Alphabet Board Games: R

 Russian Railroads

I know Ultimate Railroads is coming out and even though I have everything in that box except for the exclusive expansion, I'm still plan on getting it. 

This is such a great worker placement game. I've played it several times this year and it never grows tiresome. I even printed out the newest print and play expansion and played with that too a couple of time. Interesting idea, I hope they include in the Big Box. 

The designer of this game also made "First Class" which would've made my list here under "F" had it not been for Firefly. 

Alphabet Board Games: Q

 Quetzal

Back to my board game discussion, we're now back on the "cult of the new" train with this one. 

When I heard about rolling meeples, I knew I had to try this one out. It's great. Rolling meeples, getting a bonus if they land on their feet and then using them in worker placement and bidding spaces on the board. 

Genius. 

I hope they make expansions for us to roll other things too. This is another underrated game that came out this year and was only a blip on the market before disappearing from the minds of gamers every where. 

The artwork is beautiful and catching so I'm not sure why people decided to pass on such a unique concept and interesting game. Maybe they're tired of the whole "explorers" theme? 

New House!!

 Boom!

All moved into my new house....now time for the unboxing....ugh!

The return to tradition

 Really happy to see so many stores backing away from Thanksgiving and leaving Black Friday firmly established on Friday. 

I know some of that had to do with the pandemic but still, I hope it's a tradition that stays in place for many years to come. 

TI4 Tips: Secret Objectives

 Some of them are harder than others but it's really the only way I can win the game. 

My strategy is this. Take Metcatol Re as fast as I can and sit on it for as long as I can until giving it up forever and never looking back. 

Afterwards I try to complete Secret objectives (as well as public) to give me the edge to win out in the end. Don't forget about these cards! You can only have two at a time and you constantly should be thinking of ways to complete them. 

I had one where I could score a point if someone took my home planet. VERY risky, since you can't score public objectives that way. But I was at 9 and everyone was trying to ensure I didn't score anymore. 

So I convinced my neighbor who was on the verge of being eliminated from the game (something I've only seen happen once) to take my home planet for a while and rebuild. 

He never should've trusted me. 

Ok folks, that's it for TI4. It's the holiday's now and I'm getting ready to play it instead. 

Have a good weekend!

Black Friday Fail

 It's been years since I've seen a sale that has impressed me. Either online and in the store. 

This year is no different. Even Megan doesn't go out that much during the holiday, where at one point, it consumed her ENTIRE day. 

The Black Friday sale is a myth. 

Happy Thanksgiving Day!!!!!

 Blessings to you all on this wonderful day!

My favorite holiday and I have SO much to be thankful for in it. Don't let the events or current life interfere with you enjoying this holiday to the fullest!!

TI4 Tips: Promissory Notes

 You use these to solidify a vote in your favor, but in return they have power over you during the game. Once a note is received you MUST dedicate all your votes that way. 

I never give these away. I try to smooth talk everyone at first and if that doesn't work, I let the vote slide against me. (which doesn't happen that often I should add)

BUT every single player in my group uses them constantly to secure votes they think they must have. I'm surprised a few of them even give up "Support for the Throne" which is basically a VP. 

My advice, don't use them. But always accept them from other players (if it's to your benefit)

Alphabet Board Games: P

 Project Elite

One of 2 CMON games still in my collection. Though this was a reprint from another company. I enjoy both the old and new editions of the game and would still play both. 

I (oddly) enjoy the old figures better but the rules in the newer version is the best. It's a real time COOP that blew my mind the first time I played it. I was obsessed with it when it first came out. Playing my original copy endlessly with Megan every night. 

While the new version has it's flaws (Death Valley) overall, I'd love to see more expansions come out in the near future. 

TI4 Tips: The Speaker Token

 

The Speaker token allows the player to choose between 2 laws to vote for. 

I think it's pretty powerless really, so I never bother with the title and don't care who has it as long as I can get the points to go my way. 

I'm not sure anyone in my gaming group sees this as important either, though if someone was a strong political race, you would want to be careful what you bring up for vote so it may be useful then. But other than that, you can pay of no mind. 

Alphabet Board Games: O

 Orleans

Was there any question on what this one would be?

