[James243]

As my capital lies in smoldering ruins, and Khan'Gar oft-dead having just died for a third time, I'm happy to declare Mictlan the winner.

With my new-found knowledge I'm keen to get started on a new game!

Highlights of the game so far (from my perspective):

1. Aezeal. I play various games from tabletop wargames to computer games to xbox live, and I don't think I've enjoyed playing against someone quite as much as I've enjoyed playing against Aezeal. The self-aggrandising humour in his posts, the (early) back and forth of our combats, his bold galderman, his invention of manticore steak - there have been many Aezeal highlights, and I look forward to locking manticore horns with him again soon.

2. Everyone's posts. Particularly the battle reports, but just the general chit-chat - i've learnt a ton. Next game I'll focus on developing my mages and on constructing items rather than just my haphazard 'huh, i have enough gems for hurricane...sweeeeet' strategy.

3. The sort of glorious tragedy of defeat. Khan'Gar now has three "Aezeal roolz" brand marks on his butt. My prophet managed to not die all game but that was mostly because she got freaked out by the hundreds of dying province defense in front of her. I don't think she really accomplished anything all game. Nor did Khan'Gar, aside from looking cool, and guaranteeing that my priestesses and sibyls were diverted from unimportant tasks like research and instead focused on calling out his name. But seriously, there's a certain pleasure to watching your once promising empire crumbling, scrambling your forces even though you know the odds are against you. I imagine this is something that gets old quick, but in my first game there's been a certain pleasure to it.

4. The gallipoli-like charge against Mictlan. The build-up was wonderful, declaring war and all that. A day at work looking forward to some slow-arse to take their turn so I could find out the result. And then the utter thrashing I received! Really thought that battle would be close, and it had to be because the huge army i'd been planning to weild against Aezeal got diverted. Luckily Khan'Gar had only just been recalled and wasn't close enough to get an "I love Karlem" brand...

5. Khan'Gar's heavy investment in a triton army, unaware of what the little shark icon on the tritons meant...

6. Khan'Gar's heavy investment in PD. Actually I hate to think how much I spent. Early on I did it because the manual suggested keeping a bit and I wasn't sure where my borders were. But I must've spent 10000 at least during the game (gulp).

There must be dozens more. Anyway, it's been fun. I'll play out a few more turns if folks like (I get the feeling that some would like to play this further), but I really think that blood rivers of Mictlan have it...