September 2021 Game Night

Dave, Joe, and Paul joined me for the monthly game night this last Saturday.

We dined on Kung Po chicken, beef lo mein, pork chop suey, and pork egg rolls--or Chinese tacquitos, as Dave dubbed them. Corn chips plus salsa and bacon jalapeno cheese dip, chocolate chip cookies, Ho Hos, and peanut M & Ms rounded it out. And Paul had his specific dietary needs met.

Labatt Blue plus leftover Lavatt Blue Light were the official beers. Joe and Paul of course dipped into my Irish Cream despite it being a cheaper knock off of the original. Hey, it was on sale!

Happy hour began a6 6:00 with gaming starting at 7:00.

We played with the harbormaster variant.

GAME ONE

Dave (blue) placed first followed by me (orange), Joe (white), and then Paul (red) in the coveted DP position.

Game one sort of near the start after Paul built a new settlement on the coast:

 

Brick was the clear shortage. I felt pretty good getting a four. Joe made sure only we enjoyed that. Add in an 11 brick and a a couple wood spots and I feld good. Plus a minor sheep resource was in range.

Getting to the coast to get that sheep was key to keeping from being massively penned in. In the north I had some room but I had to move first in the south to stake out territory.

I made it to the coasts in both places despite early failures in 4s. And I had a couple options open for new settlements.  But my urbanization was too slow and I was unable to reach three ports that I hoped might give me harbormaster if Dave could be slowed down.

Joe stretched out to get the longest road. But unless he could thread the needle between Dave and Paul to reach the desert coast he'd top out at 10 points without a victory point or largest army.

Paul too didn't expand much from lack of brick and his best option for new builds was into my spheres. Or the desert coast.

Dave didn't have a lot of room but he did manage to get harbormaster and heavily urbanize with rocks, plenty of wheat, and a wheat port. His amazing run on wheat on consecutive rolls near the end pushed him over the top with a settlement build to reach 11. Congratulations Dave! 

Paul had 7 points. I had 7 points, including a victory point card. Joe had 6 points, including the longest road. 

Although how Dave could live with himself after I accepted his trade offer yet--while our hands were in motion to complete the trade--hear Paul offer two cards and then switch is beyond me. Not since the Australians scrapped a French sub deal in favor of American subs has there been such an international incident. L' Affaire de Cards will live long in infamy. Later in the night I did manage to get two cards from Dave in a trade but it was a hollow retaliation.

This is the end map:

GAME TWO

Once again, Dave (blue) placed first followed by me (orange), Joe (white), and then Paul (red) in the coveted DP position.

Game two start:

Brick was marginally better but still poor. The vast sheep pasture was unusual. And the wood, while plentiful, was on the coast.

I prioritized getting rock and brick. And by the time my second placement came around I had no wood options. And no paths to reach it. My pucker factor skyrocketed.

My road building was as bad as I feared it would be. I had a bit of expansion room but it was not fertile ground. A year of plenty card was much needed.

Joe again stretched out and it looked like he would again get and keep the longest road unless Paul really wanted to make the newsletter. But Joe's city building capacity was low. Still, he did get the longest road ... for a while.

Paul challenged for harbormaster, tying Dave at one point. But with all cities placed, only a new port settlement--which he could not get--would have let him grab the title. But getting the longest road was an option.

Dave again pushed early for harbormaster. And with 7 points on the board and that card's two points, he sadly noticed he could surpass Joe's as yet puny road, seizing longest road honors. He had been thinking of building a settlement and passing the poop. I silently wished for him to just build the settlement and move on without noticing. Alas. Victory was his at 11. Congratulations Dave!

Paul followed with 8 points. I had 7 points, including 2 victory point cards that I knew early on would be pointless. Joe had 4 points.

This is the end map:

GAME THREE

This time Joe (white) had first placement and move honors. Paul (red) followed, then Dave (blue), and myself (orange) with the coveted DP spot.

This was the starting map:

Rocks were poor and Joe and Dave hopped on the only good source, as Paul ironically prioritized the decent wood and brick combo location. Bricks were okay this game if poorly located. With options for wood and brick extremely poor, I played the Pete Option and selected a wheat port with a lowly 2 rock and the center of the amber waves of grain. Fingers crossed.

Joe again build lineland to take and hold the longest road. His good rock resources also led to three cities. But despite the length of his empire, the girth was lacking. With only 5 build spots he really needed to hold the longest road to reach 11.

Paul built two cul de sacs on opposite sides of Catan. Despite crappy rock resources he did promote 2 cities. But he had just one option for another build site.

I started out okay with wheat until there was a crop failure. I reached out to more wheat to beat Joe to the resource. There was universal pressure to cut Joe's road before he could link them. Paul refused to trade me a brick so I could build my settlement. Paul said he didn't trust me, and that somehow I'd screw him. I told him I just wanted to build a settlement. To ease his mind about his anticipated screwing I commented, "I just came here to build cities and ef ass. And I'm all out of ass." He was not comforted but the next turn I built my settlement.

Then I needed to race Dave to the coast to stake out an enclave. When I did that I noticed that all I had to do was build three roads and I'd take longest road--and the game!

Dave stretched out on the coast, which caused me worry for my planned coastal enclave. And his rocks were productive. Once again Dave got harbormaster, really locking it up with 5 port points! 

The game was close with Joe on the verge twice of ending the game when the robber struck. The second time was key, because rolling a 7 was the only roll that could deny him the point he needed. Paul could not win on his turn. And then Dave had the chance to win, and managed to promote a city to end the game with 11. 

Joe almost certainly could have won if the game had gone around to him again--if he could get past me. I again magically had a victory point card. And I had three wood and four wheat. All I needed was two wheat, a brick, or three sheep. A 3,4,6, or 9 would have given it to me! I could have built three roads and taken the longest road, giving me 11. But alas, again.

Joe had 10 points, with longest road. I had 9 points, including a victory point. And Paul had 7 points.

Congratulations Dave!

This was the end map:

We wrapped up after midnight. I am disappointed that we have not resumed the boobs! Game of Thrones tradition. How old did we get during the lockdown?

Some time during the game, Sadie the cat got tired of hiding in the stairwell and came out to reclaim her sleeping cube. Screw you nerds, I'm going to sleep!

And a meme!

Quote of the evening: "I got wood up the ass." (Joe)  Thank you for sharing, Joe.

Joe also said he is pondering recording dice roll statistics. Sure.

As always, please feel free to comment.

And thanks for a fun game night!