What BOARD GAME(s) have you been playing?

Fading Glory is da bomb. Makes sense for GMT to drop it though, it is one of VPGs major title lines and GMT editions are still better value for money.

The variable end of game variant is a MUST in CoC.

Gary Sax wrote: I think one of Clash's bigger weaknesses is the last turn, because you're chaining together a huge number of powers and it slows down and gets confusing. Especially if you don't play with the variable end, because then you start doing all kinds of min-maxing on VPs. Still my favorite game, but a definite problem.

We played variable end and it was still an issue because you end up min-maxing every turn of every round instead of "knowing" when the game ends. It was really swingy. I ended up losing 39.5 to 40.5, but it was probably ±6 points in the turns previous.

I've been playing a lot, lately. Kind of re-inspired me to write again after the demise of the Circus Group as a "regular meetup thing". Anyhow, I've been playing...

Ghost Stories: Still like granite on Viagra.

Journey to the Center of the Earth: Still think this is one of the neatest games I've played in a long time. Very, very different in a cool sort of way. Basically, you don't control a "character", but rather "all of the characters" in a very Heimlich and Co./Top Secret Spies kind of way. It's much more subtle and there's the usual Euro passive-aggressive fuckery that I've come to appreciate.

Tiny Epic Kingdoms: Not sure what to say here. I want to like it, and I think it's a smart game, but it just seems to be lacking in some ways. Maybe I'll come around, maybe it was just the "first play" kind of rough experience trying to figure it out.

Cathedral: I've never had so much fun with my hands on some dark wood. Really love it. It's area control distilled down to an abstract level and it's brilliant.

Conquest of Planet Earth: I first played this with the Esteemed Mr. Launius the first time, and at the last Trashfest Atlanta, to boot. It was an excellent experience. I was hoping to recapture some of that with getting "the home game" but without Richard there, it's not nearly as much fun. Still fun, and I still want to play it some more, especially in the Co-Op mode since it's SO MUCH BETTER, but it's still missing something.

I re-used my San Juan post and put it on my blog, along with some pics and slight revisions.

San Juan: The Game So Nice I Bought It Thrice

The production things I talked about before are not accurate. The cardstock and cardboard are the same.

My recently retired mom stopped by to visit for a few nights. She loves board games despite not really ever trying to learn rules at all or have any desire to form strategy beyond the current moment (Ticket to Ride is likely the most "complex" game she would enjoy playing).

I taught her Luchador!: MWD and she promptly kicked the shit out of me in ways the laws of averages should deem not possible. 3 Wins in a row with both of the final wins without taking damage and the last game taking a mere 2 rolls. Her laughter was a combination of enjoyment, disbelief, and just a hint of uncharacteristic cockiness.

Can't say I've ever enjoyed losing much more than that.

Played more of the new San Juan last night, really digging the new buildings (except for the Park, which is absolute shit.) Also the Archaeology card game, which isn't bad, and some Dead Man's Draw while waiting for two others to arrive.

The main was a four-player game of Roll for the Galaxy, my second time playing and everyone else's first. This time around fewer dice-manipulation powers turned up and people got kind of hosed at their die rolls and that is a good thing. It gave me some sense of hope for this game, though I still don't understand why it needs to exist when Race is just fine. It doesn't do anything particularly interesting with the dice or with the basic idea of the game. Folks seem to like it okay, though. It's a shame they kept up with the idiotic cryptic iconography even though the tiles say in plain English what they do. The game looks far more complicated than it actually is and the new player who actually won by a long shot visibly cringed at the sight of the "player aid". Look at this nonsense.

Finished out with two games of Pairs, which is such stupid fun.

Dabid, you are welcome for the recommendation even though you didn't thank me. Still, you're welcome.

This will be up on the main page soon enough, but here's a link to my review in the mean time: blog.cardboardinsanity.com/2015/02/putti...-chokehold-with.html

[quote="Legomancer" post=197432The game looks far more complicated than it actually is and the new player who actually won by a long shot visibly cringed at the sight of the "player aid". Look at this nonsense.
[/quote]

That is truly horrendous but it still for my money doesn't quite live up to the original flow diagram from Glory to Rome. Somehow Glory to Rome remains the superior game despite that!

iguanaDitty wrote: Somehow Glory to Rome remains the superior game despite that!

I've never really bitten on GtR. Or Uchronia. They both seem like San Juan except someone decided it needed more wheels within the wheels.

Stay away from Uchronia, just go full on GtR.

Couple games of solo Gears of War. I just finished the Roadblocks scenario. The tickers section wasn't really that hard, at least not with 2 players. They are a minor nuisance, but when they're all you're facing and you can guard it isn't that big a deal. I managed to get through it when it heated up at the end when all the boomers and drones spawned in... Killed the last boomer with a grenade, then had to pick up downed Marcus before new enemies spawned. That was a pretty exciting 2nd half. Tickers mean a lot more when they're mixed in with the other enemies, the 1 automatic damage on death is really irritating while you're under other fire.

Then I played the "Separated!" scenario, which I thought was a clever scenario that twisted the mechanics a bit. The basic premise is that the team is split up and they'll need to complete sub objectives before the other side can move on to the next area. Then there's a final room where everyone meets up that contains a new enemy, Grinders, who have tons of defense and huge machine guns. They are really tough if you let the drones and tickers get going... you really have no choice but to sit down in cover while the grinders fire at you because their special power does tons of damage if you aren't in cover.

I won because I picked up the "Mortar" special weapon earlier in the map, which is absolutely WICKED. 5 dice, no cover defense, and if you roll a special it does damage to all adjacent area. If I didn't have that I'm not sure I would have won the scenario. As it was, I got a double mortar shot off and rained some serious destruction on the grinders which left me with only one wounded enemy to face.

My favorite part of the game is that you can get FUCKED UP by even minor enemies. Drones can one shot you if you aren't careful---usually if they roll pretty well and you aren't in cover. Sometimes even if you are in cover you come up empty handed on defense dice and they put you out (rare). I like this because you're never sure you're safe.

stormseeker75 wrote: Dabid, you are welcome for the recommendation even though you didn't thank me. Still, you're welcome.

Dirty LIES!

fortressat.com/forum/35-mos-eisley-canti...ing?start=105#196715

Thanks again you thank you monger... perhaps mentioning Sons of Anarchy first brought up some bad memories between us...

Gary Sax wrote: My favorite part of the game is that you can get FUCKED UP by even minor enemies. Drones can one shot you if you aren't careful---usually if they roll pretty well and you aren't in cover. Sometimes even if you are in cover you come up empty handed on defense dice and they put you out (rare). I like this because you're never sure you're safe.

And that's exactly why I like running just one dude. No safety net. You really have to think if it is worth it to take a risk and leave your guy vulnerable. Play too conservative though and you won't make any progress.

Blood Bowl!

Have managed to get a group of us playing a mini league for a friends 40th birthday. As good as I remember (bought 3rd Ed new on release) with the new tournament rules streamlining and balancing a few glitches. There is plenty of information and handy downloads out there to make things easier - updated reference sheets, excel files for team and league results. Also a whole host of small manufacturers making figures and boards - next week the final, with a four player Death Bowl match on a Comixininos printed board.

Sam