The Mine Shaft Gap

After dinner, there was Revolution (The Dutch Revolt, 15whatever - 16something), which I think ran for a good 3 hours, maybe more. One of the participants may want to add a more comprehensive report. I have the following scores recorded:
Pat: 15. Brad: 12.5. Alex: 11.5. Richard: 7.5. Craig: 3.0.

Raleigh point
Those of us left out of the Dutch epic opted instead for Power Grid, making for an interesting introduction for Euhan and Paula. We played on the US map again, and although also with five players, this played out quite differently to our game last week. For a start, the map section left out of the game, chosen by a random method, was the Chicago - Great Lakes area down to Knoxville – the yellow section shown in the pic marked off with the blue game pieces. This made for interesting placements around the bottleneck of Raleigh. In the setup, Brian took his placement before me, and quite riskily I thought, in either Washington or Philadelphia I think it was. I started in Savannah, just below the Raleigh bottleneck, giving myself the option of expanding in both directions. All other players started in the more open, but expensive areas.
Brian went hard in coal production, making it difficult for me in particular. However, I managed to get out of the coal business in about the second-last game turn – just in time as Brian’s purchases were not only driving the price through the roof, but actually exhausted available stocks in the last turn before I bought resources.
Rick went the garbage strategy, which we joking call a kiss of death in this game, but he seemed to make it work for him, with no-one else touching it until the later turns and it steadily decreasing in price as it replenished faster than was consumed. Euhan and Paula played consistently, apparently focusing more on their on-board expansion strategies. I tried to balance both (expansion and efficient power generation), but as for many games of Power Grid, once again I found it difficult to resist the pull of expansion and I spent much of the game in first or second place. The problem with this of course is that you are forced to buy resources and new expansion spots last, and if there are no good power stations available you might have to pass or get stuck with a dud – and this happened a few times. There was one I did managed to duck, by putting up a bluff bid that someone bought, freeing the way for a better station next. It didn’t work in the last turn, however, where I had hoped to offload a 3 for a 6 (or 7), and instead got stuck with a 4.
Despite this, my on-board position made me feel quite confident for much of the game, and I knew I had the best positioning geographically. This was until the last turn, as I watched Euhan (in red) and Paula (green) not only encroaching, but even blocking my plans for New Orleans and Memphis. Furthermore, Brian took me by surprise by punching out and filling 15 cities too. I was about $10 short of buying a 16th, and with Brian and I both able to run our 15 cities, the game came right down to cash on hand, and extremely close all round. Phew.
15 mins rules;115 mins game time.
Results: Paul (timber): 15+$16. Brian (purple): 15+$1. Euhan (red): 14+$12. Paula (green): 13+$13. Rick D: 13+$2.

Adel Verpflichtet followed for the Power Gridders. While Rick D. might not agree – he had what could be considered as close to a dream-run as possible - this may well have been the least-enjoyed game session for the whole weekend! For other than about the first turn, I was constantly frustrated by other players’ choices and their thieving from me, and while I think the other players felt a little bit that way too, Paula simply declared that this just wasn’t her kind of game.
About 18 mins rules and set-up; approx 60-70mins game time.
Results: Rick D. (purple) in first place. Paula (green) in 2nd, 6 spaces behind. Euhan (red): 3rd, and another 5 more. Brian (blue): 4th, and another 1 space. Paul (timber): last, by another 2.

As the Dutch Revolution continued on the end table, the Power Gridders/Adel Verpflichteters moved on to FarFalia. Despite my previous report that this game was “about butterflies”, in fact it is an interesting trick-taking game featuring partnership rotation, and the curious rule that the top two scorers are considered joint winners, regardless of their actual score and whether or not they were partners. This has made me wonder whether something was perhaps lost in the translation to English…
Anyway, 60 mins all up, incl. rules and five hands (one lead each).
Results: Rick D: 37 (winner). Euhan: 32 (winner). Paula, Paul, Brian (not winners): 26.

We ended the night with Diamant, I believe with the correct rules as written, rather than the twisted variant we normally use.
I played this one a little too clever for my own good and lucked out, watching all other players rack up their gem collections while I waited it out back at camp. On the last expedition I had to push my luck too far, and suffered a cave-in while every one was back home drinking Martinis.
8 mins rules; 20 mins game time.
Results: Brian (white): 39. Paula (green): 36. Rick D. (yellow): 35. Euhan (orange): 34. Paul (black): 26.

