hannibal: rome vs carthage   

Updated Jan. 12, 2013

Omens Pre-Con

2012 WBC Report  

 2013 Status: pending 2013 GM commitment

Steve Worrel, VA

2012 Champion

Event History
1996    Thomas Drueding      58
1997    James Doughan      52
1998    Karsten Engelmann      52
1999    Jung Yueh     46
2000    James Pei     41
2001    Aaron Fuegi     35
2002    Peter Reese     41
2003     Keith Wixson     44
2004    Chris Byrd     46
2005    Nick Anner     39
2006    Jim Heenehan     34
2007     James Pei     31
2008     Jim Heenehan     43
2009    Keith Wixson     54
2010     James Pei     50
2011    Lyman Moquin     55
2012    Steve Worrel     50

PBeM Event History
2001     Aaron Fuegi     37

WAM Event History
2003    Stuart Tucker    11
2004    James Pei    19
2005    Chris Byrd    21
2006     Jim Heenehan    12
2010    Keith Wixson    14
2011    James Pei    14
2012     James Pei    19

 Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  James Pei          VA    12    392
  2.  Keith Wixson       NJ    12    307
  3.  Jim Heenehan       PA    12    254
  4.  Chris Byrd         CT    12    223
  5.  Lyman Moquin       DC    11    102
  6.  Steve Worrel       VA    12     96
  7.  Peter Reese        VA    06     94
  8.  Randall MacInnis   NJ    12     91
  9.  Stuart Tucker      MD    12     76
 10.  Gary Andrews       NY    08     62
 11.  Nick Anner         NY    05     60
 12.  Aaron Fuegi        MA    01     60
 13.  Jung Yueh          MA    99     50
 14.  Scott Moll         VA    06     48
 15.  Mark Giddings      NY    01     40
 16.  Michael Sosa       DE    12     36
 17.  Henry Rice         NM    11     36
 18.  Kyle Greenwood     HI    09     36
 19.  Derek Miller       VA    05     36
 20.  Doug White         PA    04     36
 21.  David Dockter      MN    02     36
 22.  Craig Melton       VA    03     34
 23.  Roderick Lee       CA    11     30
 24.  Charles Hickok     PA    03     30
 25.  Jim Doughan        PA    06     24
 26.  Eugene Lin         WA    05     24
 27.  Jim Eliason        IA    03     24
 28.  Tim Hall           UT    05     22
 29.  Michael Mitchell   GA    12     21
 30.  George Seary       NY    99     20
 31.  Randy Pippus       on    12     18
 32.  Doug Mercer        MD    04     18
 33.  Ed Rothenheber     MD    02     18
 34.  Phil Barcafer      PA    99     15
 35.  Martin Sample      NH    10     12
 36.  Larry Luongo       NJ    08     12
 37.  Matthew Bacho      MD    04     12
 38.  Ahmed Ilpars       tu    07     11
 39.  Raymond Gorka      NY    07     10
 40.  Robert Vollman     al    00     10
 41.  Bill Pettus        MD    11      9
 42.  Paul Gaberson      PA    06      8
 43.  Terry Coleman      CA    10      6
 44.  Marc Berenbach     MA    09      6
 45.  Andy Latto         MA    08      6
 46.  Thomas Richardson  VA    06      6
 47.  Robert Hassard     NJ    02      6
 48.  John Rinko         VA    99      5
 49.  Tim Miller         GA    12      3
 50.  Peter Putnam       PA    10      3
 51.  John Firer         WI    01      3
 52.  Trevor Bender      CA    01      2

2012 Laurelists                                            Repeating Laurelists: 

Michael Sosa, DE
2nd

Jim Heenehan, PA
3rd

Randy Pippus, on
4th

Chris Byrd, CT
5th

Keith Wixson, NJ
6th

Past Winners

Thomas Drueding, PA
1996

James Doughan, PA
1997

Karsten Englemann, VA
1998

Jung Yueh, MA
1999

James Pei, TX
2000, 2007, 2010

Aaron Fuegi, MA
2001

Peter Reese, VA
2002

Keith Wixson, NJ
2003, 2009

Chris Byrd, CT
2004

Nick Anner, NY
2005

Jim Heenehan, PA
2006, 2008

Lyman Moquin, DC
2011

Steve Worrel, VA
2012
   

OK, two guys who really want their picture taken. Satisfied?

Henry Richardson and Michal Ussery cross the Alps.

 Bill Edwards tries to teach young Ben Gardner a few tricks.

 The 4th-ranked Chris Byrd draws Eric Brosius in the early rounds.

Eliminator Crowns Champion ...

