Game Night #42

This was an awesome game night. We had a lot of people show up, played a grip of games and, most of all, everyone pitched in and got me Space Dealer. Thank you every one, I am really touched.

Attendees: Mark, Brandt, Brent, Suzanne, Clyde and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Joey 2
Brandt 2
Brent 2
Zeb -2
Mark -4

This Event's Standings:
Mark 4
Suzanne 2
Brandt 1
Clyde 0
Brent -1
Joey -6

December's Overall Standings:
Brandt 3
Suzanne 2
Brent 1
Mark 0
Clyde 0
Zeb -2
Joey -4

Brandt showed up a bit early to get first pick of the games. We played a game of Balloon Cup. It was close at times, but Brandt has really become formidable at this game and cleaned up.
Balloon Cup Standings: Brandt 1, Joey -1

We quickly had a full house and decided to play a game of No Thanks! We had to hear Brandt's usual tirade about "seating position and its effect on No Thanks!" Needless to say, he lost (so did I), but the Moore's and their kin took all the top spots.
No Thanks! Standings: Mark 4, Suzanne 2, Clyde 0, Joey -2, Brandt -4

We then played a great (and learning) game of Space Dealer. Everyone caught on really quickly and aside from a few rules fudges we made it through the game. I cleaned up on the Gizzis. But as they say, "A handful of Gizzis does not a winner make." Mark proved himself to be the most efficient alien race in the cosmos.
Space Dealer Standings: Mark 3, Brandt 1, Brent -1, Joey -3

We then played the perennial favorite; Pirate's Cove. This game consisted of all of us heading to the same island or all of us heading to different islands. When playing with three people, who know how to play the game, Pirate's Cove plays really quickly and made for a fun game. I picked up Long John Silver's parrot pretty early in the game and that made me a target. The poor parrot was quickly reduced to a puff of feathers and smoke shortly thereafter. Mark went on to challenge Blackbeard at Treasure Island and was halfway to defeating him when his cannons could not make contact with Blackbeard's hull any longer. Brandt handily became the most famous (er, notorious) pirate.
Pirate's Cove Standings: Brandt 2, Joey 0, Mark -2

Still good to go, we played a game of Mag-Blast. Brandt was dealt three Dreadnoughts from the start. We made attempts to blast him, but he made short work of us.
Mag-Blast Standings: Brandt 2, Joey 0, Mark -2

Formula De was next to the table. This was a fairly short game of Formula De. Before we reached the halfway mark of the first (and only) lap, I bumped both cars and we all took a point of body damage. Then Mark and Brandt bumped each other, exploded and I cruised to the finish line in first gear.
Formula De Standings: Joey 2, Mark -1, Brandt -1

That last game of Formula De was so short we decided to play again. This was a much different race. I shot out ahead for the last half of the race, but at the sacrifice of my car. Mark was last and had a near mint car. Mark was able to open her up and push his car harder than I was on the last couple of turns and shot ahead to the finish line. Also, Brandt spun-out. This is the first time that I have ever seen that.
Formula De Standings: Mark 2, Joey 0, Brandt -2

Lastly we played a game of Pirate's Dice. I was losing badly, quickly. I was down to two dice before I was able to whittle a few dice away from Mark and Brandt. I then lost my two remaining dice. Shortly thereafter, Mark and Brandt had one dice each and they both rolled terrible. Brandt managed to win with a feat of honesty.
Pirate's Dice Standings: Brandt 2, Mark 0, Joey -2

Additional Stats
Overall Points Total
Brent 9
Zeb 6
Mark 5
Brandt 4
Aaron 3
Suzanne 2
Clyde 0
James -6
Joey -9

This Event's Wins to Played Ratios
Brandt 4:8 (50%)
Mark 3:7 (42%)
Joey 1:8 (12%)
Brent 0:1 (0%)
Suzanne 0:1 (0%)
Clyde 0:1 (0%)

December's Wins to Played Ratios
Brandt 6:12 (50%)
Zeb 1:2 (50%)
Mark 3:12 (25%)
Brent 1:4 (25%)
Joey 2:13 (15%)
Suzanne 0:1 (0%)
Clyde 0:1 (0%)

Overall Wins to Played Ratios
Aaron 3:6 (50%)
Brandt 9:24 (37.5%)
Zeb 20:54 (37.03%)
Joey 45:133 (33%)
Brent 7:24 (29%)
Mark M. 21:82 (25%)
James 2:13 (15%)
Suzanne 0:1 (0%)
Clyde 0:1 (0%)

Games Played, Sorted by Popularity
Pirate’s Dice 14
For Sale 9
RoboRally 9
Formula De 7
Nexus Ops 5
Shadows over Camelot 4
Manila 4
Hey! That’s My Fish! 4
No Thanks! 4
Space Dealer 4
Formidable Foes 3
Tide of Iron 3
Arkham Horror 3
Elk Fest 3
Bang! 3
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 3
Lost Cities 3
Pirate’s Cove 3
Mag-Blast 3
Memoir ’44 2
Wings of War: Burning Drachens 2
Crimson Skies 2
Doom: The Boardgame 2
Zombies!!! 2
TransAmerica 2
Betrayal at House on the Hill 2
Ticket to Ride 2
Balloon Cup 2
Conquest of the Empire 1
Poison 1
Twilight Imperium, 3rd Edition 1
Antike 1
Mystery of the Abbey 1
Fluxx 1
Puerto Rico 1
Nottingham 1
Qwirkle 1
Axis & Allies 1
Ricochet Robots 1
On the Underground 1
China 1
Vampire: Prince of the City 1
Jambo 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Quelf 1
Power Grid 1
Citadels 1
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 1
San Juan 1
Blokus 1
Colosseum 1
Mmm... Brains 1
Acquire 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Thurn and Taxis 1
Star Wars Miniature Battles 1
Boomtown 1
Chez Geek 1

Game Night #41

Much like last week. Five players in attendance, five games played. Weird.

Attendees: Zeb, Mark, Brandt, Brent and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Joey
Aaron
Brandt
James
Zeb
Brent
Mark

This Event's Standings:
Joey 2
Brandt 2
Brent 2
Zeb -2
Mark -4

December's Overall Standings:
Joey 2
Brandt 2
Brent 2
Zeb -2
Mark -4

Brandt and Mark showed up at the same time and we played a game of No Thanks! I thought that by sitting to Brandt's left I might have more of an advantage. Boy, was I wrong! I came in dead last and need to not push my luck so much...
No Thanks! Standings: Brandt 2, Mark 0, Joey -2

Brent arrived and we played a game of Boomtown. I must admit that I picked this because I thought that I had a knack at winning this game and was looking to boost my totals. I was wrong. I was doing fairly well, but I made a few goof ball choices late in the game. Brent really cashed in.
Boomtown Standings: Brent 3, Joey 1, Mark -1, Brandt -3

Zeb called us from Taco Bell and told us that both he and tacos would be there soon, so we sat down to play a quick game of Pirate's Dice. Brent really got tossed around at first, but then he held strong and the rest of us took some hits. Then Brent went out, followed by me. I didn't see as Brandt and Mark went head-to-head (tacos). But Brandt won it. Maybe Brandt or Mark would care to detail how that went down...
Pirate's Dice Standings: Brandt 3, Mark 1, Joey -1, Brent -3

With everyone here, we began the main event. A single-map, four-flag, five-player game of Robo Rally. Pushing, shooting, crushing... we had it all! It was a great game. Brent and I both made runs at the final flag and it was pretty dang close the first time.
Robo Rally Standings: Joey 4, Brent 2, Brandt 0, Mark -2, Zeb -4

Brent and Brandt left and we that remained played a game of Chez Geek. Mark, the Tech Support specialist, was master of the nookie and had tons of income but nothing to spend it on. I, the Research Subject, had tons of friends over but not a whole lot of anything else. Zeb, the Web Designer, had a nice mix of everything and shot past his Slack Goal pretty easily. Mark and I just aren't slacker enough.
Chez Geek Standings: Zeb 2, Joey 0, Mark -2

Additional Stats
Overall Points Total
Brent 10
Zeb 6
Aaron 3
Brandt 3
Mark M. 1
Joey -3
James -6

This Event's Wins to Played Ratios
Brandt 2:4 (50%)
Zeb 1:2 (50%)
Brent 1:3 (30%)
Joey 1:5 (20%)
Mark 0:5 (0%)

December's Wins to Played Ratios
Brandt 2:4 (50%)
Zeb 1:2 (50%)
Brent 1:3 (30%)
Joey 1:5 (20%)
Mark 0:5 (0%)

