Take Serbia.

yea but what if you have an angry Turkey?

More seriously, Austria is a position that requires much care and finesse in the diplomatic aspect of the game.

are there country win rate stats on this website? Or do I have to look through completed games and eyeball it.

Are we talking about Gunboats or FP?

either

whether or not turkey is angry is probably up to you.

Regarding gboat, you go to Galicia, Serbia and Albania. And say your prayers.

Agreed.

I just had a look at the last game you played as Austria:
gameID=206612

In S01 you decided to keep the fleet in Trieste, forgoing Greece. That is a desperate measure, but if you do not trust Italy, sometimes this can be necessary. If so, I would personally ask them for a bounce in Venice. I don't like that move, but it's better than a Hold.

I'll comment more later.

However, it seems you also agreed on a DMZ in Galicia (but was stabbed by Russia). You went Vie-Bud, but that army doesn't do much in terms of early survival. If you trust that DMZ, I'd prefer to open Vie-Trieste or Vie-Tyrolia (to guard against Italy), so you can still play for Greece.

Thanks for the advice

After that, that dastardly Turk promised suppory into Rumania but stabbed you instead. Your position was dire, but perhaps salvageable: Try to break up their alliance. Convinvce Italy to help you, as he will be next. Scare England and Germany by talking of the Juggernaut so they attack Scandinavia. Keep giving orders to your units.

Austria has a good win percentage, but also the most early eliminations. We've all been there.

If you don't trust Italy, go balls to the wall. Get Turkey to open to Arm and Bla, Russia to open to Rum with the fleet and try to DMZ Gal

Then go Vie-Tyr, Tri-Adr, Bud-Tri

Venice is yours! Italy is doomed! And if at least one of R/T do what you want... You *might* be able to survive it all.

Maybe!

Hey HR, did your conservative tendencies fuel that analysis?

I think that the best opening for Austria, almost no matter what, is:
Vienna to Galicia
Budapest to Serbia
Trieste to Albania

From here, you have a reasonable possibility of a 2-build opening. You can't be attacked by Russia or Turkey, and you may be able to shut out Turkey from a 2-build opening.

If Italy attacks you by moving into Tyrolia, if you bounced Russia in Galicia then you can block Italy from taking any of your centers.

Therefore, move to Galicia with the INTENTION of bouncing - negotiate a bounce. Do not negotiate a DMZ - Russia may be lying to you, and you can't really take advantage of any DMZ anyways (because you're defended almost just as much by the bounce, and you can't profit really by lying about the DMZ).

The only really bad scenario for you with this opening is if Italy moved into Trieste immediately, with Rome to Venice. Italy almost NEVER makes that opening unless you flat-out tell him what opening you're going to make. Italy rarely makes that opening in gunboat.

If you don't trust Italy the best move is to simply go Try-Ven. This stops in its tracks any attack Italy can make against you.

@swordsman, if Italy moves to Venice an Tyrolia then you can't stop him from taking your stuff AND get Greece uncontested.

Austria is really just about having good initial diplomacy with the two people who could attack you off the bat. If you're abandoning Greece to defend yourself, you've already failed.

@ubercacher16
I stated that "you can block Italy from taking any of your centers" - I meant HOME centers.

Yes, but he could then ignore your centers and do a bohemian crusher opening. After this Russia and Turkey will probably jump on your ass...

You can see how this ends.

In all my years of playing diplomacy, I don't think I've played a single game where Italy did that opening. I strongly advise anybody trying to be better at playing Austria not to choose their opening based on a fear of the extremely rare "bohemian crusher" opening.

That is not why I say Austria should move to Venice. There is just no opening that Italy can do in which he will be hurt because of a move to Venice from Trieste. It is purely precautionary and a much better way to stop an Italian attack then what you suggest.

But it takes away your chances of getting two builds. If Italy's attacking you, you're doing a bad job.

Except that ITA often wants AUS to succeed early, and a move from Venice to Trieste does not lead to AUS success.

In the event that an idiot Italy decides to stab you that is the best possible move.

You can't play afraid as AUS because if you don't expand quickly, you will get expanded into.

Ok, whatever. Moving to Ven is actually better for gunboat anyway.

Still disagree. Sure, you're more likely to get a bad Italy when you can't convince Italy not to be bad (unless you're bad at convincing), but you're much less likely to do well if Italy isn't attacking you if you don't take Greece in 01.