Salt My Donuts

This is a recap of today's trip to Novare Res for beer and board games...

We didn't have many people there but those who did show up were awesome.

It was only Valerie and myself and we didn't break out any games. Whatever. It was great.

We talked a lot about beer and a little about games.

My highlights:

1. Tried some sour beer. It was incredible although one of them didn't smell so great. Thankfully it tasted amazing and it's fairly easy to avoid breathing in while drinking.

2. Tried something from Maine Meadworks that had Lavender in it. Wait, this wasn't a highlight. It was awful.

3. I received a gift of three donuts. Best one: (dark?) chocolate and sea salt. Now I have to salt all of my donuts, which I'm fairly certain makes them healthier.

4. We had a side room with comfy couches mostly to ourselves the entire time.

Cause I'm not from Away!

My Dice Tray

Some weeks ago after our first attempt at Zombicide I expressed my displeasure over our inability to keep dice on the table. It seemed like every time we went around one of us was dropping die on the floor. Normally I would attribute this clumsiness to our love of alcohol, I believe it was Jack and Gingers for me that day. However, it was far too often and too early in the session  to blame on old Mr. Daniels, so I began to look for a solution to the perceived problem and came across a video of a game reviewer using a Dice Tray. I was stunned at the simplicity of the idea and went directly to Amazon to see what I could purchase.

This is where my birthplace comes into play.

Amazon offered a small dice tray for $20.00 US before shipping costs and the reviews of the item were rather underwhelming. I thought "I'm not going to pay $20,00 for something I can knock off at home with materials at hand!" *sigh*, Damned Flatlanders!

So I embraced the thrifty, industrious, and pig headed nature of my people and built my own. Not including labor which was hours and hours, I'd say I pulled this little project in at a bit over $40.00, my dear old departed Da is probably smiling up at me with pride from hell as I write this. I may be numb but I'm sure enough not from away! And they didn't "get me" for $20.00 no sir! I got myself for twice that and then some! I showed them, I did!

Yes I am from Maine.

Anyway I hope we get to use this next game day along with Mike's Dice tower.

Good thing Mike has his tower.

Poplar wood Mahogany stain and black felt bottom backed with a poly board to reduce bad bouncing.

Routed bead top and miter joints.

Screw you Flatlanders!

Cheers

AL

Al's Not Here, Now Is The Time To Play The Games He Doesn't Like!

Tuna, Valerie, Anthony, and I were gathered at Tuna's house where we decided it was our chance to play games that Al hates, since he couldn't make it. It was also our chance to drink and eat things that Al doesn't like, so there were margaritas and tacos. And cookies which I don't think were Mexican but what do I really know about the origins of cookies? They were awesome regardless.

We played Legend of Drizzt. It's one in the D&D series of a board games (the ones with the Encounter cards that very much mess with any strategy you make have formulated).

Tuna selected a scenario that mitigated the encounter card issue by introducing another issue: narrow passageways and few dungeon expansion options. We were now more like to get cornered and swarmed.

However, that just never happened. In fact, we won without taking much damage or ever running into trouble. Two trolls spawned but we had them pinned in a -4 AC hallway.

Was it just Al's presence that doomed us in this game in the past?

Since the first one was so quick and we had it all set up, we randomly selected another scenario. This one involved 4 fissures in the dungeon where monsters would spawn each turn based on the roll of the die. It took a total of 4 actions to seal one and you only get two actions. Meanwhile, those awesome encounter cards are drawn each round as well.

We were doing fairly well when we were faced with a decision. After you close the second fissure, the boss appears. So while we still had some monsters, we had to keep moving. Anthony summons the boss by closing the second fissure. We then draw new monsters to appear (right where we just spawned the boss) and Anthony draws the 'hunting party' card, which means that two monsters appear instead. He draws two monster cards. One is another hunting party. We now have A LOT of monsters on the board and most of use are already down between some to a lot of health.

And the boss, if you're not near her, will make you draw encounter cards. Hooray!

I can hear Al rage quitting the game from miles away.

We manage some good maneuvers, clearing a trap, taking out some enemies, and then Anthony charged the boss. And then lost all of his health. Thankfully, when the boss attacks at close range, she moves away afterwards, which was towards me and my dual swords of extra attack rolls.

Tuna ended up in the monster mix too and lost all of his health. Valerie and I took care of the boss. We used our two healing surges to revive the near-dead and quickly beat the remaining monsters down. Closing the last two fissures was fairly anti-climactic.

Valerie had to leave, so the three of us played a quick game of Forbidden Island. We made a bad move and went for the win when we should have played it safe a bit longer. The island sank and we all died. The end.

Set up for Legend of Drizzt

The first game, which was too easy

The second game, which was just hard enough

Name that Game!

I found myself pawing through a closet the other day and came across a boxed memory. The card board was a bit dingy and frayed, yet when I opened up this old game from way, way, back in time I found myself smiling. Many an hour I sat at tables bashing my childhood friends with this strategy game, a precursor to more advanced play later on. I learned the basics of artillery, position and terrain over the board and on many an evening I changed history completely.

Oh yeah bring it Billy!

I challenge you my board gaming friends to identify and name not only the game but so too its maker from the photos.

Birds eye view,

I am putting my money on Brian, to answer correctly as he has the most experience with this genre, but worry not my lighter fare players, for there are many clues within the pictures which will easily reveal the answers.

Zoom in folks.

Lastly there is a rather generous prize to be had by the winner of this small contest amongst friends, to be revealed upon properly identifying this tedious yet awesome game from the past. Submit your entries   in  comments below.

Please forgive my lack of photographic skills I'm rather tired and wee bit knackered at the moment.

Cheers

AL