The Great War

[Dukasaur]

In 1915, much is happening in the south, as campaigns in Africa and the Middle East heat up. The big operation of the year, however, is the Dardanelles-Gallipoli operation. It's time to update our token-dropping maps accordingly. On February 19th, on the 100th anniversary of the initial naval bombardment of the Gallipoli forts, we will add a new group of maps to the token-dropping list:
Gallipoli (beta) map
WWI Ottoman
Middle East
Europa
Dark Continent
Africa II
Australia
New Zealand

Search link for the newly-added maps:Search link to find waiting token-eligible games


The current list, (Europe1914, Transsib1914, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Unification Germany, England, France1789, and Benelux) will remain active for now and continue dropping tokens for another month, until March 19th.

[pamoa]

I got one big regret about this event
I planed to participate every battle (tourney)
But as you don't get any recognition for participating
Players not playing the event but only maps that gives "canons" are better placed in ranking
I propose you give once per battle a good soldier "helmet" medal and that retroactive

[Butters1919]

I got one big regret about this event
I planed to participate every battle (tourney)
But as you don't get any recognition for participating
Players not playing the event but only maps that gives "canons" are better placed in ranking
I propose you give once per battle a good soldier "helmet" medal and that retroactive

i would partake in more tourneys as well, but rarely have the required great war tokens. the maps that drop them are too restrictive. i understand wanting to keep them "WW1 themed", but for many players (like myself), i'm sure they don't play those maps very often.

[Dukasaur]

I got one big regret about this event
I planed to participate every battle (tourney)
But as you don't get any recognition for participating
Players not playing the event but only maps that gives "canons" are better placed in ranking
I propose you give once per battle a good soldier "helmet" medal and that retroactive

i would partake in more tourneys as well, but rarely have the required great war tokens. the maps that drop them are too restrictive. i understand wanting to keep them "WW1 themed", but for many players (like myself), i'm sure they don't play those maps very often.

Today there is a much-expanded list of maps that will drop tokens:
Subject: The Great War

In 1915, much is happening in the south, as campaigns in Africa and the Middle East heat up. The big operation of the year, however, is the Dardanelles-Gallipoli operation. It's time to update our token-dropping maps accordingly. On February 19th, on the 100th anniversary of the initial naval bombardment of the Gallipoli forts, we will add a new group of maps to the token-dropping list:
Gallipoli (beta) map
WWI Ottoman
Middle East
Europa
Dark Continent
Africa II
Australia
New Zealand

The current list, (Europe1914, Transsib1914, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Unification Germany, England, France1789, and Benelux) will remain active for now and continue dropping tokens for another month, until March 19th.

But yes, of course, there has to be some kind of WWI connection every time.

As for the helmet idea, we'll give it some thought.

[robellis00]

Hello again, maybe it is just me, but I attempted to start several games with the new maps (Middle East, Africa II) and the new games don't show up on the "Search link to find waiting token-eligible games" link on the Great War info page. I dropped the games because I wanted to make sure they were token-eligible before I used up my game slots. I'm sure they are dropping tokens for those maps, but the link is not picking them up. Am I doing something wrong? Thanks for the help.

[Dukasaur]

Hello again, maybe it is just me, but I attempted to start several games with the new maps (Middle East, Africa II) and the new games don't show up on the "Search link to find waiting token-eligible games" link on the Great War info page. I dropped the games because I wanted to make sure they were token-eligible before I used up my game slots. I'm sure they are dropping tokens for those maps, but the link is not picking them up. Am I doing something wrong? Thanks for the help.

The search link hasn't been updated yet, but those games should count.

[Dukasaur]

February 28th will feature the first Great War tournament authored by Tournament Commissioner McShanester29.

[spoiler=Champagne feb 28th to march 7th]The First Battle of Champagne, which after minor skirmishes starting ten days earlier, began on 20 December 1914. This was effectively the first significant attack by the Allies against the Germans since the construction of trenches following the so-called 'race to the sea' during the autumn of 1914.

Joffre, the French Commander-in-Chief, was determined to win the war quickly, and despite a lack of success in more local attacks against trench lines, resolved to launch a major offensive against the Germans. Despite being outnumbered, the Germans were entrenched, and successfully demonstrated their superiority in defensive warfare via the machine gun.

Fighting continued without break until mid-February, where there was a brief lull in the battle to re-organize. After a short break the fighting resumed until 17 March when the entire offensive was called off by the French mostly because of the strength of German counter-attacks (particularly along the La Basse Canal and near Soissons from 8 January-5 February) combined with a costly lack of success.


24 player start:

Round 1:
4 - 4 player standard games on Benelux, esc, chained, fog, trench, 20 rounds

Top 16 advance

Round 2:
5 - 8 player assassin games on Trench warfare, flat, chained, fog

Top 6 Advance

Round 3:
7 - 6 player standard games on France, esc, chained, fog, trench, 20 rounds
-- MC29[/spoiler]

[hwhrhett]

cant join The First Oil War and Basra says I already entered one of these...

[Dukasaur]

cant join The First Oil War and Basra says I already entered one of these...

Fixed!

At least, I think it's fixed. Let me know if it's still a problem.

[notyou2]

Is there a fog rule in this tournament?

[Dukasaur]

Is there a fog rule in this tournament?

No special rules. WYSIWYG.

[Dukasaur]

Current state of the Great War autotournament component.

