Stranded with Allies

Sup Ozzy! here are some questions for round 14:

1)How are you feeling so far? If i remember correctly this is the farthest you've ever been in the game, learning anything new having gotten this far?

2)You were voted Most likely to win and most likely to be in actual control of the game, does this make you nervous at all that people are on to you?

3)With Val leaving, a lot of things are up in the air with your tribe, where do you think you fit in in all this?

4)After the craziness of that tribal, could you give me a ranking of the people in the game based on most to least trustworthy?

I'll give you a different ranking this time too: Could you also rank to me who you think are the biggest targets on the tribe. Start with the least threatening to the most threatening in the game (as in, who you think the players remaining in the game view as their biggest threats)

Sup Ozzy! here are some questions for round 14:

1)How are you feeling so far? If i remember correctly this is the farthest you've ever been in the game, learning anything new having gotten this far?
Holy shit. First of all, have you ever been mid-challenge and have the power go out? INCLUDING YOUR PHONE'S RECEPTION?! Not very fun I tell ya. And then to try to hop in to see if Heidi had used her necklace and get dragged into a conversation (away from my phone) and then immediately to my presentation so I couldn't even fucking vote. UGH. At least let me make my claim to a side! But oh well, que sera sera.

Yea I was 24th place, then 14th place, now top 8. Feels surreal honestly, I can't believe everything has worked out thus far. And to think, had my tribe lost one more immunity on Pohnpei that I would've been out. It's a great feat to overcome. At least personally. And I will add, honestly, I didn't think I could actually go this far. Like I said in the beginning, I didn't expect to win. I focused on trying to be two steps ahead of the pack, but that doesn't really work 100% of the time. The charts and shit Penner made? Totally void now. It's a round by round game here, and that's something I didn't expect. Every round things shift even if just slightly.

Fishbach was right. Voting blocs.

2)You were voted Most likely to win and most likely to be in actual control of the game, does this make you nervous at all that people are on to you?
Yea not the two I would've picked for me to be named, but I'll take it I guess! It either means one of two things:
A) People actually see me as a threat and actually in control of a lot around here. And that would be gratifying if it were true. But i think it's more likely that it's...
B) People are trying to paint me as a huge threat. Makes me an easier boot down the line, nobody wants to take me to the finals. Kind of shitty. Although if I make it there maybe people will hold onto this line of thought? I think Val might be a good cheerleader for Ozzy in the jury

Also, I saw it in the tribal thread, but I think those questions are definitely telling. And not because that's what people ACTUALLY think the game looks like. But what their perceptions of the tribe's view is like. I think it's more interesting seeing who people thought was the majority than knowing who was the actual majority. I mean Heidi came up a lot on the "Most likely to win the game." Penner was put up for "Who mistakenly thinks they're in control?" Those can be useful to know.

3)With Val leaving, a lot of things are up in the air with your tribe, where do you think you fit in in all this?
Yea that's the question isn't it? It would seem that Sierra-Hayden-Sugar-Nate-Penner-Ozzy are going after one of the two girls (probably Heidi if she doesn't win immunity). So I need to make up with Tammy and Heidi, be honest and open with them (because they would appreciate it) and hope they'd vote for me in a FTC. I think Heidi is just obviously a threat, and she knows it (Heidi if you read this later, you're phenomenal!). Tammy is an ideal FTC goat in my opinion. And not because she sucks, she's fun to talk with and probably builds good connections, but I don't think she has anything to really point to and say, "I did this."

So it would seem Heidi is the next vote. But I wouldn't put it passed Sierra and Hayden to take me out next vote. That is if they haven't been honest about the old pohnpei working together (which they haven't, thanks for not inviting me to your group chat). And it worries me that we just pissed off Tammy and Heidi, because now they don't want to work with me (I assume, will report later) and Sierra/Hayden would be good matchs for a four person alliance. And then just add in Sugar, boom majority. Plus they'd "have" Penner and Nate. So seems like it's building for an Ozzy boot episode next round. I saw this coming, but I also think I can get out of it. Relies a lot on Penner and Nate (dear lord I hope he'd use the idol on me).

