The Sunday Miscellanea - Alien Frontiers (2010)

We've had another go at Alien Frontiers (2010) recently with just the basic set.  Of those of us who had played before, we agreed that having at least the Expansion of the Agenda cards would be a good thing to keep the final push of the game less of a foregone conclusion.  But we played two in a row and it highlighted some of what this game does well because the expansions were not available.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

Do you have what it takes to be a deep space colonist? An alien frontier awaits the brave and daring! This new planet will be harsh, but if you have the skills to manage your resources, build a fleet, research alien life, and settle colonies, the world can be yours.

Alien Frontiers is a game of resource management and planetary development for two to four players. During the game you will utilize orbital facilities and alien technology to build colony domes in strategic locations to control the newly discovered world.

The game board shows the planet, its moon, the stations in orbit around the planet, and the solar system’s star. The dice you are given at the start of the game represent the space ships in your fleet. You will assign these ships to the orbital facilities in order to earn resources, expand your fleet, and colonize the planet.

As the game progresses, you will place your colony tokens on the planet to represent the amount of control you have over each territory. Those territories exert influence over specific orbital facilities and, if you control a territory, you are able to utilize that sway to your advantage.

The planet was once the home of an alien race and they left behind a wondrous artifact in orbit. Using your fleet to explore the artifact, you will discover amazing alien technologies that you can use to advance your cause.

Winning the game will require careful consideration as you assign your fleet, integrate the alien technology and territory influences into your expansion plans, and block your opponents from building colonies of their own. Do you have what it takes to conquer an alien frontier?

Roll and place your dice to gain advantages over your opponent and block them out of useful areas of the board. Use Alien Tech cards to manipulate your dice rolls and territory bonuses to break the rules. Steal resources, overtake territories, and do whatever it takes to get your colonies on the map first! Don't dream it'll be easy, though, because the other players will be trying to do the same thing.

What I feel was noted when experienced players play the basic game on its own is the importance of the midgame and a need to keep all players in check lest one see find an inexorable path into the end game with an advantage.  Mind you, it will happen anyway, but that player will need to be more subtle setting it up, something I hadn't been aware was possible because the basic game is seemingly as transparent as any game could be.  There is no hidden player knowledge except for whatever strategy they have in mind.  If you have the game, even with expansions, try the basic game again with fresh eyes.

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Systems Saturday - Roll Through the Ages - Iron Age (2014)

Here's one I hadn't played before but often wished I had (so many games, so little time!) called Roll Through the Ages - Iron Age (2014).  It's from a small but potentially growing line of similarly named Roll Through the Ages games and, from what I've heard, this does a great job of reimplementing the simple mechanics introduced in the Bronze Age version, adding some complexity though it sacrifices some time on the altar.  I'm fine with that.  I prefer a more complex game and don't mind a game taking more than a half hour.  I'm not often rushed for time to play a game and prefer a quick card game for when I am.  This is mainly a dice game but with the small resources board and reference sheets, it really becomes a board game as much as other wise.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

Roll Through the Ages: The Iron Age, a sequel to the highly-awarded Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age, lets you build an Iron Age civilization in under an hour! Do you build provinces, raise armies, and conquer barbarians or build ports and ships to gain trade goods? Explore the strategies of Greece, Phoenicia, and Rome as you erect monuments, fend off disasters, and strive to feed your people.

Roll Through the Ages: The Iron Age gives players different ways to build their empires: the Trade and Naval strategies of the Phoenicians, the conquests of Alexander the Great, and the engineering prowess and gradual absorption of new provinces by the Roman Republic.

Grab those dice — including the Fate die — and prepare to build the greatest empire as you continue to roll through the ages!

Build fast and strong is the strategy I adopted in this game, forgoing the comfort of my population to gain might and dominate militarily.  It's works pretty well but neglecting the monuments early on is unwise as a handful of points for getting one first can be the difference in the final scores.  This is a winner.  I'll be watching for more of these too.

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The Sunday Miscellanea - Mystic Vale (2016)

I've had the chance to play a couple of games of Mystic Vale (2016).  It's got some neat components and ideas.  Once we played with three players and once with four, as pictured.  Everything I saw before learning the game made sure to mention it has a Card Crafting System.  I wasn't sure what to make of that idea.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

A curse has been placed on the Valley of Life. Hearing the spirits of nature cry out for aid, clans of druids have arrived, determined to use their blessings to heal the land and rescue the spirits. It will require courage and also caution, as the curse can overwhelm the careless who wield too much power.

