Session Report – 31 March 2010

We seem to have moved to a position where we can run multiple tables again this year and that is a good thing. I am a firm believer in the principle that nobody should be forced to play a game that they really don't want to, but this does have the corresponding downside that there are games that some want to play that don't get played. Examples are a couple of the games played this week.

We had 11 people and split 5,3,3. On one table we had Canal Mania (last played in 2008), which is one of my top 10 games; although I am aware that others are not so keen. In this game the play was very close up until the end game, when I was able to move ahead by taking more of the remaining goods to be moved. The game was played using the second edition.

Canal Mania 100 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Dave D	96
2	Andy	87
3	Colin	70

After that we played Days of Steam for more good delivery, this time on rails. This one is OK as a filler, but not a great game by any means.

Days of Steam 30 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Dave D	13
2	Andy	10
3	Colin	5

On another table with 5 players was El Grande (last played in 2005). At one point during the game and at one point during the game Steve was heard to make a remark (I'm not sure if it was referring to the whole game or just the point they were at ) calling the game "Parachute Mania" obviously as a side reference to our game on the other table. In any case this perfectly describes everything that I believe is wrong with the game, taking it from a goodish (if unspectacular) area majority game to one that I have no desire to play again, with the Castillio introducing an element of bluff/double bluff which is completely out of character (in my mind) with the rest of the game.

El Grande 150 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Steve H	93
2	Mike	90
3	Andrew S	87
4	Dave F	84
5	Donald	77

After that this group played Sticheln, I think I've linked it to the right game in BGG, but I notice the given playing time there is 60 minutes as opposed to the 10 here.

El Grande 150 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Steve H	93
2	Mike	90
3	Andrew S	87
4	Dave F	84
5	Donald	77

On the third table this was brought along by Ed, who apparently came along once before I think in 2008, but I can't seem to find any record under that name. Brass is a favourite of Dave C and he and Ben were happy to play this one, which seemed to end very quickly compared to my normal expectation of it.

Brass 100 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Ed	193
2	Dave C	156
3	Ben C	100

March 2010 – 5 meetings, 22 games played, average attendance 9.4