Oh, just a year or two.

You synchronised those moves so well with me I thought at one stage we were cheating. I managed to avoid taking a single unit from you but it was close at the end :-)
That was quick, did I ever say I hate playing Austria :-)

I've never really done an EOG but I've got a bit of time so wtf.
I've won 12 times now, mostly by luck but this has to be about the easiest.
I was Austria and due to a decision by Italy to be my ally and a slow start from Russia and Turkey I got 3 builds, Russia sent 2 units North so things are opening up for me against both Russia and Turkey.
Everybody was Draw/Cancel early on but I couldn't see why, I think there was an English NMR but by the time I noticed England was playing and as Austria I didn't benefit from that so I played on and then other players withdrew their Cancel votes.
Despite my 3 builds Italy has a great idea to help me demolish Turkey ....... hooray !!
As we finish him off Italy starts moving to France leaving me to Russia, at this point I know I'm going to solo so I set myself an extra challenge of doing it without taking a single unit from Italy.
At this stage Germant has worked out what is going on and sends a couple of armies South which helps me focus my attention on my Northern aspirations. He didn't have the firepower to make a serious challengs at this stage as France was bothering him because Italy up until then had given France an easy ride.
I go from 9 to 14 units very quickly as I sweep through Russia and then have to focus a little on my end game as I have no Northern fleets and need 4 more units without stealing from my ally Italy.
More enjoyable than the win was striking up an early working relationship with Italy in a gunboat.
I would have been happy to draw with him but I always had an advantage so it was never really on, by the time he worked out it was time to fight me it was way too late........
Gunboats are fun when you can work together with other players with no communication, I've seen the 'Diplomacy Supers' do it so I know how it is supposed to happen.
Winning with Austria in a gunboat is great, especially with no fleet support. I feel I owe Zmaj for in some ways gifting me the game but it was over in 8 campaigns so I made the most of the opportunity presented to me.
It wasn't the toughest opposition I admit and poor old Turkey got squashed by an Austrian/Italian super combo and he could have been trouble.
Bob G was in there so a small scalp, I'm always looking to do well against the 'Big Boys' and he is a handy gunboater.
Happy Days......anybody else have a view on the game?
Moral of the story: If Italy and Austria ally (which they should more often) they have to back-to-back.
Nigee