The first bag builder. And it's still my favorite! I finally got rid of "Stories" which sucked and am now back to playing the base game (with a few mini-expansions thrown in) I probably won't buy anything else from the series but you really don't need it. 

I have all my components for the game deluxified, for maximum table presence on game nights. And though I don't win that often, I still love the game none-the-less. 

TI4 Tips: Action Cards

 

This week (the final week, I promise) I'm going to get a few remaining tips on the game. 

First off is Action Cards. 

You can have a limit of 7 (unless you're race allows you more) and they can do a whole range of things like helping you, or hurting others. You can even play them for other players (which almost certainly will happen when people are cheering for you in a battle)

I love this because it makes everyone an active participant in the battle in a way. 

To me, the best one's say "Action" on them, which means you play it as your turn for the round. The reason I like this because it's a great way to stall and see what others are planning or being able to hold your initiative card till the very end where no one can take advantage of it. 

Also, you want to pay attention to what cards you have in your hand at all times. I admit, this has led to a few boneheaded plays on my part from time to time when playing the game. 

Alphabet Board Games: N

 

Nobleman

All hail the king of underrated board games. This game sells for $10 new. And I bet some people will give it to you for free if you offer to pay shipping. (I saw that once actually) and I'm aghast at what little love it has among gamers. 

This has it all. Tile placement, city building and drawing from a bag. The artwork is gorgeous, the pieces are excellent quality and the whole game is enjoyable for everyone who's come over to play. This is the unsung hero from the late TMG games in my opinion. It's too bad not many people see it the same way I do. 

TI4 Tips: Red Tech

 The cards with NO Prerequisites:

Bombardment or space canon can roll with an extra die. 

-1 tech costs when upgrading units. (Needless to say I get this often in games)

The cards with ONE Prerequisite:

Gives you a free Mech whenever you produce units and you also get one trade good if it's ever destroyed. (Making players use Mechs even more, I like this tech)

Override a planetary shield (which prohibits bombardment) It gives you one free (un-opposed) round of combat. (Nice card but never used in any game I've seen)

The card with TWO Prerequisites:

Repair one unit (excluding those that can sustain damage) per battle round. (Excellent card if your race is in to warfare)

The card with THREE Prerequisites:

At the start of a battle, your opponent must destroy a non-fighter ship. (Never seen anyone gain this ability but if you have a fleet consisting of just a War Sun and a Flagship (which I've seen) this can be devastating to that player) 

Alphabet Board Games: M

 

Monasterium

Another new game that entered my collection this year that I'm crazy for! It finally made it's way to America (via the BGG Store) and even though it sells for $60, it's worth it. 

Dice selection and area control are the key to winning. But clearing glass stained windows of monks can lead to special actions on your player board. With so many options, the replayability seems endless.  

Plus did I mentioned the pieces are of polished wood? A commodity you won't see much of during the pandemic now. 

Such a wonderful game, I look forward to any expansions they may bring out in the future. 

Have a good weekend folks!

 

TI4 Tips: Blue Tech

 The cards with NO Prerequisites:

Move through asteroids and a -1 in PDS canon attacks from other players. (the latter means nothing since you'll rarely be in that situation, but the former power is a MUST for me)

Allows you to explore deep space. (worth it, if you want some extra bonuses along the way. Plus, they make space tiles worth passing through) 

The cards with ONE Prerequisite:

Produce one ship in your space dock. (Never seen anyone get this, but I think it'd be helpful in a handful of situations)

Get +1 movement on all ships. (another sweet way to make your ships faster, once someone gets this, it's ALWAYS the next tech upgrade other players get (if they have one other blue tech card on them)

The card with TWO Prerequisites:

Get back to back actions. (this can come in handy at times but I wouldn't use it because it almost guarantees you'll be the first to pass, thereby forfeiting your chance at taking advantage of an initiative card played by someone else later in the game) 

The card with THREE Prerequisites:

You can move through other players without having to battle them, (really hard to get, I don't think anyone has ever bothered getting it either since we all love to fight)

Alphabet Board Games: L

 

Long Shot

It never fails when this is brought out on the table EVERYONE has a good time. Though horses barely move more than a few spaces per turn the action is intense as you're buying or betting on horses to win as well as play cards to help out your odds. 

