Weebl's Stuff Clement Atlee Memorial Mornington Crescent League 2009 Season

[[murray]]

Ladies and Gentlemen, in order to liven up the forums somewhat I am founding the WSCAMMCL. This will be the inaugural season of this competition which has been named in honour of famous Mornington Crescent player Clement Atlee, the former British Prime Minister.

For those of us who don't understand this fine stalwart of English parlour games here are a run down of the basics:

The gameboard is a tube map of London. This is all you need to play. This, of course, and your wits.

The game is played by 2 or more players. Matchplay tournaments can include games of up to 365 people, one for each day of the calendar year.

The aim of the game is to navigate the London tube map in the quickest manner possible in order to reach Mornington Crescent, located on the Northern Line. This is achieved by playing a move, which is affected by a series of rules, which will be explained as necessity dictates. Players can sacrifice or perhaps (if they are skillful) augment their move with a block on another player, depending on how threatening the previous players moves are.

Mornington Crescent is an easy game to pick up and it has been mathematically, theologically and philosophically proven that it is impossible to master, but watching a game between two Grand Conductarians can be as gripping as a high level game of chess and it is equally as logical and skillful.

I need up to ten players to form the league which will be played with the following basic rules (individual game rules will be decided before each match):

4 players per game
Bilateral triple shunts are outlawed as per United States federal law
3 points for a win, 1 point for a stalemate, 0 points for a defeat.

Fear not if you have no previous MC experience, all will be explained as the season goes along. All are welcome!

To show newcomers how to play a Limited Inaugural Exhibition Showcase will take place with experienced players including myself, numbers unlimited and sign up for this exhibition is separate.

Anyone interested?

[Dakano]

yes i is

[CodingTim]

I feel like today it'd be good to begin play with Holborn.

Hopefully that'll leave the map open enough for something interesting from the next player - hard to tell what will happen after just one move though, of course.

[[murray]]

Hold up there Tim, we've not started yet. However, as the moon is in the seventh house I am legally obligated to accept that as the first move for the exhibition match so when we have enough players, consider that the first play.

[Nuclear Spoon]

I have exams this month.

So sign me up.

[[murray]]

Winner. One more person and we will start the exhibition.

[malcolio]

Sure, I'll play, as long as we don't use the Flisby Flop Variant, I never got a hang of it.

[[murray]]

OK, we have our motley five.

Exhibition game rules: As per request no Flisby Flop and to make things interesting for every 2 moves forward each player must make one move back. Besides that standard Rauschenberg convention rules apply and as per the previous obligation the game begins with Tim's unusual opening gambit of a move to Holborn (All official station moves in bold please chaps)

I will try and head off this bold and abrasive move by moving emphatically along the 49th parallel to Green Park

Those of you who know the game will remember this as one of Clement Atlee himself'd famous first moves.

[Mr stabby]

Wait, you're not just going with an M5 are you? 'cos you know E games are more fun with added extras.

[malcolio]

I know what you mean Mr stabby but I prefer to keep things simple when I play. E games open up way too many variables, especially with the Rauschenberg rule set!

Anyway, just because this opening worked for ol' Atlee doesn't mean it'll work for you [murray]! Using the Haversham Break, whilst moving to West Kensington (a simple move in any case) I can also declare Foul Weather at Wimbledon, in other words closing the rear-side laterals.

[Mr stabby]

fine ill sit out till the next round :(

[malcolio]

You never know, Dakano might drop out and you can fill a place. Besides [murray] is the chairman of this match, he might want to make things interesting. :D

[[murray]]

If you knew your Rauschenberg stabby you would know that as per the Jutland amendment that came in to place in 1965 new players are permitted to enter the game before the 5th turn provided no player has invoked a dispute of sportsmanship or advanced along any of the 5 main splines. You're in with a wildcard ticket!

[Mr stabby]

sweet

I'm gonna use the ticket to my full advantage by playing Chancery Lane and King George V.
Catch me if you can...

[[murray]]

There is a definite advantage there. As the best defence is a good offence, I will not mess around and head down the front laterals, setting up a comfortable base camp at High Barnet

[malcolio]

Argh, I'd hope this wouldn't happen. stabby has taken my FW@W to make a double-jumper, which screws up my strategy and helped himself and [murray]. A torpid nexus! Jolly clever but the Jutland amendment also lets me revoke my own Foul Weather at Wimbledon declaration! With my laterals clear I can choose Great Portland Street.

