More 'Lore...

This week's Tuesday games have been dubbed "Best Evah" by Crabro and who am I to disagree?

We were immersed in Battlelore again with a meaty and seemingly well-balanced scenario including a useful number of units drawn up in opposing battlelines and the prospect of magic again. I've mentioned before, I'm sure, how this game speaks to my inner thirteen year old and evokes those wonderful feelings, experienced in massed civil war Airfix minis games long ago. The "them against them" dice rolls. The anticipation of a cunning attack. The triumphs and disasters at the whim of the D6. Happily we both really enjoy this game and are having a whale of a time playing a scenario from both sides each week.

This week, despite the feeling that the scenario was fairly well-balanced I was lucky enough to start with a victory of six banners to nil (five being the requirement for the win). Changing sides and playing again it was a different story, however, and the scoreline much better reflected the perceived nature of the set up. I was once again in a position for a possible win, with most of the work done and a powerful spell ready. Once or twice a die roll could have finished the job but didn't, finally Crabro was able to announce that if my turn (and the dreaded creeping doom spell) didn't produce the win then he would definitely win on the next turn. A disappointing dice roll (on my part) later and he was as good as his word winning the return match 6-5. It had been something of an epic battle, much appreciated by the winner and the loser alike.

After a very tasty lunch (provided by Crabro again) we returned to Comuni as it seems to make sense to play a game more than once having learned all the rules. I was a little less enthusiastic than my opponent having lost so badly the last time I played but found myself enjoying it nevertheless. It is undoubtedly a good design and satisfying to play but...I lost again. This time I played more conventionally and in the two player game there was never much to fear from the battles, however, Crabro was much more focused on getting all the bonuses and as our building scores were identical it was his success in getting 3 of the 4 bonus "people" and the better of the two bonus tiles in each battle that won the game for him, by some margin.