http://www.conquerclub.com/game.php?game=107139#gmtop
It all started in Round 6 when I cashed in a set and managed to take out yellow. That gave me enough strength to take out light blue in the next round, (though it came down to a final 2v1 battle) and after that I cashed in 2 sets and statistically shouldn't have had a hard time defeating green. Green had 2 seperate fronts, and on the one my armies dwindled quickly against his. Luckily I managed to win again, just barely on a 3v1 or 2v1 final battle. On the other front I think I had 10 men against 8 but it quickly went down to 3v6 in his favor.
I abandoned the attack knowning I most likely wouldn't win (but I hated leaving him in such a sorry state with red still to play that round). Forunately they each only had 2 cards so even if red cashed and took him out it wouldn't be a deadly double set cashing.
Or so I thought....
They each ended up taking their first turn and gaining a card giving them 4 each. Then before I could return red got to go again and took green out having 5 cards and cashing once again.
This put me in terrible position but I had a set so I came back strong. Then monkey (red) had a set again on the next turn with 3 cards and regained the upper hand.
After that red didn't have a set but rampaged with 18 bonus armies and all but eliminated my chances of getting another card (placed many men on each bordering country and I didn't have the strength to attack). Fortunately I had positioned 4 men next to a neutral country containing 3 men, so I got a card that way.
I still didn't have a set and assumed it was all over because Monkey had 60 some men against my 15 or so, and controlled most of the board so he also received a huge bonus. At this point I pulled off the trickiest move I have ever managed in a CC game. I started my turn around the same time as monkey did, but I didn't place my men on the board. I waited until monkey had advanced from Africa to the near east, and placed my men on Turkey. Monkey attacked Iraq but didn't advance there, so then I attacked Iraq immediately which gave me card potential AND a hiding place. Monkey didn't notice that Iraq changed hands twice in that split second so kept advancing, beat all of my remaining armies and THEN saw the one guy sitting in Iraq.
At this point I had a set, so I knew I had a chance. I waited for a long time to play (until I knew it was the middle of the night in Norway where Monkey is from) so that I could take my turn without being interrupted. I had great dice and managed to conquer 30 single man countries with 36 or so men of my own.
At that point I was the strong man and received the huge bonus with no set, but Monkey managed to cash again to regain the strong side. I was waiting for this cash in so I could start my turn and get a large bonus again before all my men were eliminated. Well I checked CC and there was no action so I decided to take a 20 minute nap. Literally SECONDS after I checked monkey must have started, and 6 minute uninterrupted blood fest of his own. When I checked back 20 minutes later I was dismayed, and didn't get a set with 3 cards.
I did managed to take out two continents though with 4 total men, which means that on this coming turn Monkey only gets a bonus of 16 (instead of 23) which probably saved my remaining 15. So if I hadn't taken out 2 key countries with 4 total men I would have most likely lost right now.
Once monkey takes his next turn I will only have a man or two left but will regain strong position again with a set. At that point if I don't win monkey will have 3 cards and could do the same thing back to me for the third or 4th time in a row.
Alright, I'm exhausted from this post (and I'll be surprised if anyone read it all) but the point is, I have never had a game come down to a possible do or die situation so many times. Yes power often switches back and forth when two players are left in an escalating game, but I have never seen such severe swings and that has made this the most fun game I've ever played.
Now I just hope I win
](./images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
But I have to say well played first. 
