F Communications send their enemy a strong message that next time they should field a full team.If there is a next time for bM. Good F strat on stampede, one which they share with QP; ignore the pigs, kill all of the enemy. Trow is a massacre, 2 of bM lag out, and Cracks is totally dull with both teams having plus 95% of units until the last 10 seconds

Game One - [Stampede] [Desert]

bM know what to expect from F in this as their cap remarks in pt that F will hide the pigs. And yup, that's exactly what the Japanese team do, up in the north eastern corner. This match was east vs west, with appropriately F starting in the east, where they traded for 12 pigs, lots of archers, 4 dwarves, and a big shopping expedition by F to Pus-U-Like bags them 5 wights, for the use of. bM get the maximum pigs trading off warriors, plenty of archers and 6 dwarves. No pus. And there's only 3 on the bM team vs F's full 7. Galleon capping for F announces a '3 way groove', which happens while bM are in disarray. F ghols spot the enemy pig pack fast and call it in chat. bM send a big north, and biggish center and a singing ghol quartet to the south. F shag bM up muddy center passage, and bM decides to haul pork north. F do a big push across south and center, and make some archer widows to the north. F resisted using pus on the enemy pigs, and warriored and ghol sickled them instead, the whole bM herd going down in the waterway to the far north. F used their pus to immobilise a fleeing enemy, who knew full well what F's plan was. bM are down to 10% of units, F are at 91% and still F refuse to roll the livestock, having reinforced their corner position with a few warriors, some archers and another dwarf. bM try to do a runner with a few arcs and 4 warriors, get pussed and sorted. bM's ghols do a half hearted lunge at the F pig position north, which ends sharply and unsurprisingly. The bM team cap suggest that their last remaining ghol stay hidden, as F finally start their stampede to the target flags. The bM ghol has a mind of its own, gets seen, and killed. Game over as bM are wiped out and F have the herd in the river. 12 pigs scored by F to bM's 0, and F's swines were only half way home

Game Two - [Terries] [Trow]

A small team, such as bM's, is not helped by 2 of their number lagging out about the 8 minute mark. A big soulless trade for F, 5 locks and a single mortar dwarf. Their trow are split between 2 F guys. bM go with no soulless, 4 locks, an amusingly decorative wight duo, and a very optimistic group of 6 mortar dwarves. Anyhow, bM flee en masse to their south flag immediately, which is convenient for F as they had sent a 2 trow/myrk/lock flank that way too. F's center meets no resistance and is in the enemy half almost without pause. bM lose 3 trow to F's center 3 which have pounded south. F are helped by a possible freeze for the bM player, but that's academic as F had soulless sticking it to the bM trow too. It all goes a bit fast after that. 2 bM appear to lag out at about 8 minutes remaining, F have them boxed at the south flag and haing tagged the other flags with a few myrks, F kick and blast their way to a flagging of their oppostion. F managed to spear one of their own locks, but apart from that it was an overwhelming stomping. F did notice the lag outs from bM, and one of their number suggested a restart. The other F overruled him, and as is often the case in Japan, the individual must cede to the interests of the group dynamic

Game Three - [Flag Rally] [Cracks]

This game was less than dynamic. bM decided on a max archers and huge number of thrall defensive posture, with only their 12 ghols out and about to tag.
F are quite clearly in no rush to tag, and bM are up 4 flags before F tag their first flag, which is number V, an outside one. F have done one wight worth of pus, and save it. Not hat theer is much to use it on in the infield, as bM contine to sit tight in their fort whilst F do a three way groove again. F's light melee and artillery defences are enough to deter the bM ghols from doing anything but burn calories loping hopefully from flag to flag.
F announce to themselves, having tagged 6 flags (and bM guarded flag III with ghols AFTER F tagged it), that they will camp. Which they do, for the next five minutes or so.As do bM, snug in the northern fort. One of bM asks his teammates 'does win matter or only flags give point?' To which he is answered by the bM cap 'both. I think'. Hmmmmm. At 1.30 the bM cap suggests that one of his team go and get some flags. I leaned my chin into the palm of my hand, and blinked a few times. At the last minute boab of F decides to send a pus ghol and his 8 stygs up the northwestern side of the enemy fort, and omg! there was action. bM have a dwarf on the ground, fronting a big bunch of thrall defending flag I. With less than 20 seconds to go, F pus the dwarf, a styg kills the little feller, and then the other F stygs contest this flag with 1 second left on the clock. Another F squad races to assist boab, but it's not necessary as his tight melee formation cuts through bM's loose thrall.
In sudden death F take their 7th flag, bM had 4 and never made a serious attempt at assaulting any others.
Like watching paint dry, this one.