Most then headed off to bed, while the die-hards continued with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Brad and Richard (462) outwitting Pat and Al (391).

There was our place, just as we had left it last April.
Complete with wallabies (not kangaroos!) - a low-res pic this one; this was as close as they would let me get.
Pics, by the way, in this post and the next two, are a combo of mine and Brad’s.

The first half hour was all about settling in, setting up, and waiting for the first ‘guests’ to arrive. Alex was the first, and then Euhan, so we eased into the day with a nice San Juan. 18 mins rules; 57 mins game time, and I chalked up my first win for the weekend.
Paul: 33. Alex: 31. Paula: 26. Euhan: 23.

In the meantime, Brad had arrived, Rick D., Richard V. and Brian, who all got underway with Rick D.’s copy of Portobello Market just as the rest of us were finishing up San Juan. Rick D. (yellow) won Portobello Market on 104, followed by Brad (blue): 95, Brian (red): 92, and Richard (green): 86. 12 mins rules; 25 mins game time.

The San Juaners then moved to the cycling track for 6-Tage Rennen (as for last week, to mark the Tour de France). Just a cut-down version, consisting of two laps. Other folks seemed to be raving about this game, but I must say I felt that it didn’t like me very much. In both laps I was left off the pace and forced to use my high cards constantly just to try and stay within range of the peleton! Of course, those who know this game would say that I just didn’t play my cards well. OK there is that, I suppose. 10 mins rules; 17 mins lap 1; 23 mins lap 2.
Name: Lap 1: Lap 2: Total Points:
Paula 12 14 26
Alex 14 10 24
Euhan 11 9 20
Paul 5 11 16.
Lap 1,2, Final:

Someone then brought out Das Motorsportspiel, which was soon to become a weekend classic. I think this was Pat’s copy brought along by Brad, then rolled out to fill an entire tabletop with a racing track. This was all going on in the background so I’m not clear on the details, but there seemed to be issues or ambiguities with rules, and I think this first session might have been called at one lap. Results I have recorded are: Craig: 1st, Rick D.: 2nd, then Brad, Brian and Richard V.

With the conclusion of San Juan, a second session of Das Motorsportspiel was then immediately launched with a different track, although some dipped out to prepare or make lunch arrangements. This one was a tight and brutal 2-lap race, with a 25s timer introduced to make each set of turn decisions. The pressure showed, with significant numbers of yellow, red and black flags appearing. In fact, Alex was the first to crash out completely, followed by Rick D. and Brian, all less than halfway through the first lap. Brad hung in there, but he went next, on the second lap. It was me to take the checkered flag, even though I too had picked up a red flag part-way through my second lap. Euhan strolled in second, and Richard, the only other finisher, crossed third.

Chow-down time, and most of us feasted on Brian’s chicken legs. It was amazing that he could still walk afterwards (boom-tsh). Games listed next include The Watergate Scandal, Das Motorsportspiel (again), and Colosseum.

The notes I have on The Watergate Scandal appear to be in Euhan’s handwriting, and include the remark, “Improved only after midnight and with beer.”

The third Das Motorsportspiel of the day apparently was a 3-lap affair, with Pat the “glorious victor”, Richard V. 2nd, Euhan and Brad joint 3rd, Brian 5th.

As the afternoon got later and cooler, it came time to set stuff on fire (literally). The wood fireplace was activated, after some difficulty since none of us had matches or a lighter. The solution was to use the electric stove to ignite a taper of newspaper and carry this over carefully to the packed kindling in the fireplace. The smoke was thick and horrible, and leaked out of the chimney tube inside the building. Soon the whole place was filled with smoke - doors and windows were opened and the ceiling fan started to clear the air. The incumbents (I don’t know what they were playing!) held their ground and battled on. The rest of us waited and gamed outside, until whatever was in the fireplace at last burned hotter and cleaner, and the place eventually cleared. No doubt everyone’s clothes stunk of smoke by the time we got home on Sunday night. I’m sure my eyes were still watering on Monday morning from it. Anyway, on with the games…

