Upon arrival, I am immediately told that Quadmaniac wants to play and that since I am the observer, I must leave. Well, there are only two ways out of that predicament, and I didn't want to leave, so I offered to BattleReport the game. Of course, that got everyone all excited, and the clock began winding down.

As a side note, I have never reported a game with over four players, so this was a challenge to me. Bear with me if I am a bit vague and/or inaccurate on build orders and early development, as there was much to keep track of and I always like to comment on games as they are in progress :(.

The map: Wheel of War - A relatively unused map sitting in the Brood War Directory. The map as the eight mains surrounding the center, with ten expansions surrounding the outside of the map. The exception is a large mineral patch in the center accessible by air only. The patches can be mined from the top, bottom, left, and right areas, each area also including a vespene geyser, so I will refer to them as separate expansions. So now, presenting aerial footage of the map along with all the starting positions and races.

BUILD ORDERS:

• ((((Protoss)))) - Pylon, Pylon, Gateway, Gateway, Gateway, Assimilator, Cybernetics Core
• B@r - Pylon, Gateway, Pylon, Assimilator, Cybernetics Core, Expansion Nexus at Outside Expansion, Forge
• Kane- - Pool, Extractor, Hatchery, Two Sunkens, Lair, Expansion Hatchery at Outside Expansion, Expansion Hatchery at Outside Expansion
• WillWinForFood - Depot, Barracks, Refinery, Depot, Factory, Factory
• $trike_Force$ - Pool, Expansion Hatchery at Outside Expansion, Two Sunkens in Main, Extractor, Evolution Chamber
• BlackAdder - Pylon, Gateway, Assimilator, Cybernetics Core, Pylon, Citadel of Adun, Pylon, Templar Archives, Gateway
• JawaAvenger - Extractor, Pool, Lair, Sunken, Hydralisk Den, Expansion Hatchery at Outside Expansion, Expansion Hatchery at Right Central Expansion

Let's get down to the Nitty-Gritty

As often is the case in FreeForAlls, multiple things happen at the same time, in this case a group of Kane-'s zerglings intercepting some vultures and a tank belonging to WillWinForFood. The Terran units are utterly raped, and don't even deserve a picture :(.

Also, JawaAvenger has now added another hatchery at his main and a spire, and has started the production of mutalisks, which a brown probe soon discovers. JawaAvenger's response is to send his mutas on a probe raid at BlackAdder's main, massacring the probes and a pair of dragoons before being driven off by BlackAdder's other dragoons.

At this time, ((((Protoss)))) is still beating down B@r's main, but B@r salvages some pride by sending in a dark templar to annoy the red dragoons. The main is still destroyed, but at a rather high cost to ((((Protoss)))).

Now, JawaAvenger's hydras stumble upon a just-finished BlackAdder Nexus bang on it until being driven off by some Dark Templar. At the same time, some of $trike_Force$'s zerglings come across one of Kane-'s expansions, but are defeated by a trio of sunkens. $trike_Force$ then moves some hydras outside of that expansion and begins to morph some lurkers.

The Action escalates (You thought it couldn't?)

JawaAvenger now makes another strike at BlackAdder's expansion, this time with hydras and mutalisks combined and with overlord support, and he is successful in razing it to the ground. He (JawaAvenger) then adds a queen's nest and three evolution chambers, also eventually morphing a hive.

((((Protoss)))) now strikes on B@r's expansion, which he had discovered with a dark templar. However, his dragoon force is still without the aid of observers and is utterly destroyed by a pair of white Dark Templar. Kane- takes this moment to expand to the left central expansion (Yes I know it had nothing to do with the rest of the paragraph, but I'm sure you didn't want to read that by itself :P). ((((Protoss)))) takes an outside expansion, and BlackAdder retakes the one he lost to JawaAvenger. WillWinForFood tries to float a Command Center down to the top central expansion but is intercepted by teal mutalisks. JawaAvenger tries to take that expansion for himself, but a swarm of mutalisks, courtesy of Kane-, forces him to cancel. B@r takes another outside expansion.

