Absolutely Aces (6)

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I started this game on Day 2 of Week 1 of lockdown, but didn't get any traction to finish it. I did manage to finish it today, and I think it's coming a little bit clearer how to play it. The rules still confuse me, that whole "reserve" thing.

As usual, Player 1 is Schlock, Player 2 is Kaff.

Schlock:

  1. Break (5)
  2. Climb (7)
  3. Scissors (2)
  4. Roll (8)
  5. Break (4)

Kaff:

  1. Swoop (9)
  2. Swoop (11)
  3. Ace (1)
  4. Scissors (3)
  5. Joker (12)

Opening bids:

Schock: Scissors (2), Kaff: Scissors (3), first player goes to Kaff Tagon. Scissors (3) is removed from the game, Scissors (2) goes into Kaff's reserve.

Note: I think the reserve is just the card which can't be played in the current round.

  1. Kaff opens with Swoop (11), Scissors (2) goes into Kaff's hand.

  2. Schlock blocks with Break (4), takes Swoop (11) into reserve.

  3. Kaff blocks with Ace (1), takes Break (4).

  4. Schlock blocks with Climb (7), takes Ace (1) to win the hand; Schlock 7, Kaff 0.

  5. Kaff plays Scissors (2), takes Climb (7) into hand to win the hand; Schlock 7, Kaff 2.

  6. Schlock plays Roll (8), takes Scissors into reserve, wins hand; Schlock 15, Kaff 2.

And that's the game.

I still think I'm playing this really wrong. I should post a session on BGG and see if it gets any comments.

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What to play next?

Deciding what to play next is always a tough call when faced with a closet full of games, all of which were purchased with intent to play. Here's one I'm dealing with the decision.

  • Something New: this means both something new to me and a game which has been published recently, within the last two or three years.
  • Something Classic: I've acquired a number of games properly considered "classic" which haven't yet been played. The current example would be PanzerGruppe Guderian.
  • Something Again: mastery requires constant practice, which means playing games many, many times to allow nuance to appear.
  • Something Vietnam: as I'm on a Vietnam binge. I don't have all the Vietnam games ever published, but I can say that I have a lot of them, and probably more than most people.
  • Something Obscure: as it's fun to poke around in the dustier corners of game design.
  • Something Different: break away from the same old publishers and try a game from one of the new kids on the block. Or, conversely, dip into legacy with a classic tried and true.
  • Something Light: once in a while it's nice to actually finish a game all the way through in one sitting, in an hour or two.
  • Something Heavy: if possible, it's nice to set up something big and complicated which can be left out for days or weeks or even months, for a leisurely stroll through a very large or long game.

There are surely many more ways to choose, but the above method keeps me busy enough, helps me get both breadth and depth into my play, and provides me with a sense of progress.

The odd man out

When there is an odd man out:

  • Have a solo game ready to play.
  • Keep score or advise on a game in progress.
  • Referee a game in progress.