Octopus's Garden 4

Octopus's Garden

Issue Four - February 1995

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A SUB-EDITORIAL OF SORTS :

Well, I was tempted to ape our editor-in-chief by talking about two new CDs I've just bought, but then I looked at the credits, which read © 1965 EMI Records Ltd and © 1970 EMI Records Ltd, and decided that "timely" was one word which I would have rather a problem applying to any review/comments on the aforesaid items.

More timely, perhaps, is news of the death of Sir Nicholas Fairburn, Conservative Member of Parliament for Perth and Kinross. There was a certain amount of malicious fun to be gained from translating the newspaper tributes from obitspeak into English ("a character" = an obnoxious drunk ; "after a long illness" = dipsomania), but the attention now turns to the by-election. The government will probably want to delay this for as long as possible, but probably can't leave it much beyond May. Look for a Scottish Nationalist Party gain -- they should really have won the seat in the 1992 General Election anyway. If you really want to bet on a Conservative hold, I suggest you try to improve the value of you bet by making it a triple combo with Elvis being discovered alive and well in a laundromat in Boise, Idaho and the Loch Ness Monster making a guest apperance on Saturday Night Live...

Round 12 (RR ??? LE) International R.R. London & South East

"ZAPPLE"

36) (16-62) Bexhill -- London Victoria :: HICK 20 ; TRUST 10+4 ; KISS 0-4.
37) (21-36) Whitstable -- Sheerness :: TTE&F 20.
38) (34-44) Chatham -- Brighton :: HICK 20-3-3+4+2 ; TTE&F 10-2+3+3 ; TRUST 0-3-4+3.
39) (42-26) Lewes -- Deal :: KISS 20.
40) (51-11) Dorking -- Folkestone :: KISS 20-1-1,-4 ; TTE&F 10+1 ; COXES +4+1,.
41) (63-@4) London King's Cross -- Cross Channel (Newhaven) :: KISS 20-2 ; HICK 10+2 ; TRUST 0.
42) (@2-54) The Seaside -- Horsham :: TTE&F (Brighton) 20-2 ; HICK (Newhaven) 10+2.

Scores :                      b/fwd  36  37  38  39  40   41  42  total
                              -----  --  --  --  --  --   --  --  -----
KISS [black]    Martyn Hathaway 165  -4          20  13.5 18      212.5
TTE&F [blue]    Steve Thomas    285      20  14      11       18  348
TRUST [green]   W. Andrew York  236  14      -4            0      246
HICK [red]      David Hood      313  20      20           12  12  377
COXES [brown]   receivership    151                   5.5         156.5
                              -----  --  --  --  --  --   --  --  -----
                               1150  30  20  30  20  30   30  30  1340

GENEVA :

The deadline for game-end statements is FRIDAY, 7th APRIL, 1995, to Peter Sullivan.

Round 10 (RR 1297 IN) International R.R. India

"ELBRIDGE GERRY"

22) (16-51) Jaipur -- Raipur :: BADIS 20-2-2-2+6 ; DAVE 10-9-2+2 ; SAHIB 0-6+2 ; RAJPUT +9 ; AIR +2+2.
23) (26-31) Jodhpur -- Nagpur :: DAVE 20-7-7+1 ; BADIS 10-1+7 ; RAJPUT +7.
24) (35-14) Lucknow -- Saharanpur :: AIR 15-2-1 ; BADIS 15-4-1+2 ; SAHIB +4 ; DAVE +1+1.
25) (42-23) Bghagalpur -- Bombay :: SAHIB 20-4-1 ; RAJPUT 10+4 ; DAVE +1.
26) (55-@1) Madras -- Pakistan :: RAJPUT 20-5-4 ; DAVE 10-4-1+5 ; AIR 0+1 ; SAHIB +4+4.
27) (62-41) Hubli -- Patna :: BADIS 20 ; RAJPUT 10.
28) (@2-61) Kashmir -- Bangalore :: DAVE 20-4-1+2+1 ; AIR 10-2 ; RAJPUT 0-7 ; SAHIB 0-6-1+1 ; BADIS +7+6+4.

