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With 36 entrants, Risk
remains a viable event for a classic game. |
Only Keith Galbraith made it
back to the final table. |
Almost Everyone's
First Wargame ...
With 36 players, eight of them playing in both heats, there
were four 5-player games in the first heat and four 6-player
games in the second. No one managed tto win twice in the preliminaries.
The six finalists, in order of seeding, were Keith Galbraith
(a 2007 finalist), Rob Larkins, Kevin Broh-Kahn, Bram Walzl,
Andrew Wilson, and Brandon Bernard. However, when Broh-Kahn became
a "no-show", GM Alan Hayes rounded out the field for
the Final.
SETUP
Rob's (Red) had an army in China, Japan, Western Australia,
Siam, Congo, Scandinavia and 14 in Alaska.
Andrew's (Black) started with one army in Yakutsk, Middle
East, NW Territory, Great Britain, Venezuela, seven armies in
Southern Europe and eight in Argentina.
Keith's (Yellow) based an army each in Western Europe and
Iceland; three each in Afghanistan, Ural, Siberia; four in Mongolia
and five in Kamchatka.
Bram's (Blue) based an army each in Madagascar, India and
Irkutsk; two in Peru; four in Central America, five in Northern
Europe and six in Quebec.
Brandon's (Pink) had one army each in Ontario, Greenland,
South Africa, and Ukraine; five each in East Africa and Egypt;
six in North Africa.
Alan's (Green) deployed an army each in Eastern Australia,
Siam, Brazil, Eastern US, Western US, and Alberta, and 14 in
Indonesia.
ROUND 1:
Rob placed three in Alaska, and conquered NW Territory, Greenland
& Quebec (wiping out blue's largest force).
Andrew placed two in Argentia, one in S Europe; took W Europe.
Keith placed three in Siberia; took over Yakutsk.
Bram placed three in Central America and occupied Venezuela
and Brazil; conquered Scandinavia and Iceland from N Europe.
Brandon placed three in S Africa, took Madagascar; and with
N Africa taking over Congo gained control of the whole continent.
Alan placed three in E Australia, attacked W Australia --
but failed, with a loss of three armies before succeeding with
forces from Indonesia controlling the continent.
ROUND 2:
Red put one in Greenland, two in NW Territory --t aking Alberta.
Black put one in S Europe, twoin Argentia; took Peru.
Yellow put three in Afghanistan; conquering China.
Blue put three in Brazil; took Peru & conquered Argentia
(with an inferior number of armies), controlling S America.
Pink put men in Egypt, E Africa, N Africa; took Brazil.
Green put five in Indonesia, took Siam (earning a sharp retort
from Yellow in China).
ROUND 3:
Red put three in Quebec; took Ontario.
Black put three in S Europe; attacked N Europe, but lost a
few armies...decided on Ukraine instead.
Yellow put three in China; attacked Irkutsk from Siberia...but
lost two armies, then succeeded from Kamchatka.
Blue put three in Peru; took Brazil.
Pink put men in Egypt, E Africa, N Africa...considered wiping
out Black in Europe or Blue in S America...decided on a limited
attack on Brazil.
Green put twoin Siam, three in Western US...attacked Central
America; but failed, then took India from Siam.
ROUND 4:
Red put one in Greenland, two in Alberta; took Western US.
Black turned in the first card set; put seven in S Europe
& takes N Europe, advancing with 12.
Yellow put three in Ural; took Ukraine with five...discussed
India with Green but was persuaded to stop.
Blue put three in Peru; retook Brazil.
Pink put men in Egypt, E Africa, N Africa; retook Brazil.
Green put one in Siam, four in India; took Middle East.
ROUND 5:
Red talked with Black about wiping out Blue; but Black was
worried about Pink. Yellow offered to help; but expressed concern
about Green & Pink. Red put armies in Western US, swept down
and took Peru and Argentia from Blue, and Eastern US from Green,
thus gaining control of North America.
Black placed three in N Europe, took Scandinavia but lost
five armies doing so.
