An Alternative to the 4th Sucession War

[Grim_Reaper]

Just have all the House Leaders in 3025 sit down to decide things over a game of Poker on Terra

now beyond who would win what are we likely to see happen over the course of the game

I predict Hanse playing as smooth as Lando Callrasian in his own books
Jonas Marik getting confued over what beats what
Takashi Kurita being a strong but unfortanetly inflexible player (doesnt know when to fold)
Max Liao somehow trying to cheat
Katrina Steiner backing Hanse's bigger bets

[IndyRI]

Its Hanse.... seriously, is there even a question?

[Jaim Magnus]

Oddly enough I'd have to go with Janos Marik.  I mean, look how long he ruled the FWL.  He's gotta know a thing or two about misdirection and bluffing.

[HuronWarrior]

Oddly enough I'd have to go with Janos Marik.  I mean, look how long he ruled the FWL.  He's gotta know a thing or two about misdirection and bluffing.

^this right here. Half of Free Worlds politics is raising the stakes and bluffing.

The real question is if ComStar stacked the deck.

[Minemech]

 In a game of poker between those 5 I will have to vote for Janos Marik.

[Grim_Reaper]

Oddly enough I'd have to go with Janos Marik.  I mean, look how long he ruled the FWL.  He's gotta know a thing or two about misdirection and bluffing.

but how effectively did he do it?
frankly he would loose if he was up against Cranston Snord.
if any f the five int he game was a master of misdirection it was Hanse

[HuronWarrior]

Hanse didn't use misdirection, his foes caught a case of the dumb and acted like his military build ups at the exact same time as a alliance were ok.
If leaders had been switched around, Hanse probably could have conquered the FedSuns with the CCAF.

[JPArbiter]

Katrina Steiner, who would turn things over to her daughter Melissa, who in addition to being a fine piece of tail (and thus a great distraction), is quite skilled at games of chance.

[Kit deSummersville]

If it's Indian Poker, I think Janos has an unfair advantage.

[Minemech]

 Janos was fairly effective at misdirection. Isn't it funny that when the League covertly raided House Davion in Capellan colors that the improved proformance of Capellan units is mentioned? The Capellans were admittingly improving themselves, but it appears no one appears to have realized that the League was also raiding in Capellan colors.

[RGCavScout]

The real question is if ComStar stacked the deck.

Absolutely!  Unfortunately, the Comstar Adept who prepared the deck was one of Hanse's people.

[Rainbow 6]

I'm voting for Katrina Steiner, i figure she'd learnt from the Kell's during her time as the Red Corsair.

[House Davie Merc]

Hanse would win because Katrina would distract everyone else for him .

She knows that if he wins,  she wins .    ;)

[IndyRI]

^Which brings up an interesting question. Is cross table talk allowed in said "Poker Game of Succession"?

[Kit deSummersville]

Takashi Kurita "Max, are you playing footsy with me?"
Hanse Davion "Hey, no cheating!"
Max Liao "I would never cheat!"
Katrina Steiner, raising an eyebrow "Who are you kidding?"
Janos Marik "No, that was me. I left my room key for you at the desk." Wink.

[Nibs]

Katrina Steiner, who would turn things over to her daughter Melissa, who in addition to being a fine piece of tail (and thus a great distraction), is quite skilled at games of chance.

But she's fifteen in 3025!  ???

[IndyRI]

^For our Southern members: he's implying that it is wrong and disgusting.

 ;D

DISCLAIMER: IndyRI is in fact from the South and realizes that, though we are all filthy, goat-loving hicks, at least we aren't Yankees. That is all.

[Kit deSummersville]

But she's fifteen in 3025!  ???

Methinks you're confusing Katrina and her daughter Melissa.

[Nibs]

Methinks you're confusing Katrina and her daughter Melissa.

I thought he was referring to Melissa?  ???

I could be wrong. It's happened once before.

