The Site Will Go Active Again in 2009!

There will also be a slight scoring change. Very slight. Almost not worth mentioning. Uh, so I won't...

See you in 2009!

Game Night #61

Attendees: Erin, Zeb, Jose, Mark M., April, Mark K., Brent and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
April
Mark M.
Joey
Zeb
Jose
Mark K.
Brent

This Event's Standings:
Brent 9.9 (19.9/2)
Zeb 9.7 (19.4/2)
Joey 7.4 (29.6/4)
Mark M. 7.3 (29.3/4)
Erin 6.9 (6.9/1)
Jose 5.9 (23.6/4)
April 5.2 (21/4)
Mark K. 0 (0/1)

June's Overall Standings/Picking Order:
Brent 9.9 (19.9/2)
Zeb 9.7 (19.4/2)
Joey 7.4 (29.6/4)
Mark M. 7.3 (29.3/4)
Erin 6.9 (6.9/1)
Jose 5.9 (23.6/4)
April 5.2 (21/4)
Mark K. 0 (0/1)

Last night was April's pick and we played Cleopatra and the Society of the Architects. This game is interesting with five players. Everyone builds just a few things and it is difficult to dominate any one build area. Also, the market stalls (the rows of cards) don't build up very much. In the end it was Jose that was fed to the crocodiles and Mark M. (Brent tied, but had a little more corruption. Close game!) was named as Chief Architect.
Cleopatra and the Society of the Architects Standings:
Mark M.: 10 (47 Talents)
Brent: 9.9 (47 Talents)
Joey: 6.5 (31 Talents)
April: 5.9 (28 Talents)
Jose: 5.0 (Crocodile Fodder)

After that we played Wits and Wagers. I know it was just last night, but my memory is failing me. Wasn't April getting a lot of the questions right and getting the 10-point bonuses? Anyway, in the last round Zeb bet nothing and it nearly paid off and he kept his 90 points, but Brent jumped ahead for a 95-point win!
Wits and Wagers Standings:
Brent: 10 (95 points)
Zeb: 9.4 (90 points)
Mark M.: 7.3 (70 points)
Joey: 5.2 (50 points)
Jose: 2.1 (20 points)
April: 0 (0 points)
Mark K.: 0 (0 points)

Next we played another new favorite: Vegas Showdown. As the game progressed, Zeb lagged in the back of the pack. Then as the game came close to finishing Zeb shot past everyone and won it all! There was some pretty fierce back and forth bidding wars in this one.
Vegas Showdown Standings:
Zeb: 10 ($58)
Jose: 9.6 ($56)
April: 8.2 ($48)
Mark M.: 8.2 ($48)
Joey: 7.9 ($46)

The last game of the night was a game of Settlers of Catan with the Cities and Knights expansion, but not Seafarers. This was great. It was nice to play a sort of vanilla board. Everyone was progressing along, except for Mark M. I don't know if it was the numbers he was placed on or that the robber sat on his ore tile for a long time during the game, but he was not going anywhere and it didn't look like he was a fun time of it. The rest of us got to about 8 or 9 points and noticed that Jose was one point away from winning! He had Defender of Catan four times and he snuck up on us! We quickly jumped on that and took him down a couple points and then we all moved toward victory at the same pace (except Mark M., that stunk). I couldn't remember that it wasn't my turn and kept trying to trade and build during the build phases. Finally, Erin and I both made for a final push to win and I won by a hairsbreadth!
Settlers of Catan Standings:
Joey: 10 (13 points)
April: 6.9 (9 points)
Erin: 6.9 (9 points)
Jose: 6.9 (9 points)
Mark M.: 3.8 (5 points)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Joey 7.66 (429.3/56)
Mark M. 7.616 (319.9/42)
April 7.610 (213.1/28)
Jose 7.58 (212.3/28)
Zeb 7.57 (257.5/34)
Ben 7.4 (37.4/5)
Brandt 7.16 (35.8/5)
Erin 7.11 (49.8/7)
Brent 7.0 (49.3/7)
Mark K. 5.9 (17.9/3)

Previous Players of the Month
Mark M. (January)
Zeb (February)
Ben (March)
Jose (April)
April (May)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 4
Settlers of Catan 4
Hey! That's My Fish! 3
Nexus Ops 3
Pirate's Cove 3
Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery 3
Space Dealer 2
No Thanks! 2
Fairy Tale 2
Railroad Tycoon 2
Chez Geek 2
Arkham Horror 2
Shadows Over Camelot 2
Wits and Wagers 2
Vegas Showdown 2
Gang of Four 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Twilight Imperium 1
Wings of War 1
Fury of Dracula 1
Space Beans 1
Bang! 1
For Sale 1
Marvel Heroes 1
Before I Kill You, Mr. Bond 1
World of Warcraft 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Zombies!!! 1
Axis & Allies 1
Blokus 1
Cleopatra and the Society of the Architects 1

Game Night #60 and Player of the Month!

May's Player of the Month: April!

Attendees: Zeb, Jose, Mark M., April, Mark K., Brent and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Mark K. 10.0 (10.0/1)
April 8.9 (35.9/4)
Mark M. 8.2 (91.1/11)
Joey 7.7 (85.4/11)
Zeb 7.4 (29.7/4)
Jose 7.3 (80.8/11)
Brent 6.6 (6.6/1)

This Event's Standings:
Joey 10.0 (20/2)
April 9.3 (18.7/2)
Mark M. 8.0 (24.2/3)
Zeb 7.5 (15/2)
Jose 7.1 (21.3/3)
Brent 5.0 (5.0/1)
Mark K. 3.9 (7.9/2)

May's Overall Standings/Picking Order:
April 9.1 (54.6/6)
Mark M. 8.2 (115.3/14)
Joey 8.1 (105.4/13)
Zeb 7.4 (44.7/6)
Jose 7.2 (102.1/14)
Mark K. 5.9 (17.9/3)
Brent 5.8 (11.6/2)

We had a lot of people show up this week! We had initially planned to play a huge game of Settlers of Catan, but we had one too many. So we split into two groups. April, Mark K., Mark M. and Jose played Catan. I couldn't in any detail tell you how that went other than the board looked awesome at the end. They played a map from Asobrain called "Forest Escape". Apparently it was close game with a few key turnovers.
Settlers of Catan Standings:
April 10.0 (13 points)
Mark M. 9.2 (12 points)
Jose 7.6 (10 points)
Mark K. 6.9 (9 points)

