Big turnout of 14 for this week's session. Mike, Patrick, Doug, Ben A, Lina, Neville, Andrew, Jeff, Rich, Evan, Rembert, Rouslan, first-time attendee Moshe and myself were the participants. We had three tables of games going for most of the session. Games played were Coup: Reformation, Black Fleet, Praetor, Concordia and Love Letter.
Coup-Reformation was played while waiting for folks to show, and we actually wound up with eight players. In order of finish, it was Ben winning, ahead of Jeff, Mike, Lina, Andrew, Neville, myself and Doug who was first knocked out. Thanks to Andrew for clearing up a couple of rules I had messed up.
We then split into three groups for the rest of the evening. At one table, Black Fleet was played, with Evan winning. He had the only positive score (+6) while the three other players (Patrick and Rich at -10 and Rembert at -15) had negative scores. Later on, the group was joined by Moshe and played Love Letter, with Moshe winning (3 to 2 for Rembert and 1 each for Evan and Rich).
Doug had brought Praetor, and Rouslan, Lina and I joined him. Lina and I battled for the lead, but in the end I pulled away. Final scores were John 110, Lina 87, Doug 67, Rouslan 58. I believe we had to pick up the game a round earlier, and everyone thought Rouslan was in a good position to improve his standing if the game had lasted longer.
Finally, a five-player Concordia game barely made it to the finish line. Final scores were Mike 126, Neville 98, Andrew 96, Ben 93, Jeff 83.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
October 9, 2014 Session Report
Eight for this week's session: Mike, Alex, Ben H, John W (back for his second session), Rembert, Neville, Lina and myself (John, to distinguish from the other John with the same last initial) were the attendees. Four games were played: Machi Koro, Splendor, Viva Java: The Dice Game and Legendary Encounters. Some details follow.
We had two groups of four for most of this session. At one table were John W, Mike, Alex and myself. First game up was Machi Koro, which Mike had brought. Alex raced to an early lead, had some good die rolls, and looked like the sure winner but the game did have a catch-up mechanism, and Mike and I began to pull back some ground. I finally managed to eke out the win (first to complete all four advanced cards). Mike and Alex had three of four, I believe John W. had only two. Then we played Viva Java Dice, using just the base research board. John W. had the early lead, and proved tough to catch although Mike had the double block which he used effectively. Unfortunately, John W was too far ahead and managed to claim the victory. Scores were John W. 21, Mike 16, John 15, Alex 8.
At the other table it was Splendor, and three of the four players made it to 15. Final scores: Ben H 19, Lina 17, Rembert 15, Neville 13. The group then tackled a co-op, Legendary Encounters, which Neville had brought. The game-system turned out to be a bit too tough, first claiming Neville and then Rembert. The game had to be picked up at 9 but it looked like the bad guys (the aliens) were winning.
Alex is heading off to Essen next week, so hopefully he has a safe trip and brings back lots of cool new games for us to try.
We had two groups of four for most of this session. At one table were John W, Mike, Alex and myself. First game up was Machi Koro, which Mike had brought. Alex raced to an early lead, had some good die rolls, and looked like the sure winner but the game did have a catch-up mechanism, and Mike and I began to pull back some ground. I finally managed to eke out the win (first to complete all four advanced cards). Mike and Alex had three of four, I believe John W. had only two. Then we played Viva Java Dice, using just the base research board. John W. had the early lead, and proved tough to catch although Mike had the double block which he used effectively. Unfortunately, John W was too far ahead and managed to claim the victory. Scores were John W. 21, Mike 16, John 15, Alex 8.
At the other table it was Splendor, and three of the four players made it to 15. Final scores: Ben H 19, Lina 17, Rembert 15, Neville 13. The group then tackled a co-op, Legendary Encounters, which Neville had brought. The game-system turned out to be a bit too tough, first claiming Neville and then Rembert. The game had to be picked up at 9 but it looked like the bad guys (the aliens) were winning.
