Almost the least of my worries. Amersham and I’ll take the distance bonus now, NOT carrying it forward. Again: this play does NOT carry forward distance.
Ooh, I forgot that those rules had shown up too. All my sims just went out the window.
And with Bricker’s claiming the distance bonus, all signals are open. I’ll go for the long-haul route all the way to Upminster Bridge, forcing a labour slowdown.
A labour slowdown?
Fine. You’re hurting yourself just as much as everyone else. Upney, vulnerable.
Bricker, have you played in the Mid-Atlantic or US national tourneys? That move was bloody inspired, especially given open signals and a labour slowdown. You’re probably going to win, but it’ll be a well earned victory.
You’re too kind, sir.
No, my only ranked tournament play was in London, in '93 and '96. I placed fifth overall at the '93 Imperial War Museum Invitational and in fact, if you’ll look at the Life magazine photo spread, in the two-pager with Nigel Horner and Brian Willetts, you can totally see the back of my head in the front line; I’m holding my trophy out like an idiot.
In 1996 there was a spot of unpleasantness concerning a move in the third round and what color tokens were called, and … well, suffice to say I did not finish in the rankings then.
Damn you Bricker, you’ve put me in the knip with that Upney move! Well, things have gone from bad to worse. Not much hope for me now.
If you don’t loose you head a Thomas Becket defense may hold off the inevitable taxi ride through Knightsbridge, prehaps a last shout from Southwark?
Hmmmm…that might work, but I would need a Jubilee line play before doing that. But I do like the way you’re thinking there Precambrianmollusc.
Without giving too much away, Brickers agressive strategy has left some gaps in his defense. Almost certainly some of those gaps are traps, prehaps talking a sail with some cheap whisky might help clarify things?
I like the way you’re thinking, but now it’s time for me to delurk, decloak and decouple in one fell swoop:
Barbican!
(My hat’s off to Scuba Ben for factoring anticongruency into his sim so quickly, but ironically I have to take this occasion to call Hats On, except for ladies. I won’t insult anyone’s intelligence by explaining why. 
)
Good play.Obviously I can’t block everything, but at least I can foce you to take the long way:
Rayners Lane, transfer stations blocked. And doubled, while I’m at it.
Embankment, redoubled, and I do believe that puts the Thames ferries into play.
My goodness, sparkling play gentlemen, bravo all around,
East Finchley, removing half of the red tokens (but I won’t tell you which half), and opening Tower Bridge. While you may think that opening the bridge would not affect the London Underground, it does in fact have a knock-on effect, and may indeed require some reverse shunts.
Once Tower Bridge is raised, there are only two good replies. I’ll take the farther option: Putney Bridge.
I’ve spent the last 20 minutes pouring over Post-It notes and muttering, “If I do this, he’ll do that…” and I find there’s just too many possibilities in play.
So let’s close the map up a tad. Hatton Cross, redoubled in turn.
Tottenham Court Road, with a double sideways-shift that closes all Bakerloo Line stations North of the river for essential maintenance. This move also gives Scuba_Ben ALL the tokens, but - he cannot legally place them anywhere!
Re-redoubled and a token monopoly. Curiouser and curiouser. This is playing out similar to something I’d expect under Resort practice. So I’ll have one of whatever Dead Cat is drinking.
I could cash in the tokens to refresh my Oyster card and haul tail to Heathrow, which would certainly be a good reverse from Hatton Cross to Tottenham. But the Croxley spur is more likely to free up token conversion and placement.
Croxley it is.
“The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things…”
White City, a depot station.
I’ll trade a blue token for Zone 5 transfer to Hounslow West. I think you will be able to grok the possibilities inherent in the system.