Modified Key Lepanto? Hey Italy. I don’t want to fight you right now. Are you familiar with the deep water / deep blue lepanto? It’s a move that lets us work together in the first few years against Turkey. You read my mind. Not key though. Just to be clear, I’m open to a modified Lepanto, but not a Key. I’ve never played with you before and I’d like to go on a date, maybe a nice dinner on a romantic boat ride before giving you a key to my place. 😉 I like the Key where I go BOH and take AEG. We both get one build and Turkey falls fast. What does boh stand for here? I normally associate that with Bohemia.
The opening I’m talking about is Italy: A Rom - Ven; F Nap - TyrS; A Ven - Apu; F Trie - AdrS; A Vie - Trie; A Bud - ?; From there, I take the Ionian and you build F Nap. In Spring you kick me out of Ion and I retreat East to EMed or Aeg and then we start convoying in the fall.
I’ve always thought of Key Lepanto being where I let you move in to Trie and then you move out, into Serb Before winter. Crap I meant BUD I’m open to working with you. Most of my shared wins are either as Italy working with Austria or vice versa. Letting you take a home center is a bit more than I’m willing to give up at this time. It's cool it takes a ton of trust, so I get it that you're unwilling to try. Unfortunately without a guaranteed center going AEG isnt viable. I'll think about the blue water. At the very least do you want to organize a bounce in Ven? Russia is being aggressive and Turkey is stonewalling, so we might be looking at an ill-advised and obvious juggernaut. It’s possible that’s just smoke, but I’m always cautious about that and a western triple Well if you're worried about a jugg then a blue water seems risky for you. Sounds like you're hedging. It is a risk, and a blue water can be bad in that situation. I’m willing to take the risk though because just turtling will lead to a boring game where I’m eliminated in 1904. I’d rather have some say over my destiny. I’m going to sleep. I’ll respond in the morning. Any more thoughts about the blue water? We can try it What are you planning to do with Ven? Push it to Apu and then push Rom - Ven? I can bounce you in Trie if you prefer? That doesn't sound like blue water... Bouncing in Trie can be incorporated into a blue water Lepanto. Diplo pouch and diplomacy archive both suggest Austria move A Vie - Trie and F Trie - Alb. They differ on A Ven though. One says it should check France by moving to Pie and the other suggests A Ven hold.
I want to really sell our “conflict” to the other parties and keep a presence up north in case Russia tries to force the Carpathians. A Vie - Trie bouncing with A Ven - Trie accomplishes both of these goals for me. Additionally, if I move F Trie - ADR instead of F Trie - Alb and we bounce, then you don’t have to worry about me having two units on Venice’s border. The question in my mind is how I get into IonS. Bounce in tri, you can so adr but it's a tough sell. Alb is much easier to sell. Then alb - ion Do you mean a tough sell to you or the rest of the board? Just an FYI, my moves are currently set for a Trie bounce and a move to Alb. If we are going to move East together, then my opinion is that we want a stalemate in the west until we have established control in the East.
France has confirmed that it will force Burgundy this year. Instead of F Nap - Ion, can you order F Nap - TyrS or F Ven - Pie to scare him off? What do you think? You can still blue water Lepanto with an opening to TyrS and you can take a shot at Mar if you move Pie. I think  France and England decisively destroying Germany would be bad for us and would love to hear your thoughts. You didn't really secure yourself for blue water. You still moving ion or just taking gre? I can cover Bud. I wanted that bounce in Trie because I suspected Russia was lying. Turns out Russia did directly lie to me. This makes me think Russia is working with Turkey. Blue water can still happen if you move F Ion - Tun. I’m putting a lot of trust in you. If you stab me, I’m going to let Turkey have everything. Do you want to do blue water still or no? Youd be giving up Greece though. If you move to Tun, do you think Turkey will build two fleets? That’d be a red alert for Russia and Turkey working together and would frustrate a Lepanto of any kind. Maybe not but any fleet could he bad. Up to you. It's your build. Are you going to take Tun with F Ion or convoy A Nap? Depends if you want Greece or a retreat. What do you think about F Alb S A Apu - Gre, A Apu - Gre, F Ion C A Apu - Gre? I’ve never seen it happen. I've done it but its usually off a hedgehog. You have no reason to drop an army in Greece when we have your fleet which is much more useful there. The fleet isn’t going to take it. Russia will probably force Rum and Turkey will probably push for a bounce/ take Gre this turn Oh were you not supporting with SER? If you're doing a self bounce, I can do the convoy. Let me know I'll do it I say we stick to the blue water. Is that cool with you? If so, I’ll move into the Ionic Okay So Tyrolia... You said you wanted it to look like we were fighting. Russia also wanted me there. If I wanted to stab I would have walked into TRI as I knew it would be unoccupied. Also I would have convoyed I'm sliding back south for the convoy and dislodging you Sorry next time I'll keep you in the loop. This chat interface isnt the best for the amount of messages I usually send. Ok. That makes sense. Russia looks like he might try to push Gal. I can’t fight you both and I hadn’t considered Tri. I know russia just asked me for help to split you if we weren't doing a lepanto. I said, "He cant stop us both!" Which is true for you and Turkey. But I'm full in for the lepanto. I just have to say vague truths to Russia for now. I believe you. The jugg can still happen and I have fleet mar. Cant afford to attack you, not that it matters. I'm a grab one player by the hand and run kind of guy. Hence my two hearts stitched together icon. I'm seriously loyal and will suicide into my ally if I'm stabbed. So let's roll the map and make some money. Cool. I’m in agreement with you. I’m trying to use 3 center France and it’s navy to convince England to ally with Germany and am trying to get him to convoy an army up north while Russia fights me in the Carpathians. Russia and Turkey both built away from the Russo - Turkish front in ways that telegraph a desire to attack me and you. Russia could have taken Rum with a fleet and built a second in Sev, but instead he moved an army there and built A War. Turkey’s build is entirely useless for fighting Russia. The Juggernaut is going to happen. I agree Would you please move A Tyrl - Boh Blast. That boh support would be nice sorry I thought I had a little more time, that was on me. F EMed C A Apu - Syr? Yes alright I'm gonna tap SMY, can you support ION - AEG? do you wanna bounce with me somewhere? Russia is again asking me to split you. or maybe I should go to arm Can you bounce Vie? you got it I think I’m going to need F Nap - ADR for support in Trie, but I’ll to look at it all after work. If Germany isn’t able to get relief, the juggernaut will take the board I already switched that. Ordered that exactly. I would be surprised if we don’t see

