Here I Stand Again

In another mammoth effort at coordinating diaries of busy retirees we were again able to assemble, bar one, for a game of Here I Stand with Simon standing in for the Pope, Jeff as Francis I, Stephen as Sulieman the (mostly) Magnificent, Richard taking on the dual role of Henry VIII and Luther while I was the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V.

The situation after the first turn.

The Ottomans have knocked out Hungary, initiating a war with the Holy Roman Empire.

As presented the images look more like a game of spot the difference,

however...

A large part of Germany has been converted to Protestantism

or to be more accurate, lured away from the teachings of the Catholic Church.

More excitingly Sulieman has been captured as the HRE retake Buda.

Most other action has centred in the New World where explorers go to feed the natives.

At the end of the third turn we have a new pope 

who is trying to win back the doubters by burning books.

The dastardly British, after stopping Hungarians flocking to the HRE in the previous turn,

have seized Antwerp.  Methinks they are too close to the reformers...

The French and Spanish colonies pour in riches to their respective empires.

Even the Pope starts to build up in Italy, allying the Genoese.

After their set back at Buda the Ottomans are rebuilding.

However they suffered the loss of their corsairs off the Barbary coast,

when they lost the naval race (serious shipbuilding) to the HRE.

Additional Commentary from Richard

Turn 1

The Reformation started with more of a whimper than a bang, with the

just posted "Luther's 95 Theses" page failing to generate enough Likes

or subscriptions to spread much beyond Wittenberg. In fact after the

Diet of Worms the only thing"re-tweeting" in turn 1 was protestant spaces.

The Protestant was feeling generous to the Ottomans and decided not to

play "War In Persia" for the event. Surely this gesture would be repaid

in the future...

England and France agreed to a white peace. The Hapsburgs trapsed across

the Holy Roman Empire seizing the Independent Metz whilst France marched

into Italy for a Florentine gambit. The Papacy scored Genoa as an ally

and also started to prepare for a takeover in Florence. Who would get

there first? A Papal inspired Charles Bourbon lead a brief rebellion

outside Lyon, which was quickly crushed by France. A miffed Pope struck

back, excommunicating Francis.

England, with a hand of poor and few cards and powerful continental

rivals, slowly built up its forces in its European enclave Calais and

sent colonists to the New World.

Meanwhile, the Ottomans advanced into Hungary-Bohemia, seizing Belgrade

and then Buda and triggering a state of war with the Hapsburgs. In a

stroke of luck the Hapsburg explorer Narvaez with a negative exploration

modifier managed to discover the St Lawrence River whilst the

Conquistador Montejo with a plus 2 modifer was brutally killed by natives.

Turn 2 saw an undeterred Protestant continue to chip away and

protestantism went viral in German speaking areas as the Pope's

Indulgence Vending fund raiser, Eck ,failed to impress the judges enough

at the first theological debate with Tyndale in England. Putting their

differences aside, the Pope lifted the excommunication of Francis and it

looks like a deal has been done and France meekly allows Florence to

fall to the Papacy.

France contented themselves with building Chateaux and sending forth

colonists and explorers. Cartier discovered the Pacific Channel and made

an attempt at circumnavigation, but was roasted by cannibals en route.

Explorer for hire, Cabot, in French service discovered the Great Lakes.

Meanwhile Magellan was distracted by the Fountain of Youth, delaying his

expedition one turn. Not too bad really, what could possibly go wrong

for the highest rated (+4) explorer in the game....

The Barbary Pirates set up in Algiers and a despite almost no resistance

failed to gain anything from their attempted piracy. Elsewhere the

Ottomans made for Vienna to attack Charles V, but Suleiman was struck

with a bout of gout (Played by the Hapsburg) and was stuck in Buda for

the rest of the impulse. Seizing the opportunity. Charles V advanced to

Buda and following a field battle and in what can only be described as

an unexpected move, Suleiman, risking almost certain capture withdrew

behind the walls of Buda rather than retreat towards Belgrade and

safety. Without any prospect of relief and the Hapsburgs having at least

one shot at an assault in the remaining impulses before winter,

predictably, Buda fell to a Hapsburg assault and Suleiman was captured

and taken to Vienna.

With Charles and his army in Buda, the Protestant played his home card

to retrieve "Cloth Prices Fluctuate" and targeted the Hapsburgs with

unrest in Vienna and surrounds and forcing him to discard his last

remaining card. Ironically this was "John Zapolya", which if played

would have allowed the Hapsburg to fully rebuild the Hungaro-Bohemian

Army to full strength. With unrest in Vienna, Charles' army was also cut

off from that wintering route and 2 mercenaries suffered attrition. With

Suleiman captured in Vienna and precious little Ottoman forces between

the Hapsburgs and Istanbul, this was an unexpected reprieve for the

Ottomans, although the real purpose was to hinder the Hapsburgs in

reacting to the possible formation of the Schmalkaldic League in the

next turn and other possibilities...

With the Hapsburgs busy crushing the pirate threat and on the guard

against Suleiman and unable to quickly get the Spanish Netherlands due

to unrest in the Holy Roman Empire, England, with only 4 cards in total

to play with, made a big call and rather than advance Henry's marital

status by using his home card for that event, instead took the other

option on that card and declared war (other than in the diplomacy

phase)on the Hapsburgs and besieged Antwerp. Playing another precious

card, "Unsanitary Camp", the Hapsburg garrison was cut down by half and

then succumbed to the English assault. A key captured and a precious

extra card for England next turn, or maybe not...

