2015 FINAL STANDINGS
NAME PTS %WS
#1 Chad Walker 32 93%
#2 Keith Dent 30 97%
#3 Preston Tucker 24 92%
#4 Justin Ennis 24 91%
#5 Neil Mecham 24 91%
#6 Adam Blum 24 86%
#7 Chris McCurry 24 84%
#8 Sorrel Hatch 22 81%
#9 Austin Rathbone 20 90%
#10 Neil The Grey 18 89%
#11 Jason Pisani 18 83%
#12 Elle Wong 18 78%
#13 Heather Dent 16 86%
#14 Brandon Zinsious 16 85%
#15 Brooke Mecham 16 77%
#16 Eduardo Ballestero 14 78%
#17 Bryce Carlberg 14 76%
#18 Patrick Henderson 14 76%
#19 Greg Smith 14 74%
#20 Tobiah Bingham 12 83%
#21 Joe Mecham 12 79%
#22 Matthew Dirkes 10 77%
#23 WILD CARD (JM/MM/JM/SH/SH/SH) 8 75%
24 Jason Fontonot 8 73%
2015 TOURNAMENT SUMMARY
Rookie Class of 2015:
We have had some great rookie classes in this tournament. In 2013 Keith and Tobiah finished 1st and 2nd as rookies, and that class also included perennial powerhouse players like Isaac Bingham, and Jason Pisani who have finished inside the top 5 in one year or another. That class also included Jason F, and Austin R who both get better each year and threaten to break into the top 5. We had whopping 9 rookies in 2014 including the overall 3rd place finisher Sorrel Hatch. Of those 9 many played again in 2015, and all get better each year. However great the classes of old, I will make the case that the rookie class of the 2015 Tournament is the best yet. Each year that passes it becomes more and more difficult to finish highly in the tournament due to so many returning players playing and improving. People are figuring out games and figuring out the tournament. So for this year’s rookie class to make such an impact on the tournament I have to say they are the best yet and will hopefully be a force in this tournament for years to come. Preston Tucker won top of the class honors finishing 3rd overall, and winning in 7 wonders, Trajan, and taking three 2nds. Justin Ennis proved that he would be a threat in the tournament as well by winning El Grande, and never finishing last in any game. The other Louisville rookies made their mark as well, learning mostly new games and playing them the first time and being competitive. It was clear to see these guys were top gamers. I can’t wait to see what will happen once they start getting familiar with some of the games. The Ohio State rookies Patrick and Adam were also formidable. I could tell early on that they were going to be a threat. The games they knew, they knew well. It was clear the 4 OSU players have a greater understanding of Terra Mystica than the rest of the LIW field, and each of them had other games too that they were masters of. Adam was very experienced in Power Grid and Patrick knew Dominion really well despite finishing 3rd. Even in learning new games they picked them up fast and managed to snag some wins. Adam, Preston, and Justin all finished in the 5way tie up between 3rd and 7th, with Preston edging the rest of them out on tiebreakers.
