MAGDAR!

Ed and I wanted to try some new, quick games, so I went to Other Realms and picked a couple up. For our first play, we went with Magdar.

Overall, I had a lot of fun yelling MAGDAR! Other than that, there's not much to get excited about. The game seems to involve way too much luck based on random die rolls and no real strategy. There are some tactical considerations regarding which boulders to mine, but there's no chance to use them in any meaningful way because the game ends too quickly.

Ed and I started out even with 8 gems and 1 mithril apiece. He got a bit to greedy, and I was able to take out a 16 point gem while establishing one of my dwarfs mining a boulder behind his guy. I added 16 points and a mithril while he added another 8 that counted.

I can't recommend the game as great fun or something that makes you think. The only real plus is that it doesn't completely suck, and it takes only 10 to 20 minutes to play with a fairly short set up time. I guess it has value as something people can play on a game night while waiting for others to finish.

Stone Age - 3 Player

Ed was busy trying out St Petersburg while I really wanted to get in at least one game of Stone Age. Since Steve had just finished playing a round with 3 other players and wanted to move on to another game, I was only able to corral two other players, Eve and Josh.

Three player has slightly different rules than the four player version - out of food field, the mating hut, and the tool hut, only two can be occupied and once a resource has two players occupying it, it is full. Other than that, and the fact that each player gets more turns because there is one less person fighting for cards and huts, the game plays similar.

I followed what is becoming my favorite Stone Age strategy:

• Get as many Tribespeople as is prudent. I've never tried the starvation strategy, instead I try to get only as many as I can support. I ended the game with 9.
• I try to keep my permanent food production within 2 or 3 of the number of Tribespeople that I have. The number gets skewed a bit at the start of the game since I start with 5 tribesmen and no food. Fortunately, I also start with 12 food, which keeps things stable until I'm able to increase my production. I added 2 food production before I added my first new Tribesperson.
• I cherry-picked the cards that I wanted and only paid more than two resources for one late in the game. By that time, I had 6 different symbols and was willing to pay whatever it took to get the extra 13 VPs that the 7th symbol would provide. My opponents were a bit inexperienced and allowed me to take whatever cards I wanted with very little opposition.
• I'm rapidly losing my love of tools. I ended the game with only 2.
• Whenever possible, I put all my resource gatherers on one task instead of spreading them around. Without a lot of tools, luck plays too high a role otherwise. After one round of rolling two dice for gold and getting snake eyes, I abandoned the one or two on a resource tactic unless I was forced into it. Note: an obvious exception to this is food. With one guy and one tool, you're guaranteed at least one food and could get as many as three. By the same token, if I only absolutely need one wood and I have a tool available, I feel reasonably comfortable devoting only one or two tribespeople to the task.
• Buy huts early and often.

I ended up with 154 pts on the track, good for second place before bonuses were counted. Unfortunately for them, my opponents did not understand the true value of the cards. After adding up bonuses, I had 303pts compared to Eve's 218.

I swear that I will post game reports of games that I lose as well, but I've won 6 straight since deciding to start this blog.

Agricola - 2nd Game

Ed had also been reading up on Agricola on Boardgamegeek.com and jumped at the chance to play it at game night. Dustin and Kwan, both experienced players, and Josh joined us.

Since playing for the first time last week, I had done a little research myself and convinced the other players that we should draft cards instead of passing them out randomly. I always loved drafting in Magic tournaments and figured that the mechanic would be fun here too. I was right. Something about it adds an extra element for me. I highly recommend it.

The first rule of drafting in Agricola, obviously, is to grab any Z cards that come your way. I ended up with Game Designer, allowing me to covert one each of a clay, wood, stone, and reed into two food and a bonus point at any time. Some important non-Z cards that I snagged were Slaughterhouse (one food every time an opponent slaughters animals), Woodcutter (gives me one extra wood anytime one of my farmers gets wood), and the Clay Deposit (action square that gives 5 clay. If other players use it, they have to give me a food. If I use it, I can choose to take 2 bonus points instead).

I really meandered through the first part of the game, and, just past the halfway point, thought that I didn't have a chance to win. Then things started to come together. I was the first to get my 3rd farmer and the first to get my fourth. Finally having figured out the farming mechanic, I sowed three fields, which gave me grain and vegetables for the end turns. I also was able to fence in a large chunk of my area and get some livestock.

In the end, I think that the Game Designer is what won it for me. I used it's ability 6 times, giving me 12 food and 6 VPs. I got an additional 4 points from the Clay Deposit. Overall, more than 25% of my total was bonus points, and I won with 39. The nearest competitor was Dustin with 30.

Once again, it seems like getting a powerful card and using it well is the key to winning the game. Of course, it also seems like getting extra people as soon as possible is a major factor as well.