4)After the craziness of that tribal, could you give me a ranking of the people in the game based on most to least trustworthy?
Based around MY trust with them, I would say...

1. Penner - shoot the shit, talk strategy, always on a similar wavelength (even if he's sleeping most of the time). I feel like I'm the most honest with Penner as well.
2. Nate - see above. The reason he's lower, honestly, is because he has the idol and is a bigger threat than Penner.
3. Sugar - I think she's in camp Ozzy for now and I'm hoping she would oppose an Ozzy boot episode these next couple of rounds. But I also know she's more the type that as long as it isn't her, she'll most likely go forward with it.
4. Hayden - more so a forced trust between us. I know he's been dishonest a lot with me in the game, so he can't really jump up in my rankings. But he's also someone I would want to have at FTC. I just can't see a scenario that he wins out (maybe Sugar or Tammy?).
5. Sierra - again, another forced trust. I wanted to work with her SO BAD in the beginning and to know that she was totally fucking me over is shitty. But I would hope this is a new page to our chapter. I still think she'll blindside me, but maybe not.
6. Heidi - I ruined a lot of my trust on her end tonight, that's guaranteed.
7. Tammy - we don't really talk game anyway.

I'll give you a different ranking this time too:
Could you also rank to me who you think are the biggest targets on the tribe. Start with the least threatening to the most threatening in the game (as in, who you think the players remaining in the game view as their biggest threats).

Okay so least threatening as other players view everyone...

1. Sugar - Self-explanatory honestly. I think even Sugar knows she'll get to FTC and lose.
2. Tammy - I think she's built decent relationships with people but has made no moves to point to and hasn't given a jury a reason to vote for her (yet that is). Obviously still a lot of time to do so, but part of me just thinks it's too little too late.
3. Hayden - made a couple moves and has been in the background most of the season (from my POV at least), gets along well with everyone. I think his only winning situation is bringing the two above him.
4. Penner - I really think people view Penner as a total sleeper (LOLZ ) but he actually is doing shit in the background. I just don't know if a jury is going to reward him for it because I don't know that they saw it all that well. So less threatening for sure.
5. Nate - found multiple idols, played them well, flipped when he needed to. He's had a decent journey here. From this point forward though he really needs to do something to point to and say, "This was my move."
6. Heidi - almost go swap fucked, moved into a majority alliance, and if she somehow got to FTC now it would be an amazing journey/story. People already view her as someone who could win the season, so she's automatically a threat.
7. Sierra - connections ALL OVER THE FUCKING PLACE, kept herself out of the spotlight when she was on the bottom, now in a prime position to go to the end. She'd take it all, fuck I would vote for her for sure. GG girl.
8. Ozzy - I think people now view me as target numero uno. Based on the survey results (whether they were real or not, people will think about them), had a badass idol play, I guess made some moves (although it would be hard to say, "I did this" for those moves, not really all my ideas just my execution). I hope I'm wrong on this one and that people see me as less of a threat, but who knows.

So this could go a lot of ways, people could team up with threats as shields, people could just get rid of the big threats one by one, after all... it's pretty late in the game, people could not be looking at perceived threats and just focused on making their own moves to stand out.

What can you do as the largest threat (according to your ranking) to make it further?

About to head to bed and will write more tomorrow when I have time (or some point this weekend) but the goal is to paint larger target on the other big threats so I'm perceived as not the biggest threat. I think being mid ground between large threats and goats is my ideal. Not sure exactly yet but something along those lines.

Ozzy wrote:About to head to bed and will write more tomorrow when I have time (or some point this weekend) but the goal is to paint larger target on the other big threats so I'm perceived as not the biggest threat. I think being mid ground between large threats and goats is my ideal. Not sure exactly yet but something along those lines.

As the biggest threat and most likely to win, is it just a matter of getting to the end for you or are you still worried about taking out the other threats?

