[Spoilers]The 4th Republic of France - Premier Cyneheard and President Pindicator

[Cyneheard]

MJW is completely nuts. Here's his response:

This sounds like a plan. This will end when someone dies and upsets the status quo. Just don't build fleets in Spain and we have a deal. smile

I might want to move VEN-PIE to trick Austria or Turkey into thinking I'm attacking you. But I don't think I could give something to you for you to allow it. Just a random thought. smile

SERIOUSLY? My response was blunt.

VEN-PIE in Spring 1901 means the deal is off. If you want to set something up later where you use Pie, we'll talk later.

That may have been too tart, but I am NOT opening myself up to a S01 backstab by letting him think that Ven-Pie is in any way acceptable. I think MJW is trying (BADLY) to set me up for an S01 stab, so I do NOT trust him.

Mattimeo wants to set up a bounce in Belgium; I'm cool with that. He wants it to be from Pic and Ruh, which isn't a big deal for me for now; if I want Bur, I'll go for it later.

Orders:
A Par - Pic
F Bre - MAO
A Mar HOLD

I'll post the Mattimeo chat in a second.

[Cyneheard]

Chat with Mattimeo; we're setting up a bounce in Belgium by going A Par - Pic and A Mun - Ruh.

If EGI are working together, then we've got a problem. Need to feel out England a little better. Fortunately MJW is very transparent.

Cyneheard: got a minute?

Mattimeo: 5 or 10

Cyneheard: what're your thoughts on Belgium?

Mattimeo: that me going for it in 1901 is inadvisable
And England basically has to choose between Nwy and Bel
assuming a bounce in Eng

Cyneheard: Makes sense. Do we want to arrange a bounce for F01 in Belgium?

Mattimeo: that seems reasonable
from Pic and Ruh?

Cyneheard: I'm processing
Ruh is obvious for you

Mattimeo: and having a chat with dtay?

Cyneheard: no, he's not on

Mattimeo: showing up green for me
just not around?

Cyneheard: I truly don't see him on my gchat list

Mattimeo: huh
heard anything from him?
seems weird to radio silence someone off the bat

Cyneheard: It's not radio silence, it's just been e-mails only.

Mattimeo: ah, OK
same emails only for me
you're the only one to actually chat rather than email

Cyneheard: I send e-mails 8 hours a day already.
Don't need to add more.

Mattimeo: heh
OK, I need to head to work

Cyneheard: fair enough - you're European time?
I'm US East

Mattimeo: AU
+11 currently

Cyneheard: ok, right, that would be a little different

Mattimeo: yeah

Cynheard: duh, EU time is like 3/4AM

Mattimeo: pfft that's totally time to head to work

Cyneheard: Pic and Ruh makes sense
if something goes awry, we still have 1 unit each in range

Mattimeo: yup
needless to say I'd prefer nothing in Bur

Cyneheard: so I'm expecting Kie - Den and Ber - Kie from you?

Mattimeo:
I'm currently expecting that too

Cyneheard:
Mar - Bur + Par - Pic is a little hyperaggressive

Mattimeo:
I'd hope you're not going Bur

Cyneheard:
don't worry, no reason for me to

Mattimeo: tangentially related: MJW has stated "I could go Pie if you gave me a reason, otherwise I'm holding" so, given I'm not going to be giving him a reason you should be fine on that front
he raised the fact that he's not interested in going west when I approached him about leaving Tyr empty

Cyneheard: He wanted to try and convince me that A Ven - Pie was a ruse to keep A and T off balance.
I'm not stupid.

Mattimeo: huh

Cyneheard: That's not a good ruse - it doesn't set him up to do anything to A or T at all
"I might want to move VEN-PIE to trick Austria or Turkey into thinking I'm attacking you."

Mattimeo: "I might move VEN-PIE if you give me something in return. I'll probably just hold if you don't contact me again. "
MJW playing tricksy games

Cyneheard: Hold is
It is MJW

Mattimeo: anyway, I need to head off

Cyneheard: he'd be better off arranging a bounce with Rowain
cya

Mattimeo: confirming: Pic and Ruh to bounce Bel, no Bur

Cyneheard: Yes.

Mattimeo: cool
I'll see if you're around when I get back

[pindicator]

Worth it to dial up Turkey and Austria and let them know that Italy is headed west?

[Cyneheard]

Worth it to dial up Turkey and Austria and let them know that Italy is headed west?

TT reached out and thinks that MJW is going Lepanto, meaning anti-Turkey. I warned Scooter, and made sure that TT didn't screw up and not do Sev - Bla.

Moves were submitted:
A Par - Pic
A Mar HOLD
F Bre - Mao

The plan, if all goes right with EGI, is to then do Mao - Por, Mar - Spa, and Pic - Bel.

[Cyneheard]

Well, England lied.

That's manageable., although it could be annoying.

Looks like a dogpile on Scooter; I hope he knows what he's doing letting TT get into Bla right away.

[pindicator]

Does this change your planned moves any for spring? I was about to say we can cover Bre with our army, but then realized if we did that then we couldn't build a fleet there.

I don't have much experience, but it looks like England doesn't trust either us or Germany based on those moves

[Cyneheard]

Does this change your planned moves any for spring? I was about to say we can cover Bre with our army, but then realized if we did that then we couldn't build a fleet there.

I don't have much experience, but it looks like England doesn't trust either us or Germany based on those moves

I'm talking with Mattimeo right now about the fall.

[pindicator]

So, chit-chatting with scooter during pb13 turned into chit-chatting with scooter about diplomacy.

scooter: I had just one brief exchange with dtay, but it was... interesting
I sent the usual pleasantries and he was like "I'm going to be blunt, there's no reason to talk to you, so I'm not going to in case something important slips out."
something like that
it was strange hah

me: yeah, that is
at this point i'm honestly glad mattimeo beat me out for the last spot - i feel lost, and cyneheard is the one doing all the talking

scooter: he said a little more than that, but that was the gist - that he felt talking to me was pointless
heh. it's a unique game

Think this means dtay isn't trying to woo Russia -- otherwise he might have tried saying something on behalf of his partner. Then again, who knows

[pindicator]

Well, dtay and us have pretty much gift wrapped this game to Mattimeo
Although that was a good move by Mattimeo to let us know dtay was thinking about keeping us from bouncing

[Cyneheard]

So, I guess I should update this once in a while?

Plan:

DEATH TO GERMANY. Mattimeo is scary.

At least for now. I think the near-term favors England; Germany needs cut down to size.

A Spa - Mar
F Mao H
F Bre S A Pic (in case of getting stabbed)
A Pic S F Eng - Bel

Nth - Hol means that Eng - Bel is guaranteed to succeed. We aren't getting Bel ever if it's German; England can't hold it against us. The price is that Bel is likely dislodging to Bur, but with Mar locked, and Pic available to cover Par (Bre could do a number of things in the fall), we are secure against that army.