charles vasey - 02:14pm May 27, 1999 PST (#757 of 757) This Space For Rent Our elite Kaiserlik test team sent the following notes on CHARIOTLORDS that might give you a feel for the Fun & Frolics: "The Egyptians expanded north quite a bit, but suffered many invasions, with the Canaanites (on turn 1), Sea Peoples, and Libyans all establishing themselves in On at one time or another. They had very heavy losses and by the time the Nubians came around were vassals to the Assyrians (with only 2 Egyptians left in Memphis surrounded by small Assyrian garrisons the Dynasty was easy to establish). The Achaeans led a calm and point-rich existence. The Medians just barely managed to get into Asia Minor. The Urartu were eradicated by the Cimmerians which evoked sounds of approval from the history minded. (Btw it does seem to become de rigueur in our games to put on the Conan soundtrack to announce the coming of the Cimmerians.) The Mitanni were reduced to near irrelevance by the Hatti on turn 2 but hung on till the end. The Assyrians were everybody's punching bag, losing Ashur and Nineveh repeatedly (again the Urartu managed to grab a Nineveh that was completely empty because the Assyrian did not get points for defending it yet), and being temporarily eliminated by the Kassites on turn 2. They did however manage to take Memphis on turn 9 (unprecedented in our games, a triumph of careful planning). An Assyrian with Terror marker survived in Damascus till the end. The Lydians stayed close together and managed to survive fairly intact. The Hittites went south on turns 1 and 2 (getting the 20 points for Willusya later only because no one paid attention). They had very heavy losses in combat, but did manage to get Philistia and Phoenicia against a weakened Egyptian on turn 3. Hattusas, fully stocked with chariots and foot, fell on turn 8 to a single massive Phrygian assault, followed by the Luvians and the Lydians. (The Phrygians were swamped by the Cimmerians as a result of their losses in the conquest). The Cimmerians worked most satisfactorily, with most of them moving into Asia Minor (one got to Media though), where they were gobbled up by the bystanders after being spent. The last two remaining at the end of the game were used to have the Hatti suicidally assault them to give the Cimmerians a 6th unit to slay for the 30VP condition. (I note someone must have overlooked vassalizing the Hatti or they would not have been able to do this, there were only two left.) Judah managed to retain the Chosen people for the first time till they were eliminated on turn 6. David and Solomon did nothing but stay in Jerusalem (one unit temporarily placed in the Sinai to prevent overstacking); their successors took most of the Levant plus On in turns 9 and 10 as the wake of the Assyrian conquest left little resistance. The Elamites stayed south except for punitive expeditions (Susa was never threatened after turn 3). The Canaanites vassalized Judah and gained a foothold on Egyptian soil on turn 1. The Kassites did well early on, then were vassalized by the Assyrians and eliminated by the Arameans. The Chaldaeans did well in conquest but suffered quite a bit of losses and were vassalized by the Elamites after turn 9. One Phrygian in the East Taurus, vassalized by the Hatti around turn 6, was their sole survivor till the end (he was freed after the Hatti in the W Taurus were killed by the Medians). (Come to think of it, every yellow nation except the Luvians spent some time as vassals.)