The 2018 AAR of the Year is...

[coz1]

We are now down to the last awAARd in our nearly four month odyssey. I promise to say more in the main thread once we are done, but let's not waste time and finally get to these winners! As mentioned, this was not a particularly close race for first but that is likely due to so many AARs being nominated. 15 voters selected an astonishing 52 different AARs!!! That means that the love was spread around and while it was not a total runaway, it was a solid win.

The 2018 AAR of the Year is...

The Heavy Crown [Book the Third on the House of Wessex]
by @coz1 in CK2​

Slightly embarrassed, frankly, yet again as I do not run these to win. Yet also honored to see so many choose my work. To have found your vote in light of the many excellent works I am about to list...it is humbling, to be sure. Our silver cup was not terribly far behind and is a fan favorite still...

Before Plantagenet - A House d'Anjou AAR
by @JabberJock14 in CK2​

Going strong after a very heavy showing last year, this is definitely a worthy selection! And for Bronze, we can look to none other than...

Talking Turkey: Alternate History from 1936
by @Bullfilter in HoI3​

It is only fitting that our WritAAR of the Year sees such a strong showing and also very well deserved! From there we see a listing of what may be considered the best of the best from our last year. Every nomination is deserved and what separates in the list below may well be only a fraction of a point. In descending order:

Road of Queens - CKII India AAR by @Eurasia (CK2)

Italian Ambitions: A Florence AAR by @JerseyGiants88 (EU4)

Blessed Sithrandir Confederacy - Arise! (Or Not) by @Nikolai (Stellaris)

On Azure Wings - an Apocalypse AAR by @RossN (Stellaris)

North Korea AAR - Adventures of Kim Il-Sung and the PRK by @Heroes&Weirdos (HoI3)

American AAR: AI Experiments in HoI3 by @Eurasia (HoI3)

The Third Odyssey - An Elysian Tale by @Crimson Lionheart (EU4)

The Butterfly Effect: A British AAR by @El Pip (HoI2)

The First Century: An United Nations Stellaris AAR by @cookfl (Stellaris)

Der Adler, der Wolf, und die Sonne: Die Geschichte des Stahlpakts by @Wraith11B (HoI3)

Even Better Hautevilles by @hjarg (Stellaris)

L'Empereur est mort: A French AAR by @RossN (Vic2)

Crossfires, a French AAR for HoI2 Doomsday by @AtlanticFriend (HoI2)

The King's First Minister by @Le Jones (HoI2)

Europa: In the Age of the Fourth Race of Kings by @volksmarschall (EU4)

Whiteshirts of England - A History of Hvitserk Dynasty of Jorvik AAR by @tpmcinty (CK2)

The Eagle, the Pomegranate, the Cross, and the Crescent - Tales from the Wars of Romes by @Mr. Capiatlist (EU4)

The Last Goth by @AlexanderPrimus (CK2)

Hindsight 20/20: a Dutch narrative AAR by @J_Master (HoI4)

Baltic Lightning: a Grand Campaign AAR [HOI4 Branch] by @Centurial (HoI4)

After Everything: A Stellaris Story by @Macavity116 (Stellaris)

A Galaxy Awakes: An Only Primitives AAR by @Mob_Cleaner (Stellaris)

Entering the First Court: Kanem Bornu by @stnylan (EU4)

The Bold Prince by @coz1 (CK2)

The Future of the Red Lion by @stnylan (Stellaris)

The Purge - End Game Start Date 2250, 5x Crisis Strength, Grand Admiral by @Kvinfojoj (Stellaris)

The Wolves of Westseaxna - a tale of Wessex by @Asantahene (CK2)

The Young Wolf - A Stark AGOT AAR by @XavierPeanut1 (CK2)

Blut und Schlacht (Blood and Battle): A Learner’s Saga by @Bullfilter (CK2)

The Hohenzollern Kings of America-A HFM Victoria II AAR by @Baltimorehero33 (Vic2)

The Red Crown: a sAARdinian Tale by @Prominences (CK2)

Peace in a Violent Galaxy: Pacifist Snail Scientists by @GregoryTheGreat (Stellaris)

One Catholic and Apostolic Church ( Papal States with blob restriction) by @mackwolfe (EU4)

Inevitable Defeat - Slovakia '44 by @El Pip (HoI3)

Pax Americana or Guarantor of Peace as USA(England 1.26 on VH) by @mackwolfe (EU4)

Long Live the Permament Revolution! - a Trotskyist Soviet AAR by @ThaHoward (HoI4)

Suenik Reloaded by @iain_a_wilson (CK2)

Deals From Beyond by @Manga_Erudite (Stellaris)

Der Alder auf dem Globus: The Rise of the Third Reich (Edge of Darkness AAR), by @AchtungPanzer (Darkest Hour)

Trek Wars: The Final Frontier Strikes Back by @diskoerekto (Vic2)

Children of the Sath'ka--- reboot, Story of the Tor'van by @jasondroth24 (Stellaris)