((((Protoss)))) now makes another strike at B@r's expansion, this time aided by an observer. However, psionic storm proceeds to own his dragoons, especially as they get caught inside B@r's twisted building formation, and B@r manages to survive and retake his main.

Kane- now takes the left central expansion and is clearly winning with his large pack of mutalisks, but he soon announces, . Deciding to go down in a blaze of glory, he moves his mutalisks over the middle, where they incidentally meet JawaAvenger's pack of mutalisks and devourers. A heated battle follows, with Kane- eventually being the victor.

The mutas then continue on to wreak havoc on JawaAvenger's right central expansion until constant hydralisks and spore colonies drive them away. From there, they continue to beat on WillWinForFood's SCV line. Luckily for WillWinForFood, Kane- finally announces that he officially has to go, also mentioning that he has 5k minerals and 3k gas. He then leaves (what'd you expect?) as purple takes down one of his expansions with a group of hydralisks and zerglings and claims the expansion for himself.

During this time, a ((((Protoss)))) attempt to expand to my old main was denied by a swarm of JawaAvenger's lings. Not to be denied, he re-expands there after JawaAvenger leaves. However, JawaAvenger soon returns with yet another large force, this time made up mostly of hydras, and forces ((((Protoss)))) to cancel the base.

WillWinForFood now lands a barracks in the top left corner of $trike_Force$'s unsuspecting base and begins training infantry. JawaAvenger now takes the top center expansion, becoming the dominant force in this game.

By now, B@r has built back up and sets out on a mission of revenge against ((((Protoss)))) for destroying his main base in the beginning. ((((Protoss)))) is no match for the juggernaut and leaves after putting up a good fight.

And then there were Five...

WillWinForFood spots his opportunity (or rather is forced into the move because of being discovered by overlords) and sends in a decent-sized force of 7 marines and 2 medics from his offensive barracks. They fail horribly against a strong defense.

JawaAvenger resumes his whoring by taking the left central expansion. In my opinion, the game is currently a battle between B@r and JawaAvenger, who haven't seen serious combat and have decent amounts of expansions. Meanwhile, an attemped two-dropship M&M drop on one of $trike_Force$'s expansions is repelled by some hydralisks and zerglings.

WillWinForFood follows this mistake up with another one, sending in vultures at $trike_Force$'s main, only to have them engage sunkens as a result of being on attack-move. He comments

Now B@r sends a minor strike force in three shuttles to attack JawaAvenger's left central expansion, but is driven away by a force of mutalisks and devourers. B@r also expands to another one of the outside expansions. WillWinForFood resumes his aggression, mining the entrance of $trike_Force$'s main and baiting zerglings with vultures. However, the mines are too close together and many are wasted.

B@r again goes on the offensive against JawaAvenger, dispatching a group of zealots, dragoons, and corsairs at JawaAvenger's newly formed expansion at my former main. The force is too much for JawaAvenger, and the expansion is razed to the ground with the loss of two zealots for B@r. I use my last pause as I need to receive a phone call (not that you'd care, I just felt like mentioning that).

There seems to be a conspiracy as BlackAdder also sends a force of dragoons at JawaAvenger's main, but JawaAvenger is able to gather reinforcements from his expansions and hits the attackers from behind, stopping the assault. Almost exactly as the attack ends, B@r launches a new assault of dragoons across the bottom of the map at one of JawaAvenger's outside expansions. JawaAvenger is unable to defend it, and the expansion falls under the constant blow of Plasma shots, but he spots B@r's corsair fleet and points it out to all the other players in the game. At this time, $trike_Force$ also sends a group of mutalisks out and eliminates WillWinForFood's newly established expansion at Kane-'s old main. WillWinForFood gets revenge by eliminating a group of purple overlords with a group of wraiths.

Another attack on $trike_Force$ by WillWinForFood, this time with marines, fails miserably at the hands (do they have hands?) of a flock of mutalisks and sunkens in $trike_Force$'s main.

More Death and Destruction

Unaware of all the other action going on, BlackAdder destroys ((((Protoss))))'s old outside expansion and begins a nexus there, defending it with a group of dragoons, a pair of templar, and an archon.

