Thank you!

Hello Everyone.  I want to thank everyone on a great occasion.  Today this blog exceeded 30,000 Page Views.  Last Year we missed the 25,000 / year mark.  I'm hoping to do better this year.

So, thank you for reading, thank you for the comments, and thank you for the emails!  I plan to continue my blog and look forward to where this takes us!

Through The Ages - Cards - William Shakespeare

This is a series of blogs written about each card in Through The Ages.  To find more, simply click on "Cards" label.
William Shakespeare

History

William Shakespeare was born April 1564.  He would live 52 years, but he would become, arguably, the greatest master of the English language.   of his life, he would excel at the art of poetry and playwright.

From his birth to his marriage at 18 to Anne Hathaway, little is known of Shakespeare of note.  In 1585 Shakespeare's wife gave birth to twins, the last of their children.  From there until 1592, nothing of interest was recorded about Shakespeare.

In 1592 a few of Shakespeare's plays began to appear in London.  Without a university education, Shakespeare was criticized by many of his "more educated peers".  By 1594 only one company, of which Shakespeare was a member, were displaying his plays.  His writing ability improved and by 1598 his name was a selling point on scripts.  In 1599 his company opened the Globe Theatre, and Shakespeare's reputation was firmly established.

Shakespeare's command of the English language and imagery is profound.  His works are studied by students in the secondary schools for English literature and many of his stories inspire other authors.  Perhaps less well realized is the influence Shakespeare had in formalizing the English language into its current form.  During his time, the English language was not yet formalized and his works helped to formalize its structure.

Game Stats

Shakespeare is the second cultural leader of Age II, the other being J.S. Bach.  Shakespeare is almost as popular as J.S.Bach, beating him by a single play, well within the margin of error.  Unlike Bach, Shakespeare has a stronger track record of success.
Opinions

Shakespeare is a difficult leader to get into play.  He requires many supporting buildings to capitalize on his ability.  Although he is challenging to get into play, when all falls right Shakespeare is a dominating cultural force.  In two of the games where the player who played Shakespeare won, Shakespeare was allowing them to generate over 30 culture a turn!

Shakespeare is a culture engine.  Perhaps the best strategy for using him is to focus on an early strong economy, labs and theaters.  If enough players leave you alone in the early stages and do not disrupt your economy, you may find yourself with a lab and theater built.  If all falls well, and that is a big 'if', Shakespeare can generate so much culture he can offset later military actions waged against you.

Shakespeare is an advanced card and not easy to play.  The success rate is low, but when successful Shakespeare will provide one of highest winning scores.

HIS - Ottomans - Turn 2 Preparing for the Rest of the Game

Turn 2 - Preparatory Work

Ottoman Position

By turn 2 the Ottomans should have taken Belgrade and, once completed, ended their turn immediately, This should leave them with a sizable army and an extra card in hand to begin the turn.  They may, or may not, have pirates in play which can be used to "raid" non-war players, or as a threat to focus players' attentions to their naval units.

The question is: Now what?

Tempting Buda

Like Turn 1, Turn 2 should be a preparatory turn for the Ottomans.  Many players will immediately want to attack Buda.  It is there and seems an easy to grab target.  However, conquering Buda will place the Ottomans at war with the strongest European power in the game: the Hapsburgs.  Depending on how things are going with France, England, and the Protestants, this may not be ideal.

The Danger of an Early Buda Attack

If the Ottoman player attacks Buda on Turn 2 they have two potential routes: through Szegedin or Mohacs.  Of the two, Szegedin is the "safest" in the sense the Hapsburgs cannot access it and cut it off, permitting the armies in Buda to retreat if attacked.  Mohacs, however, provides more strategic flexibility, allowing the Ottoman player more access routes to Europe.  Both options will require 3 cp.

Assaulting Buda through Mohacs or Szegedin.  Szegedin is unassailable,
but if Mohacs is not taken, it will revert to Hapsburg control allowing for a rapid counterattack by the Hapsburgs on Belgrade

Ideally, the Ottoman player would take both cities and then capture Buda, but this requires more CP (5 cp) of movement and requires splitting the Ottoman army.  Keeping the army together is possible, but requires an even greater amount of CP (6 cp).  Even at full power the Hapsburg Power can a quick response, and stiff resistance, from the Hapsburg player.  Depending on how the battles go, the Ottoman player will find himself facing a parity in forces with the Hapsburg player and a long grinding war whose outcome is uncertain.

"Buda Can Wait" Strategy

Instead, I prefer for the Ottoman player to not rush the attack.  Instead, the player should consolidate all the Hungarian lands on Turn 2 and focus on diplomatic efforts.  If the cards in hand permit it, give up a card to the French to support their efforts, which will most likely be against either the Hapsburgs or the Papacy.  This is fine for the Ottoman player as both are direct enemies the Ottomans must face eventually.  In this strategy, the French helps wear down the Hapsburg/Papacy player without risking your forces.

If diplomacy fails, or if sufficient cards permit, the Ottoman player can assault the Knights of St. John at Rhodes.  Success means the Knights are no longer a threat and the Ottoman naval units may be moved to Coron where they may lend support by sea.

In this approach, the Ottoman player should end Turn 2 not at war with any power, in a consolidated position to launch attacks against the Papacy, Hapsburg or Buda, have 2 extra cards in hand to begin the next turn, and weaker opponents due to other player's wars.

