Oversee the Middle Game
From Fallen London Wiki
| A player-created Guide is available for this content: The Chessboard (Guide) |
| Spoiler warning! This page contains details about Fallen London Actions. |
(expand tables below)
Description summary:
The descriptions change depending on 
Progress on the Board, Strategic Weaknesses and 
Positional Advantages.
| Progress on the Board | Moves Left Description |
|---|---|
| 3 | The midgame has begun in earnest. It becomes clearer what territory lies under your control, and what belongs to your opponent. |
| 4 | The game is at the midpoint of play. Captives pile up beside the board. They wail and lament audibly, but no one attends. |
| 5 | Every move becomes more consequential now. It will be the endgame in a few more moves. |
| 6 | Just a little time left. Note the tension in the Embassies. It will be the endgame in two moves. |
| 7 | This is the last step before the endgame. The pieces that remain are all veterans, even if they began as pawns. |
| Strategic Weaknesses | Your Losses Description |
|---|---|
| 0 | You have lost no one. |
| 1 | A captured piece languishes by the side of the board. |
| 2 | A couple of pieces have been taken now. |
| 3 – 5 | Many of your pieces have been captured and are laid out next to the board. |
| 6 | Much of your army is already off the board. The pile of captives and war-dead is growing. |
| 7+ | This fight has inflicted terrible costs. The hospitals cannot attend to all of your wounded. |
| Positional Advantages | Opponent's Losses Description |
|---|---|
| 0 | As for (opponent), they have lost no one. |
| 1 – 2 | As for (opponent), they have kept their losses low. |
| 3 – 4 | As for (opponent), they are starting to feel the losses. |
| 5 – 6 | As for (opponent), they are much weaker than at the start of play. |
| 7 – 8 | As for (opponent), they are suffering badly. |
| 9+ | As for (opponent), their forts are desolated and their spy networks no longer function. |
[Find the rest of the story at https://www.fallenlondon.com]
Unlocked with 
Progress on the Board 3-7
Storylet appears in 
The Chessboard
Options:
Contemplate a losing position
- Spoiler Unlocked with
Strategic Weaknesses more than Positional Advantages
Success
It is hard to hold all the meanings in your mind at once
Nightmares is increasing… (+1 CP)
Contemplate a perfectly equal position
- Spoiler Unlocked with
Positional Advantages equal to Strategic Weaknesses
Success
You gain something, you lose...
^
Contemplate a winning position
- Spoiler Unlocked with Positional Advantages more than Strategic Weaknesses
Challenge information
A matter of luck: It could go either way (success chance: 50%)Success
Spies everywhere
- Nightmares is dropping… (-1 CP)
Failure
Spies everywhere
^
Make a move you know will work
- Spoiler Unlocked with
1 x Moves in the Great Game
Success
Before or after
You've lost 1 x Moves in the Great Game
You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
You've gained 1 x Positional Advantages
You now have ( Positional Advantages - Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses - Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
Play aggressively
- Spoiler
Challenge information
Narrow,
A Player of Chess 3 (50% base) || 0 - high-risk (20%) || 1 - high-risk (30%) || 2 - tough (40%) || 3 - very chancy (50%) || 4 - chancy (60%) || 5 - modest (70%) || 6 - very modest (80%) || 7 - low-risk (90%) || 8 and above - straightforward (100%)Success
Control the board
- You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
- You've gained 3 x Positional Advantages
- You now have ( Positional Advantages - Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses - Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
Failure
Overreaching
- You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
- You've gained 3 x Strategic Weaknesses
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses - Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
- You now have ( Positional Advantages - Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
Play defensively
- Spoiler
Challenge information
Narrow,
A Player of Chess 4 (50% base) || 0 - almost impossible (10%) || 1 - high-risk (20%) || 2 - high-risk (30%) || 3 - tough (40%) || 4 - very chancy (50%) || 5 - chancy (60%) || 6 - modest (70%) || 7 - very modest (80%) || 8 - low-risk (90%) || 9 and above - straightforward (100%)Success
Castle
- You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
- You've lost 1 x Strategic Weaknesses
- You now have ( Positional Advantages- Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses- Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
Alternative Success
Hospital
Wounds is dropping… (-1 CP)- You've lost 1 x Strategic Weaknesses
- You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
- You now have ( Positional Advantages- Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses- Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
Failure
Drawn in
- You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
- You've lost 1 x Positional Advantages
- You now have ( Positional Advantages- Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses- Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
Play a move you learned from the Boatman
- Spoiler Unlocked with
The Boatman's Opponent 40, 
A Player of Chess 2
Challenge information
Narrow,
A Player of Chess 6 (50% base) || 2 and below - almost impossible (10%) || 3 - high-risk (20%) || 4 - high-risk (30%) || 5 - tough (40%) || 6 - very chancy (50%) || 7 - chancy (60%) || 8 - modest (70%) || 9 - very modest (80%) || 10 - low-risk (90%) || 11 and above - straightforward (100%)Success
Attack!