Overall Wins to Played Ratios
Aaron 3:6 (50%)
Zeb 20:54 (37%)
Joey 44:125 (35%)
Brandt 5:16 (31%)
Brent 7:23 (30%)
Mark M. 18:75 (24%)
James 2:13 (15%)

Games Played, Sorted by Popularity
Pirate’s Dice 13
For Sale 9
RoboRally 9
Nexus Ops 5
Formula De 5
Shadows over Camelot 4
Manila 4
Hey! That’s My Fish! 4
Space Dealer 3
Formidable Foes 3
Tide of Iron 3
Arkham Horror 3
Elk Fest 3
Bang! 3
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 3
Lost Cities 3
No Thanks! 3
Memoir ’44 2
Wings of War: Burning Drachens 2
Crimson Skies 2
Doom: The Boardgame 2
Pirate’s Cove 2
Zombies!!! 2
TransAmerica 2
Betrayal at House on the Hill 2
Ticket to Ride 2
Mag-Blast 2
Conquest of the Empire 1
Poison 1
Twilight Imperium, 3rd Edition 1
Antike 1
Mystery of the Abbey 1
Fluxx 1
Puerto Rico 1
Nottingham 1
Qwirkle 1
Axis & Allies 1
Ricochet Robots 1
On the Underground 1
China 1
Vampire: Prince of the City 1
Jambo 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Quelf 1
Power Grid 1
Citadels 1
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 1
San Juan 1
Balloon Cup 1
Blokus 1
Colosseum 1
Mmm... Brains 1
Acquire 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Thurn and Taxis 1
Star Wars Miniature Battles 1
Boomtown 1
Chez Geek 1

Game Night #40

One player in attendance, one game played. A very singular night.

Players of the Month: Aaron and Joey

Players of Months Past:
Mark M. (April, May, August, September)
Joey (February, March, July, November)
Zeb (June, October)
Aaron (November)

Attendees: Zeb and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Joey 4
Aaron 3
Brandt 2
James 1
Zeb -3
Brent -3
Mark M. -4

This Event's Standings:
Zeb 1
Joey -1

November's Overall Standings:
Joey 3
Aaron 3
Brandt 2
James 1
Zeb -2
Brent -3
Mark M. -4

We played a game of Star Wars Miniature Battles. The scenario pitted the Empire and the Rebellion against each other in a race against time. Each faction had to enter the forest ruins and search for a missing Intelligence Droid, vital to each side's operations. Zeb played the Imperial forces and I played the Rebel Alliance. We both made our way to the ruins and searched for the droid. We took a few pot shots at each other and chipped away at each other. Then as we drew closer, Zeb unleashed a few volleys of grenades and began decimating my forces. I thought it wise to draw closer so that any missed grenades might land back on him. I engaged in hand-to-hand combat, within the ruins, with his best squad and fell as if waves crashing on rocks. I did manage to even out the odds though and it came down to my last few stragglers trying to keep Zeb's raggedy squads from making off with the droid. In the end, Zeb's last snowtrooper escaped with the droid as my last two troops were blasted.
Star Wars Miniature Battles Standings: Zeb 1, Joey -1

Additional Stats
Overall Points Total
Brent 8
Zeb 8
Mark M. 5
Aaron 3
Ben 3
Brandt 1
Mark K. -3
Joey -5
James -6

This Event's Wins to Played Ratios
Zeb 1:1 (100%)
Joey 0:1 (0%)

November's Wins to Played Ratios
Aaron 3:6 (50%)
James 1:2 (50%)
Joey 7:17 (41%)
Brandt 1:4 (25%)
Zeb 3:13 (23%)
Brent 1:6 (16%)
Mark M. 1:11 (9%)

Overall Wins to Played Ratios
Aaron 3:6 (50%)
Zeb 19:52 (36%)
Joey 43:120 (35%)
Ben 1:3 (33%)
Brent 6:20 (30%)
Mark M. 18:70 (25.7%)
Brandt 3:12 (25%)
James 2:13 (15%)
Mark K. 0:1 (0%)

Games Played, Sorted by Popularity
Pirate’s Dice 12
For Sale 9
RoboRally 8
Nexus Ops 5
Formula De 5
Shadows over Camelot 4
Manila 4
Hey! That’s My Fish! 4
Space Dealer 3
Formidable Foes 3
Tide of Iron 3
Arkham Horror 3
Elk Fest 3
Bang! 3
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 3
Lost Cities 3
Memoir ’44 2
Wings of War: Burning Drachens 2
Crimson Skies 2
Doom: The Boardgame 2
Pirate’s Cove 2
Zombies!!! 2
TransAmerica 2
Betrayal at House on the Hill 2
Ticket to Ride 2
Mag-Blast 2
No Thanks! 2
Conquest of the Empire 1
Poison 1
Twilight Imperium, 3rd Edition 1
Antike 1
Mystery of the Abbey 1
Fluxx 1
Puerto Rico 1
Nottingham 1
Qwirkle 1
Axis & Allies 1
Ricochet Robots 1
On the Underground 1
China 1
Vampire: Prince of the City 1
Jambo 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Quelf 1
Power Grid 1
Citadels 1
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 1
San Juan 1
Balloon Cup 1
Blokus 1
Colosseum 1
Mmm... Brains 1
Acquire 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Thurn and Taxis 1
Star Wars Miniature Battles 1

Game Night #39

That was a great night! I had a lot of fun. Good crowd, good snacks and some fairly good games. And another interestingly matched night.

Attendees: Brent, Zeb, Mark, Brandt and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Aaron 3
Joey 2
James 1
Zeb 0
Mark M. -6

This Event's Standings:
Joey 2
Mark 2
Brandt 2
Brent -3
Zeb -3

November's Overall Standings:
Joey 4
Aaron 3
Brandt 2
James 1
Zeb -3
Brent -3
Mark M. -4

Brent arrived first and we played a game of Lost Cities. I thought that I was going to win and I did.
Lost Cities Standings: Joey 1, Brent -1


We then played Mag-Blast after Zeb and Mark showed up. I thought that I was going to win, but I didn't.
Mag-Blast Standings: Mark 3, Brent 1, Zeb -1, Joey -3


After Brandt arrived we played another game of Mag-Blast. I thought that I was going to win and I did.
Mag-Blast Standings: Joey 4, Zeb 2, Brandt 0, Mark -2, Brent -4


I then picked No Thanks! I must admit that I thought that I was going to win this, but I didn't.
No Thanks! Standings: Brent 4, Zeb 2, Mark 0, Joey -2, Brandt -4


Now that everyone understood the game, we played No Thanks! again. I was sure that I was going to win, but I didn't.
No Thanks! Standings: Brandt 4, Mark 2, Joey 0, Brent -2, Zeb -4


As things were winding down, we played a game of Wits and Wagers. I was certain that I was going to win and I did.
Wits and Wagers Standings: Joey 4, Brandt 2, Brent -1, Mark -1, Zeb -4


Lastly we played Thurn and Taxis and this was a game that I knew that I had in the bag. I was wrong.
Thurn and Taxis Standings: Zeb 2, Mark 0, Joey -2




Additional Stats
Overall Points Total
Brent 8
Zeb 7
Mark M. 5
Aaron 3
Ben 3
Brandt 1
Mark K. -3
Joey -4
James -6

This Event's Wins to Played Ratios
Joey 3:7 (42%)
Brandt 1:4 (25%)
Brent 1:6 (16%)
Mark 1:6 (16%)
Zeb 1:6 (16%)

November's Wins to Played Ratios
Aaron 3:6 (50%)
James 1:2 (50%)
Joey 7:16 (43%)
Brandt 1:4 (25%)
Zeb 2:12 (16%)
Brent 1:6 (16%)
Mark M. 1:11 (9%)

Overall Wins to Played Ratios
Aaron 3:6 (50%)
Joey 43:119 (36%)
Zeb 18:51 (35%)
Ben 1:3 (33%)
Brent 6:20 (30%)
Mark M. 18:70 (25.7%)
Brandt 3:12 (25%)
James 2:13 (15%)
Mark K. 0:1 (0%)

Games Played, Sorted by Popularity
Pirate’s Dice 12
For Sale 9
RoboRally 8
Nexus Ops 5
Formula De 5
Shadows over Camelot 4
Manila 4
Hey! That’s My Fish! 4
Space Dealer 3
Formidable Foes 3
Tide of Iron 3
Arkham Horror 3
Elk Fest 3
Bang! 3
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 3
Lost Cities 3
Memoir ’44 2
Wings of War: Burning Drachens 2
Crimson Skies 2
Doom: The Boardgame 2
Pirate’s Cove 2
Zombies!!! 2
TransAmerica 2
Betrayal at House on the Hill 2
Ticket to Ride 2
Mag-Blast 2
No Thanks! 2
Conquest of the Empire 1
Poison 1
Twilight Imperium, 3rd Edition 1
Antike 1
Mystery of the Abbey 1
Fluxx 1
Puerto Rico 1
Nottingham 1
Qwirkle 1
Axis & Allies 1
Ricochet Robots 1
On the Underground 1
China 1
Vampire: Prince of the City 1
Jambo 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Quelf 1
Power Grid 1
Citadels 1
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 1
San Juan 1
Balloon Cup 1
Blokus 1
Colosseum 1
Mmm... Brains 1
Acquire 1
Wits and Wagers 1
Thurn and Taxis 1

Elvis has left the building.

