Mornington Crescent

[kmusser]

Ok, since I mentioned it - it's been a long time since we had a game of Mornington Crescent here and I think we're overdue. Hopefully some of my regular players are still reading. Just in case we have newbies we'll stick to the standard rules, no reverse shunts, obviously trans-atlantic errata would be in effect.

I'll start us off:

Elephant & Castle

Comments

[balthazar99.livejournal.com]

I'm willing to give it a shot, although after that last trouncing I must be some sort of masochist.

Just to clarify, though: are you ruling out reverse shunts on the deep-level lines as well? Because that cuts out the entire Charing Cross gambit, which (IMHO) isn't too difficult even for newbies to follow, and really serves to illustrate the midgame strategy. But your game, your rules, I suppose.

Anyway, it doesn't affect my first move:

Marble Arch

[kmusser]

That would be like you, just fling people into the deep end. There's still plenty of strategy to be had. Russell's redacted move below puts Waterloo in flux. Considering that, I don't want to risk getting trapped. I'll punt:

Earls Court

[rikchik.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of rusty but I think I remember the basics. I know there was a ruling about Thames contraversions in 2007 but hopefully it won't affect this move:

Uxbridge

[lizkayl.livejournal.com]

Having absolutely no clue what I'm doing, I'm going to make a move anyway:

Tottenham Court Road. Yeah, you wish you'd said Tottenham first.

[balthazar99.livejournal.com]

You're going to have to work harder than that if you want to convince us that you haven't played before. Uxbridge-Tottenham Court isn't exactly an obvious play.

And given only three possible options from there, I'm going to have to go with:

Oxford Circus

and hope that nobody sees (or Google's) the exchange possibilities.

[lizkayl.livejournal.com]

Although, if you notice the threading, you'll see that Tottenham was actually the counter to Earls Court- I was just slower than rikchik (drat hir!).

And Earls Court to Tottenham is the obvious choice.

[radiant-one.livejournal.com]

Westminster.

[kmusser]

Radiant one has closed our divergent thread (allowed under the Victoria protocal of 1964). That nicely blocks Balthazars little exchange gambit. I'll do a sideshunt over to:

Aldgate East

[radiant-one.livejournal.com]

Bermondsey is nice this time of year.

[drjon.livejournal.com]

Whitechapel.

Which was, in hindsight, astute, as I had a BR sandwich, and was unexpected forced to retire to Royal London midgame, with acute sudden-onset scurvy.

[lizkayl.livejournal.com]

Moorgate is the proper counter for Whitechapel, although probably politically incorrect.

[kmusser]

Not only that but it leaves the the gate dimensional portal open, which I'll happily take advantage of:

Highgate

all Piccadilly Line stations are now quartered.

[drjon.livejournal.com]

A LITTLE SYMPATHY HERE, PLEASE!

/acutescurvy

[lizkayl.livejournal.com]

Then Covent Garden might have the cure.

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

Time for a District Line Feint...

Hornchurch

[winterbadger]

Just to introduce an unexpected factor here, I'll play: Cowcaddens.

Karl, something odd is happening with your Journal. Or something normal, which is unlike the display properties of other journals....

[killernurd.livejournal.com]

The number of passengers on the train waiting to transfer to an airline has reached critical mass, which triggers Stratford's Corollary, so the next stop is:

Heathrow

[chuck-lw.livejournal.com]

Going in the other direction -- in fact, elbowing their way through your aforementioned transfers -- will be a family of four, all wearing stars-and-stripes baseball caps and sweatshirts bearing the name and mascot of their favorite Southeastern Conference football team. Firmly entrenched in their heads -- you won't be able to tell them otherwise -- will be the knowledge of a destination they're all convinced exists.

Burningham Castle

[kmusser]

Resetting comments so the LJ formatting can handle them better - game continues below.

[russell-moore.livejournal.com]

* edit - never mind

GIP

[radiant-one.livejournal.com]

Should I want to know if there are rules somewhere?

Re: GIP

[kmusser]

No *grin* you should be able to pick it up, everything you need is in your icon. If you do want spoilers there is Wikipedia.

[lizkayl.livejournal.com]

It would be easier for me if there was a DC version. Maybe called Grosvenor–Strathmore

[killernurd.livejournal.com]

We've done it before - just call it 'Mornington Crescent', so people know what the heck you're talking about, and specify which subway map you're using :)

[kmusser]

Continued from Chuck_lw's move:

That's a bold maneuver, using tourists for strategic gain. Instead we'll send them to:

Cockfosters

Legal move via the reality splicing verdict.

[rikchik.livejournal.com]

Sure, but the tourists will bust out laughing at the name so Piccadilly line is reconstituted, allowing a depot exchange.

Northfields

[ravenrose.livejournal.com]

You think you are clever.. you think you have me boxed in even befor I start... but you have all missed the Old Rhyming Slang Standard...

Take the rubics to East Acton