On the other table was our (Brent, Zeb and I) game of Axis and Allies. Zeb and I were the Axis and Brent took on the full brunt of playing the Allies. Zeb took Leningrad quickly and we thought that our game might wrap up quickly. But Brent learned quickly and kept us from taking anything else. He then was able to mount a huge assault on Paris and took it and we thought that he might walk into Berlin or Rome next turn. Zeb then threw everything at Brent's British forces in Paris and retook the City of Lights. At the same time Zeb sent in a huge force of tanks into Moscow and took it. Brent's U.S. forces then had one last chance to take Paris, but Zeb's panzers were too well entrenched and the war turned out going to the Axis. It should be noted that I kept Brent mildly occupied in the Pacific and Asia. But our victory was mostly due to Zeb's ability to roll low numbers (no matter the game) that won the war for us.
Axis and Allies Standings:
Zeb 10.0 (Axis victory)
Joey 10.0 (Axis victory)
Brent 5.0 (Allied defeat)

While the other group was waiting for us to finish they played a game of Blokus. Once again, I'm not exactly sure how that went, but it was a very quiet game.
Blokus Standings:
Mark M. 10.0 (13 points)
April 8.7 (14 points)
Jose 8.7 (14 points)
Mark K. 1.0 (25 points)

We still weren't finished with Axis and Allies, so Mark M. and Jose started a game of Shadows Over Camelot. They played two knights each, but didn't look at their loyalty cards. When we got done with our game Zeb and I jumped in. Mark M. and Jose were doing really well and because of this I was really worried. The knight that I got (King Arthur) was the traitor. The game was close to ending and it looked like the forces of good were going to handily beat the game (and me). I then started to delay by fighting siege engines and not passing any more Grail cards to the players at the Grail quest. When the game ended, we had 9 white swords on the table and 5 black. I then revealed myself as the traitor and two white swords turned to black. Putting the total at 7 and 7. I thought I had lost, but then the good knights needed a majority of white swords to win. Close game!
Shadows Over Camelot Standings:
Joey 10.0 (Traitorous victory)
Zeb 5.0 (Defeat)
Mark M. 5.0 (Defeat)
Jose 5.0 (Defeat)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Joey 7.66 (429.3/56)
Mark M. 7.616 (319.9/42)
April 7.610 (213.1/28)
Jose 7.58 (212.3/28)
Zeb 7.57 (257.5/34)
Ben 7.4 (37.4/5)
Brandt 7.16 (35.8/5)
Erin 7.11 (49.8/7)
Brent 7.0 (49.3/7)
Mark K. 5.9 (17.9/3)

Previous Players of the Month
Mark M. (January)
Zeb (February)
Ben (March)
Jose (April)
April (May)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 4
Hey! That's My Fish! 3
Nexus Ops 3
Pirate's Cove 3
Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery 3
Settlers of Catan 3
Space Dealer 2
No Thanks! 2
Fairy Tale 2
Railroad Tycoon 2
Chez Geek 2
Arkham Horror 2
Shadows Over Camelot 2
Gang of Four 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Twilight Imperium 1
Wings of War 1
Fury of Dracula 1
Space Beans 1
Bang! 1
For Sale 1
Marvel Heroes 1
Before I Kill You, Mr. Bond 1
World of Warcraft 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Zombies!!! 1
Vegas Showdown 1
Axis & Allies 1
Blokus 1

Game Night #59

Attendees: Jose, Mark M., April, Mark K., Brent and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
April 10.0 (20/2)
Mark M. 8.4 (67.4/8)
Joey 7.9 (63.3/8)
Zeb 7.4 (29.7/4)
Jose 7.3 (58.6/8)

This Event's Standings:
Mark K. 10.0 (10.0/1)
April 7.95 (15.9/2)
Mark M. 7.90 (23.7/3)
Jose 7.4 (22.2/3)
Joey 7.3 (22.1/3)
Brent 6.6 (6.6/1)

May's Overall Standings/Picking Order:
Mark K. 10.0 (10.0/1)
April 8.9 (35.9/4)
Mark M. 8.2 (91.1/11)
Joey 7.7 (85.4/11)
Zeb 7.4 (29.7/4)
Jose 7.3 (80.8/11)
Brent 6.6 (6.6/1)

Tonight was April's pick and we played an epic game of Settlers of Catan. We played with the Seafarers and the Cities and Knights expansions. I thought I had a initial great placement and it payed off at first, then the gravy train ended. Mark M., Jose and I were left in the dust by Mark K. and April. I don't know about Mark M. or Jose, but I was just scraping points up where I could before Mark K. or April sprinted across the finish line. Mark K. beat us handily.
Settlers of Catan Standings:
Mark K. 10.0 (15 points)
April 8.0 (12 points)
Mark M. 4.6 (7 points)
Jose 4.0 (6 points)
Joey 3.3 (5 points)

Next, we played Vegas Showdown. I can't get enough of this game. This game was cutthroat in the bidding at times and we used all but one tile in the game. There were times when nearly every premier tile was bought and a grip of event cards were played and then times when none of the premier tiles went. A very close game with some key decisions at the end of the game.
Vegas Showdown Standings:
Joey 10.0 (69 fame)
Jose 9.4 (65 fame)
Mark M. 9.1 (63 fame)
April 7.9 (55 fame)
Brent 6.6 (46 fame)

It was getting late, but there were a few of us up for another game. Mark M. picked Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery. Everyone really came with their "A game". Everyone's play seemed fairly balanced. I had been placing soldiers in the New World the whole game. I figured that this would be the game that someone would want to stop me from populating the New World and would declare war on me. As it turned out, no one did. So I wanted to see how warfare worked and declared total war on Mark M. and Jose. I netted points, but I did lose a colony. Whoops. In the end, it was Mark M. who shot past for the victory.
Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery Standings:
Mark M. 10.0 (119 points)
Jose 8.8 (105 points)
Joey 8.8 (105 points)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Mark K. 10.0 (10.0/1)
Jose 7.6 (191/25)
Mark M. 7.58 (295.7/39)
Joey 7.579 (409.3/54)
Zeb 7.578 (242.5/32)
Ben 7.48 (37.4/5)
April 7.47 (194.4/26)
Brent 7.3 (44.3/6)
Brandt 7.16 (35.8/5)
Erin 7.11 (49.8/7)