Jeff Probst wrote:

Ozzy wrote:About to head to bed and will write more tomorrow when I have time (or some point this weekend) but the goal is to paint larger target on the other big threats so I'm perceived as not the biggest threat. I think being mid ground between large threats and goats is my ideal. Not sure exactly yet but something along those lines.

As the biggest threat and most likely to win, is it just a matter of getting to the end for you or are you still worried about taking out the other threats?

Honestly, the focus for me SHOULD be to just get to the end. No matter what. But that's easier said than done, so I think it'll have to be focus on the threats around me. They're the ones going to help me get from this round to the next by either being voted out or helping me vote someone out.

Part of me wants to make an alliance of myself, Heidi, Sierra, and Nate (and Penner? sleeper threat?) and just say, "Listen, we're all threats in different ways, we all stand a chance of winning if at the end. Let's just fucking get rid of the non-entities because we're way more deserving to be here than they are." But that'll never happen so wah wahhh.

Hey Ozzy, considering the technical difficulties concerning the last round for you, you weren't able to vote, would that allow you some leway with the people who were betrayed? Or is it too late and you already picked your side?

Kelly Wigles wrote:Hey Ozzy, considering the technical difficulties concerning the last round for you, you weren't able to vote, would that allow you some leway with the people who were betrayed? Or is it too late and you already picked your side?

I went back and forth last night if I should try to use it to my advantage and make Heidi Tammy think I was still with them but someone else would spill the beans anyway so I was honest with Heidi. Basically saying there's no shot both of us make it to final 2 so I had to make a move against you. I'm hoping that earn respect if she's on the jury and I'm in FTC.

This next vote seems really difficult. I think penned nate and I took the harder route instead of the easier route for some fun (and it's fun don't get me wrong). But already rethinking if we should've just voted sugar.

Is there any chance that you could separate yourself from Penner and Nate?

Kelly Wigles wrote:Is there any chance that you could separate yourself from Penner and Nate?

Yea I think so. I just don't know that now is the time to do that. They both have working relationships with Sierra and Hayden and I'm relying on that for the time being. I really think Heidi is the next vote, just to ensure Sierra and Hayden's trust. But after that I think it'll be time to blindside nate. I'm under the assumption that he has the idol too. Penner is starting to make me doubt it though, if Heidi actually has the idol things get really complicated and I could be the one idoled out. So I need to tread lightly here.

I think moving forward I need to start building up people to think they can beat me. Tell them how I think they could win and that we'd have equal shots. It'll help lower my threat level in the game.

I also need to figure out how to approach Tammy. Heidi and I were close so her apology was easier. Tammy and I, while we had decent convos, aren't on the same level. And seeing how frustrated she was at the val vote, it'll be important that I have a good tactic with her. I'd like to bring her to the end if I can.

Ideally, if everything stayed the same, things would go as follows:

8 players left-
Nate Penner Sierra Hayden Sugar Ozzy would vote out Heidi.
Heidi and Tammy would vote out me.
Heidi goes home.
7 players left-
Penner Ozzy Sierra Hayden Sugar Tammy(?) would vote out Nate.
Nate votes outs whoever.
Nate goes home (with the idol).
6 players left-
Penner Ozzy Sugar Tammy would vote out Hayden.
Hayden and Sierra vote out whoever.
Hayden goes home.
5 players left-
Penner Ozzy Sugar and Tammy would vote out Sierra.
Sierra goes out whoever.
Sierra goes home.
4 players left-
Ozzy Sugar and Tammy would vote out Penner.
Penner votes out Tammy.
Penner goes home.
Final 3-
Ozzy Sugar Tammy.

The Hayden vote would be difficult to pull off because sugar and Tammy could side with them to take out me or Penner. So that vote could change things. But I think the Heidi and Nate votes are good (although both have this looming idol threat over them). So lots of complicated moving parts. If nate has the idol I think he'd use his vote against Penner and not me, so there's something.

