Book 2 - Page 15

[Goshen]

Best written update ever.

[theseus2x]

However, Erfworld is not chess. The number of variables makes chess look like tic-tac-toe. Battles are not only difficult to predict, but there's always the possibility of a factor coming in out of left field. Why did Ansom loose the Battle for Gobwin Knob? Because he failed to account for Parson, but he had no way TO account for Parson. When Parson hinted at a strong wall defense, Ansom believed it and modified his plans to what his enemy was doing. Had he followed strict convention like Weibnar wanted, he'd have won.

You take the term "Chess Master" literally, but chess strategy is more about logic and problem-solving. Move and counter-move. Your enemy makes Move X, you need to figure out the best response : Move Y. Its outside-the-box potential may not be comparable to some other games / simulations, but it can teach you a lot about discerning the correct response as opposed to blindly beating the same drum again and again : "This turn, we smash them! Next turn... we smash them!" etc.

Stanley could learn a lot from playing chess.

[asparagus]

Well, IF Wanda couldn't start a side on her own (and decrypted Ansom couldn't have helped, probably he had lost heir status) at the end of Book 1, that would certainly make sense. (If she could have started her own side she could have gone looking for Jillian at her leisure anyway).

So that's a satisfying answer.

No. It is not a satisfying answer. I think people are right that Wanda shows no inclination to start her own side. However I think she will offer Jillian the following deal. "Faq breaks alliance with the RCC and helps her sack Spacerock, then they fly back to Gobwin Knob where she will be escorted to meet Stanley as a conquering hero. At that point she is free to croak Stanley and absorb Gobwin Knob, Unaroyal and Jetstone into a new Faqing Empire and Wanda will make sure it works and seize the hammer. Both then get what they ultimately want and will go onto side by side to conquer the whole of erfworld." We also know that Wanda is not subject to natural thinkamancy loyalty spells. Jillian will not buy this but will take two full colour updates to come to a decision and Charlie will probably play a decisive role in her decision.

So I got this half right! It's Jillian who makes the offer.

[theseus2x]

Good call!