Corey Kim, Mark Smith and Dave Long move armies.	Ok, let's settle it with thumb wrasslin'.

Seven of the 36 players participated in both heats. There were two 5-player and one 4-player game in the first heat. Participation more than doubled in the second heat with four 6-player and one 5-player game on Saturday night. None managed to win in both heats.
 
Although Matt Tolman and Alan Hayes also won games in the preliminaries; it was Richard Curtin (a 2007 finalist), Paul Bissa, Derek Landell, Steve Dickson (a two-time champion), Charles Drozd and Bill Riggs qualifying for the Final.
 

Set-up

Richard's (Green) men started with nine in New Guinea, six in Mongolia and one each in Peru, Ontario, Iceland, Ukraine, and Japan.
 
Paul's (Pink) army started with ten in Central America, three each in Greenland and Alaska, and one in Indonesia, India, Egypt, and Southern Europe.
 
Derek's (Black) forces started with 13 in East Africa, two in South Africa and one in Madagascar, Alberta, Eastern United States, Northern Europe, and Western Australia.
 
Bill's (Blue) men grouped seven in Brazil, five in Eastern Australia, four in Middle East, and one in Northwest Territories, Quebec, Great Britain, and Congo.
 
Steve's (Yellow) troops started with ten in Siberia, three each in Scandinavia and Kamchatka, and one in China, Western United States, Afghanistan, and  North Africa.
 
Charles' (Red) army started with ten in Argentina, five in Venezuela and one in Yakutsk, Irkutsk, Ural, Siam and Western Europe.
 
Round 1

Green reinforced New Guinea with three before taking Eastern Australia, Western Australia and Indonesia to secure the continent. He then captured China with his Mongolian horde.
 
Pink placed one each in Alaska, Greenland and Central America. He captured Western United States, moving four in (after losing a like number in combat.)
 
Black reinforced South Africa with three before taking Congo from there.
 
Blue reinforced Middle East and took Ukraine from there.
 
Yellow reinforced Siberia, and then took Irkutsk.
 
Red reinforced Argentina, and then took Peru.
 

Round 2

Green strengthened his positions in the SE corner of the map by having China take Siam, then free-moving men from Indonesia, swelling it's garrison to 15.
 
Pink placed one in Central America, two in Western U.S which took the Eastern U.S.
 
Black reinforced East Africa with three before taking Egypt and North Africa from there; gaining control of the dark continent.
 
Blue reinforced Brazil, and then had Ukraine conquer Northern Europe.
 
Yellow reinforced Irkutsk (bringing its garrison to 14) before taking Mongolia.
 
Red reinforced Peru and attacked Blue's large force in Brazil from all three of his territories in South America, capturing it with heavy losses to gain control of the continent.
 

Round 3

Green reinforced Siam, then took India with four armies.
 
Pink reinforced Western U.S., but was rebuffed in an attack on Alberta. forcing Eastern U.S. to take Quebec.
 
Black reinforced North Africa and free-moved back after taking Western Europe.
 
Blue reinforced Northern Europe, then took Western Europe.
 
Yellow reinforced Irkutsk, then had Mongolia take Japan.
 
Red reinforced Ural, then took Ukraine.
 

Round 4

Green split his reinforcements between Siam and India, then conquered Afghanistan.
 
Pink reinforced Greenland, then took Ontario, Alberta, and Northwest Territories, thus gaining control of North America.
 
Black split his reinforcements between North Africa and Egypt; conquering Southern Europe.
 
Blue reinforced Western Europe, and then conquered Southern Europe.
 
Yellow reinforced Irkutsk, took Yakutsk, then free-moved his large force of 19 into Siberia.
 
Red reinforced Ukraine, took Middle East.
 

Round 5

Green reinforced Afghanistan, and took Ukraine.
 
Pink split his reinforcements between Central America, Alaska and Greenland; conquered Iceland
 
Black split his reinforcements between North Africa and Egypt. He gained an agreement from Red not to attack Africa from Middle East, then his North Africans free-moved back after taking Western Europe.
 
