This was definitely my most disappointing game due to a single misorder. I was off to one of my best starts, at the top of the leaderboard very early and plenty of room for growth. Then, in S03, having never played as Russia before, I mistakenly ordered a support of St Pete instead of Scandanavia, allowing Europe to take the center. He never let up and I couldn't hold on. I quickly became spread too thin, eventually Near East jumped in, and that was it.

Really kicked myself over that misorder for the rest of the game.

Player: Tasnica
Nation: Argentina
Result: 5-Way Draw

PPSC Points: 12
Townshend Points: 17
Continent Points: 10

-2000-

Argentina! One of the two South American nations, like Brazil it can grow extremely powerful should it conquer the entire continent. It also has ready access to Antarctica, and can reach all but Eurasia without too much difficulty.

Against Brazil, Argentina has a significant advantage. The common opening of BAi-WAO, SCr-Men, Chi-Peru all but secures both Peru and Uruguay without being all that aggressive against the Brazilians (WAO is commonly bounced). From there, he can move Peru to Colombia, getting Argentina a second build either way while forcing Brazil to guess to get his. Brazil, on the other hand, has to open to such spaces as Sao Paulo and Bolivia in order to threaten Argentina's builds, moves which inherently forgo northern neutral centers in the process.

Argentina's weakness, however, is its single army. Should war break out, more are required to hold any inland territories, and later in the game it is all-too-tempting to convoy those armies away. If an enemy ever gets more armies in South America than you, it is quite difficult to hold.

I make the common opening above, and to my surprise Brazil opens instead to NWA, bouncing USA and ending up stuck in Recife. His two armies move west, and I'm left with the choice of whether or not to stab Brazil immediately.

I look at the rest of the board. South Africa is in SWA, touching all three my home centers, but would he really gamble on one over the guaranteed BAT? Argentina is a bad enemy for SA to have early on, and he is already clashing with Kenya. I decide to risk it.

Meanwhile, USA is definitely focusing north, foregoing Mexico. This could prompt Brazil to move north himself, as he seems to intend, and he might do well and become a potent ally. He might also take advantage of the lack of pressure and move south instead. The clincher is Western Canada, who clearly has his eyes on Indian Territory. There will be a lot of fighting over USA's centers if he falls, and will Brazil want to get entangled in that?

I make my decision. Stab Brazil.

It works out quite well. I take Rdj, and bounce him out of Colombia, leaving him with no builds and me three. SA leaves me alone, and I get a coveted triple build! About bloody time.

Elsewhere, only India gets a triple build. Many nations are already in conflict, and the seas are empty. Brazil's fleet in WAO is literally the only fleet in the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans. This means that no one will be interfering with me killing Brazil!

I build two armies and a fleet, mindful that I will need armies first to secure the interior and then to convoy away.

-2001-

Everyone starts rushing to fill the seas, while I blitzkrieg Brazil by land. He secures himself Colombia, but Brasilia and WAO are left vulnerable.

SA does have a fleet in SWA again, but he is in conflict with both Kenya and Antarctica, and I don't think that he will start a new one.

Fall moves, I lose Peru, but get both Brasilia and WAO. Brazil retreats to NWA and builds a third army, but I still outnumber him and no longer have a clear front line, so long as SA remains friendly. So far, he does, and North America remains too entangled to be a threat. Ghana is oddly tranquil, but his army-heavy composition indicates that he's not going after me.

-2002-

As Asia dissolved into anarchy, hindering India's early lead, I ascend further by retaking Peru with my superior numbers. To my surprise, USA helps me into Colombia in the fall, bringing me to eight centers! I certainly won't be forgetting that.

Elsewhere, Russia starts growing powerful as PRussia completely falls apart. So too does FA, spread way too thin by SA and Oz. In North America, USA and Quebec ally. This is unfortunate, as it indicates Western Canada's demise, and he is the furthest from me, but USA is a clear ally at the time being. I decide to target Antarctica next, and build two fleets so I can establish control over the surrounding seas.

-2003-

Spring is not the time to actually take them, though. I know that eliminating SA will help Oz and Kenya, and I don't want to scare him too early. I hold back in the spring, only taking the southern seas in the fall simultaneous to eliminating Brazil (locally, at least, as he flees to Texas). This, I hope, will allow me to swiftly pump armies into the continent without providing sufficient warning to stop me.