In Mystic Vale, 2 to 4 players take on the role of druidic clans trying to cleanse the curse upon the land. Each turn, you play cards into your field to gain powerful advancements and useful vale cards. Use your power wisely, or decay will end your turn prematurely. Score the most victory points to win the game!

Mystic Vale uses the innovative "Card Crafting System", which lets you not only build your deck, but build the individual cards in your deck, customizing each card's abilities to exactly the strategy you want to follow.

It is a deck building game in which you can change your cards, rather than exchange your cards.  Kinda neat on its face but the Vale area whence come the overlays can be tricky for more than a couple of players to view, in practice, unless others don't mind leaning over the cards each time a new one is added or picking them up to read them, thus tipping your hand.  Plus, because they are transparent, one can look at the draw piles and see what's coming, in some respects.  I think the game design needs a bit of refinement but shows promise.  Once all players are familiar with all of the overlays and if the draw piles could be hidden somehow, this should mitigate the flaws I see with this design.  Other than that, it's an enjoyable race for victory points which can be had a number of ways.

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Systems Saturday - Valley of the Kings: Afterlife (2015)

Having played Valley of the Kings (2014) a couple of times and now Valley of the Kings: Afterlife (2015) twice as well, I have a fair handle on how the games are meant to be played.The two have somewhat different playstyles thought the basics are the same.  They've done a nice job expanding on the original game, or rather extending its playability with a second set of treasure cards.  That the game can now be played with more players is an additional boon.  I'd like to try each out solo some time too.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

Take on the role of Egyptian nobles at the time of the pharaohs, preparing for their death and burial in the valley of the kings. Using an innovative deck-building mechanism with a crumbling pyramid, players fill their tombs with jewelry, chambers, weapons, tomb art and other treasures. The player who collects the most valuable artifacts in their tomb wins the game!

Valley of the Kings: Afterlife is a standalone game that can also be combined with Valley of the Kings to allow for play with up to six player

I think I might like some of the mechanics of this second set more so than the first.  It seems to make the game more interactive and bring the boneyard into play to a greater extent.  It's another solid game that should do well in any game collection.  Perfect fit card sleeves work well with these decks too.

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Tabletopper Friday - Alien Frontiers (2010)

Back to the basic game of Alien Frontiers (2010) but with four players, two of them new.  Worked out great and everyone seemed in the running until the end when someone made that final push.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

Do you have what it takes to be a deep space colonist? An alien frontier awaits the brave and daring! This new planet will be harsh, but if you have the skills to manage your resources, build a fleet, research alien life, and settle colonies, the world can be yours.

Alien Frontiers is a game of resource management and planetary development for two to four players. During the game you will utilize orbital facilities and alien technology to build colony domes in strategic locations to control the newly discovered world.

The game board shows the planet, its moon, the stations in orbit around the planet, and the solar system’s star. The dice you are given at the start of the game represent the space ships in your fleet. You will assign these ships to the orbital facilities in order to earn resources, expand your fleet, and colonize the planet.

As the game progresses, you will place your colony tokens on the planet to represent the amount of control you have over each territory. Those territories exert influence over specific orbital facilities and, if you control a territory, you are able to utilize that sway to your advantage.

The planet was once the home of an alien race and they left behind a wondrous artifact in orbit. Using your fleet to explore the artifact, you will discover amazing alien technologies that you can use to advance your cause.

Winning the game will require careful consideration as you assign your fleet, integrate the alien technology and territory influences into your expansion plans, and block your opponents from building colonies of their own. Do you have what it takes to conquer an alien frontier?

Roll and place your dice to gain advantages over your opponent and block them out of useful areas of the board. Use Alien Tech cards to manipulate your dice rolls and territory bonuses to break the rules. Steal resources, overtake territories, and do whatever it takes to get your colonies on the map first! Don't dream it'll be easy, though, because the other players will be trying to do the same thing.

I love the basic game for teaching but don't think it is too much to add in the agenda cards if nothing else, even with new players.  We'll have to try this out going forward.

