524 Ends by REX

[gkmetty]

Congratulations to Devil Dog for his Rex win with the DE.

I joined the game on Turn 15 as the CI and other then an ongoing feud with the SA there was not much of interest until the RA, for some reason, used magic to destroy one of my groups and then the DE executed a mass invasion.

On the last turn, turn 39, someone destroyed 21 artifacts.  I would first like to know who collected 21 artifacts and second I am interested in why you decided to destroy them.

My understanding is that this game started without any of the pure magic kingdoms.  The final standings , DE, RA, GN, show that in a world of blind people the one eyed man rules supreme.

[Atuan]

Speaking of destroyed artifacts. How does that work? I ask as I destroyed 2 after turn 18 but that total did not get added to my status points for end game which I believe it is supposed to. It doesn't really matter but would like to understand how it works.

[gkmetty]

Speaking of destroyed artifacts.  How does that work?  I ask as I destroyed 2 after turn 18 but that total did not get added to my status points for end game which I believe it is supposed to.  It doesn't really matter but would like to understand how it works.

I was not aware that destroyed artifacts added to Status Points.  I always thought that when the artifacts went away the kingdom no longer gained points for them.

[Atuan]

I believe when they are destroyed you get full value for them and then no value after that. As such the 2 keys I destroyed I would have thought would net me 200 status points

[gkmetty]

I believe when they are destroyed you get full value for them and then no value after that.  As such the 2 keys I destroyed I would have thought would net me 200 status points

If this is true then it makes more sense that the 21 artifacts were destroyed on the last turn of the game.  I still dont understand why it was done but I had thought it was a waste of Status Points, that would not be true.

[Devildog]

First time on the podium for me and it is a Rex win. I think I can attribute most of the win to people overlooking me. It looked like early on most of the fighting was going on in the south. At one point it I thought the Darkelves were getting close to winning. I considered heading that way but I noticed the Dwarves spying my pop centers. He had also amassed a large amount of emissaries. As this was a silent game I had no way to communicate my desire to attack synisvania without leaving my backdoor open. I tried a single demonic denigration which the Dwarves responded to by declaring me an enemy and denigrating me to hostile. I did the same. I thought this might make him feel more secure and lead others to believe that we were at war as I prepared to move south. At the last moment I checked his regional reaction and he had raised it to tolerant. I decided my only course was to attack him in self defense. I moved everything North and took Talking mountains quickly and he dropped just as quickly. Regions were still changing hands in the south but there wasn't much time left. I was way behind on status points. The Cimmerians had 3 regions but were also at war with the Sacred Order. I moved my emissaries into the Mists while sending my army toward Oakendell. Time was running out in the game. The Rangers were way ahead in status points and they showed up in the eastern steppes with 3 or 4 armies to break my control and secure their lion's share win. They took the city and 2 towns and left one army there to finish the job but I gated 3 princes in to quickly take my pop centers back as he headed to Talking mountains. He spent one turn there then teleported away unexpectedly. With time running out I managed to wrest control of Oakendell from the Cimmerians who were expecting me and fighting back. On the last turn of the game I savaged his army group at Lorethane. I can only assume that the bulk of his forces were off fighting in Torvale.

Although I did have good wizards at the end of the game, the demon princes are advantaged in magic as is the second place Rangers. Of the mastery kingdoms, the gnome was 3rd, the darkelf was 5th behind the Sacred Order and the Elf was apparently knocked out of the game earlier.

[VballMichael]

DA
Had a great start. Took Synisvania and watched the UN and AN fight in Southern Sands. When I felt they had battered each other a bit, I moved in and took the region from both of them, eliminating the AN and all but one or two villages of the UN. Then I had to decide, RA in 8 or GN in 7. Not sure if I made the right call, but I attacked the RA in 8. Took Arcania in one turn, but then the GN invaded and the RA came back in full force. With two strong kingdoms run by two strong players, my early advantage in the game (3 regions and status point leader) was quickly erased. In fact, I found myself soon without a region and losing wizards, emissaries and artifacts, so even my status point lead was diminishing. Oh well, peaked too early and then got hit hard . It was a fun game, and my only goal at the end was to keep Runnimede and save as many artifacts as I could.

Congrats to Devildog on a great game. There will be games when nobody bothers you, and you definitely have to take advantage when that happens. Still not easy to take the additional 3 regions. Well played.
Not sure why you sent a group into Runnimede late in the game, but it was fun to eliminate that group.

Also congrats to UM and JF/IT (IT took over the GN pretty late in the game from JF) for 2nd and 3rd place.

[Devildog]

Congrats to Devildog on a great game. There will be games when nobody bothers you, and you definitely have to take advantage when that happens. Still not easy to take the additional 3 regions. Well played.
Not sure why you sent a group into Runnimede late in the game, but it was fun to eliminate that group.

I had been tracking 1DW that had several artifacts including a weapon quest key. When he dropped my priestess tracked those artifacts to an unguarded village in Runnemede. I thought I would pop down there and pick them up however I found your group there as well. Instead of fighting I left the division to die and brought my wizards home to help against the Rangers

[Tomag Ironfist]

Can someone please post the final status point count for this game?

[VballMichael]

Victory By Rex Is The Demon Princes Kingdom!
                           Game End Status Points

        Place Kingdom    Player                Results-39  Grand Total

          1     DE     Devildog                  18,940      26,935
          2     RA     The Wise One              12,300      25,600
          3     GN     Imperial Tark             14,065      25,461
          4     SA     Tomag Ironfist            11,440      20,661
          5     DA     Vball Michael              5,700      17,610
          6     CI     Canticar                   5,800      14,373