An Ideal Turn 2 for the Ottomans.  Whom and how will the Ottoman's attack?
Buda from Belgrade?
Naval assaults to capture fortresses along the Mediterranean (making Piracy easier)?
Or Naval Assaults into Italy (against Papacy or Hapsburg)?

One other benefit of delaying the attack on Buda is the Piracy card.  The fall of Buda to the Ottomans is virtually inevitable.  In any field battle the Ottomans should be able to crush Buda, and given their special "war loss" conditions, they are easier to beat than a normal city-state.  If the Ottoman player waits until Piracy comes out, the Ottoman player will be one step closer to drawing another card, making the fall of Buda even more appealing.

The Ottoman player can even move (or place with their Home Card) armies on the fortress at Scutari, threatening a naval invasion of Italy or an overland invasion through Venice.

Conclusion

For me the Ottoman's Turn 2 seems as predetermined as Turn 1.  The Ottomans should consolidate their territory, build their army, remove unnecessary threats (knights), and threaten attacks from multiple angles.  I feel this position is stronger for the Ottomans than the direct attack on Buda.

So, for me, the real decisions of play for the Ottomans occur on Turn 3: Who and where to attack?

What is your opinions?

Through The Ages - Cards - J. S. Bach

This is a series of blogs written about each card in Through The Ages.  To find more, simply click on "Cards" label.
Johann Sebastian Bach

History

Johannes Sebastian Bach, born March 21st, 1685, comes from a family renowned for musical talent throughout the central German state of Thuringia.  His father and uncle began instructing him in the violin, harpsichord and organ.  Even among a family of musicians, Sebastian's talent stood out.

His personal life was one of tragedy.  By the time he was 9 years old he had lost a brother, sister, mother and then his father.  At 10 he moved in with his older brother Johann Christoph.  His brother was an excellent teacher and Sebastian's musical education continued.  He joined a local choir where his voice was recognized as of excellent quality.

At 15, Sebastian Bach began traveling throughout Germany.  He took esteemed positions with the royalty of Germany and with the many churches.  His talent could not be constrained by simply playing music, however, and he often modified the music to suit his tastes.  This caused consternation with his employers

By 1708 he began composing complex musical scores.  His fame spread and his talent became more recognized.  By the time of his death in 1685 his renown was unmatched, but his musical style was considered dated.  However, he inspired many of the later musical genius such as Bach, Chopin and Mozart.  J.S. Bach's impact on the musical world is compared to the impact of Shakespeare on writing and Isaac Newton on science.

Game Stats

J.S. Bach holds the distinction of having the worst track record of assisting in wins of any card in the game.  Only two other cards are less popular than Bach (Ghenghis and Barbarossa), but I believe this is more a matter of timing for them then utility of their abilities.
Opinions

 I view J.S. Bach as potentially the "worst leader in the game".  At Age II, the science aspect of his ability will only be used three times, at most.  The cost savings for building theaters sounds good, but at Age II the economy should be strong and the focus is on preparing for the end game military push.  J. S. Bach redirects resources where they are not needed for an inadequate return.

Through The Ages - Card - Leonardo da Vinci

This is a series of blogs written about each card in Through The Ages.  To find more, simply click on "Cards" label.
Leonardo da Vinci

History

On April 15,  1452, one of the greatest minds ever was born in Vinci, Italy.  Leonardo da Vinci was born out of wedlock to a young peasant woman, although he was raised by his father, Ser Piero, a respected notary.  At the age of 14, da Vinci apprenticed with the artist Verocchio.  By the age of 20 he had become a qualified master artist of the Guild of St. Luke and opened his own workshop.

His work extended beyond simply art.  He studied architecture, bodies of both humans and animals, and engineering.  He recorded his thoughts and drawings into notebooks.  Eventually these notebooks would exceed 13,000 pages.

Leonardo's mind never stopped.  He observed and thought constantly, collecting all of his notes.  Although he rarely completed projects, many of his ideas for tanks, flying machines and other mechanical systems are  mechanically sound.  Leonardo is most famous for two of his art pieces: the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa.  Both are considered masterpieces without equal.

Leonardo's peerless talent attracted the attention of many powerful people.  He left Italy in 1516 at the request of Francis I, King of France.  He was titled 'Premier Painter and Engineer and Architect to the King.'  Leonardo passed away three years later at the age of 67 at Cloux, France.

Game Stats

Leonardo is the Age I "Science Leader".  His ability to generate ore with the play of a technology card seems exceedingly useful and this makes him the most popular leader of his Age.
Opinions

Statistically, Leonardo da Vinci is roughly equivalent to Christopher Columbus.  Leonardo has a slightly improved odds of the player ending in first or second place, but Christopher grants its person a slightly higher rate of ending in first place.  The difference is marginal.

It is hard to determine cause and effect in these situations.  Overall, I believe the more advanced players realize an intrinsic benefit to Christopher Columbus and know how to better utilize him.  The result is an improved odds on Christopher.

I believe Leonardo is an excellent choice for an Age I leader for beginning players.  However, I believe Christopher Columbus provides a greater overall benefit for the more advanced player.  At most, Leonardo will generate about 2 ore.  Additionally, he generates about 12 science.  Christopher Columbus generates no additional science, but creates much more ore and/or food over the course of the game.