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Systems Saturday - Valley of the Kings (2014)

Tom came back to Lake Geneva Games with a copy of Valley of the Kings (2014), so we got right to trying it out.  We liked it enough to put in an order for the first expansion, or rather integration of it, Valley of the Kings: Afterlife (2015), but more on that soon.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

Take on the role of Egyptian nobles at the time of the pharaohs, preparing for death and burial in the Valley of the Kings. Players want to fill their tombs with food, canopic jars, statues, amulets and other treasures, and to do so they acquire cards that are laid out in the shape of a pyramid; purchase cards at the base of the pyramid, and it "crumbles" to bring cards higher in the pyramid to the base where they can be bought. The pyramid resets each round with new offerings.

You score only for cards that you remove from your deck and stash in your tomb, so if you keep using valuable cards for their effects and don't entomb them before the game ends, you could lose out on big points! Whoever collects the most valuable artifacts in her tomb wins.

It's very important to keep track of the precise names of the cards and be sure to entomb them before it is too late.  While you don't want to get rid of all of your starting cards (the Shrabti are useful in the end game), you might drop one or two of them early into the tomb while cheaper cards are available.  You'll need value five cards quickly, so grab some of those but having fewer cards overall will also help you get the more valuable cards in the midgame.  Make no mistake, this is a memory game and the rules are specific about when you can look into your discard pile, so keeping track of what you've collected is tricky.  Good game!

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Tabletopper Friday - Glass Road (2013)

Enjoyed another game of Uwe Rosenberg's Glass Road (2013) earlier this week.  I still feel it is one of the best of the Harvest Series but now I want to go back and play a game or two of Le Havre.  Maybe even a game of Caverna, though I dread the setup for the latter.  Agricola seems a great starter game for the series but I am not sure it has the legs to see the game table much once the others have been introduced.  I still have yet to play At the Gates of Loyang (2009) but since that one is early in the series, I am wondering if it will interest me as much as the later games.  I still have high hopes for Fields of Arle (2014).  Ora et Labora feels like my favorite, though Glass Road is a dlose third (with Le Havre in second).

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

Glass Road is a game that commemorates the 700-year-old tradition of glass-making in the Bavarian Forest. (Today the Glass Road is a route through the Bavarian Forest that takes visitors to many of the old glass houses and museums of that region.) You must skillfully manage your glass and brick production in order to build the right structures that help you to keep your business flowing. Cut the forest to keep the fires burning in the ovens, and spread and remove ponds, pits and groves to supply yourself with the items you need. Fifteen specialists are there at your side to carry out your orders...

The game consists of four building periods. Each player has an identical set of fifteen specialist cards, and each specialist comes with two abilities. At the beginning of each building period, each player needs to choose a hand of five specialists. If he then plays a specialist that no other player has remaining in his hand, he may use both abilities of that card; if two or more players play the same specialist, each of them may use only one of the two abilities. Exploiting the abilities of the specialists lets you collect resources, lay out new landscape tiles (e.g., ponds and pits), and build a variety of buildings. There are three types of buildings:

1. Processing buildings 

2. Immediate buildings with a one-time effect 

3. Buildings that provide bonus points at the end of the game for various accomplishments

Mastering the balance of knowing the best specialist card to play and being flexible about when you play it – together with assembling a clever combination of buildings – is the key to this game.

The double-rondel mechanic is very intriguing though I find it might distract me a bit from the acquisitions and the playing areas of my opponents.  Not a fault of the game, just me getting too deep in my own head space and not watching down field.  It didn't actually hurt my game play this time because we played two players and we were not competing for the same things.  In a game with more players I would have likely missed getting a few things and been scooped by others.

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The Sunday Miscellanea - Mystic Vale (2016)

There is a new game that my buddy Mark brought round to Culver's called Mystic Vale (2016).  Tom and I gave it a go with him on a day when they were particularly crowded, so I can't say it got its best showing.  Brian was around to see us get started but had to take off before we could really get going, so we played with three players.  We played most, I think, of a game before deciding we were taking up too much space on a day when they needed it but I feel we got the gist.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

A curse has been placed on the Valley of Life. Hearing the spirits of nature cry out for aid, clans of druids have arrived, determined to use their blessings to heal the land and rescue the spirits. It will require courage and also caution, as the curse can overwhelm the careless who wield too much power.

In Mystic Vale, 2 to 4 players take on the role of druidic clans trying to cleanse the curse upon the land. Each turn, you play cards into your field to gain powerful advancements and useful vale cards. Use your power wisely, or decay will end your turn prematurely. Score the most victory points to win the game!