RAJPUT [yellow] (Michael Quist): No builds
BADIS BADIS [orange] (Conrad von Metzke): No builds
DAVE [black] (Dave Erridge): No builds
AIR [brown] (Martyn Hathaway): (U16) - U17 - S18 - S19 [-1 D] [-1 S] ; (Y15) - Y13 [-1 B]. =-6-3
SAHIB [red] (Eric Brosius): (V17) - U17 - U16 [-3 A]. =-2-3

Scores : b/fwd	15  16  17  18  19  20  21  builds c/fwd 
         -----  --  --  --  --  -   --  --  ------ ----- 
RAJPUT     144   9   7      14  11  10  -7          188 
BADIS      149  20  16  12          20  17      +1  235 
DAVE       176   1   7   2   1  10      18      +1  216 
AIR        138   4      12       1       8   -9 +1  157 
SAHIB      124  -4       4  15   8      -6   -5 +1  137 
         -----  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  ------ ----- 
           731	30  30  30  30  30  30  30   -14+6  933

Races for Round 11 :

29) (11-22) Delhi -- Bombay
30) (25-53) Indore -- Hyderabad
31) (33-@6) Agra -- Any Seaport
32) (45-13) Jamshedpur -- Amritsar
33) (56-63) Madras -- Mangalore
34) (64-36) Calicut -- Varanasi
35) (@3-43) Nepal -- Calcutta

GENEVA :

AIR's entry for race 23 disallowed - it uses mythical BADIS track Jodhpur-M47. All proposed joint runs failed for lack of reciprocity (is there such a word?)

You may enter 4 of the above races, then build up to 4 physical points (i.e. not counting payments to other players against the limit) of track. The deadline for Round Eleven orders is FRIDAY, 7th APRIL, 1995, to Peter Sullivan. E-mail : peter@manorcon.demon.co.uk

Aston II 3019 (93?? ts??) Downfall XIII

"RICHARD M. JOHNSON"

DWARVES/GOOD (Mike Gonslaves) :: A(Wil) S A(MoM), A(MoM) stands M Dain/2A(RRu)-MoM = Dain/3A(MoM), _A(Shi)-Bre_, A(FEr) S A(Shi)-Bre, A(NRh) S A(Wil), A(Esg)-Eot M ELVISH A(Eot).
ELVES/GOOD (Donald Scarr) :: A(HPa)-BMa, _A(And) S DWARVEN A(MoM)-DGu_ [no such order], _A(CDm)-Gun_, R(Ene)-Dun & neutralise, F(SOU)-GWA, 2A(Iml)-Rhu, A(Eot) stands M DWARVEN A(Esg)-Eot, _A(GHa)-Shi_, A(Lor)-Fan.
GANDALF/GOOD (Iain Bowen) :: R(. . . . . . )-. . . . . . , R(. . . . . . )-. . . . . . , Fe(. . . . . )-. . . . . . , Aragorn(. . . . . .)-. . . . . . , Gandalf(Eas)-DHa & waken Theoden -. . . . . . .
GONDOR/GOOD (Chris Q. Hardy) :: _F(AND) S C(Pel)-SIt_ [illegal], _C(Pel)-SIt_ [hostile fleet], _A(MTi)-Osg_, Faramir/2A(Dor)-DAm, R(. . . . . . )-. . . . . .
MORDOR/EVIL (Michael Quist) :: 2A(NIt) S 2A(Udu), A(Osg) stand unordered, A(SIt)-SGo, Lord of the Nazgul/3A(SGo)-Hrd, A(DGu) stands, _A(Bre)-Shi_ [beleaugured garrison], A(Kha) S A(ELi)-Nur, A(Hdw) S 2A(SGo)-Hrd, 2A(Udu) S 2A(NIt), A(ELi)-Nur, Nazgul(. . . . . . )-. . . . . . -. . . . . . , Sauron(Udu)-Oro, _A(Fra)-Gun_, _A(Gun)-CDm_.
ROHAN/GOOD (Pete Gaughan) :: C(Bro) S A(Dag), C(SRh) S A(Dag), A(Ent)-CAn, A(DMa) S A(Ent)-CAn, A(Dag) S A(DMa), A(Eas)-Ano, Theoden(DHa) awakens...
SARUMAN/GOOD (Lance Anderson) :: Saruman(. . . . . . )-. . . . . . , A(Min)-Cdl, _A(Wea)-Bre_, _A(Hol)-Rhu_, A(Tyr) S A(Wea)-Bre, A(Gap)-Dru.
UMBAR/NEUTRAL (Keir Hodgson = DESPAIR) :: NMR2! _A(Hrd)*_, C(Nrd), F(Lam), _A(DAm)*_, 2F(ETH) all stand unordered.