Alex is heading off to Essen next week, so hopefully he has a safe trip and brings back lots of cool new games for us to try.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
October 2, 2014 Session Report
Ten for this week's session: Mike, Doug, Jeff, Matt, Neville, Evan, Lina, Stan, myself plus one newcomer to the club (John Wittkamper). We played five different games: Coup, the DC Comics Deck Building Game, Power Grid - Australia, Ticket to Ride and Love Letter.
Coup was a three-player, between Mike, Jeff and myself. I managed to survive and come in first, Jeff was second. We picked the game up as more people began to arrive.
Next game to finish was the DC Comics Deck Building game. Evan won a close one, 36 to 34 for Matt and 33 for Doug. Neville (21) also participated.
Power Grid-Australia was a four-player, won by Mike. Scores (no ties in this one): Mike 17, myself 16, Jeff 15 and the other (new) John W. could only power 13 because the needed coal was unavailable to power his remaining plant.
Ticket to Ride (four player), won by Evan. Scores: Evan 129, Doug 96, Matt 95 Lina 40
Love Letter (unfinished): Lina and Matt 2 Doug 1 Evan 0. Finally, they came up with a game where Evan could be stopped!
Coup was a three-player, between Mike, Jeff and myself. I managed to survive and come in first, Jeff was second. We picked the game up as more people began to arrive.
Next game to finish was the DC Comics Deck Building game. Evan won a close one, 36 to 34 for Matt and 33 for Doug. Neville (21) also participated.
Power Grid-Australia was a four-player, won by Mike. Scores (no ties in this one): Mike 17, myself 16, Jeff 15 and the other (new) John W. could only power 13 because the needed coal was unavailable to power his remaining plant.
Ticket to Ride (four player), won by Evan. Scores: Evan 129, Doug 96, Matt 95 Lina 40
Love Letter (unfinished): Lina and Matt 2 Doug 1 Evan 0. Finally, they came up with a game where Evan could be stopped!
Monday, September 29, 2014
September 25, 2014 Session Report
The group for this session was Tim, Mike, John B, Lina, Alex, Jeff, Eugene, Evan, Neville, Alec and myself; John B and Jeff were back for their third sessions and signed up as GCOM members. Games played were King's Forge, Crude, Russian Railroads, Coup, Sushi Go, Ra and the Game of 49. The eleven of us played at three different tables with little shuffling of the groups throughout the evening.
King's Forge was a four-player, Neville was the winner with 4, Lina second with 3, followed by John B and myself at 2. This same group played Coup, and the results were reversed with John B winning ahead of John W, Lina third and Neville was the first one out, finishing fourth. Then we played 49, won by Lina ahead of John B and Neville, and I was last.
Russian Railroads.was a win for Evan, who scored around 380, defeating Eugene (around 340) and Tim (around 290); scores are approximate as the results did not get reported promptly. The three of them played Ra, won by Tim (51) ahead of Evan (49) and Eugene (31).
The remaining group of four (Alec, Alex, Jeff and Mike) played Crude, which Mike had brought. Alex was a big winner, with 1,090 compared to 673 for Jeff (second), 460 for Alec (third) and 204 (for Mike). Mike's notes say: "All players start with $200. Mike played for 1/2 [hours] and earned $4."
One final game of Sushi Go, and Mike emerged victorious. Scores were Mike 50, Jeff 43, Alec 40. No report on who had the most pudding.
Had a great time at Congress of Gamers this past weekend. Looking ahead to EuroQuest in November.
King's Forge was a four-player, Neville was the winner with 4, Lina second with 3, followed by John B and myself at 2. This same group played Coup, and the results were reversed with John B winning ahead of John W, Lina third and Neville was the first one out, finishing fourth. Then we played 49, won by Lina ahead of John B and Neville, and I was last.
Russian Railroads.was a win for Evan, who scored around 380, defeating Eugene (around 340) and Tim (around 290); scores are approximate as the results did not get reported promptly. The three of them played Ra, won by Tim (51) ahead of Evan (49) and Eugene (31).