So, after two times playing and winning both, I'm pretty ambivalent towards the game. If a group is getting together and needs a fourth or fifth player, I'll join in (especially if they've already set up the board), but I don't think that I'll ever crave me some Agricola action.

Race for the Galaxy

Ed and I went to the club game night at Ray's place last Saturday night. Our first contest of the evening was Race for the Galaxy. Ed had read a lot about it on board game geek and wanted to try it out. Dee agreed to teach it to us, and Josh, who had played before, joined us as well.

It took a turn or two to figure out what was happening with the different phases, but, by the end of the game, I felt like I was an old pro. The path to victory became pretty clear: get a lot of cards and then play the ones that get you points and more cards. I apparently got a pretty good starting hand and lucky early draws because I was able to play a lot of cards that produced goods.

My early strategy was to produce and then consume/trade, giving me a few points and tons of cards. A couple of the other players made the mistake of producing on turns when I had picked consume, which helped me out tons. With a good engine going, I switched to consume/2x VP, and ended up winning with 43. Dee was a close second with 41.

After playing Agricola, Ed wanted to play Race again. Dustin and Kwan joined us for their first time to play the game.

This game was much slower for me than the last time. I had a hard time getting my engine going, and, since that's the only strategy I knew at the time, it hampered me quite a bit. It was also slow because all of us were inexperienced players. For example, in the first round, every single one of us picked explore.

Being as it was their first time to play, Dustin and Kwan seemed to focus on playing as many cards as possible, regardless of value, making the game end sooner than I think it would have normally. I was never able to get my produce/consume engine going and ended the game with only two VP chips. I thought that my, at that point, four-game win streak was in jeopardy.

In the end, though, the two first time players hadn't collected any VP chips and had played a lot of cards that didn't have a lot of value. Ed had 6 VP chips but had screwed himself early in the game by misreading a card that he spent his whole hand to play. Thus, he ended up playing only 6 or 7 cards the entire game. I had only played 9 cards, but most of them were at least worth 2 VP each. I won again with only 21 points.

I was unsure whether I liked the game or not after the first play. I grew on me the second time, as I had a bit more understanding of the game mechanics. I like that it plays fast - 30 to 45 minutes seems to be a max for this game so far - making it perfect for the start of game night or a nice distraction while waiting for someone to finish up at another table.

I haven't come up with any in depth strategies yet - I'll need to play a lot more for that - but I do have a few tips:

• In my limited playing experience, it seems that the winner will finish with somewhere between 20 and 50 total VPs. This total is relatively low, so every point counts. Make sure that every card you play has value, ie has a way to get you either cards, goods, VPs, or a combination of all three. Don't discount the value of playing a world that gives you 4 or 5 VPs even if it doesn't do much for you otherwise; those extra points may just win you the game.


• Keep a constant eye on how many cards your opponents have played. When they get close to ending the game, maximize the points that you can get in your final turns.


• Set up a produce/consume engine. Cards that give you a card and a victory point for consumed goods in phase IV are extremely valuable. Combine these cards with cards that produce a good of the same type. Use the 5 extra card explore to get the right cards in your hand.

That's all I have for now. I need to play it a lot more! Hopefully, after Christmas, I'll add it to my collections.

Ed and the Story of Gaming

I've invited a friend of mine to add his voice to the blog. The plan at the moment is for him to contribute about once a week. His first post is below:

Hello, my name is Ed. I share Brian's passion for gaming. Brian asked me if I'd like to contribute to his blog on board gaming. I, like him(well, because of him, really) have noticed that board gaming seems pretty under-represented on the endless waves of information and hearsay that is the internet. Brian has boldly bound forward in providing this blog as a way to share his experiences in this much-maligned realm of gaming. I shall accompany him on this journey. I'll be the Sam to his Frodo.

With introductions out of the way, let me start my inaugural entry with a subject that is very close to my heart: a thing I call the"story" of the game. Roger Ebert be damned, I DO believe gaming is the next great medium for storytelling. Most people look towards video gaming specifically as that medium, but I believe all modern gaming, from Magic: The Gathering, to Dungeons & Dragons, are part ofthis evolution of storytelling. Included amongst those historic titles, I would include games like Axis & Allies, and Settlers ofCatan.

I believe a very careful balance of game and story needs to exist to make a game truly outstanding. Having too much of one and too little of the other creates an experience that is forgetful, fun but fleeting. The right mixture of the two, however, is magic.

How this ties into board gaming is this: I believe board games need to examine this balance and take it more seriously. I mentioned Settlers of Catan earlier. I believe part of the reason why this game often times stands out as the most commercially successful of the "geekboard games" is because it is not only incredibly playable, but in between the dice rolls and the sheep cards lies a tale of making it in a strange new land. The wheeling and dealing with your fellow settlers, the plowing of roads into what is hopefully prosperity, the sheer desolation of society when no one can spare a block of stone…these stories and more are told in every game of Settlers of Catan, whether you're aware of them or not. And, whether you're aware of it or not, this is a large part of why Catan is so enjoyable.