The King uncrowned:
Going into the 2015 tournament Keith Dent was the closest thing to a dynasty as you can be. He was easily the favorite and everyone seemed to be talking about what games he would try to play, and planning out the tournament based on that. Some of the new players were like “Who is this Keith Dent guy” while those who knew him either tried to avoid him or foolishly tried to match up with him and take him down. Keith once again proved he is an excellent gamer by winning 5 of the 6 rounds he played in. However there was one fatal blow that kept him from a third title. Chris McCurry said the day of the tournament that he had a nightmare that he would have to face Keith every round. Things started that way as he was beaten by Keith in Puerto Rico to start the tournament. Then in round 2 I don’t think he would mind me sharing that he bid 10pts on Ora & Labora. Chris had only played the game twice but knew it to be the type of game he could grasp and do well in. He also knew that Keith knew the game too. He didn’t really want to play Keith, as he figured that 10pts may be enough to pull the game in and he could probably beat 3 new players, but he also knew if he were going to beat Keith it would probably have to be in Agricola or a game Keith was less familiar with. As it happened He faced Keith again. As soon as the players started I heard Keith say, “I immediately regret bidding on this game”. He knew it would be a long and gruesome game that would go on even later into the night. The other two players were Matt Dirkes and Bryce Carlberg who were both playing it for the first time. Bryce figured out something pretty broken early in the game and carried that to Victory as Chris barely beat out Matt for 2nd, and when the dust settled Keith was in 4th. This was immediately the talk of the tournament. Everyone was used to seeing his name at the top of the leaderboard but now it was somewhere down in the mass of players at 6pts, and there were new leaders. Familiar foe Sorrel Hatch sat at the top after day one of the tournament. It seemed after Keith’s fall Sorrel was in position to take the tournament that she was so close to winning last year. I wasn’t rooting for Keith to lose but once he did I knew it was going to be fun to see him chase down the leaders as the tournament went on. No one thinks its fun to watch UK’s basketball team smash opponents by 40 (especially me a Tar heel fan) and just like that having a closer tournament adds to the drama. Keith did what he had to from this point on and won every game and knocked off other top contenders. He bested Sorrel twice passing her in the standings, and placed bids so he could play directly against the players in front of him. However there was on man who refused to loose. Chad Walker kept on winning. Keith tried to go up against him the last two rounds but missed out in round 5 due to being low on bid points, and 3 other players bidding more on Tzolkain. In round 6 he caught Chad in a game of Race for the Galaxy but it was already too late. He was 4 points behind Chad and would have to win and hope Chad would be 3rd or worse. It didn’t happen. Once again the players were Bryce and Matt and once again they were new to the game. The two veterans dispatched the beginners with Keith on top, but it left him just 2 points shy of a third straight title.
Baker, Baker, Treasure Map Maker:
Greg Smith is good at Dominion. He’s seen all the cards, played with them all numerous times and understands the combos and the big money plans. Dominion is a tough game, and lots of people know it well. Also there is a lots of variance in the cards and the draws and whatnot. Anyway despite being a top player, who over the course of 4 years worth of games has moved near the top of the ratings, he has never won a Dominion title at the Lion in Winter Tournament. Until now. The Dominion 2 game match in round 4 was the closest game in the entire tournament. All 4 players were competent. It was clear form watching Patrick and listening to his commentary on the game that he was a very experienced player and good at the game. He even said it was his top game in the tournament. Also in the game was Eduardo the Dragon, a Dominion titleholder from last year’s tournament. Then there was Elle who had won a round of Dominion in the tournament for the last 2 years, and always a wildcard threat to win any game. Then there was Greg. Elle opened up a big lead in the opening game and showed that being a LIW 2 time Dominion champ was no joke. Elle won that game and it seemed Greg’s title wasn’t to be as he finished 4th. Former champion Eduardo finished 2nd. Then game 2 started and Greg saw the potential for the treasure map, treasure map strategy using the free coin from the baker. He took that opportunity and hit it early, and rode that to a solid victory. When the totals were in from both games all 4 players were tied as Elle took 4th in the second game. As the tiebreakers came in it was Greg on top. After trying to for 4 years he finally broke through and won the title. Congratulations Greg. It was the closest match in the history of the tournament.
27 points and a hope:
This year more than any other it became apparent to me that the tournament itself was a game. I originally came up with the bidding system as a way to ensure everyone could get to play a game they knew. In the 4 years since then it’s turned into a pretty cool game itself. This year there was lots of players trying to use strategy in the way they were bidding. Players were trying to avoid other players or even catch other players in some cases. With the game carryover process people were trying to bid on games just enough to not get in but ensure that it carried over to the next round so they could play against less experienced players. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t but it was clear that players were now thinking a lot more about the bid process and the game within the game. The tournament has come a long way since 2012 and I’m glad that the tournament itself is now part of the game. I thought it was interesting this year how all the new comers into the tournament influenced it. I would say the bulk of gamers who play in the tournament have played lots of games with me and have a good feel for what the popular and unpopular games are. In 2015 there were several new players that have their own game group; The Ohio State crew of 4 and the Louisville players. This resulted in an interesting phenomenon. Early in the tournament some of the outside players missed out on getting a game in that they wanted to play. This resulted in them having more points to spend on bids later in the tournament. That resulted in Leharve getting played in round 5 and some of the outside players edging out veterans for getting into the games they wanted late in the tournament. I like the diversity of games and enjoyed seeing the way the bidding system allowed players to manipulate the tournament. This system seems to work pretty well so I think I’ll stick with it and continue to use it going forward.
