I always like to reflect on my gaming habits and trends. I find that it helps me focus for the next year, and it helps me avoid the need for a storage facility for all my games (for now). I’m going to ramble a bit about my Board Game Stats then I’ll recount my Top 5 gaming moments of the year. It should be a fast and fun read!
I keep stats and pictures of the games I play in the Board Game Geek App. I like to use this as my old school WHFB ‘Book of Grudges’, but it can hold photos too and copious amounts of notes. It’s basically a gaming scrapbook.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/board-game-stats/id892542000
I played a boatload of games (for me, at least) this year. I also count board and solo games too, so maybe my numbers are skewed. LOTR LCG is going to be the most played game of 2020. I’m calling that shot now. With twins on the way, my primary gaming partner (wife) is going to have no energy for Legendary, and LOTR is so easy to set up and tear down that I can do an adventure in under an hour while watching the movies for full immersion.
Pete, overtook my wife as my #1 gaming opponent this year. As you can see with KT/Spectre, we like our skirmish games.
Sadly Pandemic lost steam, and so did T9A. Me stumbling upon Warmaster killed T9A, and Legendary is too good not to play when the wife wants to game. RIP Pandemic Legacy but I do wan to point out that by game 5 all of Asia was lost … foreshadowing?
Bottom of the barrel. Some games I’ll kill off and sell the minis. Most will get battle foam and go into storage. I love the fact that I have a Blood Bowl and BFG force (2 each) that can be busted out whenever I get the itch.
I’m worried about A Song of Ice and Fire. I’m getting my rank and flank strategy fix with Blücher and now with Warmaster. It’s nice to game in 10 or 6mm because a 6×4 table is soooo maneuverable.
The minis are great for Song, but I’m having a hard time carving space for it, and it’s no LOTR where I can buy and paint minis and be ok if I never use them because I love the lore. I mean, I love GoT and all, but it’s no LOTR.
Top Memories
1. Congo at Millennium Con. 4 Player late-night game. Seth didn’t bother to send his scouts into the terrain to clear it. As is tradition, a wild animal appeared. It was an ape but we used a honey badger mini. Let me tell you; this honey badger did not give a f%*¥. Seth was stuck battling and losing to him for the rest of the game.
2) Battlefleet Gothic. Orks v Imperials v Chaos. We used the basic rules for Triumph and Treachery which added some spice. Orks were in the last place, and then Orks is Orks and won by one point at the end of 6 turns. 100% of their kills were due to ramming.
3) Blücher Family Game. Family came down to Texas for my daughters bday. I kind of conned them into player Blücher. As a testament to the game, they loved it. Highlight of the game was my dad and Jon garrisoning the town with British Regulars, the French assaulted with two brigades, 14 dice v 6 dice, if the British lose they forfeit the town and it’s a 2 VP swing. French roll 1 4+ in 14 dice and the British roll 2. British win the day. An absolutely devastating loss for my sister and her fiancé who were in the lead the whole game.
4) 7 Days to the River Rhine demo at Millennium Con. I GM’d this one, great back and forth battle almost had a rage quit until the players realized the dynamics of reactions and positioning. Don’t be fooled; this is a maneuver and risk management game, not merely a dice roller.
5) Le Baton. 4 player Le Baton game where the Polish charged across the table to wipe out Brian’s Artillery and kept his forces from fully deploying. Brian still hates horses to this day.
6) Bonus round! This is contentious, and it is honestly is #1, but I wouldn’t dare risk the wife reading this, and if she does, I know she won’t make it this far….
Catan game with the wife and in-laws. Whitney sits to my left. I have 6 VPs but 3 of the secret VPs. She has 9 VPs and needs one card for the largest army. I have no resources. She buys a card and can’t play it to the next turn, we all know it’s a army card. My numbers hit perfectly in the next three rolls. I buy a settlement and drop the three hidden VPs to win right before Whitney was about to. She basically rage quit table flipped, and we have not played Settlers since. I can’t help that I’m lucky. It’s like my superpower. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.
As always, thanks for reading. Hopefully you were entrained. Enjoy the hobby and check out my YT Channel @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4uU81it43KIbeI_B1kAZCw
It’s been a while since I’ve shown it love but I have things in the works!