I was all set to counter Tom’s move with that most excellent slaughterer of Turks, Richard IV of England, until I remembered that bit in the 1974 Revised Rules about fictional kings not being allowed. And now the game has moved way past that anyway…
I yield my turn, reserving the right to an extra second-cousin shift in a later round.
Chiswick! Fresh horses!
You quote the '74 Revised Rules and still claim to be a neophyte? If you’re a neophyte, I’m Charles I of Austria, who, not coincidentally, closes off several cousin shifts.
No, just been away from the game for a while and trying to figure out modern strategy. Some of those top Korean players are truly fearsome.
Let’s try Charles I of Hungary and see where we end up.
Which I believe leads nicely into Sigismund III Vasa of Poland, Lithuania, and Sweden, which puts Prussia and the minor German principalities out of play for five turns.
That it does, but the Teutonic Knight Variation allows Hochmeister Burchard von Schwanden!
Good heavens, I should have seen that coming. I believe that I am now Suppressed for a full generation; I’m just glad I didn’t make that misstep toward the end game.
Teutonic Knights open up a Church bridge: James II of Aragon.
It is fortunate you played that, as many other choices would have us all stuck in a dreaded Hapsburg Loop, and play just becomes silly at that point. I will put James V of Scotland, jut for the pleasure of seeing if the obvious counter is assayed.
Which enables me to play an Iberian Shuffle and finesse Bermudo II of León (The Gouty).
Alas, work must intrude. I will therefore play Joan I of Naples, park my tokens in the House of Anjou, and revisit the game this evening.
Continuing the Scandanavian theme -
Gustavus Adolphus
(Who also sets me up for a 30 Years War play, if Tierce plays the** Defenestration of Prague**)
Hmm. Difficult. Defenestration of Prauge would require a three-generation shift accompanied by a double-wobbly, which he could only back into if it occurred using one of Roger Whiteside’s patented cross-auntwise leaps. Choosing such a strategy, however, would require accepting the risk of a morganatic deflation. Very astute of you.
For my part, via a Lützen Charge I will call upon Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria.
I’ll be damned. I haven’t seen such a blatant attempt at a Moriarty Fork and Cascade since the '05 South American Championships.
Well, there’s no way I can stop you from doing the Bavarians or from claiming the Kaisers. You’ll still have the crowns of the rest of play, but at least a careful pivot will be required if you’re going to try for surpassing regnant if I play…
Ahmed Khan of Herat
Deal with that!
Ah, excellent, once more outside of Europe and my Suppression is at an end. It’s time to move things further East by playing
Nurhaci (努爾哈赤)
King Jeroboam, for the Old Testament Shift - as popularized by Risibly in the 40’s.
Man, you guys are brutal. I hope this game doesn’t play out like the final attempt at MC.AOL.COM. (There was a reason it was the final game at that site…)
Damn you for closing off the Chinese dynasties so soon after I opened them. I have no choice now but to carry on with Zenobia of Palmyra.
Which in turn gives me an excellent opportunity for an Imperial Extension, using Imperator Caesar Lucius Domitius Aurelianus etc., etc., etc. Commonly known, of course as Aurelian. Try your Mesopotamian Rondo with that!
King Philip of Macedonia - Which does open up Asia Minor after a Generational Descent Play. However, I must not be the one to make said play.
Constantine II of Greece (and the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg).