If I understand the stirrups rule correctly in the 2011 European Summer Time expansion pack, Waterloo actually prevents a stirrups reversal well into the early mid-game.
Nitpick: The Trumpton Fire Brigade never actually puts out fires.
Wood Green
All aboard the Skylark!
Niting the pick, Gorden Murray was the winner of the 1962 Chigly divisional finals, which he won using Hew, pew etc play. He subsequently named the Trumpton fire brigade after those fine players.
I am in a holding pattern on the Northern so am pending a feint.
Somewhere, there exists film of Gorden going crazy at the tournament organiser for spelling his name as “Gordon” on the trophy - but I don’t think it’s on YouTube as yet.
Anyway, back to the game - I believe this is an opportune moment to play Queensway, which gives me two Royal Assents to use later in the game.
With Royal Asssents being called down, I think that allows me to play** Charing Cross**, earning me two Royal Assents too, on the basis of the derivation "Chère Reine Crox’.
No such luck. You forgot to Mind The Gap.
ETA: **New Cross Gate **in order to achieve full reciprocity with the scrum on the Northern Line.
Yes! The Smithington gambit strikes again.
Canada Water
Colindale. Sweeeeet!
Hmmmm, I don’t see a clear exit strategy , Tappet suggets it would be best to shop around for a Green Token at
Tottenham Court Road
The problem with that is that staying on the Northern Line for two plays allows me to reverse, and as there is currently a “police incident” underway in Watford, that allows me to invoke the Emergency Services cut-off ruling (sub-section 27.6 for those that do not recall the Convention decision).
Now I play **Rickmansworth **, all tokens have to be returned and we are no longer in stirrups.
Smithington’s Gambit was invented prior to the Convention ruling for these cases, so the old man cannot be blamed for any of this.
The Emergency Services ruling enables me to take the long haul to Heathrow Terminal 5, dropping a captured Flyer onto the fourth rank. If all goes according to plan, I should be able to promote it to Dragon in a few turns.
Then I’d better switch over to Shepard’s Bush. Under the Voldranai Rectification of the 1864 Slough Accords, a dragon can NOT eat any tokens from the Central Line.
Sorry, Scuba_Ben, but between Hypno-Toad’s switch to Shepard’s Bush and my playing of
Euston Square
It looks like your Flyer is getting demoted to Walker status. So much for that Dragon.
Whilst you are absolutely correct here, Hypno-Toad, remember ***all ***tokens have been returned following my reverse into Rickmansworth, so it is (currently) a moot point.
In any case, it seems the dragon may be a transitory beast given the excellent co-operative negation play here and so may be doubly moot. 
When playing North of the border a moot is an excellent play when trying to keep dragons or elephants out of a small fortress or castle defensive play, and that nicely leads us into another northern line one stop translation to
Kennington
Normally, this situation would allow me to end this right now, but due to the reconsideration of the Fensterman Decision and the voiding of the Rail Strike Card, the best I can do is Aldwych
Ahhh the joy of MC, where victory seams so close, but is often so far away. Henceforth to
Cockfosters
[/QUOTE]
This is such a tough game, I can fully understand the long pauses between moves, as each player contemplates their best strategy. It could be foolish of me to break the silence, but I believe I may have spotted an opportunity. Only time will tell whether this is a brilliancy or a blunder. Anyway: Liverpool Street.
Just in case anyone has forgotten, main line stations are wild in this variation.
I see you’ve jumped to the Metropolitan line. You realize as per the Greater MC society meet of 1987, I can start reclaiming those Violet Tokens.
Barbican
Hopefully, we can wrap this up before the thirteenth, when **Bricker **regains eligibly, and he wipes the floor with us.
Earl’s Court has surely got to be the right move in this position.
I pick up a blue token, and drain all oyster cards with balances over £5 at the cost of declaring stirrups.