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.

Game Night #46 and Player of the Month!

January's Player of the Month: Joey!

Tonight was Mark's pick and it was a strange night for the pacing of the games. But April brought some really tasty donuts and donuts, as we all know, fix everything!

Attendees: Mark, Zeb, April and Joey

Previous Overall Standings:
Erin 8.1 (16.2/2)
Joey 7.9 (103.2/13)
Zeb 7.5 (83.3/11)
Mark 7.3 (59.1/8)
Brandt 7.1 (35.8/5)
Brent 6.8 (20.4/3)
April 6.5 (26.3/4)

This Event's Standings:
Mark 10.0 (10.0/1)
Joey 8.8 (26.6/3)
April 8.3 (8.3/1)
Zeb 7.8 (23.5/3)

January's Overall Standings:
Joey 8.11 (129.8/16)
Erin 8.1 (16.2/2)
Mark 7.67 (69.1/9)
Zeb 7.62 (106.8/14)
Brandt 7.1 (35.8/5)
April 6.92 (34.6/5)
Brent 6.8 (20.4/3)

Zeb arrived first and we played a game of Cold War: CIA vs. KGB. We were really cautious at first. We fielded our Deputy Directors A LOT. As the game wore on we began to play more conservatively during the Influence Phase, but tended to risk more agents other than the Deputy Director. After being behind for a bit, I managed to catch up with a successful mission by my Director. The last Objective was close and would win the game for whoever took it. We both fielded our Master Spy. Zeb's was killed by the nation that he was trying to sway and the points went to me. A VERY close game.
Cold War: CIA vs. KGB Standings:
Joey 10 (100 points of subterfuge)
Zeb 9.0 (90 points of intrigue)

Then came the main event! Formula De. Three-laps! This was a first for everyone. Everyone, but April, had played Formula De before. None of us had ever run three laps. I REALLY liked playing a three-lapper; despite what I am about to type. I crashed before finishing my first lap. Still, I really enjoyed everything that a three-lap race has to offer. First off, I bumped Zeb and Mark before crossing the Starting Line; leaving a wall of debris there! Later in the race, Zeb was bumped again and he blew up. Then I was bumped a couple more times and I blew up. Mark, April and our debris had the track all to themselves. I heard that it was close until the last lap, when Mark went full throttle and started abusing his car.
Formula De Standings:
Mark 10 (1st Place)
April 8.3 (2nd Place)
Joey 6.6 (3rd Place)
Zeb 5.0 (4th Place)

While Mark and April finished playing Formula De, Zeb and I played a game of Take Stock. After the first round, I had a 30-point lead on Zeb. After the second, I increased that lead to about 70 points. After the third round, Zeb closed it back up to 30 points. Finally, Zeb finished the game a mere 16 points behind me. I enjoyed this game more this time and I still think this game would be more fun with more people.
Take Stock Standings:
Joey 10 (332 shares)
Zeb 9.5 (316 shares)

Additional Stats
2008 Points Total
Joey 8.11 (129.8/16)
Erin 8.1 (16.2/2)
Mark 7.67 (69.1/9)
Zeb 7.62 (106.8/14)
Brandt 7.1 (35.8/5)
April 6.92 (34.6/5)
Brent 6.8 (20.4/3)

Players of the Month
Joey (January)

Games Played in 2008, Sorted by Popularity
Manila 2
Hey! That's My Fish! 1
Gang of Four 1
Chez Geek 1
Pirate's Cove 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