So far, 56 players have earned 1 or more Battle Medals, with 5 players earning 3, 7 having exactly 2, and 44 players capturing just one. That's 73 Battle Medals total. 59 of 119 autotournaments are now complete. (The number of Battle Medals is 1.23 times the number of completed tournaments. Most of the larger tournaments give 2 Battle medals, and take longer to finish. The really small tourneys give only one Battle Medal, and finish faster. Thus it's not unexpected that the medal-to-tourney ratio is closer to 1 than to 2 right now. It will get closer to 2 as the event goes on.)

Here's how we stand with the autotournaments thus far:
(prototype tournament with link, date launched, number of tournament iterations, total participants, current status)
Battle of Cer 2014-09-17 3 60 all done
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand 2014-09-18 3 72 all done
The Black and Aegean Seas 2014-09-18 2 64 all done
The Battle of Antivari 2014-09-18 4 80 all done
Battle of Tannenberg 2014-09-18 5 80 all done
Siege of Tsingtao 2014-09-24 7 112 all done
Battle of the Drina 2014-09-24 2 60 1 active in final round
First Battle of the Masurian Lakes 2014-09-25 2 64 1 active in round 5/6
The Fall of Liege 2014-10-03 3 72 all done
Mulhouse-Lorraine 2014-10-03 7 112 all done
Heligoland Bight 2014-10-13 3 90 all done
Battle Off Texel 2014-10-19 7 112 all done
Silver Helmets 2014-10-26 6 108 ongoing all, most just past 50% done
Escape of the Goeben 2014-10-30 1 64 ongoing, in final round
U-Boat Part 1 2014-11-02 7 112 ongoing, all in final round
Charleroi, Namur, and Mons 2014-11-05 4 80 ongoing, various stages from round 2 to 5
Trindade 2014-11-09 6 96 all done
Maubeuge, Le Cateau, and St. Quentin 2014-11-14 4 80 1 finished, 3 ongoing in final round
The Rape of Belgium 2014-11-23 4 120 ongoing, various stages from round 6 to 8
La Première Bataille de la Marne 2014-11-30 4 96 ongoing, 1 in round 3, rest in round 2
Bita Paka 2014-12-07 5 90 ongoing, various stages from round 5 to 7
First Aisne 2014-12-14 3 72 1 finished, 2 ongoing in final round
The Defense of the Realm Act 2014-12-17 3 48 2 finished, 1 in round 3
The Christmas Truce 2014-12-24 4 100 ongoing, all in round 3
Rio De Oro 2015-01-01 3 96 all done
Race to the Sea 2015-01-12 4 80 ongoing mostly in first round
Sandfontein 2015-01-24 4 72 ongoing, all in round 3
The Black Sea Raid 2015-01-31 3 96 ongoing, all in round 2
Galicia-Lemberg 2015-02-07 3 84 ongoing, all in round 1
Battle of Coronel 2015-02-11 3 72 ongoing, 1 in round 1, others in round 2
The Bergmann Offensive 2015-02-20 still taking on players
First Siege of Przemysl 2015-02-23 still taking on players
The First Oil War and Basra 2015-02-26 stilltaking on players
Champagne 2015-02-28 still taking on players

For now we have no easy way of counting total unique participants. So far our tourneys have gotten 2652 sign-ups, but of course the overwhelming majority of those represent players who have signed up for multiple tourneys. One of the projects for the summer is to find a way to count total unique participants.

We would gratefully accept volunteers who would like to design some non-tourney events for this. In particular, some WWI-based scenarios and campaigns would be welcome.

[Tviorr]

Reading here, I get the picture that Kotm should be a token map until march 19th.

Im not getting Kotm in the link though?

Edit: Much if not all of the original list of token maps seem not to be included in the link.

[iAmCaffeine]

Reading here, I get the picture that Kotm should be a token map until march 19th.

Im not getting Kotm in the link though?

Edit: Much if not all of the original list of token maps seem not to be included in the link.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=207817#p4556466

[Dukasaur]

Reading here, I get the picture that Kotm should be a token map until march 19th.

Im not getting Kotm in the link though?

Edit: Much if not all of the original list of token maps seem not to be included in the link.

KotM was only on the list from Sept. 17th to Nov. 17th.

The second list was valid from Nov. 17th to March 19th. The third list has been valid from Feb. 19th to whenever the next change comes. We decided to start having one-month overlaps between lists, so that people have a chance to finish some of the games they start on each list. However, there was no overlap on the first switchover; that idea only occurred to us in January.

[iAmCaffeine]

And there is a new #1 on the scoreboard.

When do the pistol, helmet and zeppelin start getting used?

[Dukasaur]

And there is a new #1 on the scoreboard.

Congratulations! Nice to see the lead change hands every now and then...

When do the pistol, helmet and zeppelin start getting used?

We've given out a few. It's still in dispute what they will be used for.

[iAmCaffeine]

Is there a specific way of getting them?

[Dukasaur]

Is there a specific way of getting them?

So far, Zeppelins have only been given out in the Creative Components.

Helmets have been given out in some tournaments, rather inconsistently. In a few cases, like La Première Bataille de la Marne, they were added to the top prizes as a type of sweetener. More recently, like in Battle of Cocos which will launch later today, a helmet prize was randomly assigned to a non-winning position. This is a rather severely modified implementation of pamoa's suggestion.

I can't find any pistols that we've given out. I thought we had, but I may be mistaken.

There are at least two lines of future development that haven't happened yet due to lack of volunteer manpower, but that I have high hopes for.

