  This was likely a BIG MISTAKE. More later.
Turn 25 Summer is over and TY is out.  Hooray!  DuPont was a tough customer.   Turn 26 I'm moving against AM and gaining ground again and break his control of Mythgar.  I have 15 prisoners.
Turn 27 - RA shows up at my minor city in Pelinor and I am getting reports of his people showing up in the region.  AM manages to get control of Mythgar again.
Turn 28 - RA breaks my control of Pelinor and his army group is very tough.  He has lots of quality troops and 3 warlords and a p 8 wizard leading the way plus another wizard group.  I'm close to an even match but can't afford the losses so move on the AM capital again, for about the 3rd time. 
Turn 29 I move to retake Pelinor as RA has gotten enough for control and moved on to Untamed.  And of course we know that on turn 30 the Painted Man with UN managed to get his 4th region and declare victory!

I have one question for Eregon the Black and his potent RA.  If I had not taken your 2 barons at Cornucopia were you going to come my way anyway? 

It was interesting!

[Eregnon]

To answer Wookie's question - yes, most likely. But first some detail.

I had the RA in Darkover, which is a good region for them. There is lots of terrain that the RA is good in, plus it's right next to the Diamond Coast, which is a fairly "narrow" region. With the riders trait, the RA emissaries can reach most of it fairly easily.

I did make one fairly critical mistake in picking my ESO. I chose the 3 marshal option, figuring since the RA has 2 to start with it shouldn't be hard to get the 3rd, right? Wrong! On turn 9 my commander got killed in a fine encounter, and naturally the healers botched it. My next highest guy was a major general, two steps away. What to do, what to do?

I looked at the map, and figured I could go after the AT in the Coast, and if everything worked out could still get it. On turn 13 I had my 1RA with the Major General move to the city. I took it on 14 and he got promoted, moved to a town which I took on 15 and he got promoted again, which gave me the 3 marshals I needed to barely get my ESO. Whew!

Meanwhile he had moved an army into Darkover, and I decided to move my army group back to a village I detected his emmissary enter. As it happened, he moved his army to the same village, and we had a nice little battle in the woods. After a few more turns, the AT dropped.

I now have two regions, and I start searching the Coast for the old hidden AT capital. I don't find it, but my patrols do stumble across a superior sighting. Meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out somebody else to attack, but there aren't any good options. The AN had built a legendary on his city, and the DE and PI both have hidden capitals. I consider the LI in Pellinor, but have no way to get there with my troops. I notice that Cornucopia is human, so I send 2 barons to scoop it up. Naturally, the LI sends his division on the same turn, and my guys, as always, get captured. However, on the same turn, I investigate that superior sighting and find the ring of spells.

That changes everything. Normally the RA has no access to teleport army group, as that is a power 8 spell for him and he can only get up to 7, but the ring changes that. Now I can teleport to Pellinor, and I figure I owe the LI something for bagging my barons. I rescue them on the turn I invade, and take the region a couple turns later. The UN had built a legendary in Stormgate, so I headed down to the Untamed. I had just taken the city and moved my barons into all the villages when the game ended.

Definitely a fun game, and congrats to Painted on the win.

[Acererak]

To answer Wookie's question - yes, most likely. But first some detail.

I had the RA in Darkover, which is a good region for them. There is lots of terrain that the RA is good in, plus it's right next to the Diamond Coast, which is a fairly "narrow" region. With the riders trait, the RA emissaries can reach most of it fairly easily.

I did make one fairly critical mistake in picking my ESO. I chose the 3 marshal option, figuring since the RA has 2 to start with it shouldn't be hard to get the 3rd, right? Wrong! On turn 9 my commander got killed in a fine encounter, and naturally the healers botched it. My next highest guy was a major general, two steps away. What to do, what to do?

I looked at the map, and figured I could go after the  AT in the Coast, and if everything worked out could still get it. On turn 13 I had my 1RA with the Major General move to the city. I took it on 14 and he got promoted, moved to a town which I took on 15 and he got promoted again, which gave me the 3 marshals I needed to barely get my ESO. Whew!

Meanwhile he had moved an army into Darkover, and I decided to move my army group back to a village I detected his emmissary enter. As it happened, he moved his army to the same village, and we had a nice little battle in the woods. After a few more turns, the AT dropped.

I now have two regions, and I start searching the Coast for the old hidden AT capital. I don't find it, but my patrols do stumble across a superior sighting. Meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out somebody else to attack, but there aren't any good options. The AN had built a legendary on his city, and the DE and PI both have hidden capitals. I consider the LI in Pellinor, but have no way to get there with my troops. I notice that Cornucopia is human, so I send 2 barons to scoop it up. Naturally, the LI sends his division on the same turn, and my guys, as always, get captured. However, on the same turn, I investigate that superior sighting and find the ring of spells.

That changes everything. Normally the RA has no access to teleport army group, as that is a power 8 spell for him and he can only get up to 7, but the ring changes that. Now I can teleport to Pellinor, and I figure I owe the LI something for bagging my barons. I rescue them on the turn I invade, and take the region a couple turns later. The UN had built a legendary in Stormgate, so I headed down to the Untamed. I had just taken the city and moved my barons into all the villages when the game ended.

Definitely a fun game, and congrats to Painted on the win.

Correction "The PI had built a legendary in Stormgate."

:-)

[The Painted Man]

Correction "The PI had built a legendary in Stormgate."

:-)

The was a definite Underworldly influence on the architecture. Must have been all the agents.

[Draugr]

Correction "The PI had built a legendary in Stormgate."

:-)

The was a definite Underworldly influence on the architecture. Must have been all the agents.

It did give off the brothel vibe.

[Strongwill]

Correction "The PI had built a legendary in Stormgate."

:-)

The was a definite Underworldly influence on the architecture. Must have been all the agents.

Weren’t no agents they were busy slaughtering my peaceful emmies and agents..  smh

[The Painted Man]

Correction "The PI had built a legendary in Stormgate."

:-)

The was a definite Underworldly influence on the architecture. Must have been all the agents.

Weren’t no agents they were busy slaughtering my peaceful emmies and agents..  smh

For the record, my agents did nary an action against you and yours, good sir. My troops but reacted when you attacked our peaceful group and then slaughtered my Village People. We don't like that.

Young man, there's no need to feel down.
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground.

It was actually a very unsettling feeling to take zero agent actions the last turn.

[Strongwill]

Correction "The PI had built a legendary in Stormgate."

:-)

The was a definite Underworldly influence on the architecture. Must have been all the agents.

Weren’t no agents they were busy slaughtering my peaceful emmies and agents..  smh

For the record, my agents did nary an action against you and yours, good sir. My troops but reacted when you attacked our peaceful group and then slaughtered my Village People. We don't like that.

Young man, there's no need to feel down.
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground.

It was actually a very unsettling feeling to take zero agent actions the last turn.

Lol  I was talking about PI.  And thank u for your agent kindness.