Lots of Supremacy fans want to know:  “How did you fix the market?”  Great question.  The best way to answer this (apart from playing a game) is to show you.  Here is a detailed After Action Report on the first trading phase of a new game.  It walks through buying and selling on the market blow by blow, one transaction at a time.  We have included player commentary each step of the way.  Notice how quickly conflict develops with the new deck and map!

 

US

4 Min, Congo

3 Min, Balkans

2 Oil, Urals

Ok.  Congo?  Great.  I can defend that.  Balkans?  Might be able to hang onto that.  I’m mostly at the EU’s mercy.  Urals?  Good luck.  No grain!

 

CW

3 Min, Norway

3 Oil, Urals

2 Oil, Venezuela

Venezuela and Norway are easy to get to from England.  Urals?  Hmmmmm…..

 

EU

3 Grn, Philippines

3 Oil, Iraq

2 Oil, Sumatra

Iraq, nice.  I need to take Egypt to secure my passage way.  This will give me leverage later on.  Sumatra and the Philippines.   How am I supposed to defend those?  I guess Japan is the only real threat…

 

RU

5 Oil, Rumania

2 Grn, New Delhi

3 Grn, Shanghai

Wow!  What an opening!  So many cards to seize!  Where do I begin?  Can I take them all?  I would have a huge economy but start off as public enemy number 1!  I can take oil from the US and CW.  What can they do?  It’s hard for them to get to me anyways.  The CW will take New Delhi but that is only a 2 grain.  I can take Poland from Japan.  Cool.  With a little effort I can take Iraq from the EU.  The big problem is China.  I can take out 2 companies in the Ukraine and 1 in the Baltic States.  That will mean certain total war with China from the get go.  A prospect I don’t usually like but then again, if I take their entire economy, what are they going to do about it?  If I set up troops right, and don’t meet much resistance, I have a reasonable chance of taking both the Ukraine and Baltic States on turn 1!  China will certainly take my grain in Shanghai.  What will Europe say?  I can’t fight China and Europe at once.  Let’s feel them out first.  If I can negotiate peace with the EU, that will leave me free to cripple China.

-Excellent!!  Talks went well.  Here’s the plan:  I take Poland, Ukraine and Baltic States.  I then pull troops out and march east.  I will stay away from Iraq.  Europe will stay away from Rumania.  With the west secure, I will knock out China and go to war with Japan.  What does the EU get?  With Japan busy, they won’t have time to go after Europe’s companies in the Philippines and Sumatra.    Works for me!  Global domination will soon be mine!  Either that or this might be a really quick game.  🙂

 

CH

2 Oil, Ukraine

3 Grn, Baltic States

3 Grn, Ukraine

Great.  No minerals.  All my stuff where I can’t get to them.  To make matters worse, I seem to be getting the cold shoulder from Russia.  This doesn’t look good.  Going to need allies.  But where?  Japan is eyeing N. Manchuria and Shanghai.  The US and CW are noncommittal.  Not cool.

 

JP

5 Oil, Saudi Arabia

4 Min, Poland

3 Min, N. Manchuria

Saudi Arabia, cool.  Poland?  Good luck.  N. Manchuria.   Hmmmm…..   Sumatra and the Philippines.   Hmmmmm…..   Many interesting opportunities…..

 

Russia takes Urals oil companies from the US and CW.  The CW retaliates by seizing the Russian company in New Delhi.

US

Darn it!  That’s it.  I talk to the EU and point out the Russian aggression.  I ask their permission to let me into the med so that I can deploy into the Balkans.  It’s not much of a threat to them but I point out that I could help them defend against Russia later if war breaks out.  They agree!  Now I’ll have a base in Europe.  I can threaten the Russian oil in Rumania.  It may take a turn or 2 but I will get my revenge!  A Balkans base might be nice to get me into the Middle East later too if the need arises. Always good to have options in this game.