Several things are already going wrong, however. Oz outguesses SA, grabbing the extremely valuable Norwegian Dependency. Worse, FA for some reason decides to move his army to Nov rather than defend either of his local centers, gifting Oz a build and placing yet another army close to my landing zones. Oz's build, of course, is another army, which means he can support hold NwD by the time I can get there. This is a _huge_ loss of momentum.

-2004-

Knowing that I can not afford to be set back a single turn, I am very cautious in my advance. I land in both Antarctic Peninsula and Marie Byrd Land, rather than attacking BAT immediately. This allows FA entry into Sanae, while meanwhile Oz lands in Len. This is a brutal number of armies to face in FA, but fortunately with Oz's expansion and their desperation they are far from working together.

Good news elsewhere is that Ghana stabs Kenya, making him another clearly ally. Between him and USA, I am going to have a long time to make progress in Antarctica. Alternatively, I can make peace with Oz and stab one of them. Ghana only has a single fleet, as does USA on the eastern side.

I of course take BAT in the fall, and build a sixth fleet. Ghana builds a second fleet of his own, but he is still far from being a threat.

-2005-

I offer a support hold to Ghana, while debating whether to first assault South Pole or Sanae. Deciding that I can't risk Oz getting SPo in the spring, I focus on that first.

To my immense surprise, Oz support holds _both_ of them, shutting down my Antarctic offensive entirely. I am furious.

To me, this is a statement that Oz intends to block all further expansion of mine in the south. And worse, with Ghana in SEA and distracting Kenya, he is quite free to do just that.

This leaves me with a choice. Stab Ghana, and hope that Kenya helps with Oz, or sail west and take out Oz myself. Not wanting to put my fate in Kenya's hands if I don't have to, I choose the latter.

And so begins the war.

-2006-

My first target is SWP. I take it, preventing Oz from performing even more convoys and putting pressure on Len. Senae is vulnerable this season, but I'm not able to take advantage of it.

Meanwhile, WC's naval advantage is slowly doing in USA. I decide to move to Mexico, hoping to bounce out WC, but I end up taking it instead. Sorry, USA.

While I'm distracted in the south, several other developments occur. Libya somehow retreats to Italy and France, both Europe and Russia are on the ropes, and Near East is expanding like crazy. Still no real pressure on Oz, though.

In the fall, SA makes a move I completely didn't expect, support holding Len. The turn before, he had support held NwD, and the turn before that he hadn't supported anything at all.

This wouldn't have mattered had I attacked South Pole, but I went after Senae instead, certain that Oz would be defending SPo or Len. Why? Well, the latter was definitely in danger, and SA was definitely more of an ally to Oz than FA.

This wrong move on my part, which in some ways was a flip of the coin, is one of the most significant in the entire game. Had I attacked SPo instead, I would have gotten two builds, wiped out SA for good, and been well on my way toward conquering Antarctica. Instead, I lose an opportunity that never quite returns. This can not be understated.

-2007-

Two more opportunities are lost, as I guess wrong both by attacking SPo and Java Sea. An army convoyed to Queensland would have been another game-changer, had I thought I would have any chance of actually pulling it off.

Meanwhile, Oz disbands my fleet in RIS, while isn't too bad as I really need to build another army in South America anyway. And in North America, I do my best to stall USA's death, but it is only a matter of time.

Meanwhile, Ghana NMRs, allowing Kenya to advance. Kenya is continuing to not build many fleets, and is leaving the Indian Ocean empty, so while I am pissed at Ghana, Kenya does not seem to have high prospects as an ally against Oz.

I briefly consider stabbing Oz, but realize that with one of his fleets about to be disbanded, I would end up in EAO only for him to build in my face. Not my idea of a successful stab.

In the fall, I completely fail to predict Oz's moves once again. I suspect that he will maintain his sea defenses, especially by protecting Queensland, so I move to WAO and double support into Pacific Islands so that I can start putting pressure on Indonesia. To my massive surprise, he leaves Queensland undefended _again_ and triple supports himself into PI, completely foiling my plan and ruining yet another opportunity.

