Meetup Recap Series (#1): July 23, 2015

We had a great turn out last Thursday with some 5-6 tables running all sorts of games: from the lighter Ticket to Ride to the night-long Empire Builder, and many in between, like classic Puerto Rico. 

A few new faces this week as well. Hopefully Teemu (I apologize for the spelling), Jen and Eric, had a good time, and will be returning to future meetups.

The night started off typically with our indecisive lot mulling around, figuring out what to play. Luckily, Rob made an appearance, bringing recent Kennerspiel des Jahres winner, Broom Service, to the tables, and got the ball rolling as a group broke off to join.

Jana:

We started the evening with a 5-player game of Broom Service. Rob did a great job as usual explaining the rules. This is a magic potion pick-up and deliver type game. The player tokens are meeples with a witch's hat, very cute. The mechanic for action selection was very innovative. It basically was played like a trick taking game where you had to follow the colour of the suit (action). This game won the 2015 Kennerspiel Spiel Des Jahres. It reminded me a bit of Colt Express in that you pick 4 cards out of your hand to determine your moves and then depending on whether you win the trick then you get to do your action. As per standard operating procedure, I finished last. I believe Dave finished first and Rob second, but I'm not entirely sure. Jen and Eric battled it out for the middle ground.

Then we dived into a game of Port Royal, that Dave explained the rules. It's combination push your luck and engine building game. Eric won just beating Dave to 12 points. I was in solid 2nd last place and thanks to Rob, not in my customary last place.

Niall:

Played a 5-player game of Roll for the Galaxy. I managed to tie with Mike, we think... 
Next we played a four player game of Ticket to Ride: 10th Anniversary. The pieces are really nice, but I'm not sure if I'm a fan of the game, or maybe that's just because I came dead last.
Finally I ended with three hands of Tichu, in which the amount of bombs was extraordinary, not that I would have minded if they had been mine. 

Dan:

We decided to kick off with a lighter filler as Steve made the executive decision to try Harbor. With owner's advantage (and my likely terrible explanation of the game), I was able to rush my last two buildings to cinch the game. 

Matt joined our group as we moved on to a 5-player Puerto Rico--one of my personal favourites. I managed to run away with the game with some timely trips to the trading house, allowing me to secure a fairly early factory, which in turn, perpetuated the dream combo of harbor, wharf, and customs house. With the shipping engine up, it propelled me to a score of some 65+ VPs. The fight for 2nd place was close though with all the rest hovering in the 40 point range. 

Some of the groups shifted around again for our 3rd game, as Steve, Michael, Niall, and I broke off to play a few hands of Tichu. Paired with Niall, we had a bit of a slow start dropping the first two rounds, the second being a 1-2 Tichu sweep for 300 points for Steve and Michael. But we managed to answer back doing the same to them in round 3. 

I ended the night with a quick game of BANG!: The Dice Game. Quick being the operative word as I revealed prematurely my allegiance of outlaw when I took a few pot shots at the Sheriff. I shortly found myself in between two people who wanted me dead... and made me dead. Unfortunate for Sheriff Eric, he misjudged his allies, and refused to save Steve, who turned out to be his deputy. Smelling blood, Jen, the remaining outlaw, ignored Michael (the renegade) and went Sheriff hunting, doing just enough damage for an Indian attack to finish the job. +1 for the outlaws, and another win for me :P.

Other games that made it to the tables: Alhambra, 7 Wonders, Arboretum.