HF4A 45 - My First Colony (3)

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The primary goal for this game is to time set up and maybe cycle 1, and tear down. I didn't plan on playing it through this evening, but everything seemed to go really smooth through the first cycle and I had a cool hand, so I decided to go for another half cycle, which turned out to be so close that it made sense to just finish the game.

Note: I played this hand with a "5 or more" academia limit. It worked out really well. Of all the house ruling I've done, I think I like it the best.

4:05pm sat down ay messy table and started this article. - start the google sheet - clean off the table - get the game and accessories - set everything up

4:16pm Game is set up and ready to play. Let's see how long the first cycle takes. Small break first.

4:21pm Let's get it on.

5:05pm First cycle is done, going to take a short break. This was 1 hour from start of set up to end of first cycle.

5:10pm Let's play the next 6 turns, a half cycle. Things usually start to slow down here.

5:44pm Just wrapped it up in 21 turns, went for the hazard rolls to land on Venus Aerostat and passed both. It would have been a long, long game had I not passed them. I was in a vulnerable position for Solar Flares, and would have needed 2-3 more turns to acquire enough Aqua to move. Two hazard rolls at 1/6 is better better odds than one event roll at 2/3. Time for a short break before wrapping it up.

5:51pm I'm ready to put this up. Next is put everything back in the box.

5:57pm It's all put away. Next is writing it up. Take a short break.

6:04pm Start writing it all up. - update downloader - update bgg - update mastery - finish this blog post, build it and ship it

6:14pm is a wrap.

Turn 1

  • Current hand: Empty
  • Operation: Fund Raise: delegate and Active Law to Authority.
  • Starting Aqua: 8
  • Net Δ Aqua: 1
  • Ending Aqua: 9
  • Active Law: Authority
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew

Notes: UN Cosmonaut, boring +2 Aqua to start. I'm also playing with academia limit 5 or more. This speeds up the game a little bit without nerfing the mechanics too much.

Event: Pad Explosion, no effect

Turn 2

  • Current hand: Empty
  • Operation: Fund Raise: delegate to Equality, Active Law to Equality
  • Starting Aqua: 9
  • Net Δ Aqua: 1
  • Ending Aqua: 10
  • Active Law: Equality
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew

Turn 3

  • Current hand: Empty
  • Operation: Research: Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, Bubble Membrane
  • Starting Aqua: 10
  • Net Δ Aqua: -3
  • Ending Aqua: 7
  • Active Law: Equality
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew

Notes: These look pretty good! This is potentially a Venus colony.

Event: Inspiration

Turn 4

  • Current hand: Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, Bubble Membrane
  • Operation: Research: Pulsed Inductive, H2O2 Fuel Cell
  • Starting Aqua: 7
  • Net Δ Aqua: -2
  • Ending Aqua: 5
  • Active Law: Equality
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew

Notes: The inspiration roll did not turn up anything particularly interesting.

Turn 5

  • Current hand: Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, Bubble Membrane, Pulsed Inductive
  • Operation: Free Market: H2O2 Fuel Cell
  • Starting Aqua: 5
  • Net Δ Aqua: 3
  • Ending Aqua: 8
  • Active Law: Equality
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew

Event: Inspiration, canceled because I want the top patents.

Turn 6

  • Current hand: Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, Bubble Membrane, Pulsed Inductive
  • Operation: Research: Pondermotive VASIMIR, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator
  • Starting Aqua: 8
  • Net Δ Aqua: -2
  • Ending Aqua: 6
  • Active Law: Equality
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew

Notes: Now I just a refinery and some Aqua and I'm good to go.

Turn 7

  • Current hand: Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, Bubble Membrane, Pulsed Inductive, Ponderomotive VASIMIR, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator
  • Operation: Free Market: Pulsed Inductive
  • Starting Aqua: 6
  • Net Δ Aqua: 3
  • Ending Aqua: 9
  • Active Law: Equality
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew

Notes: Glad to be through Budget Cuts.

Event: Pad Explosion, no effect

Turn 8

  • Current hand: Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, Bubble Membrane, Ponderomotive VASIMIR, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator
  • Operation: Fund Raise: delegate to Individuality, Active Law to Individuality.
  • Free Actions:
    • Boost: Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator
  • Starting Aqua: 9
  • Net Δ Aqua: 1
  • Ending Aqua: 10
  • Active Law: Individuality
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew, Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator

Notes: 0 mass cards cost nothing to boost, don't care about pad explosions.

Turn 9

  • Current hand: Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, Ponderomotive VASIMIR
  • Operation: Research: Magma Electrolysis
  • Free Actions:
    • Boost: Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, Pondermotive VASIMIR, Magma Electrolysis
  • Starting Aqua: 10
  • Net Δ Aqua: -6
  • Ending Aqua: 4
  • Active Law: Individuality
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew, Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, PonderoMotive VASIMIR, Magma Electrolysis

Notes: Now it's all about the grind. If I get an Anarchy event, I'll be able to pass the 3 hazard rolls, or, in two turns, just land it with 1 hazard roll below LVO. But…I can't land it with so little thrust, will need two hazard rolls minimum.

Event: Glitch, no effect

Turn 10

  • Current hand: Empty
  • Operation: Fund Raise: delegate to Authority.
  • Starting Aqua: 4
  • Net Δ Aqua: 1
  • Ending Aqua: 5
  • Active Law: Individuality
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew, Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, PonderoMotive VASIMIR, Magma Electrolysis

Notes: Just seems smart for Pad Explosion protection.