The Agricola Trap:
Of all the games in the entire tournament Agricola is the game that I think the LIW players compare with some of the top players in the world. Not only have a couple LIW players competed at the world board game championships, but also there are a few online players who do well against all comers online. Every year it seems that someone who doesn’t understand this gets trapped in a game with what I call the “Gods of Agricola”. In 2012 Matt Musgrave smashed all competition and won the Agricola title. Other players had no idea how good he was when they bid on it. In 2013 Isaac Bingham crushed the other players and won the title. In 2014 Sorrel and Isaac combined to dominate. That year it was Eduardo who was trapped in the game. He owned the game and considered himself to be good at it, but it wasn’t until he went up against these two that he knew he was outclassed. Sorrel took the title with Isaac being the only player close to her. In 2015 the stage was set for an epic battle. Sorrel was back and made no secret that she was planning on playing Agricola. Most players who knew her, knew to avoid this game. Eduardo didn’t make the same mistake this year and didn’t bid on Agricola at all. There were a Few players who were unafraid. Keith as a 2 time LIW champion was not afraid. He had played against some of the world’s top players and he knew he could hang with Sorrel. Jane Mecham’s favorite game is Agricola and she is pretty good at it. She has beaten Keith before and also made no secret that she was planning on playing Agricola. Chris McCurry has also improved a lot in the last year and has played in the World Board game championships in Agricola. Patrick Henderson among normal standards would be a solid Agricola player, but this year he was the one that got in the trap. He didn’t know going in what he was getting into. By the end of the game he knew that the Sorrel and Jane and Keith all had a much better understanding of the game than him. Due to Patrick’s bid though, Chris missed out on the big game and ended up in the game that the LIW players called the “Amateur Agricola Game”. To give people a perspective on how good the LIW players are, Jane scored 40 points and among regular people who play board games sometimes that is a fine winning score. However she was 3rd in the game as Keith and Sorrell duked it out and finished with Keith barely pulling out the victory 57 to 56. Chris had 50 in his round to take an Agricola title as well. Long live the Gods of Agricola. One a side note the match between Keith Sorrel, Jane, and Patrick was probably the most intense game of the tournament.
Razor thin Margins:
Throughout this tournament there have been some close finishes. In 2015 there were more close finishes in games and in the tournament itself than ever before. I think this points to the overall competitiveness of the tournament. I thought some close games were worth mentioning. The Final scores from the Amun Re game were 38/36/35/32 with Jason Fontenot coming-out on top. Austin Rathbone, Adam Blum and Heather Dent were in a 3 way tie at the end of 7 Wonders and Austin won the tie breaker. In the first round the final score range for Stone Age was 129-165 which is a pretty close game. Neil Mecham recaptured his Alhambra title that he lost to Keith last year by beating Greg 116 to 113 in a razor thin Margin. As Mentioned above, Keith defeated Sorrel 57 to 56 in Agricola. The 4way dominion tie was the slimmest margin in the tournament history. Keith edged out Preston by a single point in Thurn and Taxis. In Village the top 3 scores were 48/46/46 with Chad narrowly escaping on top. Heather Dent beat her brother Neil 243 to 241 in a super close game of Castles of Burgundy. Chris defeated Justin 102 to 101 in The year of the Dragon, and Jason Pisani edged out Tobiah 126 to 120 in Hawaii. The 2015 Lion in Winter tournament was truly a razor thin Margin between Victory and an almost had it.
