Absolutely Aces (11)

Previous:
Next:
Tags

While it's too late to get a game in every day this week, I can certainly get one in tonight and tomorrow evening. As usual, we have our two antagonists, Schlock and Kaff, facing off in the never ending duel.

One of these days I'll take a picture of my setup.

Round 1

Schlock bids Swoop 9, Kaff Climb 7.

  1. Schlock opens with Roll 8.

  2. Kaff blocks with Scissors 2.

  3. Schlock blocks with Ace.

  4. Kaff blocks with Swoop 11.

  5. Schlock blocks with Break 5.

  6. Kaff blocks with Roll 8.

  7. Schlock blocks with Scissors 2.

  8. Kaff blocks with Ace.

  9. Schlock blocks with Swoop 11.

  10. Kaff blocks with Break 5.

  11. Schlock blocks with a pair of Rolls for +2.

  12. Kaff plays Break 4.

  13. Schlock blocks with Ace.

  14. Blocks with Scissors 2.

  15. Schlock blocks with Climb 7.

  16. Kaff has nothing, Schlock +7.

Score: Schlock 9, Kaff 0.

Round 2

Schlock bids Roll 8, Kaff Roll 10.

  1. Kaff opens with Joker.

  2. Schlock blocks with Scissors 3.

  3. Kaff blocks with Ace.

  4. Schlock blocks with Break 5.

  5. Kaff blocks with Break 4.

  6. Schlock blocks with a pair of Climbs for +2.

  7. Kaff plays Scissors 3.

  8. Schlock blocks with Ace.

  9. Kaff blocks with Roll 8.

  10. Schlock has nothing, Kaff +8+1.

Score: Schlock 11, Kaff 9.

Round 3

Schlock bids Roll 10, Kaff Break 4.

  1. Schlock opens with Break 5, which is the game.

Score: Schlock 15, Kaff 9.

AAR

Going forward, I think I'm going to chose to open with the Joker if it shows up, by swapping out the otherwise random card I draw for first go with a different random card from that player's hand. This will get the Joker removed from the game immediately, and hopefully prevent shutouts like Round 3.

Previous:
Next:
Tags

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.