Slitherine

The following nations are available, first come, first served:

Austria - GDod
France - LFDLM
Florence - Pixel
Genoa - mcwar
Milan - TheGrayMouser
Naples - awesum4
Papacy - ahuyton
Sienna - Chromey
Turks - KiwiWarlord
Venice - lascar

I would like to take France.
Thanks, looking forward to the game.

I'll try Milan, cheers!

I'd like Austria please

Turks please.

I fancy the papacy, thanks.
Alan

I’ll give Florence a go.

Naples and Venice are both powerhouses who start with 4 cities. Don't let them slip away. Genoa and Sienna both rely on diplomacy to win if that is your style.

Naples por favor maestro

Can't believe no-one has taken Venice! ...from what I remember from many hours of the board game, Venice almost always won! They're impossible to eliminate with a garrison and two dice rolls!!!!! Hang on...I can't believe I didn't take it mmmm Aaha that's right.. everyone gangs up on Venice!

GDod wrote:

The_Bard.jpg

Can't believe no-one has taken Venice! ...from what I remember from many hours of the board game, Venice almost always won! They're impossible to eliminate with a garrison and two dice rolls!!!!! Hang on...I can't believe I didn't take it mmmm Aaha that's right.. everyone gangs up on Venice!

You convinced lascar to switch

w_michael wrote:

GDod wrote:

The_Bard.jpg

Can't believe no-one has taken Venice! ...from what I remember from many hours of the board game, Venice almost always won! They're impossible to eliminate with a garrison and two dice rolls!!!!! Hang on...I can't believe I didn't take it mmmm Aaha that's right.. everyone gangs up on Venice!

You convinced lascar to switch

He partially convince me to take on Venice instead of France. Being unfamiliar with Machiavelli and realizing that I had a mistaken impression of the initial French dispositions. France having only three provinces and one army while Venice has 10 provinces and three armies it seems more prudent for someone who is not familiar with Machiavelli to play the city state that has a stronger initial disposition.

One question: What does the triangle with a one in Venice represent?

The triangle is a garrison. As long as it's in place Venice itself cannot fall as it's an island which cannot be besieged. The 3 squares are armies. The boat in Dalmatia is your navy. You are THE Super-power of Renaissance Italy. We all fear your wealth, your military strength and your smooth talking gondoliers.

lascar wrote:One question: What does the triangle with a one in Venice represent?

It is Venetian Garrison Number 1 in the fortified city of Venice. They are the only nation that starts with a garrison. You can disband it or convert it to a fleet and move it elsewhere if you like.

Hopefully we will at least get a French player. It would seem strange to play the Second Great Italian War without France.

Keep in mind that France, Florence, and Venice each have two die rolls for variable income. It also has some neighbouring neutrals to gobble up, and has a corner position. France is more powerful than it appears at first glance.

w_michael wrote:Hopefully we will at least get a French player. It would seem strange to play the Second Great Italian War without France.

Keep in mind that France, Florence, and Venice each have two die rolls for variable income. It also has some neighbouring neutrals to gobble up, and has a corner position. France is more powerful than it appears at first glance.

France also has the advantage of position and a lovely mix of maritime and land based expansionist power. Additionally, it seems to escape the worst of plagues and famine. It would have been my first choice. While it's situation is an advantage, It's main disadvantage is it's weaker starting military power but with active diplomacy at the beginning it expands VERY quickly. In contrast, Austria, Naples are hamstrung with money problems from seemingly frequent famine [particularly the owner of Dalmatian provinces, par. Ragusa]. Milan starts with HUGE land based military power and is a dangerous expansionist but Venice has a split personality and has to decide which arm to emphasize [Will they treat with Milan and Florence and come to an arrangement with the Ottomans?].

At the same time, Sienna needs a fast talking, expert military mind to survive... both of which I sadly lack.

My Austria is poor and gets hit with events, particularly since Milan is such a big bully and we can only really expand south into Dalmatia, which Venice and the Ottomans really object to!... I really choose Austria because I love it's quirky, unusual units, so it had nothing to do with the mechanics of the game

So don't let me change your mind Lascar. I'd recommend you stay with France unless Cedric is hanging out for France, it's a great playing piece, good if you haven't played the board game before, and Milan takes time to become a threat to France and Austria. Venice starts powerful, and becomes even more powerful but as such becomes bereft of friends usually and has to dabble on both land and sea so needs the money. In this game, whoever you are, negotiation and saving for a rainy day is good policy. In the meantime, I recommend we all make the most of the neutral territories and carve them up... or not

It's all such a great game! and we haven't even factored in the battlefield talent of our great wargaming generals! I can't contain the nervous anticipation and excitement. If you haven't joined the campaign .... you're really missing out!

awesum4 wrote:The triangle is a garrison. As long as it's in place Venice itself cannot fall as it's an island which cannot be besieged. The 3 squares are armies. The boat in Dalmatia is your navy. You are THE Super-power of Renaissance Italy. We all fear your wealth, your military strength and your smooth talking gondoliers.

Can Venice be besieged by an enemy fleet and an army together? This would seem to be a way to starve the city.

So don't let me change your mind Lascar. I'd recommend you stay with France unless Cedric is hanging out for France, it's a great playing piece, good if you haven't played the board game before, and Milan takes time to become a threat to France and Austria. Venice starts powerful, and becomes even more powerful but as such becomes bereft of friends usually and has to dabble on both land and sea so needs the money. In this game, whoever you are, negotiation and saving for a rainy day is good policy. In the meantime, I recommend we all make the most of the neutral territories and carve them up... or not

France was my first choice, but it was an not very informed choice. However, what you are saying has merit but I am too paranoid to take the chance. I fear militant Milan and Austria would form an alliance to snuff out France before she gets a chance to mobilize her might.

I'm OK to take France. I hope to find time to play and to understand the rules... I was very bad at the ECW campaign

w_michael wrote:

lascar wrote:One question: What does the triangle with a one in Venice represent?

It is Venetian Garrison Number 1 in the fortified city of Venice. They are the only nation that starts with a garrison. You can disband it or convert it to a fleet and move it elsewhere if you like.

Hopefully we will at least get a French player. It would seem strange to play the Second Great Italian War without France.

Keep in mind that France, Florence, and Venice each have two die rolls for variable income. It also has some neighbouring neutrals to gobble up, and has a corner position. France is more powerful than it appears at first glance.

If the garrison is disbanded or converted can it later be reconstituted.

Mascara, new units, can be built in the spring campaign move as long as you have 3d available. The garrison will die if Venice is hit by plague in the summer.
I haven't played the board game but it seems famine and plague can change things quite dramatically. There is more luck than in the ECW campaign but having good alliances and winning battles is the key to success.