The game's smart too. because it doesn't matter if you own the horse that wins....it matters how much someone bet on it to win instead. I love that. 

I won a game once where NONE of my horse places. But of the 3 that did? I had the most money bet on each one. It was a landslide victory. 

Even though there's no difference in the dice that move the horses, everyone (including myself) have their own superstition on who they should buy and bet on first. For me? It's always the first horse I roll on the die who gets picked. No matter what. 

TI4 Tips: Green Tech

 The cards with NO Prerequisites:

Get 2 actions cards per round. (very popular card with my gaming group)

Whenever you exhaust a planet for it's tech ability (something most of my group forgets you can do) you also gain a trade good. 

The cards with ONE Prerequisite:

Gain one infantry on a planet you fought over. (rarely if ever used)

Ready a previously exhausted planet. (very nice to have)

The card with TWO Prerequisites:

Gain 2 command tokens at the end of a phase instead of one. (all players go for this tech)

The card with THREE Prerequisites:

Destroy all ground troops on the planet. (Brutal card, but if you can get it, it's boss)

Alphabet Board Games: K

 

Kashgar: Merchants of the Silk Road

Like Splendor....but not Splendor. This game lets you have 3 decks to play the top card from in any row you like at any time. Once used, the card shifts to the back of the line waiting to come up again. 

Like Splendor, you're getting contracts for points but the card management in this game is what delivers you the win. 

Such an underrated game in the market but with so many games coming out all the time, it's easy to see why gems like this get lost among the crowd. The choices you have on your turns are small, but the roads to victory are many!

TI4 Tips: (Yellow Tech)

The cards with NO Prerequisites:

These cards let you do various things, like explore a system on a planet you control. (essential to get early) 

Lower the cost of a build by 1. 

The cards with ONE Prerequisite:

Get 3 extra votes during the agenda phase

Shoot your PDS Canon over to the next tile and assigning that hit to a non-fighter unit.

The card with TWO Prerequisites:

Move 4 ground forces from any planet to another. (I've used this one to help win the game once)

The card with THREE Prerequisites:

Once you gain a planet, produce units equal to its resources on it. (great for building infantry on every planet you own but this takes a while to get)  

Alphabet Board Games: J

 

Jupiter Rescue

A game so good you'll be hard pressed to find a used copy online. Luckily it's still in print for anyone to obtain. 

This is coop/action point in which players are trying to rescue humans from space freaks before they either turn into space freaks themselves or the ship completely breaks apart. 

Twilight Creations ONLY game not titled "Zombies" that's actually struck a cord with me. I can't get enough of this game. And with the tiles being re-shuffled after every game, no two will ever be the same! Nice flash of brilliance they had back then the the company sorely misses today. 

TI4 Tips: Technology (Unit Upgrades)

 Ah, what would life be without the Tech Tree? 

In TI4, this can make or break your game. Knowing which tech serves you best in the game depends largely on your race I would say. 

Sure each race has their own specific tech but I've going to talk about the 4 basic colors in general and give a broad summary of what they do. 

We'll start of first with Unit Upgrades. 

By all means, if you focus on anything concerning tech, let it be this. 

For me, it's faster ships. I want everything to have the ability to move 2 spaces. Sometimes I don't get it (because my eyes are ALWAYS on the prize) but when I make the time to collect tech, I go for the unit upgrades. 

Faster ships allow you quicker routes to reach the destination you need to be at to score points. Though the isn't a "bad" tech to choose over the other, I personally love the Unit upgrades (for speed purposes) the best. 

Alphabet Board Games: I

 Imhotep

I didn't see the attraction to this game for years. Only when Kosmos offered to give me a copy did I finally play it. And whoa, was I wrong!

This game has several ways you can play the game with it's numerous double-sided tile locations which change the game up just about every time you play. While some appear repetitive, others are quite unique. The choices on your turn are simple but the strategy is there with the choices you carefully make. 

And those cubes are bigger than you think. I love the look and production of this game. I only wish Kosmos could hit more homeruns like this but so far, only 2 of their games occupy my shelves. (the other in Mercado. Another great game that will sadly miss out on this list)

TI4 Tips: Forming the Galaxy (Part 5)

 Legendary Planets

What every player does is place this as close to their home planet as they can. 