The remaining group of four (Alec, Alex, Jeff and Mike) played Crude, which Mike had brought. Alex was a big winner, with 1,090 compared to 673 for Jeff (second), 460 for Alec (third) and 204 (for Mike). Mike's notes say: "All players start with $200. Mike played for 1/2 [hours] and earned $4."
One final game of Sushi Go, and Mike emerged victorious. Scores were Mike 50, Jeff 43, Alec 40. No report on who had the most pudding.
Had a great time at Congress of Gamers this past weekend. Looking ahead to EuroQuest in November.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
September 18, 2014 Session Report
An even dozen for this week's session. Doug, Mike, Alex, Rouslan, Ben A, Ben H, Lina, Tim, Rich, Rembert, Neville and I were the attendees. Games played: Basket Boss, Game of 49, Power Grid, Crude and King's Forge. A few details follow.
Basket Boss was a four-player, with only one (me) having played before. Final scores were Lina 48, Neville 40, John 39, Doug 35. Well-done by Lena who seems to have done well picking up new games the past few weeks.
Power Grid was won by Ben A, with 18 cities powered. Rouslan and Rich also had 18, but Ben had more money (224 to 214 for Rouslan and 166 for Rich). Tim, who had even more money (250) could only power 17 cities at the end. No word on what map was used.
Crude (aka McMulti) was on by Alex, with 753 to 703 for Ben H, 694 for Rembert and 436 for Mike, who taught the game. Credit to Mike for being a good teacher, I guess.
King's Forge (brought by Neville, with Doug, Lina and I as the other players) did not make it to the finish. I got 3 of the 4 required rewards but was not in a good position to pick up a fourth, so a definitely asterisk on that one.
Game of 49 was a quick filler that was picked up when more people began to show up.
A reminder that the coming weekend (Sept. 27-28) is Congress of Gamers in Rockville, MD., one of the least expensive gaming conventions around. For details, check out the convention website which is congressofgamers.org.
Basket Boss was a four-player, with only one (me) having played before. Final scores were Lina 48, Neville 40, John 39, Doug 35. Well-done by Lena who seems to have done well picking up new games the past few weeks.
Power Grid was won by Ben A, with 18 cities powered. Rouslan and Rich also had 18, but Ben had more money (224 to 214 for Rouslan and 166 for Rich). Tim, who had even more money (250) could only power 17 cities at the end. No word on what map was used.
Crude (aka McMulti) was on by Alex, with 753 to 703 for Ben H, 694 for Rembert and 436 for Mike, who taught the game. Credit to Mike for being a good teacher, I guess.
King's Forge (brought by Neville, with Doug, Lina and I as the other players) did not make it to the finish. I got 3 of the 4 required rewards but was not in a good position to pick up a fourth, so a definitely asterisk on that one.
Game of 49 was a quick filler that was picked up when more people began to show up.
A reminder that the coming weekend (Sept. 27-28) is Congress of Gamers in Rockville, MD., one of the least expensive gaming conventions around. For details, check out the convention website which is congressofgamers.org.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
September 11, 2014 Session Report
Twelve for this week's session, as the group consisted of Tim, Mike, John, Alex, Evan, Rich, Neville, Eric, Eugene, Nathan, Rembert, Jeff, Lina and myself. Rich, Evan and Lina have all been to three sessions now, which makes them Associate Members of GCOM. Games played: Lords of Waterdeep, Concordia, Russian Railroads and Sushi-Go.
Eric taught Lords of Waterdeep; the other players were Lina, Jeff, Rich and Eric's son, Nathan, who had to leave a bit early before the game ended. Thus, what started as a five-player game ended up as a four-player. It was very tight between Eric, who had played the game quite a bit, and Lina, one of the first-time players. Final scores were Eric 157, Lina 151, Jeff 137 and Rich 129.
Concordia was a five-player, taught by Mike but I believe all but one of us had played before. Final scores were Tim 119, Alex and Mike tied for second at 106, John 99 and Neville (the one new player) at 90. Tim was able to pick up three different Minerva cards to contribute to his winning effort.
