Thursday, March 27, 2014

March 20, 2014 Session Report

I missed this past week's session, but Co-Host Mike was on hand to provide this report on a very well-attended session:

"We had a great turnout Thursday. We got 6 games in with 12 people! In attendance were: me, Doug H, the new John B (not to be confused with Biker John B), Reggie, Neville, Tim back from Japan, Andrew, Lee, Brian, with Helen, Rembert & Rouslan showing up a bit later.
We started the night with a warm up game of Love Letters as we were waiting for people to show up. After four hands, we wrapped it up with Doug winning 2 hands and Reggie & me each winning one. As more people showed up, we broke into two games. John, Reggie, Neville and I played Union Pacific. The 1st payout really caught me unprepared and the rest of the players got cash and I got zilch. I wasn't able to recover. The rest of the players played a really tight game. The final score was Neville winning with $110, Reggie having $106, John with $105 and I brought up the end with $82.
At the same time, Doug, Brian, Lee, Andrew, Timmy and Helen played Lords of Waterdeep with both of the Skullport expansions. With what I believe were 1st time players, the game took the entire evening (+5 minutes) and Tim pulled out the win with 119 points. The rest of the scores were close with Helen getting 111, Doug 104, Andrew 103, Lee 102 and Brian 93.
While these games were underway, Rembert and Rouslan arrived and broke out a two person game of Can't Stop. Rouslan made a quick grab and claimed 8 but Rembert fought back but did not prevail. Rouslan ended up claiming 4 spots while Rembert could only get three.
When they finished, the UP players joined the Can't Stop players for Bang: The Dice Game. Neville was the Sheriff and Rouslan managed to confuse everyone on whether he was the deputy or not. In the end, the real deputy, Neville, put the last bullet in Rouslan, saving Sheriff Neville. Rouslan, Rembert, Rouslan and I fought the law and the law won. We fought the law and the... law won.
Neville had to leave so Rouslan, Reggie, John, Rembert and I finished the evening with Gipsy King. The game was the closest I've seen with me winning with 46 points. Rouslan came in next with 45, Reggie and John tied with 44 pts and Rembert brought up the rear with 43 pts. I don't think it could've got much closer."

Saturday, March 15, 2014

March 13, 2014 Session Report

After a great week attendance-wise, this session saw a drop in overall attendance to just six, but two were people who missed out on last week's session.  Neville, Patrick, Tim, Lee, Rembert and myself were the attendees.  We got in two games:  Eminent Domain (with the Escalation expansion) and 7 Wonders (with the Cities expansion).  Some details follow/

Eminent Domain:  Neville, who reminded that I had taught him the base game a few years back at EuroQuest, had liked the game enough to buy it as well as the Escalation expansion which adds a fifth player and some new options.  Everyone but Lee had played before, and Lee walked away the winner although Patrick had amassed alot of victory points but hadn't been able to conquer all his planets.  I, too, was stuck with an uncolonized planet or two (having gone the non-military route).  Final scores on this one:  Lee 22 Patrick 20  Neville 15  Tim and John 14

By this time Rembert had arrived and was patiently waiting to get into a game.  We played 7 Wonders, which everyone was familiar with.  Lee had brought both expansions, so we played with the Cities expansion which was new to most of us.  I tried something different and concentrated on the newer black cards, which I had kind of ignored in one previous play with this expansion.  This strategy paid off as I received a nice bonus card in the third age plus I had the fish through the discard Wonder (B side) that got me some free plays as well.  So, I won with my second best score ever (the only higher score was with the other expansion -- Leaders -- using a "big Science" approach.  Final scores:  John 81 Tim 66 (Tim was the big Science guy in this game) Lee 58 Rembert 52 Neville 52 Patrick 46

I am planning an out-of-town trip for next week so co-Host Mike will be back to do the honors next session.

Events coming up:  DERail (March 29-30) in Delaware; GCOM Game Days (first week in May) and the GCOM Family Picnic (this year it's on a Sunday in July).

