June 9th, 2005 |
With Dan off cleaning his old apartment and Scott not showing due to sundry reasons, Jim was the only one to uphold the standard of game night, which was cool, because I finally had a chance to play my favorite 3-player game.
| San Marco |
| Results | |||
| Player | Score | Place | First Time? |
| Jim | 73 | 1 | * |
| Mike | 68 | 2 | |
| Karla | 63 | 3 | * |
Notes: The rules in San Marco are really easy to explain, which is nice, but the dividing and choosing takes a game or two to master. As usual in this game, I tried to help out with the dividing so that the choosing was pretty balanced. Jim tended to take my advice with distrust (the ol' "Is Mike trying to help me? Or screw me so that he can win the game?").
We started out pretty normally, with competition in all areas except San Croce, which was held only by me, and in San Polo, which had no aristocrats to speak of. I managed to nab the first scoring card and grabbed some points in San Croce, giving me 7 to everyone else's 0. Jim and Karla wrestled over San Polo, with first Jim, then Karla grabbing the 6 free points as they exchanged traitor cards with their scoring cards. I had to pay Karla some VPs a couple times in order to score San Croce twice more, and Jim managed to score San Polo and get second in a scoring of Dorsiduro to amass more points. No one managed an extra turn (though Jim snagged two extra points for being under 10 limit points), and I led after the first round pretty modestly. Mike 19, Jim 18, Karla 14.
Karla spent the second round consolidating her areas, but she never did get any Doge cards this round. Jim started the round with the threat of a Banishment card (the only one we'd see all game, oddly enough!), and he tried to wreak havoc in the Mike & Karla controlled Cannaregio, but only managed to erase one of my guys. Karla fell in love with the cute little bridges, and she frequently took them when she had a choice. I was scoring San Croce (7 for me, 0 for everyone else), and Jim and Karla finally managed a presence there, but they tied at one apiece, giving them 0 points anyway.
I was scoring a lot, but (partly under my direction) the scoring was kind of costing me. I was losing out on putting aristocrats on the board, but the monopoly in San Croce (and the fact that I wouldn't have to move the scoring marker) was simply too alluring, and I managed a stronger lead in the second round. It helped that I loaded a bid so that Karla would get knocked out, giving Jim and I a free turn. I managed another score, and Jim grabbed 6 bonus points for having so few limit cards. I had a strong presence in San Croce, Cannaregio, and Castello, but none at all in San Polo and San Marco, and very little in Dorsiduro. I'd need to get guys out there fast. Round 2 scores: Mike 33, Jim 24, Karla 14.
The third round opened with a bit of craziness. I flipped over 4 scoring cards and 2 traitors. The limit cards were really weak (three 1's and a 2!), so it was going to be a big helper round for everyone. Karla took a row with two scores and nabbed 12 points, giving Jim 9. Jim scooped up a few more points and I grabbed my beloved 7 free points in San Croce. Still, I had temporarily lost the lead for a second. I then focused on getting men out there, but I didn't make enough headway. I kept a 5 to 6 point lead through the rest of the round, as Doges were few and far between after the Mike dividing bounty. I managed to get some aristocrats in here and there, but I was in no position to expand in Dorsiduro and San Marco, and my last chance of scooping up 5 points in San Polo was taken away when, after much hemming and hawing, Jim elected to give up 3 points in San Croce (going from first to second there) to assure himself of 5 in San Polo (giving him 2 aristocrats). Had he chose to save San Croce, I still could have salvaged a tie for first there, but I also would taken second in San Polo, getting me 5 more points. This was the last critical play of the game.
Here's how the scenarios would have changed the end game scoring, when ALL regions are scored:
If Jim defended San Croce...
Mike 2nd in San Polo (+5), Jim gone (-5); Mike ties for first in San Croce (+3), Jim falls into tie (-3) = Mike gains 16.
If Jim defended San Polo (which he did)...
Mike nothing in San Polo (+0), Jim loses nothing (0); Mike takes first in San Croce (+3), Jim falls to tie for
2nd (-3) = Mike gains 6.
This was just enough for the victory. Had Jim "slipped up" and defended San Croce (due to the cards I would have been able to manipulate 2 guys in San Croce but only one in San Polo), he would have lost by five. Instead, he held on for a 5 point lead of his own.
Final Scoring for the regions:
Cannaregio: Mike & Karla tied for first (4 points each)
San Croce: Mike first (7 points), Jim second (4 points), Karla third (0 points)
San Polo: Karla first (6 points), Jim second (5 points)
Dorsiduro: Jim first (6 points), Karla second (4 points), Mike third (0 points)
San Marco: Jim first (8 points), Karla second (6 points)
Castello: Mike first (7 points), Karla second (4 points), Jim third (0 points)
Totals for final round: Mike 18, Jim 23, Karla 24
The game was very close, and Karla's incredible presence on almost every region got her back into the game. Next time I'll have to be less helpful with my advice...
| Gulo Gulo |
| Results | |||
| Player | Score | Place | First Time? |
| Karla | Found the baby gulo | 1 | |
| Jim | 4 back | 2 (Tie) | |
| Mike | 4 back | 2 (Tie) | |
Notes: Karla licked us pretty good. Jim slipped up a couple times and I triggered the egg alarm late, an action that cost me a chance at going first through the stack. Karla made it first and managed to get the purple egg on her second draw.
