July 2019 Game Night

Gentlemen,

Game Night June 2019 is in the rear view mirror, and thank God! The Gods abandoned your humble host last night after blessing me with abundance last month--no matter how many times I sacrifice dice to change that whole "probability" stuff. And who knew that people take it so personally when you play a monopoly card and take THAT much rock?

Joe, Paul, and Pete joined me for four games.

We dined on sliders and tacquitos, corn chips plus cheese and salsa dips, donuts, two types of M & Ms, cookies, and usual dietary needs.

The beer selection was Labatt Blue Light plus a couple leftover Bud Light Orange, which as Pete perceptively noted tastes like a mix of beer and Faygo orange pop. It was a failed effort to find a different kind of summer beer. I'm sorry.

The entire night was a resource-poor event in key areas or had people making choices about what resource they'd do without. We used the harbormaster variant, as we basically do all the time now.

Game one saw Joe build a might empire that fell short when Pete gained the largest army and harbormaster card and also had a victory point card, reaching 12 points. Joe had a victory point down but only 10 points. I had 7 points and was chasing the largest army and trying to desperately get build sites in my constrained frontiers. Paul's fancy 3D printer buildings didn't give him a win and his longest road gave him 7 to join me at the bottom. Pete expressed his relief that a win after last month's hand of God coming down to deny him success proved that he had not lost his ability to play a game more complicated than tic tac toe. Perhaps his Catan app has allowed him to train for Game Night.

Game 2 wasn't too bad but for less wheat than one would like. And it included a tragedy of beer as Paul with 9 points used his cards to build a settlement to reach 10 points rather than use them to build a road long enough to take the longest road from Joe. Pete helpfully pointed that out after the poop was passed. Happy International Women's Day! At that point Paul and Joe went for the Bailey's Irish Cream. Anyway, Pete with his two victory points hit 11, and so won his second game. I again brought up the rear with 6 and Joe was just ahead of me.

Game 3 force me to desperate measures in my rock-less and hemmed in initial placement. I played a monopoly card after I watched 2 or 3 rolls that gave all non-Beej players a plethora of rocks. People don't apparently like that early in the game despite my clear need to do something to change the obvious direction of my game--poor and rock-less and few points. With that card I got all but two of the rocks I'd have the entire game! But did that get me understanding and sympathy despite the following rounds where all regained their lost rocks? Nooooo. That play got me to 9 points with the harbormaster card with hopes of victory at last! Alas, Paul had sobered up a bit by then and with the longest road and despite a tiny empire, hit 11 points and the win. Joe had 8 and Pete also had 8.

Game 4 again saw me penned in. People still talked about that monopoly card. But when Joe was on the march with the longest road and ABOUT TO WIN, it was all "Beej, it is up to you!" And with a brick from Paul I built 3 roads to connect my holdings and took the longest road for good--even building to block Pete when he looked like he might aim for that. And just as Pete was making a play for a win, people were embargoing me and targeting my extensive sheep holdings (I had a sheep port). Pete had to knights up and a couple lottery tickets down, and we thought it was history. But somehow Joe managed to overcome the embargoes on him and with the harbormaster card and a victory point, won the final game. As it turned out, Pete did not have a third knight and but one victory point leaving him at 10. I had but 9 and Paul brought up the rear at 5.

Only Paul and I used the dice tower, for what it's worth. And only Paul took advantage of  my uber nerd retro game cabinet with Asteroid, Tempest, Lunar Lander, and Major Havoc. [Shakes head slowly in disbelief.]

We wrapped up after 1:00 with no Game of Thrones since the other players had to leave either because they had things to do in the morning or because they got a booty call.

Thanks for attending! Fun as always. We shall see if we are playing in Dave's backyard next month with or without Dave's presence!

Beej