Mystic Vale uses the innovative "Card Crafting System", which lets you not only build your deck, but build the individual cards in your deck, customizing each card's abilities to exactly the strategy you want to follow.

I had seen this game in a trade publication last month and wondered if the "Card Crafting" aspect was more gimmick than worthwhile mechanic but now think it is a good one  While it makes for a bit of setup and clean up time after can be more than typical, I think it is worth it.  I was also concerned about the potential for component damage harpooning the game but it seems a sturdy one.  It might be a good idea to grab and extra pack of the non-standard card sleeves the game uses to ensure they'll always be available to you.  In any event, the overlaying mechanic is a good one and crafting the cards as a way of deckbuilding adds an almost three-dimensional component to the game much like the UP! expansion for Lords of Vegas really adjusts the way that game works exponentially, albeit in Mystic Vale it is there from the start.  That's not to say this is overly complex.  I've only played the once but that's not my gut reaction under conditions that weren't ideal.  There's a good amount of complexity to this that's worthy of more exploration by me.  It feels like a good game that might even be a great one so I'll check this out further.

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Tabletopper Friday - Legendary Encounters (Alien, 2014)

It had been a while since I had played a full-on deckbuilding game when Norm busted out Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game (2014).  A few of the guys were playing the first couple of scenarios for Open Boardgaming Thursday at Lake Geneva Games and then I tagged in for the third round for Grant, to join Norm, John, and Dennis.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game, based on the four movies of the Alien series, is a fully cooperative game with original art. While based on the Marvel superheroes version of Legendary, the two games will be compatible but cannot be fully integrated.

Legendary Encounters is a deck-building game in the same family as Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game, but now players must cooperate in order to survive against hordes of aliens. Taking on the role of protagonists such as Ripley, Dallas, Bishop and Corporal Hicks, players take turns recruiting cards for their deck from a central selection in order to improve their deck and defeat Xenomorph cards that are added to the central game board

This seems like a very balanced game with tension throughout.  There was no point at which I thought we would get out ahead of the ongoing crisis nor where I lost all hope.  In the end, it came down to some well-played cards and timing but we managed to eke out a victory in the final moments.  I'll need to play this again, perhaps a different themed version of it, to really understand more of the nuances but my gut reaction from a single play is that this needs to see the tabletop more often.

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Systems Saturday - Glass Road (2013) Revisited

I just posted about Uwe Rosenberg's Glass Road (2013) but it's been seeing the table a lot in quick succession, so let's look more closely at it.  We swiftly got to play another four player game of this gem and it proved out tremendously.  Gameplay was swift even with two new players, it was simple to teach, and scoring turned out to range about the same as the previous game.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

Glass Road is a game that commemorates the 700-year-old tradition of glass-making in the Bavarian Forest. (Today the Glass Road is a route through the Bavarian Forest that takes visitors to many of the old glass houses and museums of that region.) You must skillfully manage your glass and brick production in order to build the right structures that help you to keep your business flowing. Cut the forest to keep the fires burning in the ovens, and spread and remove ponds, pits and groves to supply yourself with the items you need. Fifteen specialists are there at your side to carry out your orders...

The game consists of four building periods. Each player has an identical set of fifteen specialist cards, and each specialist comes with two abilities. At the beginning of each building period, each player needs to choose a hand of five specialists. If he then plays a specialist that no other player has remaining in his hand, he may use both abilities of that card; if two or more players play the same specialist, each of them may use only one of the two abilities. Exploiting the abilities of the specialists lets you collect resources, lay out new landscape tiles (e.g., ponds and pits), and build a variety of buildings. There are three types of buildings:

1. Processing buildings 

2. Immediate buildings with a one-time effect 

3. Buildings that provide bonus points at the end of the game for various accomplishments

Mastering the balance of knowing the best specialist card to play and being flexible about when you play it – together with assembling a clever combination of buildings – is the key to this game.

This time around I focused less on developments that gave me set points during end-of-game scoring and more on points for resources at the end.  I also dabbled a bit with the private stock of developments though I used them to fuel a blue-backed action creating a nice private engine.  I might try to do more of this next game as it helped keep me from scrambling during play for certain resources.

