Il ne passeront pas !

[hjaco]

Having just gutted Ulver as der Kaiser we just swapped sides so i am now going to take up the challenge as the hapless Entente.

Having crushed France in every game so far as CP against either the AI or another human i took up the challenge to devise a workable defense plan for France hence the title "Il ne passeront pas" - which means "they shall not pass" which Nivelle/Petain claimed at Verdun in 1915. And if that phrase sounds familiar then yes, it is used in Lords of the rings where Gandalf is trying to stop the nasty Balrog and Tolkien got the inspiration from Verdun serving in the trenches in WW1 on the western front. The older audience may remember Monty Pythons immortal "Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail" where the Black Knight claims "None shall pass" although i don't quite remember whether that was before or after being sliced to pieces ?

Anyway this is only intended as a warm up as i am waiting for the second impulse move from Ulver but action so far is very hot with large deployments of AH troops in the alps, all German fast Battle Cruisers in the Atlantic and the whole of Hochseeflotte including all transports with Amphibious orders engaging Royal navy also with transports on Amphibious orders in the North Sea.

What is going to happen ? No one can tell for sure but one thing is certain but for those of you who are playing Texas Hold'em:

The Kaiser has raised the stakes and gone all in [X(]

[SteveD64]

Wait, "gutted" [X(].  He won a minor victory [:'(]

[hjaco]

Well not according to my propaganda [:D]

[ulver]

I feel you somehow secretly sabotaged the game code so as to prevent my navel movement and I somehow still heroically managed a minor victory on point against all the odds when the game froze on us – in any case that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Also I object to the title of the thread as we both know the game in question is called Weltmach order Vernichtung [;)]

Actually the Kaiser is very disappointed that he didn’t gain control of the North Sea and North Atlantic so he could launch a 1914 sea lion once you’d moved your forces to France – admit you would have been surprised [X(]

In any case an observation is that it is possible to sacrifice some German ships to contest the Atlantic and thus prevent movement of the BE on the first turns – in interesting gamble – perhaps they should have gone for it historically?

If it interface with British trade as well to is a very good offer – almost to good?

[EUBanana]

Don't worry, I'm managing to suffer as the Central Powers so I'll be first I think.  [:(] [:D]

[hjaco]

[quote]ORIGINAL: ulver

I feel you somehow secretly sabotaged the game code so as to prevent my navel movement and I somehow still heroically managed a minor victory on point against all the odds when the game froze on us – in any case that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

[quote]

Your memory must be failing my friend [:)]

May i remind you of your entry at 8/21/2007 9:36:49 PM

"Technically you did win a minor victory at 6 points"

And later at 8/21/2007 10:14:31 PM

"Hey, against the evil genius mastermind I’ll take what I can get. I won a minor victory: That’s my story and I’m sticking to it"

See a trend here [:-]

By the way you are sure it should not be Weltmacht und vernichtung ?

Actually i had some spare Amphibious points more than needed and would have left one Corps at home so be my guest [;)]

[hjaco]

How is your game progressing - are the French finally breaking ?

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: hjaco

How is your game progressing - are the French finally breaking ?

Nope - they are counterattacking!

All is not lost yet though IMO.

Nailbiting game.

[Raynald]

"Il ne passeront pas" - which means "they shall not pass" which Nivelle/Petain claimed at Verdun in 1915.

Petain, in 1916.

And if that phrase sounds familiar then yes, it is used in Lords of the rings where Gandalf is trying to stop the nasty Balrog and Tolkien got the inspiration from Verdun serving in the trenches in WW1 on the western front. The older audience may remember Monty Pythons immortal "Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail" where the Black Knight claims "None shall pass" although i don't quite remember whether that was before or after being sliced to pieces ?

Just to be complete, one should remember also the "No passaran" of the Spanish Republican in 36/39.

Anyway good luck. For your information, Ulver is trying a variant of his OE turn 1 plan against me right now ...[;)]

[hjaco]

Ahh well there are some disputes to whether it was Nivelle or Petain but i guess you will know this better than i [;)]

Give him hell !

[Raynald]

ORIGINAL: hjaco

Ahh well there are some disputes to whether it was Nivelle or Petain but i guess you will know this better than i [;)]

Or maybe not. I wasn't aware there was a dispute about that.

Anyway, I think we can agree it was in 1916 [;)].

[hjaco]

Well i guess i really have to fast talk to sell the battle of Verdun happening in 1915 [:D][:D][:D]

Got the info on Wikipedia line 10:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Verdun

I named both because data on Wikipedia is based on input from users and i didn't want to bother with checking sources mentioned.

Yeah yeah lazy Danes [8|]

[ulver]

This is really embarrassing. I though I was waiting for his move but it turned out it was my turn to move.

Just a quick update: He is kicking my ass. I spend an impulse shelling what turned out to be a French cavalry screen at the German-French border – meaning I wasted time and shells for no useful purpose. Well at least I’m likely to capture his border forts without much of a fight.

Leaving the Serbian border completely undefended I transferred the Austrian artillery to the West front and their infantry to the East in anticipation of a Russian steamroller. So far I still have no idea where the Imperial Russian army is and my Austrian siege artillery is about to open up on Verdun.

The one bright spot is that both the North Sea and the North Atlantic is contested so the BEF will have to wait a turn to land in France – lets hope that makes up for a lost impulse.

[EUBanana]

ORIGINAL: ulver

This is really embarrassing. I though I was waiting for his move but it turned out it was my turn to move.

Just a quick update: He is kicking my ass. I spend an impulse shelling what turned out to be a French cavalry screen at the German-French border – meaning I wasted time and shells for no useful purpose. Well at least I’m likely to capture his border forts without much of a fight.

Leaving the Serbian border completely undefended I transferred the Austrian artillery to the West front and their infantry to the East in anticipation of a Russian steamroller. So far I still have no idea where the Imperial Russian army is and my Austrian siege artillery is about to open up on Verdun.

The one bright spot is that both the North Sea and the North Atlantic is contested to the BEF will have to wait a turn to land in France – lets hope that makes up for a lost impulse.

Bad news - transports can still ship when the zone is contested, I believe!

[SteveD64]

I think they can still ship food and industry, but not troops when contested.  There was a thread on it recently.  It's funny how little I still know about this game. 

[hjaco]

Both Ulver and i opened up a thread on this most vital issue in our current game.

You need control in order to use amphibious movement.

[EUBanana]

Aha, thats good to know.

Makes defending the Ottoman Empire a bit easier then...

[hjaco]

For sake of strategic and operational security no details or maps can be revealed for some turns [8D]

[SteveD64]

[:(]

[EUBanana]

This game is very fog of war dependent...

I think split AARs like they do on WITP forum might be necessary.