http://councilroom.com/game?game_id=game-20120524-161602-5f458e83.htmlAlways fun to do this. My basic plan here is to university into a city/rabble/governor/militia, later on GM, engine. Now, you may think this is really similar to another board where I say BM should be dominant - what gives? Well, first of all, the BM there is better than here (courtyard). Second, apprentice helps the guy in the lead. Third, We have university to gain a zillion things here. But most importantly, militia, which should really help me out a lot. It's very hard to buy a province off of 3 cards...
Anyway, I make a mistake right off the bat, I think, by not going Black Market at the offset. But then, pretty bad luck strikes. Turn 3 is a dud. His turn 6 and turn 9 both have really terrible militia hits for me, as both times I have potion/copper/copper/university/estate. Le sigh. This all slows me down a LOT at getting militias and getting my engine going, which I'm intending to really pound into him with. And he thus jumps out to a big-time lead. Now, I do grab a highway out of the black market, which is big, because it lets me university GMs (though I stupidly don't realize this at first on turn 18...), and a margrave, which gives plus buy but doesn't help all that much really, and herbalist - same thing. I don't get the sea hag that I really really want though.
So he sprints up to 5 provinces and starts to stall, just a bit (not surprising given that he's greened, and moreover, I'm rabble stack + militia-ing him all the time). Meanwhile I'm able to chow down on the GMs and the cities, which I can do with surprising impugnity, as he doesn't really have prospects of emptying a 3rd pile, or any cities to bulk up. And my mega-turns start flowing... I'm able to crash down the victory just in time, more or less. If he has one more duchy, 'I'm dead'*.
*Well, sort of. If he has one more duchy, I he probably has one fewer estate, and I'm fine. Moreover, I can potentially grab that sea hag (I get the chance without needing it on my last hand) and an island from the BM for the last little boost.