Mornington Crescent

[Мастер]

I don't understand this game. I found a website and read about it, and I still don't understand it. . .

[Heid the Ba]

Perhaps if we include a commentary for our guests across the pond?

We're at Finsbury Park: to go further out that line is a deadend; I can't retrace to Highbury without invoking the 1984 amendments but they would open up the Northern Line which I'm reluctant to do at this stage.

So I change lines at Finsbury Park to the Piccadily Line, I have to go to at least Leicester Square to avoid knip, so I'll press on to Earls Court.

[spoiler]I'm trying to tempt the other players into using the Circle Line, without leaving them a clear opening.[/spoiler]

[Philip]

Well, an interesting stratagem... I think I will be forced to emulate Humph in the 29/02 broadcast, and, via Walkabout, take the sleeper to Sydney. I agree, it does flummox my 'MC in 2', but events (and beer) have conspired against me.

[Arneb]

Earls Court.

[spoiler]I'm trying to tempt the other players into using the Circle Line, without leaving them a clear opening.[/spoiler]

Now that little trick was cheap, Heid, just cheap

[spoiler]This is about the oldest trick in the book - you use the Circle Line if and only ifyou have a clear opening, otherwise you rather try a direct line break or a wag-the-dog changeover[/spoiler]
Pfffft

Charing Cross, and you have one move left to avoid knip!

[Arneb]

I agree, it does flummox my 'MC in 2', but events (and beer) have conspired against me.

Yeah, that happens - I thought I had sticks at BAUT in Deep Knip once and forgot about a new stratagem first employed in the 2005 World Championship - he slammed home to MC n one move. Man, that hurt a lot.

[Heid the Ba]

Charing Cross, and you have one move left to avoid knip!

Well played

As I said I'm a bit rusty.

[spoiler]I can either go into knip, leaving two moves for Arneb and a certain Mornington Crescent, or stay out of knip but keep on the Northern Line and leave a clear run to MC. Of course had anyone previously felched then the Docklands Light Railway would be in play and I would have a move there.[/spoiler]

I'll go to Goodge Street, simply as it rarely gets a mention.

Perhaps next time we should play Storra Mossen on the Stockholm Metro to level the playing field for the first timers.

[Arneb]

Yes, Goodge Street's the one. Otherwise it would have to have been knip or MC in two

This way, however...

Let's see what we can do with
Moorgate

[spoiler]Goodge Stret was indeed the only one with which Heid culd avoid knip or have me move to Mornington Crescent directly. The move i called the steeplechase trick, and it puts me and the other players under pressure to avoid a so-called head-over-heels trodder. My move is primarily designed to avoid that one by blocking the Eastern network escape and also set up a little trap... But we'll come to that when we come to that.[/spoiler]

By the way, anyone interested in serious MC playing should get hold of a used copy of The Little Book of Mornington Crescent (2001; ISBN 0-7528-4422-9), b Graeme Garden. It's ut of print, but check with Amazon to get hold of a used copy.

I'd suggeset we stick with London. I'm feeling traditional about this :D

[Мастер]

Is the purpose of the game just to post made up rules to confuse outsiders?

[Arneb]

Absolutely not! We are playing a very serious game here, and too many such remarks will not sit well with the players.

Surely for the information age literate person, it should be possible to obtain some useful information about the nature, rules and habits of the Mornington Crescent culture. What was the name of this "democratic dictionary" again?

Of course, coming from across the pond is not, I repeat not an impediment to enjoying a little game of MC, should you be willing to accept that this is not just light entertainment but a serious, if at times humorous, strategy game.

[Мастер]

Of course, coming from across the pond

Not I.

[Arneb]

Well, all the more reason to join in :D

[Enzo]

KOS, shame. You should know by now that you never ask a magician, politican, or professional wrestler to come out of character. Give the MC its dew.

[Мастер]

[Мастер]

Elephant & Castle

Did I do that right?

[Heid the Ba]

Very interesting, you feign diffidence and ignorance and then use Rimmer's Insertion. Bravo!

I'll respond by switching to the Bakerloo Line and moving to Paddington.

[spoiler]Again, I'm trying to lure the unwary onto the Circle Line; hopefully someone will quench and cut off most of the south west.[/spoiler]

[Heid the Ba]

Is the purpose of the game just to post made up rules to confuse outsiders?

Some weeks the main purpose of the game seems to be to sneak rude terms onto the BBC.

[Philip]

I'm stunned you got back from Sydney so quickly, but I'll go with Euston.

[Enzo]

OK then...


[spoiler]buying time to get some bearings, not to mention some ride tokens.[/spoiler]

Engineman strike! All must debark at next station.

[teri tait]

*runs away in confusion, narrowly missing getting hit by the train*

[Heid the Ba]

And from Euston the next station is . . .



. . . Mornington Crescent!

An ending henceforth known as "Enzo's Declarator".

[Мастер]

Crikey, I only got one move in :(

[Heid the Ba]

Crikey, I only got one move in :(

Then we need a new game;

Classic rules, 1984 Amendments with Addlestone's Switch floating.

Neasden to Green Park.

[Мастер]

Heh heh, I see what you're trying to do

Caledonian Road

[Heid the Ba]

I thought for a moment you were going to make the rookie mistake of going to Caledonian Road and Barnsbury.

Green Park
[spoiler]
As I'm going to be offnet for the weekend, I can risk spoons and it doesn't hurt me to quench.[/spoiler]

Edit to add: I wondered why Green Park sounded familiar, oh well, spoons and rucksack.

[Lance]

Okay, let me try to join the game with a flair and open with the infamous Chicago Massacre:
BNSF to Union