RETREATS :

UMBARIAN A(Hrd) & A(DAm) disband, no retreat ordered.

ASTON III 3019 ADJUSTMENTS :

DWARVES Iro, Ere, Blu, Fld, FEr, Esg, RRu Shi: =8 no change
ELVES EKH, Lor, Iml, GHa, Hdn, Crk, And, CDm, Eot: =9 no change
GANDALF (none): =0 no change
GONDOR MTi, Pel, +1, -Ano, -Dru, +DAm.: =4 -A(DAm)
MORDOR Bar, Udu, MMo, DGu, Gun, Nur, +6, Osg, Bre, SIt, SGo, Kha, +Hrd: =18 three short nbo
ROHAN DHa, Eas, HDe, Wol, EEm, SRh, +Ano: =7 one short nbo
SARUMAN Ise, -Dun, KDm, Tha, Hol, +Dru: =5 no change
UMBAR Cit, Hav, -Hrd, +1, -DAm, Lam.: =4 no change
NEUTRAL +Dun: =1 - - -

GENEVA :

Gondor's orders were written by Gandalf on a valid proxy. "Despair" is, by long hobby tradition, the equivalent of Civil Disorder in Downfall games. Note that Cavalry units may not be convoyed, and that the Pel-SIt "Moses Crossing" may only be used if there is no hostile fleet in ETH. Ranger neutralisations are part of the movement orders, and therefore may not be conditional on others' moves. The deadline for Thingy I 3019 orders and retreats is FRIDAY, 7th APRIL, 1995, to Peter Sullivan. E-mail : peter@manorcon.demon.co.uk

PRESS :

NO DATELINE : Dam' you Sharkey! Stay out of my holds!

SARUMAN - GONDOR : Coming to the rescue... oops, sorry, was that one of yours? ah well, on to Lam...

SOMEWHERE IN THE DUNHARROW GOLDEN YEARS RETIREMENT CENTRE : "Look, I've told you before, you old fool, he's not with us" said the young attendant. Gandalf peered at the name badge: which, in the common style to the Dr Bodkin Saruman retirement homes group, just stated "Hi, I'm Grima". Gandalf drew himself up to his full height - trying to ignore his hiatus hernia, took a deep breath and bellowed at the hapless chap "Look, I'm from the White Council, we *know* that Theoden Thengel's son is here and I demand to see him". Grima grimaced, "The council, you say, are you an inspector?". Gandalf sighed, "Yes, I am an inspector, now take me to Theoden". Grima shuddered, a council inspector, greatest of all twilight years workers' banes save for the Cookreport : "all right then this way".

Grima led Gandalf along a narrow passage to a room, smelling faintly of cabbage and stale urine, where a dozen old men sat in chairs by their zimmer frames. "The one at the end, with the drool down his chin", hissed Grima. Gandalf strode forward, looked at the old man and shouted "I come from the White Council, Theoden Thengel's son, the hour has come, I bring the Red Arrow". The old man looked up, a strange glint in his eye and turned to his next door neighbour "From the council, yes, they are going to make me King you know". Gandalf turned to look a Grima, Grima simply shrugged his shoulders and whispered "I told you he wasn't all here".

ROHAN TO GREY ONE : Would've been nice if you'd provided some direction last time -- or are you going to claim you were ignorant that half the world was asleep?