It was an odd game, as the tiles kept coming up in doubles in triples. If the last card was a yellow, the next card flipped would be yellow, then there'd be another one. It became more varied at the end, though.
| Gulo Gulo |
| Results | |||
| Player | Score | Place | First Time? |
| Karla | Found the baby gulo | 1 | |
| Mike | 3 back | 2 | |
| Jim | 10 back | 3 | |
Notes: Jim wanted to try again, so I acquiesced, promising them another good game after this one.
Karla licked us again, though it was close. I slipped up early on drawing what should have been an easy egg (I knocked an egg out). As Karla went, turn after turn, without knocking the alarm over once or spilling, I called her a cheater for having "little girl hands." She called them "elfen fingers."
My early slip up didn't cost me, as I was able to catch up from last place thanks to a very late green tile. But Jim kept knocking stuff over and giving Karla some easier things to grab. The last three tiles leading up to the end game stack were all red tiles, so we had to go for a series of red eggs. Jim was the one with "le task impossible," and he knocked over the egg alarm and gave Karla the chance to win with a full bowl of eggs. Again, on the second tile draw she managed to get an easy purple egg and dusted us.
| Edel, Stein & Reich |
| Results | |||
| Player | Score | Place | First Time? |
| Karla | $126 Million | 1 | |
| Mike | $124 Million | 2 | |
| Jim | $116 Million | 3 | * |
Notes: I drew this one out and started to go over the rules. Karla had played once before, but her memory had become hazy and she was losing focus, so there was a definite worry of losing her, but she stayed in there.
We started off with few hitches. Jim and I grabbed some mining contracts while Karla grabbed gems. The first trade came up, which would give Karla a lead in rubies, and Karla offered Jim a very nice opening bid, which he took. I focused on money somewhat, but still managed to get the lead in topaz. Karla had the lead in rubies and Jim had emeralds. Karla and Jim tied for the lead in sapphires, which kept Karla from getting +5 points on a scoring card she had saved up.
Round 1 scores: Mike $41 Million, Jim $34 Million, Karla $26 Million.
In the second round, Jim and I hampered ourselves with trades for the first few rounds. I then forced Jim to score his topaz for half points (and lose half his stash), giving me the lead in topaz for the rest of the round as I managed to fend him off the rest of the way. Karla collected cash and a contract card (as did both Jim and myself), and on the last turn grabbed 2 rubies to usurp my first place lead in them. Again, no special cards scored (except for contracts), and I only managed first place in topaz, as Karla had rubies and sapphires, Jim had emeralds.
Round 2 scores: Karla $77 Million, Jim $72 Million, Mike $68 Million.
The third round was the most interesting. Jim grabbed a "One point for each Topaz" card on the first turn. I grabbed a "+4 Million for every sole majority card" plus a "+6 Million for the majority in Emeralds." As Karla had hardly any gems at all (she started the final round with 3 rubies, a topaz and a sapphire), she went almost exclusively after money. Jim grabbed topaz after topaz, and I grabbed every other gem. I forsook a chance at a contract (which Jim and Karla both managed) and just focused on my bonuses, which I didn't totally ensure until the 6th turn of round 3. Karla and I were sure Jim had won, but Jim thought I had won.
Jim had 19 topaz gems, which, with his bonuses, gave him $31 Million (plus he had a contract). His total was $116 Million. Karla then announced that she had $126 Million! I thought there was no way I'd get close to either of them, but my gem totals, with my bonuses were $12 million (sapphires), $20 Million (emeralds), $18 million (rubies) = $50 Million. Add in one $6 million money card I had acquired and I managed a total of $124 Million. As I counted, I had $120 Million with a few $1 million cards to add up, but I knew I'd be a bit short. "I don't have enough of 'em!" I announced. It gave me an odd sense of déjà vu.
Lots of fun, and I think Jim and Karla enjoyed it a lot. I asked Karla what it reminded her of, and she said, "For Sale." Jim said he liked it better than By Hook or Crook because it's "not as crazy."
I then spent about ten minutes regaling Jim and Karla with tales of my incoming games (which will arrive tomorrow, but Karla's office is closed, so I'll have to wait until stupid Monday...). They got kind of excited about one of them, which I said was about building a palace and was by the same guy that designed Gulo Gulo, Midnight Party, El Grande, and Princes of Florence.
Note Ex Post Facto: I also want to add that there were only two minor instances of "Mike's Forgotten Rule Syndrome," both of which occurred in San Marco. I had neglected to stress that ALL the regions were only scored at the end of the game (not at the end of the round). This bugged Karla a bit. Then, when moving the Doge, Jim had the impression that it could only be moved one space (like placing an aristocrat). I had mentioned both of these rules, but it's understandable that they were mixed up. I'll remember these little boo-boos for next time...