Sticks & Stones may break your bones, and I will glady help.

"It's OK I was there Beating up Hippies"

So a couple of weeks ago I reviewed  Lunch Money in which I laid out all the rules and some of the rough play one can expect to enjoy from this elimination style street fighting card game. We really did have a bit of fun playing so I ordered up the expansion deck cleverly named Sticks & Stones .

Alas, it has arrived and after opening up the deck I cannot wait to play another round next game day with these new cards shuffled in. They are perfectly suited to blend with the original cards and rules. I'm not going rehash all the rules of the game again here, you can read them in my previous post, what I am going to do is highlight what I deem the shining stars of these new cards, the "gems" so to speak, all of which give pleasure to my dark and twisted nature.

Your Ma's a Whore.

Cooties; I so recall the little taunt of "you've got Cooties" from the schoolyard, most kids were chagrined at such name calling, I however usually replied with "Yeah? well your Ma's a whore." punctuated with bitch slap. Anyway the Cooties card is much more dire in the game. Cooties requires that the original player either play, or be the target of a successful Grab. The target of Cooties loses 1 point immediately, and 1 more at the beginning of his or her turns until the tainted, transmits Cooties to another player or is knocked unconscious. The only way to be rid of Cooties is to Grab or Block an opponent, or to be Grabbed or Blocked by an opponent which transmits the disease and relives the carrier.

I so miss giving these out.

Wedgy; The screams of humiliation and terror fill my ears now with fond memories of a most dramatic, hapless victim Brent. His arms flailing about uselessly as his tighty whiteys lifted him off the ground. The best ones where when you could get the underwear to tear, the ripping sound always made them more frightened. Ahhh those were the days.... Anyway, the Wedgy card requires a successful Grab. The victim of this heinous act, which deals 1 point of damage, also has all of his/her attacks reduced by 1 until the Wedgy is "Dislodged" with a Freedom card.

Last but definitely not least is the crown jewel of both decks and one of the main reasons I purchased the expansion in the first place. The Hippie Card!

DIE HIPPIE!!!!

Hippie; The player of this card designates another player as the "Hippie". I prefer: "Dirty, lazy, dope smoking, piece of crap Hippie" but to each his own. Every player not yet unconscious is allowed to play 1 Basic Attack card on the Hippie. The stupid Hippie may play Defense cards to counter these attacks if he or she can manage to stop blathering on about social injustice between mouthfuls of granola.

The imagery surrounding the Hippie card, fills my mind with blue skies over a lush green field in the middle of which lays a tie-dyed relic, weeping uncontrollably. Beaten and broken, shivering and twitching the Hippie moans out unintelligible sounds as it's most precious possessions (a bong and bag of dope) are smashed and scattered about by the laughing gang.

So sweet, so lovely.

These three cards are not all of the new twists and turns that the expansion brings to Lunch Money, there are many others, but for obvious reasons I like these ones the most and I know you all will too once you play a round or two of this game.

Cheers
AL

Weekly Game Night 2 Recap

One error...

We were one short of a full group so I (Mike) ended up playing two heroes. Brian took over Overlord duties for the week.

Valerie selected The Cardinal's Plight as the quest. In the first encounter, the evil Lord Merrick Farrow is attempting to raise zombies from the graveyard to attack the cardinal. After a relatively good travel period to the location, the heroes had to run past some dragon's, fight past some flesh moulders, and find the key to the portal. That part was relatively simple but led to the big mistake that ended up giving the Overlord the full victory.

Lord Merrick Farrow, what's up with the eye fire going sideways?

The hallway was left open and a dragon snuck past (yeah, snuck).

So despite opening the portal relatively quickly, the heroes were now stuck with the task of taking out the dragon. Which didn't happen. Between the darkness/fog/whatever the dragon hampered the nearby heroes with and the complete lack of any offensive capability for the warlock (being knocked down meant she couldn't summon stones to supplement spells), the dragon was an unbreakable wall. 

Also, Lord Merrick Farrow summons zombies easily. This is the second time I've seen this encounter played and he has failed a total of one time out of eight tries.

By the end, the heroes simply looted everything they could. They'll start the second encounter badly hurt and it should be over quickly. (Al, if you ever wanted to play the Overlord, next week will be the time to do it!)

Al feels this encounter is #1

An American Standard; the Whiskey Sour

The Whiskey Sour

I cannot lie and confess that as I attempt to write about the whiskey sour I feel somewhat underwhelmed. For as cocktails go this old American standard has had every bit of information, possible variation or play upon it presented, debated, hashed out and experimented with so many times one feels as if there is nothing left to say. From the upscale mixologist to the neighborhood working man’s pub owner everyone has an opinion on not only what makes a good whiskey sour but also how to present it, up or rocks? Egg or no? Fresh, or mix, or fresh mix? If it can be debated it already has, ad infinitum.

