HIS - English - Turn 1

Scotland, New World, or Preparation?

On the first turn, the English player cannot use their Home Card to advance their marriage.  This leaves the question of "Marriage" for the next turn.  Still the player needs to decide on Scotland, the New World or simply Preparation.

Given the few cards the player has to begin with, it is necessary to choose one of the three and then focus on that goal till it is achieved.

Goal: Scotland

Scotland is Light Blue Minor Power
in the Game

Attacking and defeating Scotland is possible on the first turn.  It is not difficult, but it does require the expenditure of several command points.

Rewards

• 2 VP with the new Key,
• Immune to the "Scots Raid" card (which is loss of English troops), BlueSecure the Northern Border from a possible French activation of Scotland later,
• An additional Card Draw.

Challenges

• Not having enough Command Point cards in hand,
• Revolt in Ireland will disrupt English Troops,
• France could decide to intervene and actually attempt an early war with England,
• Scots Raid,
• Gout,
• Poor Die Rolls will leave the Scottish in place.

Goal: New World

New World

Exploring the New World can grant some Victory Points and cards.  Both of these are items which England needs.  There are three ways to complete this goal: Conquer, Exploration and Colonization.  Each has unique benefits and risks.

Rewards

• Permanent Victory Points
• Conquer (1-2 VP)
• Exploration (1-4 VP)
• Potential of additional card 
• 28% - Colonization
• 83% Conquer

Challenges

• "Loss" of spent command points for no gain 
• Colonization (2CP): 17%
• Exploration (3 CP):   33%
• Conquer (4 CP): 72%
• with Smallpox: 42%
• Delayed through card play
• Exploration
• Colonization

If the New World is chosen, Conquering is the least likely opportunity for England.  If successful, however, the reward is both a Card and permanent Victory Points.  This costs a whopping 4 Command Points, however.

Goal: Preparation

Preparing England

Preparation consists of simply building up your forces.  This should consist of building both a naval force and land troops.  Both of these types of units should be placed in Calais.  The most "safe" strategy, it does permit the player to focus on a Marriage/New World for the following turn.

Benefits

• Gain military units

Challenges

• Revolt in Ireland can delay, but not stop, the build up.

Review

Of the strategies, the most likely to succeed is the capture of Edinburgh.  If disrupted, however, it can leave England fighting a war on its island.  However, France is already at war with two other forces, and if either the Hapsburgs or the Papacy can be convinced to attack France, France will most likely ignore England.

France may also opt to ally with Scotland, thus providing France one of its two keys needed to gain another card.  If Scotland holds without France's assistance, France can find itself in a better position.

If going the Preparation route, it is recommended to spend the Home Card on an Exploration and a Colonization action.  The potential gains generally outweigh the potential risks in a long term gain.  In this scenario, England should hold one card for the following turn.

HIS - English - Overview

The English

The English are the Red forces in Here I Stand.  Like the Ottomans, the English have a few fairly straight forward decisions to make.  Unlike the Ottomans, the English decisions begin on the first turn and greatly impact their ability to achieve various goals.  Forutnately for beginning players, the initial decisions are "cut and dry" and only occur after other events in the game happen.  In my opinion, this makes the English one of the more "Strategically effective" factions to play, but still easy enough for new players to grasp the various areas of play.

Strengths

The English are the most versatile of the nations, capable of amassing an army for military conquest, explore the New World, and even actively participate in the Protestant Reformation.  This flexibility permits them to garner points in a variety of ways, but none so potentially quickly as the "Creation of an Heir".

The English Home Card, King Henry VIII, grants the powerful ability to declare war against a Power outside of the diplomacy phase.  However, it is also the only way the English King has of achieving a suitable Heir to the throne.

Weaknesses

The English have several serious shortcomings.  Like the Ottomans, their starting position on the "island nation" is a liability, but it is also a benefit.  The island nation is unlikely to be attacked"by an enemy nation, but it is relatively easy to blockade the English ports, preventing the creation of large armies.  Fortunately, the English can raise an almost unbeatable navy, but at great expense in Command points.

Again similar to the Ottomans, the English have a "War Card" worry, which can cripple their plans, particularly if it comes out early.  The worst timing is if it comes out on Turn 1 or 2, just after the player declares war using their Home Card.  It is only 4 troops, but 4 troops is enough to halt an English offensive in its tracks.

