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Twilight Struggle - ACTS Ladder Launch 19

Headline Phase

US: Defectors
SU: Formosan Resolution

The way this game has been going I just assume he has Defectors again, and I’m not disappointed.  I toss out Formosan Resolution because if it’s cancelled then he cancelled his own card, it’s only 2 OPS, and I hold Taiwan so it’s no good to him either way. 

7 Game Turns

SU: Red Scare/Purge - OPS
US: CHINA CARD - OPS

I coup Libya and roll a 6 which shifts it over to me with room to spare. He takes back Chile and Mexico, which I totally expected.  I didn’t have enough OPS to do that and I’d rather have Libya - okay maybe not more than Mexico.  Later this move will turn out to be a mistake.

SU: Decolonization - EVENT
US: Five Year Plan - OPS

I add some influence to Algeria, Nigeria, Zaire, and S.Africa.  This does a good job of making it harder to take Africa from me while also disrupting his holdings.  He uses the OPS to take back Algeria, S.Africa, and Panama.

SU: SALT Negotiations - OPS
US: Quagmire - OPS + EVENT

I add to Chile, which is is of course immediately undone.  The U.S. also secures Spain.  Quagmire goes in to effect, which is always a mixed bag.  I know he has a scoring card but he has a good chance of just ditching cards that would be good for me.So far I’m on the losing end big time this turn and not enjoying it.

SU: Olympic Games - OPS
US: Socialist Governments - QUAGMIRE

I add both to Span to remove his control.  He discards and is of course successful in getting out of the Quagmire.

SU: Voice of America - SPACE
US: Alliance for Progress - 5VP

For a change I’m successful in the Space Race, my reward is getting to see his Headline Event next turn.  Alliance for Progress is a nasty card for me.  I don’t get to play OPEC but he gets this, at this point I’m just playing to make it to turn 10, I don’t think winning is possible.

SU: Cultural Revolution - OPS
US: South America Scoring - 2VP

I take over Spain, making it much harder for him to take control of Europe; a minor victory for me.  South America Scoring comes out as I expect and only being down 2VP isn’t so bad in the grand scheme of things.

SU: John Paul II - OPS + EVENT
US: Summit - OPS

I just play this out the only way that makes sense,  I add my influence to Poland and then immediately take it off to add his. Summit is used to Coup the SE African States away from me.  Not much I can do about that.

Commentary

The last Mid-War turn; it’s a doozy and not in my direction. The momentum swings in his direction again as some painful scoring cards make it difficult on me to win.  As stated earlier I’m more focused on just surviving to the end.  There is some ‘moral’ victory in that at least, and in the past I have worked this in to a TIE, a very rare thing in Twilight Struggle. 

I’m looking forward to seeing his Headline event but dreading it at the same time as there are some really nasty cards in the Late War deck for me.

Twilight Struggle - ACTS Ladder Launch 19

Headline Phase

US: The Voice of America
SU: Lone Gunmen

I play Lone Gunmen basically just to get it out of my hand, I had already figured out what cards were most likely in the US hand, the only assurance is that South American Scoring is not there.  He uses the Voice to remove all influence in Venezuela and deplete Brazil.

7 Game Turns

SU: CHINA Card - OPS
US: Arab-Israeli War - OPS

I decide to Coup Mexico: It’s a 3VP swing if I can get it (+1 bonus for being next to a Superpower).  Unfortunately I roll a 1 and do very little.  He uses the OPS to put 2 Influence in Brazil.

SU: Brezhnev Doctrine - OPS
US: Latin American Death Squads -OPS

I decide to take back Venezuela, and bring Brazil to par.  The US takes Brazil with the OPS from LAD.  Once you’re behind or even it’s very difficult to take over a country just with OPS.

SU: ABM Treaty - EVENT
US: Colonial Rear Guards - OPS

ABM Treaty raises the DEFCON level, allowing me to coup Brazil.  I roll a 2 however, which is not enough: The US adds the 2 right back with his next move.  That’s 2 disastrous coups in a row.

SU: Muslim Revolution - EVENT
US: Nuclear Subs - OPS

I remove all influence in Egypt and Libya.  In my mind I’ve miscalculated because if he puts influence in Egypt I won’t be able to secure Libya because I’m not adjacent.  Luck is on my side this time as he secures Libya, leaving Egypt open for my next move.