Game Night #38

Thank you for playing tonight! It was a shorter night and it was an evenly matched evening for all of us.

Attendees: Aaron, Zeb, James and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Aaron 4
Zeb 1
Joey 1
Mark M. -6

This Event's Standings:
Joey 1
James 1
Aaron -1
Zeb -1

November's Overall Standings:
Aaron 3
Joey 2
James 1
Zeb 0
Mark M. -6

While waiting for others to arrive James, Aaron and I played a game of Hey! That's My Fish! This had to be the most mind-bending game of Hey! That's My Fish! that I have ever played. There was a whole lot of "if I do this, then this will happen" decisions being made. It was rough. James won by a landslide (of fish)!
Hey! That's My Fish! Standings: James 2, Joey 0, Aaron -2

We then played Betrayal at House on the Hill (thus far a night of games with long names). I love this game and don't get to play it nearly enough. We played a Haunt titled "Let Them In". Aaron and a madman turned on us and began letting spectres in. We had everything we needed to exorcise these spectres. But due to our clumsy handling of holy items, crystal balls and log-forgotten tomes; we were quickly dispatched by Aaron, a madman and a handful of spectres. The traitor was victorious.
Betrayal at House on the Hill Standings: Aaron 3, Zeb -1, Joey -1, James -1

James had to leave so we played a game of Ticket to Ride. This game started out peaceful and very non-confrontational. It was only near the end that we began to get in each other's way. The only thing of note is that Zeb and I tied for first, so it went to the tie-breaker. We tied again. So it went to the double tie-breaker; which I received for having two more tracks on the board than Zeb. This was THE closest game of Ticket to Ride that I have ever played! Zeb still hates this game.
Ticket to Ride Standings: Joey 2, Zeb 0, Aaron -2

Additional Stats
Overall Points Total
Brent 11
Zeb 10
Aaron 3
Mark M. 3
Ben 3
Brandt -1
Mark K. -3
James -6
Joey -6

This Event's Wins to Played Ratios
James 1:2 (50%)
Aaron 1:3 (33%)
Joey 1:3 (33%)
Zeb 0:2 (0%)

November's Wins to Played Ratios
Aaron 3:6 (50%)
James 1:2 (50%)
Joey 4:9 (44%)
Zeb 1:6 (16%)
Mark M. 0:5 (0%)

Overall Wins to Played Ratios
Aaron 3:6 (50%)
Zeb 17:45 (37%)
Joey 40:112 (35%)
Brent 5:14 (35%)
Ben 1:3 (33%)
Mark M. 17:64 (26%)
Brandt 2:8 (25%)
James 2:13 (15%)
Mark K. 0:1 (0%)

Games Played, Sorted by Popularity
Pirate’s Dice 12
For Sale 9
RoboRally 8
Nexus Ops 5
Formula De 5
Shadows over Camelot 4
Manila 4
Hey! That’s My Fish! 4
Space Dealer 3
Formidable Foes 3
Tide of Iron 3
Arkham Horror 3
Elk Fest 3
Bang! 3
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 3
Memoir ’44 2
Wings of War: Burning Drachens 2
Crimson Skies 2
Lost Cities 2
Doom: The Boardgame 2
Pirate’s Cove 2
Zombies!!! 2
TransAmerica 2
Betrayal at House on the Hill 2
Ticket to Ride 2
Conquest of the Empire 1
Poison 1
Twilight Imperium, 3rd Edition 1
Antike 1
Mystery of the Abbey 1
Fluxx 1
Puerto Rico 1
Nottingham 1
Qwirkle 1
Axis & Allies 1
Ricochet Robots 1
On the Underground 1
China 1
Vampire: Prince of the City 1
Jambo 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Quelf 1
Power Grid 1
Citadels 1
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 1
San Juan 1
Balloon Cup 1
Blokus 1
Colosseum 1
Mmm... Brains 1
Acquire 1

Game Night #37

Thanks for attending this week everyone.

This weekend is MillenniumCon, in Austin. It's a game convention, but it leans more towards historical miniature war games and longer, more in-depth games. If any of you are interested in attending with me, please let me know. I think it's $30 for all weekend long. Here's there site. http://www.millenniumcon.com/

Attendees: Aaron, Zeb, Mark M. and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Zeb
Brent
James
Brandt
Mark M.
Joey

This Event's Standings:
Aaron 4
Zeb 1
Joey 1
Mark M. -6

November's Overall Standings:
Aaron 4
Zeb 1
Joey 1
Mark M. -6

Aaron arrived first and, while we waited for the others, we played a game of Hey! That's My Fish! Aaron cut a couple of my penguins off and isolated them to small floes. This did allow me to section off a fifth of the board with one of my remaining penguins. I did have to fight off Aaron's penguins with my one remaining penguin. The game did go to me, but this did not keep Aaron from returning the favor later (multiple times).
Hey! That's My Fish! Standings: Joey 1, Aaron -1

Mark showed up next and we played a game of Zombies!!! The map unfolded in a really unique manner; a near perfect rectangular grid. As Aaron and Mark fought to get to the nearby Helipad, I was on the other side of the board looking for a chainsaw in the Lawn and Garden Center. Aaron found a car with the keys still in the ignition and motored through all of the zombies in his path to the helicopter; only Aaron survived the zombie onslaught.
Zombies!!! Standings: Aaron 2, Mark M. -1, Joey -1

Zeb arrived in the midst of our flight from the zombies (and made a taco run. Zeb's my new hero! I owe you, big time!). It was Zeb's turn to pick and we played Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot (which I've decided that he picks just so I'll have to type that whole name out each week a couple of times.) I actually got a few bunnies in my initial draw, but not until Zeb unleashed the Ebola virus on them and wiped them all out. So it seems that I can either have bunnies OR carrots, but not both. Every other game = lots of carrots and no bunnies. This game = lots of bunnies and no carrots. Oh, well. Aaron again was the lucky rabbit that found the Magic Carrot and won the game.
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot Standings: Aaron 3, Zeb -1, Mark M. -1, Joey -1

Aaron had to leave, so we played TransAmerica next (one of my new faves, not 'cause I love it; but because I am somehow good at it). TransAmerica ran three rounds. In each round, I drew Los Angeles, my least favorite city (all of those mountains). Despite that, I won this one without taking a single loss.
TransAmerica Standings: Joey 2, Zeb 0, Mark M. -2

We then moved on to another group favorite; RoboRally. We knew this was going to be an interesting one, because all three of us are pretty evenly matched at this game. We played two of the most difficult maps; Pit Maze and Maelstrom. Midway between the first and second flag, Mark was off spinning around while Zeb and I found ourselves in a standoff. We were facing each other. Zeb had a conveyor belt that led to certain doom behind him and I had a pit behind me. Zeb moved first and pushed me into the pit. My first death. Later, this time Zeb was off zooming toward the finish line and Mark and I found ourselves in a similar standoff. Once again, I made the wrong move and found myself plummeting down a pit with Mark peering over the edge taunting me. The pic to the left is the status of the game as Mark finished second. I hadn't even touched the second flag yet. The indignity of it all!
RoboRally Standings: Zeb 2, Mark M. 0, Joey -2

It was time to start wrapping things up and we settled on a game of For Sale before calling it quits. I managed to pick up properties #30 and #29, but at the cost of nearly all of my capital. I think my last four or five card draws were forced picks due to not having any cash. When the second round came around, I managed to avoid both Voids and picked up a $15,000 and $14,000 check. I squeaked out a victory in this one.
For Sale Standings: Joey 2, Zeb 0, Mark M. -2