Difficult road ahead.

Why would they keep you in so long if you are viewed as the biggest threat, per your words?

Jeff Probst wrote:Why would they keep you in so long if you are viewed as the biggest threat, per your words?

A wild drunk Ozzy appears...

I was thinking about it and I'm pretty sure I fucked myself. By voting our Val, I've alienated Heidi and Tammy (two people that were probably going to be loyal to me for at least another couple rounds and got rid of someone who was on my side) and I've given control to Sierra and Hayden (who are probably loving every bit of this). I'm 100% the next boot. Guaran-fucking-teed. Sierra Hayden and sugar can now pull in Heidi and Tammy and will go after me (or Penner or nate I guess, but with the relationships of those two with Hayden and Sierra, I don't see them doing that). Had I just played it fucking safe and not let the fun of the game get in the way, I probably survive to final 5. Fuck me so hard. I can't believe I was that stupid. Ugh.

The other thoughts I had were ways to get myself out of this fucking mess I've created. And there's no actual good way to do it without jumping around like a fuckwad. Omg fuck me goddamnit.

I could pander to Sierra about keeping players in the game and letting us all duke it out. We get sugar out next and then focus on Tammy and then Hayden. I know she'll never go for it, but maybe I could sway her with a respect of the game speech. No a good fucking option.

I could try to pull a Dan and use the "once I'm out, it'll just go down the line" on Sierra. Play up the fact that she KNOWS she's a threat and people will turn on her. Sugar would be an idiot to take Sierra to the finals. Fuck sugar Hayden and Tammy probably have to bank on going to final three together to even have a goddamn shot. Why would you keep them around to the point where they can take you out? You need ammo on your side, someone who is a bigger threat than you, just get me to final five and you can dispose of me then. But would that even fucking work? Ugh.

I've burned Heidi and Tammy to the point where I don't know that they'll ever want to work with me again. Tammy read my goddamn message and moved on with her life. No way Heidi wants to work with me if she has Tammy in her ear. Fucked that up. And that also means I HAVE to continue with nate and Penner. And the plan was to do that for a time but if I burn another alliance, no way a jury gives me any respect. So I have to fucking move forward with them until it looks okay to burn them. And that means this next round I cannot take nate out, which I'm hoping Penner will be alright with. Ugh.

Quite honestly I think I need Nate's idol. Part of me thinks he would use it (he has to know Hayden and Sierra aren't taking him anywhere) and part of me thinks he wouldn't (he does have trust in those two so why sacrifice that for one person). Have I said fuck yet? Fuck.

I had another idea but I think I lost it. Something about using Penner and Nate. It involves me telling Sierra that I'd rather take out nate and Penner because I know I can't beat them? Fuck I can't remember. It was a good idea too.

In summation- I'm pretty fucked. Everything rides on Sierra. Actually maybe I'm not utilizing my relationship with Sugar more? I think she would keep me around and would pitch hard for Heidi to go next round. I wonder if I could get Sugar to feel so good about our relationship that she pitches to Hayden and Sierra that I'm a good fourth instead of Tammy and Heidi? It would work better if Heidi was still here though. Tammy still has her necklace but maybe she doesn't use it? If she didn't, we could go for Tammy (total UTR threat, made relationships with everyone, hasn't wronged anyone on the jury, yadda yadda). Fuck I need to sleep on this. I don't want to go home in 8th. I refuse to.

Oh oh oh.

Penner and Hayden have a good relationship. They're both UTR types so Hayden would trust what Penner says over what I say. If Penner can get to Hayden and convince him that our three is fractured and that his plan includes blindsiding me at F6 then Hayden could get to Sierra to move with that plan. Takes out Heidi and Tammy in the process.

I go to Sugar and pander that I'm 100% with her and that I have plans to blindside Nate at F6. She's on board for a Heidi boot. And then would pitch for a Tammy boot knowing our three is cracked. They would feel like they could have majority by F6 with either Penner or myself.