Ed Note: I've always maintained that this event is the epitome of what the ideal WBC tournament should be: a well stocked veritable shark pool of skilled players - any one of whom can rise to the top in a given year. 2012 was again no exception as two stalwart players battled their way to the Final for the first time to enhace their resumes - but a return trip next year will remain a challenge - as it should be.

Carthage and Rome once again fought to a virtual draw, as Carthage won 39 of 77. 46 were present for Round 1, and four latecomers enabled the field to reach 50 for the fourth straight year. Seven former winners were present, including the reigning champion. Eight of the top ten AREA-rated players also graced the field with their presence. In short, the competition was as tough as it has ever been. Even the spectre of a Finnish invasion hung over the event, as several rookies from Eastern Europe crossed the Atlantic to test their mettle.

Bidding PCs for sides resulted in an average Bid of 1.02 for Carthage, down slightly from last year. There was no bid in a third of the games. A bidding war occurred for Rome in only four games. The highest Carthage bid was 3, twice by the same person ... ahem.

Rounds 1 and 2 brought the demise of half of the top six seeded players. Chris Byrd's Romans fell to Eric Brosius in a 9-9 tie forged by Hasdrubal's last-turn voyage to Sardinia. Keith Wixson's Romans lost in Round 2 to Michael Mitchell 10-8 and, in the biggest surprise, James Pei's Carthaginians fell to Michael Sosa 11-7.

In Round 3, Kyle Greenwood's Romans managed to kill Hannibal on Turn 7, but Sosa still managed to emerge with an 11-7 victory. Michael Ussery's Carthaginians gained two siege points on Rome, but had to lift a 2-pt. Roman siege on Carthage before taking Gary Dickson's resignation. Steve Worrel accepted Michael Mitchell's resignation upon the death of Scipio Africanus in Turn 8. Defending champ, Lyman Moquin's Carthaginians gained a large province advantage in Italy, but Paul Gaberson besieged Carthage, got two hits, that were relieved by sea, then got another hit before time expired with him behind 12-3. Randy Pippus' Carthaginians managed to prolong the siege of Syracuse long enough to gain an insurmountable province advantage and Randall MacInnis' resignation when his Turn 9 strategy hand had little naval strength. Stuart Tucker's Carthaginians marched two armies over the Alps on Turn 6 to hold Gaul and Samnium into Turn 9, forcing Jim Heenehan's resignation when his armies could make no headway in Spain or against Hannibal's entrenched position in Gaul.

Six players entered Round 4 undefeated. Worrel's Carthage gained both Syracuse and Philip against Moquin, but lost both by game's end, managing to hold on for a slim 9-9 win in which Scipio failed to get siege points against Carthage. Sosa's Carthage lost Hannibal in Turn 4, but held on for a 9-9 victory over Ussery. Tucker's Carthage entered Turn 9 down a province, but managed to take both Gaul and Sardinia, at which point Pippus used two Force March cards by Africanus to sack Carthage with but one strategy card left.

On the loser's side of the bracket, Byrd and Wixson recovered to post 4-1 records. Wixson's first Sand plaque was especially noteworthy, as it completed the rare plaque cycle with all six woods for Hannibal.

In the last round among the undefeated, Worrel's Carthage got off quickly against Pippus, with both Philip and Messenger Intercepted events on Turn 1, and Syracuse on Turn 2. Mago relieved the first siege of Syracuse, but while Marcellus finally arrived to complete the job, Hannibal romped in Italy, eventually forcing a concession on Turn 7. At this point, Worrel departed with a 5-0 record, hoping for a good result in the other key match in which undefeated Sosa faced the 3-1 player with the strongest schedule, Heenehan. The latter's Romans overcame early Philip and Syracuse cards and then invaded Africa to draw the bulk of Carthage's forces there. The Hanno Counsels Carthage card was played on Turn 9 to pin them there, allowing Rome to mop up in Spain for an 11-7 win. This left Worrel as the only unbeaten player, and the event with yet another first-time champion.

Philip Yaure deals with Mikko Raimi of the Finnish invasion ....

... as Thomas Drueding meets Juhana Keskinen of the Finnish team.

 Michael Sosa wins the battle of the duelling hats in the semifinals over Jim Heenehan.

 Randy Pippus is unable to stop Steve Worrel in the Final as two more sharks emerge.

2012 WAM Laurelists

Keith Wixson, NJ
2nd

Stuart Tucker, MD
3rd

Michael Mitchell, GA
4th

Randall MacInnis, NJ
5th

Tim Miller, GA
6th

 GM      Stuart Tucker  [11th Year]   NA 
    econedit@aol.com   NA

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