Additional Stats
Overall Points Total
Brent 11
Zeb 11
Aaron 4
Mark M. 3
Ben 3
Brandt -1
Mark K. -3
James -7
Joey -7

This Event's Wins to Played Ratios
Aaron 2:3 (66%)
Joey 3:6 (50%)
Zeb 1:4 (25%)
Mark M. 0:5 (0%)

November's Wins to Played Ratios
Aaron 2:3 (66%)
Joey 3:6 (50%)
Zeb 1:4 (25%)
Mark M. 0:5 (0%)

Overall Wins to Played Ratios
Aaron 2:3 (66%)
Zeb 17:43 (39%)
Joey 39:109 (35.77%)
Brent 5:14 (35.71%)
Ben 1:3 (33%)
Mark M. 17:64 (26%)
Brandt 2:8 (25%)
James 1:11 (9%)
Mark K. 0:1 (0%)

Games Played, Sorted by Popularity
Pirate’s Dice 12
For Sale 9
RoboRally 8
Nexus Ops 5
Formula De 5
Shadows over Camelot 4
Manila 4
Space Dealer 3
Formidable Foes 3
Tide of Iron 3
Arkham Horror 3
Elk Fest 3
Bang! 3
Hey! That’s My Fish! 3
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 3
Memoir ’44 2
Wings of War: Burning Drachens 2
Crimson Skies 2
Lost Cities 2
Doom: The Boardgame 2
Pirate’s Cove 2
Zombies!!! 2
TransAmerica 2
Conquest of the Empire 1
Poison 1
Twilight Imperium, 3rd Edition 1
Antike 1
Mystery of the Abbey 1
Fluxx 1
Puerto Rico 1
Nottingham 1
Qwirkle 1
Axis & Allies 1
Ricochet Robots 1
On the Underground 1
China 1
Vampire: Prince of the City 1
Jambo 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Quelf 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Power Grid 1
Citadels 1
Betrayal at House on the Hill 1
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 1
San Juan 1
Balloon Cup 1
Blokus 1
Colosseum 1
Mmm... Brains 1
Acquire 1


Images by Eric Dodd and Joe Belanger

Game Night #36

Thanks for playing last night. That was a lot of games! A new player of the month is named: Zeb!

Player of the Month: Zeb

Players of Months Past:
Mark M. (April, May, August, September)
Joey (February, July, August)
Zeb (June)
Erin (March)

Attendees: Brent, Zeb, Mark M. and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Zeb 4
Brent 3
Mark M. 1
James -2
Brandt -2
Joey -4

This Event's Standings:
Zeb 4
Brent 3
Joey -1
Mark M. -6

October's Overall Standings:
Zeb 8
Brent 6
James -2
Brandt -2
Mark M. -5
Joey -5

We played a game of Manila first. This was an extremely interesting game of Manila. The initial distribution of wares was odd and the one ware that not a lot of us had shot to the top and left a lot of ware cards, in our hands, worthless. Mark and I were within a couple of points of each other, but Zeb nearly doubled our scores.
Manila Standings: Zeb 2, Joey 0, Mark M. -2

We then played TransAmerica. I have no idea why or how, but I have a knack for this game. (And now that I've said that I've just jinxed myself). I only lost one round and for only one point. So the game went to me.
TransAmerica Standings: Joey 2, Zeb 0, Mark M. -2

Formula De was the next pick. We played a single lap. Zeb and I found out that single lap cars can't stand much abuse. We collided for the second time halfway through the race, blowing up and allowing Brent and Mark M. free reign of the track (in Monaco). Until Zeb and I exploded, we were all moving in the is tight pack. After the blast, Mark tore away from Brent and the race was his.
Formula De Standings: Mark 3, Brent 1, Zeb -1, Joey -1

We then played a game of Bang! Brent, the only new player, had the daunting task of being assigned (randomly) as the Sheriff. I was the Renegade (which was quickly deduced when I started blasting Mark M. (an Outlaw). Zeb, the other Outlaw, was well defended by his barrel and outlived Mark M. Then I was next to be gunned down by the Sheriff. Then the Sheriff Brent made short work of Zeb too. The newbie won it!
Bang! Standings: Brent 3, Zeb -1, Mark M. -1, Joey -1

Brent had to leave, but we managed to talk him into one more game; For Sale. After a fairly conservative first bidding round; the second bidding round saw some interesting lots (i.e. both Voids came out in the same lot). It was pretty close for a couple of us. Zeb took the game.
For Sale Standings: Zeb 3, Joey 1, Brent -1, Mark M. -3

We then played Zombies!!!, which I erroneously sold as being a "quick game". Who knew that it would be such a "take that" fest. We nearly went through the entire deck of event cards. I only drew cards that messed with movement, Zeb was the weapons master and Mark M. was the zombie lord. The helipad was found early on, but the path there was a long and bloody one. The game came down to Zeb killing twenty-five zombies and ending the game. That was one brutal game of Zombies!!!
Zombies!!! Standings: Zeb 2, Mark M. -1, Joey -1


Additional Stats
Overall Points Total
Brent 11
Zeb 10
Mark M. 9
Ben 3
Yog-Sothoth 3
Brandt -1
Cthulhu -1
Mark K. -3
Ithaqua -3
James -7
Joey -8

Overall Wins to Played Ratio
Yog-Sothoth 1:1 (100%)
Zeb 16:39 (41%)
Brent 5:14 (35%)
Joey 36:103 (34%)
Ben 1:3 (33%)
Mark M. 17:59 (28%)
Brandt 2:8 (25%)
James 1:11 (9%)
Cthulhu 0:1 (0%)
Mark K. 0:1 (0%)
Ithaqua 0:1 (0%)

October's Wins to Played Ratio
Brent 3:8 (37%)
Zeb 7:19 (36%)
Joey 6:20 (30%)
Mark M. 4:16 (25%)
Brandt 0:3 (0%)
James 0:3 (0%)

Games Played, Sorted by Popularity
Pirate’s Dice 12
For Sale 8
RoboRally 7
Nexus Ops 5
Formula De 5
Shadows over Camelot 4
Manila 4
Space Dealer 3
Formidable Foes 3
Tide of Iron 3
Arkham Horror 3
Elk Fest 3
Bang! 3
Memoir ’44 2
Wings of War: Burning Drachens 2
Hey! That’s My Fish! 2
Crimson Skies 2
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 2
Lost Cities 2
Doom: The Boardgame 2
Pirate’s Cove 2
Conquest of the Empire 1
Poison 1
Twilight Imperium, 3rd Edition 1
Antike 1
Mystery of the Abbey 1
Fluxx 1
Puerto Rico 1
Nottingham 1
Qwirkle 1
Axis & Allies 1
Ricochet Robots 1
On the Underground 1
China 1
Vampire: Prince of the City 1
Jambo 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Quelf 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Power Grid 1
Citadels 1
Betrayal at House on the Hill 1
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 1
San Juan 1
Balloon Cup 1
Blokus 1
Colosseum 1
Mmm... Brains 1
Acquire 1
TransAmerica 1
Zombies!!! 1

Images by Patrick Hirtle, Mark Coomey, Joyce Lam, John Carlton, Game Photos and David Thiel

Game Night #35

Sorry that this is almost a week late. I have my reasons (you'll see tomorrow at the Trunk or Treat). Also, I wanted everyone to know that Game Night is still on for tonight (7pm, my place). Hope to see you there!

