Remembering PRESTAGS

An important update relating to COVID-19

Spetz warned me about The Chump. Repeatedly. And yet he has surpassed himself by making the USA the hotbed of COVID-19. I was warned.

We now must find a way to avoid following The Chump's lead towards being a s**thole country. We had the opportunity to sacrifice a 78 year old virgin, but turned it down, so we have to just settle into Social Distancing - no FMW, no visits to Happy's while visiting parents, nor Fortune Village while you are meant to be dignified, no Gold Class or Golden Harbour Pippies, no whining about dignity when it only involves rolling out of bed and stumbling to the dining room table.

We snowflakes have to Man Up! Whatever that means! Probably works better in the original Russian and three shots of vodka with Puti.

(That bastard would have nuked us if ordered to!)

So what to do over the Easter weekend when family is a 30 minutes phone call and friends a 45 minutes Zoom?

Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs don't worry about social distancing! Alas they are extinct!

But a video game can bring them back to life. ATG would be so much better if it had dinosaurs. Some of those hunting dinosaurs from Jurassic World: Lost Kingdom would quickly fix an AI++ in ATG.

Needs must when the devil drives! So I treated myself 10 minutes ago with Dawn of Man. A mammoth is not that far from a dinosaur

While I am waiting for it to download, I am learning what to do. Apparently I have to get these two to make a lot of babies

and eat lots of meat

so that they can take over the world. I'm in!

Dear Lord Stark

It's That Elephant Again

The number 6 elephant from the PRESTAGS Spartan game has struck for the third time, and provided a small win of US$4 in the MegaMillions lottery using the PRESTAGS numbers. That brings the total prizes up to $19.

The final lottery with the PRESTAGS numbers is this Saturday US time with a jackpot of US$144 million. Hopefully it is a case of lucky last!

Something to play while waiting for an empire turn

Empire turns are as rare as duck teeth these days. I do agree that anyone sending the Python a turn is on a hiding to nothing, but you should never lose heart, no matter how many times you are defeated. While I am sitting at my desk waiting for the turn, I enjoy the game shown below. Any guesses on what I am playing? If so, what is my next move?

I suppose if I get this hand out, I should do a retort post on the status of Climate Change. (I am astounded that the Coalition has brought out a white paper on farming challenges for the next 20 years and there is no mention of the challenge of dealing with changing rainfall and other climate related challenges.) Anyway, if your debate opponents refuse to consider any truths that upset their world view, you must alway remember to no join them in the mud. Let's see if we can't find where all the extra heat is going.

I never realised Bantha were elephants

I'lll have to watch the scene again in Ep IV where the sand people mount and ride.

 

See more stage shots at http://io9.com/chewbacca-actor-peter-mayhew-unloads-stockpile-of-star-1499456019?utm_campaign=socialflow_io9_facebook&utm_source=io9_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

All You Get is Complaints

It may have been a mistake to let the other units know I'm going to New Zealand. All I'm getting now is complaints. They should have shown some initiative like me with my long range exploration, insteading of sleeping in their counter boxes. Where were they when I advanced deep into the server room?

Rest assured Paul and PythonMagus that I will deal with these complaints, and hopefully you will not be bothered.

I received a complaint from Swordsmen SD 9. I have responded "Perhaps next time".

I received a complaint from Professional Spearmen PS 5. I have responded "If I could bring any unit it would be yours, unfortunately the logistics and long term bookings prevent a change of plans at short notice".

I received a complaint from Bowmen BW 4. I have responded "If you're going to fight over your bows you can stay at home until your learn some discipline".

I received a complaint from Militia Spearmen MS 7. I have responded "Do I really need to tell you what the chance is of a militia infantry unit travelling with a militia spearmen unit? You are pathetic. You look more scared than scary".

I received a complaint from Professional Pikemen PP 2. I have responded "I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have never understood where the professional comes from. Are you defending against sparrows?"

I received a complaint from Viking Fleet VF 3. I have responded "A whole fleet unit is a tad excessive. And I'm not sure that the boat will comply with the baggage requirements".

I received a complaint from Elephants EL 2. I have responded "You will be missed, however quarantine rules prevent your travel".

I received a complaint from Barbarian Infantry BI 19. I have responded "You are correct, I do owe you a favour. Let me see what I can do, especially if it is only the seven of you. I will need to speak to Mr Python".

And I even received a complaint from Militia Infantry MI 1. I have responded "No".

(I'm sorry about Eric's lack of proper attire. It tarnishes the good name of militia infantry everywhere. I shall write to him separately. And yes, Derek's helmet is a joke).

