From: sigurdt@idt.unit.no (Sigurd Thunem)
Subject: Re: EIA: Spain
Followup-To: Torvatn@oral.unit.no
Reply-To: sigurdt@idt.unit.no (Sigurd Thunem)
Organization: Div. of CS & Telematics, Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 08:25:14 GMT


Still forwarding....

----------------- Start forwarded message ------------------------

> In article <1992Nov16.180553.6283@pei.com>, fred_s@earwax.pei.com (Fred Scott) writes:
> |> I've seen enough comments on Spain in this game to note that my opinion of it
> |> being an extrememly difficult position to win with seems to have some support.
> |> I've also played more than one game in which the Spanish position was played
> |> quite competently to no avail.
> |>
> |> The only answers to this dilema that I can think of would be to come up with
> |> a workable strategy given reasonable opposing players, to decrease the number
> |> of VPs which Spain requires, or to change some setup or play rule concerning
> |> Spain to bolster the position.  The first possibility I haven't seen yet; but
> |> if someone can suggest one, I'm all Ross Perot.  The second possibility I'm
> |> a bit leary on - if you reduce the number of VPs Spain needs, I think France
> |> and others would only try to trash Spain that much worse.  It might help, but
> |> it would be much more fun if Spain just had a more viable position to start
> |> with.
> |>

A way to bolster Spain is the following: Increase the moral of the
cav to 4.0 (or 3.5 if you think 4.0 is too much). This would
actually give Spain a good army because the structure of their corps'
are good (14I/M /2C) and they have enough corps to build an army
given time. Spain also gets a year or two before France comes first
time, because France needs to knock out Austria and Prussia first.
This alone would help Spain much, because one of Spains biggest
problems is that they cannot beat France and England because they
have too low moral compared to the F/E.

Second: Increase their army by 10 factors infantery starting, and
increase their monthly by $10. All income added to their capital
province.

I think these two rules (income and more inf) should be applied to
Prussia too. (Especially if Spain gets more income and higher moral
cav, Prussia should get income too, because otherwise the
overall balance between Prussia and Spain would switch too much in
Spains direction.

> |> What I would like to see is just one slight change in the rules which I
> |> think would help Spain quite a lot: ban the taking of Spainish provinces
> |> as a victory condition in a war.  Spain has one real advantage, aside from
> |> its fleet (which can go away, quite suddenly at some point - for the entire
> |> remainder of the game), that it's difficult to conquer.  However, it France
> |> takes three Spanish provinces after winning its first war with Spain, the
> |> conquest becomes much more easy - three less provinces to capture and supply
> |> lines which begin in the middle of the Iberian penninsula (important given
> |> the guerrila problem).  If this threat were eliminated, and Spain could always
> |> be counted on as a tough nut to crack, I think this would add some freedon
> |> for the Spanish to negotiate with.
> |>

I do not like this one. To take away provinces is fun. Only France
can do this and this hinders France in thrashing Spain,which they
should be able to do. England wants to destroy the spanish fleet,
they have no need for the provinces. The rule thus only hinders
France in beating up Spain. Guerillas should go home when there is no
war to fight.

> |> Of course, France could use Portugal for easy supply sources.
But Portugal's
> |> hard for the French to hold on to - as opposed to a Spanish province adjacent
> |> to the French border.  And French sea supply also helps, but trying to use it
> |> leaves them vulnerable to British sea power.
> |>
> |> So, what do folks think?  Do others who've been frustrated playing Spain think
> |> this would have helped their plight?  It doesn't exactly make them a "force
> |> to be reckoned with", but for such a slight change in the rules, I think they
> |> could at least become the "Turkey of the Western Med", stubbornly forcing their
> |> adversaries to go through the entire process of conquest before yielding if it
> |> comes to that.
> |>

One thing about Spainish strategy: Be AGGRESSIVE in the opening
stages. Declare war on Naples AND Portugal. YOU need them, not
England. If England declares war over any of these minor country then
they immediately face a fleet alliance which they do not like. Anyway
they are not able to defend Naples and Portugal in the opening with
only 19 Inf. they need 6 in Gibraltar, and they want to conquer
Denmark. So start out by GRABBING and be active. Conquer Italy
from the south. You will be surprised to see what you can get away
with in the beginning while the rest of the game are busily
cutting each others troat. You will loose most of the provinces
you win later, but what the heck. To be active is more fun than
passive.

NEVER EVER go for a bootlicking strategy. Bootlicking is no fun and
does not pay off.

Hans Torvatn

Torvatn@oral.unit.no

(No means NORWAY. A small kingdom in Northern Europe.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board