A quick update. A week after the fact. I pledge to a) take more pictures and b) write my report sooner next time. Also, a 'review' coming soon.
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Bez - red.
Michael - black.
Adam - purple
Bowser - skin
Ian - green
Despite some question marks, all 5 of us assembled for our 7th game, Michael rushing through the door just after we had finished our 4-person draft.
Restarting saw me in a preferable drafting order, so I certainly wasn't going to complain. I took 2 stars and 8 troops. Ian started with the best faction - Enclave of the Bear. Their new ability - stealth - proved to be powerful. 'Ridiculous', some called it. Few troops are wasted on needless expansion and mobility is greatly enhanced, at the expense of potentially limited manoeuvres at the end of your turn. Combined with their bonus for an initial attack, this makes them potentially devastating at the start of the game.
Playing with the new missions, we started off trying to conquer territories via sea routes for 1 VP. Combined with the bases in Greenland and Scandinavia, this made that region the focus of more attention than either Adam or Bowser would have liked. Adam was KO'd by Michael, restarted in 'Little Africa' and extended more than was beneficial to himself. Bowser was similarly sandwiched and struggled to gain a foothold.
I had started in 'Really Africa' and managed to claim a card and bonus troops most turns. I placed the scar in South Africa for bonus troops in a protected city but that meant that I was using my only manoeuvre each turn to take my new troop somewhere more useful. Placing the scar in Egypt may have made Egypt too much of a lucrative target but it would have generated the troops in a more useful position. An interesting balance.
Ian placed 28 troops, trying to take over Scandinavia and Greenland, winning the game by completing the mission simultaneously. Thwarted by the dice.
Michael managed to complete the first mission. 2nd mission asked us to control 6 cities!
Michael controlled 2 bases (Greenland/Brazil) and tried to enter Madagascar but North Africa held tight, 5 troops fending off an attack until victory was impossible.
In the end, it was a lucky streak of rolls that won the game for me. With 19 troops in total, I managed to whittle down the fortification in Brazil, take over Michael's base, wind up America, take over Greenland, then take over a 6th city to win!
3 players all had a very real chance to win and it came down to the dice. Perhaps it was the initial placement that undermined Bowser and Adam's initial chances of success.
Game 7 was the longest yet but remained exciting throughout. I hope the remaining envelopes remain closed a while longer, so we can have a bit of time to explore the missions and events.
Bez - red.
Michael - black.
Adam - purple
Bowser - skin
Ian - green
Despite some question marks, all 5 of us assembled for our 7th game, Michael rushing through the door just after we had finished our 4-person draft.
Restarting saw me in a preferable drafting order, so I certainly wasn't going to complain. I took 2 stars and 8 troops. Ian started with the best faction - Enclave of the Bear. Their new ability - stealth - proved to be powerful. 'Ridiculous', some called it. Few troops are wasted on needless expansion and mobility is greatly enhanced, at the expense of potentially limited manoeuvres at the end of your turn. Combined with their bonus for an initial attack, this makes them potentially devastating at the start of the game.
Playing with the new missions, we started off trying to conquer territories via sea routes for 1 VP. Combined with the bases in Greenland and Scandinavia, this made that region the focus of more attention than either Adam or Bowser would have liked. Adam was KO'd by Michael, restarted in 'Little Africa' and extended more than was beneficial to himself. Bowser was similarly sandwiched and struggled to gain a foothold.
I had started in 'Really Africa' and managed to claim a card and bonus troops most turns. I placed the scar in South Africa for bonus troops in a protected city but that meant that I was using my only manoeuvre each turn to take my new troop somewhere more useful. Placing the scar in Egypt may have made Egypt too much of a lucrative target but it would have generated the troops in a more useful position. An interesting balance.
Ian placed 28 troops, trying to take over Scandinavia and Greenland, winning the game by completing the mission simultaneously. Thwarted by the dice.
Michael managed to complete the first mission. 2nd mission asked us to control 6 cities!
Michael controlled 2 bases (Greenland/Brazil) and tried to enter Madagascar but North Africa held tight, 5 troops fending off an attack until victory was impossible.
In the end, it was a lucky streak of rolls that won the game for me. With 19 troops in total, I managed to whittle down the fortification in Brazil, take over Michael's base, wind up America, take over Greenland, then take over a 6th city to win!
3 players all had a very real chance to win and it came down to the dice. Perhaps it was the initial placement that undermined Bowser and Adam's initial chances of success.
Game 7 was the longest yet but remained exciting throughout. I hope the remaining envelopes remain closed a while longer, so we can have a bit of time to explore the missions and events.