$trike_Force$ decides that it's time for WillWinForFood to die, and does a massive drop on the back of his main. WillWinForFood tries his best, but he can't beat off the onslaught and concedes, joining me as an observer.

JawaAvenger decides that it's time to get revenge and moves out a swarm of hydras against B@r's expansion in my old main. B@r has a few zealots, but not enough to deal with the 3/3 hydras, and the expansion falls under the constant barrage of hydralisk spines. At the same time, JawaAvenger launches a separate assault of hydras on BlackAdder's main. BlackAdder, like B@r, was suffering a severe shortage of high templar, and the hydralisks knife through the base, destroying everything in sight.

UPDATE:

JawaAvenger is currently the dominating force, holding all four central expansions and a massive swarm of hydralisks. B@r has three bases, but a large standing army, save some much needed templar. BlackAdder is relegated to his bottom middle outside expansion, and a decent-sized force of Protoss ground units there. $trike_Force$ has his main and three outside expansions. He also has a large air force.

As we pick up on the action, BlackAdder sends what's left of his ground forces in on a retaliation attempt at JawaAvenger's main. JawaAvenger's hydras are strewn all over the map, and he scrambles to get them to return, only to meet up with storm. BlackAdder's Dragoons actually succeed in tearing down the proud Teal main.

of JawaAvenger's hydras. Now JawaAvenger sweeps back around the outside counterclockwise, stumbling across a BlackAdder attemps another outside expansion, but this time he is stopped by the remainder mined out BlackAdder expansion, which he razes to the ground.

Now, $trike_Force$ takes Kane-'s old main, and sets his air force out on a mission of destruction. Unluckily for JawaAvenger, $trike_Force$'s eye falls on the four teal central expansions. JawaAvenger is helpless against the rival zerg swarm, and in desparation, starts a hatchery at my old main. However, it seems that B@r had the same idea, and their warping/morphing buildings sit there together for a while. JawaAvenger now sets the remainder of his proud hydralisk army on a mass assault on $trike_Force$'s base. At first, JawaAvenger's upgrades (3/3) are too much for $trike_Force$, and manage to destroy all defenses in the base. However, constant zergling reinforcement do a number on the hydralisks, and the attack is stopped.

$trike_Force$ sends some lings to harass B@r's bottom outside expansion, but is driven off by some dragoons. In retaliation, B@r uses his corsair fleet to collectively own a bunch of $trike_Force$'s overlords. B@r also finally boots JawaAvenger out of my old main, though the expansion was defenseless the whole time.

BlackAdder has now mined out his expansion and possesses a great multitude of probes. What to do then? He creates an assimilator on the vespene geyser at the neighboring expansion and mines it at full efficiency with 20+ probes. And what else to do with all that gas? Why, MASS TEMPLAR of course! BlackAdder begins churning templar out of four gateways and morphing a lot of archons.

Good Things Don't Last Forever...

B@r decides enough is enough and proceeds to own $trike_Force$'s main with a bunch of dragoons, templar, and an archon. However, a separate force of B@r is unfortunate enough to stumble upon the grounds of BlackAdder's templar/archons, and despite gayweb owning the archons, storm is too much for B@r, and his force is decimated with few losses for BlackAdder. However, B@r is able to get some forces into BlackAdder's probe train and destroy it :(.

B@r then tries to enter BlackAdder's base from the right side, but is blanketed with storm after storm, and his force is again destroyed when reinforcing archons arrive.

Now, WillWinForFood decides to get creative...

BlackAdder now takes my main yet again, becoming the 4th player to do so :P. However, B@r soon ambles in and takes it down with a group of dragoons, archons, templar, and corsairs.

By now, $trike_Force$ has mined out, and his expansion attempts are being stopped by B@r, who has observers all over the map. Realizing the situation is hopeless, both $trike_Force$ and BlackAdder concede, leaving B@r (the one who lost his main in the first 10 minutes) as the victor!

Scores and Stuff

Yup, JawaAvenger, who died half an hour before the end had the highest score by 37000+.

Thanks for reading! I hope you had as much fun reading this report as I had making it!