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Tabletopper Friday - Glass Road (2013)

The Uwe Rosenberg Harvest Series of games have been particularly popular around here, in large part because Tom Wham finds them challenging but mainly because we all find them so.  While he enjoys a good solo game, and says this one works very well in that capacity, Tom loves pressing us to try new games and play the heck out of the ones we all like.  Most recently, Tom added Glass Road (2013) to his collection and we all gave it a go.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

Glass Road is a game that commemorates the 700-year-old tradition of glass-making in the Bavarian Forest. (Today the Glass Road is a route through the Bavarian Forest that takes visitors to many of the old glass houses and museums of that region.) You must skillfully manage your glass and brick production in order to build the right structures that help you to keep your business flowing. Cut the forest to keep the fires burning in the ovens, and spread and remove ponds, pits and groves to supply yourself with the items you need. Fifteen specialists are there at your side to carry out your orders...

The game consists of four building periods. Each player has an identical set of fifteen specialist cards, and each specialist comes with two abilities. At the beginning of each building period, each player needs to choose a hand of five specialists. If he then plays a specialist that no other player has remaining in his hand, he may use both abilities of that card; if two or more players play the same specialist, each of them may use only one of the two abilities. Exploiting the abilities of the specialists lets you collect resources, lay out new landscape tiles (e.g., ponds and pits), and build a variety of buildings. There are three types of buildings:

1. Processing buildings2. Immediate buildings with a one-time effect3. Buildings that provide bonus points at the end of the game for various accomplishments

Mastering the balance of knowing the best specialist card to play and being flexible about when you play it – together with assembling a clever combination of buildings – is the key to this game.

The rondels (resource wheels) are used similarly in this game to Ora et Labora but there are two and they each have competing elements.  We immediately were intrigued with how this enhanced gameplay and it took only a little getting used to.  This is one of the quickest of the Rosenberg games but doesn't feel like you only got started when it ends, as I felt with Agricola.  While there is less direct interaction during play, everyone is building from the same pool of land development tiles so it can be competitive.  Timing is key.  Great game.  One of my favorites of his games.

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Tabletopper Friday - Core Worlds (2011)

Just last week, John was able to bring out his copy of Core Worlds (2011) for an intense contest had had everyone strategizing deeply.  Everyone at the table said this was a real thinker but truly worth the time and effort it took to get involved and play.  I like this kind of game.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

The ancient Galactic Realm, ruled from the Core Worlds of the galaxy, is waning. Now, the barbaric kingdoms that lie beyond the galactic frontier are amassing their strength, choosing this pivotal moment to strike at the heart of the fading republic, establishing new empires built upon the ashes of decaying civilizations. But these outer systems are not yet strong enough to engage the forces of the Core Worlds directly. The young kingdoms must first gnaw at the edges of the crumbling frontier, developing new types of units and shrewder tactics. They must build up their energy resources to launch magnificent fleets and overwhelming ground forces. Then, when the time is right, they must strike at the galactic core itself, claiming the most exalted planets for themselves. The barbarian kingdom that achieves these goals will carve out the greatest empire in the galaxy.

Object of the Game
Each player controls a barbarian Star Empire represented by many cards. Throughout the game, players will invade Worlds and draft new Units and Tactics into their Empires. Each card lists its Empire Points in the upper right corner. The player whose Empire contains the most Empire Points at the end of the game is the winner! 

Game Terms and Game Play Mechanisms
Core Worlds is a deck-building card game for 2-5 players. The following are the central concepts of Core Worlds:

• Central Zone: Throughout the game, new cards are drawn from the five Galactic Decks and placed face up in the Central Zone, the game's common play area. These cards include new Units and Tactics that the players can draft into their Empires, as well as Worlds that they can invade.

• Empire: Each player represents an Empire that begins with a Home World and a Starting Deck. A player's Empire consists of all of the cards in his hand, draw deck, discard pile, and Warzone (tableau).

• Fleet Strength: Each World possesses a Fleet Strength that represents the starships that defend it from attack. A World's Fleet Strength must be matched in order for that World to be successfully invaded. Many Units possess a Fleet Strength that a player can use to invade a World.

• Ground Strength: Each World possesses a Ground Strength that represents the infantry and other ground forces that defend it from surface assault. A World's Ground Strength must be matched in order for it to be successfully invaded. Many Units possess a Ground Strength that a player can use to invade a World.

• Invasion: In order to add new Worlds to his Empire, a player must launch Invasions. A player performs an Invasion by discarding enough cards from his Warzone to match the Fleet Strength and Ground Strength of the World he is invading.

