Last week, we had trouble deciding on a game to play because no one wanted to organize it. Fortunately, Mike stepped in and suggested playing Conquest of the Empire again. We had played it once before, about 2 years ago, and I distinctly remember getting my forces completely crushed by my opponents. This time, we had the maximum number of players, which was 6.
Six players became consuls of the following provinces: Fin (Macedonia, black), Mike (Galatia, blue), Alasdair (Egypt, red), myself (Carthage, yellow), Tim (Hispania, purple), and Peter (Italy, green). Over several turns, all players slowly expanded their domains, and no one seemed to want to attack anyone else. Of course, this peaceful coexistence didn't last...
I successfully occupied the regions of North Africa, spanning from modern-day Morocco to the Libyan-Egyptian border. Additionally, my fleet took control of the Balearic Islands. To safeguard my borders, I worked on establishing a network of truces and alliances, forming an informal agreement with Tim and Peter. The three of us assembled our armies and made preparations to advance eastward. However, unsettling events began to unfold at this point.
Mike had reached the maximum size he could peacefully take and decided to expand his domain at the expense of his neighbours. He first attacked the Finn, leading to several battles in the Aegean Sea, where the Galatian fleet proved its superiority. This resulted in the first invasion of Macedonia. The Finn managed to retreat and counterattack, reclaiming their province. Mike couldn't stop it because he was simultaneously attacked from the south by Alasdair. In a bloody war, both forces were pushed from one province to another, leaving them greatly weakened. This created an opportunity for the Western domains to take advantage of their weakened state.
Following his central position, Peter took the initiative to attack first. He launched a second invasion of Macedonia and won a major battle, defeating Finn's forces and removing him from the game. I had planned to conquer Crete, but we ran out of time. The outcome of the game was still undecided, but one of the Western factions would emerge as the winner. I believe Tim would win the game because he successfully built the largest army and had a well-developed economy.
It was a great game and we should do it again someday. There will be a brief pause in blog updates with game reports unless I manage to play a Sunday game. This is because for the next two weeks, due to other events, the games will be moved from Thursday to Tuesday. Unfortunately, I work on Tuesdays and won't be able to participate in any game. However, I plan to use this time to paint a few new figures, so be sure to check the blog now and then.
Links.
FLICKR:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720318177384