Meanwhile, Ghana NMRs _again_, which really pisses me off. Kenya is gaining serious ground against him, and remains quite friendly with Oz. With USA also falling apart, so much for my two allies. At least they actually stayed my allies, though, which I guess I should be thankful for.

-2008-

While maneuvering units around in South America in case Quebec attacks me, I finally predict one of Oz's moves and keep him out of South Pole. Alas, I fail to retake PI, and any hopes of sailing around into South China Sea are dashed. I also take Texas, because USA is clearly screwed and better it in my hands than Quebec's.

In the fall, I catch a little bit of a break with Oz, with India fleeing into Western Australia. Oz doesn't lose a unit, though, because he takes Senae, but I do force him to empty NwD. The bad news is that Quebec clearly wants Texas, which means I am about to have to fight him too.

-2009-

Texas falls, and I convoy up another army to strike at Quebec's interior. In the west, China isn't being all that helpful, and is getting barraged by Near East anyway.

And then, in the fall, everything goes wrong. Again. Just how many turns can completely fall apart in a single game?!

So, what happens? Well, Oz attacks SWA, and everyone's moves work perfectly in his favor. I _somehow_ capture South Pole, leaving my covering fleet to enter BAT instead of bouncing back into SWA. Meanwhile, Quebec doesn't even send a single unit to cover NWA, so my WAO fleet ends up out of position as well.

The overall effect is like throwing your weight at a door only for someone to open it at that precise second. I now have an Oz fleet in SWA, and am completely out of position to do anything about it. Worse, since neither Russia nor NE bothers to go after Godthab, Quebec gets two builds!

...Fuck me.

-2010-

Miraculously, Quebec NMRs, which definitely gives me a bit of breathing room. Unfortunately, Western Canada offers him peace, so I might very well have two northern neighbors coming after me. Lovely.

Oz, shockingly, does not take the opportunity to convoy, guaranteed, into his pick of Santa Cruz or Buenos Aires. Okay. Instead, he disbands my fleet in BAT, which from my perspective is _far_ preferable.

Still, things are tenuous in Antarctica, especially since South Africa still would rather be friends with Oz than me. I get kicked out of the South Pole in the fall, but get BAT back. Surprisingly, I am also able to snag Union from Quebec, but due to the scramble protecting my homeland I am unable to actually construct the resulting build. God, I hate Oz.

In terms of good news, Quebec keeps hitting WC, so at least I don't need to worry about that. Near East and China are still clashing, which means a continued lack of pressure on Oz.

-2011-

Alas, Quebec decides that he no longer cares about fighting WC, and comes after me with everything he's got. I lose Union and Recife, and more is on the way.

The bulk of my forces, of course, are off fighting Oz. I finally retake SWA, but lose BAT again. I retake it in the fall, but now face _another_ threat in the form of Western Canada. He takes Northeast Pacific, and I choose to disband it in favor of putting another fleet in Buenos Aires. I really need more fleets in range of Quebec and Oz, who despite WC's attack remain my primary enemies.

Also, Oz rewards SA's loyalty by finishing him off. Is anyone surprised?

-2012-

I abandon Mexico to Western Canada, but he doesn't go for it. Good thing, too, because Quebec resumes attacking him. At least my northern neighbors are terrible at being friends.

Elsewhere, while Ghana and Europe are getting their butts kicked, I continue my dance with Oz. He, as always, is expending a great deal of effort to kill me, but now Kenya looks like he is about to stab him.

In the fall, Kenya stabs him. Thank god.

I lose BAT, but grab the invaluable South Pole, so definitely worth it. WC and Quebec bounce each other in Mexico, so I don't have to disband. Oz, however, disbands both his armies, which gives me control of the Antarctic interior. Now, finally, I should be able to secure my position while Oz deals with Kenya.

-2013-

Leaving Len alone, I focused on retaking BAT and kicking Quebec off my continent. To my immense surprise, however, Quebec withdraws. Meanwhile... Oz throws everything at me?! What?

Okay, so Oz and I have been fighting each other to little net gain for years. I also, very obviously, have a bone to pick with Quebec. So, when Kenya brutally stabs Oz, Oz's response is to... ignore him and attack me with everything he has? _After_ disbanding both his armies on my frontier?