Previous Players of the Month
Mark M. (January)
Zeb (February)
Ben (March)
Jose (April)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 4
Hey! That's My Fish! 3
Nexus Ops 3
Pirate's Cove 3
Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery 3
Space Dealer 2
No Thanks! 2
Fairy Tale 2
Railroad Tycoon 2
Chez Geek 2
Arkham Horror 2
Settlers of Catan 2
Gang of Four 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Shadows Over Camelot 1
Twilight Imperium 1
Wings of War 1
Fury of Dracula 1
Space Beans 1
Bang! 1
For Sale 1
Marvel Heroes 1
Before I Kill You, Mr. Bond 1
World of Warcraft 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Zombies!!! 1
Vegas Showdown 1

Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery Image by James Smith

Game Night #58

Attendees: Jose, Zeb, Mark, April and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Mark 9.0 (45.3/5)
Jose 6.9 (34.7/5)
Joey 6.8 (34.1/5)
Zeb 5.9 (11.9/2)

This Event's Standings:
April 10.0 (20/2)
Joey 9.7 (29.2/3)
Zeb 8.9 (17.8/2)
Jose 7.9 (23.9/3)
Mark 7.3 (22.1/3)

May's Overall Standings/Picking Order:
April 10.0 (20/2)
Mark 8.4 (67.4/8)
Joey 7.9 (63.3/8)
Zeb 7.4 (29.7/4)
Jose 7.3 (58.6/8)

Tonight was Mark's pick and we played some great games! We played Zombies!!! to start and we played with the Mall Walkers expansion. The town really segmented funny to start with. We got a lot of empty streets to start with and then we got a lot of end cap buildings. Mark and Jose were really racking up the body count and I was out exploring the far reaches of town. When the helipad was found it had to be placed over by me, but Mark and Jose were close to getting the twenty-five zombies winning condition. So the race to end the game was on! Jose needed five more kills, I needed to move a few more spaces (I found the skateboard again!) and Mark needed eight more kills. There was some nasty card play between most of us, but in the end I made it to the helicopter as Jose and Mark were eaten alive.
Zombies!!! Standings:
Joey 10.0 (Alive)
Jose 5.0 (Undead)
Mark 5.0 (Undead)

Next we played a game of Arkham Horror, because if anyone else arrived they could join in at anytime. We decided to fight Yig. April and Jose really kept the monsters in check as Mark and Zeb closed gates. I had enough clue tokens to close a gate, but there weren't enough gates to go around. We had a really nasty rumor early on that kept killing our allies, but in the end were able seal six gates and keep Yig in his eternal slumber.
Arkham Horror Standings:
Mark 10.0 (First Citizen of Arkham)
Jose 10.0 (First Citizen of Arkham)
Zeb 10.0 (First Citizen of Arkham)
April 10.0 (First Citizen of Arkham)
Joey 10.0 (First Citizen of Arkham)

Lastly we played Pirate's Cove. April kept following me around and raining on my parade... actually there was a lot of fighting in this game and a few turns with no fighting. This was a lot of fun and high-spirited. A very close game as the scores show.
Pirate's Cove Standings:
April 10.0 (38 fame)
Joey 9.2 (35 fame)
Jose 8.9 (34 fame)
Zeb 7.8 (30 fame)
Mark 7.1 (27 fame)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Jose 7.67 (168.8/22)
Joey 7.59 (387.2/51)
Zeb 7.57 (242.5/32)
Mark 7.55 (272/36)
Brent 7.54 (37.7/5)
Ben 7.48 (37.4/5)
April 7.43 (178.5/24)
Brandt 7.16 (35.8/5)
Erin 7.11 (49.8/7)

Previous Players of the Month
Mark (January)
Zeb (February)
Ben (March)
Jose (April)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 4
Hey! That's My Fish! 3
Nexus Ops 3
Pirate's Cove 3
Space Dealer 2
No Thanks! 2
Fairy Tale 2
Railroad Tycoon 2
Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery 2
Chez Geek 2
Arkham Horror 2
Gang of Four 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Shadows Over Camelot 1
Twilight Imperium 1
Wings of War 1
Fury of Dracula 1
Space Beans 1
Bang! 1
For Sale 1
Marvel Heroes 1
Before I Kill You, Mr. Bond 1
World of Warcraft 1
Settlers of Catan 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Zombies!!! 1

Game Night #57

Attendees: Jose, Zeb, Mark and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Jose
Brent
April
Zeb
Joey
Mark
Ben

This Event's Standings:
Mark 9.0 (45.3/5)
Jose 6.9 (34.7/5)
Joey 6.8 (34.1/5)
Zeb 5.9 (11.9/2)

May's Overall Standings/Picking Order:
Mark 9.0 (45.3/5)
Jose 6.9 (34.7/5)
Joey 6.8 (34.1/5)
Zeb 5.9 (11.9/2)

It's taken longer than usual to post this, so memory might fail. We played Mississippi Queen first as filler; waiting to see if others would arrive. I took off quickly down the river hoping to get a good lead and pick up my belles in peace. Mark and Jose were up river picking up belles and as I was trying to pick up the down river belles, then steamed past me and won the race.
Mississippi Queen Standings:
Mark 10.0 (1st Place)
Jose 6.6 (2nd Place)
Joey 3.3 (3rd Place)

We decided to play another filler as no one else had arrived yet. We played Hey! That's My Fish! There were a few clusters of three-fish tiles and the contest for them really segmented the board. We then fought for those board segments.
Hey! That's My Fish Standings:
Mark 10.0 (37 fish)
Joey 9.4 (35 fish)
Jose 6.4 (24 fish)

Then we played (dare I say?) a new classic Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery. Once again a warless game, which may be the last warless game of this that we play. War is important, especially at the end.
Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery Standings:
Jose 10.0 (152 points)
Joey 9.8 (149 points)
Mark 5.3 (82 points)

Zeb had arrived and the next game was obvious; Nexus Ops. The board was much more evenly distributed; compared to last week. Mark went straight for the monolith. Zeb urged Jose and I to take Mark off of the monolith. There were a couple of us that surged ahead in points. But towards the end I made a bid to end the game and made an all or nothing assault on Mark's front. The assault failed, leaving Mark open to walk past my front lines and end the game on his terms.
Nexus Ops Standings:
Mark 10 (13 points)
Joey 5.3 (7 points)
Zeb 3.8 (5 points)
Jose 2.3 (3 points)

