In the Ladder played via ACTS, Aran Warszawski from Israel defeated Canadian Randy Pippus to grab the Championships for now. Randy Pippus: “Congrats on a good game. As happened in my previous match against Keith Wargames was actually a mercy play. At the start of the game I used Marshall Plan to go for an early France, hoping for 1 or 2 quick Dominations. You stymied me with the 5 Year Plan Discard and then took it all away with that damned DeGaulle. Otherwise I had a good start and you had some weak hands and I even stick-handled past 3 Scoring Cards on Turn 3.
South America was the real decider. You dismissed my Puppets with an effective Junta. The key was giving me Panama and then Brush Warring Venezuela, rolling the 4 that gave Victory because I did not have a die-roll mod for Colombia. Oh that hurt, and the follow-up L.A.D. Squads (rarely effective) cemented it. South America loomed thereafter as a VP hammer and I failed to match it elsewhere. You had extra insurance influence at many key points. The disaster turns 8 + 9 with 5 Scores and losing the last Action to Terroism made it clear Defcon and Europe were my only hopes. But with no way to pry China and when Grain Sales went into Space only Europe remained. You covered for John Paul but East Europe Unrest gave me a shot. KAL 007 and Chernobyl were briefly brilliant but that Iran Hostage/Terrorism crippled me, though I did like your play of Iran-Contra just to counter Tear Down in case I had it that turn. The Turn 10 miracle draw of Bear Trap/Tear Down was my last hope but I needed so many favourable die-rolls, as well as any number of key cards like Wargames just for the Ops.
Congrats again. I was not unhappy to try for something creative and have a good story either way.”
Aran will play Anthony Shaheen in the next launch, which will start in a few weeks.
See for more information and results the TS Ladder page.
united friends 