Saturday, March 8, 2014

March 6, 2014 Session Report

 A huge throng of 15 (!) descended on the Community Center this past Thursday night, including five first-timers, making it one of our largest sessions, attendance-wise, in some time.  The new attendees were Rouslan, John D, Peter, Angel and Wayne -- joined by 10 regular attendees (Mike, Patrick, Ben, Karl, Eric, Ryan, Neville, Rembert, Helen and myself).  We had to ask for an extra table and more chairs, and we had four games going on for most of the session. In all, a total of seven different games were played:  Power Grid (Benelux map), Kolejka, Clash of Cultures, Coal Baron, Bang:  The Dice Game, Gipsy King and Steam Park.

I was at the table which played several games that were played for the first time at the club (to my knowledge).  First up was Kolejka, a game I picked up recently having first seen it played at PrezCon, so it was the first play for everybody.  The game is about standing in line for goods in 1980s Poland, and it would call it similar to a glorified version of the line-jumping game Guillotine with alot more going on.  Anyway, five of us (Karl, Neville, Rembert, Rouslan and myself) took on the game and, after a few moves, we were all comfortable with the rules and the game mechanics.  After one day into the second week, I asked around to see who was closest to the 10 goods needed for victory, and Karl was in the lead, so the rest of us kind of focused on him.  Meanwhile, Neville -- who was being real quiet -- managed to collect four goods to finish out the game as the winner in the very next round!  I had of 8 of my required goods plus an extra to finish second on the tiebreaker ahead of Karl and Rouslan, each of whom had 8, ahead of Rembert, who had 7.  I think this game was well received by all -- looking forward to trying it again soon.

Our group then played Bang: The Dice Game, which Rouslan had brought, and Neville (who was the Sheriff) managed to extend his win streak for another game, joined by Rembert, the loyal deputy.  Rouslan and I, the Outlaws, were quickly found out and Karl, the Renegade, was the last to go.  Game seemed to play alot quicker than the regular Bang.  Then, four of us (Rembert moving over to help finish out a Power Grid game) played Steam Park, which Neville had brought.  This one didn't quite make it to the finish line, but after three of the six rounds, I was in the lead.  Partial scores of John 21, Neville and Karl 11, Rouslan 9.  Neville just had too much dirt in his amusement park and got hit with a -15 penalty.

Power Grid-Benelux was a five-player, consisting of Mike, Eric, Ben, John D, and Eric's son Ryan, with Rembert subbing for the last couple of turns.  Final scores:  Mike 15, John D 14, Ben 13 (12 money), Ryan/Rembert 13 (5 money), Eric 12.   Everyone but Ben stuck around for a second game, Gipsy King, which went to John D.  Scores:  John D 72, Eric 64, Mike 56, Rembert 50.

Helen and Peter played Coal Baron, a game Helen had played the week before that I believe was new to Pete.  Helen put what she had learned to good use, winning by a score of 100 to 45.

The other game was Clash of Cultures, which Patrick had brought.  Angel and Wayne were the other two players.  The game apparently did not finish or, if it did, I did not get a final result to report.  Glancing at the board, it looked like Wayne had been doing well in building cities, while Patrick had a lead in the technology race.

Love to see a similar turnout for next week's session!


February 27, 2014 Session Report

I missed this session (due to PrezCon), but co-Host Mike was on hand and has provided the details for the following report:

Eight in attendance this week:  Mike, Ben, Neville, John B, Eric and son Ryan, Helen and Rembert.  Games played:  Railways of the World (England/Wales map), Coal Baron and Augustus.  Results and a few details follow.

Railways of the World:  Ryan started the game but then John B filled in when Ryan had to leave for basketball practice and finished the last three turns.  Eric's Baron put him over the top when John couldn't complete the requirements for his and Ryan's Baron.  Neville, who had only played once before, was least familiar with the game.  Final scores:  Eric 64 (and 81,000); Ryan/John 59 (and 36,000), Helen 54 (and 46,000) and Neville 36 (and 36,000).

Coal Baron:  Big win for Rembert, ahead of Mike, who has played the game more than anyone.  Scores:  Rembert 132 Mike 111 Ben 96 John B 88

Augustus:  Mike 60 Rembert 58 Ben 30