Lastly we played a game of Chez Geek. Zeb was going crazy thwarting our attempts at gathering slack. Mark was about eight points away from winning and didn't seem like a threat. I was holding on to a Cancel Sleep card, in case anyone got too close to winning. Mark, before I knew it, played out eight more slack points and made my trump moot.
Chez Geek Standings:
Mark 10.0 (18/18 Slack)
Jose 9.4 (18/19 Slack)
Zeb 8.1 (13/16 Slack)
Joey 6.3 (14/22 Slack)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Jose 7.6 (144.9/19)
Mark 7.57 (249.9/33)
Brent 7.54 (37.7/5)
Zeb 7.49 (224.7/30)
Ben 7.48 (37.4/5)
Joey 7.45 (358/48)
April 7.2 (158.5/22)
Brandt 7.16 (35.8/5)
Erin 7.11 (49.8/7)

Previous Players of the Month
Mark (January)
Zeb (February)
Ben (March)
Jose (April)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 4
Hey! That's My Fish! 3
Nexus Ops 3
Pirate's Cove 2
Space Dealer 2
No Thanks! 2
Fairy Tale 2
Railroad Tycoon 2
Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery 2
Chez Geek 2
Gang of Four 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Shadows Over Camelot 1
Arkham Horror 1
Twilight Imperium 1
Wings of War 1
Fury of Dracula 1
Space Beans 1
Bang! 1
For Sale 1
Marvel Heroes 1
Before I Kill You, Mr. Bond 1
World of Warcraft 1
Settlers of Catan 1
Mississippi Queen 1

Game Night #56 and Player of the Month!

April's Player of the Month: Jose!

Attendees: Jose, Zeb, Brent, Mark and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Brent 9.7 (9.7/1)
Jose 8.9 (62.8/7)
April 8.2 (49.3/6)
Zeb 7.9 (39.9/5)
Joey 6.9 (48.4/7)
Mark 6.3 (38.3/6)
Ben 5.0 (5.0/1)

This Event's Standings:
Mark 8.3 (16.7/2)
Jose 7.7 (15.5/2)
Joey 7.65 (15.3/2)
Brent 7.60 (7.6/1)
Zeb 6.9 (6.9/1)

April's Overall Standings:
Jose 8.7 (78.3/9)
Brent 8.6 (17.3/2)
April 8.2 (49.3/6)
Zeb 7.8 (46.8/6)
Joey 7.0 (63.7/9)
Mark 6.8 (55/8)
Ben 5.0 (5.0/1)

I was very excited when Brent showed up and wanted to play Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery. I recently acquired this game and was dying to play it. Age of Empires III did not disappoint! This game is tense and there is little luck to the game. None of us had played this game before so it was a learning experience and also a bit clunky at the start. I read the rules twice and thought that I had a handle on them. Thankfully we made no rules mistakes, but it took a couple of looks at the rule book to make sure about a few things. We had no warfare until the end and even then no one fought. It seems that the scores were relatively close, but having no frame of reference it's difficult to gauge. Each of us had our own strategy and by then end of the game you realize what a tenuous hold you have on the colonies in the New World. I really liked this game and I'll admit that it may be due to winning. But I still think this game holds its own.
Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery Standings:
Joey 10.0 (117 points)
Jose 8.5 (100 points)
Brent 7.6 (89 points)
Mark 6.7 (79 points)

It was getting late and we decided to play on more game, so we picked Nexus Ops. The game went a bit longer than we had anticipated. But this game of Nexus Ops was unlike any other. First off, Mark had NOTHING on his side of the board. Jose and I each had your average layout and Zeb had a 2-mine rich layout. Very rarely did anyone give away points by leaving a space poorly defended. There was a couple of these incidents and they were devastating, but for the most part everyone retreated without giving points away. Ironically, there were a couple of single mine spaces that remained unoccupied on Zeb's side of the board for a large part of the game. This drove Mark crazy, as he had to scratch for his subsistence. In the end it was Mark, who had the least to work with, who won the game. He conquered the monolith early and held it for the better part of the game. All of those Energize cards, played at the right time, made up for a lack of mines.
Nexus Ops Standings:
Mark 10.0 (13 points)
Zeb 6.9 (9 points)
Jose 5.3 (7 points)
Joey 5.3 (7 points)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Jose 7.8 (110.2/14)
Zeb 7.6 (212.8/28)
Brent 7.54 (37.7/5)
Joey 7.53 (323.9/43)
Ben 7.4 (37.4/5)
Mark 7.3 (204.6/28)
April 7.2 (158.5/22)
Brandt 7.16 (35.8/5)
Erin 7.11 (49.8/7)

Previous Players of the Month
Mark (January)
Zeb (February)
Ben (March)
Jose (April)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 4
Pirate's Cove 2
Hey! That's My Fish! 2
Space Dealer 2
No Thanks! 2
Fairy Tale 2
Railroad Tycoon 2
Nexus Ops 2
Gang of Four 1
Chez Geek 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Shadows Over Camelot 1
Arkham Horror 1
Twilight Imperium 1
Wings of War 1
Fury of Dracula 1
Space Beans 1
Bang! 1
For Sale 1
Marvel Heroes 1
Before I Kill You, Mr. Bond 1
World of Warcraft 1
Settlers of Catan 1
Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery 1

Twilight Imperium, April's Birthday, This Saturday

Here's a special announcement and invitation to all of our regular attendees.

This Saturday, April 26th at 10:00 a.m., we'll be holding a Twilight Imperium Day/Birthday party for April. There will be some phenomenal lasagna served and great snacks to be partaken of during this epic game.

For those of you unfamiliar with Twilight Imperium, this game is BIG! It's a bit long, but it is deep, fun and extremely worth the time investment. This game has negotiation, secret objectives, politics, trade, conquest, exploration and much, much more!

For more details on the game than you can shake a stick at:
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/PDF/ti3rules.pdf

So come on over to Joey's house at 10:00 a.m. this Saturday, celebrate April on her day of birth and try your best at conquering the galaxy!