"Fortress England": Difficult to Assail, Difficult to Leave

The last major weakness of the English is their lack of cards.  The English player, more so than any other player, is tempted to go in all avenues for Victory Points.  The New World and its riches await, Conquering Scotland seems a necessity, and the player still needs to go for an Heir.  Later, there is the Protestant Reformation to support.  All of these require cards, however, and the English player is extremely limited in this regard.  Therefore, the English player needs to focus on one or two

"The Heir Issue"

English Home Card

Historically, King Henry VIII's desire for a male heir drove many of the events, decisions, and (ultimately) changed the history of not only England, but of the world.  Representing this, the English player's additional concern is about acquiring a male heir to the throne.  There are two major impacts on the English player's game revolving the quest for an heir: Victory Points and Successors.  This is an important enough discussion it will be handled in a later post.

Home Card

The English Home Card is one of the most powerful cards in the game.  Not only does it grant the ability to advance the Marriage marker, but it also grants the ability to declare war during the Action Phase.  The use of the English home card can seriously disrupt the plans of any of their nearby neighbors.  The Spanish and French players must be particularly aware of a build up of English forces in Calais, as they represent a potential threat which should not be ignored.

Through The Ages - Cards - Alex Randolph

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

Alex Randolph (Sid Meier)

History

This card is named Sid Meier in later version of the game.  However, I will defer to my version of the game and will bio Alex Randolph.

Alexander Randolph was born May 4, 1922 and died May 10, 2004.  He spoke four languages fluently and was an avid game designer.  Although born in the United States of America, he traveled extensively and lived in many countries.

Alex Randolph created several well known games, and pioneered several game mechanics which are now considered 'everyday'.  His games include: Twixt, Raj, Sagaland (Enchanted Forest), InKognito, and Breakthru.  It is almost impossible to list all the games he had created here.  However, he is recognized as one of the world's most prolific game designers, with his games having been on the selection list for the Spiel des Jahres award no less than 10 times, among numerous other awards.

Alex Randolph's philosophy involved games as a very human activity.  Games define the human animal.  It is human nature to create a way to describe the universe and to simulate them.  To him,   games are the mechanism by which humans simulate this.

However, it is also a feedback loop: the games influence the animal.  Games are what permit us to describe the universe, but they also end up shaping our culture.  Given the same core game, different cultures will modify the rules differently, eventually creating two distinct games.  These games then may become popular, imprinting and reinforcing a style of thought on those that play the game.

Game Stats

Alex Randolph is the most popular Age III leader.  Statistics seem to support choosing him as an Age III leader, given such a high win ratio.

Opinions

Randolph provides a significant boost to culture at a time when science resources are waning in importance.  The four rounds of science which Alex could generate can add up to 12 culture at the loss of 4 science.  And that is the gain/cost per lab!  This is a significant gain fora marginal cost and one which shouldn't take much thought.  Of all the Age III leaders, Alex Randolph is the only one which can be played without any hesitation with regards to the situation.

Through The Ages - Albert Einstien

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

Albert Einstein

History

One of the most unique minds to inhabit our planet was born in Ulm, Germany in 1879: Albert Einstein.
 He was a talented musician in the piano and violin.  Hus family moved to Switzerland and Italy, and he graduated High School in 1896 in Switzerland.  His grades were good enough to graduate in all subjects except mathematics and science, at which he excelled with maximum scores.  He applied for ETH Zurich for advanced training later that year at the age of 16.

His goal was to attain a teaching position when he graduated, but he failed in that endeavor.  His classmate secured him a position at the Patent Office in Bern, Switzerland.  His specialty was evaluating patents for electromagnetic devices.  Many of these patents involved synchronization of timing devices using electronic signals, items which become important in his "thought experiments" when he wrote his papers.

In 1905, still at the patent office, Einstein was a landmark year.  He published 4 papers that year, one of which covered the equivalence of Energy and mass.  By 1908, Einstein was a recognized scientific leader.  It took another 7 years before Einstein finished the "General Theory of Relativity", but experimenters were quick to confirm the accuracy of his findings.  For his efforts, Einstein was given the Nobel Prize in 1921.

Einstein's equations unlocked a several secrets of the universe.  His equations permitted the development of television, lasers, and modern electronics.  It also unlocked atomic power, both its peaceful and military applications.