[Grim_Reaper]

Hanse didn't use misdirection, his foes caught a case of the dumb and acted like his military build ups at the exact same time as a alliance were ok.
If leaders had been switched around, Hanse probably could have conquered the FedSuns with the CCAF.

Hanse most certainly was known for Misdirection. for the fourth SW he did have those 'military exercises' running for several years luring other nations into thinking 'Oh there just doing their annual wargames again' (king of in your face misdirection there). not to mention feeding all that false into to Michael Hassek-Davion which he knew would get passed onto Max Liao (with some alterations by Micheal of course)
everything that Hanse had going for him in the fourth SW he had been setting up for years with one exception, the defection of the Wolf Dragoons from the DC to the FS after the WD had mauled the DC forces along that border
then during the 3rd SW there was how he had a practice of sending in Merc Units into fake objectives drawing away enemy troops so his house forces could get the real objectives.

[Grim_Reaper]

I'm voting for Katrina Steiner, i figure she'd learnt from the Kell's during her time as the Red Corsair.

good point, not to mention she has the biggest bankrole

[JPArbiter]

But she's fifteen in 3025!  ???

this is an alternative to the 4th succession war, which started ON Hanse Davion's and Melissa Steiner's wedding day shortly after she turned 18.

[Grim_Reaper]

this is an alternative to the 4th succession war, which started ON Hanse Davion's and Melissa Steiner's wedding day shortly after she turned 18.

who said it starts on the wedding day itself?
reread the opening post again

Just have all the House Leaders in 3025 sit down to decide things over a game of Poker on Terra

[avon1985]

I'm voting for Hanse during the game because
He'd have a spy watching Lios hand
He'd arrange for message of some internal trouble to arrive to distract Marik
He'd have Jaimie Wolf sitting in a corner to scare Kurita
And he's already promised Stiener half the profits when he wins.

Oh and all this would be set in motion at least two years before the game was to be played.

[IndyRI]

To be fair, Max might simply win by putting a body double in Hanse's place and playing both hands in his favor....

[Minemech]

 May I ask the consequences to each side if they lose?

[HuronWarrior]

Hanse most certainly was known for Misdirection. for the fourth SW he did have those 'military exercises' running for several years luring other nations into thinking 'Oh there just doing their annual wargames again' (king of in your face misdirection there). not to mention feeding all that false into to Michael Hassek-Davion which he knew would get passed onto Max Liao (with some alterations by Micheal of course)

Nothing Hanse did was misdirection, it was playing into the stupidity of his enemies.
He was conducting war games with mass formations in the Terran corridor, and that's where he launched his operation.
Misdirection would have been conducting the war games there and then striking through the St. Ives Commonality. I mean for the love of bob, these nations had been at war for the last 3 centuries non-stop, it was obvious what was going on.

His whole plan was basically counting on Max being so dumb that he didn't need to actually misdirect him. And it worked (Max was dumb) flawlessly.

The authors did a rather poor job portraying Hanse as a military mastermind when his military and industry were enormous compared to his enemies, and his enemies were led by the criminally insane and morons. As it was the only intelligent thing Hanse knew what to do was NOT screw up having the advantage in every aspect of the war.

[Grim_Reaper]

May I ask the consequences to each side if they lose?

chances are that Hanse is betting with Chips representing Capellean Worlds  ;)

[Grim_Reaper]

Nothing Hanse did was misdirection, it was playing into the stupidity of his enemies.

Luring the Cappies into a false sense of Security by making them think the Invasion was only another training exercise isn't misdirection?
nor is providing false information through a known traitor to his own realm?

sure sounds like Misdirection to me.

i wouldn't sell Max short but frankly Hanse just Outfoxed him

[HuronWarrior]

Plot induced stupidity isn't misdirection. Their nations had been in almost non-stop war for the last three centuries, there is no reason the training exercises in a critically important sector on the eve on an alliance making marriage shouldn't have raise some eyebrows.

There was nothing sneaky about it, Max was simply written as a moron.