It's a bad strategy. 

Like I've said in previous weeks, I believe these ultimately aren't worth it in the long run. Best strategy is to place them inbetween 2 other players and watch them waste time and resources trying to conquer it. 

Planets

If possible put as many around you, but don't be afraid to put them on you opponents as well. You can't remember each planets resources (at least I've never tried it....yet) but planting on within another players grasp isn't bad. There are plenty of planets in the game and I've NEVER played a game where all of them were controlled. To be honest, two non-warrior factions will never go after planets next to an opponent because there's no need for it in the game play. 

Strange to think some planets never know there's a war being fought over the galaxy the entire time the game's going around but I also find that thematic too. 

Alphabet Board Games: H

 

Hadara

Yes it's new to my collection this year but it's a really solid "Next Step" game that's fun to play. It's actually put this designer's name at the top of my list when looking for new games. I already love some of his other greats and even though they didn't make this list (Yeti, Crown of Emara and Livingstone) they're all great games!

The guy gets better with each game he comes out with too which is why I'm excited to see what's next for him. Tracking down the promos for this was a bit difficult, but I eventually got them all and love playing with them. (though the game works well without them)

Have a good weekend folks!

TI4 Tips: Forming the Galaxy (Part 4)

 Wormholes

They can get you around the galaxy quick. Most folks (if they have two of the same worm hole) place on my Mecatol Rex and the other next to their home planet. 

I do the first part of that strategy but change the latter to at least 2 tiles away from my home planet. The reason? I don't want whoever's the new owner of Mecatol Rex to come after my home planet next. A lot of people forget about that. 

Of course, once I placed the same type wormholes next to two players on the board which made tensions rise between the two and serve as an excellent strategy in diverted both players from the objectives. 

In fact....I'd do that from here on out if dealt the right hand. 

Space

Some tiles are just bland space and I hand those out to other players to slow the growth of their empire. It's an obvious tactic that everyone in the game uses so it's nothing new. Once we surrounded Rex with space tiles (which is illegal) but I let it stand because I thought it was funny.  

Alphabet Board Games: G

 

Grand Austria Hotel

I reviewed the expansion not too long ago and though I didn't think it was good, I'm still working on ways to make it better so I can fit it in with the base game. 

Though impossible to do, I always try to book up my entire hotel by the end of the game. We've even added an extra round before because we're having so much fun!

Though the expansion was a bit of a let down, the game itself is solid and I love the upgraded bits that came with it so it isn't a complete loss. Keeping the original art for the reprint was a good move as well so I feel it fits the game good. Plus the new way of how turns are taking is an improvement to the previous version so the expansion isn't all bad. 

TI4 Tips: Forming the Galaxy (Part 3)

 Nebulas

Most races must stop when passing through them, but the cool thing about it is if someone ever attacks you within one, you get a +1 to your rolls. 

I've never seen anyone ever take advantage of that and for some reason most people just move around them, which is weird because they pose no threat to your ships unlike a Gravity Rift does. 

I place this in a way where it blocks an opponents route to Mecatol Rex. That's usually the best place for them to go. 

Asteroid Belts

I always put these next to rex or in my path, then (if I don't already have it) I get the tech that allows me to pass right through them, quickening my journey to the center of the galaxy. 

It's really the best strategy to do and I don't think many others have figured it out yet. 

Alphabet Board Games: F

Firefly 

While looking on my shelves for a game that begins in "F" I started making a list....until I came across this one and threw the list away. 

I don't have many pick up and delivery games and the ones I do rank low on my list. THIS is the exception to all the others. 

I've never tired of this game though it's been in my collection for years. This wasn't the game that brought me into the hobby but it WAS the game that encouraged me to look more into it. Before playing this game, I was just playing Zombies and the occasional Formula D (another good "F" game as well)

But after playing this, I couldn't sleep that night. I had to know what else was out there. That's when I bought my ticket to Gen Con and the rest is history. 