Attendees: James, Zeb, Mark M. and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Mark M. 4
Zeb 3
Brent 3
Brandt -2
Joey -8

This Event's Standings:
Joey 4
Zeb 1
James -2
Mark M. -3

October's Overall Standings:
Zeb 4
Brent 3
Mark M. 1
James -2
Brandt -2
Joey -4

Zeb and James arrived first and we decided to stage an ol' fashioned gunfight'; Bang! style. It was a furious gunfight with Zeb finishing me off before James could dust Zeb.
Bang! Standings: Zeb 2, James -1, Joey -1

We settled in for a great game of Doom. I played the Invaders and Mark M., Zeb and James were desperately searching for the Red Security Door as the marines. They were one room away as I scored my sixth frag. The Invaders won the day... this time.
Doom Standings: Joey 3, James -1, Zeb -1, Mark M. -1

Lastly, we played a game of Pirate's Cove. At first the game was highly confrontational with several of us heading to the same islands and battling it out. Then the last half of the game became quite peaceful as we all ended up heading to different islands. The game ended with both The Cacafuego and Blackbeard being sunk. Argggh!
Pirate's Cove Standings: Joey 2, Zeb 0, Mark M. -2


Additional Stats
Overall Points Total
Mark M. 15
Brent 8
Zeb 6
Ben 3
Yog-Sothoth 3
Brandt -1
Cthulhu -1
Mark K. -3
Ithaqua -3
James -7
Joey -7

Overall Wins to Played Ratio
Yog-Sothoth 1:1 (100%)
Zeb 13:33 (39%)
Brent 4:11 (36.36%)
Joey 35:97 (36.08%)
Ben 1:3 (33%)
Mark M. 16:53 (30%)
Brandt 2:8 (25%)
James 1:11 (9%)
Cthulhu 0:1 (0%)
Mark K. 0:1 (0%)
Ithaqua 0:1 (0%)

October's Wins to Played Ratio
Brent 2:5 (40%)
Joey 5:14 (35%)
Zeb 4:13 (30.7%)
Mark M. 3:10 (30.0%)
Brandt 0:3 (0%)
James 0:3 (0%)

Games Played, Sorted by Popularity
Pirate’s Dice 12
For Sale 7
RoboRally 7
Nexus Ops 5
Formula De 4
Shadows over Camelot 4
Space Dealer 3
Formidable Foes 3
Tide of Iron 3
Arkham Horror 3
Elk Fest 3
Manila 3
Memoir ’44 2
Wings of War: Burning Drachens 2
Hey! That’s My Fish! 2
Crimson Skies 2
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 2
Lost Cities 2
Bang! 2
Doom: The Boardgame 2
Pirate’s Cove 2
Conquest of the Empire 1
Poison 1
Twilight Imperium, 3rd Edition 1
Antike 1
Mystery of the Abbey 1
Fluxx 1
Puerto Rico 1
Nottingham 1
Qwirkle 1
Axis & Allies 1
Ricochet Robots 1
On the Underground 1
China 1
Vampire: Prince of the City 1
Jambo 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Quelf 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Power Grid 1
Citadels 1
Betrayal at House on the Hill 1
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 1
San Juan 1
Balloon Cup 1
Blokus 1
Colosseum 1
Mmm... Brains 1
Acquire 1

Game Night #34

Thanks for playing tonight! If you weren't here, what are you waiting for? An engraved invite? Get over here and play next Tuesday, 7pm. See ya!

Attendees: Zeb, Mark M., Brent and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Zeb 6
Mark M. 1
Brent -2
Brandt -2
Joey -3

This Event's Standings:
Brent 5
Mark M. 3
Zeb -3
Joey -5

October's Overall Standings:
Mark M. 4
Zeb 3
Brent 3
Brandt -2
Joey -8

Zeb and Brent arrived first and we started a game of Manila. Mark M. showed up right after our first turn. I thought I was doing much better that I actually did. For a first-timer, Brent manipulated the market, was a successful pirate and made it to the top.
Manila Standings: Brent 2, Zeb 0, Joey -2

Brent brought Acquire with him. I love this game, but I stink at it. Big time! This was a very unusual game of Acquire. Very few corporations were built in the beginning and it seemed to be a fairly quiet game for a long time. Then the mergers and acquisitions flew. I really cashed in at the end, but having not done so throughout the game cost me.
Acquire Standings: Brent 3, Mark M. 1, Zeb -1, Joey -3

And then it was Nexus Ops time! It's been far too long since we've played this. We all turtled in the beginning and when everyone's massive army was ready, the sparks flew! Mark M. and Zeb put some points up early on. I managed to put six of my twelve points on the board in short order, but then stood still as Mark M. rushed forward and got his twelve.
Nexus Ops Standings: Mark M. 2, Joey 0, Zeb -2


Additional Stats
Overall Points Total
Mark M. 18
Brent 8
Zeb 5
Ben 3
Yog-Sothoth 3
Brandt -1
Cthulhu -1
Mark K. -3
Ithaqua -3
James -5
Joey -11

Overall Wins to Played Ratio
Yog-Sothoth 1:1 (100%)
Zeb 12:30 (40%)
Brent 4:11 (36%)
Joey 33:94 (35%)
Ben 1:3 (33%)
Mark M. 16:50 (32%)
Brandt 2:8 (25%)
James 1:8 (12%)
Cthulhu 0:1 (0%)
Mark K. 0:1 (0%)
Ithaqua 0:1 (0%)

October's Wins to Played Ratio
Mark M. 3:7 (42%)
Brent 2:5 (40%)
Zeb 3:10 (30%)
Joey 3:11 (27%)
Brandt 0:3 (0%)

Games Played, Sorted by Popularity
Pirate’s Dice 12
For Sale 7
RoboRally 7
Nexus Ops 5
Formula De 4
Shadows over Camelot 4
Space Dealer 3
Formidable Foes 3
Tide of Iron 3
Arkham Horror 3
Elk Fest 3
Manila 3
Memoir ’44 2
Wings of War: Burning Drachens 2
Hey! That’s My Fish! 2
Crimson Skies 2
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 2
Lost Cities 2
Conquest of the Empire 1
Poison 1
Twilight Imperium, 3rd Edition 1
Antike 1
Mystery of the Abbey 1
Doom: The Boardgame 1
Fluxx 1
Puerto Rico 1
Nottingham 1
Qwirkle 1
Axis & Allies 1
Ricochet Robots 1
On the Underground 1
China 1
Vampire: Prince of the City 1
Jambo 1
Bang! 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Pirate’s Cove 1
Quelf 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Power Grid 1
Citadels 1
Betrayal at House on the Hill 1
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 1
San Juan 1
Balloon Cup 1
Blokus 1
Colosseum 1
Mmm... Brains 1
Acquire 1

Game Night #33

I like these smaller gatherings; much nicer!

Attendees: Zeb, Mark M., Brent and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Zeb 5
Brent 2
Mark M. -1
Brandt -2
Joey -4

This Event's Standings:
Mark M. 2
Joey 1
Zeb 1
Brent -4

October's Overall Standings:
Zeb 6
Mark M. 1
Brent -2
Brandt -2
Joey -3

Zeb arrived first and we played a quick game of Lost Cities. For his first game, Zeb did very well. Erin usually has a hundred point lead on me throughout the game. Zeb was never down more than thirty points or so.
Lost Cities Standings: Joey 1, Zeb -1

Once everyone arrived, we played a game of Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot. I had SO many carrots, but my one and only bunny was killed toward the end of the game and they all went to Mark M. No matter though, the last carrot Zeb got, to end the game, was the winning carrot. Zeb's first time winning Killer Bunnies over here.
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot Standings: Zeb 3, Brent -1, Joey -1, Mark M. -1

Now we settled in for the main event: RoboRally! A three-map, six-flag race! Epic, to say the least! The game started off neck and neck. I managed to secure a HUGE lead and Brent happened to get bad hands pretty consistently. As I was about to tag the second to last flag, I hit a wall that was heretofore unknown to me. That set me back big time; long enough for Mark M. and Zeb to catch up. Mark M. passed me and won. Zeb and I raced, neck and neck, for second place. I barely got it.
RoboRally Standings: Mark M. 3, Joey 1, Zeb -1, Brent -3


Additional Stats
Overall Points Total
Mark M. 15
Zeb 8
Brent 3
Ben 3
Yog-Sothoth 3
Brandt -1
Cthulhu -1
Mark K. -3
Ithaqua -3
James -5
Joey -6

Overall Wins to Played Ratio
Yog-Sothoth 1:1 (100%)
Zeb 12:27 (44%)
Joey 33:91 (36%)
Ben 1:3 (33%)
Mark M. 15:48 (31%)
Brandt 2:8 (25%)
Brent 2:9 (22%)
James 1:8 (12%)
Cthulhu 0:1 (0%)
Mark K. 0:1 (0%)
Ithaqua 0:1 (0%)

October's Wins to Played Ratio
Zeb 3:7 (42%)
Mark M. 2:5 (40%)
Joey 3:8 (37%)
Brandt 0:3 (0%)
Brent 0:3 (0%)

Games Played, Sorted by Popularity
Pirate’s Dice 12
For Sale 7
RoboRally 7
Nexus Ops 4
Formula De 4
Shadows over Camelot 4
Space Dealer 3
Formidable Foes 3
Tide of Iron 3
Arkham Horror 3
Elk Fest 3
Memoir ’44 2
Wings of War: Burning Drachens 2
Hey! That’s My Fish! 2
Crimson Skies 2
Manila 2
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 2
Lost Cities 2
Conquest of the Empire 1
Poison 1
Twilight Imperium, 3rd Edition 1
Antike 1
Mystery of the Abbey 1
Doom: The Boardgame 1
Fluxx 1
Puerto Rico 1
Nottingham 1
Qwirkle 1
Axis & Allies 1
Ricochet Robots 1
On the Underground 1
China 1
Vampire: Prince of the City 1
Jambo 1
Bang! 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Pirate’s Cove 1
Quelf 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Power Grid 1
Citadels 1
Betrayal at House on the Hill 1
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 1
San Juan 1
Balloon Cup 1
Blokus 1
Colosseum 1
Mmm... Brains 1

Game Night #32

his was a wonderful, kid-free evening. Thank you for playing! Here's to many more to come! See you next Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.