A Never Ending Struggle - A Human Stellaris AAR by @crisrko (Stellaris)

The Forgotten Fifth by @alscon (CK2)

My cup of coffee - Yemen will protect the Secret - VH by @Dominion (EU4)

One Empire to rule them all - A Brandenburg into Prussia into German Empire AAR by @Tom D. (EU4)

'Odin' and Stalin's Secret Committee by @roverS3 (HoI3)

"Bitter Fruit" a TFH-AAR by @markkur (HoI3)

Balance of Power - Austria 1.25 AAR by @mackwolfe (EU4)

Per Angusta ad Augusta: a 1097 Aragon Jimena AAR by @Jokerang (CK2)​

Holy hell but that is a lot of AARs!!! I had to check the list three times just to make sure I got everybody! Multiple writAARs are listed for various works, sometimes 3. Every majorly active game is represented (and Darkest Hour!) Every single genre shows on this list, including megacampaign. An amazing collection of works and I hope that your nomination here lets you know that your work is appreciated and enjoyed! More to that, I hope you have enjoyed this years voting and might consider joining in to the full spirit that is AARland. I cannot help but note that many of those that received nominated works did not in fact vote for these AwAARds. It is never imperative, but is surely appreciated and most fun!

In short, your voice counts!

And to those of you that did lend your voice to our little exercise in rewarding one another, your voice most definitely counted! In every single category, we found our winner and often times it was very close. For each person that received your vote, I thank you. I thank those that considered my work and most especially those that considered all of these great AARs!

I am once more honored by this win as it was the culmination of over two years of work (and in three separate AARs.) Not only do I thank those of you that voted for it, but I must thank those that have taken the (rather lengthy and often updated) time to read and comment on it because as I have said often - I could not have completed these AARs without you! (I won't plug the new one...unless you are interested in which case, you can look in my sig. )

And so now...we are done with 2018, AARland! Cheers to you for that effort and well done it was! I shall return in the main voting thread with some further thoughts on themes, possible ideas for the future and perhaps a few issues that need a tending (and I hope that you will lend your voice there as well so we all find the same enjoyment from these awAARds.) This thread is now open to offer your own thanks and congratulations as you so wish. If nothing else, we certainly did get our yayas out this year! Rock on, AARland!

 

[Bullfilter]

Once more, deepest thanks to @coz1 for conducting these awards. And congrats for the very well-deserved win for Heavy Crown! Same to @JabberJock14 for their masterful and always enjoyable Before Plantagenet getting the ‘silver’.

Thanks to all who voted for my stuff and particularly Talking Turkey - my original AAR and the one I still put the most into, though I try never to neglect the others. Into it’s third year now, I hope some day to finish it!

Heartfelt congratulations too to everyone whose work is mentioned in this list. It means your readers feel that for them, it is one of the very best works on the forums. High praise indeed.

 

[Eurasia]

Congrats to all the winners and to all those who voted!

 

[Bullfilter]

Congrats to all the winners and to all those who voted!

And to you too @Eurasia for having two AARs so high in the list

 

[Wraith11B]

Well, I dunno if we're entirely done with 2018... has the Q4 ACAs been decided?

That said, great job to the Victors! It's been great reading.

 

[coz1]

Well, I dunno if we're entirely done with 2018... has the Q4 ACAs been decided?

Decided and completed, just not announced. @loup99 gets busy at times, so it takes a bit for him to compile and list them. But the Yearly nods are over.

 

[Idhrendur]

Congratulations everyone! You're all the reason I keep coming back to these forums.

 

[roverS3]

No need to be embarrassed, your AAR was chosen, for good reason I'm sure, I'll add it to my list of AARs I want to get to reading, @coz1 . I'd like to also give you the awAARd of 'Best Yearly awAARds host of 2018', you certainly deserve it.

 

[Tom D.]

My congratulations to all the winners and nominated, all rightfully in the list and thanks to those who voted for my AAR as well.

 

[El Pip]

Slightly embarrassed, frankly, yet again as I do not run these to win.

I believe you @coz1. No-one else does, but I do. ( )

Congratulations on a very well deserved win and to the rest of the top three. And a tip of the hat to everyone who made the list, motivating someone to vote is an achievement in itself - just look at some of the other categories for proof of that.

 

[Nikolai]

No reason to be embarassed, my friend. Your AARs are top notch and are awAARded on that record, not your running of the awAARds. Congrats to you @coz1 and all other winners! And thanks to all those who voted me to a surprising #6!

 

[stnylan]

Well done my friend. The votes fall as they will

 

[Specialist290]

Congrats @coz1!

I've been somewhat remiss myself in commenting on these threads so late (and forgetting to vote ), but I want to add my own congratulations to the general chorus, not just for the winners but for all those whose works were deemed worthy of mention. Each vote represents the fact that someone not only deemed your AAR worthy of their praise and attention, but felt that it was worth being acclaimed as something that represents the highest and best of the storyteller's craft here on AARland, and that all the other readers here should recognize it as such.