1. I want to have major battles fought out as clan wars, with clans representing the various major powers. I haven't yet had time to discuss this with the CDs and get it cleared, but I still intend to.
2. Now that we have Scenarios and will soon have Campaigns, there will be a of course be some Scenarios and Campaigns based on Great War battles, and these might eventually be as big a component as the autotourneys.

Either of the above could see heavy use of the (currently underused) tokens.

[iAmCaffeine]

Sounds good, cheers Duk.

[pamoa]

This is a rather severely modified implementation of pamoa's suggestion.

Rather

[Dukasaur]

New creative component added today, Battle of Bolimów Autotourney Design Contest March 7th to March 22nd, 2015

[Dukasaur]

Today we launch the next Freemium-friendly tournament, the Maritz Rebellion.

[Dukasaur]

W00T! We have our first four-medal winner! Congratulations [player]Ukey[/player]!

[Dukasaur]

Archive of the auto-tournaments from Jan. 1st to Mar 16th, 2014:

[spoiler=rio de oro tourney jan 1st 2015]Rio De Oro (Battle date 26 August, 1914)

The German auxillary cruiser SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was a marvelous ship. It was the second largest ship of all time and the first cruiser to have 4 funnels. Even though this was just a gimmick, the ship also won the most prestigious prize in the world - the Blue Riband. It was the first German ship to win the prize for the fastest transatlantic cruise, and the first that wasn't British or American. It was also one of the first ships to ever use wireless telegraphs (now known as radio).*

In 1908, it was fitted with cannons. One of the themes of these tournaments is that to understand how the world came to war in this instance, one must understand that European politics really goes back 2000 years. The World Wars were the crescendo in this history. The Assassination of the Archduke was just the cymbal to alert the audience that the crescendo had begun, but already in 1908, the melody had been introduced.

SS Kaiser's early exploits were indicative of the gentleness of the early war. It sank 3 ships, but ferried all the passengers and crew of those ships aboard. They had orders to sink 2 passenger liners, but let them go (since there women and children aboard). Compared to the atrocities at sea that were to come in the years ahead, this is practically peace.

The HMS Highflyer won the battle off the coast of Spanish Sahara by default. The SS Kaiser ran out of ammunition, so the crew scuttled the ship and took off across the Sahara. Many were captured and interned in Nova Scotia. All in all, it was a rather inglorious end to a truly luxurious ship:


Tournament:
32 players
1v1 All rounds best of 3 Africa, No Spoils, Chained, No Fog
Final Round, best of 5

Entry: 1 token
*It was definitely the first civilian liner, but there may have been military uses.
-- DY[/spoiler]
[spoiler=race to the sea jan 12th to jan 24th]The Race to the Sea



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_to_the_Sea

The Race to the Sea took place from about 17 September – 19 October 1914, after the Battle of the Frontiers (7 August–13 September) and the German advance into France, which had been stopped at the First Battle of the Marne (5–12 September) and was followed by the First Battle of the Aisne (13 September – 28 September), a Franco-British counter-offensive.[Note 1] The term described reciprocal attempts by the Franco-British and German armies to envelop the northern flank of the opposing army through Picardy, Artois and Flanders, rather than an attempt to advance northwards to the sea. The "race" ended on the North Sea coast of Belgium around 19 October, when the last open area from Dixmude to the North Sea was occupied by Belgian troops, who had been withdrawn from the Siege of Antwerp (28 September – 10 October). The outflanking attempts had resulted in a number of encounter battles but neither side was able to gain a decisive victory.[Note 2]

In this tournament, the odd-numbered phases consist of a variety of games. These represent the attempt by either the Germans or the Allies to gain an advantage with a flanking maneouvre. The even-numbered phases consist of Polymorphic Dubs games on the Trench Warfare map. These represent the failure of the flanking movement and the resumption of trench warfare. After every pair of rounds, two players are eliminated.

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Phase 1 (17-18 Sep.) On the left flank of their positions on the Aisne, the French Sixth Army attempted to advance. Their aircraft were grounded by bad weather and their cavalry scouts were worn out, resulting in chaos, confusion, and a very indecisive result.

Tournament Phase 1: Three 5-player Standard game on Random map, Foggy, Escalating, Trench, No Reinforcement.

Phase 2 (18 Sep.) The German II Corps arrived and halted the French advance.

Tournament Phase 2: 3 games, Polymorphic Dubs, on the Trench Warfare Map. Fog, Trench, Spoils, and Reinforcement options are randomized.

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Phase 3 (22 Sep.) The French made a major push in the region of Noyon, a city with a great history. The cathedral of Noyon was where Charlemagne was crowned. Two centuries later Hugh Capet was crowned there, marking the beginning of a distinct French state. After another six centuries, the treaty of Noyon in 1516 marked the end of the destructive wars between Francis I of France and Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire.

Tournament Phase 3: Three 9-player Terminator games, on France, Third Crusade, and Holy Roman Empire. Flat Rate and Escalating, Chained and Unlimited, Fog and No Fog, No Trench

Phase 4 (24 Sep.) The German XVIII Corps counterattacked.

Tournament Phase 4: Same as Phase 2.

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Phase 5 (25-27 Sep.) A general confrontation took place all along the front from the Vosges to the Somme. This is the main component of what became known as the First Battle of Picardy.

Tournament Phase 5: Three 8-player Standard games on the France 2.1 map. Flat Rate and Escalating, Chained and Unlimited, Fog and No Fog, No Trench.

Phase 6 The situation between the Somme and the Oise rivers was rapidly turning into a stalemate, as the situation along the Aisne already had.

Tournament Phase 6: Same as Phase 2.