Yellow turned in the second card set (with a two-man bonus
for Yakutsk), placed his nine reinforcements in Ukraine, took
Scandinavia and Iceland, wiping out Blue, and gaining Bram's
three cards. He then continued his attacks, adding Great Britain,
W Europe and India.
Pink placed six armies in Egypt; took S Europe and attacked
N Europe, trying to destroy Black but was stopped with heavy
losses. He next tried with the armies in E Africa, attacking
through Middle East; but was stopped again. The third time was
the charm, when he used his armies in N Africa; attacking through
W Europe to capture N Europe and Andrew's cards. He was able
to turn in the third card set (getting two bonus men in S Europe),
splitting the eight armies between E Africa, S & W Europe.
Green put five men in Middle East and took Egypt.
ROUND 6:
Red turned in the fourth set (ten armies; plus a bonus pair
for Venezuela); fortifying his Greenland, Alaska and Venezuela
garrisons to a dozen each, and captured Brazil, adding control
of South America to his American hegemony.
Yellow turned in the fifth card set (12 armies; plus a bonus
two for Ural); placed his reinforcements in Kamchatka and attacked
Alaska, leaving one army there after his "free move".
Pink turned in the sixth card set (15 armies); talked peace
with the three remaining powers while trying to regain control
of Africa, took Egypt.
Green turned in the seventh card set, putting 20 in Siam;
also adding five in Middle East from where he took India.
ROUND 7:
Red reinforced NW Territory and used it to take Alaska.
Yellow placed four amries in China which took India.
Pink placed his armies in E & N Africa, Eygpt, and S Europe;
was rebuffed in Middle East, took Ukraine instead.
Green placed two armies in Siam, three in Middle East; took
S Europe.
ROUND 8:
Red split his reinforcements between Greenland, Alaska and
Brazil and passed.
Yellow turned in the eighth card set--25 armies--placed a
large force in Great Britian, took N Europe, leaving eight in
each country.
Pink reinforced Africa, but took S Europe from Ukriane.
Green placed five armies in Siam and passed.
ROUND 9:
Red split his reinforcements between Greenland, Alaska and
Brazil and passed again.
Yellow reinforced the Afghans; took W Europe from Great Britian.
Pink reinforced Africa and Ukraine; took Scandinavia.
Green placed three armies in Siam and two in Middle East;
took S Europe.
ROUND 10:
Red split his reinforcements between Greenland, Alaska and
Brazil and tpassed yet again.
Yellow reinforced Great Britian; took Scandinavia.
Pink reinforced Africa and Ukraine; took S Europe.
Green turned in the ninth card set--30 armies--which reinforced
Siam (bringing the garrison to 80); five went into Middle East
to conquer India.
ROUND 11:
Red split his reinforcements between Greenland, Alaska and
Brazil (bringing those garrisons to 20 each) and passed for the
fourth straight turn.
Yellow turned in the tenth card set for 35 armies. Pink urged
him to attack Red, while Red lobbied for the reverse (Green was
deemed too strong to attack). Yellow split his forces between
Kamchatka and Iceland; attacked Alaska and later Greenland --
conquering most of N America -- leaving it the elimination of
Red to Pink.
Pink turned in the 11th card set--40 armies--most of which
went into N Africa; attacked Brazil... and swept up to Central
America, capturing Rob's four cards. That allowed Pink to turn
in the 12th card set--45 armies (with a two-man bonus for Ukraine).
He placed the armies in E Africa & attacked Middle East,
India, then Siam. Although Pink eliminated about 70 Green armies,
he realized he didn't have enough men to finish the job, so he
ended his turn.
Green, deciding the game had gone on long enough (and was
beginning to run over its allotted time), turned in the 13th
card set for 50 armies which turned on Yellow and attacked China
from Siam; from there throughout Asia and Europe and into N America.
After wearing the corners off their dice, it came down to one
Green versus one Yellow in Western US. Green won the battle,
and captured keith's three cards. Alas, he didn't have a set
for immediate play and Pink did (55 armies) for Round 12. Alan
settled for second place and conceded the game and championship
to Brandon.
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