Attendees: Brandt, Zeb, Mark M., Brent and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Mark M.
Brent
Joey
Zeb
James

This Event's Standings:
Zeb 5
Brent 2
Mark M. -1
Brandt -2
Joey -4

October's Overall Standings:
Zeb 5
Brent 2
Mark M. -1
Brandt -2
Joey -4

Brandt showed up first and after watching some guy get booked for a DWI out my back window we settled down for a game of Balloon Cup. At first, I thought that I was going to stomp Brandt. Then he caught up and made the game VERY close. I squeaked out a victory though.
Balloon Cup Standings: Joey 1, Brandt -1

By this time Mark M. and Zeb arrived and we played Blokus while we waited for Brent. This was a fairly cutthroat game of Blokus (not on my part though, I was completely innocent).
Blokus Standings: Zeb 3, Brandt 1, Joey -1, Mark M. -3

With Brent there we could now start the fun. We picked Colosseum. This was an odd game of Colosseum. The tile draws were not what we needed and, as Brandt pointed out, there we an inordinate amount of Emperor's Medal going out. Mark M. pulled off a huge victory as the rest of us languished.
Colosseum Standings: Mark M. 4, Brent 2, Zeb 0, Brandt -2, Joey -4

Brent and Brandt had to leave, so the rest of us were looking for shorter games to play. Mmm...Brains was decided upon. I don't know what happened. I was on fire. I should have been at the Craps tables tonight.
Mmm...Brains Standings: Joey 2, Zeb 0, Mark M. -2

With time for one more short game, we played a game of For Sale. Most of us blew our money early on in the first round of bidding. The last few bids for houses were a pathetic scene of Mark M. and I passing before it even got to our turns. Needles to say, Zeb played this one well during both rounds.
For Sale Standings: Zeb 2, Mark M. 0, Joey -2


Additional Stats
Overall Points Total
Mark M. 13
Brent 7
Ben 3
Yog-Sothoth 3
Zeb 7
Brandt -1
Cthulhu -1
Joey -7
Mark K. -3
Ithaqua -3
James -5

Overall Wins to Played Ratio
Yog-Sothoth 1:1 (100%)
Zeb 11:24 (45%)
Joey 32:88 (36%)
Ben 1:3 (33%)
Mark M. 14:46 (30%)
Brent 2:7 (28%)
Brandt 2:8 (25%)
James 1:8 (12%)
Cthulhu 0:1 (0%)
Mark K. 0:1 (0%)
Ithaqua 0:1 (0%)

October's Wins to Played Ratio
Zeb 2:4 (50%)
Joey 2:5 (40%)
Mark M. 1:3 (33%)
Brandt 0:3 (0%)
Brent 0:1 (0%)

Games Played, Sorted by Popularity
Pirate’s Dice 12
For Sale 7
RoboRally 6
Nexus Ops 4
Formula De 4
Shadows over Camelot 4
Space Dealer 3
Formidable Foes 3
Tide of Iron 3
Arkham Horror 3
Elk Fest 3
Memoir ’44 2
Wings of War: Burning Drachens 2
Hey! That’s My Fish! 2
Crimson Skies 2
Manila 2
Conquest of the Empire 1
Poison 1
Twilight Imperium, 3rd Edition 1
Antike 1
Mystery of the Abbey 1
Doom: The Boardgame 1
Fluxx 1
Puerto Rico 1
Nottingham 1
Qwirkle 1
Axis & Allies 1
Ricochet Robots 1
On the Underground 1
China 1
Vampire: Prince of the City 1
Jambo 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Bang! 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Lost Cities 1
Pirate’s Cove 1
Quelf 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Power Grid 1
Citadels 1
Betrayal at House on the Hill 1
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 1
San Juan 1
Balloon Cup 1
Blokus 1
Colosseum 1
Mmm... Brains 1

Game Night #31

Player of the Month: Mark M.

Players of Months Past:
Mark M. (August)
Joey (July)
Zeb (June)
Mark M. (May)
Mark M. (April)
Erin (March)
Joey (February)

Attendees: Glenn, Josh, Adam, James, Brandt, Brent and Joey
Starting next month, only the grown-ups (those of us that display some maturity in our immaturity) will be attending. I'm changing the game night back to invite only. If you've received this e-mail, you're invited. Also, please let me know if there is someone in the ward that you think would be a good fit for the group and I'll send them an invite. Thanks, see you next week.

Previous Overall Standings:
Mark M. 9
Josh 9
Brent 4
Joey 2
Erin -1
Adam -2
Travis -2
Zeb -3
Jordan -4
Glenn -5
James -7

This Event's Standings:
James 1
Adam 1
Glenn 1
Brandt 0
Brent 0
Josh -1
Joey -2

September's Overall Standings:
Mark M. 9
Josh 8
Brent 4
Joey 0
Erin -1
Adam -1
Travis -2
Zeb -3
Jordan -4
Glenn -4
James -6

We played Descent: Journeys in the Dark, one of my favorite games. It can be a bit long and involved. With four heroes (James, Glenn, Josh and Adam) vs. the Overlord (me) it seemed to be a cake walk. They eventually destroyed me.
Descent: Journeys in the Dark Standings: James 1, Adam 1, Josh 1, Glenn 1, Joey -4

Brandt and Brent played a game of BattleBall, for fun. We don't play games at game night for fun?! So it was a tie. It sounded like a good deal of carnage ensued.
BattleBall Standings: Brandt 0, Brent 0

After Descent, we played San Juan. I may be no match for Erin (or the Stiggins') at this game, but I schooled these boys. I rolled them.
San Juan Standings: Joey 2, Glenn 0, Josh -2

Wanting a little more punishment, Josh picked For Sale. The initial bidding round was not my best. I made some real goofs. But the second round of bidding was mine. There was only one bid where I didn't take the top card. I don't mean to brag, but these two had it coming.
For Sale Standings: Joey 2, Glenn 0, Josh -2

Still up for more, Josh picked Pirate's Dice. I thought I was doing well until I had a streak of bad luck. I went out first, followed by Glenn.
Pirate's Dice Standings: Josh 2, Glenn 0, Joey -2

Additional Stats
Overall Points Total
Josh 14
Mark M. 14
Kat 7
Hunter 7
Brent 5
Erin 4
Ben 3
Yog-Sothoth 3
Zeb 2
Austin 2
Mike 2
Boogie 2
Jose 1
Brandt 1
Cthulhu -1
Talmage -1
Kyle -1
Glenn -1
Adam -1
Ethan -2
Travis -2
Joey -3
Mark K. -3
Ithaqua -3
Jordan -4
Jarrod -5
James -5
John -6
Lana -6
Tanner -10
Porter -13

Overall Wins to Played Ratio
Yog-Sothoth 1:1 (100%)
Erin 3:5 (60%)
Austin 2:4 (50%)
Jose 4:11 (46%)
Zeb 9:20 (45%)
Brandt 2:5 (40%)
Josh 8:21 (38%)
Hunter 3:8 (37%)
Joey 30:83 (36%)
Kat 1:3 (33%)
Ben 1:3 (33%)
Brent 2:6 (33%)
Mark M. 13:43 (30%)
Talmage 3:12 (25%)
Mike 1:4 (25%)
John 3:13 (23%)
Adam 3:14 (21%)
Glenn 6:30 (20%)
Jarrod 1:6 (16%)
James 1:8 (12%)
Tanner 1:11 (9%)
Cthulhu 0:1 (0%)
Boogie 0:1 (0%)
Kyle 0:2 (0%)
Porter 0:7 (0%)
Mark K. 0:1 (0%)
Ethan 0:1 (0%)
Ithaqua 0:1 (0%)
Lana 0:2 (0%)
Travis 0:1 (0%)
Jordan 0:1 (0%)