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Phase 7 (24-25 Sep.) Two German corps attacked near Peronne, attempting to cut off the French troops on the south bank of the Somme.

Tournament Phase 7: Three 7-player Terminator games on Random map, Escalating, Chained, Fog and No Fog, No Trench.

Phase 8 The German redeployment found itself directly colliding with a French redeployment. The French dug in along the Somme, as the Germans had along the Aisne.

Tournament Phase 8: Same as Phase 2.

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Phase 9 (27 Sep.) The German cavalry corps, recently arrived from its debacle at Haelen, drove the French 61st and 62nd Reserve Division away from Bapaume. Georg von der Marwitz, the German commander, was a Prussian from Pomerania who gained significant fame on the Eastern front later.

Tournament Phase 9: Three 6-player games on the Baltic Crusades map, No Spoils, Nuclear, and Escalating, Chained and Adjacent, Fog and No Fog, Trench and No Trench.

Phase 10 (28-29) The situation in the Albret/Somme sector also degenerated into trench warfare.

Tournament Phase 10: Same as Phase 2.

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Phase 11 (1-5 Oct.) A large confrontation known as the First Battle of Arras took place when both the German and French High Commands decided to seize Arras before the other and sent large forces towards the city. One of the great advantages of the Prussians since the 1860s had been their early mastery of using rail to move troops quickly and gain an operational advantage. The French, adapting on the fly, were now catching up in this regard, and at Arras they used rail to bring more troops more quickly than the Germans.

Tournament Phase 11: Three 5-player Terminator Games on the Rail Europe map, Escalating and Flat Rate, Fog and No Fog, all No Trench.

Phase 12 ( 4-6 Oct.) Once again there was no decisive result and Arras became another stop along the great line of trenches.

Tournament Phase 12: Same as Phase 2.

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Phase 13 (12 Oct to 2 Nov)

Flanders was essentially controlled swamp. The area around the Lys river was cut by numerous canals and ditches, dykes and causeways. The ground on the often-flooded flats has been described as having the consistency of cream cheese. The BEF was ordered to advance east of Ypres, to deny the Germans the use of key transportation hubs in the area, and also to cover the retreat of the survivors from the fall of Antwerp. Ypres itself was captured by the British without difficulty, but south of Ypres the Germans inflicted massive casualties and halted the Allied advance. In three weeks of bloody back-and-forth fighting, several British divisions were almost annihalated, and French units had to temporarily take up British positions. Messines Ridge changed hands several times. In the end it was back in German hands, as were the towns of Messines and Wytchaete, but ridges west and south were held by the Allies, along with the key river port of Warneton.

Tournament Phase 13: In casting about for an appropriate map to represent the swampy bloodbath of Messines, I decided on Labyrinth. The Traps represent the many hazards posed by the swamps, while the belts of Medusa's gaze represent fields swept by machinegun fire. For reasons of play balance, I decided to move the Battle of Messines ahead of the Battle of La Bassée, which is wrong from a purely chronological viewpoint, but allows us to play Labyrinth 8-player. (6-player games on Labyrinth give a big advantage to players who start with neutrals on one flank.) Three 8-player games, Flat Rate, Fog, No Trench.

Phase 14 (19 Oct to 2 Nov) The now almost-nauseating refrain, "there was no decisive result, and both sides after terrible casualties settled into their trenches"

Tournament Phase 14: Same as Phase 2.

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Phase 15 (10 Oct to 2 Nov) The Battle of La Bassée took place at the junction of the French and British lines. Among other things, it marked the first appearance of Indian troops of the Lahore Division.

The German 6th Army took Lille before a British force could secure the town and the 4th Army attacked the exposed British flank at Ypres. The British were driven back and the German Army occupied La Bassée and Neuve Chapelle. Around 15 October, the British recaptured Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée but failed to recover La Bassée.

Tournament Phase 15: Three 6-player Standard games, on France, Great Britain, and Indian Empire, Flat Rate and Escalating, Chained and Unlimited, Fog and No Fog, No Trench.

Phase 16 (30 Oct to 2 Nov) Would you be surprised to find that there was no decisive result, and both sides had to settle for an extension of the line of trenches?

Tournament Phase 16: Same as Phase 2.

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Phase 17 (13 Oct to 2 Nov) South of the Lys, an offensive by III Corps Progressed in much the same fashion as the Messines battle north of the Lys. After early gains by the British, they ran into a determined German defense around the village of Armentières. The village was captured, but not much else, and the original British dream of pushing all the way to Lille soon evaporated.

Tournament Phase 17: Trying hard not to further overuse the Trench Warfare map, I look for parallels and find the other great battle in the trenches represented on Conquer Club: Tobruk. Three four-player Standard games on WWII Gazala, one each of Escalating, Flat, and No Spoils, all Fog and no Trench.

Phase 18 (19 Oct to 2 Nov) By October 19th, the British offensive had petered out, and the Germans pushed back, with equally unspectacular success.

Tournament Phase 18: Same as Phase 2.

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Phase 19 (16-30 Oct) On October 6th, Antwerp fell, and the remnants of the British and Belgian forces retreated to the Yser river. Ten days later, they were entrenched on a line from Nieuport to Dixmunde. On October 16th, the Germans began an offensive at Dixmunde and on October 18th at Nieuport.

Several breakthroughs were made, but a combination of heroic defenses by the Belgian infantry, powerful artillery support from the British Navy, and the insertion of French reserves at key weak points managed to hold most of the line intact.

