Last night was a Fenland Gamers Friday club night.

I know what you are thinking. “Gaming twice in one week, what’s going on Darren?”

Hey what can I say? It’s been a good week.

A really good week.

Early evening Jeff messaged he would be arriving early, ordering some food, playing a game and possibly leaving early depending how he felt.

This was amazing news.

So I made a point of getting to our new host early so someone was there.

It was so good seeing Jeff again after the massive curve ball life threw at him. Although it’s only in reality been a couple of months, it has felt so much longer.

After food we split into two groups. John’s group played Sagrada and we played Kingsburg.

This was a first for me playing the game.

I think it was inevitable that I’d like this dice placement game. After all the other one that I really like with a similar mechanic is Marco Polo.

I like the catch up mechanics the game has. The extra die, or the ability to build two buildings or use an occupied space are great to get when behind but not over powered.

For much of the game I was last on the victory point track, but a late surge meant I came in third, not too far from the front two.

But the main take home of playing this game was how much fun it was to be playing a boardgame again with Jeff. And amazingly it was the first time I’d played a game with his wife playing too!

Jeff’s “gamesmanship” has been sorely missed. I don’t think Colin was ready for the Jedi mindtricks, and being talked into blocking the only space Jeff’s wife could go to with her final die. But despite that sort of shenanigans Jeff’s wife won.

After Kingsburg had finished Jeff said good bye and retired for the evening.

Which left Colin, Julie and me to play a game of the latest addition to the Love Letter family, Star Wars: Jabba’s Palace – A Love Letter game! What a mouthful. I’ll just call it Jabba’s Palace.

As a first play we stuck to the traditional end of game objective of having the highest valued card in hand wins.

Although that’s one of the first notable changes in this version. There are four end of game objectives. One of them allows for two winners!

Another change is each card has one of two faction symbols on them. They are either belonging to the rebels (good guys) or Jabba’s crew (bad guys).

The faction a card belongs to does make a difference. Not only for three of the end game objectives, such as most rebel cards in front of a player winning. But also for card abilities like the Jabba’s the Hutt card (see below) that defeats a player if the card they are holding is a rebel card.

You’ll also notice that Jabba the highest valued card is not like the Princess card in regular Love Letter. You can actually play the card.

In the GameBoy Geek’s review of Jabba’s Palace he would have liked the game to have used one of the more recent Disney Star Wars movies for its basis. What utter tripe no one buys stuff for that, the only Star Wars stuff Disney sells is original trilogy or Mandalorian. Plus we all know what a train wreck the Disney trilogy is.

Anyway. I really like how this version played. And not just because I won!

It was a great evening gaming. Even more so with Jeff being able to get along.

Last night although technically the second Wednesday of the month was not the monthly meet up.

That was last week. Or would have been if enough people had said they were coming along to it. Sadly due to working that night (I was working 10pm to 10am doing stock take) I wasn’t able to attend. So it was cancelled.

However I was back to having Thursday as my day off this week. So at the weekend I created an event to see who was up for playing some games last night.

The numbers were looking pretty good. But life likes to through challenges in our way, and one or two had to drop out on the day. Still we had six people turn up. Which is pretty decent.

We split into two groups of three. The group I was in played Lost Ruins of Arnak with the “new” Expedition Leaders expansion. Whilst the other group played Stone Age.

We played with the three leaders that the rules said were the easiest to play. Who had which of those leaders was decided randomly.

I have to say I like Arnak much more now with the leaders. I love the unique ability/power each person has. Each player has a unique starting deck. You are trying to play to your leaders strengths. Which for mine was buying the item cards and playing them.

For me this should have been in the base game. Not sure I’d play the game without the leaders now.

Naturally the expansion adds more cards, ruins, guardians, etc. which is always welcome. Plus there is a new double sided research (I think that’s what’s it called) board that overlays the one on the main board. More variety. Never a bad thing.

Has this expansion given Lost Ruins of Arnak the edge over Dune Imperium? No. It’s closed the gap (until the Dune Imperium expansion comes out). There were five ruins explored this game (a first for one I’ve played). But it still felt like it was a race up the research track. Plus although I do really love how the game handles buying cards and having them go to the bottom of your deck. Deckbuilding still feels very tacked on.

Anyway Marcin kicked ass and romped away with the victory. As you can see I didn’t even get close.

Meanwhile the other table were playing the classic worker placement game Stone Age.

What would one of these posts be with out Jonathan’s photos?

The Fenland Gamers Friday night gaming comes around quickly.

Unlike the test session I was there first, and tried the burger and chips this time. That was much better value for money, and hit the spot. It was also followed by sticky toffee pudding with custard (the only way to have it).

Whilst eating the planned player count fell from twelve down to nine. Life happens and throws curveballs to disrupt even the best made plans.

With nine gamers eager to game we split into three tables of three.

My table was definitely playing what can only be described as games being on the lighter side. Quick to teach and quick to play. But definitely fun to play.

There were no new games played by me. I’ll just put the bgstats summary below to list what they were.

I think it’s suffice to say we all had fun, some giggles and a big laugh at Colin scoring over 140 points in the second round of No Thanks! It was pointed out the idea was to get the lowest score.

Whilst our table where playing “light” games. Jonathan and Gavin where on a table playing Cape May (photos below). The third table led by Diego was playing Snow Tails (sorry didn’t get a chance to get any photos).