Hanging back vs. going forward
I was glad that Rick D. had brought his copy of Colosseum, as I’ve been looking forward to playing this one again since the Albury expo. I remember the competition being intense during the asset tile auctions the first time I played this, and it seemed to be just as fierce this time around. I thought I’d try a strategy similar to Alison’s (from last game), which was to stay back on the scoreboard and really put everything into getting the best program and a high score on the last turn. The reality is that I hung back on the score track because I was forced there by the other players, and not because it was intentional positioning! By the end of the game, Paula had accumulated three of the leader podia tokens, for a total bonus of +9 on the last performance. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to upgrade to a fourth program, and I think also wasn’t able to land Consuls and Senators in her Colosseum in the last turn. Craig and Rick were able to do this however, and I think Craig may have even managed to land four nobles on the last turn by careful use of his Emperor’s medals.
I wasn’t that far off the pace after all, and I managed to snare the premium program and a Luxuplatz in the last turn. Unfortunately I was down a mere two asset tiles, and these are what hurt your score the most. A close game, fun overall and is still unique and interesting to look at. I’m just not sure why it takes so long to play – for the number and weight of decisions made, it seems like it should come in at about half an hour shorter than it does.
25 mins rules; 110 mins game time.
Results: Craig (red): 85. Rick D. (gold): 82. Paula (green): 80. Paul (purple): 79.

Some other games, but I don’t know where they fit into the chronology, include:
Carcassonne: Alex: 102 (incl. 32 for farmers!). Paula: 68. Craig: 65. Rick D.: 46.
Senator (30 mins): Pat: 4+. Richard: 4. Brian: 3. Brad: 2+. Euhan: 2.

San Juan (again, 20 mins): Rick D: 23. Pat and Alex: 22. Brad: 21.
Tsuro: Won by Euhan, Brad 2nd, Alex 3rd.

David Parlett’s Squint (card game): Apparently this is written up in one of his books – “the same one we got Mini Misere and 99 from” according to Pat. I do have the results recorded, but Pat had assumed that “…no-one wrote it down no doubt because they were all collectively embarrassed in scenes unseen since Lions played Christians, and your humble servant wouldn’t presume to put oneself into a position where someone might possibly think they were pedestal placing.”
Results: Pat: 39. Brad: 24. Craig: 18. Alex: 8. Richard V: 6.

Prior to dinner was also RoboRally. Again, according to Pat:
Brad, Al and I started and Rick joined halfway in. It was a mean, 4 flag set-up, not for the faint hearted. In a laughter inducing opening, I backed away from the obvious move and watched Brad and Al shoot themselves up instead of me. I followed the longer but safer routes, and still managed to die twice, whilst the others were more daring going through the death trap middle but couldn’t get the card combo’s needed to land the flags. In an all-guns-blazing finish, Brad forsook flag 3 in an attempt to push me into death for the third and final time and deny me flag 4 victory. On the second assault however his entire hand consisted of right hand turns, making for lots of empty clicks, and I snuck into flag 4 just one phase before Alex made it across to continue Brad’s assault.

There was also Silk Road. I was going to suggest playing this with an alternative rule I’ve seen on BGG for movement of the Caravan Leader (by Marshall P.; look in the comments on Greg Schloesser’s review if you’re interested), but since there were only three of us I thought it might have been a bit heavy-handed, so we played by the standard rules as written. Craig seemed to struggle throughout in his first experience with this, presumably just not being able to optimise his choices. I thought I was doing OK, but started to worry about Brian apparently getting rich behind his little screen.
Indeed, my fears were justified. At the end of the game, although his cube piles were modest, Brian’s cash pile was enormous – more than Craig and mine combined I believe!
50 mins incl rules.
Results: Brian: 70. Paul: 48. Brian: 47.

Euhan ran Vegas Showdown with Paula and Richard in parallel to our Silk Road. Despite appearances, this is not in fact a gambling game!
Results: Richard: 75. Euhan: 67. Paula: 61.

It was then off to the local sports club for dinner. Pepper steak, medium-rare, and beer. Perfect accompaniments to gaming. Here are (nearly all of) the ConTrail attendees.
This year I made sure the photographer appeared in shot somewhere. Note: the look about the eyes must be because of the smoke… (in the lodge that is :-)