Gunboat Austria, seriously, WTH?

[Goldain]

How in the world can Austria survive much less have a chance to win in a gunboat game? I mean Italy's going to gun for you right off the bat. Turkey's coming for you. And Russia is coming for you. What set of opening moves for Austria is there besides "I'm going to sit on Trieste, bounce Galicia and take a nibble at Serbia until I get surrounded and I die?

[Carebear]

Gotta get the fleet into action:
Tri - Alb
Vie - Tri
Bud - Gal

Supposing a bounce in Galicia and Trieste, you still get either Greece or Serbia. No bounce in Trieste and you have 2:1 for Serbia too.

[StarWatcher009]

My thought is that by coming after you Italy and Russia are messing up. In gunboat; Italy and Austria should be natural allies.

[Goldain]

My thought is that by coming after you Italy and Russia are messing up. In gunboat; Italy and Austria should be natural allies.

I agree, but without comms that is hard to communicate. I took a gamble on maybe Italy holding and not attacking and I lost Trieste. Gonna be a quick and painful lesson I imagine.

[StarWatcher009]

There are subtle methods to communicate. Making draw proposals; supporting their units; using units that would hold to suggest plans. In gunboat it is always important to look over move history.

Also, with Austria; you should still get one build in 1901. If you can make Italy realise you are his friend by then; your doing well.


However, Austria is still incredibly hard in gunboat. You have to go back almost a year to the last time someone soloed as Austria in standard gunboat.

[DirtyHarry]

So, from the strategy I've read, the Southern Hedgehog should be perfect for gunboat ... but no one has mentioned it ... is it a bad gunboat strategy?

[DirtyHarry]

I'm just giving this thread a bump, because I'm really curious what Gunboat players think of the Southern Hedgehog for Austria ... is it too antagonistic? I've never tried Gunboat, but I'm sure I will at some point ...

[Zosimus]

I haven't been active for awhile, but I thought I'd throw my two cents in.

Austria should plan to start:

Spring
Vienna-Galicia
Trieste-Venice
Budapest-Serbia

Fall
Vienna-Trieste
Trieste-Albania
Serbia-Constantinople

This opening gives Austria a guaranteed build, and a two-on-one move for Greece in 1902.

If Italy wants to be friendly, he will start:

Rome-Venice
Venice-Apulia
Naples-Ionian Sea

So after the bounce, Venice will be open. It doesn't get much friendlier than that.

[DirtyHarry]

Thank you Zosimus - I believe you have described the Southern Hedgehog for S01, which seemed like a natural fit for a Gunboat game (said the guy who has never played Gunboat) .

[Guns of Brixton]

How in the world can Austria survive much less have a chance to win in a gunboat game? I mean Italy's going to gun for you right off the bat. Turkey's coming for you. And Russia is coming for you. What set of opening moves for Austria is there besides "I'm going to sit on Trieste, bounce Galicia and take a nibble at Serbia until I get surrounded and I die?

Study and learn, Grasshoppers: http://www.playdiplomacy.com/game_play_ ... _id=131162