Post by Tim Dormer on Sept 3, 2016 3:35:42 GMT
Well last week happened and nu Amsterdam was reduced to a tribe of one. As I said last week I feel bad they are out, but I do think it’s the best situation for me as I feel I am strong candidate for both of their votes. I was on a tribe with Cody, so all he knows of the merge tribe are I, Natalie and Dustin. Jasmine has only been on a tribe with Jac, Ian and Kathy. However she has seen me, Carrie and Burnie on Exile Island. I feel that bodes well for my chances.
A couple of key things happened with my strategy this week. First off I wanted to clear the air with Natalie. She voted against me and I wanted her to know that I don't hold it against her. You never know, her vote might be useful to me in the coming weeks. She isn't my immediate target, but she is not someone I want to sit at the end with. Look at that resume. She was cool with it and apologized for voting for me. She very clearly (and should) feel on the outs. She needs to work hard because this tribe (minus Jaclyn and Kathy) worked our asses off to get to this point through challenge victories.
I feel like this is very different merge then any of the game I have played (that or I have a really shitty memory). Nu Bruxelle never going to a tribal council means there is no foundation for loyalty. We haven't had to survive a tribal together. This merge is basically a giant reset on the game. If we are keeping stats there are 3 original Luxembourg’s (Jaclyn, Kathy, Ian), 3 original Amsterdam’s (Natalie, Dustin and myself) and 4 original Bruxelle's (Carrie, Dorothy, Burnie, Julia). There is also 9 nu Bruxelle’s to the 1 nu Amsterdam.
The challenge this week was a big brother mini. I purposefully did not attend this. I have played this challenge twice in other series and went home the weeks it was played. This is a terrible challenge if you don't have a brain on your shoulders, enough to hide your loyalties. It is fantastic though to see game dynamics happen at a fast pace like that. I learned several things from reviewing the challenge. Amsterdam was capable of getting picked off; Kathy is good at mini's and people get butt hurt when they get sent out over a game. A couple of players expressed their dissatisfaction with other members of the cast during the challenge. Dustin was mad at Carrie, Jaclyn was pissed to be first out and Natalie was scared. People getting bitter over a challenge, great. This shows me who is potentially a bitter juror. Burnie winds up winning the challenge, great everyone likes Burnie, I already knew that. I was not someone who wanted my game to be exposed by this challenge. I took the opportunity to abstain strategically. I could have made it if I really felt like it was important. Why blow up your own strategy when you know everyone wants Kathy as the next boot? Let’s talk about something else though.
One of the important conversations I had this week was with Julia. Now, who knows if her information is credible but if it is, she definitely goes up in my book. What I may or may not have alluded to in earlier confessionals is I have been cultivating a friendly relationship between Julia and myself for a couple of weeks. She seems to trust me. I was initially wary due to Shelli informing me that she was aligned with Julia and Dorothy. So I was scared to tell Julia anything of any real important in fear it got back to Dorothy. Anyway, she told me that Burnie and Dorothy thought I had the idol and were planning on blindsiding me in the future. Now I had my suspicions of Burnie working with the girls but Julia basically confirmed it. I am appreciative that she told me, as I have not really had a game connection with either of them in the game. My big problem is Ian is so far up Burnies butt. How do I go back getting rid of Burnie in the future without turning Ian against me? Julia assures me that Kathy and Natalie are bigger concerns for them at this point in time. If this is some elaborate plan by Julia to throw me off, she did a great job of working me today. I believe a lot of what she told me.
I feel like in addition to Julia's relationship, Dustin and I have done a good job of keeping our friendship secret. I don't mention him in any conversations with other people. However we both feel left by the way side at this point. I feel like Dustin and I being seen as distant to one another will allow us to keep each other informed when the other might be in trouble. I also am maintaining strong ties with Carrie.
One of my reasons I am having a successful social game right now is because I do a lot to assure people I have there back, but I also give no one any information. Very few names have come out of my mouth. People in this game have a tendency to blabber secrets. Everyone has a different opinion on who has the idols. I just have to keep deflecting things until it becomes useful for people to know that I have it. So the best players are the ones who keep it shut.
That being said I do feel I screwed up. I told Ian to be wary of Burnie and how I heard he was trying to blindside me (doing specifically what Julia asked me not to). I know this is a gamble, but i feel like my hunches were reaffirmed later on in the evening. Ian approached me about an alliance with him and Burnie. I feel like this is to keep me off of Burnies ass. Smart of them to think of that tactic. You can't really decline alliances so I will grin and bear it as long as possible until it is the right time for me to make my move.
Now I think I figured out the key to this exile twist being beneficial to my game. I can't afford to send my allies to exile. When I want to make my move, I have to send someone who is not going to vote with me. If I am able to split up Burnie and Dorothy (one on exile), the other because prime pickings for a blindside.
For now it seems like a resounding peace treaty this week due to people wanting to honor the game and take out the least deserving person left in Kathy. I would love to see Jaclyn follow suit. I would like to see Natalie stay a round or too, I just don't want her to make an impact on the merge, too dangerous with her current set of credentials.
Bootlist:
1. Kathy
2. Jaclyn
3. Dorothy
4. Burnie
5. Natalie
6. Ian
7. Julia (big jump up my loyalty list)
8. Dustin
9. Carrie.
Until next week strangers.