Archive for December 2017
Bruce, Phil, Mike, Alex and Darryl played some Christmas Games beginning with Bluff and Izzy joined in for Codenames and Escape. Escape was the usual calamity. Mike won Bluff as usual and a game of That’s Life. He was also won Codenames with Izzy and Phil’s team 5-1. Then Phil joined Darryl and Bruce switching with Alex for a quick game but failed to win miserably due to crown misdirection and difficulty spelling Clark’s.
Codenames was definitely the game of the evening and lots of fun for everyone.
Sadly no Mike or Alex this week. However Bruce, Darryl and Phil managed to get together to introduce Bruce to the wonders of Gloomhaven. He soon had it sorted out taking on the Scoundrel and joining Phil Spellweaver and Darryl Mindthief on a side quest. Slightly out of sync with the campaign as it turned out they hired the scoundrel to help them loot some chests containing bite root from the vibrant grotto in order to supply an enchanter back in Gloomhaven in return for some valuable scrying . Any way it was lots of fun and with the Spellweaver on the verge of exhaustion with Mindthief close behind they managed to loot the final chest having dealt reasonably well with the monsters. The Spellweaver having chosen some heals had less attack power but was able to keep the scoundrel in the front line. Was interesting to see how well it scales for three. Another great game which we thoroughly enjoyed.
Another game of the second game of pandemic legacy. Dispatcher, quarantine specialist, medic and scientist. We played two games. Quick too. I think February and March. First game was okay but a bit of a shock when you know who appeared. Then in the second game they took over a lot of black and spilled over into blue which we had chosen to make easier to treat so somewhat frustrating there. A tense game and with a big explosion in red it looked to be all over but eradicating yellow on medics turn and with all three cured it was all over with a victory. Interestingly no love from this team for the ops guy and the military buildings yet. Worse to come though!
The inglorious Few set out to investigate Gloomhaven warehouse. Tharg the Cragheart, Two’iee the Orchid, Lartang the Tinkerer, and Ratfiend the vermling set out. They hope to reverse Jekserah’s plans.
The first room proved nastier than expected with double hitting skeletons. Spellweaver summoned her summon and dealt a little damage whilst vermling and cragheart leapt into fray. Tinkerer pulled one over the trap thus disarming it. Soon both were in need of healing which Tinkerer supplied whilst the Spellweaver finished off the weakened foes.
Next was the Living Corpse room. These could hardly move in the cramped rows between the shelves. The Spellweaver grabbed the chest whilst the Tinkerer and Vermling dealt with the first 3. Then the spellweaver went invisible in the centre whilst the cragheart leapt over the shelves behind the trap. The already weakened remaining corpses (Tinkerer again) where soon dispatched with last shambling towards the cragheart (due to Spellweaver being invisible) and being finished off by the trap. Clever move by cragheart.
At this point the spellweaver decided to not bother with her summon in the next game. It cannot fight on the turn it is summoned and then it either never moves or is too far away to be of use.
On into the final room after a rest. The cragheart followed the brave vermling, the heroes being dismayed by the area effect attacks of two Huge Inox Guards. The ability to stun and pushback or disarm the slow moving guards helped a lot (actually they are immune to 4 things but I forgot). The spellweaver was able to take short rests and keep up a withering amount of firepower. Soon the Boss monsters were down just as the players were getting low on cards. Victory for the players.
Vermling and Spellweaver were able to level up. 3 players now level 2.
Onto the city event were Tinkerer and Spellweaver were conned by a filthy vermling losing all their just accumulated gold.
Lots of options are now open. Two places to seek out the Aesther. One to chase down Jekserah. One to visit a diamond mine for Jekserah. One to visit a level 5 sulphur mine! Or seek out more information about the Gloom in the Crypt of the Damned. Obviously the crypt is next.
Onto the road event were they were all wounded in a fight with a bear. Great.
Next we played Samhain. This was a bit long and bewildering for a first game. Darryl won, Phil second, Alex third and Mike last.
A second game of pandemic legacy. This time scientist, researcher, dispatcher and medic played through January. Coda was black. Managed a victory through some clever use of the dispatcher. Next February and fewer funded events will make it harder. Upgraded the medic with local connections for treating adjacent.
Three games in one evening. Bruce sat out the first, then Alex and then Mike. Phil and Darryl also played.
We concentrated on the hunt for the Patient Zero.
First game was lost quickly due to lots of bad runs of events with unfortunate epidemic cards and general awful luck. Players were one action away from capturing Patient Zero on Mike’s turn which was next when the game ended abruptly with horrible chain outbreaks.
Second game: “This time we are going to get him” said Mike’s soldier armed with binoculars. This time we did, but it was tough. With one action point left required for victory on Phil’s turn and Darryl’s Dispatcher’s turn to draw infection cards it was so close yet so far as Khartoum suffered the final outbreak and it was all over. Sadly Darryl could not risk a scar. But at least we had patient zero and the new Immunologist character going in to the final game. With two fails in a row it was off to November and lots of new stuff.
November went smoothly enough thanks to the combination of Immunologist, Scientist, Quarantine and Operations Specialists and with 2 vaccine stations and three vaccinated cities already on the map hopefully we are ready to go for December. Phil’s turn to sit out next again and hopefully a good result for December lies ahead.
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