BigB vs BugLady : Lazy Grudge 346

BigB wins in 31 updates

Game Synopsis
This was the rubber match in a best 2 out of 3 challenge match between BigB and BugLady. BugLady joined first in the first 2 games of the challenge. This time BigB joined first, and it gave him a decided advantage for the game. I got on quickly enough to see that I had only one link from HW, heading east. After BugLady joined, links appeared west and south. So, BigB built 3 science ships to start the game. At update 1, BigB built 3 colony ships to follow. As it turned out, BugLady did the same exact thing! Imagine our surprise when we met at update 2 at both 16,21 and 17,20 and all ships were destroyed. We both immediately knew that we built the same number of ships and the location of the other HW. We both judged initially that 16,21 was more important to colonize for the agriculture and we fought for it. BugLady went for it harder, but BigB also went for 17,20, knowing that it should have been BugLady's planet. BigB also sent colony ships east. After a fight over 16,21 left a clearing, Big used that time to Pop Trick from update 7 to 8 with HW - 17,20 - 18,21 and 19,21. BugLady got a science ship through and scouted most of BigB space. BugLady Pop Tricked from update 9 to 10, with BigB landing on the BugLady HW. She built enough to survive, while the BigB science ship sailed on, eventually scouting all of BugLady space. From update 11 to update 22 or so, we both built up attack ships, matching each other. We moved back and forth, "slow dancing"...BugLady on HW and 16,21...BigB on HW and 17,20...jockeying for position, hoping for a break, waiting to see who got to BR3 first. Due to geography, BugLady was able to finish colonization faster...and so reached BR 3 first. She was able to outbuild BigB and attacked with 11 ships surviving as all of the BigB fleet was destroyed. Fortunately, BigB reached BR3 at the same time. Expecting to lose, BigB took Satellite and Minefield technology developments and built 5 BR 3 sats and 1 BR 1 minefield. However, BugLady must have been severly weakened as sh backed off all but one of her ships. In hindsight, this was probably a critical error, as she could have moved into the backfield and in all likelihood, nuked some colonies. BigB was able to protect against the one ship. Next update BugLady went back in to the BigB HW. Again, BigB expected the worst, building sats and a minefield. This time BugLady ships were all destroyed and BigB saw his chance. The calculating mind of BigB took over. He overbuilt on 17,20 to the limit of what could repair in one update. The fleet included 2 minsweepers. They moved in to the BugLady HW next update. 12 ships survived and BigB expected to win. BugLady could not build enough to match the fleet so she built what she could, including 1 minefield. It proved to be enough, due to random ship ordering, the minesweepers were both destroyed in the combat and the minefield exploded. Then BigB tried again, as the explosion left BugLady weakened. This time, too little too late, BugLady built Terraformers in a last ditch effort to increase her Ag ratio and rebuild the HW pop. BigB again built a strike force with 3 minesweepers and sats on 17,20 as well. This time it was enough and BigB took the day. All in all a very tense and suspenseful game. My congratulations to BugLady for a very enjoyable match.

Ak-Haru W.A.R. may discourage overbuilding, but when done properly and with the right timing, the technique can win the game!

59 21
15 25
(0) (0)
System 19,23
34 20
43 20
(0) (0)
System 15,22
71 11
52 50
(0) (0)
System 16,22
1 49
12 19
(0) (1)
System 17,22
53 39
29 33
(0) (0)
System 19,22
48 52
78 52
(0) (0)
System 20,22
2 50
47 46
(0) (0)
System 13,21
22 27
68 22
(0) (0)
System 14,21
124 46
7 21
(0) (0)
System 15,21
23 7
90 51
(0) (0)
System 16,21
100 100
100 100
(3) (0)
Vulgar Unicorn
45 41
40 52
(0) (0)
System 18,21
31 16
25 52
(0) (0)
System 19,21
36 14
19 35
(0) (0)
System 20,21
38 63
16 50
(0) (8)
System 15,20
100 100
100 77
(17) (2)
BugLady
27 69
33 69
(6) (0)
System 17,20
24 57
88 18
(0) (0)
System 19,20
44 45
23 15
(0) (0)
System 20,20
2 57
25 9
(0) (0)
System 21,20