Chad Walker: Lion in Winter Champion:
Chad won the tournament. He made the comment a few times that it somehow felt wrong to win without actually beating Keith in a game. Keith bested him both times they faced off, but Chad still came out on top. He also said that Keith was a better gamer than him and while it may or may not be true; the best player doesn’t always win. That’s why we have upsets. That’s what makes any competition great. The Lion in Winter Tournament rewards consistency over all 6 rounds. All the other top players except Chad had some low rounds, but chad finished 2/1/1/1/1/2, and that was enough to overcome. Keith had the tragic 4th place slip in Ora & Labora. Neil Mecham was wrecked in Ra and finished 4th. Preston started on the wrong foot too coming in 4th in Amun Re. Justin and Chris were other top players that were a bit more consistent avoiding a 4th place finish but both did fall to 3rd once and Chad just kept on winning. Say what you will about who is better, Chad is the 2015 Champion, and it’s well deserved.
A young Gun:
Michael Mecham broke the record previously held by his two older siblings by becoming the youngest player to ever play in the Lion in Winter tournament. He fared well against the older competition in Caverna and pulled out a close 3rd. Michael may be a bit young now but it was made clear he can compete and may once day be a threat in this tournament.
The Phoenix:
In the 2014 tournament Eduardo won the last 3 rounds after coming in 4th in the first 3. This got him his nickname the Dragon. In 2015 Austin Rathbone would emerge with a similar storyline. Austin’s top game is probably El Grande. He had high hopes of starting off on the right foot by winning that game in the opening round. It wasn’t to be as the other players teamed up and came after him once he had a strong early lead established. He finished 4th and seemed distraught about it. That was compounded by a 4th place finish in Stone Age. At this point after the first night as they were cleaning up the game, he proclaimed “I’m bowing out of this tournament already”. When Saturday morning rolled around he rose up out of the ashes like a phoenix and had 3 straight first place finishes. He name kept rising up the leaderboard. Though it was too late to catch Keith and Chad he went into the last round in position to get third. He was stuck in Russian Railroads which he wasn’t very familiar with, but managed to put it together for a 3rd place finish which left him with 20 tournament points. He had twenty last year too but this time he cracked into the top 10 and finished 9th while last year he was 12th. 2015 overall was a much more competitive tournament so the move up to 9th was a significant improvement. He made it clear that he will be a threat in this tournament for years to come. Early on in A-train’s gaming career he would have perhaps been more rattled by starting out with two 4ths, but overtime I’ve seen him develop as a gamer and know how to lose, and not take it too hard. Even the complex games he goes into with a open mind and has mastered how to handle complex thinking even while playing a game the first time. He even expects to loose but sees the benefit in learning and not just winning a game. He’s gradually gotten better each of the 3 years he’s played in the tournament and it remains to be seen where his ceiling may be. As I was writing this, I remember mentioning something about a phoenix in last years report. I looked back and sure enough, I mentioned 4 players that improved significantly from earlier tournament appearances. Candace didn’t play this year, and Jason Fontenot fell off a bit, but Chris and Austin kept rising. I look for these two to compete for a top 5 spot next year. It deserves to be mentioned here too that the rookie Brandon Zinsious also came on strong late in the tournament finishing 2nd, 1st, and 1st after starting off with three 4ths. If he can continue at this pace he will join other top rookies from the 2015 class in making a run at the 2016 title.
