The players willing to put their reputations on the line are Rejects Ray (Don't Throw a One), Lee (Big Lee's Miniature Adventures), Dan, Steve and Surjit, along with the Chief of the Rejects USA Chapter, Jonathan (Palouse Wargaming Journal).
Who Chooses First?
I could have picked names out of a hat. However, I thought that here was the first opportunity for a test of knowledge and speed.
The six players were sent an email giving them seven days notice that at 8pm on 15 September they would receive an email with two questions. The first to answer the questions correctly would choose first from all six countries; the second would choose from the remaining five, and so on.
The two questions were not difficult:
1. What was the name given to Louis XVI at his trial and execution in Jan 1793?
2. I am always in front of you but you can never see me. What am I?
The first correct reply come back at 8:01pm! Keen or what!
The order of response was as follows:
1 - Ray at 20:01
2 - Lee at 20:02
3 - Steve at 20:09
4 - Dan at 20:11
5 - Jon at 20:28
6 - Surjit at 21:42
A close call between first and second.
Who Chose What?
Now that we had established the order of selection, what did they choose?
Now that we had established the order of selection, what did they choose?
Ray - Austria
Lee - Lombardy
Steve - Batavia
Dan - Bohemia
Jon - Brandenburg
Surjit was left with Franconia
Interestingly, a couple of the players expressed surprise that certain countries were not chosen. Especially that Franconia was not picked at all, but left to last place Surjit. Do you agree?
Naming and Neutralising
The next tasks were for the players to access their campaign order sheets and to give names to their ruler and three generals. For the battles, the generals will all start with the rating of "plodding". With time and battlefield success they can improve their ratings. The rulers' will be given a permanent rating at random. The ratings are buffoon, plodding, efficient and brilliant. These ratings affect the weighting of the number of actions per turn and command radius.
The names of the various rulers and their three army commanders are:
Austria: Ray will now be known as King Leopold V, the Virtuous (howls of laughter now coming from the rest of the Rejects). His generals are Prince Frederick the Krieger, Duke Heinrich II Jasomirgott, and Count Lukas von Graben zum Stein.
Batavia: Steve now becomes Earl Ragnar Lothbrok assisted by his three Constables Sweyn Forkbeard, Ivar The Boneless, and Harald Fairhair.
Bohemia: Dan has a rather formidable sounding Queen by the name of Eliska Premyslova. Her loyal army commanders are Lords Oldrich of Vitkov and Zbynek of Lichtenburk, and General Jan of Rozmberk.
Brandenburg: Jonathan is now Duke Frederich von Freytag. His trusted commanders are the Counts Ulrich von Lindow, Hermann von Orlamünde, and Dietrich von Stade.
Franconia: Surjit now becomes King Elrond the Wise. He has the loyalty of Marshal Gandalf the Great, Prince Aragon the Brave, and Prince Legolas the Swift.
Lombardy: Lee is now transformed into King Ottaviano di Valperga. His three army commanders being Duke Giacomo da Varenna, Count Ottone Grimaldi, and Marshal Matteo Farracorta.
Each player must also secretly submit the name of one area/principality in Mitteleuropa that will remain neutral for at least two campaign years (six turns). That means that no-one, including the person who selected it, during that time may invade and capture those territories. So, a careful choice could give advantage, protection and possibly hinder a rival. These were their choices placed in alphabetical order of territory:
Cisalpine
Eins
Mainz
Neu
Sesia
Trent
Would you have made different decisions? How do you think these choices might impact play?
As I type, emails are already flying back and forth as rival rulers negotiate pacts, alliances and (no doubt) spread rumour and sow discontent. At the same time contemplating their orders for turn one.