Preservation of this tiny sliver of Belgian territory under Belgian control was a massive propaganda victory, as well as a victory in real terms. It meant that, although 96% of Belgium was under enemy occupation, the country did not fall. King Albert was hailed as a hero, as was General Alphonse Jacques, the commander of the Dixmunde garrison.


Jacques had first gained fame as an explorer in the Congo, now he gained fame as one of the saviours of Flanders. King Albert was already a hero for beginning to reform his father's cruel governance of the Congo, now he was a hero as a legitimate king who earned his throne and successfully commanded troops in the field, preserving his country's independence. We will therefore celebrate them with the Africa map representing the Congo, the Flanders 1302 map representing Flanders, and the Dark Continent map showing the link between the two.

Tournament Phase 19: Three 1v1 games on Africa, Dark Continent, and Flanders 1302. Randomized spoils, Chained, Fog and No Fog, Trench and No Trench.

Phase 20 (26-31 Oct) During the nights of October 26 to 29, the Belgians managed to open the sluices in the sea dykes, and flooded much of the area behind the German lines. The Germans still made some vigourous attacks, but they were rapidly being cut off by the implacable waters, and by October 31st had to abandon the attack.

The Battle of the Yser was the last phase of the Race to the Sea. With the closing of the Yser to the German advance, there was no longer any point between Switzerland and the Atlantic where the Germans and the Allies did not face each other from behind fortified positions. A great network of trenches, supported by pillbox artillery bunkers, barbed wire entanglements, minefields, and assorted other works, stretched the entire distance. The war of maneouvre was over, at least on the Western Front, and four years of trench warfare was under way.

Tournament Phase 20: Same as Phase 2.

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-DK[/spoiler]
[spoiler=sandfontein 1500 jan 24 to 1500 jan 31]Sandfontein

At the beginning of the war, Germany held colonies in both the East and West of Africa.

All the German colonies were adjacent to larger and stronger British colonies -- (German) Kamerun was bordered by (British) Nigeria, (German) East Africa was adjacent to (British) East Africa, Uganda, and Rhodesia, and (German) Southwest Africa abutted (British) South Africa and Bechuanaland. In addition to powerful holdings on land, Britain ruled the High Seas and could effectively resupply its Empire, while Germany could not.

It was clear from the outset that the Germans in the 20th century would pretty much have to follow the strategy of the French in the 17th century -- hold out as long as possible in the colonies, but eventually lose to the stronger British forces, then win the land war in Europe and regain their colonies in the negotiations after the war.

German commanders in Africa were mentally well-prepared for this game of fighting a guerrilla war in the interior, and holding out for as long as possible against the superior British forces. At Sandfontein, the German force ambushed a British force twice its size and scored a spectacular victory.

For a fuller account, see:
http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/sandfontein.htm

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Phase 1: The battle for South-west Africa was essentially a foregone conclusion. With their huge presence in South Africa, plus control of the High Seas and freedom to resupply, the British were destined to eventually win. Nonetheless, the Germans put up a spirited and creative resistance.

Tournament Phase 1: The Germans had substantial holdings in Africa, but the British holding were far greater. Five 6-player Terminator games, CC default settings. Maps Dark Continent, Africa, Africa II, South Africa, High Seas.

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Phase 2: The thirsty British and South African troops rushed to the oasis with inadequate preparations. The German commander Joachim von Heydebreck had hidden his troops on the heights overlooking the water. It was the classic guerrilla tactic of a smaller force ambushing a larger force by using stealth and available terrain.

Tournament Phase 2: The thirsty British rushed to the oasis and were ambushed by the Germans. Three Polymorphic Quads games on the Oasis map, flat rate, fog, and trench.

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Phase 3: After the initial shock, the British seized some high ground on a nearby hill, but the initial positioning of the Germans was superior. The South Africans artillery pieces fired back with surprising accuracy and vigour, but were eventually silenced. Cut off from its communications, cut off from the water, and suffering heavy casualties to German artillery that could not be answered, the British force surrendered. Defeating an enemy twice the size of his force was a major coup for the German commander. After the battle, the British and German troops mingled freely. Most were natives reluctantly conscripted into these colonial armies, and had little natural animosity. Von Heydebreck was later much lauded for his generous treatment of prisoners.

Tournament Phase 3: The British and South African force fought back, but eventually surrendered. Defeating an enemy twice the size of his force was a major coup for the German commander. Five 6-player Standard games, No Spoils, Escalating, Flat Rate, Nuclear, and Zombie, all Foggy, no Trench.
-- DK[/spoiler]
[spoiler=the black sea raid 1500 jan 31st to 1500 feb 7th]The Black Sea Raid

After his famous escape with the Goeben, Admiral Souchon became an Ottoman commander. In late October 2014, he commanded a squadron of battlecruisers, cruisers and minelayers. The Turkish government would not enter the war, but Souchon was charismatic and managed to attract somewhat of a cult following with the Turkish officers. Souchon's fleet began a training exercise, which was in reality a sneak attack. The Ottomans raided Russian ports, trying to capture ships unsuspecting. The main fleet was in Sevastopol, but the major Ottoman victory came on October 29th, in Odessa, where few (if any) damage was taken.