• Warzone: Each player's Empire includes a Warzone, an area in front of the player where her conquered Worlds are displayed. Players also deploy Units from their hands face up into their Warzones, and later use these Units to invade new Worlds.

I think this game is going to hit the table more often around here though it will require gathering players who have the desire to immerse themselves in a game that requires a lot of thought and a bit of time.

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The Sunday Miscellanea - Concordia (2013)

My buddy Mark stopped by the store the other day and showed off his copy of Concordia (2013).  I have a copy of the game at the store but hadn't made the time to check into it more closely than just a passing glance.  One cannot know every game.  However, we broke out his copy and played a few rounds just to check it out and this one is just as intriguing to me as the games in the Harvest series, which is saying quite a bit.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

Two thousand years ago, the Roman Empire ruled the lands around the Mediterranean Sea. With peace at the borders, harmony inside the provinces, uniform law, and a common currency, the economy thrived and gave rise to mighty Roman dynasties as they expanded throughout the numerous cities. Guide one of these dynasties and send colonists to the remote realms of the Empire; develop your trade network; and appease the ancient gods for their favor — all to gain the chance to emerge victorious!

Concordia is a peaceful strategy game of economic development in Roman times for 2-5 players aged 13 and up. Instead of looking to the luck of dice or cards, players must rely on their strategic abilities. Be sure to watch your rivals to determine which goals they are pursuing and where you can outpace them! In the game, colonists are sent out from Rome to settle down in cities that produce bricks, food, tools, wine, and cloth. Each player starts with an identical set of playing cards and acquires more cards during the game. These cards serve two purposes:

They allow a player to choose actions during the game.They are worth victory points (VPs) at the end of the game.

Concordia is a strategy game that requires advance planning and consideration of your opponent's moves. Every game is different, not only because of the sequence of new cards on sale but also due to the modular layout of cities. (One side of the game board shows the entire Roman Empire with 30 cities for 3-5 players, while the other shows Roman Italy with 25 cities for 2-4 players.) When all cards have been sold, the game ends. The player with the most VPs from the gods (Jupiter, Saturnus, Mercurius, Minerva, Vesta, etc.) wins the game.

Even a brief bit of play convinced me this was a good game, good enough that I ordered a copy of the Concordia: Britannia & Germania (2014) expansion for us to carry and plan to get a copy of the Concordia: Salsa (2015) expansion as well.  I have a feeling these will be coming home with me, though, so I'll have to get another copy of each for the store shelf.

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Systems Saturday - Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King (2015)

There's been a bit of play happening recently of Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King (2015).  This is a clever little game with fast play and agile strategies.  It's largely about tile placement and recognizing when best to do so based on a number of random victory conditions presented at the beginning of each game.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

Isle of Skye is one of the most beautiful places in the world, with soft sand beaches, gently sloping hills, and impressive mountains. The landscape of Isle of Skye is breathtaking and fascinates everyone.

In the tile-laying game Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King, 2-5 players are chieftains of famous clans and want to build their kingdoms to score as many points as possible — but in each game only four of the sixteen scoring tiles will be scored.

Thanks to the scoring tiles, each game is different and leads to different tactics and strategies, but having enough money is useful no matter what else is going on. Managing that money can be tricky, though. Each turn, each player places two area tiles in front of them and sets the selling price for the tiles. Setting a high price is great, but only so long as someone actually pays the price because if no one opts to buy, then the seller must buy the tiles at the price they previously requested.

In the end, the player with the best kingdom — and not the richest player — becomes the sovereign of the island.

You need to bid on the tiles you wish to acquire or protect the ones you draw with your funds, so having enough money is always a concern in this game.  So, too, the mechanisms in place to prevent runaway games are monetary boosts to the trailing players and they increase the further back a player might be, so this game becomes very competitive all the way to the end.  Ultimately, making wise choices on which tiles you choose and protect, and how you place them, will define the best player in any given session of this game.

Systems Saturday on MFWARS.com 

A look under the hood of various Games, Rules and Systems.

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Wargaming Wednesday - Mare Nostrum: Empires (2016)

At the last First Sunday event, Wayne mustered a game of Mare Nostrum: Empires (2016) [with 6 players using the 'Atlas' expansion].  It's a new version of Mare Nostrum (2003) implementing more complex rules and adding many fresh components, particularly a wonderful new map.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

The ancient Romans called the Mediterranean Sea "mare nostrum", which is Latin for "our sea".