So what can I add that has not already been said?

Nothing but this, the Whiskey Sour cocktail has a long and storied history here in the United States. It is one of the original drinks in the iconic Jerry Thomas' Bartender's Guide from 1862 which I have not read, and it was/is the official drink of the one hundred and eighty eight year old Jefferson Literary Debating Society at the University of Virginia. It seems our forebears of the nineteenth century knew a good thing when they saw one or more to the point, tasted one.

Nothing like arguing common interests over a wee drink, hmmm that sounds familiar.

There is a reason this old drink is still available in one form or another at almost any pub/bar here in the Americas and it rests within the simplicity of the thirst-quencher itself. All you need is a base alcohol, lemon/lime juice, and a sweetener. That’s it! This is the great grandfather of all “sour” Cocktails. Margaritas, southsides, daiquiris, and sidecars, all owe their popularity and existence to the humble whiskey sour.

Fresh ingredients make all the difference.

  Ingredients:

2 ounces of bourbon (nothing too expensive); Jim Beam and Wild Turkey 80 both work well
3 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice (or a 2-1 ratio of lemon and lime)

1 teaspoon Simple Syrup (or to taste; some folks will prefer 2 or more I used .5 oz.)

1 maraschino cherry garnish and Orange wheel (optional)

Now to mix:
1. Combine bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker that is half filled with ice.  Shake well for 30 seconds. 
2. Strain into a cocktail glass. (I like mine on the rocks in a tumbler) Garnish with a cherry and an Orange Wheel (optional).

 

Traditionally served in a cocktail glass I prefer mine on the rocks.

This simple underrated cocktail is a sure to please most any of your guests, well except perhaps “High society snobs” who will sneer in contempt at it and order a Grey Goose Martini. However as we of lesser gods are not plagued by such cocktail elitists, we can enjoy this tart refreshing American Standard on game day as we see fit.  

 

If the Sour was a woman it would be Angie Dickenson.

Lastly I think if the Whiskey sour was a woman it would be Angie Dickenson from the 1970's, a bit older but with a wee, tart, glint in her eye that promises of something more to come. Not the false promise of a socialite with a Manhattan at her lips but of something real and truly American.

Cheers
AL

 

Weekly Game Night 1 - Descent Campaign Kickoff

First off, there was no booze involved. Did you know that the end of a game isn't always fuzzier than the beginning?

Who: Me (Mike), Al, Valerie, Brian, and new guy Chip. He works with the rest of us.

Also present were Magic nerds (Magic the Gathering, not actual wizards. That would have been awesome.) and there appeared to be some nerd arguments over something related to the tournament being played all around us. There was some debate over '3 or 4'. I'm not sure but I'm guessing it was Hot Pocket related.

Where: Dirigo Hobbies in Yarmouth not far from work. A starkly lit, poorly furnished store that let us play for free. You get only slightly more than what you pay for.

What: Descent: Journey Into the Dark campaign. The plan is to play an encounter each week so we can actually experience the whole game over time. We'll be shifting around some roles to give the Overlord a rest and to allow for people not being able to play each week.

Highlights

Al chose to play the hero named "Jain Fairwood" (pronounced Forwood) because if she's for wood, then Al is for her.

We got setup and before the first move was made, the heroes were already arguing. It didn't bode well.

Chip was laughing at everything that sounded even slightly sexual. Remember, there was no booze involved. He does tend to get amped up on sugar and I think he had a brownie, a candy car, and at least one 20oz Coke. I do have to give him credit for the laugh at "Mighty Blow".

I "Pulled a Tuna" and didn't point out that the heroes plan to block my Goblin Archers wouldn't work because of their Scamper ability. So they all made their moves, then I ran the goblins right past the barricade and out the exit.

We decided that since my cheating had led to such a lopsided victory that we would set up and just run the scenario again (it's the intro encounter which doesn't have bearing on the overall campaign). That one was much closer. I failed to spawn an archer or it might have been even closer still.

In the second play through, I killed (technically just 'knocked out') Al with some archers that ran by. His next turn, he did his only move and 'stood up'. Then two more archers ran by and knocked him out again. If there's ever going to be a fantasy-themed sitcom, it'll have this scene. If only I thought to cue up a laugh track from my phone the second time.