Simultaneously, Penner plants seeds about Sierra to Hayden. "There's no way we beat her. We have a much better shot going against nate then we do her." Hayden thinks this can be his move. He took out Sierra - his biggest threat - and can have the jury fawning over him. What a move to be made! I do something similar with Sugar, but focus more on "I know I'm not making it to FTC so help me help you, let's get Sierra out." She'll also know from Hayden that my trio is fractured so they'll have an easy road to finals. They'll have a majority at F5 and get to choose who they want. Sierra goes.

Then at final 5, nate Penner and I can vote Hayden out. We go to final four with Sugar and the best man wins in the FIC. Or we just man up and face each other in FTC without sugar.

This all depends on Penner. He wants to blindside nate next tribal (which is stupid and not helpful to either of us, we're handing the game over to Sierra at that point). So I need him to refocus. I also need to have nate involved in some capacity. He needs to feel like this is the best plan (maybe say we can blindside Penner at F5?). It's dependent upon people actually believing our three is fractured. We are clearly on the bottom and aren't able to go further than 5 all together because we know we can't beat each other.

Maybe it's the booze, but I like this plan best.

Hey Ozzy, are you finished with all your interviews and travelling?

Kelly Wigles wrote:Hey Ozzy, are you finished with all your interviews and travelling?

Unfortunately no. Interviews the rest of today and then basically all day tomorrow. My travels go until the 26th, after this game is done. Big trip for me!

Ozzy wrote:Oh oh oh.

Penner and Hayden have a good relationship. They're both UTR types so Hayden would trust what Penner says over what I say. If Penner can get to Hayden and convince him that our three is fractured and that his plan includes blindsiding me at F6 then Hayden could get to Sierra to move with that plan. Takes out Heidi and Tammy in the process.

I go to Sugar and pander that I'm 100% with her and that I have plans to blindside Nate at F6. She's on board for a Heidi boot. And then would pitch for a Tammy boot knowing our three is cracked. They would feel like they could have majority by F6 with either Penner or myself.

Simultaneously, Penner plants seeds about Sierra to Hayden. "There's no way we beat her. We have a much better shot going against nate then we do her." Hayden thinks this can be his move. He took out Sierra - his biggest threat - and can have the jury fawning over him. What a move to be made! I do something similar with Sugar, but focus more on "I know I'm not making it to FTC so help me help you, let's get Sierra out." She'll also know from Hayden that my trio is fractured so they'll have an easy road to finals. They'll have a majority at F5 and get to choose who they want. Sierra goes.

Then at final 5, nate Penner and I can vote Hayden out. We go to final four with Sugar and the best man wins in the FIC. Or we just man up and face each other in FTC without sugar.

This all depends on Penner. He wants to blindside nate next tribal (which is stupid and not helpful to either of us, we're handing the game over to Sierra at that point). So I need him to refocus. I also need to have nate involved in some capacity. He needs to feel like this is the best plan (maybe say we can blindside Penner at F5?). It's dependent upon people actually believing our three is fractured. We are clearly on the bottom and aren't able to go further than 5 all together because we know we can't beat each other.

Maybe it's the booze, but I like this plan best.

Why would Penner want to keep you around in the final 4?

Penner needs a big threat with him in the final four. He's playing the same game as Faroe and I would be his Candice. A person that he can toss under then bus to the others. If Nate's there with us though he could also be considered a threat for him. I don't know.

I go back and forth on sticking with them. I can't keep burning my allies one by one or else they'll never vote for me. But if I go far with them they'll have better odds to get me out. I need to figure out when the right time to bail is. I feel like my game isn't solid and hasn't been solid this entire way through. I didn't have a Kimmi that I could take with me. So I need to be a Kimmi for others to take and then cut them.

I just think you're past the point of being a Kimmi, to be frank. If you are able to pull off convincing people you are a non threat, that's great! But we just saw that they voted you the biggest threat to win... After being voted that, I would be concerned about being the next person voted off, let alone a final 3 threat.