Russian Railroads was a three-player, with Eugene teaching two new players, Evan and Rembert. No surprise here, Eugene won but Evan and Rembert appeared to pick up the game by the end. Final scores: Eugene 426, Evan 320, Rembert 265.
Finally, a few minutes left and time for Sushi-Go, which Mike had brought. I managed another win, and once again it was the "most puddings" tiebreaker. Final scores: John and Mike 38, Tim 31, Neville 30.
Just a reminder that a reasonably inexpensive gaming event, Congress of Gamers, is coming up in just a couple of weeks, Sat. and Sun, Sept 27 and 28, in Rockville, MD. For more info, check out their website at congressofgamers.org.
Eric taught Lords of Waterdeep; the other players were Lina, Jeff, Rich and Eric's son, Nathan, who had to leave a bit early before the game ended. Thus, what started as a five-player game ended up as a four-player. It was very tight between Eric, who had played the game quite a bit, and Lina, one of the first-time players. Final scores were Eric 157, Lina 151, Jeff 137 and Rich 129.
Concordia was a five-player, taught by Mike but I believe all but one of us had played before. Final scores were Tim 119, Alex and Mike tied for second at 106, John 99 and Neville (the one new player) at 90. Tim was able to pick up three different Minerva cards to contribute to his winning effort.
Russian Railroads was a three-player, with Eugene teaching two new players, Evan and Rembert. No surprise here, Eugene won but Evan and Rembert appeared to pick up the game by the end. Final scores: Eugene 426, Evan 320, Rembert 265.
Finally, a few minutes left and time for Sushi-Go, which Mike had brought. I managed another win, and once again it was the "most puddings" tiebreaker. Final scores: John and Mike 38, Tim 31, Neville 30.
Just a reminder that a reasonably inexpensive gaming event, Congress of Gamers, is coming up in just a couple of weeks, Sat. and Sun, Sept 27 and 28, in Rockville, MD. For more info, check out their website at congressofgamers.org.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
September 4, 2014 Session Report
Doug, Jack, Tim, Alex, Rouslan, Lina, Ben H, Rembert and myself were the attendees for this session, for a total of nine attendees. Games played: Gonzaga, Panamax, Splendor (3 times) and the Game of 49 (twice).
Gonzaga was a three-player. Scores were reported as 91 for Rouslan, 90 for Tim and 60 for Jack.
I had brought Panamax and taught the game to Doug, Alex and Lina. The game was slow-going due to the unusual mechanics and learning curve. Alex had to leave around 8:30 so we scored the game after two rounds. Turned out Alex was the winner, with 57 to 43 for Lina, 40 for John and 31 for Doug. We think there may have been some errors in mixing up personal and company money, so the game stands with an asterisk. Alex won the award for best Managing Director after the first round but, when he couldn't pay dividends in the second round, Lina won that award. So, not sure how it would have come out had we completed the third and final round.
Splendor was played three times:
Game 1: Ben 19 Rembert 8
Game 2: Jack 16 Rouslan 15, Ben and Rembert trailing
Game 3: Rouslan 17 Ben 10 Rembert 9
Game of 49 was played twice, two-player, between Ben and Rembert. Each one once.
Gonzaga was a three-player. Scores were reported as 91 for Rouslan, 90 for Tim and 60 for Jack.
I had brought Panamax and taught the game to Doug, Alex and Lina. The game was slow-going due to the unusual mechanics and learning curve. Alex had to leave around 8:30 so we scored the game after two rounds. Turned out Alex was the winner, with 57 to 43 for Lina, 40 for John and 31 for Doug. We think there may have been some errors in mixing up personal and company money, so the game stands with an asterisk. Alex won the award for best Managing Director after the first round but, when he couldn't pay dividends in the second round, Lina won that award. So, not sure how it would have come out had we completed the third and final round.
Splendor was played three times:
Game 1: Ben 19 Rembert 8
Game 2: Jack 16 Rouslan 15, Ben and Rembert trailing
Game 3: Rouslan 17 Ben 10 Rembert 9
Game of 49 was played twice, two-player, between Ben and Rembert. Each one once.
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