[Dakano]

i'll sit this one out...

[[murray]]

Come on guys lets keep it going!

[CodingTim]

So, Great Portland Street.

I think that lets me invoke Crompton's 'Parisian' rule (1971?), which closes off quite a few of [murray]'s options (but is probably of advantage to malcolio - I'm not sure about Mr Stabby).

So, let's take a trip to Finchley Road

[Mr stabby]

Was that a total fluke or a bluff?

I know its early but because Tims first move was at Finchley Road, I'm gonna have to use my first othername and go to Cyprus of the DLR line.

[[murray]]

DLR play is questionable stabby but allowable as its an exhibition match. If this was a league match I'd have rung your mother and told her you're a naughty boy by now...

That play leaves me with but two options, take Ruislip and risk leaving my rearside splines open to jumbling or be bold and counter stabby's move, retreating to a more comfortable position, in command of several potential rotisseries at Notting Hill Gate. Second option it is. This puts me in command of 3 lines and allows me to invoke maintenance delays at all stations occupied by the other players. I do love Notting Hill Gate

[malcolio]

Wow, that was a bit harsh wasn't it [murray]? I think I'll have to follow Willie Rushton's move in the '89 UK championship, and go to Dollis Hill!

[Littleshore]

I have never played this game, been to london or red anything about any rules and don't understand one bit of the gameplay, but man this is exciting

[malcolio]

It's a pretty simple game but there are so many varients and admendments that I guess it can get pretty complicated to non-players. If you think this is exciting Littleshore wait until you see how this Dollis Hill loop is cracked!

[CodingTim]

Bah, Dollis Hill. Hopefully we can get something going to break the loop in the next move or so, but I'm stuck here for now. [murray]'s maintenance delays might come in useful here, but we'll have to see what he does.

To begin freeing things up, I'll declare a fare increase in the first quadrant, to last for five moves, and as per Robertson's amendment to the ruleset, I'll also declare that the Piccadilly line is closed for maintenance for the next two moves as well.

However, for now I'll have to play Dollis Hill

[[murray]]

Oh lord not the Dollis Hill loop. I've not been stuck in this for many a year. Given my remarkable lack of forethought in the failure to play my oyster bonus in the last round I also am rather unfortunately stuck at Dollis Hill

[Disgruntledgoat]

This is a cracking exhibition play!

I would love to sign up for this league, assuming it will ever start with this ridiculous dollis hill loop getting everyone stuck.

What makes it even worse is that half your options are gone as there is no longer an interchange between Bank and Monument! Good luck everyone.

[malcolio]

Hmph. I was going to make a double-blind jump to Osterley to clear the loop (a little known advantage of declaring Crompton's 'Parisian' rule) but thanks to CodingTim the Picadilly Line is a no-go for me. :( So for now I'm stuck at Dollis Hill.

[[murray]]

Right, because there have been sufficient turns since the start of the game I can invoke an INVALID TICKET on malcolio, thus breaking the loop and allowing me to move with easy to Highbury & Islington

[Ozzylator]

A thrilling opening. I can't wait to get in on the action, having spent months touring Surrey in the Guildford Open league, a particularly grueling edition utilising the entire London High Frequency Services map. Some campaigns went on for weeks. It'll do me good to hone my technique back in the classic arena.

[[murray]]

Come on, chaps.

[Ozzylator]

What an unappreciated level of tardiness. Down in Guildford they'd have voided the oysters by now!

[mat-tracteur561]

Is it to late to join?

[Ozzylator]

Slightly too late. Unless the oysters get voided. Of course there's nothing to stop us indulging in our own round.

[[murray]]

Feel free to start up further exhibition matches, but please make a new thread.

Unfortunately due to the ruleset we're playing there is no voiding of oyster cards.

[Ozzylator]

Fair play.

[Disgruntledgoat]

I'm up for a game if someone else sets it up.

Anderlecht variant of the 1974 Higgs-Royston rules to add some speciality interest?

[Ozzylator]

You're on, my son. I'll set one up soonish.