SU: SALT Negotiations - OPS
US: Panama Canal Returned - OPS

As promised I take back Egypt, I should be able to hold it this time I think.  I also add some influence to Chile to make it harder for him to take.  He puts his 1 influence in Chile, but it’s still neutral.

SU: Bear Trap - SPACE
US: South African Unrest - SPACE

The Soviets finally get a break in the space race: I catch up to the US and he fails to reach Earth Orbit.  If he had, he would have been able to see my Headline Event.  This is always a bad thing and something to be avoided.

SU: Liberation Theology - EVENT
US: Kitchen Debates - OPS

I place 2 influence in Mexico and one in Panama.  I’d much rather have played with South America but sometimes you have to work to the cards advantage.  The US takes back Chile.

Commentary

Another tough Mid-War turn.  The biggest disappointment had to be the back-to-back failed Coups which would have made a huge difference to the map makeup.  Small condolences in the fact Central America and the Middle East tilted back towards me. 

Next turn is the last in Mid-War, which means after that the Late War cards will get shuffled in to the draw deck.  That means any scoring cards that don’t come out now might not come out at all.  Hopefully I don’t get too many Scoring Cards as they really cut in to your ability to place influence.

Twilight Struggle - ACTS Ladder Launch 19

Headline Phase

US: Grain Sales to Soviets
SU: Junta

US pulls How I Learned to Stop Worrying and fails to coup Iran, but does successfully push DEFCON down to 2.  I add both my influence in Venezuela for control, and coup Costa Rica for no effect.

7 Game Turns

SU: Asia Scoring - 0VP
US: One Small Step - Event

I decide Asia isn’t going to get better for me based on my cards this turn and get the scoring out of the way.  Only South America remains to be scored now.  The US leap ahead of me on the Space Race and score 2 VP to boot, setting the total at -1VP.

SU: Decolonization - Event
US: Portuguese Empire Crumbles - OPS + Event

Since I have cards for South America, I decide to add most of the free influence in Africa, taking control of Nigeria, Zaire, and Angola.  I also break the Philippines as well so it’s now neutral. The US uses the OPS to secure South Africa, and the card reinforces Angola and gives me the SE African States as well.  So far the turn is going well but not too well.

SU: Red Scare - OPS
US: Summit - OPS

I take Brazil and destabilize Algeria, he counters by retaking Algeria.  My real motives are to get access to other locations though, taking a country just by adding OPS is rarely successful.

SU: Shuttle Diplomacy - Space
US: Puppet Governments - Event

Another rocket explodes on the gantry, my attempt to catch him fails.  At this point that’s a bad thing because he can still play a card on the Space Race and then he gets to see my Headline Event (very bad).  He uses PG to spread out in South America.  I’d hoped he wouldn’t have a way to do that yet but there you go, my complete domination of South America ends.

SU: We Will Bury You - OPS
US: Ussuri River Skirmish - OPS

I can’t play WWBY for the Event because the resulting nuclear war would cost me the game.  I decide to thump Uruguay instead, putting all 4 influence in it - primarily to counter coup attempts.  He takes control of Argentina and Chile.

SU: Camp David Accords - OPS + Event
US: Missile Envy - OPS

I decide to add some influence to Argentina, again mainly to be able to reach other countries later.  He gets 1 VP and some free influence in countries he already controls.  He uses Missile Envy to take back Argentina.  I consider this a big win because Missile Envy is a pain in the but.  I can see though maybe he doesn’t want to risk me having some bad DEFCON cards.

SU: Cuban Missile Crisis - OPS
US: OPEC - Space

I break Chile, and put more OPS in Brazil.  He sends a major card for me in to space.  I had really been hoping to get OPEC in my hand for a good number of VP.

Commentary

A very mixed results turn.  I feel it went well for me in the end:  I was able to spread my influence around and break up some of his controlled countries.  When I saw my hand initially I didn’t think the turn was going to go that well for me: by well I mean even.  I ended up losing 3VP and it now sits on his side of the board I think for the second time.  It could have been worse.  There are 20 cards in the Deck and that will leave 3 in the deck after next turns shuffle.  South American scoring has a good chance of happening, but even better there is no “Defectors” coming my way.  Hopefully the cards will go a little more my way next turn - which I will be checking against my decks at home.  With so many cards out this is usually a good time to stop and compare to see what cards he likely has.  Note: This isn’t something you can do during a live game and many may consider this “gamey”.  There’s no rule against it however so I take what intelligence I can: It may not help anyway.