Hussman generously offered to run a play-by-email game of Succession Wars that he has titled December Winds.
I'm working on a SW tracker in Excel. I hope to improve the map's usability, correctness (some corners can be crossed, some can't) and make it not quite so unappealing, but it's still a work in progress.
Bias note: I'm playing the Free Worlds League.
Clearing out some old turns.
Turns 1-3 ConsolidatedTurn 4 ConsolidatedTurn 5 ConsolidatedTurn 6April 3026
Capellan Confederation
Death Commandos strike at Betelgeuse and fail their mission. Bribes are sent to Thaddeus Kusaka and also fail. Liao then reinforces Sian with the Sian Reserves and 4th Tau Ceti Rangers, leaving St. Ives and Bellatrix unguarded. New conventional units appear on Sian.
Free Worlds League
Marik's turn starts with agents being sent to the Outworlds Alliance, with promises of vengeance. That, and 27 million c-bills leads to a treaty between OA and FWL. The OA's part of the deal? They send their meager army on their solitary jumpship to land on Luthien (using advanced Marik jumpship knowledge). Takashi Kurita, Subhash Indrahar and a host of Kurita's "guests" are sent (via magic leader jumpships) to Atreus.
Meanwhile, the Liaos precipitate a bidding war for the Circinus Federation, with the Lyran Commonwealth winning their services.
The Free Worlds League Military then begins it's own campaign to take a House capital. Forces are sent to St. Ives and Bellatrix to cut off retreat, and then forces from all over the Free Worlds League converge on Sian. The battle is bloody, as the leadershp of the Liaos (aka. strategy of Pavel Ridzik) and the fanaticism of the Capellans takes its toll on the FWLM. But the superior numbers and technology of Marik is eventuallly too much. Sian's factories are damaged in the battle, and the Liaos are shipping as prisoners to Atreus. Additional FWLM forces are built on Capella.
Lyran Commonwealth
Before Steiner can begin their actual turn, Janos Marik throws 60 million c-bills at Karl Yadi. With the last Liao leader under the Marik "umbrella", the Capellan Confederation folds and is officially absorbed by the Free Worlds League. The military forces in Tikonov and Sax are hastily splashed with streaks of purple. Kelswa-Steiner leaves the party on Atreus and heads home to the Lyran Commonwealth.
Lyran socialites are enraged that the party on Atreus is drawing all the headlines, and demand that the Lyran Commonwealth teach Marik a lesson. The Lyran armed forces, including their "friends" from the Circinus Federation, invade the Free Worlds, overrunning the nearly defenseless border. Katrina Steiner leads a force to assault Atreus.
The Protectorate Guard and a small component of conventional forces is all that defends Atreus, but the Protectorate Guard holds off long enough for the conventional forces, and more importantly, all the VIPs to be escorted to dropships where they then flee the system to Tellman's Mistake.
Draconis Combine
Theodore Kurita takes over the reigns, and the Federated Suns is forgotten. Full speed towards Marik!
Luthien is retaken by the Prosperina Hussars (and a sacrificial conventional).
Liao is taken almost as an afterthought, and Theo leads a task force to strike at Tikonov! Comstar gleefully (after several turns of Marik and Kurita laughing at Comstar) interdicts both sides after the appropriate bribes are paid. Steiner happily points out some Star League technology on behalf of the DCMS. The FWLM digs deep and fights hard, but the combination of Theo's leadership, Comstar interference and Star League tech is too much for them, and no jumpships are available for retreat.
New 'mech regiments are bult on Benjamin, and new conventional forces on Robinson.
Janos orders Subhash Indrahar executed in retaliation.
Federated Suns
Hanse Davion makes several deals with the Free Worlds League, sending cash to Marik in exchange for returning Sandoval and Wolf, as well as two jumpships.
The existing Davion jumpships lead a force on an assault of the Kuritan-held Ozawa. The lone Prosperina Hussars were guarding a large collection of jumpships, which were all captured.
Turn 7July 3026
Free Worlds League
Marik starts off the turn trying to bribe Isoroku Kurita and Vasily Cherenkoff. Vasily takes the 30 million cbills and hands it over to the Combine treasury, Isoroku does so the first time, but decides with the second 10 million that it's time to join the "Freedom" movement.
The FWLM then launches counterattacks in Liao and Tikonov (against Kurita) and Regulus and Danais (against Steiner). Liao, Danais and Regulus fall without any Marik casualties. The first round of combat is destructive, with both sides taking casaulties, but the heavy weight of the Defenders of Andurien and Fusiliers of Oriente were too much, and a last ditch effort by Theodore to even the odds failed. Theodore was trapped with no where to go and was evenutally captured by Marik.
As soon as the turn's tax income came in, Marik threw more bribes at the last leader of House Kurita, Vasily Cherenkov and 20 million later, the Draconis Combine had joined the Free Worlds League.
Lyran Commonwealth
Katrina takes an express Jumpship back to Tharkad, leaving the social generals to hold Atreus. The rest of the Marik expedition consolidates on Sierra. Meanwhile, a new force hits Marik and a huge buildup of conventional forces are built in Odessa, Skye and Tharkad.
Federated Suns
Hanse Davion is content to reorganize his armies and build some new ones. He looks at Steiner's hand and then trades a card with Steiner. Davion also spends cash on technology research and gets something to show for it.
Turn 8Free Worlds League
The once DCMS, now FWLM-Kurita edition, rushes to Hesperus. The FWLM-Liao edition aims to retake Atreus, while the FWLM-Marik edition invades Tharkad. Smaller forces hit worlds to contain possible retreat routes, Odessa and Waldorf turning in to suicide charges. Just before the invasions begin, Marik "rediscovers" tech level 25's advanced communications and uses it to destroy everything on Tharkad before it can think to retreat. The Steiner forces on Atreus are stranded without transport and fight to the end. Even the Hesperus forces, that do have a jumpship fleet, decide to fight to the last. The Free Worlds League now controls 4 House capitals and "just" needs to hold on through Steiner and Davions turns for victory.
Lyran Commonwealth
The Marik Incursion Force (in Sierra) hopped on their jumpships and went to visit Megrez, easily crushing the defenders there. Skye pumped out more military forces, including a new jumpship. Frederick Steiner and Edward Regis are stuck on their garrisons, wondering if Marik will bribe them off or send an army to claim them.
Federated Suns
Preparing to salvage some pride before accepting the Free Worlds "offer" of a new Star League, Hanse Davion sends forces to recapture Kentares and Robinson for the Suns. The massive Robinson force easily sweeps aside the leaderless armor forces defending there. Kentares is also won with minimal casaulties. Additional Davion forces are built in Achemar.
With Marik's turn coming up, it has held on to four capital worlds for an entire turn and is declared the winner.