Do elephants mourn?

http://www.jennypearce.com.au/other-animals/elephants-mourn-their-dead-human-friend/

PRESTAGS of the Rings

In 1977, SPI published "War of the Ring", a board wargame based upon JRR Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings". The game included a strategic adventure and wargame, and two related games, "Sauron" and "Gondor".

Being both an avid wargamer and a complete Tolkien fan, I purchased "War of the Ring". I still have this game, and indeed it resides it my boxes of 'the best of the best' along with (needless to say) PRESTAGS.

For fans of PRESTAGS, published two years earlier in 1975, there was a wonderful treat with "War of the Ring" (WOTR). The treat was: many of the awesome PRESTAGS counter pictures were used in the counters for WOTR. I have studied both of these epic games and I have identified ten (10) units where the same counter picture was used.

Number 1. The PRESTAGS axemen and (surprise, surprise) the WOTR Dwarves.

Number 2. The PRESTAGS archers and (again, no surprise) the WOTR Elves.

Number 3. The PRESTAGS heavy cavalry and the WOTR heavy cavalry of Rohan and Gondor.

Number 4. The PRESTAGS swordsmen and the WOTR swordsmen of Gondor.

Number 5. The PRESTAGS Improved bowmen and the WOTR Mordor Orcs bowmen.

Number 6. The PRESTAGS militia spearmen and the WOTR spearmen of Elves and Gondor.

Number 7. The PRESTAGS oriental horse archers and the WOTR Rohan horse archers.

Number 8. The PRESTAGS barbarian infantry and the WOTR Orcs (entirely appropriate).

Number 9. The PRESTAGS elephants and the WOTR Haradrim Mumakil elephants. The hobbits called these oliphaunts.

Number 10. The PRESTAGS ballista and the WOTR catapults.

There are of course many unit counters that are unique to each of PRESTAGS and WOTR, with ten examples in the following collage. However, for me there will always be a special bond between these two games, both from the great SPI at the high water mark of their game publications in the mid to late 1970s. Back when I was in high school. And mad about wargames. And mad about Tolkien. And still am.

New Categories for Thygocanberra

I have created twelve (yes 12!) new formal categories especially for Thygocanberra:

1. The Moon
2. Ducks
3. Hockey Sticks
4. Heresy
5. Apostasy
6. Schismatics
7. ACT (Grand Duchy)
8. Crime & Punishment
9. Elephants
10. Liturgical Music
11. Men in White Coats
12. Little House on the Prairie

Steak Knives? Yes, THERE IS MORE. I will undertake to write a post in each of these twelve categories within three months if PythonMagus does the same!

Just a quick post to say I'm still here.

Maurice predicitons are false, false, false.

I have trouble sitting at the computer without #2 son insisting on seeing "more baby elephants!" And there are some great shots and videos out there.

We have a duck sitting on eggs but now pretty sure we have no drake :-(

PRESTAGS Counter of the Week (2): Elephants

Welcome to the PRESTAGS counter - the Elephants.

OK, I know it has not been a week since the post about Swordsmen, but I'm getting in early in case I miss a week later. Plus, I want to beat Maurice to the Elephants because I just know they will be his first pick for counter of the week (not that there is anything wrong with multiple posts about the same counter).

The Elephants are only in one PRESTAGS game: Spartan. I have always been amused that this counter is so unique that it was used in the summary advertising for Spartan:

For those fans of Roman history who remember Hannibal and his elephants: the battle of Zama (202 BC) can be found in Spartan and not Legion along with many other Roman battles. What are the special rules for Elephants?

Well, the first thing to remember is that Elephants "are peculiar" (like Maurice) and they "run rampant in the first Friendly Movement Phase following their involvement in any form of combat" (like Peter).

Yes, the Elephants rampage, and I think this is historically accurate. At the battle of Magnesia (190 BC) at a crucial moment the Syrian elephants stampeded through their own ranks, and so assisted the Romans to defeat Antiochus. And thus all of Asia Minor was lost to the Romans. This famous battle (and the battles below) are of course all scenarios in Spartan.

The Elephants didn't always spell doom for their own side. At the battles of Heraclea (280 BC) and Asculum (278 BC) King Pyrrhus of Epirus defeated the Romans both times with Elephants in his army. Pyrrhus only narrowly defeated the Romans at Asculum and he mourned "another such victory and we are lost". Hence the expression we still use today: a pyrrhic victory.

If you like to play Alexander the Great, you can have a crack at the Elephants on the opposing side in the battle of Arbela (331 BC). This was one of history's greatest battles, where Alexander's force of 47,000 Macedonians defeated a massive hord of 250,000 under Darius III. I can barely imagine what this incredible army of 250,000 in the ancient world must have looked like, especially to the Macedonians lining up against it.

In the case of Elephants, overall I think it is "with friends like this, who needs enemies".