The Epic:
All in all it was a great tournament. I’m glad this has become a tradition in many of the player’s lives just like it has in mine. This is one of my favorite times of the year and it makes me happy to have a house full of great gamers playing great games at a high level. The community is what makes it all worthwhile. I like that it has now turned into a way to meet new friends. I like that players go out into the world and tell others about the tournament and recruit players. Neil Mecham seems to have started a good game group in Columbus and Chris has one in Lexington too. I like having a grand event once a year where folks from all over come together to compete. Even with the bad beats and near misses included, and no matter where you finished, I hope everyone gets as much enjoyment out of this as I do. It’s long and intense, but that’s what makes it epic. These days in life I find there aren’t too many opportunities to be epic or participate in something epic. I like to think epic is what you make it. We all do great things from time to time in our lives but the word epic isn’t usually used to describe regular life occurrences. We meet cool people, do well in school or in our jobs, have success, and have fun times but epic is a word sometimes reserved for movies or dragons or grand adventures that only happen a few times in our lives and even then we may not use the word.
These are really just board games, and we are really just people choosing to spend our time this way but I like to think that putting it all together in one weekend with players from all over, in a long intense tournament with something on the line from bragging rights and titles to crowns and plaques and legends of years past makes this truly epic. It’s not just math. These games all have some sort of theme and though sometimes it seems pasted on, I’m ok with that. Throughout this tournament players took on roles of Egyptian pharaohs, traders, settlers, farmers, princes, races of nomads, cavemen, Caesar’s of ancient Rome, builders of the worlds wonders, Galaxy explorers, Ancient Mayan priest and so much more. Players became the legends they personified and they created a story that has to truly be described as epic. I always say this sort of event and these sort of games aren’t for everyone, but for those who know and understand the epicenes of Lions and Roosters and fantasy all mixed up with good competition, good people, good times, and using our brains, here is to you. Here is to many more years of this great event. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen. Thanks to Heather for the t-shirt design, to Isaac for the champion mugs, to Greg and Elle for the food and for every player who was willing to spend a weekend invested in this sort of epic affair. Long live the Lion in Winter.
A Players Perspective: 2015 LIW tournament report by player Chris McCurry:
It’s difficult isn’t it? The return to the everyday? To feel the Lion in Winter and all its innumerable calculations and machinations recede for another 12 months while classes and work and the grind of daily living settle back into place. The only way I know to honor the weekend is to write about it, to chronicle my own journey, the players, the games, and what I learned from both.
Round 1: Puerto Rico w/ Keith, Chad, Brandon (How to Lose to the Former Lion in Winter Champ)
Here’s a truth writ in stone to remember for all time: if your goal is to win the Lion in Winter tournament, playing two-time defending champ Keith Dent in the first round is bound to significantly decrease your chances. Another truth: playing a game you’ve only played in real life two times against two time defending champion Keith Dent is bound to mean you have no chance of winning that game. But, see, I’ve got this motto: You can only play your best, if you are playing with the best. So I sat down at the table with Keith who I know all too well and Chad and Brandon who I didn’t know at all.
As the game got started, I quickly realized that Chad had a lot of experience with the game and that Brandon, though he had little to none other than a few pieces of advice from friends, learned quickly.
Basic Puerto Rico strategies began developing. Chad had corn shipping. Keith went quarries into small and large markets. Brandon had indigo for shipping and trade. I went for early coffee plantation, the best time to get coffee, hoping to bank on cash to build buildings and lock up an exclusive ship since no one else could produce coffee. Whether it was because he was impressed with my board position or because he was unimpressed, Brandon shared that one of the pieces of advice he heard was never go coffee. I felt pretty confident in game though, as I was keeping up with Chad in shipping, although a little behind, and keeping up with Keith in building and money.
I felt my position was particularly strong because Keith, slow to production had missed out shipping. The game began to swing drastically though.
Chad, sitting to the left of Keith, took Craftsman to produce his 3 corn and indigo right as Keith got tobacco online which was one of two goods that weren’t begin produced (sugar being the other) and therefore could occupy the last space on the trading track. Keith traded his tobacco for 9 coin on the following turn while the rest of us looked on. In the next round Keith built harbor and I built Factory which gives money every time someone takes the Craftsman, a plan that relies on the game to be extended into the late game and not end in the mid-game.