Round One: Start with 32 players
That a German admiral caused the Ottomans to enter the war only stresses the importance of naval battles in this war. It also reminds me of the story with Doctor Strangelove
1v1 3 games, 1 on Duck and Cover, 1 on Arms Race, 1 on Random, Esc-Cha-Fog

Round Two: 16 Players continue, score reset
Having a large, mobile force able to conduct surprise raids is an amazing tactic. We have two land maps, in which you can strike at Odessa by coming out from the shadows.
4 4-player games. Fog, Nuclear, 30 rounds, Parachute; 2 on Napoleonic Europe, 2 on WWII Eastern Front

Round Three: 12 players advance
Since the Russians declared war on the Ottoman Empire on Nov 1st, in direct retaliation to these raids, we need to include the WWI Ottoman map.
a)1 12 person Escalating Assassin game
b)2 6-person Flat Rate, Adjacent 30 round games
c)3 1v1 games random settings

The final 10 games determine who wins!
-- DY[/spoiler]
[spoiler=lemberg-galicia 1500 feb 7th to feb 14th]Lemberg-Galicia
[bigimg]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/EasternFront1914a.jpg[/bigimg]
While the Germans were highly successful against the Russians, the Austrians lost ground. The polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire lacked cohesion. Much of the army consisted of subjugated Slavs who were more sympathetic to their Russian brethren than to their German or Hungarian overlords. Supply was a problem -- unlike the Western Front, the railway network in the East was thin and unreliable. Many commanders were incompetent, chosen for family connections rather than merit. Most importantly, however, the Austrians completely misjudged what the Russian deployments would be. They thus fell victim to both tactical and strategic surprise.

The first half of this video has a great introduction:


A more complete article:
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_lemberg1914.html

The campaign was fought by three Austro-Hungarian armies (1st, 3rd, and 4th), and four Russian armies (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 8th). In honour of the seven armies each phase will include seven 7-player games.

Phase 1: The campaign opened with a quick Austrian victory at Kraśnik, and the Russians were pushed back. The Russians were surprised to find the Austrians this far west, and after three days of battle had to retreat.

Tournament Phase 1: The campaign opened with an Austrian victory at Kraśnik.
Seven 7-player Standard games, Sunny Escalating, Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Phase 2: At Komarów, the Russian 5th Army was nearly obliterated by the Austrian 4th. It was an almost complete humiliation for the Russians, almost as great as their collapse at Austerlitz. Except at Austerlitz, the Austrians had been their allies.

Tournament Phase 2: At Komarów, the Russian 5th Army was nearly obliterated by the Austrian 4th..
Seven 7-player Terminator games, Foggy Flat Rate, Austerlitz.

Phase 3: Things seemed to be coming up roses for the Austrians. What a shock it was when on August 25th the Austrian 3rd Army ran into a Russian force twice its size in a place where the Russians were expected to be struggling to mobilize! The resulting Battle of Gnila Lipa was a calamity for the Austrians. The Austro-Hungarian commander, Kövess von Kövessháza, was one of their better leaders. It was bad luck for him to find himself outnumbered two to one and surprised at the same time. Later in the war, his career got much better, and he succeeded in knocking Montenegro and Albania out of the war, becoming master of the Balkans.

Tournament Phase 3: The losing general at Gnila Lipa, von Kövessháza, later had great success in the Balkans.
Seven 7-player Assassin games, Sunny Nuclear, Balkan Peninsula

Phase 4: A huge gap was left in between the western and eastern groups of Austrian armies. The Russians exploited it, marched in swiftly, and soon the Austrians were on the verge of collapse. They were forced to retreat, at the great city of Lemberg (later known as Lvov, or Lviv) was taken by the Russians.

Tournament Phase 4: Lvov was lost. The Russians were steamrolling, as they would in World War II.
Seven 7-player Standard games, random spoils, random reinforcements, random fog and trench, WWII Eastern Front.
-- DK[/spoiler]
[spoiler=battle of coronel 1500 feb 11th to feb 18th]Battle of Coronel, November 1st, 1914

This is one of those battles that illustrates the British character. Take a rear admiral with a bunch of converted merchant ships and some outdated and under-gunned cruisers. Have him attack an enemy with 5 new ships 8.2 inch guns, and 2 crews with gunnery skill accolades. Have the British be shocked about the loss - you have yourself a Coronel.

This is the first British naval loss in a full-out battle since the Battle of Lake Champlain in October of 1814, more than 100 years earlier. The British were shocked about the loss because no living Brit could remember what such a loss felt like.
24 players start
Round 1: 3 1v1 games on USA: New England w/ No Spoils, Adjacent, Fog. The territory of Plattsburgh is the territory of interest here due to its proximity to the site of the Battle of Lake Champlain - in fact, this Battle is also known as the Battle of Plattsburgh.
No eliminations

Rear Admiral Cradock was to keep near Vice Admiral von Spee's force off the coast of Chile, but it was never intended that they would engage. Based on the numbers of guns, range, etc. he was ordered to make his flagship, the Canopus "a citadel around which all our cruisers in those waters could find absolute security".
Round 2: 20 round limit. 6 Players The Citadel, trench, adjacent, no spoils, fog. 6 games per group of 6.

12 players advance:

On the day of the battle, one British ship, the Glasgow went to the town of Coronel. This ship was spotted, and von Spee moved in to trap it. The Glasgow was listening to radio communications, which suggested that a ship, the Leipzig was nearby. All the German fleet used the same callsign on the radio for exactly this trick. The British fleet starting combing north to find the Leipzig.
Round 3: Temple of Jinn, Fog, Escalating, 3 4-player games, Terminator.
2 eliminations

Finally the forces engaged. They were both surprised. At first Cradock retreated but his ship, the Otranto would either have to be abandoned or defended. He chose defense.
Round 4: 10 5-player games South America, Flat Rate, 30 rounds, Parachute, Sunny.

