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