Mare Nostrum is an empire-building game in which 3-5 players [or 2-6 with the 'Atlas' expansion] lead their individual ancient empires to dominion of Mare Nostrum. You grow the fame and glory of your empire by expanding your influence into new Provinces, then extending your Trade Caravans, building Markets, and founding new Cities and Temples. You can recruit Heroes and create Wonders to help your cause. But beware of your "friends" because they may look upon your gains with envy and greed...

Mare Nostrum is a re-introduction by Academy Games and Asyncron of the original 2003 release with updated rules, counters, and map board. This edition includes many new components and multiple new ways to win!

In more detail, you choose an empire to lead, which begins with three Provinces. You can lead with Caesar of Rome and its powerful Legions, or with Pericles, the prominent Greek statesman and orator, with the great Babylonian lawgiver and healer King Hammurabi, or with Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, whose engineers led in the development of grain storage and irrigation, or with Hannibal, leader of the Carthaginians, whose merchants thrived on trade and commerce. Now you decide how you will grow your empire. You can do this by:

- Expanding your Trade and creating Wonders.- Concentrating on Culture and building the great Pyramids.- Developing a strong and powerful Military to occupy the Provinces of other empires, or-Exerting Political Leadership by claiming the titles of Trade Leader, Cultural Leader, and Military Leader.

This is a fine new version of a very good game.  They've done a great job of adding complexity to it.  The original had only a few pages of rules and though this has a bit more, it's still simple enough for newer wargamers.  (The new rules can be seen here in PDF format.)  I think this game is going to see the table quite a bit locally much as Fief: France 1429 (2015) did and eventually become a local classic.

Wargaming Wednesday on MFWARS.com 

A closer examination of board and miniatures Wargaming.

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Tabletopper Friday - Stone Age (2008)

I've blogged more than a couple of times about Stone Age (2008) and with good reason.  As much as I love other gateway games, this is certainly the go-to gateway game for worker placement, in my opinion.  Tom, John, and I got together last week and played a quick game at Lake Geneva Games to kick off the weekend.  It was a good time, as always, and we may have gotten done in record time.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

The "Stone Age" times were hard indeed. In their roles as hunters, collectors, farmers, and tool makers, our ancestors worked with their legs and backs straining against wooden plows in the stony earth. Of course, progress did not stop with the wooden plow. People always searched for better tools and more productive plants to make their work more effective.

In Stone Age, the players live in this time, just as our ancestors did. They collect wood, break stone and wash their gold from the river. They trade freely, expand their village and so achieve new levels of civilization. With a balance of luck and planning, the players compete for food in this pre-historic time.

Players use up to ten tribe members each in three phases. In the first phase, players place their men in regions of the board that they think will benefit them, including the hunt, the trading center, or the quarry. In the second phase, the starting player activates each of his staffed areas in whatever sequence he chooses, followed in turn by the other players. In the third phase, players must have enough food available to feed their populations, or they face losing resources or points.

This one came down to a couple of factors, farms and set collection.  I've seen set collection be the only factor but I am not sure I have seen it not matter except when there was nearly a dead heat between leaders with the same collections.

Tabletopper Friday on MFWARS.com 

Mostly about card games and board games,
unless they have a decidedly wargamey feel.

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Tabletopper Friday - Spike (2014)

Tom got a new game from the last Lake Geneva Games Blind Auction titled Spike (2014).  I watched it played a couple of times and then got the chance to try it myself last week.  I got to play it with two players and then three players and found it to be just as fun both times.  It's a train game, so of course Tom needed to bid on it.

The description from Board Game Geek is as follows:

It's the early 1900's and you are the owner of one of the fastest growing rail companies in the eastern USA.

In Spike, you expand your rail network as you connect cities in order to pick up and deliver more goods; complete contracts and routes to bring in money to modernize your train; upgrade your engines, tenders and railcars to transport the most freight; and build farther, transport more, and amass wealth on your way to become "King of the Rails".

The rules are fairly simple and easy to learn.  Strategies can vary and I think this game presents enough ways to win that it is more than simply a race for victory points.  I'd like to try it with even more than three players but I suspect it will hold up just as well.  This one feels like a winner.

Tabletopper Friday on MFWARS.com 

Mostly about card games and board games,
unless they have a decidedly wargamey feel.

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