Bonus Round: I was going to do a tournament for the Bombardment of Papeete (Tahiti), but we ran out of time. Here it is:
3 10-player assassin games, Oceania, Zombie, Chained.
-- DY[/spoiler]
[spoiler=the bergmann offensive 1500 feb 20th to feb 27th]The Bergmann Offensive was the first engagement of the Caucasus Campaign during World War I. General Georgy Bergmann, commander of I Caucasian Army Corps, took the initiative against the Ottoman Empire. On November 2nd, Bergmann's troops crossed the border in the general direction of Köprüköy. On the right flank, a brigade under Istomin moved from Oltu in the direction of İd. On the left flank a Cossack division under Baratov moved into the Eleşkirt valley towards Yuzveran, after it crossed the Aras River. In response the Ottoman 3rd Army went on a general counter-offensive. As a result Russian forces were threatened by an enveloping movement on both sides. Only quick arrival of Russian reinforcements saved the situation. The fighting finally petered out on November 16th.

24 players
Round 1:
Map: Russia x5, 12 players
Settings: Terminator, Classic Settings, 30 round limit
20 move on
Round 2:
Map: WWI Ottoman Empire x5, 10 players
Settings: Assassin, Classic Settings, 30 round limit
8 move on
Round 3: Score Reset
Map: Random x3, 2 players
Settings: Polymorphic 2,3, and 4, Classic Settings, 20 Round Limit
4 Move on
Round 4: Score Reset FINAL ROUND
Map: Random x7, 4 players
Settings: All Standard Settings, 30 Round limit
-- JK1[/spoiler]
[spoiler=First Siege of Przemysl feb 23rd to March 2nd]First Siege of Przemyśl

After the calamity of the Battle of Galicia-Lemberg, the Austrian army was in full retreat and fell back all the way to the Carpathian Mountains. The fortress city of Przemyśl, which guarded key transportation routes -- the railway line between Lvov and Krakow, and river crossings across the San River -- was left behind Russian lines. The city's existing fortifications were heavily reinforced, and the town managed to survive a six-week siege by the Russians. On October 11th, the siege was lifted, as German forces released from their victory at Warsaw rushed south to help their Austrian brethren.

The Siege was a brief but very intense phase of operations on the Eastern front.

This is a one-round tournament. You will get seventeen 12-player games all at once.
Standard/Terminator, FlatRate/Nuclear, Fog/NoFog, Trench/NoTrench, map=Siege.
-- DK[/spoiler]
[spoiler=The First Oil War and Basra feb 26th to march 5th]Contrary to popular belief, the petroleum industry is not just a modern phenomenon. Petroleum-derived ashphalt was used in Babylonian construction as far back as 4000 BC. Medicinal use of petroleum jelly, and use of kerosene for lamps, both go back to the Persians. The first oil wells were dug by the Chinese at least as far back as 347 AD. The naturally-occuring oil wells of Baku were the centre of a thriving industry by the end of the first millenium.

Nonetheless, the advent of the internal combustion engine in the late 19th century resulted in a sudden escalation of the oil industry's importance. By the time World War 1 broke out, the world's major navies were switching from coal to oil. Airplanes were rapidly becoming an important military arm. Most transport at the beginning of the war was still horse-drawn, but motor-powered transport was evolving rapidly and would pass horse-drawn transport in importance before the war ended. Furthermore, a new process was being used which extracted toluol (an explosives component) from petroleum.

In summary, the economic importance of petroleum dates back to ancient times, but World War 1 was the first war where control of oil was a major strategic consideration. The Great War was the first oil war, therefore, and the capture of Basra by the British in 1914 was the opening round in the Persian Gulf oil wars which are still being fought today.

A simple 16-player, 4-round bracket tournament on the Battle for Iraq map.
Round 1, 1v1 standard
Round 2,3,4 are poly 2,3,4 respectively.

Entry cost 3 tokens
-- DK[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Champagne feb 28th to march 7th]The First Battle of Champagne, which after minor skirmishes starting ten days earlier, began on 20 December 1914. This was effectively the first significant attack by the Allies against the Germans since the construction of trenches following the so-called 'race to the sea' during the autumn of 1914.

Joffre, the French Commander-in-Chief, was determined to win the war quickly, and despite a lack of success in more local attacks against trench lines, resolved to launch a major offensive against the Germans. Despite being outnumbered, the Germans were entrenched, and successfully demonstrated their superiority in defensive warfare via the machine gun.

Fighting continued without break until mid-February, where there was a brief lull in the battle to re-organize. After a short break the fighting resumed until 17 March when the entire offensive was called off by the French mostly because of the strength of German counter-attacks (particularly along the La Basse Canal and near Soissons from 8 January-5 February) combined with a costly lack of success.


24 player start:

Round 1:
4 - 4 player standard games on Benelux, esc, chained, fog, trench, 20 rounds

Top 16 advance

Round 2:
5 - 8 player assassin games on Trench warfare, flat, chained, fog

Top 6 Advance

Round 3:
7 - 6 player standard games on France, esc, chained, fog, trench, 20 rounds
-- MC29[/spoiler]
[spoiler=battle of cocos March 6th to 13th]The Fall of the German East Asia Squadron Part I of II
Battle of Cocos
Die Emden is a German national treasure, as evidenced by the many movies filmed about this ship. She was in the Ostasiengeschwader, but rather than travel with the rest of the fleet east (to partake in the Battle of Coronel), it was to head west to disrupt British shipping in the Indian Ocean.