As I left a game of Splendor was being started by those that had more stamina than me. Ok I was knackered. It’d been a long day.

It’s that part of the post where I finish with the photographic efforts of Jonathan.

Last night a new potential host for the Fenland Gamers gaming sessions was tried.

A handful of us gathered at the Wisbech St Mary Sports and Community Centre to try their menu (yes they do food), sup a beverage or two, and naturally test the gaming facilities by playing a game or two.

After consuming our food orders (I tried their steak, whilst others had burgers) we split into two groups to play games.

Our group, Ben, Rachel, Colin and myself played Ben’s copy of Takenoko. Whilst the other group were playing a bluffing card game of some sort (I’m sure Jonathan will leave a comment sharing which games they played).

Records show that I last played Takenoko back in June of 2018. They also show that out of the four times I’ve played the game I have not won a single game.

The current printing of Takenoko is slightly different to the one I had owned (now in the possession of Jonathan after some dodgy back alley wheeling and dealing). Ben had also got a “deluxe” upgrade pack from our FLGS when he purchased it. I believe the upgrade pack had alternate models for the panda and gardener, plus clear blue plastic for the irrigation instead of wood.

The bit I didn’t remember and think is a new addition to the game are the improvement rings. But this could just be my poor memory here.

Apparently adding the wrong improvement ring to a bamboo shoot, or eating a shoot to remove it from a space so nothing grows there again to stop others scoring is a dick thing to do! Ok it might be. But that’s all part of the friendly banter at the table.

Here is the evidence that I suffered my fourth defeat in Takenoko, and that Ben managed to grab victory.

After wards we all gathered round a table to discuss our thoughts about using the place as our regular Friday meet up. I think everyone was happy with the place.

It’s nice that there is the option to get food there as well as beverages. Although I thought the steak I had was over priced for what it was. But that was me testing the skill of the chef. An expensive test for sure.

I had to go at this point (I had been up since frickin early o’ clock) leaving the rest to play a game of Saboteur 2.

But it looks like we have found a new home for Friday night gaming and to hold our D&D sessions. Which is quite exciting.

Well you know how this post is going to end. Here’s Johnny!

Last night saw me staying up way past my bedtime playing boardgames! Oh what a naughty stop out I was.

Ok let me explain.

Now that for the foreseeable future I have gainful employment which requires me to start at 5am (or 7am on a Sunday). As you can imagine I go to sleep around 7pm (Nico and Loki permitting!). Which coincidentally was the start time of our gaming session last night. But careful planning meant I knew I didn’t have to be up before the crack of dawn, and in fact could sleep in.

All I had to worry about was not falling asleep at the gaming table. After all with Jonathan and Jeff my opponents for the evening who knows what they would have been egged on to do by Nathan.

Our game for the evening was Tinners’ Trail. And like every learning game and first plays we do, we threw caution to the wind, ignored common sense, good practice, and read the rulebook at the table for the very first time.

Look when we read the rulebook out loud at the table, this is no Friends Reunion table reading of an old episodes script. It’s a hard thing to do. You are reading aloud, possibly paraphrasing, trying to parse what you are reading, trying to listen to the others at the table, answer questions. You get the picture. It’s like a Jim Davidson comedy routine waiting to happen.

But sometimes this is the only way we can do it. We let people know in advance it’s a learning game and all that implies. It’s why usually it’s a separate session from a regular club night (although as you know that’s not always the case). Those of us attending accept this and any other caveats.

Onto the game itself Tinners’ Trail.

Basically the game is about mining enough resources to sell, and then with that money buy victory points. And you do that over four rounds.

But it’s how you get those resources and how much they are worth that’s the interesting bit.

I decided very successful to drain Jonathan and Jeff of their opening cash and action points during round one so that I could pick up mining areas cheaply, and boost my cash balance. So I used my cards to help bluff and put my plan into action. Another element of this plan was to push up the bidding so the winner spent more. It’s that push your luck element of knowing when to drop out before getting stung paying over the odds for a rubbish plot. Which Jonathan did fall into the trap of once or twice, as did Jeff.

By the end of the first round I had no cards left. It wasn’t a drawback for the later rounds. Or it was, or should have been but I wasn’t punished for it. This is quite an aggressive thing to do that could back fire. Luckily in this instance it didn’t.

I like how the price for the two resources is determined at the start of each round by rolling three d6 dice (although they were not proper numbered d6). Which means that it could possibly be more practical focusing on mining one resource over another because it’s worth lots more.

Recently games that have a fixed number of rounds like Lost Ruins of Arnak or even Wingspan have left me feeling I’d like one or two more rounds. But Tinners’ Trail felt just the right length.

What you do get left wanting more of each round is more action points to spend so you can do more. But I also like that whole you have ten action points, here are the actions you can do and the action point cost of each. It makes you focused and trying to work out the optimum order to do them in.

I also like how resources within an area you are mining are limited. So you have to manage when the optimum time to mine them is based on their market cost.

Naturally there were one or two misplays and/or mistakes. But that’s something you accept is going to happen in a learning game. After all it’s a learning game!

But the important thing is I won. Quite comfortably in the end.

Tinners’ Trail is an enjoyable game. I’d definitely play it again. Would I be as successful next time? Who knows.

And before we finish with the last bit of the post the photo by Jonathan from the evening. I’d like to say a big big thank you to our hosts The Luxe for being so splendid.