Game Night #55

Attendees: Jose, Zeb, April and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Brent 9.7 (9.7/1)
Jose 8.9 (53.5/6)
April 8.1 (40.7/5)
Zeb 7.9 (39.9/5)
Joey 6.4 (38.4/6)
Mark 6.3 (38.3/6)
Ben 5.0 (5.0/1)

This Event's Standings:
Joey 10.0 (10.0/1)
Jose 9.3 (9.3/1)
April 8.6 (8.6/1)

April's Overall Standings:
Brent 9.7 (9.7/1)
Jose 8.9 (62.8/7)
April 8.2 (49.3/6)
Zeb 7.9 (39.9/5)
Joey 6.9 (48.4/7)
Mark 6.3 (38.3/6)
Ben 5.0 (5.0/1)

So we only played one game last night, but it was epic. We played a game of Settlers of Catan with all of the bells and whistles (Seafarers, Cities and Knights). We played a map where more than half of the map was undiscovered and that section was out to sea. The game started off and we all progressed evenly. Then April and Jose began to edge out into a pretty good lead. As the game began to wrap up, Jose and April were in the 11 to 13 VP range and I was still back at 9 or 10. Then April and I raced to lock down the yellow monument. I was not very nice and ruthlessly locked it down and was able to keep April from winning; and kind of switched places with her, points-wise. Jose got another point as I defended Catan for the victory. I was amazed. This game of Catan was tense and cutthroat. We all were nipping at each other for points and playing very aggressive. I enjoy Catan, but this was the most interesting game of it that I have ever played. And, no, I'm not saying that because I won.
Settlers of Catan Standings:
Joey 10.0 (15 victory points)
Jose 9.3 (14 victory points)
April 8.6 (13 victory points)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Jose 7.8 (94.7/12)
Zeb 7.6 (205.9/27)
Joey 7.526 (308.6/41)
Brent 7.525 (30.1/4)
Ben 7.48 (37.4/5)
Mark 7.22 (187.9/26)
April 7.20 (158.5/22)
Brandt 7.16 (35.8/5)
Erin 7.11 (49.8/7)

Previous Players of the Month
Mark (January)
Zeb (February)
Ben (March)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 4
Pirate's Cove 2
Hey! That's My Fish! 2
Space Dealer 2
No Thanks! 2
Fairy Tale 2
Railroad Tycoon 2
Gang of Four 1
Chez Geek 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Nexus Ops 1
Shadows Over Camelot 1
Arkham Horror 1
Twilight Imperium 1
Wings of War 1
Fury of Dracula 1
Space Beans 1
Bang! 1
For Sale 1
Marvel Heroes 1
Before I Kill You, Mr. Bond 1
World of Warcraft 1
Settlers of Catan 1

Game Night #54

Attendees: Jose, Mark, Zeb, Brent, April and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Jose 9.8 (29.6/3)
April 7.56 (22.7/3)
Zeb 7.50 (15/2)
Mark 6.3 (18.9/3)
Ben 5.0 (5.0/1)
Joey 4.3 (13.0/3)

This Event's Standings:
Brent 9.7 (9.7/1)
April 9.0 (18/2)
Joey 8.4 (25.4/3)
Zeb 8.3 (24.9/3)
Jose 7.9 (23.9/3)
Mark 6.4 (19.4/3)

April's Overall Standings:
Brent 9.7 (9.7/1)
Jose 8.9 (53.5/6)
April 8.1 (40.7/5)
Zeb 7.9 (39.9/5)
Joey 6.4 (38.4/6)
Mark 6.3 (38.3/6)
Ben 5.0 (5.0/1)

Alright, it is good to have game night back and regular! Tonight was Jose's pick and the first game we played was Fairy Tale. This game was new to everyone playing it (but me); but you wouldn't have known it. We played the expert rules and I really like it with the expert rules and a full compliment of players. Jose won the game, but Brent and I nearly tied for the win.
Fairy Tale Standings:
Jose 10.0 (43 points)
Brent 9.7 (42 points)
Joey 9.5 (41 points)
Zeb 8.8 (38 points)
Mark 5.5 (24 points)

Next we played a game of Railroad Tycoon. This was a meaty game. This game had heated auctions, player's links intertwined all throughout the East coast, massive bank loans and a few runaway leaders. When it came down to it this was another VERY close game. To say that I squeezed out a victory would be an understatement. Phew!
Railroad Tycoon Standings:
Joey 10.0 (49 points)
April 9.7 (48 points)
Jose 8.5 (42 points)
Mark 7.9 (39 points)
Zeb 6.1 (30 points)

Lastly, it was late and we played a game of Manila. This was an abnormal game of Manila. Two of the shares never left their starting positions, Zeb maintained control of the Harbor Master for nearly the entire game and went into an insane amount of debt to do so. In the end Zeb crushed most of us, except April, even with -6o pesos in hocked wares.
Manila Standings:
Zeb 10.0 (96 pesos)
April 8.3 (80 pesos)
Mark 6.0 (58 pesos)
Joey 5.9 (57 pesos)
Jose 5.4 (52 pesos)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Jose 7.7 (85.4/11)
Zeb 7.6 (205.9/27)
Brent 7.5 (30.1/4)
Ben 7.48 (37.4/5)
Joey 7.46 (298.6/40)
Mark 7.2 (187.9/26)
Brandt 7.16 (35.8/5)
April 7.13 (149.9/21)
Erin 7.11 (49.8/7)

Previous Players of the Month
Mark (January)
Zeb (February)
Ben (March)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 4
Pirate's Cove 2
Hey! That's My Fish! 2
Space Dealer 2
No Thanks! 2
Fairy Tale 2
Railroad Tycoon 2
Gang of Four 1
Chez Geek 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Nexus Ops 1
Shadows Over Camelot 1
Arkham Horror 1
Twilight Imperium 1
Wings of War 1
Fury of Dracula 1
Space Beans 1
Bang! 1
For Sale 1
Marvel Heroes 1
Before I Kill You, Mr. Bond 1
World of Warcraft 1

Game Night #53

Attendees: Jose, Mark, Zeb, Ben, April and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Ben
Joey
Zeb
Erin
April
Mark
Jose

This Event's Standings:
Jose 9.8 (29.6/3)
April 7.56 (22.7/3)
Zeb 7.50 (15/2)
Mark 6.3 (18.9/3)
Ben 5.0 (5.0/1)
Joey 4.3 (13.0/3)

April's Overall Standings:
Jose 9.8 (29.6/3)
April 7.56 (22.7/3)
Zeb 7.50 (15/2)
Mark 6.3 (18.9/3)
Ben 5.0 (5.0/1)
Joey 4.3 (13.0/3)

We decided to play a few quick games to see if Ben would show up to pick games. I picked and old favorite: Before I Kill You, Mr. Bond. April and Jose had a couple of great taunting rounds and really shot ahead. Mark and I floundered for a bit, then Mark made a huge leap in points. When Jose killed his last spy without taunting, I was still way, way in the back of the pack.
Before I Kill You, Mr. Bond Standings:
Jose 10.0 (34 points)
April 9.1 (31 points)
Mark 5.0 (17 points)
Joey 2.0 (7 points)