Early shipping destruction was useful, with many ships sunk, and the crews posted to an additional captured ship. The British thought the Emden was with the rest of the squadron, and had no idea of the patrolling.
Round 1: 24 Start
4 4-player Far East, Escalating, Chained, Fog game.

16 Advance, Score Reset
Eventually, word got out that there was someone running commerce raiding in the Bay of Bengal. The British stopped all shipping and ordered a regional blackout. Madras remained brightly lit though, and was the target of the next attack. The Emden then rested at Diego Garcia, where the British were not aware of the war.
Round 2: Indian Empire, 4 4-player Assassin games. Nuclear spoils, Fog, Trench.

12 advance, score reset
Battle of Penang (or the battle of getting caught with pants down)
Penang is in modern day Malaysia. The Emden cruised in and found the Zhemchung, a Russian ship. The captain was in a hotel on the island with his mistress, and had the keys for the ammunition. Needless to say, that ship was sunk. An ammunition transport was captured on the way out and the French destroyer Mousquet was quickly dispatched.
Eastern Hemisphere, 4 4-player Terminator games, Flat Rate, Fog.

8 advance, score reset

Battle of Cocos, November 9-10, 1914
The Emden went to Direction Island, in the Cocos where there was a British-Australian wireless communication centre. The communications were disrupted, but not before the alarm was sent out to the British. The HMAS Sydney was escorting a convoy and was re-directed to investigate. The Germans began firing immediately, with great frequency, but poor precision. The Australians responded, and wrecked the ship, before taking survivors aboard as prisoners. The landing party used an interesting series of commandeered ships, and paid passage to return to Constantinople on May 23, 1915.
8-player bracket, rounds are 2 of 3 (1 on Sydney, 1 on Sydney Metro, 1 on Archipelago)
Flat Rate, Fog
-- DY[/spoiler]
Freemium-friendly
[spoiler=Maritz Rebellion March 9th to March 16th 2015]Maritz Rebellion
When the 2nd Boer War ended, Boer soldiers were required to sign a pledge to respect the peace treaty. Many refused. They were exiled, but as time passed and the risk of renewed war subsided, most of them were able to return and the government did not press them to sign the pledge. They formed a cadre of unrepentant Boer loyalists known as the "bitter enders." They believed that a third Boer war would be winnable if only the British could be distracted by a European war. The outbreak of war in 1914 seemed like the perfect opportunity, especially since Germany was sympathetic to their cause.

The British troops in South Africa were withdrawn to join the B.E.F. in France. South African Prime Minister Louis Botha had expressed his confidence that local South African forces were sufficient to defend South Africa and to seize German-held Southwest Africa. Bitter enders began plotting their rebellion.

Koos de la Raye, a Boer Senator opposed to the British and to the Botha government was killed by police. It was actually a case of mistaken identity, but in the climate of the time it was naturally seen as a political assassination. Manie Maritz commanded a South African brigade that was scheduled to invade Southwest Africa. Instead, he raised the flag of rebellion. Other Boer militias were organised by General de Wet in Heilbron and by General Byers in Megaliesburg. Soon the rebels commanded 12,000 men.

Forces loyal to the government reacted swiftly. Opposing the 12,000 rebels were 32,000 loyal troops, including 20,000 Boers loyal to the Union. General Maritz and his veteran brigade was defeated on October 24th, which essentially destroyed the rebellion's best chance of success, although fragments of the rebel militias continued to operate and the last ringleader at large, General de Wet, did not surrender until Feb 4th, 1915.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a freemium-friendly tournament. There is only one game per round. It is your responsibility to make sure you have a free slot, and to use it for no other purpose until the tournament concludes.

30 players begin.

Every pair of rounds (1 and 2, 3 and 4, etc.) consists of one multiplayer game and one 1v1 game. Maps and settings for the multiplayer game vary. All the 1v1 games are on the South Africa 1885 map, with the same settings as the multiplayer game. Some players will be eliminated and the score will reset after every pair of rounds.

Phase 1 and 2: Many Boers could not fully accept their defeat in the Boer Wars. They plotted revenge and the restoration of their Republics.

Tournament Phase 1: 5-player Standard on South Africa, Sunny Flat Rate Trench
Tournament Phase 2: 1v1 on South Africa, same settings
24 players advance

Phase 3 and 4: The outbreak of war in 1914 was seen as a golden opportunity to raise a rebellion, while British forces were heavily committed to a European war.

Tournament Phase 3: 6-player Terminator on Europe 1914, Foggy Flat Rate Unlimited
Tournament Phase 4: 1v1 on South Africa, same settings
16 players advance

Phase 5 and 6: The accidental police shooting of Boer Senator De la Reye was interpreted as a political assassination.

Tournament Phase 5: 8-player Assassin on Poison Rome, Sunny Escalating Parachute
Tournament Phase 6: 1v1 on South Africa, same settings
10 players advance

Phase 7 and 8: Despite starting strong, the rebellion was defeated with surprising swiftness.

Tournament Phase 7: 5-player Terminator on Doodle Earth, Foggy Nuclear Adjacent
Tournament Phase 8: 1v1 on South Africa, same settings
6 players advance

Phase 9 and 10: By February of 2015, all the major rebel ringleaders were dead or in jail.

Tournament Phase 9: 6-player Standard on Supermax Prison Riot, No Spoils, Fog and Trench
Tournament Phase 10: 1v1 on South Africa, same settings
-- DK[/spoiler]