Blue reinforced his Southern Europe forces who free-moved back ten after taking Western Europe.
 
Yellow reinforced Japan and Siberia; conquered Ural.
 
Red reinforced Middle East, conquered Afghanistan.
 

Round 6

Green turned in the first set (4), reinforced Siam and Ukraine; took Northern Europe with eight.
 
Pink had the second set (6 plus 2 bonus in Greenland), and, after strengthening N. America's borders, conquered Kamchatka.
 
Black turned in the third set (8 , 2 bonus in South Africa); continued his build up in Africa, then capturedMiddle East.
 
Blue presented the fourth set (10, beefed up his forces in Southern Europe and conquered Middle East with 22.
 
Yellow had the fifth set (12); reinforced Ural, captured Ukraine.
 
Red turned in the sixth set (15, 2 bonus in Venezuela). He reinforced Afghanistan, attacked Blue's large force in Middle East; but, after taking heavy losses, settled for taking Ukraine.
 

Round 7

Green reinforced Northern Europe; took Western Europe.
 
Pink split reinforcements between Alaska, Iceland and Kamchatka; took Irkutsk.
 
Black continued his build up in Africa, then captured Southern Europe from Egypt.
 
Blue presented the seventh card set (20), reinforced Middle East and took Afghanistan.
 
Yellow reinforced Scandinavia, captured Great Britain.
 
Red reinforced his South American positions, then captured Siberia from Ural.
 
Round 8

Green reinforced Western Europe, took Great Britain.
 
Pink split reinforcements between Central America and Kamchatka; took Mongolia.
 
Black continued his build up in Africa (18 in N. Africa, 16 in Egypt, 13 in E. Africa), then captured Western Europe.
 
Blue reinforced Afghanistan, took China, Mongolia and Japan, leaving 27 there.
 
Yellow reinforced Ural, captured Ukraine.
 
Red reinforced Siberia; then took Irkutsk (with 16 men).
 
Round 9

Green turned in a set for 25, (2 bonus in Great Britain) reinforced Siam - bringing its garrison to 53 - which began a march of conquest through China and Ural; while forces from Great Britain conquered Scandinavia andUkraine, thus eliminating Yellow, driving Steve out of the game. Now, with seven cards in his hand, Green turned in another set for 30, placed them in Ural and continued his Asian rampage through Siberia, Mongolia and Kamchatka - then continued on to Alaska, Northwest Territories, Greenland, Iceland, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Western U.S., and Eastern U.S. That brought on the confrontation between Green's last 17 of his horde to Pink's last 17 on the board in Central America which Pink survived with but one left.
 
A reprieved Pink turned in a set for 35, reinforced his sole Central American territory, and attacked Red's Venezuela; but after losing five in three die rolls, decided to turn the other way and retook North America.
 
Black turned in a set for 40; putting several in East Africa and the rest in North Africa, from whence he conquered South America. Then his East African horde marched through Middle East, Afghanistan, Ural, Siberia, and Yakutsk, eliminating Red and putting Charles out of the game. Now, with seven cards in his hand, Black turned in a set for 45 (and a bonus 2 in Ural). Japan, Blue's last stronghold, was conquered next, driving Bill from the game. Black turned in a set for 50, allowing him to amass 90+ in Japan. Between those, coming through Kamchatka and Alaska plus the army coming up from Venezuela, North America was captured, eliminating Pink and relegating Paul to third. Now, with Black eligible for a set of 55, Green conceded; thus Richard gained second place and Derek was the champion.

Thanks to Gary Schaefers for his assistance during the Final; and many, many thanks for his work during the entire event to my very efficient Assistant GM Keith Galbraith, whom I've asked to take over as GM next year. It's been a fun four years.

Charles Drozd, Richard Curtin and Paul Bissa vie to be king.	GM Alan Hayes keeps watch over his finalists.