His personal life was one fraught with successes and failures as well.  He was married twice and had three children.  Einstein died April 18, 1955 in Princton, New Jersey.  Albert Einstein's name is recognized worldwide and has become synonymous with "genius" in many cultures.  His legacy lives on as mathematicians, physicists, and philosophers try to complete the work he started by unraveling the mysteries of light, matter, and energy.

Game Stats

Albert Einstein grants a great boost to both science and culture.  This late in the game Einstein's science will only be of benefit for a very short period of time.  Einstein has a (relatively) high first place rate, this may be the effect of already acquiring a successful culture engine rather than contributing to it greatly.  Still, Einstein's ability to get critical technologies out in a short time may contribute to additional bonus cards.

Opinions

I view Einstein, like most Age III leaders, as extraneous.  If he appears early in Age III, he might be worth the two actions required to bring him out.  Einstein's boost may be critical for completing some Age III technologies before time runs out and adjust final Bonus scoring.    Still, if he appears late in the game, actions may be better spent on other things.

Through The Ages - Cards - Mahatma Gandhi

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

Mahatma Gandhi

History

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born October 2, 1869 in Probandar, India.  At 13 he married a woman one year his senior in an arranged marriage.  Growing up he loved stories of an ideal life, truth, and justice.

In 1888 he traveled to England and studied law.  After completing his studies he failed at opening a law practice in Bombay for being too shy in court.  In 1893 he traveled to South Africa for rich Indian Muslims, but once there he found himself facing both rich Indians and those who were indentured servants.  During that time he was thrown off of trains, beaten, and subjected to other indignities for being "Indian" in a "British Colony".  Never during his stay, did Gandhi raise a fist in anger, but instead would focus on civil disobedience through non-violent means.

Upon his return to India in 1914, Gandhi brought his non-violent civil disobedience to free his people from British rule and discriminatory practices.  Gandhi joined the Indian National Congress and advocated for self-rule of the Indian nation.  He attempted to alleviate restrictions on the poor farming class, promoted the education of women, end caste discrimination, and remove religious intolerance.  Through his actions he rallied other Indians to rebel, not in violence, but through peaceful sit-ins, resigning from positions of power, and boycotts.  For his efforts Gandhi was jailed several times, but eventually India was freed from British rule.

After a lifetime serving his people, Gandhi managed to get India its self-rule.  He sat on the council which drew up the new nation's constitution.  He taught Indians to view other Indians as equals, and he removed the barrier for women to be educated.  Having achieved so much, freeing a nation and a people, the one hurdle Gandhi could not overcome was the religion.  He attempted to reconcile the Muslims and Hindus, and for his efforts he was assassinated by a fanatic Hindu on January 30, 1948.

Gandhi's legacy lives on.  India remains a country under its own rule.  Gandhi inspires the oppressed and the weak that change the world around them through non-violent means and by leading a virtuous life.

Game Stats

Gandhi has horrible game statistics.  His first place wins tie with Bach at 10%, with the only leader worse than him being Alexander the Great.  Despite these statistics, Gandhi is a popular leader, being the 3rd most popular for his Age and appearing in 60% of the games!  This makes him the most popular "bad" leader in the game.

Opinion

Gandhi is a losing player's leader.  His popularity stems from his ability to prevent culture loss from Wars and Aggressions late in the game.  Generally speaking, in many games, the player with the weakest military becomes the target of most other players in the game.  They use their advanced military to steal culture from this weakest player.  The result is the weaker player gets weaker, with the other players getting stronger.  As we have seen, these usually don't affect the outcome of the game in Culture Points as Wars and Aggressions only count for less than 10% of the Winner's score (http://gamesstrategyandtactics.blogspot.com/2012/01/through-ages-part-x-culturewhere.html).  However, most of that 10% of culture comes in Age III of the game (http://gamesstrategyandtactics.blogspot.com/2012/03/through-ages-part-xviii-military.html).  Gandhi is merely a last ditch effort for a losing player to slowdown their culture loss.

In the 10% of games he won, however, Gandhi is an interesting character.  The player with Gandhi went into Age III with a high culture generation engine and a weak military.  Gandhi arrived early and the player took and played him immediately.  The effect in this case was to prevent the militarily strong players from robbing the lead player of culture.  The lead player could then concentrate on simply generating even more culture.

Unfortunately, such a strategy seems highly unlikely, only occurring in 10% of games.