1. A Ank S F Smy hold, F Smy S F Con - Aeg; or
2. A Ank - Smy, A Smy - Aeg, A Con S A Smy - Aeg
With F Rum holding or moving to Sev 

Russia has been issuing very cautious orders . I think they’re going to either
1. move by displacing Serb, which allows a retreat into either Alb, Bud, or Vie; or
2. move Turkey into Alb from Greece, and move up everything else (e.g. A Bul - Gre w/ A Seb S A Bul - Gre. 

I also don’t think there is anything permanent in Smy at this point.

What do you think about
A Smy - Gre with A Alb supporting it in? Syria? Yeah, sorry I'm willing to try it. I figure Armenia would be good pressure though Got all this way Shit I'm sorry I didn't know adjudication was happening so soon. Yeah it comes quickly.

This has been one of the most stressful and unproductive games I’ve ever played. I’m amazed that I’m still alive.

What do you think about
F Ion - AEG
F ADR - Ion
F EMed S F Ion -AEG Sounds good What’s your plan for A Tyrl? Germany asked me to tap bohemia But if you need it, its yours Like I said, I'm loyal to a fault. Wish you would have keyed with me No, I’m OK. I’m going to risk Vienna.

Yeah, it would have worked. I’m supporting your fleet to AEG, but I can also support you to Smy Russia is your friend right now. Can you figure out what Turkish units he is thinking of attacking and which territories of mine he wants to hit?

Greece might be open and I might be able to risk more if we figure his moves out Sounds good support my fleet to AEG
I think you should try for serbia he's offering me ank, I think I'll still tap smy to get aeg He say anything about Vie Nothing. Well that sucks Sorry, I had them in. I just didnt hit submit I guess It’s ok. We need to get you into Boh Alright. You got a build right? Yeah I’m supporting you into Boh and AEG I say you shoot for Sev and try to wreak havoc behind his lines Got it! I fully agree I’m going to be at risk when he retreats to Gal, especially if he coordinates with Turkey. Hopefully my raider gets though. Might save us. Yeah, if you can tap Rum, Gal, and Gre, we’ll be ok Hey I’m supporting Gre - Bul and Rum to hold What do you need from ukr? Do you 
1. want to shift down into Bul with me supporting Ukr into Bul
2. Shift up into Bul? With me trying to maneuver towards War?

Whatever you do, France is building up towards you. A deliberate bounce in Pie might not be a bad choice because it’ll give you time to secure the Med next year Support gal into war? I got that ordered for now Shit sorry didnt hit submit. Backstabbr is killing me. What do you want to do? You can’t lose a fleet because of France Hey? Sorry I'm working Will be off in a hour or so Will you be available then? Yeah, I’m home from work Oh crap,  I forgot Alright, so, let me look So... Bud s rum 
Ser s gre - bul
Gal s war Ok What going on with boh? I didn’t expect to take War. I’m debating pressing north with it, but it could also help you. I think I’m going to send it south Okay. Dude Did I not submit? I'm scared to check. You didn’t. Dammit Moving into sev. I've submitted my orders Pulling back to ven if you wanna support me. Otherwise its probably a disband. I didn’t see these before I moved. I’m sorry. I just assumed you weren’t entering any more moves I can support you into Rum again and try to take Bul? I have to bounce Trie You can delete the army. I’ll let you hold it without a unit so that you can keep your boats. I have a destroy so theres no losing the army. I’m supporting you into Tyrl Is that ok?