April 2017 Game Night

Gentlemen,

Truly, April Game Night ("Game Night" is a registered trademark of Beejmerica, LLC) was a magical evening enjoyed by myself, Joe, Paul, and Pete.

A smattering of Bass, Guinness, and Dos Equis (thanks Joe!) sat atop the usual swill I provide.

We dined on White Castle burgers fresh from the restaurant and Tim Bits. Plus cookies, chips and dip, peanut M & Ms, and spicy peanuts.

We successfully employed a new table geography that works quite well for up to 5 people and allows more room to get to the kitchen and back to Catan without bothering competitors too much.

Also, in honor of the millennia of a scientific advancement that has led us to this moment in time where human heart parts can be 3-D printed, Paul utilized this amazing device to bring us a 3-D poop emoji that now is used to indicate whose turn it is (because yes, sometimes by the time we get to the usual swill we lose track of whose turn it is). Thanks Paul!

Also, we had the public unveiling of the "Golden Dice" in the dice box. We are unworthy, of course.

We had but three games as Catan Borg decided not to go for a fourth and instead watch Game of Thrones (Season 3, episode 4).

All the games were competitive, but Pete took Catan honors by scoring a hat trick. Whoa. Make your trade deal decisions accordingly.

All the games had a resource shortage but didn't seem to harm anybody, oddly enough.

In one game, a roll of 8 gave Paul a city upgrade. I was the proud sponsor of all of Paul's cities, I think. It would have been more but for the force pool limit.

In the last game, Pete won with a largest army to put him over the top.I had a couple armies in my hand and we could see the super-mighty preemptive strike coming with only one knight up given how many development cards he had face down. We gamely played on and with 8 points, no chance for the longest road, and no options for building, purchased two lottery tickets and got ... one victory point card. So close. It would have been epic had it worked. Instead I was ridden down like the rest of the rabble.

And after trash talking Joe in pre-game email I felt I had to take his longest road away from him in one game. Not that it did me any good, but it likely kept Joe from winning.

Which brings us to the new Joe Rule. The Pete Rule is that you target the robber at whoever is in the lead. The Joe Rule is that you just go after Joe. There were times when the Joe Rule and Peter Rule overlapped. Joe liked that.

Pete deployed the strategy of a near monopoly of sheep combined with a sheep port in one game.

One trade sequence had people mocking me for trading a wheat away and then trading to get a wheat. While yes, I was inebriated, it was all about getting to a path to trade with the bank and my first path collapsed with no takers so I went to the wheat route. And I did manage to build a road and settlement at the end of that trade package. So there.

I admit the beer did affect me when I plopped the robber down on Pete's "10" sheep center when I could have put it down on the adjacent and equally productive "8" sheep center; but I think a 10 on the resource roll came up, so it all worked out.

My apologies for these newsletters being Beej-centric, but unless you want to replace the after-game Game of Thrones with after action reviews and self-criticism sessions, I shall rely on you gentlemen to add your comments to fill out the details.

Anyway, much fun. Glad those who made it made it; and hope this newsletter makes those who did not make it regret their life choices:

And gentlemen in Michigan now a-work
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap* whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Catan Game Night day.

Best,

Beej

*Erm, that part is totally optional and you should totally consider your HR policies first.