• Power: England
• Group: Splits openings
• When: Spring 1901
• Target SC: Norway
• Aggressive towards: France, Russia
• Orders: F Edi-NWG, F Lon-ENG, A Lpl-Edi

The Grampian Opening is one of three Splits openings. They’re called the Splits because the fleets separate from each other and leave the North Sea empty: F Edi-NWG, F Lon-ENG. In the Grampian Opening, the English army moves to Edinburgh.

I’ve named the Splits openings after mountain ranges. The Grampians are a range of mountains in the east of Scotland (just about). Edinburgh itself is some way south of the Grampians, but the mountains are on the Edinburgh side of the Scottish split.

Why the Splits?

Here’s what could happen with any Splits opening. Well, almost; I’ve added a couple of extra German fleets to illustrate the problem. But with each of the Splits openings, England moves their fleets into the northern and southern most sea spaces they can move to. Germany will order one of three moves:

• F Kie-Den
• F Kie-HEL
• F Kie-Hol

OK, so F Kie-HEL isn’t likely. Heligoland Bight is a good space for a fleet to move to from the North Sea because it puts pressure on three SCs: Denmark, Kiel and Holland. These SCs are either German or considered German (Germany usually captures Holland and Denmark in 1901). It’s also a good space to move to if you are also moving a unit to Holland or Denmark, because it piles more pressure on Kiel. And, if you’re Germany, and you’re wanting to force your way into the North Sea, it can be useful for an additional fleet. However, in Spring 1901 Germany should never be moving to Heligoland Bight: there’s nothing you can do there that you can’t do from either Holland or Denmark.

It shows, however, what England is leading themselves open to: a German fleet bordering an empty North Sea. Look at the North Sea: what do you notice? Edinburgh; London; Belgium; Holland; Denmark; Norway..? Six – SIX! – SCs surrounding the North Sea. From England’s point of view, both London and Edinburgh are within one move.

So, here’s the big question: Just what do you think you’re doing?

There are, perhaps, three reasons you might choose a Splits opening. In no particular order:

1. You’re drunk.
2. You’re new to the game.
3. You can’t make up your mind.

If you’re drunk, you might have mis-clicked and meant to order to the North Sea. If you’re a Diplopup, a novice, perhaps you haven’t yet grasped the importance of the North Sea. If you’re stuck between attacking France, or trying for Norway, perhaps you thought you’d try both.

Why the Grampian Opening?

Let’s start in the south. F Lon-ENG is usually anti-French, as you’d expect. The chances are that you’ve moved to the Channel without France’s permission. You’ve got away with the risky move; as I discussed when looking at the Leith Opening, should France have ordered F Bre-ENG, then you’ve really messed up. The two fleets would have bounced and, frankly, not moving your fleets out to sea as England is a huge error.

But, having got there, in the scenario above, France can only defend Brest by ordering F MAO-Bre in Fall 1901. Often, if you decided to order F ENG-Bre, you would have a good chance of taking it.

This is the same for each Splits opening and each Southern opening (when F Lon-ENG is a common move in S01). So it has to be asked, what is the advantage of ordering F Edi-NWG, rather than F Edi-NTH, in S01?

Well, simply, there isn’t one. The Leith Opening (and the Ouse Opening) give you exactly the same options for your army. The difference is that, with the Grampian Opening, you’ve left the North Sea open! If you’re looking to order F NWG C Edi-Nwy, this could have been done just as well with either F NTH C Edi-Nwy or F NTH C Yor-Nwy… and have a fleet in the North Sea!

Apart from Clyde, there is nowhere else for A(Lpl) to be convoyed. And, let’s face it, if you aren’t intending to convoy your army anywhere, why move it to Edinburgh in the first place?

One other thing to point out. Again, as with the Southern openings, you can’t guarantee taking Norway. With the Grampian Opening, you’re clearly signalling that you’re going to try F NWG C Edi-Nwy. Should Russia have ordered A Mos-Stp, as they have above, they’re going to stop that. If they haven’t, you’ve pissed them off with this opening – no Russia wants an army in Norway in F01. Yep, you’ve angered both France and Russia.

Honestly, I can’t really see any redeeming factors for the Grampian Opening when comparing it to any Northern or Southern opening.

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POSTS IN THIS SERIES

• England’s Opening Moves – Introduction
• Churchill Opening
• Jorvik Opening
• Leith Opening
• Ouse Opening
• Severn Opening
• Grampian Opening
• Pennine Opening
• Snowdonia Opening
• Western Opening
• Yorkshire Pudding Opening