Still, the game was tight between all the players. But another well timed trade and the quarries Keith had been gathering meant he was building with every build and slowly taking the pace of the game, as he closed the gap between the early front runner Chad and Brandon and I who were working late game strategy of diverse shipping paths with two point-scoring building purchases with all the money he had made off the tobacco trades.
On the second to last turn of the game my inexperience showed itself. Anticipating that Chad would choose craftsman, I choose to ship my goods locking up a ship, exclusively for coffee in the next two rounds of the game, which would probably be the last rounds, as Keith had only two blank spaces in his city at that point, which means to end the game he would need to build twice, before ending the game or trade for goods once and then build, giving me time to earn enough to also build a point-scoring building and ship some extra coffee goods for points.
Much to my surprise Chad choose to build which meant that game would end one turn sooner. With his quarries he got up a point-scoring building and crossed his fingers it would be enough to beat Keith. It was in this moment that I saw my tournament hopes begin to crumble. I should have chosen craftsman on my turn, to activate my factory for gold to buy a bigger building for more points. I kicked myself for the mistake all through the last turns of the game, as Keith took first and Chad second and I pulled in a disheartening 3rd leading Brandon by just a few points.
I also had my first tournament taste of an emotion that all gamers invested in the game get. The indignation that comes when you, rightly or wrongly, perceive you lost because of another player’s decisions. I used to feel this a lot when I played Magic the Gathering, and it’s ultimately why I stopped. It boils down to this: it’s an altogether useless emotion that is only damaging to yourself and the relationships of the players you are playing and completely against the spirit of Lion in Winter.
Stepping outside after the first round to cool off, I encountered other players who had began the tournament on the back foot, like Austin and Eduardo two of our El Grande masters who suffered round one defeat to people who hadn’t bid on the game. We shared our bad beat stories then and there and got it out of the system, and even welcomed other players as they stepped out to The Bad Beat Porch, determined not to go into the next round defeated.
Round 2: Ora et Labora w/ Keith, Bryce, Matt (How to Beat the Former Lion in Winter Champ)
I do not recommend anyone try this. But here’s what you do:
Somehow you have to get some inkling that Keith might bid points on a game that you have recently played that he hasn’t. Maybe overhear him talking around the standings sheet or ask him directly in a game of Puerto Rico or after. Take ten of your points that you could use to play another games and dump them on that game. For example, Ora et Labora.
It helps if the game starts around 11:30pm, and he gets stuck with the last action. If two players could also be learning the game for the first time, as Bryce and Matt were, the game is likely to go even slower, (which will obviously impact all players abilities to play optimally so this might be a neutral thing).
From here, play the strategy that you know how to play without deviating or planning around anyone. Watch Bryce score points using a wonky but effective clay into pottery victory point move with every action. Watch Matt consistently make solid decisions despite his inexperience.
Watch Keith flounder.
At all costs, do not allow Keith coffee. This is key. Both energy and focus are drastically enhanced.
Be in disbelief as Bryce’s strategy runs away with the game and you are stuck in second. Wait to see Keith’s score.
Be in total disbelief to see Keith in last place. And also a little triumphant. Who needs a first place finish? Placing higher than the former Lion in Winter champ is, in truth, even harder to do.
Round 3: Terra Mystica w/ Adam, Joe, Chad
The problem with bidding 10 points in round two is in the rest of the rounds you are crunched for points, so despite pointing 4 on Agricola in round 3, I was bumped into a game i threw some points on just because I had a tiny amount of experience in. It was a slaughterhouse for the most part. Chad got the nomads as a second pick in the bidding round for 2 pts off his score. He beat us all by 40+.
It’s hard to say how he did it, I remember watching him manipulate his magic and thinking that he had it perfectly collaborated for maximum use. He also took advantage of all his point scoring opportunities that the game provides.
