Session Summary – 9 July 2008

5 of us this week, with Steve & Paul down from Telford, Steve H had emailed to say he would be late and would join in with what we had set up. With an expected 6 players we went for Pillars of the Earth (expanded), which I know Steve likes. Of the players involved, Ben was completely new to the game, while Dave had played once a long time ago, so there was some explaining to give Steve time to arrive, but as it turned out, he failed to appear due to an event overrunning at School, so we carried on with 5 players.
I can't remember a great many details, so here are just a few comments. On the first turn I picked up the Woodworker and the Toolmaker, so I was flush with money, having picked up the metal from the King's Court. Steve picked up the Beggar, which Steve H used to great effect in the first game we played with the expansion.
For the first 4 turns, everybody was close together, but Steve, Paul & I, were able to break free after that. Steve suffered in the last turn when I was able to grab the Inspiration in Saint Denis card before him and I thought I was set for the win, the only way I thought I could fail was if the event came up, which lowered the production of the resource cards, leaving me a short of a stone which was worth 2 points and also a wood, which would be worth 4 gold in the tie break. Paul had been able to take the Archbishop's Office space so he could ignore the event and I could not. Of course the event I feared came up and Paul & I were left level on54, both having zero gold having used our goldsmiths.
Thinking about it later I realised I could have won, since I had the Empress Maud card from an earlier turn which would have allowed me free trading to and from the supply. I could have bought 1 wood for 3, which the woodworker could have converted into 4 gold, so I would have had 1 gold left over and won the tie break. Oh well never mind.

Pillars of the Earth, The 130 mins
Player	Posn.	Points
Paul	1=	54
Dave D	1=	54
Steve Pe	3	51
Dave C	4	40
Ben	5	39