Think Outside The Box

by **Alexander Faircroft** on February 14th, 2016, 6:22 am

64th Winter 515AV

11:03AM

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

The chill winds blew once again the sound of the lives lost in the snows echoing along with them, whispering with Alex’s muddled thoughts. He stepped into Ser Greyhearts office. A look of a man filled with renewed vigour and sense of affirmation in him. He strode over to the edge of the desk, sitting opposite Greyheart he smiled.
“Well you’re looking brighter than the last time I saw you Alex. I take it things are going well?” Alex nodded at his patrons kind words. “Much. In fact I was wondering if I could take you on in a game of strategy?” Alex looked over at Greyheart with an air of confidence. Greyheart then produced a board sixty four squares half black half white and thirty two pieces of finely carved wood. Half white, half black.

“First or second?” Alex looked over the pieces the tree, the knights, the clerics, the lord knight, the mage knights and the squires. He weighed his options and looked over the pieces. “Second.” Alex placed the pieces in order in front of him his patron mirroring his placements. “You know the rules squire. Now let’s see how much you’ve learnt.” Greyheart looked over his protégé and smirked. Alex had never beaten him at this but today something About Alex was different. He’d learnt something.

Sebastian picked up the Mage Pawn and slid it two squares forwards. Alex paused a moment considering his options. His fingers brushed lightly atop the pieces as he selected his move.
I can attack all out or I can lay a plan. Plans are the better options as last time I tried a full frontal assault it didn’t go well.
Alex picked up the squire in front of his cleric and slid it forwards one square. I’m gonna try it from this angle and see what happens. With a swift flash of his patron’s eyes over the board the knight leapt over the squires and now had free reign, and he now had to be careful. His patron wasn’t going to take things easy on him.
Alright so he’s got the knight so if I do this? Alex slid forwards the squire in front of the mage knight on the opposite side of his patron’s one square. He was planning a simple but effective strategy that hopefully could bag him the win. With minimal sacrifices.

The Move even stumped his patron who hesitated a moment and then slid his squire in front of the opposite knight forwards two squares. His patron was going for a direct pressure assault and Alex was waiting for him to slip up. To leave a crack in his defences that he could exploit. Next motion forwards as the squire in front of the night to his right. “Ser Greyheart I intend to win this one.” A small smile of a plan crept onto Alex’s face But what he didn’t realize was how easily Greyheart could shut him down at any moment he felt he needed too.

Key :

by **Alexander Faircroft** on February 14th, 2016, 9:31 pm

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

Greyheart shifted the Squire in front of his lord forward by two spaces. A bold strategy from His patron yet unlike anything Alex was used too. Normally Alex was the one making rash and bold moves in an attempt to confuse his opponent but now it was the other way around. Alex ran his fingers over the pieces finally deciding to shift the squire in front of his mage knight that hadn’t moved yet forwards two spaces to meet his patron’s squire. Was that the right move? I mean I’m protected on all fronts for the time being but I get this ominous feeling that he’s got a trick up his sleeve.

His patron’s cleric shifted forwards two spaces as well. He was assaulting him in a direct attack whilst Alex was setting up a defensive line. His patron was probing it for cracks and flaws on the defence whilst Alex was looking for flaws in the assault. Alex had a lot to learn but he got a feeling that his patron was simply testing him. Trying his patience to see if he would crack but no. Alex slid the squire in front of his cleric forwards just one space. Setting up a jagged defence. A special formation set up. Alex smiled as he heard his patron speak.
“Interesting tactics but holding back your big pieces is just a good way to lose them.” As if to punctuate hi his patron’s cleric slid out and in front of his tree’s squire. A firm offence and a solid defence. Alex paused a moment processing this. Waiting. Thinking. How about if I do something like this? That could work? He jumped his knight out now in front of the cleric on his right side. Next to his lord knight.

Greyheart looked down at the board. Considering his options Greyheart leapt his remaining knight out in front of his mage. Now both knights free to cause havoc Alex slid his mage up behind his squire. Right I’ve got to set up a solid defence with these pieces and I need to make sure that I get the best win possible. But this isn’t going to be easy…How is he going to attack now? “Ser. Mind if I ask if you’re playing me, or playing with me?” A small chuckle emanated from Greyheart.
“Alex, you play the player as much as you play the game. Read your opponent. I taught you how in the card game didn’t I?”

by **Alexander Faircroft** on February 17th, 2016, 2:38 am

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

Greyheart was right. All the time he’d been teaching Alex he’d been teaching him not to react to how people acted but to force them to cast in a way that would benefit him. Alex watched the fingers of his patron brush over his pieces as he contemplated his next move. Alex was still reacting rather than causing Greyheart to act in a way which would benefit him. Alex ran his fingers over his chin watching almost trying to give a small facial lie as Greyheart selected a piece. Jumping his knight between his two advanced squires. The next few moves passed without incident as the battlefield of the game shifted. Alex had lost several squires and a knight and Sebastian had lost a mage and two squires. Waiting for his patron to move Alex picked up the pieces he’d taken and tossed a few into the air letting them fall before tossing another. A few times they clattered against the table as was his desire, to provide some kind of distraction.

Again and again the pieces fell but his patron held a focus through it. A centred calm almost like it wasn’t even registering on his senses. And eventually Alex managed to throw one up as he caught the other, a small rotation of juggling. When he looked back he saw that his patron was waiting for his move. Alex looked back at the board. He was in a bad spot but had one key advantage. He still had both mages. “So Ser. If I might ask, why have you been teaching me to manipulate people?” A look of curiosity in his eye. As he shifted his mage to position for a strike at his cleric. A difficult shift in conversation for his patron. “Alex…It’s because you’re too soft. And that softness is going to put you in a bad place one day. You’ve gotta learn how to adjust thinks to how you want them to be. Or you’re going to end up doing something you don’t want too.” With that Greyheart removed the mage of Alex’s from the board. "And psychological games only work when your opponent is weak minded.”

Greyheart had seen through his strategy and felt him a blow to his own confidence. Perhaps he needed a shift in tactic? Or maybe he was just destined to lose? Alex shook his head. He slipped his knight up and removed his patron’s cleric anyway. Maybe not the one he’d wanted but one of them. “There’s always another way.” Alex stated with a hard tone like he was talking about more than just the game. Grey heart spoke quietly and slipped his lord knight to remove Alex’s knight. “There’s only ever one choice, and always put yourself in the place to make it. Check” Greyhearts simple moves had shattered his defences and show him yet again where he lacked. Alex slipped his tree out of the line of fire and bout himself a turn only to see another squire fall. “You’re so focused on not losing you don’t think about how to win.”

Solo Think Outside The Box