I look at some of the other big games in my little slice of the boardgaming community, and I question the existence of this game/story balance in many of them. Where's the story in Agricola? You and your"spouse" are building a farm. That's it. Acquire? There are plenty of pretty colors, and sure, there are some stories to be had in the rise and fall of certain numbers…but it's all just that. Numbers. Honestly, I love Stone Age almost as much as Brian does…but, and I've joked about this in the games I've played…where is the savagery? It's STONE AGE…prehistoric man! Where are the wrestling matches with saber-toothed tigers? The hurling of crudely-made spears at woolly mammoths? The virgin sacrifices to pagan gods? The primitive, savage, harsh world of the Stone Age…and it's about as civil as St. Petersburg and Puerto Rico(two other games that, incidentially, could use a good shot of adrenaline, as well).

Now, I know what you're thinking…Ed is one of "those guys" who only equates gaming fun with bloodshed. Not true. Race for the Galaxy is one of the most fun games I've played in recent memory, and the military might of your settled worlds never lays a finger on another player. Though I did just kid about St. Petersburg, the game does have a certain thematic integrity to it that makes things feel authentic and interesting. And let's not forget the very game that kicked off this rant, Settlers of Catan. No virgin sacrifices there.

So, in closing, I just want to express my hope that a game comes along, either in development or already out there on the shelves, waiting to be played by me, that draws me in, not just through dice and cards, but through imagery and drama. These are the experiences I cherish the most, unmatched by book, by film, or by music. These are the games that make me happy and proud to be a gamer.

Settlers of Catan - General Strategy

The last post covered strategy for the placement phase in Settlers of Catan . This one offers up some general strategies for the game:

• Do not discount how important it is to get off to a quick start. If you can place a third settlement significantly faster than your opponents, you gain the potential for more resources, helping you to outpace your foes even more. Your best bet is to carefully place your initial settlements and roads in optimal positions as I referred to in my last post.


• If wood and brick look to be scarce, consider a card strategy instead. Forget the two entirely and load up on wheat, sheep, and ore. Use the Road Building card to create a space for a new settlement. Then you just have to trade for one brick and one wood to build it. You should easily get largest army, be able to make all three settlements into cities, and get two victory points directly from your cards to get you to 10.


• I played with a friend recently who loves to cut people off by building roads. If you really want to annoy one of your opponents, this is the way to do it. On the other hand, if you want to win, it's an epic fail. Both you and the foe that you are annoying won't have a chance to win. He'll not be able to build anywhere, and you'll devote too many resources to roads. Meanwhile, one of the other players will pretty much cruise to victory. It's not bad to strategically block opponents occasionally, but I wouldn't advise making it your primary strategy.

Settlers of Catan - Initial Phase Observations

I've been playing Settlers of Catan often lately. Here are some of my thoughts on strategy.

It seems to me that the game can easily be won or lost in the set up phase. Here are some of my observations:

• The first thing that jumped out at me, obviously, was the probability of each number being rolled. Fortunately, the game board does a lot of the work for you on this one. Each hex has dots representing the number of times out of the 36 possible combinations that that number will come up. For example, a 6 will occur 5 times out of 36 (1 and 5, 5 and 1, 2 and 4, 4 and 2, and 3 and 3). Thus 5 dots appear on the hexes with the number 6. The higher the combined number of dots at the intersection, the better. 10, 11, and 12 are all high totals.


• The second consideration regarding where to place your settlement is what resources you'll be getting. Do you want to make sure that, with your two settlements, you have access to each of the 5 resources or do you want to load up on some and trade? I've tried each of these strategies, and they both seem to work.


• How many different numbers pay you resources? I find that I like to try to get as many different numbers as possible on my initial setup rather than duplicating. Ideally, if you don't count the rarely seen 2 and 12, I'd like to get 6 our of the remaining 8 numbers. This strategy minimizes the luck component because you're collecting resources on almost every turn. Also, be wary about starting with multiple settlements grouped around the same hex. This situation tends to attract the robber, which can seriously hamper your production early.


• Don't forget that you get starting resources based on the last settlement that you place. Since wood and brick are so valuable early, if you place the second one next to these two resources, it helps.


• Is it better to go for a port or an intersection that gives you three resources? You're giving up a lot for that port. To begin with, it's usually the second settlement that you place, meaning that you're only getting only two resources instead of three to start. More importantly, though, you're giving up a lot of opportunities to get extra resources. That's one less number that you have available than your opponents. I find that it's only really worth it if you can max out on that particular resource by having at least 3 chances to get it.