Meanwhile, with Francis I unable to attend Mass and with no more lego to

build another castle, explorers to send to their deaths, and unwilling

to fight anyone other than put down a rebellion, decided to poke the

Lion and played "Revolt in Ireland" late in the turn, guaranteeing that

England would have 1 less card  next turn. Venice might well have its

bridge of sighs, but in England its just sighs...

Turn 3

In England Henry VIII was feeling the itch and moves were made to ask

the Pope to grant a divorce, which were dismissed out of hand. The

Ottomans payed a Ransom and Suleiman was released. Meanwhile Magellan

decided to continue his quest for the Fountain of Youth. No-one knows

what happened to him, but he apparently had stunning complexion. The

English colonists failed to produce anything (sigh), whilst the Hapsburg

and French colonies generated bonus cards.

Down 2 cards for this turn, one for loss of Buda and one lost to

ransoming Suleiman, the Ottomans only had 4 cards including their Home

Card.  Careful play would be required to make the most them.

For reasons known only to the Ottoman, they decided to play one of their

cards,"Indulgence Vendor" a 3CP card, for the event, taking a random

card from the Protestant and having its CP value added to the Papal St

Peter's building fund. Clearly the gaming gods were as unimpressed by

this move as the aghast Protestant, but in a stroke of poetic justice,

the card selected was a 1CP response card which at most could have

bought a few more lines of a bible translation.

Another Ottoman attempt at piracy on the Barbary coast resulted in no

gains and the Hapsburg played "Shipbuilding" to bolster his fleet and

then sailed to confront the pirates resulting in the destruction of

Barbarossa's fleet and Algiers only saved from capture by winter

looming. (That prayer room at the Vatican is looking like a worthwhile

investment now isn't it?...just sayin')

The Pope, unimpressed by the inferior quality marble sent by Suleiman to

decorate St Peter's, reinforced the Adriatic against piracy (like that's

going to happen...) building a fortress with play of "Trace Italienne"

(and putting that marble to good use too!). Elsewhere Eck debated

Tyndale again, but due to an error by the timekeepers, Tyndale wasn't

allotted enough time to make his rebuttal (didn't roll the correct

number of dice) and was burnt at the stake.

France basking in cards to spare and peace all around built more

chateaux. sent forth colonists and Roberval (who was "sadly" lost at

sea), more military units, and interestingly claimed a space in a

curious part of Italy adjacent to Florence. With the threat of

excommunication gone. (Francis can't be excommunicated again) and with

the possibility of the "Master of Italy" card coming up, perhaps France

is leaving their options open for a strike against the Papacy.

Down a card, but with the German speaking zone essentially fully

converted, the Protestant contented himself with continuing translations

and with nothing attractive in the discard pile to retrieve, Luther

debated Teztzel for the recovery of one more space lost to book burning

earlier in the turn.

The Hapsburgs and France send more colonists across the seas and they

along with England hope to reap a rich harvest of extra cards come turn 4.

Turn 4

With colonies maxed out, hopes are high for a return, the sighs of Henry

are drowned out by the guffawing of France and the Hapsburgs as all

their colonies produce cards and the English get nothing.

With the game now paused at the start of turn 4, just before cards are

dealt. The Hapsburgs will have 12 cards, France 7, Ottomans 5, Papacy 7,

Protestants 4 and England 3 cards).

Barring a co-ordinated Hapsburg pile on, the game isn't expected to last

past this turn or the next.

The Ottomans are in a very weak position with a small army camped

outside Prague their pirate fleets gone and Algiers ripe for invasion.

England is going to have to use one of its only 3 cards to move on Anne

Boleyn and try and produce a male heir, and with the reformation not

having touched its shores yet and having to put down the Irish revolt

and try and hold on to Antwerp and Calais all with the other 2 cards,

it's a tough ask!

With an unmolested Pope (now there's an oxymoron) the Papacy is well

placed and currently leading the VP total at 19, having secured an

enviable position in Italy picking up Genoa in the first turn and

striking a deal with France to get Florence and with the promise of

Jesuit Universities to come and even better debaters. If Master of Italy

comes up (a potential 2 VP based on current situation) and one or two

debate wins/building St Peters and more counter reformation, they are

poised to win at this stage if it comes down to VP. They need to buy time.

The Protestants are up against it, with the reformation yet to start in

England or France and the timing of the Schmalkaldic League card

uncertain, there doesn't seem to be a path to victory at this stage.

The Hapsburgs are spoilt for choice. Being 4 keys away from a military

victory and with a cornucopia of cards they have the most options. They

will easily secure Algiers and Prague this turn and the decision will be

whether to go for low hanging fruit in Italy and Southern France for a

win or press on crusader like to Istanbul and become master of Europe in

a military victory. A VP win is most definitely also an option, although

this will mean cutting down the front runners, France and the Papacy

just in case they sneak over the line before the necessary VPs can be

amassed.

How the game ends, depends on France. Being 5 keys away from a military

victory, and with 17 VP they have two good complimentary paths to victory.

An exciting finish ahead, and I expect another game started before lunch

next session!