Some photos of the event, including Valerie's cool montage pic:

Lunch Money.

Lunch Money Card Game

A couple of months back we faithful three, decided to check out PortCon, Portland Maine's  “celebration of geek culture interests including anime, gaming, science fiction, costuming, fantasy, video gaming, boffer combat, comics, pop culture, steampunk, and more!” (that is the official description)  However the reality for us simple board gaming types was far from pleasant. We found out rather quickly that the "gaming" portion of their sell sheet should be completely removed and replaced with something like "prancing, picture ops for regressed eejits." Thus we have referred to this convention as PukeCon or PoorCon ever since.

 However, we did manage to walk away with a wee gem of a game I purchased from a vendor there simply named Lunch Money.

Lunch Money is an elimination type street fighting card game designed by C.E. Wiedman and released in 1996 by AtlasGames.  The concept is rather dark and simple, each of the 2-4 players is a young schoolgirl fighting with everything they have for the Lunch Money in their opponent's  pockets.

Game play: Each player starts with 15 points in hand, counters of any sort can be used. The objective is to beat your opponents silly with the various cards until they lose all of their tokens and become unconscious. The last little girl standing wins.

There are several types of cards, including Basic Attacks, Special Attacks, Weapons, and Defense cards. Each is distinguished by a different background color to the artwork: for example, the images on Defense cards have a blue tint.

Look at Me when I'm Hitting you!

Basic Attack cards do a set amount of damage (i.e., take away health points) if not countered. Damage ranges from one to seven points depending on the card played. Basic Attacks can be countered by Block or Dodge. If not countered, the targeted player marks off the appropriate number of points, and the turn ends.

Special Attacks usually do damage, but have other effects as well. For example, Poke In The Eye does only one point of direct damage, but also renders the target unable to defend against a follow-up attack from the same player who used Poke In The Eye, and either leaves the target defenseless against an attack from the next player to take a turn, or, if the next player is the victim, makes the victim lose a turn. Special Attacks can be countered by playing Block, Dodge, or, in the case of Grab (which does no initial damage, but sets up the victim for other attacks like Headlock and Choke), Freedom.

Love the little messages on the cards

Weapons, like Basic Attacks, do simple damage (always three points) without additional harmful effects to the target, but unlike all other cards, they are not discarded when played. A player can thus use the Hammer, for example, repeatedly over the course of many turns. Weapon attacks may be countered with Block or Dodge. They can also be countered by the otherwise useless Disarm, which forces the attacker to discard the Weapon. Persons playing Disarm are not allowed to capture the weapon for their own use.

Drop it. Good boy.

Defense cards either negate Attacks, allowing the target to avoid taking damage, or repair damage already taken. Dodge may be used against any attack card: Block against any attack other than Grab. Freedom is useful only against Grab attacks, and may also be used to escape from Special Attacks that do ongoing damage, such as Headlock. First Aid "heals" two points of damage when played. Any number of First Aid cards may be played at the same time, either on a player's turn, or as a last-ditch defense if a player takes enough damage from an attack that he or she would otherwise be out of the game.

Yo Momma is a Crack Ho!

Humiliation, the trump card of the game, is usually used as a Defense since it immediately cancels the effect of any single card. However, since it can be played at any time and for any reason (without the player needing to wait for his or her turn), it can also be used offensively to, for example, cancel another player's successful Dodge or use of First Aid. Humiliation cannot be countered except with the use of another Humiliation.

As most of you can guess this winner takes all after kicking the Holy Christ out of everyone  type of game is right up my alley.

We played a round which took about a half hour and had a couple of laughs. The best combination was when Tuna, ahem I mean Tina, got Michelle in a head lock while Allison bashed Michelle's brains out with a chain.  The dark and twisted imagery of little girls going berserk makes the whole game. As a bonus, our evil game play seemed to make some of the other geeks in the game room nervous. We rolled through the deck at least once with four players so I have ordered the expansion "Sticks andStones" to build the deck up some.

Overall Lunch Money is a fast, fun, and modest game, the concept is dark but I tend to find that appealing. However those faint of heart should probably steer clear of it all together, and stick to playing Candyland, or My little Pony. I recommend this great little "filler" game for the in-betweens on game day or even as a light starter.

Cheers

AL

The Tanqueray and Tonic, an all-time classic.

Sweet.

