Usually, when we three get together, it means something thematic. Epic, even. Brass, or Railways of the World. Games so immersive that we often end the game with a tan.
This time, we chose Agricola. Adam has been pining for this for years now, and with only Joe dissenting, it won a place on the table with a 2-1 majority. We set up, and it all looked very handsome thanks to Joe’s bespoke wooden items for each item. The wood looked like wood. The stone was suitably stoney, and fish-shaped food swam about in the pond.
Perhaps the slowest part of the game is the start, when you try to work out how to get your minor improvements and your occupations to work together. I decided to go for things that got me food. Joe went for a guy that got him vegetables with grain (or vice versa). I can’t remember what occupations Adam chose. He never seemed to use them much.
It was good to get the old game back on the table. It’s a satisfying game if you’re doing well, but agony if you fall behind. As Adam can attest. Far from being the easy win that we’d all assumed, Adam ended the game with begging cards, and a last minute occupation that absolved him of any minus points for a farm lacking in livestock.
I did much better, but I was still nervous about Joe’s huge pile of carrots and big family. In the final tally, I at first made a mistake, and called a draw, but a second count showed my farm of diversification had won the day.
Andrew 35
Joe 33
Adam 18
And it was still early. Half past nine. We considered a game of Railways of the World. Imagine the kudos! Agricola AND Railways in one evening! However, we couldn’t go through with it. Instead, we chose 10 Days in Africa. It was new to Adam, but since it was from the designer of Ticket To Ride, we thought he’d take to it quickly.
We didn’t realise quite how quickly, as he swiftly won the practice game, and then won the real game too, before Joe and I had even got going. I got into second by number of links.
1. Adam
2. Andrew
3. Joe
Finally, we chose for a nightcap of abstract gaming with Blockers. It’s been a while since this saw the light of day. It was interesting and certainly a nice change. Adam won again, though, with a perfect score of one, almost as if he were getting his own back for Agricola.
Adam 1
Andrew 5
Joe 7
Adam takes top spot on the fledgling form table.
| Points | ||||||
| Adam | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 15 |
| Andrew | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 15 |
| Joe | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 18 |
Meanwhile, the Division shows that a first place in a big game is better than two in small games, but also that a close second is also better. Of course I post this as an illustration of how the Division works. And also because it'll be the only time I'm ahead of Adam on Points and Points Ratio.
Bah!
ReplyDeleteEveryone's nervous about my huge pile of carrots Andrew.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm happier just playing Family Agricola - it's almost a bridge too far to try and assimilate the 14 hand cards, work out which you want to play and in what order.
But there's no doubt my couple of recent games on the iPhone improved my spidey-senses, and it did feel good to get the grand dame of worker placement to the table after such a long absence (Caylus is the grand daddy).
Fun evening, with a trio of lesser-spotted games - thanks chaps.
So it's finally happened. And Andrew won! Amazeballs. I guess Joe and Adam cancelled each other out, like medieval amoebae in roughly hewn wooden petri dish.
ReplyDeleteThey did go for similar tactics.
ReplyDeleteI went for really dumb tactics. Joe's were pretty good and I couldn't work out which of you had won at the end.
ReplyDeleteIt felt like I hadn't played the game for three years or something.
Bah.