Next we played a game of No Thanks! Zeb had arrived and this game was very interesting. We had a couple of players who could have milked the red chips just a bit more and a few that milked the too much and lost their connecting card. There was a definite front of the pack and back of the pack in the final scores.
No Thanks! Standings:
Zeb 10.0 (18 points)
Jose 9.6 (19 points)
Mark 8.9 (21 points)
April 3.6 (43 points)
Joey 1.0 (54 points)

Lastly, I picked World of Warcraft. We got the game nearly set up and Ben showed up. He was a sport and let us keep playing. This was a learning experience for everyone. Zeb, Ben and Marked formed the Horde players. While April, Jose and I were playing for the Alliance. The Horde took a quick lead, as did Jose. April, Mark and I kind of hung out at 1st-Level for a while. Then the Alliance took the lead as Ben took up the rear. The game came down to a PvP battle. Fortunately, we managed to get to 4th-Level before then and the other team was in 3rd. The battle only lasted one round and the Alliance claimed the day!
World of Warcraft Standings:
Jose 10.0 (Victory)
April 10.0 (Victory)
Joey 10.0 (Victory)
Mark 5.0 (Defeat)
Zeb 5.0 (Defeat)
Ben 5.0 (Defeat)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Jose 7.6 (61.5/8)
Zeb 7.5 (181/24)
Ben 7.4 (37.4/5)
Joey 7.38 (273.2/37)
Mark 7.32 (168.5/23)
Brandt 7.16 (35.8/5)
Erin 7.11 (49.8/7)
April 6.9 (131.9/19)
Brent 6.8 (20.4/3)

Previous Players of the Month
Mark (January)
Zeb (February)
Ben (March)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 3
Pirate's Cove 2
Hey! That's My Fish! 2
Space Dealer 2
No Thanks! 2
Gang of Four 1
Chez Geek 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Nexus Ops 1
Shadows Over Camelot 1
Arkham Horror 1
Twilight Imperium 1
Railroad Tycoon 1
Fairy Tale 1
Wings of War 1
Fury of Dracula 1
Space Beans 1
Bang! 1
For Sale 1
Marvel Heroes 1
Before I Kill You, Mr. Bond 1
World of Warcraft 1

Game Night #52 and Player of the Month!

March's Player of the Month: Ben!

Attendees: Jose, Ben, April and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Joey 8.5 (59.6/7)
April 7.7 (46.5/6)
Zeb 7.26 (21.8/3)
Erin 7.22 (25.3/5)
Mark 6.7 (40.4/6)

This Event's Standings:
Ben 8.1 (32.4/4)
Jose 6.3 (31.9/5)
Joey 5.8 (29.4/5)
April 5.4 (16.4/3)

March's Overall Standings:
Ben 8.1 (32.4/4)
Joey 7.4 (89.0/12)
Zeb 7.26 (21.8/3)
Erin 7.22 (25.3/5)
April 6.9 (62.9/9)
Mark 6.7 (40.4/6)
Jose 6.3 (31.9/5)

I was setting up Memoir '44 for the eventuality that one person would be on time and everyone else would be late. Not the case. Jose and Ben showed up at nearly the same time. So we scrapped Memoir for Manila. Jose was one of our first players to attend what was then called "Guy Game Night". It was nice to have him back tonight and we hope he comes more in the future. Also this was Ben's first night here. Hopefully he had fun and will become a regular of Game Night. The game of Manila was a roller coaster. There were times when each of us had a windfall of cash and times when we were each nearly broke. There were times when no ship came in at all, but mostly times when two ships made it all the way in. In the end, Ben's purchases of jade really paid off. Jade was his hot commodity and it won him the game.
Manila Standings:
Ben 10.0 (182 pesos)
Joey 8.0 (146 pesos)
Jose 2.4 (44 pesos)

We got a call that April would be here soon, so we played a short game of No Thanks! This game was full of holes in our lines, some people had fistfuls of chips. Others had no chips (me) and were forced to take cards they would otherwise not. Ben cleaned us out.
No Thanks! Standings:
Ben 10.0 (32 points)
Joey 1.4 (74 points)
Jose 1.0 (76 points)

April arrived and we played a game of Bang! I was the sheriff. April got beat up pretty bad during the first hand and nearly died without taking a single turn. She survived and was killed a bit later. She was revealed to be an outlaw. Before she died she lit a piece of dynamite and sent it around. Unfortunately for Ben it went off in front of him. Leaving only Jose the Renegade and me. After a very brief duel, I went down. Jose the Renegade runs this town now.
Bang! Standings:
Jose 10.0 (Last man standing)
Joey 5.0 (Pushing up the daisies)
Ben 5.0 (Six feet under)
April 5.0 (Buzzard food)

Ben had to go soon so we played a quick game of For Sale. Ben had never played before. This was interesting game. We had a few early splits in value and a couple of us lost a lot of capital going for the high value property. In the second round there were some obvious bids and a few upsets as well.
For Sale Standings:
Joey 10.0 ($70000)
Jose 8.5 ($60000)
Ben 7.4 ($52000)
April 6.4 ($45000)

Lastly we played a game of Marvel Heroes. Jose helmed the Avengers, April took charge of the X-Men and I lead the Fantastic Four. We played the Onslaught scenario. Whomever attained 20 victory points before the end of the fourth round would win. Jose shot forward very quickly, while April and I languished. During the third round, Jose made it past the requisite 20 points and April and I were still halfway there. There was an amazing fight between Abomination and Sue Storm, where Sue Storm managed a victory. But in the end, Jose was the only one to survive the Onslaught.
Marvel Heroes Standings:
Jose 10.0 (Alive)
April 5.0 (Dead)
Joey 5.0 (Dead)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Ben 8.1 (32.4/4)
Joey 7.6 (260.2/34)
Zeb 7.5 (166/22)
Mark 7.4 (149.6/20)
Brandt 7.16 (35.8/5)
Erin 7.11 (49.8/7)
April 6.82 (109.2/16)
Brent 6.80 (20.4/3)
Jose 6.3 (31.9/5)

Previous Players of the Month
Mark (January)
Zeb (February)
Ben (March)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 3
Pirate's Cove 2
Hey! That's My Fish! 2
Space Dealer 2
Gang of Four 1
Chez Geek 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Nexus Ops 1
Shadows Over Camelot 1
Arkham Horror 1
Twilight Imperium 1
Railroad Tycoon 1
Fairy Tale 1
Wings of War 1
Fury of Dracula 1
Space Beans 1
No Thanks! 1
Bang! 1
For Sale 1
Marvel Heroes 1