September's Wins to Played Ratio
Brandt 1:1 (100%)
Mark M. 2:4 (50%)
Zeb 3:8 (37%)
Joey 7:20 (35%)
Josh 6:18 (33%)
Brent 1:3 (33%)
Glenn 4:18 (22%)
James 1:5 (20%)
Adam 2:11 (18%)
Erin 0:1 (0%)
Travis 0:1 (0%)
Jordan 0:1 (0%)

Games Played, Sorted by Popularity
Pirate’s Dice 12
RoboRally 6
For Sale 6
Nexus Ops 4
Formula De 4
Shadows over Camelot 4
Space Dealer 3
Formidable Foes 3
Tide of Iron 3
Arkham Horror 3
Elk Fest 3
Memoir ’44 2
Wings of War: Burning Drachens 2
Hey! That’s My Fish! 2
Crimson Skies 2
Manila 2
Conquest of the Empire 1
Poison 1
Twilight Imperium, 3rd Edition 1
Antike 1
Mystery of the Abbey 1
Doom: The Boardgame 1
Fluxx 1
Puerto Rico 1
Nottingham 1
Qwirkle 1
Axis & Allies 1
Ricochet Robots 1
On the Underground 1
China 1
Vampire: Prince of the City 1
Jambo 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Bang! 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Lost Cities 1
Pirate’s Cove 1
Quelf 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Power Grid 1
Citadels 1
Betrayal at House on the Hill 1
Descent: Journeys in the Dark 1
San Juan 1

Game Night #30

Attendees: Mark M., Glenn, Josh, Adam, Zeb and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Mark M. 9
Zeb 4
Brent 4
Josh 3
Adam -1
Erin -1
Glenn -2
Travis -2
Joey -3
Jordan -4
James -7

This Event's Standings:
Josh 6
Joey 5
Mark. M. 0
Adam -1
Glenn -3
Zeb -7

September's Overall Standings:
Mark M. 9
Josh 9
Brent 4
Joey 2
Erin -1
Adam -2
Travis -2
Zeb -3
Jordan -4
Glenn -5
James -7

Surprising to me, Josh picked For Sale to start the night off. Adam had not played this before. There was some sloppy bidding on my part, but I didn't manage to stink too bad at this one.
For Sale Standings: Glenn 3, Joey 1, Adam -1, Josh -3

Zeb arrived and it became his pick priority; Manila. With five players it was as crowded as always. I only got to be harbor master once, because there was some fierce bidding on the other side of the table. This game saw a double pirating and some "not to believed" rolling by Zeb.
Manila Standings: Josh 4, Joey 2, Adam 0, Glenn -2, Zeb -4

Mark M. then arrived and picked Crimson Skies. We settled on an all-out-brawl on the canyon map. We picked at each other for a bit. Then Zeb got hit by magnesium rounds that were eating toward his forward wing damage; shearing his wing. As his time was limited, he began looking for someone to ram. As this became less and less of an option, he settled on bailing out, while the vultures circled trying to blow him out of the sky before he fell apart. With Zeb out of the sky, Glenn was next to get hammered by several planes at once. He took a magnesium round that was heading toward a fuel tank. He too was able to bail out prior to exploding. That left Mark M., Josh and I. Mark M. was on the other side of the map and Josh and I nearly collided. Then after that near collision, we did collide. Josh bailed. My foot got caught on the fuselage. Kaboom!! Mark M. was the only one still in the air, but Josh was the only one to get a clear kill and live to tell the tale.
Crimson Skies Standings: Josh 4, Mark M. 2, Zeb -1, Glenn -1, Joey -4

I didn't see this game, but I've played against Zeb in the past. Zeb toys with his Elk Fest opponents.
Elk Fest Standings: Zeb 1, Glenn -1

This game was completely different than the previous one. From where I was sitting, I made some good initial bids. I got the 30, but hardly anything else in the 20's. It worked out well. I prefer this game with five or six players. It gets crazier.
For Sale Standings: Joey 4, Josh 2, Glenn 0, Mark M. -2, Zeb -4

Zeb then challenged Josh to a game of Elk Fest; a challenge I would not have taken. Zeb is an Elk Fest shark. Josh displayed his newly invented Elk Fest trick shot; flicking the stone from underneath his moose's back legs and replacing it with the stone just flicked. Pretty cool, but the game still went to Zeb.
Elk Fest Standings: Zeb 1, Josh -1

While the Elk Fest game ensued, Glenn and I played a game of Pirate's Dice. Glenn learned what a random bluffer I am. That game was mine, hands down; four dice left at the end.
Pirate's Dice Standings: Joey 1, Glenn -1

With the game of Elk Fest still going on, Glenn wanted a rematch. This game was a lot closer; coming down to one die each. It really was a memory game at that point.
Pirate's Dice Standings: Joey 1, Glenn -1

Additional Stats
Overall Points Total
Josh 15
Mark M. 14
Kat 7
Hunter 7
Brent 5
Erin 4
Ben 3
Yog-Sothoth 3
Zeb 2
Austin 2
Mike 2
Boogie 2
Jose 1
Brandt 1
Cthulhu -1
Talmage -1
Kyle -1
Joey -1
Glenn -2
Adam -2
Ethan -2
Travis -2
Mark K. -3
Ithaqua -3
Jordan -4
Jarrod -5
James -6
John -6
Lana -6
Tanner -10
Porter -13

Overall Wins to Played Ratio
Yog-Sothoth 1:1 (100%)
Erin 3:5 (60%)
Austin 2:4 (50%)
Jose 4:11 (46%)
Zeb 9:20 (45%)
Josh 7:17 (41%)
Hunter 3:8 (37%)
Joey 28:79 (35%)
Kat 1:3 (33%)
Ben 1:3 (33%)
Mark M. 13:43 (30%)
Talmage 3:12 (25%)
Mike 1:4 (25%)
Brandt 1:4 (25%)
John 3:13 (23%)
Brent 1:5 (20%)
Glenn 5:26 (19%)
Jarrod 1:6 (16%)
Adam 2:13 (15%)
Tanner 1:11 (9%)
Cthulhu 0:1 (0%)
Boogie 0:1 (0%)
Kyle 0:2 (0%)
Porter 0:7 (0%)
James 0:7 (0%)
Mark K. 0:1 (0%)
Ethan 0:1 (0%)
Ithaqua 0:1 (0%)
Lana 0:2 (0%)
Travis 0:1 (0%)
Jordan 0:1 (0%)

September's Wins to Played Ratio
Mark M. 2:4 (50%)
Zeb 3:8 (37%)
Josh 5:14 (35%)
Joey 5:16 (31%)
Glenn 3:14 (21%)
Adam 1:10 (10%)
Brent 0:2 (0%)
Erin 0:1 (0%)
Travis 0:1 (0%)
Jordan 0:1 (0%)
James 0:4 (0%)

Games Played, Sorted by Popularity
Pirate’s Dice 11
RoboRally 6
For Sale 5
Nexus Ops 4
Formula De 4
Shadows over Camelot 4
Space Dealer 3
Formidable Foes 3
Tide of Iron 3
Arkham Horror 3
Elk Fest 3
Memoir ’44 2
Wings of War: Burning Drachens 2
Hey! That’s My Fish! 2
Crimson Skies 2
Manila 2
Conquest of the Empire 1
Poison 1
Twilight Imperium, 3rd Edition 1
Antike 1
Mystery of the Abbey 1
Doom: The Boardgame 1
Fluxx 1
Puerto Rico 1
Nottingham 1
Qwirkle 1
Axis & Allies 1
Ricochet Robots 1
On the Underground 1
China 1
Vampire: Prince of the City 1
Jambo 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Bang! 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Lost Cities 1
Pirate’s Cove 1
Quelf 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Power Grid 1
Citadels 1
Betrayal at House on the Hill 1

Game Night #29

Attendees: Mark M., Glenn, Brent, James, Josh, Adam, and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Mark M. 5
Zeb 4
Glenn 3
Brent 1
Josh 1
Adam 0
Erin -1
Joey -2
Travis -2
Jordan -4
James -5

This Event's Standings:
Mark M. 4
Brent 3
Josh 2
Joey -1
Adam -1
James -2
Glenn -5

September's Overall Standings:
Mark M. 9
Zeb 4
Brent 4
Josh 3
Adam -1
Erin -1
Glenn -2
Travis -2
Joey -3
Jordan -4
James -7

We started out with something other than Pirate's Dice this week. This was one vicious game of Hey! That's My Fish! I ended up severely cut off, while Josh lopped off nearly a fourth of the master floe. Wicked!
Hey! That's My Fish! Standings: Josh 3, James 1, Glenn -1, Joey -3