Still, throughout the game, I kept pace with him, Adam, and Joe, and was able to earn solid points in most areas of the game. Going into the final round, I thought that I might actually be able to run him down. I had positioned myself to score bonus points off passing and with a miracle that meshed well with my guild, the swarmlings. For a brief second, during the last round I walked away from the table and came back to disaster. Joe had blocked the only out I had with settlement. My mouth went slack in disbelief, as I tried to reconcile what I thought was a potential first place finish with a potential last place finish. Once more my tournament life flashed before my eyes. Once more I grappled with the bad beat, as it threatened to push me on tilt.
We finished up the round and Adam who had been trailing me the entire game was able to capitalize on my weakened position. I walked away with third and Joe fourth.
Round 4: Agricola w/ Joe, Neil TG, Jason F.
After spending some time on the bad beat porch, I was thrilled to find that I made it into Agricola as the carry over game. I’d been training with Keith, Sorrel, and Jane online for months before the tournament (They took 1,2,3 in the previous round). My chances were looking pretty good, as Joe and Jason said they were hoping to have an amateur game in round 4. The draft of occupations and improvements proved that they weren’t true amateurs as most of the really solid cards were scooped up and I didn’t go into the game with a hand that was in any way guaranteed to dominate.
Joe went for a fencing and animal strategy that would have been strong, if he could have found away to diversify. Jason plowed fields and farmed but in the end didn’t diversify to animals. Neil TG had the most diverse strategy and his score of 40proved it. Still, I was able to best it, and it couldn’t have come sooner. After going 3,2,3 in the previous rounds, I was looking for some positive energy to propel me through the end of the tournament.
Post-game I spent some time talking with Neil, Joe, and Jason about some of the subtle decisions in the game that really make a difference in scoring, and I was inspired to write a little strategy article for players who know how to play but want to improve.
Round 5: Goa w/ Keith, Tobiah, and Brooke
I didn’t bid on Goa. I wanted to play Carcassonne. The good news was I got to keep the paltry points I had remaining. The bad news was I had to play yet another game that I had only played twice and against Keith who needs no further aggrandizement, Tobiah who can take down any game, and Brooke who comes from a family everyone of whom has meeples in their blood.
The fun part about this game is the bidding and the fact that it is very easy to count other players points and establish a plan for what you need to do to get points.
I overheard Derek say that the winner at World Board Game Championships went for shipping and harvest tracks, so I decide to emulate that over the popular push for expedition cards.
Most of the game I thought I was in a good position, despite the finer points of bidding and value of goods being lost on me. Several times I thought people overpaid for what they wanted only to hear a higher bid be announced by the next person. Several times I bid what I thought was a high amount only to hear Keith say “tsk, tsk, tsk” and take what I wanted. (Note: he didn’t really say tsk, tsk, tsk. At least not out loud.)
In the end, Keith took a commanding first, I came in second just 3 points ahead of Brooke, and Tobiah took last after being cashed starved most of the game.
Round 6: In the Year of the Dragon w/ Justin, Patrick and Joe
I really wanted to get in this game in the last round. I didn’t know many of the other games, I thought fewer people would know this game so my chances of winning were better. Now that I think of it, this game I had only played twice in real life too. Once with a group of my wife’s friends who all beat me. So I’m not sure why I was so drawn to this game. Call it fate, because after a long and incredibly close game. I took first by 1 pt over Justin. Patrick and Joe were both playing for the first time and they finished within a point of each other as well.
I discovered you have to try and score the same number of pts as the other players each round, but that can be accomplished in different ways.
Takeaways:
No amount of training can actually prepare you for the mercurial and capricious Lion in Winter tournament. And even playing the same people over and over again doesn’t mean they will always win or you can predict what they are going to do in the final moments of the game. These games force us to encounter risk and luck and the weakness inherent in planning anything long term. Certainty even for the best is slippery ledge to reach for. I heard on the radio that play is important for humans because it helps us cope with all of these ungraspable things. Somehow Derek knows this and lives it and allows us to be part of it for one weekend. And so we go back to people and places oblivious to our trials. We look across the table at a friend or spouse, brother or sister and see in them a moment of glory or defeat, a bad beat or a lucky break. We remember Lion in Winter 2015.