 

All the players start with $7TL cash.  After they pay their salaries and record their production, this is their current standing:

US:                         7 min                                $6.81 TL

CW:        2 oil        3 min   2 grn                   $6.86 TL

EU:         5 oil                      3 grn                  $6.86 TL

RU:         10 oil                   3 grn                   $6.81 TL

CH:         2 oil                     6 grn                   $6.86 TL

JP:          5 oil        7 min                                $6.86 TL

 

US

Well, let’s see.  It’s nice to go first.  I think….  I need oil and grain, but prices are high!  Everything starts out at $500 BL each.  I need to start planning my turn now!

I have 6 armies and 3 navies loaded up on the East Coast.  They can move 3 areas and invade the Balkans this turn if my timing goes well.  I’ll need a set of supplies to attack and an extra oil for the invasion.  I’ll need to build at least 2 sets of armies during the build phase to defend the homeland.  I don’t know how many armies the Balkans will have until I invade.  (it’s a random die roll after I commit to attacking)  If they have 3, (average) I should be able to take them.  Anything less will be a cake walk.  If they end up with 5 or 6 armies, I’ll be in trouble.  Still, it is worth the risk to put pressure on Russia turn 1!

So, I buy 3 grains for $1.5 TL and 4 oil for $2 TL.  So I guess I can sell 4 min for $2 TL.  That is a net loss to me of $1.5 TL.  Not bad considering I started with no oil or grain!  I can still attack and build.  Nice.  I’ll research new companies later this turn too.  Next turn will be easier.

Prices after the trade:

$700 BL Oil

$300 BL Min

$700 BL Grn

 

JP

I need grain but the price is high now.  I have lots of minerals to sell but the price is kind of low.  I’d still make a nice profit.  Oil is high.  I don’t have any pressing needs to attack.  I don’t feel any imminent danger or threat right now.  This might be a good time to sit back and just sell and build.  Still early in the game.   I sell 5 oil @ $700 BL for $3.5 TL.  Next I sell 7 min @ $300 BL for $2.1 TL.  I have no resources but no one can attack me now and I’ve nearly doubled my cash on turn 1!  Life is good.

Prices after trade:

$500 BL Oil

$100 BL Min

$700 BL Grn

RU

Excellent luck!  I need minerals the most and right now they are the cheapest!  I like the way this game is shaping up already.  I buy 12 min @ $100 BL for $1.2 TL.  That maxes me out.  For a cool TL I could max out my oil too.  The problem is going to be the grain.  I’d need 7 @ $700 BL ea.  That would total:  $4.9 TL.  Yikes!  Do I really need 12 of everything on turn 1?  Could make me a target.  What the heck.  I’m already a target right?  Half the world already hates me.  Once I knock out China next turn, the rest of the world will fear me.  I’ll be really strapped for cash.  I can always borrow if I have to.  Just imagine what I could do if I built 10 sets of armies at the end of this turn!  If I’m going to pull this off, I need to strike quickly and gain a huge economic advantage before the alliances have time to organize against me.  No ICBM’s to worry about at this point.  Fortune favors the bold right?  Spending my cash down this early makes me nervous but I’m going for it.  What’s the worst that could happen?

Prices after trade:

$600 BL Oil

$700 BL Min

$1000 BL Grn

CW

Uh oh.  This is going to be a lively game.  Russia just ran prices sky high and maxed out his resources at 12.  Yikes.  I have a small but balanced economy.  Now would be a great time to sell with prices so high.  Trouble is, I don’t have enough quantity to make the big bucks yet.  Crikey.  Russia is going to be a big threat for somebody but who?  They can’t get to me.  I can’t really get to them to make much of a difference.  It would be insane to try to buy up resources at those prices.  I’d just bankrupt myself and still wouldn’t be able to get at Russia well.  Hmmmmm…..

Alright.  If I’m going to make any difference in stopping the Russians, I’m going to need ICBMs.  No one can threaten me now really.  I’m going to sell off what I have for these prices and spend the cash on ICBMs.  I’ll need to save 1 min incase I get them.  I sell 2 oil for $1.2 TL, 2 grn for $2 TL and 3 min for $2.1 TL.  Nice little profit.

