GAMING NEWS: A-1, Choo-choos, Necklaces and Wednesday Night (15 March 2006)!

Hi Everyone,

This Wednesday was an odd one... everyone showed up, but noone could get us off and playing. I suggested a couple of games to try, but the usual bickering kept us sitting around a table until the guys gave in to my pitiful attempts and we got our first game off the ground. I'm experimenting with embedding photos in this post so don't be surprised if things look a bit odd. I'm having some difficulty getting things to format properly.

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1. Ticket To Ride: Europe

Players:
- Dave Story: #1 Winner
- Dick Mitchell: #3
- Kurt Lambert: #4
- Maksim-Smelchak: #2

Dave took a very early lead and we couldn't catch up after he finished several tickets. Poor Kurt took a beating while Dick played a very good game. As usual, the banter was very entertaining.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/14996

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2. Torres

Players:
- Dave Story: #3
- Kimbo: #2
- Kurt Lambert: #4
- Maksim-Smelchak: #1 Winner

This is a strange little game that I won and I'm not quite sure why. It is definitely about building towers, but other than that, the play seemed rather random. Kimbo, as usual, is a tough competitor and I was surprised that he didn't pull off victory.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/88

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3. Queen's Necklace

Players:
- Dave Story: #1 Winner
- Kimbo: #2
- Maksim-Smelchak: #3

This was the oddest game we played that evening. It was essentially a card-driven political game with players trying to acquire and sell jewel and precious gemstones to be installed into the "queen's necklace." The best par tof the game was when Kimbo acquired the setting for the queen's necklace, which required him to actually WEAR the necklace! He refused, but that was still the best entertainment I received from the game. QN reminds me alot of Citadels.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/6068

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4. Blitzkrieg Commander

Players:

- Dick Mitchell: #1 Winner
- Mike O'Brien: #2

Mike brought his set-up and taught Dick how to play. Dick had his German armor lined up in Napoleonic rows, which some of us snickered at, but they both had a good time so who cares if the deployment was a tad... ahistorical!

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/15827

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5. HOTT

Players:

- Dick Mitchell: #2

- Tony: #1 Winner

Dick and Tony played a HOTT game before the evening ended. I think that Dick wanted a rematch from when Tony's clerical last stomped his wolfwere dogs of war (see the previous MWS meeting post). Unfortunately, it didn't happen for Dick, but he did put up a good fight. Artillery is really vicious in HOTT. I also found out that Dick's army has yet to win. I feel his pain.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/5369

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It was a good Wednesday night!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day to those who celebrate it!