Turn 11

  • Current hand: Empty
  • Operation: Research: Supercritical Water Fission
  • Starting Aqua: 5
  • Net Δ Aqua: -1
  • Ending Aqua: 4
  • Active Law: Individuality
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew, Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, PonderoMotive VASIMIR, Magma Electrolysis

Notes: I have outsmarted myself: the Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap is a -3 thrust, which renders this rocket 0 thrust. I need to make a different plan. All is not (yet) lost…

Event: Inspiration, which I'm going to cancel as I need the eXotic reactor at the top of the deck.

Turn 12

  • Current hand: Supercritical Water FIssion
  • Operation: Research: Penning Trap.
  • Starting Aqua: 4
  • Net Δ Aqua: -1
  • Ending Aqua: 3
  • Active Law: Individuality
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew, Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, PonderoMotive VASIMIR, Magma Electrolysis

Notes: I'll take both reactors. One for the thruster, the other for Prospecting.

Turn 13

  • Current hand: Supercritical Water FIssion, Penning Trap
  • Operation: Free Market: Supercritical Water Fission
  • Free Actions:
    • Boost: Penning Trap
  • Starting Aqua: 3
  • Net Δ Aqua: 1
  • Ending Aqua: 4
  • Active Law: Individuality
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew, Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, PonderoMotive VASIMIR, Magma Electrolysis, Penning Trap

Notes: Start the grind for real now. I can do this in 3 turns of movement, because I'm going to have to swap to Crew for Rad Belt.

Event: Inspiration

Turn 14

  • Current hand: Empty
  • Operation: Fund Raise: delegate to Centrist, Active Law to Centrist
  • Starting Aqua: 4
  • Net Δ Aqua: 1
  • Ending Aqua: 5
  • Active Law: Centrist
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew, Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, PonderoMotive VASIMIR, Magma Electrolysis, Penning Trap

Notes: Insurance. I could move right now if I were willing to take the risk of the Aerobrake and landing hazards. Probably could have gone last turn really.

Turn 15

  • Current hand: Empty
  • Operation: Research: Re Solar Moth
  • Starting Aqua: 5
  • Net Δ Aqua: -1
  • Ending Aqua: 4
  • Active Law: Centrist
  • Score: 0
  • LEO: Crew, Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, PonderoMotive VASIMIR, Magma Electrolysis, Penning Trap

Event: Inspiration

Turn 16

  • Current hand: Re Solar Moth
  • Operation: Free Market: Re Solar Moth
  • Free Actions:
    • Cargo Transfer: build rocket
    • Internal Tankage: 3 FT
  • Movement: Move to Cycler.
  • Starting Aqua: 4
  • Net Δ Aqua: 0
  • Ending Aqua: 4
  • Active Law: Centrist
  • Score: 0
  • Rocket: Crew, Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, PonderoMotive VASIMIR, Magma Electrolysis, Penning Trap

Notes: 4 more turns of grind to get the FINAO paid for.

Turn 17

  • Current hand: Empty
  • Operation: Research; Mass Driver
  • Free Actions:
    • Cargo Transfer: Crew thruster
  • Movement: Move to Rad Belt.
  • Starting Aqua: 4
  • Net Δ Aqua: -1
  • Ending Aqua: 3
  • Active Law: Centrist
  • Score: 0
  • Rocket: Crew, Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, PonderoMotive VASIMIR, Magma Electrolysis, Penning Trap

Notes: Bummer. That really hurts.

Event: Budget Cuts, discard Mass Driver.

Turn 18

  • Current hand: Empty
  • Operation: Research: MET Steamer
  • Free Actions:
    • Cargo Transfer: Ponderomotive thruster
  • Movement: Move to LVO
  • Starting Aqua: 3
  • Net Δ Aqua: -1
  • Ending Aqua: 2
  • Active Law: Centrist
  • Score: 0
  • Rocket: Crew, Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, PonderoMotive VASIMIR, Magma Electrolysis, Penning Trap

Notes: I need 8 Aqua to pay FINAO. That's another many turns. In the meantime, I'm running up against Season Red. Dang

Turn 19

  • Current hand: Empty
  • Operation: Free Market: MET Steamer
  • Movement: Move to LVO lander burn hazard roll 6, Aerobrake hazard roll 3, landed on Venus Aerostat.
  • Starting Aqua: 2
  • Net Δ Aqua: 3
  • Ending Aqua: 5
  • Active Law: Centrist
  • Score: 0
  • Rocket: Crew, Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, PonderoMotive VASIMIR, Magma Electrolysis, Penning Trap

Notes: I could have paid for one one of those.

Event: Glitch, no effect.

Turn 20

  • Current hand: Empty
  • Operation: Prospect: claim Venus Aerostat.
  • Starting Aqua: 5
  • Net Δ Aqua: 0
  • Ending Aqua: 5
  • Active Law: Centrist
  • Score: 1
  • Rocket: Crew, Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, PonderoMotive VASIMIR, Magma Electrolysis, Penning Trap

Turn 21

  • Current hand: Cat Fusion Z-pinch, Bubble Membrane, Catalyzed Fission Scintillator, Mini-Mag RF Paul Trap, PonderoMotive VASIMIR, Magma Electrolysis, Penning Trap
  • Operation: Industrialize: Venus Aerostat. Decommission to build factory.
  • Free Actions:
    • Colonize: decommission Crew, delegate to Authority.
  • Starting Aqua: 5
  • Net Δ Aqua: 0
  • Ending Aqua: 5
  • Active Law: Centrist
  • Score: 11
  • LEO: Crew

Notes: This would be 12 points if I had a Glory chit on the map.

Event: Solar Flares, no effect

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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.