Return to the Trenches
Was
POG at WBC 2001 a "POGfest" or a "POGmare"?
That depends on who you talk to. The biggest difference this
year was three rounds of full campaign game qualifying play,
followed by three semi-final elimination rounds. For the brave,
determined, POG finalists, David Dockter and Tom Drueding, that
meant SIX eight-hour campaign games.
GM Jim Falling yields his baton to the tournament winner,
David Dockter. David intends to seed pairings next year using
previous tournament/AREA results and perhaps use a shorter scenario
for qualifying rounds.
Contrary to the accepted theory, the CP won most of the 39
games with 51.3% CP victories, 41% Al victories, and 7.7% draw
results. Twenty-six of the total games opened with the Guns of
August event card play. Of these, 46% were CP victories. Of the
six games that reported not using a GOA opening, half were CP
victories. (Seven games did not report). This does not support
the camp of players who believe that non-GOA is the only way
to play the CP side.
About
half of each side's victories ended prior to turn 10, showing
that quick victories are possible. Only eight games were resolved
after turn 15.
Game designer, Ted Raicer, was successfully able to play the
Treaty of Brest Litovsk and knock Russia out of the war, a very
rare event in this tournament.
David Dockter met last year's champion, Peter Reese in the
semi-finals. David had a grudge to settle given that Peter had
massacred David's Allied forces by turn 7 in a qualifying round.
Now, as the CP, David dealt some revenge by clearing out the
British forces in Basra. Peter responded with massive attrition
on the West front, knocking David down to five German
armies. David was able to stabilize the west with big replacement
card plays and then moved to the East. Since Sinai and Allenby
were somewhat delayed, David took Egypt with the TU YLD army
and German support. He was also able to cause the Fall of the
Tsar, although just missing the extra points due to a neutral
entry by Romania. Peter conceded on Turn 18, realizing it would
be difficult to regain the five VP lost in the Near East.
David again played the CP
side in the finals against an undefeated AL player, Tom Drueding.
During their game, most of the action again happened in the East
and Near East. Tom tried a stunning attack using the MEF and
British corps to land at Gallipolli and assault Constantinople.
He didn't hold back and played both Limited War 5/5 cards, Italy
and Romania, to take Gallipoli. Alas, Tom's four-corps table
attack on Constantinople vs. a five-corps table defense failed
and the Turks were saved. David again used his Turkish army with
German advisors to clean out Egypt. Later he was able to batter
the
Russians and force the Tsar's Fall. Tom conceded on T15.
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