TI4 Tips: Forming the Galaxy (Part 2)

 Supernovas

You can't pass through them (unless you Muaat) so I usually reserve them to block other players from Rex. However, if my neighbor is a warrior species I'll keep it to block my planet, forcing him to take the longer route around it if he ever thinks of coming for me. 

Gravity Rifts

When you place it on the board any ships entering and leaving the tile roll I die. On a 6-10 the pass through. 1-5 and you lose your entire fleet. 

Again, I use this tile the same way I would a Supernova. But I've found that very few people will brave to go straight through it. Though I've seen it attempt it, not all have succeeded, so most just move around it. 

Alphabet Board Games: E

 Empires: Age of Discovery

Worker placement meets area control meets engine building. This game has it all! There's another version of it called "Galactic Rebellion" that's fun as well but suffers from a few production flaws to be on par with this gem. 

It's games like this that make me wish I loved more of Eagle Gryphon Games stuff. But so far, nothing I've seen compares to this beauty. 

Wonderfully produced and beautiful artwork make it easy to welcome new gamers who've never played before. It's also one of the heaviest boxes in my collection. 

TI4 Tips: Forming the Galaxy (Part 1)

 

Welcome to another week long series on TI4 (how long can I keep this up?!)

This week's topics is on setting up the galaxy. 

One of the ways you can play the game is through set up. Each player receives an equal amount of tiles to place in a circle around Mecatol Rex and then the game begins. Sure you could skip this by using on of the pre-set ups but what's the fun in that? 

It only adds a few extra minutes to the game and there's a lot of strategy involved. We play this way with ALL our games and I do it....to my advantage. 

One of the things we add to all our games in the hyper lane expansion created by fans and later incorporated into the game with the latest expansion. 

This helped even out odd player counts where someone had more distance between his neighbors given him a slight advantage of not being attacked as much. 

We use them in our games to spice things up. (even with even player counts) Everyone loves it and it can get you around the galaxy a little faster, so if your group agrees you should try it out. 

I'll be back throughout the week to discuss other tiles and what you should do when building the galaxy. 

Alphabet Board Games: D

 Darjeeling

I love tea games and this one is the best in my collection. Gathering tea in the field and selling it on the boats. The longer they stay on the boats, the more points you'll accumulate. So it forces other players not to hoard their stash (for a one time big payout) because every turn that goes by, the boats earn you more and more points. 

The game goes from slow paced and "blink and its over" after a few turns. I love that. You can do extra movements by losing points, which you never do in the beginning. But towards the end you're like "Hmmm...I can lose 7 points on this turn, just to get that one tile"

It's a beautiful game with lovely wooden pieces too. I love everything about it. 

TI4 Tips: PDS Canons and Infantry

 PDS Canon

Everyone loves these but in my opinion they do very little to protect your planet because they can only shoot once and would most likely destroy a small fighter. Not a very good trade off if you ask me. 

Unless I start with one, I never get these in the game. 

Infantry

Essential to conquer the galaxy. Another good strategy is to load up a planet full of them, but that's kinda hard to do on planets like Metcatol Rex where it would benefit you the most. 

That being said, this and Carriers are a majority of what my army is usually made up of. Not because I want large ground battles but mainly to take other planets into my empire. 

Have a good weekend folks!

Alphabet Board Games: C

 Catan

I don't care what anyone says. I love this game. In fact, if we went back to having our old tradition of "Catan-a-thon" in January (where we play every single expansion and mini expansion of the base game) this would probably rise back into my Top 10 games of all time. 

Playing the newest "Scenarios" version made me miss all the base expansions. But with so little free time, this one fights other games at staying on the table for that long. 

A 3-D version of the game came out. If I didn't have kids, I'd have thrown down the $300 in a hot second for it!

Classic game that's still fun today!

Have a good weekend folks!

TI4 Tips: Space Docks and Cruisers

 Space Dock

Everyone starts with one on their home planet. If your forces are spread out after a couple of rounds in the game it's smart to build more. 

I'm 50/50 on these since I can win with or without them, depending on what I need. I do think it's important for those who have a wide empire and don't want other players edging in to their piece of the pie. 

Cruiser

The advantage with these is they move two spaces at a time. The only bad thing is, your Carrier only moves 1 space unless you get it upgraded. 