From this point in the game onward, I consider Oz to be quite mad. He immediately cements this reputation in the fall by continuing to ignore Kenya while camping a massive navy off my west coast.

Meanwhile, I get Recife back, but lose Mexico. I build a new fleet to help deal with the insane Oz and the now _huge_ Kenya.

-2014-

As I secure South America, Kenya begins clashing with me over the crumbling remains of Antarctica. Meanwhile, Europe dies, and Near East is also becoming rather large. Perhaps he will become a solo threat and distract the Kenyans.

This whole time, Oz is pounding on my west coast and trying to help Kenya and Quebec into my centers. Go fuck yourself, Oz.

-2015-

More of the same. Kenya and NE continue to grow, Quebec and WC continue to clash, and Oz continues to be bloody annoying.

-2016-

Quebec, not having much other choice between my defensive line and the growing NE, offers peace again. Oz is only still alive because Kenya hasn't killed him yet, but my defenses are too strong for him to have much hope of helping even Kenya breach them.

In the fall, a site error prevents Kenya from making any moves, allowing NE to get an edge on him. The mods intervene, and after much deliberation it is determined that the game will be considered a five-way draw, with China and Oz excluded, but that PPSC points will be allocated based on the current position. All things considered, that's about as fair as we're going to get.

-Closing Thoughts-

Brazil: Sorry for brutally murdering you at the start. You got back at me in a way, though, by screwing over USA. That ended up turning out bad for me.

USA: You were a good ally while you lasted, but alas my efforts to protect you from Western Canada backfired. Sorry about that.

Western Canada: It's a shame that we never got along all that great, because we clearly had a common enemy in Quebec. Glad you were able to make it to the end.

Quebec: I often found myself wishing that I'd gone after you instead of Antarctica. You were annoyingly unpredictable, backing off when I expected you to attack and attacking when I thought we might have potential as allies. This definitely kept me off-balance, but you never seemed to benefit a great deal from it.

Ghana: Why'd you have to go NMR and get your ass kicked by Kenya? I felt we had something going for a while.

Kenya: Took you long enough to stab Oz, but congrats on becoming a dominant power in multiple regions.

Oz: My arch-nemesis. Through skill or luck, you fought me off for the longest time, but your insane dedication toward attacking me at the end baffled me. It wasn't like I'd stabbed you or anything, but your behavior suggested a massive desire for vengeance.

FA & SA: Our relationship was... awkward. Both Oz and I wanted your territory, and the two of you mostly sided with Oz. You were both rewarded with death at his hands. No guarantee I wouldn't have treated you the same, but I certainly would have considered letting you camp out in Len or something!

Does anyone else read Tasnica's EoGs and cheer a little bit when their country is mentioned? "Elsewhere, Russia starts growing powerful as PRussia completely falls apart." -- Hey, that's me! I was the one falling apart!

Great read as always, Tas. Grats on the place in the draw.

I consider it an honour and a privilige even being stabbed by Tasnica.

Argentina's Starting Units:

-Fleet Chile-

The front line against Brazil, this fleet captured and re-captured Peru several times. After receiving surprising aid from the Americans into Colombia, it patrolled the eastern Pacific for many years, offering supports and convoys. Finally, during Oz's final assault, it returned to Peru to hold the line.

-Army Santa Cruz-

This army contributed to the war against Brazil by capturing Brasilia. Afterward, it defended the northern coastline of South America, at times singlehandedly. This unit was the one to forcibly disband the last of the Quebec invaders in 2014, and spent the rest of the war stationed in Guyana.

-Fleet Buenos Aires-

Capturing both Rio de Jeneiro and Recife, this fleet then guarded the West Atlantic for many years. It offered invaluable supports and convoys from that position, and retook Recife following the Quebec invasion.

Player: EvW
Nation: Ghana
Result: Defeat

I was able to defeat Libya, and fought Kenya for control over the continent, but then NMR'ed 2 times and that was the end...

Bump.

For Western Canada, I was definitely way more on the defensive than I had hoped. Quebec, you were a worthy adversary, and seriously pushed me to the limit to keep myself afloat.

Bump. How about some more EoGs!

Bump. Will try to work on this tonight.

Still meaning to work on this EoG.