Der Dreizehnte Holzwurm (13th)
Die Erbtante (27th)
Exxtra (20th)
FrischFleisch (20th)
Halunken & Spelunken (13th)
Nomination Whist (20th)
Pole Position (27th)
T-Rex (13th)
The Big Cheese (27th)
Um Kopf und Kragen (27th)
Happy new millenium folks! (to any pedants: don't call us, we'll call you).
I can't tell you what happened at the club because I didn't make it myself and no-one has forwarded me any details.
We only had three players turn up this week - perhaps they were upset because I didn't go last week....
First up was Halunken & Spelunken - although I was extremely rusty on the rules and it took a little while for us to get going. This a game of bluff and prediction that I think works better with the full four players. This is because the sailors run out more quickly and players are forced to use their movement cards more tactically. Result: TC, MH, SG.
Next, we tried out T-Rex for the first time at the club. It took a while to explain this complex little game. Mick had trouble with the rules throughout the game and he's not know for being slow on the uptake, so it must be the concepts involved that are difficult. Anyway, that meant there was someone I managed to beat. Result: SG, TC, MH.
We filled in the rest of the time with an attempt at Der Dreizehnte Holzwurm, a game that I had found totally boring, but which other people had assured me was good. Half way through playing, Mick pointed out why this was. There was a small but vital part of the rules that I had missed - tricks that are won should be taken into the hand, not left on the table. Hey presto! We now had a game that was a lot of fun and enjoyed by all of us. As if having a good game saved from the executioner's chair wasn't good enough, I also managed to win. Result: TC, SG, MH.
Six of us this week, but I turned up a little late to find a game of Exxtra underway. I was going to join in, but Garry's set is flawed, with the two red dice being identical, making it impossible to score above 66 on a roll. Result: SG, JO, SO, MH, GL.
Next we tried out another of the games Garry had brought back from Essen - Frischfleisch. If you haven't come across it yet, this is a game whose main theme is cannibalism - a dangerous subject for a game because it's going to put off a number of potential buyers immediately. Each player starts with six characters which start the game dotted around a hex-gridded board. Also placed on the board, face-down, are various counters representing roads and food. Each turn, you have to be able to feed all of your surviving characters, initially from food in spaces adjacent to those characters, but eventually by fighting, killing and eating other players' characters which are also adjacent. Many of us spoilt our chances early on by grouping our characters close together, so forcing them to starve through lack of food and of other characters nearby. This was a by-product of us not understanding how the game was going to develop during the initial placement. Those players who had spread out a bit more at the beginning tended to do better during the game. This undoubtedly contributed to the general lack of excitement and competition in the game, but the general feeling was that we probably wouldn't want to try it again in a hurry. And no-one is likely to be tempted on a walk in the woods with Garry if he's feeling a bit peckish... Result: GL, JO, SO, MH, TC, SG.
We rounded off with a traditional card game - Nomination Whist. Steve made up for his lack of cannibalistic tendencies by storming to victory. Result: SG, GL, SO, TC, MH, JO.
Just four players this week, and for some reason I can't remember anything about the games we played. Anyway, I won't worry too much as I'm so far behind with these reports. I'll just list the results.
First up was Um Kopf und Kragen, which is a card game that also involves little red or yellow counters... Result: SO, GL, TC, SG.
Second was Pole Position - a racing game undoubtedly. Result: SO, SG, GL, TC.
Third was Die Erbtante, another card game that involved trying to collect valuables up to a maximum value but no more. Result: TC, SO, GL, SG.
Finally, we played The Big Cheese, a game that I know about because I have a copy. It went down well with those at the club too. Result: SG, SO, TC, GL.