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Black Hole Replay, Turns 4 and 5 |
Joe slides a MPV unit South far enough to get a double strength shot on the PSV Walt has in the Northern base (remember, this is a toroid, so Joe can actually "shoot around the map edge" in this game). He also lobs a Heavy Missile at the now fortified middle base. Walt counters by moving these units out of the way. The missiles Walt launched last turn are now winging their way around the map, on a sure path to.... Walt's Northern base! Pretty stupid shot!
Blue Turn 4 (south map) |
White Turn 4 (south map) |
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Comments (Joe): Dammit, I forgot about that missile heading towards the base. Another unit lost. Blue's dropped his last forces, so everything's on the board right now. He's fired a number of missiles... and it's the strangest deployment I can think of! As long as I stay out of the way, the 3 SMU's will blow themselves up on a mountain next turn, and the DMU will, 2 turns from now, hit the north base, which he currently holds!! I'll take my breaks where I can get them. I've moved a PSV onto the south base - gotta keep those VPs coming! I also moved an MPV south to get a double-strength shot at the north base, but my roll sucked. Why do I only get 6's when I land???? I was considering splitting up the HEV-M's attack, but I'm hoping my luck will turn slightly. Next turn the missiles hit the base at 3-1 odds, hopefully enough to take at least one of them out.
Comments (Walt): I tried lotsa stuff this turn, including PSV Jumps, missile launch into jump, which worked but was ineffectual. I do manage to vaporize a MPV by wrapping a missile around the North edge of the map, and launch another killer stack of Small Missiles, a tactic I learned from Joe in the first game we did. Laser fire was disappointing-- I combined my HEV (northern map) and a PSV to only get a Disrupt on Joe's the Southern base's PSV. Since Joe fired a Heavy missile at the middle base, I move the occupants out of the way (one of them using Jump movement). It will cost me VPs, I know, but hey, it's still early in the game.
Blue Casualties:
White Casualties: 1 MPV
Joe and Walt have a spirited discussion about how many turns a missile moves until it stops. They agree to allow a missile to "fizzle" after 20MPs for this game only, and from now on allow a missile to wing its way around the map until it hits something. Walt's "bank shot" missile of last turn would eventually hit his Northern base, but Walt interperted the 20mps rule literally. Joe disagreed, eager to see Blue vaporize himself.
Joe's question: Do missiles destructy after one full movement phase or continue flying? The rules don't say either way. I can justify both scenarios! Blue already detonated missiles after one full movement phase, so I'll be consistent, but it's worth resolving for future games.
Blue Turn Five (north map) |
White Turn Five (south map) |
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Joe Comments: Well, I'm an idiot. I moved my MPV right into the frikkin' triple missile attack. I deserved to lose that unit. I did absolutely no damage this turn. My missiles fizzled as Blue moved off the base, but that's 25 VPs he won't collect next turn. I fired a DMU towards his HEV-L - he'll probably notice, but if he doesn't... I moved my HEV-L onot a mountain hex for double defense. I need all the help I can get! Oddly enough, we're still pretty darn close on the VP tally: Blue 84, White 94. I don't think I can keep this up, though. I'm badly outnumbered,and once he takes me out, that's it..
Walt Comments: A lot of moves from last turn bear fruit this turn. My killer stack of SMUs lands on the Southern base, killing one PSV with multiple disrupts, dirupting the other. My "In Jump" PSV lands RIGHT NEXT to the base, and in the following laser fire turn eliminates the remaining occupant. I fire off some missiles at the HEV and some laser fire at the missiles white has in flight: I take out the DMU but NOT the SMU, which eludes THREE shots at it. Oh well. I wanted something to shoot at, and there are so few White units left. I move my middle units back on the base in order to glom onto some VPs in what is sure to be the last turn next turn.
Blue Casualties:
White Casualties: 2 PSVs
Just to trim the download times, the remainder of the replay is presented on these links.