• Once you've placed your settlements, you have the equally important choice of which direction to lay out the road. For this decision, you need to think about where your opponents are likely to play and try to give yourself multiple options. If your foes cut off both your roads from the start, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for you to recover.

Stone Age

Prior to Saturday night, I had played Stone Age a total of three times and had not won once. Despite this losing streak, and I must admit that winning a game and enjoying a game are often much too synonymous for me, I found that it was rapidly rising up the list of my favorite games.

I'm trying to figure it out why it is so much fun for me. Perhaps it is partly due to Ed's insistance on shouting out "they're entering the mating hut" whenever he creates a new meeple. I like the game play. It seems fast and doesn't drag. I like the tool mechanism for smoothing out luck in rolls, and I like the fact that you can completely screw your opponent by filling up a resource that is desperately needed. Overall, it's just fun.

With Dee, Josh, and Matt as my adversaries, I was finally able to win my fourth time playing the game. My major mistakes in during my losing streak were:

• Liking tools too much. It's great to get 3-5 of them, but I was ending up with 10. Making them less of a priority helped a lot.


• I have a tendency in resource games to try to spend the first part of the game establishing my engine and the last part of the game acquiring points. This doesn't seem to work in Stone Age. You need to be converting resources into points as early as possible.


• Under-emphasizing or over-emphasizing the cards. My first time to play, I pretty much ignored the cards. After losing badly, I routinely bought cards for 3 and 4 resources for the next couple of games. I learned to take what was given to you. If a good card is there for limited resources or a great card is there that is worth more resources, I take it. If not, I let it go and spend my resources elsewhere.


• Way overvaluing the card that gives all players bonus resources based on your die roll. I love these cards. During my losing streak, I'd go out of my way to get one of these. I finally figured out that, even though rolling a 5 or 6 worked great for me, it was also helping out all my opponents. I stopped overpaying for these and instead rejoiced when the player to my right chose to take one.
• Taking what was given to me instead of forcing a specific strategy. In the game that I won, Dee was obviously pursueing a card strategy, and he ended up with over 100 points in bonuses at the end. However, by taking cards above all else, he allowed me to increase my farming and my tribe really easily. I ended up taking the best of what he was allowing to slip to me.

Agricola

Last Saturday night was my first chance to play Agricola, a resource gathering and utilization game that is often compared to Puerto Rico.

Since two of my opponents were Dee and Steve, both considered to be among the toughest competitors in the group, and it was my first time to play, I didn't think that I had much of a shot at winning. My main goal was to learn the mechanics and see how I liked it. Imagine my surprise when I ended up winning even though there were major rules, such as the fact that multiple players can use the actions on the overturned cards and how plowing/sowing worked, that I didn't understand until the very end.

On turn 2, I was able to play a card called Straw Hut (I believe that was the name, couldn't find it in the compendium) that allowed me to have an extra family member for the rest of the game. The advantage given to me by this inexpensive card considering that my opponents weren't able to add extra farmers for several more turns was tremendous. Using the scorecard as a checklist while possessing such a huge benefit, I was able to muddle along and win with 40 total points.

It's hard to offer strategy tips for the first time you play a game. The only thing I would offer up would be to make sure you get good cards. Seriously though, I think that, if I play it again, I'd like to try the drafting method of distributing the cards. Anything you can do to cut down on luck is good with me. Besides, I always loved drafting in Magic tournaments; the process would add an extra dimension to the game for me.

My overall impression of the game was neutral. I'd have to play it again a few times before I could give you a good assessment. It seemed complicated, but not overly so. Setup seemed a bit onerous as all four players had multiple tasks to accomplish just to get the board on the table.

Blogging Board Games

I've had an interest in board games for as long as I can remember. Perhaps my enthusiasm comes from the fact that I was a lot younger than my siblings, and they would never let me play with them when I was a child. In fact, until moving to Hawaii, I never found people who shared my passion for games that are heavily strategy oriented.

Last March, I joined the Oahu Board Gamers Meetup Group, and I've been playing regularly since then. Walking into the first meeting, I figured that, being a supposed aficionado, I would be familiar with most of what they played. After all, I liked Axis and Allies, and my wife had bought me Settlers of Catan for Christmas.

Boy, was I wrong! I had never even heard of these games. They had titles like Cosmic Encounter, Puerto Rico, and Power Grid. I swear that, playing at least three games a night, it took me three meetings before I played the same one twice. A whole new world of gaming has been opened up for me.

I thought that it might be interesting to start a blog to share my thoughts on this new world. My posts will most typically consist of game reports where I try to analyze what led me to win or lose, but I will also post reviews and links to other gaming sites. I hope that my humble writing helps improve your knowledge of tactics and strategy.

Game on!