Glenn picked Citadels next. With six players, this game sings. There was a heap of scrutiny, distrust and backstabbing in this game. I was behind initially (assassinated), but not only managed to catch back up; but won the whole enchilada! Great game!
Citadels Standings: Joey 5, Brent 3, Adam 0, Josh 0, James -3, Glenn -5

Mark M. arrived and assumed his rightful "Picking Authority". Shadows over Camelot it was to be. For me, right from the start, I thought Glenn might be the traitor. He made a few comments that made me question his loyalty. However, as the game progressed Mark M. began sending up "Traitor Flags" like crazy. But we blissfully marched on to "win" the game... That is until loyalties were revealed, Mark M. came out of the shadows and the traitor won it all.
Shadows over Camelot Standings: Mark M. 4, Adam -1, Joey -1, Josh -1, Glenn -1

With people leaving here and there, Glenn picked Pirate's Dice. Adam was none too happy with this choice. Adam doesn't think that he is very good at this game. He was right. He was the first to be eliminated, then me and finally Josh. Glenn won it all.
Pirate's Dice Standings: Glenn 3, Josh 1, Joey -1, Adam -3

Glenn then picked one of my favorite games that no one else will play with me; Betrayal at House on the Hill! We had a very short discovery session and The Haunt began very quickly. We had to go up against a Zombie Lord and his zombie horde. It was great; zombies!! Glenn became the Traitor. Shortly thereafter, I became zombie chow. Then Josh was devoured by the undead scourge... but not Adam (playing the little girl). Adam, armed with the axe and the medallion took out the Zombie Lord. Adam, our hero!
Betrayal at House on the Hill Standings: Adam 3, Josh 1, Joey -1, Glenn -3

With little time left, we played a game of For Sale. It was a very close game! The game came down to one or two crucial decisions for each of us, especially with the last two rounds of blind bidding. Glenn took it though.
For Sale Standings: Glenn 2, Joey 0, Josh -2

Additional Stats:
Overall Points Total
Mark M. 14
Zeb 9
Josh 9
Kat 7
Hunter 7
Brent 5
Erin 4
Ben 3
Yog-Sothoth 3
Austin 2
Mike 2
Boogie 2
Glenn 1
Jose 1
Brandt 1
Adam -1
Cthulhu -1
Talmage -1
Kyle -1
Ethan -2
Travis -2
Mark K. -3
Ithaqua -3
Jordan -4
Jarrod -5
James -6
Joey -6
John -6
Lana -6
Tanner -10
Porter -13

Overall Wins to Played Ratio
Yog-Sothoth 1:1 (100%)
Erin 3:5 (60%)
Austin 2:4 (50%)
Jose 4:11 (46%)
Josh 5:12 (41%)
Zeb 7:18 (38%)
Hunter 3:8 (37%)
Joey 25:73 (34%)
Kat 1:3 (33%)
Ben 1:3 (33%)
Mark M. 13:41 (31%)
Talmage 3:12 (25%)
Mike 1:4 (25%)
Brandt 1:4 (25%)
John 3:13 (23%)
Glenn 4:19 (21%)
Brent 1:5 (20%)
Adam 2:11 (18%)
Jarrod 1:6 (16%)
Tanner 1:11 (9%)
Cthulhu 0:1 (0%)
Boogie 0:1 (0%)
Kyle 0:2 (0%)
Porter 0:7 (0%)
James 0:7 (0%)
Mark K. 0:1 (0%)
Ethan 0:1 (0%)
Ithaqua 0:1 (0%)
Lana 0:2 (0%)
Travis 0:1 (0%)
Jordan 0:1 (0%)

September's Wins to Played Ratio
Mark M. 2:2 (100%)
Josh 3:9 (33%)
Zeb 1:3 (33%)
Glenn 2:7 (28%)
Joey 2:10 (20%)
Adam 1:8 (12%)
Brent 0:2 (0%)
Erin 0:1 (0%)
Travis 0:1 (0%)
Jordan 0:1 (0%)
James 0:4 (0%)

Games Played, Sorted by Popularity
Pirate’s Dice 9
RoboRally 6
Nexus Ops 4
Formula De 4
Shadows over Camelot 4
Space Dealer 3
Formidable Foes 3
Tide of Iron 3
Arkham Horror 3
For Sale 3
Memoir ’44 2
Wings of War: Burning Drachens 2
Hey! That’s My Fish! 2
Conquest of the Empire 1
Poison 1
Twilight Imperium, 3rd Edition 1
Antike 1
Mystery of the Abbey 1
Doom: The Boardgame 1
Fluxx 1
Puerto Rico 1
Nottingham 1
Qwirkle 1
Axis & Allies 1
Ricochet Robots 1
On the Underground 1
China 1
Crimson Skies 1
Vampire: Prince of the City 1
Jambo 1
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 1
Bang! 1
Mississippi Queen 1
Lost Cities 1
Elk Fest 1
Pirate’s Cove 1
Quelf 1
Ticket to Ride 1
Power Grid 1
Manila 1
Citadels 1
Betrayal at House on the Hill 1

Game Night #28

Attendees: Mark M., Glenn, Erin, Brent, James, Josh, Zeb, Adam, Travis, Jordan and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Glenn 9
Mark M. 5
Zeb 4
Joey 2
Hunter 1
James 1
Jarrod 0
Adam 0
Ethan -2
Mark K. -3
Ithaqua -3
Tanner -4
Porter -4
Lana -6

This Event's Standings:
Mark M. 5
Zeb 4
Glenn 3
Brent 1
Josh 1
Adam 0
Erin -1
Joey -2
Travis -2
Jordan -4
James -5

September's Overall Standings:
Mark M. 5
Zeb 4
Glenn 3
Brent 1
Josh 1
Adam 0
Erin -1
Joey -2
Travis -2
Jordan -4
James -5

As we waited for others to arrive Josh, Adam and I played a game of Pirate's Dice. I got pwned. Lousy rolls and very shrewed opponents led to my demise. Plus, in a three-player game there is a lot less room for mistakes. Josh and Adam had a show down, that ended with Josh taking out Adam with two dice remaining.
Pirate's Dice Standings: Josh 2, Adam 0, Joey -2

Then James and Zeb arrived and we played a game of Ticket to Ride. This was the most mean, vindictive game of Ticket to Ride that I have ever played. With five players, the board was crowded and entire sections of the board became cut off very quickly. Both Josh and Adam had laid out far superior networks and James, Zeb and I had to make the most of it.
Ticket to Ride Standings: Josh 4, Adam 2, Zeb 0, James -2, Joey -4

With eleven people attending at this point (Brent joined in. Travis, Jordan, Mark M. and Glenn arrived and I asked Erin to 'splain Power Grid), we split into two groups; one playing Power Grid. The Power Grid players were having a good time (I could tell 'cuz they were laughing a lot; loudly.) We (from the other table that wrapped our games first) watched as the Power Grid game finished. We there to see the Fusion Plant (#50) go for 91 Electro to James. We also saw as Erin, Glenn and Brent built to fifteen cities. Likewise, we were there to witness Mark M. build to sixteen, for the win.
Power Grid Standings: Mark M. 5, Glenn 3, Brent 1, Erin -1, James -3, Josh -5

We, at the other table, played a game of Manila. This game of Manila saw some pretty intense auctions, several pirate sackings and more insurance benefits than any other game I've been in. Jordan seemed determined to be the Harbor Master at all costs. This stunk; as I was sitting to his right and always got last pick of where to send my accomplices. I can't complain though. I sacked a ship or two and it really paid off. Altogether a fun game.
Manila Standings: Joey 4, Zeb 2, Adam 0, Travis -2, Jordan -4

The Power Grid table hadn't even reached Step Two at this point, so Zeb picked RoboRally. We played on a two-map board with three flags. Travis and Jordan had just left, so it was Adam, Zeb and I. We started the game off by Adam getting pushed off the board by me. Then he came back and blasted me to near-destruction. I powered down as he zoomed on. Zeb kept getting a lot of Rotate cards and spun around for a while on the other side of the first map. As Adam and I wound our way through the second map, Zeb found a more direct path to the third flag. The end of the game found Zeb and I poised to tag the map at nearly the same card phase. As I turned to tag the last flag, Zeb backed up on to it. Zeb beat my by a single card phase! Adam, as a consolation to himself, tagged an Option in the last card phase (receiving the Turret).
RoboRally Standings: Zeb 2, Joey 0, Adam -2

So with a tenuous lead, it is Mark M.'s pick next week. Thanks for attending everyone. See you next week!

Images by Chris Norwood, Alkis Moraitis and Joey Belanger