Game Night #51

Attendees: April, Mark, Zeb, Erin and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Joey 8.5 (34.0/4)
Erin 8.4 (25.3/3)
April 8.0 (24.0/3)
Mark 6.9 (20.9/3)

This Event's Standings:
Joey 8.5 (25.6/3)
April 7.5 (22.5/3)
Zeb 7.2 (21.8/3)
Mark 6.5 (19.5/3)
Erin 5.4 (10.8/2)

March's Overall Standings:
Joey 8.5 (59.6/7)
April 7.7 (46.5/6)
Zeb 7.26 (21.8/3)
Erin 7.22 (25.3/5)
Mark 6.7 (40.4/6)

We started off with one of my new favorite games, Fury of Dracula. I played Dracula and everyone else played the hunters. Mark, playing Dr. Seward, quickly found me down near Spain. After a narrow escape, I made it to sea and then I was SO lucky to have drawn an Evasion card; allowing me to move anywhere on the board. Since everyone was down near Spain, I planted myself in deep southeastern Europe. Fortunately, due to a Dark Call, I was able to draw three new vampire encounters and start planting them all over the area. Then the hunters caught up with me again. Mark, playing Lord Godalming, had me against the ropes and nearly destroyed me. I managed to slink back into the shadows in mist form as my vampires began maturing. The game ended pretty quickly after that. It was a very close game.
Fury of Dracula Standings:
Joey 10.0 (6 vampires)
April 5.0 (dry stakes)
Erin 5.0 (unused garlic)
Mark 5.0 (shiny crucifix)
Zeb 5.0 (new mirrors)

We then pulled out the old favorite Space Dealer. Playing with four players is my favorite. April had never played and she caught on very quickly. I wish I had burned one of my different Space Dealer soundtracks to disk. We still had a good time and the game was very close.
Space Dealer Standings:
Joey 10.0 (28 points)
Mark 8.9 (25 points)
Zeb 8.9 (25 points)
April 7.5 (21 points)

Lastly, we played Space Beans. I thought this game would go quicker (Isn't that always the case? I have an abbreviated sense of time passing.) Everyone seemed locked in at low scores for a while then as one played would progress we would all progress just after them. Finally, April and Zeb made a dash for the finish line with April winning. An interesting game.
Space Beans Standings:
April 10.0 (39 points)
Zeb 7.9 (31 points)
Erin 5.8 (23 points)
Mark 5.6 (22 points)
Joey 5.6 (22 points)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Joey 7.9 (230.8/29)
Zeb 7.5 (166/22)
Mark 7.4 (149.6/20)
Brandt 7.16 (35.8/5)
April 7.13 (92.8/13)
Erin 7.11 (49.8/7)
Brent 6.8 (20.4/3)

Previous Players of the Month
Mark (January)
Zeb (February)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 2
Pirate's Cove 2
Hey! That's My Fish! 2
Space Dealer 2
Gang of Four 1
Chez Geek 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Nexus Ops 1
Shadows Over Camelot 1
Arkham Horror 1
Twilight Imperium 1
Railroad Tycoon 1
Fairy Tale 1
Wings of War 1
Fury of Dracula 1
Space Beans 1

Game Night #50

A smaller showing tonight, but a lot of great games were played!

Attendees: April, Mark, Erin and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Zeb
Joey
Mark
April

This Event's Standings:
Joey 8.5 (34.0/4)
Erin 8.4 (25.3/3)
April 8.0 (24.0/3)
Mark 6.9 (20.9/3)

March's Overall Standings:
Joey 8.5 (34.0/4)
Erin 8.4 (25.3/3)
April 8.0 (24.0/3)
Mark 6.9 (20.9/3)

We started off with a game of Hey! That's My Fish! April had never played before. I always enjoy this game. I was able to section of a nice chunk of two- and three-fish tiles. But my other two penguins were shut out of the other floes on the board. It was a very close game with April taking the lead from Erin. Beginner's luck... just kidding, April, don't kill me!
Hey! That's My Fish! Standings:
April 10.0 (33 fish consumed)
Erin 9.3 (31 fish digested)
Joey 9.0 (30 fish hoarded)

Next we played Railroad Tycoon. Mark had just arrived. I love this game, but with at least four players. As usual, Erin thought that I was singling her out and that I was taking points away from her. This was a great game of Railroad Tycoon. I didn't build a single track in the Northeast. I found deliveries of opportunity throughout the central part of the board. The board got really crowded by the end and every one really began to catch up, but I managed to maintain my lead.
Railroad Tycoon Standings:
Joey 10.0 (43 points)
Erin 7.9 (34 points)
April 5.3 (23 points)
Mark 2.0 (9 points)

We had a bit more time, so we played a game of Fairy Tale. This was a very close game. In the initial draft, three of us were going for the same cards. After that every one's play began to take on unique styles. This is a great little filler. I really need to pay more attention to what other people are going for.
Fairy Tale Standings:
Joey 10.0 (49 points)
Mark 8.9 (44 points)
April 8.7 (43 points)
Erin 8.1 (40 points)

Lastly, folks were leaving, but Mark and I were up for one last game. We played a game of Wings of War. Mark picked "The Red Baron" and I flew as Eddie Rickenbacher. It seemed that Mark had me dead to rights early on, but I managed to score a couple of good hits on him. Then through no fault but my own, I flew off the edge of the table and made an accidental retreat. The Red Baron intimidated me into flying back to England with my tail between my legs.
Wings of War Standings:
Mark 10.0 (Victory over Europe)
Joey 5.0 (Utter defeat)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Joey 7.89 (205.2/26)
Erin 7.80 (39.0/5)
Mark 7.6 (130.1/17)
Zeb 7.5 (144.2/19)
Brandt 7.1 (35.8/5)
April 7.0 (70.3/10)
Brent 6.8 (20.4/3)

Previous Players of the Month
Mark (January)
Zeb (February)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 2
Pirate's Cove 2
Hey! That's My Fish! 2
Gang of Four 1
Chez Geek 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Nexus Ops 1
Space Dealer 1
Shadows Over Camelot 1
Arkham Horror 1
Twilight Imperium 1
Railroad Tycoon 1
Fairy Tale 1
Wings of War 1

Game Night #49 and Player of the Month!

February's Player of the Month: Joey!

A great showing tonight and my current favorite game played!