- You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
- You've gained 5 x Positional Advantages
- You now have ( Positional Advantages - Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses - Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
Failure
A net loss
- You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
- You've gained 5 x Strategic Weaknesses
- You now have ( Positional Advantages - Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses - Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
Turn one of their spies
- Spoiler Unlocked with
1 x A Crooked Cross, A Player of Chess 2
Challenge information
Broad,
Persuasive 200 || 137 - very chancy (41%) || 170 - chancy (51%) || 204 - modest (61%) || 237 - very modest (71%) || 270 - low-risk (81%) || 304 - straightforward (91%) || 334 - straightforward (100%)Success
Taking sides
Persuasive is increasing…- You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
- You've gained 3 x Positional Advantages
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses - Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
- You now have ( Positional Advantages - Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
Failure
Turn or be turned
- Persuasive is increasing…
- You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
- You are now playing with red pieces. (Sets
Colour at the Chessboard to 1 - Red) - You've gained 1 x Strategic Weaknesses
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses - Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
- You now have ( Positional Advantages - Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
Kill another of your kind, in passing
- Spoiler Unlocked with
1 x A List of Aliases, Writ in Gant; 2 x A Player of Chess
Challenge information
Broad,
Dangerous 200 || 137 - very chancy (41%) || 170 - chancy (51%) || 204 - modest (61%) || 237 - very modest (71%) || 270 - low-risk (81%) || 304 - straightforward (91%) || 334 - straightforward (100%)Success
Taking sides
Dangerous is increasing…- You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
- You've gained 3 x Positional Advantages
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses - Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
- You now have ( Positional Advantages - Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
Failure
How did that fail?
- Dangerous is increasing…
- You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
- Wounds is increasing… (+2 CP)
- You've gained 1 x Strategic Weaknesses
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses - Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
- You now have ( Positional Advantages - Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
Use your people however proves necessary
- Spoiler Unlocked with
1 x Justificande Coin
Success
A sacrifice demanded
You've lost 1 x Justificande Coin- You've gained 2 x Moves in the Great Game
- You have reached the middle game. (Raises Progress on the Board by 1)
- You've gained 1 x Strategic Weaknesses
- You now have ( Positional Advantages - Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses - Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
Sabotage your side (Black)
- Spoiler Unlocked with
A Player of Chess 2, Colour at the Chessboard exactly 2
Success
A spy exposed
Advancing the Liberation of Night: is dropping… (-3 CP)- You've gained 3 x Strategic Weaknesses
- You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
- You now have ( Positional Advantages - Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses - Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
Sabotage your side (White)
- Spoiler Unlocked with
A Player of Chess 2, Colour at the Chessboard exactly 3
Success
An heir destroyed
- Advancing the Liberation of Night: is increasing… (+3 CP, up to level 50)
- You've gained 3 x Strategic Weaknesses
- You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
- You now have ( Positional Advantages - Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses - Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
Allow yourself to be sacrificed
- Spoiler Unlocked with
Progress on the Board 5
Success
A sacrifice demanded
- The game begins again. (Removes all Progress on the Board)
- You've gained 1 x Justificande Coin
- Your 'Positional Advantages' Quality has gone!
- Your 'Strategic Weaknesses' Quality has gone!
- Wounds is increasing… (+2 CP)
- You are not ahead of your opponent at all. (Removes all
Position on the Board: Distance ahead)
Take advantage of your Intelligence
- Spoiler Unlocked with
1 x Vital Intelligence
Success
The locations of ministers
You've lost 1 x Vital Intelligence- You've gained 1 x Progress on the Board
- You've gained 7 x Positional Advantages
- You now have ( Positional Advantages- Strategic Weaknesses) Position on the Board: Distance ahead
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses- Positional Advantages) Position on the Board: Distance behind
Obliterate your weaknesses
- Spoiler Unlocked with
1 x Society of the Three-Fingered Hand, Progress on the Board exactly 7
Success
Everything according to plan
- This is the endgame. (Raises Progress on the Board by 1)
- Your 'Strategic Weaknesses' Quality has gone!
- You now have ( Positional Advantages - Strategic Weaknesses) x Position on the Board: Distance ahead
- You now have ( Strategic Weaknesses - Positional Advantages) x Position on the Board: Distance behind
