Twilight Struggle - ACTS Ladder Launch 19
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.
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.
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.
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