Prices after trade:

$500 BL Oil

$600 BL Min

$900 BL Grn

EU

Holy smokes!  12 of everything?  Really?  Scheesh.  Russia is supposed to go after China.  Can I trust him to keep his word?  If he builds up and I don’t, he could just as easily knock me out next turn.  Heck, with that many armies, he could probably knock us both out!  I need minerals.  The price is still high.  I’d like to sell grain but I only have 3.  If I sell them I won’t be able to build any armies to counter the Russian threat.  The Russians spent a lot of cash to do that.  That makes them weak financially.  The trouble is, do we all have to do the same thing now to counter the threat?  It’s no advantage if we are all weak financially.  I’m kind of glad the US is coming to the continent now.  I might need their support.  I’m on the front line if Russia attacks.  They could knock me out.  They can’t get at the US or CW right away.  I have much more to lose!  Wow.  What a conundrum.

China is going to be last to trade.  If I drive up prices, they won’t have a chance.  They will be defenseless when Russia hits them next turn.  If I don’t build, I’ll be defenseless and Russia may take me out instead, or just knock us both out at once!  All this and we haven’t even done turn 1 yet!  :/

I need allies.  I can’t pull this off alone.  Time to have a come-to-jesus with the US and CW.

-it worked.  I explained how I’m their 1^st line of defense but I need support and back up.  They each donate $2 TL to my cause.  I agree to build up a big ground force to counter the Russian threat.  I also agree to sell them some of my resources for cheap.  They agree to go for ICBMs and back me up strategically if Russia gets too big and comes my way.  They inevitably will.  It’s just a matter of 2-3 turns.

I buy 3 grn for $2.7 TL, 1 oil for $500 BL and 5 min for $3.6 TL.  Still expensive even with allied cash.  I’ll be able to build 6 sets of armies.  I’ll still be out numbered 2-1 against the Russians.  Hopefully China can slow them down but how, now that I have run up prices?  This game is starting off like a train wreck!!

Prices after trade:

$600 BL Oil

$900 BL Min

$1000 BL Grn

 

CH

Ok, I have no minerals and the price is $900 BL.  No one is speaking to me but they are all talking to each other.  Why do I have a sinking feeling in my stomach?  Russia is right next door, won’t talk to me and they just bought 12 of everything.  Coincidence?

I seek support from US and CW.  They shouldn’t like Russia since Russia just took their companies.  They are supportive but they already gave $4 TL to the EU and they can’t get to me.  Moral support is nice but that won’t save me.  Even if I went $12 TL into debt, I couldn’t buy 12 of everything.  Going that deep into debt on turn 1 wouldn’t get me very far either.  Japan is stand offish.  They can’t help me much anyways.  How did things go so bad so quickly?

I’d rather go into debt trying to build ICBMs.  I might get lucky and get one cheap this turn.  I can only build 1.  That won’t stop the Russians but if I can time it right, it could take out a huge pile of their armies.  I pressure the US and CW to build an ICBM this turn also and get them to pledge a retaliatory strike against Russia if they conquer me next turn.  If they follow through, we can knock out 3 of their 4 cities on turn 2.  That ought to convince them to back off and let me survive till turn 3 at least.  This might be a quick game!

Alright, so I’m going to play it cool.  I buy 3 min for $2.7 TL.  I sell 4 grn for $4 TL.  That will give me a net gain of $1.3 TL and allow me to build 2 sets of armies and 1 ICBM.  With that, allied support and some luck, I just might survive turn 2!  Unless those dastardly Japs back stab me and foil all my plans………     Problems, problems.   How did I get into this mess?

Prices after trade:

$600 BL Oil

$1000 BL Min

$800 BL Grn

 

US:         4 oil     3 min   4 grn                        $3.31 TL

CW:                    1 min                                     $10.16 TL

EU:         6 oil   4 min    5 grn                         $4.06 TL

RU:       12 oil 12 min   12 grn                       -$0.29 TL

CH:         2 oil   3 min   2 grn                          $8.16 TL

JP:                                                                      $12.46 TL