Attendees: April, Mark, Zeb and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Joey 9.0 (45/5)
Zeb 8.1 (32.4/4)
Mark 8.0 (32.1/4)
April 2.5 (2.5/1)

This Event's Standings:
April 10.0 (10.0/1)
Zeb 10.0 (10.0/1)
Mark 8.0 (8.0/1)
Joey 8.0 (8.0/1)

February's Overall Standings:
Joey 8.8 (53/6)
Zeb 8.4 (42.4/5)
Mark 8.0 (40.1/5)
April 6.25 (12.5/2)

It was my turn to pick and I picked a monster, Twilight Imperium. This game has so much going on that it is difficult to keep everyone on the same page. April, Zeb and Mark had never played, but they kept up with it all very well. April, playing the Jol-Nar, was very fortunate that a couple of the public objectives were tech-based. And Mark nearly accomplished his secret objective, but Zeb shut him down. Sure, it went long. And, sure, it was like drinking from a fire hose. But I had a really good time. We cut the game short (a first for me) at four turns, we all got a turn to pick the Imperial Strategy Card. It was getting late and we were all getting tired.
Twilight Imperium Standings:
April: 10.0 (five victory points)
Zeb 10.0 (five victory points)
Mark 8.0 (four victory points)
Joey 8.0 (four victory points)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Joey 8.3 (182.8/22)
Erin 8.1 (16.2/2)
Zeb 7.85 (149.2/19)
Mark 7.8 (109.2/14)
Brandt 7.1 (35.8/5)
Brent 6.8 (20.4/3)
April 6.7 (47.1/7)

Previous Players of the Month
Joey (January, February)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 2
Pirate's Cove 2
Hey! That's My Fish! 1
Gang of Four 1
Chez Geek 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Nexus Ops 1
Space Dealer 1
Shadows Over Camelot 1
Arkham Horror 1
Twilight Imperium 1

Game Night #48

Due to illness, tax season and who knows what else, I was the lone player tonight. It happens about once a year. Ah well...

Attendees: Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Joey 9.3 (37.5/4)
Zeb 8.1 (32.4/4)
Mark 8.0 (32.1/4)
April 2.5 (2.5/1)

This Event's Standings:
Joey 7.5 (7.5/1)

February's Overall Standings:
Joey 9.0 (45/5)
Zeb 8.1 (32.4/4)
Mark 8.0 (32.1/4)
April 2.5 (2.5/1)

I thought that I might inflate my numbers a bit by playing a solo game of Arkham Horror. However, the Great Old One that I was up against was Shub-Niggurath. I've yet to beat him. After a lengthy effort of shutting down gates around Arkham, the inevitable battle with Shub-Niggurath began. And, as has been my track record, he devoured me.
Arkham Horror Standings:
Joey 7.5 (in the belly of Shubby)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Joey 8.3 (174.8/21)
Erin 8.1 (16.2/2)
Mark 7.78 (101.2/13)
Zeb 7.73 (139.2/18)
Brandt 7.1 (35.8/5)
Brent 6.8 (20.4/3)
April 6.1 (37.1/6)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 2
Pirate's Cove 2
Hey! That's My Fish! 1
Gang of Four 1
Chez Geek 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Nexus Ops 1
Space Dealer 1
Shadows Over Camelot 1
Arkham Horror 1

Game Night #47

A new month and the playing field was leveled again. A good turn out and an appearance by Mark K. "The Onion Ring Tease".

Attendees: Mark, Zeb, April and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Joey
Erin
Mark
Zeb
Brandt
April
Brent

This Event's Standings:
Joey 9.3 (37.5/4)
Zeb 8.1 (32.4/4)
Mark 8.0 (32.1/4)
April 2.5 (2.5/1)

February's Overall Standings:
Joey 9.3 (37.5/4)
Zeb 8.1 (32.4/4)
Mark 8.0 (32.1/4)
April 2.5 (2.5/1)

We started off with a handful of cycling stories and a game of Nexus Ops. All of the mines were on mine and April's side of the board. Interestingly, the monolith was mostly a second-thought in all of our minds and was hardly a critical objective. There was a lot of conflict on the mine-rich side of the board and it came down to a lot of little back and forth matches between miners.
Nexus Ops Standings:
Zeb 10.0 (12 victorious battles)
Joey 7.5 (9 battles won)
Mark 5.8 (7 key triumphs)
April 2.5 (3 decisive wins)

Next we played a game of Space Dealer. April had to head home, so it was just Mark, Zeb and myself. It's hard to report on this game, because there is so much happening at once. However, there were quite a few Gizzis remaining at the end and everyone had shipped to everyone else fairly equally.
Space Dealer Standings:
Joey 10.0 (27 trade treaties)
Mark 7.7 (21 tariff acts)
Zeb 6.2 (17 space lanes explored)

After Space Dealer, we played a game of Shadows Over Camelot. With only three players, the chances of their being a traitor was slim. Still, we were each pretty suspicious. After accumulating a few black swords on the Round Table, we launched into action and began shutting down some of the big quests. It was still close and it came down to a collective effort on the Excalibur quest. In the end, no traitor.
Shadows Over Camelot Standings:
Mark 10.0 (for acts of valor)
Zeb 10.0 (for acts of courage)
Joey 10.0 (for acts of bravery)

Lastly, we pulled out Pirate's Cove. I couldn't catch a break initially. The first third of the game I kept heading to the same islands as other players and kept getting my stern handed to me. Then I managed to make a few more thought out navigation decisions. In the end, I was the only one to head to Treasure Island and take on the Mary Read and Ann Bonny. This shot me way out into the lead. Also, I, rather stupidly, in the last round, sent the Royal Navy against Mark (who's ship was decked out to the nines) and miraculously the Royal Navy won out. The game ended up being close enough that if Mark had won that battle, I would have lost. Think, think, think...
Pirate's Cove Standings:
Joey 10.0 (37 cases of scurvy)
Mark 8.6 (32 keel-haulings)
Zeb 6.2 (23 empty bottles of rum)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Joey 8.3 (167.3/20)
Erin 8.1 (16.2/2)
Mark 7.78 (101.2/13)
Zeb 7.73 (139.2/18)
Brandt 7.1 (35.8/5)
Brent 6.8 (20.4/3)
April 6.1 (37.1/6)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 2
Pirate's Cove 2
Hey! That's My Fish! 1
Gang of Four 1
Chez Geek 1
Hive 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Puerto Rico 1
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB 1
Formula De 1
Take Stock 1
Nexus Ops 1
Space Dealer 1
Shadows Over Camelot 1

Space Dealer Image by Ryan Amos.