The first time I tasted Tanqueray Gin was back in the early 1980’s. I was living in the Bronx and my best friend Jim convinced me to try one. I was reluctant to be sure for many reasons, firstly the only Gin I had ever had up to that point had been some pretty nasty bottom shelf stuff which tasted like turpentine that my father had on hand. Secondly I was a true bigot back in those days, and anything that came from England, especially London, I boycotted. (Though it is distilled in Scotland these days) Yes I was young, passionate and stupid, now I am not so young or passionate but still pretty numb. Anyway Jim conned and cajoled until I had a wee sip just to make him shut up and leave off the topic.

And as they say, “the rest is History”.

 



A simple work of art.

To Make:  1.5-2.0 oz Tanqueray Gin,  3-4.0 oz Tonic water

Fill glass with Ice, add Gin, then Tonic water squeeze a lime wedge over the drink and add as garnish. Stir slightly so as to not flatten the carbonation and serve.

The TnT (yes like dynamite) is a crisp refreshing eye opening beverage that pleases most everyone. I believe that this classic’s popularity rests within the quality of the Gin itself. Tanqueray has a unique juniper bite to it that blends well with a bit of lime, cut with ice and tonic water. One does not have to “acquire” a taste for the TnT, its distinctiveness and simplicity grab you in a positive way right from the get go.



Add a splash of Cranberry juice for variety

I had forgotten this classic over the years, what with my driving passion for Bushmill’s, but Mike mentioned it in passing one afternoon and I decided to add it to our drink list for game day. Of course it was a success, so much so that the TnT has become Mike’s main cocktail when we all get together switching only occasionally to a Dark and Stormy for variety. Even Tuna, who has an unending thirst for dark rum, will have a Tanqueray or two when the fancy strikes him.  If you are looking for an easy to pour, light cocktail that tastes wonderful you can’t go wrong with the classic; Tanqueray and Tonic.

Cheers
AL


Back-to-back Game Saturdays

Week 1

Al, Tuna, and I (Mike) got together for game day at Al's house on July 27th. Games list:

1. Redshirts 

2. D-Day Dice

3. Risk

4. Thunderstone Advance

1. Redshirts was a bit confusing as the rules are a bit short and the concept of how to kill off your own people is tough. I managed to pull off a decent combo, finishing with a nearly un-blockable card to win.

2. D-Day Dice is one we haven't played since our first play at TempleCon. We seemed to pick it up again quickly. All seemed to be going well until we ignored the advice in the rule book to stock up on soldiers. Al died (which meant we all lost) but I only had 2 soldiers left myself. It's still a lot of fun and we'll hopefully play it again before another 6 month goes by.

3. We finally got Risk to the table after Al has carried it around to game day for 2 years. After some brushing up on the rules, we got started with Al taking Australia and working towards Africa. I took South America and Tuna was left in at tough spot in North America and Europe. Each us had at least one attack turn that didn't go well and a country held up under terrible odds. There was much swearing and some name calling. In the end, I cashed some cards in and was able to eliminate Tuna. I took his cards and was able to get another turn in. Al had a big lead with armies on the board but no card turn in for another round. We agreed to call the game a draw as neither of us would be able to quickly eliminate the other. If anyone has ever played a full game of Risk, you know how long it can drag on.

4. Thunderstone was going well until it got too dark outside to see the cards. We moved the game indoors. It would have been smarter to just collect up all of the cards, then move but we choose to put something under the board and carried it. Well, that didn't really work so well but we were able to sort of out the big pile of cards. It ended up being a close game and a late night. We didn't leave until around 10 PM.

We also looked at the schedule to see when the August game day might be. Turns out that the following Saturday worked well (at least for the three of us...).

Week 2

August 3rd, Tuna's house. Game list:

1. Small World

2. Zombicide

1. Small World started by adding in one of Tuna's new expansions, adding some new races and powers. The 6 sided die used in the game has 3 blank sides but rather than coming up 50% of the time, the blank sides come up about 90% of the time. This held true all game today. Things were going well until we added up the scores and it turned out Tuna cheated. He'll claim that he technically didn't cheat but every turn he was counting to 7 but giving himself 14 points. While he qualified for 14 points, not saying so (and being fully aware that Al and I didn't realize he was getting that many) made for a ridiculous ending.

2. Zombicide played out really well. We each took two characters. We stuck to the game plan and survived several tough situations. Tuna and I ended up taking two characters away from the group to draw them away. But thanks to a pair of rifles, a pair of machetes, a molotov cocktail, and a chainsaw, those two characters nearly survived all the way to the end. I'm definitely looking forward to the expansion stuff Al should be receiving soon.

We passed on playing a third game and instead took a road trip to a new comics/game store in Scarborough. It was awful, both the selection and the parking. Don't go. I won't even mention the name here.