I rarely get these myself unless later on in the game I need some quick backup. Other than that they have a little better fire power than other ships but can't sustain damage like the War Sun, Flagship or Dreadnought can, so they're very "middle of the road" to me. 

Alphabet Board Games: B

 Bruges

Ok, last time you'll see a Feld game on this list. (though Carpe Diem is great) But this game is second only to Amerigo in my opinion. 

So many choices on what you do each turn. You can utilize a card 5 different ways which makes the game play so flexible and different. 

I'm glad it's getting a reprint, I only wish the artwork looked better. But at least people can get it at a cheaper price which I guess is a good thing. 

TI4 Tips: Flagships and Carriers

 Flagship

In most cases, yes. It's worth getting. Each one is different depending on the species represented and it does show a heavy presence. But do you need it to win? No. 

I've gone many game without even bothering to get it. The cost is high and unless I'm a warrior race, I'm better off spending my resources elsewhere. 

Carrier

A must. They suck in battle but that's not their purpose. They carry your troops around to invade and discover new planets. I try to get as many on the board as I can in the beginning of the game. Spreading out your empire is essential in building the resources and influence to your success. 

Everyone starts with one, but trust me. Pile on and go forth into the unknown, conquering as much as you can before the galaxy is completely carved up among the players. 

Alphabet Board Games: A

 Today I thought I'd start on a series I did a few years ago where I talk about my favorite board game from each letter in the alphabet!

I've added a LOT of games in the past few years and my taste has changed since last time. 

Amerigo

When looking at my shelf, my eyes went straight to this game and I stopped looking. This is Feld's BEST game ever. I love the dice cube, the choices and the countless paths to victory in it. 

Last year I played with a newbie in the group, who almost won with an unthinkable strategy. She had to leave early so there's no telling if she could've pulled out a win in the end but either way, it made me appreciate the game even more when I see another way to score big points in a rush for the win. 

Lovely game. 

TI4 Tips: War Suns and Destroyers

 War Sun

I've discussed this earlier but I honestly feel it's a waste of time to build one. It's takes up most of the game and is one of the biggest red herrings in the game. Everyone believes they need one but while they're focused on building it, they pass up victory points. 

Not me. No doubt, this packs the most fire power but (to me) it isn't worth the time invested to justify it for the game. 

Destroyer

They get "first shot" in battle which could come in handy. Plus, they're cheap. But they rarely hit so I still don't see the point in getting them. The ONLY reason I've ever gotten one is if I have an extra resource I don't want to waste and have the space for an extra ship in my fleet. 

Other than that, these appear pretty worthless to me as well. 

Around the World in 80 Days (Novel review)

 Last month someone on my YouTube channel asked me if I'd ever read Jules Verne and what I thought about him, 

I didn't even know who he was. 

But later when I learned he wrote this book (or which I have and LOVE the board game to) I decided to read it. 

I loved it. 

It's short, with a lot of memorable and funny moments through it. It's basically about man's obsession with time. The protagonist, Fogg, is an interesting man, who manages his time better than his money to win a wager to get around the world in 80 days. 

There's a neat twist in the end I didn't see coming and the whole adventure (while short) was very enjoyable. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it and wish I'd read it years ago as a kid. I may have enjoyed it even more. 

TI4 Tips: Dreadnoughts and Fighters

 Dreadnought

Good for heavy firepower when protecting your fleet in space. Can also bombard a planet prior to your invasion with troopers. Ideally, you want one of these suckers with any fleet in your navy. They're just too precious in defending attacks from others during the game. 

I always have a handful of them in most of the games I've played. 

Fighter

Cheap, 2 for 1 units that are mainly used as fodder in battles where you have to assign hits. I generally keep a few around as escorts on Carriers, but if you're a war heavy race you need to stock up. 

These units are also limitless. Meaning, if you run out of your own personal supply you can grab tokens from the general pile. I've never had to do this before but I've seen others do it and it makes for an intimidating force. 

All Saints Day

 True story, I have more fun on this day than Halloween. 

Our church does activities and a party. Have been for the past few years. 

No kids knocking on my door (most not even bothering to wear a costume) and begging for free candy. 

It's nice.