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Monthly Archives: June 2010

Ticket to Ride & Amun-Re

Playing Catch Up

No there isn’t really a game called Catch Up. Ok, maybe there is such a game, be even if there is, we didn’t play it. What I mean here is that I’ve neglected to post the previous gaming sessions. I’ll rectify that now.

Two Sessions Ago

We played a game. I forget the name of it, but I’m pretty sure I won it.

The Previous Session

We play two games of Ticket to Ride using the 1910 expansion. We loved the new cards the expansion added and we loved the new size of all the cards the expansion added. We played the mega game using all of the cards. Mike came in dead last both times and is considering banning the game. I won both games, and Mike has banned the game. (He’ll forget he did this and we’ll still play again in the future.)

Back to the Current Session

Last night we played Amun-Re, yet another game by Knizia. The object of the game is to claim provinces along the Nile, build pyramids, and score points. But be careful, you also have to make sacrifices to Amun Re or risk his displeasure. The game is separated into 2 game parts: the old and new kingdoms. Each of the two parts has 3 rounds. Each round has 5 or 6 phases.

During the first half of the game, we were all getting a feel for the game and how to score points. Everyone else did much better than me during this part of the game. Meaning I was dead last…and pretty far behind the third place Pharaoh.

During the second half of the game, everyone had a much better idea of what was going on. Many more pyramids were built and players vied for the possible point producing Power cards. Owen, who had been hording Power cards, ended up winning with Mike coming in second, Ben in third and you-know-who in last place. It seems to me that the point scoring Power cards can be the make or break of the game. If you get them early, you can create a strategy to take advantage of them. If you get them late, or not at all…well, you come in last place.

Chaos Steve

Cyclades

Owen brought a new game for us try called Cyclades. If you think this a game of bicycles and lovely ladies, you’d be sadly mistaken. It is a game of cycles, just not the kind you ride. During each cycle the players buy favors from the gods to expand their strength and build buildings. The winner is the player who can build two cities in a group of Greek islands known as the Cyclades.

Our game started off great, with Ben completely missing a play that would have garnered him a lot of gold in the future. And believe me; this game is all about gold. You need gold to do everything! Nevertheless, Ben was doing a fine job expanding his fleets and taking over islands. Mike too, was growing powerful. While not powerful, I was on my way to getting my first city. I held off though, because I knew that would place a target on my forehead.

Mike ended up getting the first city and I ended up giving the game to Mike. I failed to do one thing on my turn that would have hampered Mike’s ability to attack me, but I didn’t see it. On my turn, I also built a city. I protected it with a couple of armies using two of the three creatures available to me on my turn. The third creature I left. I couldn’t imagine anyone using it. Little did I know that Mike had big plans for that creature. The last creature allowed you to sell anything you owned to get gold. Mike was in the perfect position to sell his needless possessions so he could do only one thing—attack me. By taking my island he could win the game. He did just that…and easily too.

Nicely planned Mike. I came in second. :)

Chaos Steve