Chewsday Challenge - North Albert Boston Pizza - December 2, 2014 (18:00)

[PhotoJim]

I had a lot of people interested in Kremlin last week so I'll run it again at 8:30 pm.  This time I'll run the Modern (third) version.  Maximum six players; playtime about 105 minutes.

Kremlin A game of political intrigue set in the Soviet Politburo. The game consists of a large number of politician cards, some of which form the first politburo. Politicians have certain stats (preferred offices, for instance) and an age. At the start of the game, the players secretly note influence on ten politicians, graded from 10 (most) to 1 (least). Gameplay is not clockwise, but happens from top to bottom in the politburo. Whatever action the politician in a certain office can take is done by the player who reveals the greatest influence on the politician in question. Actions include accusing other politicians of espionage (potentially exiling them to Siberia), pardoning them, reshuffling the politburo and others. But each action a politician takes lets him (or in one case, her) age by one or more years. Once a turn each politburo member must face a health roll which can result in sickness marker or even instant death (the older, the most likely). At the end of each turn, the reigning head of state must wave to the crowd at the October parade without collapsing (which gets harder the sicker the politician is). A politician who succeeds in this three times makes the player who controls him/her the winner. The original Fata Morgana edition included rules requiring the players to hold funeral speeches for deceased party chairmen and drinking vodka with it, for instance. The later Avalon Hill edition scrapped these rules and gave the game a less satirical and more serious tone. The Jolly Roger edition provides three different KREMLIN games in one box but we'll be playing the new "modern" version, set in the modern USSR and Russia, an era of entrenched bureaucracy and alternatives for escaping KGB persecution. This version introduces the concept of "Going into Exile" to avoid Siberia. It also includes modern politicians from the 1960s onwards, whether it is Kosygin or Putin and Gorbachev.

[miles]

sign me up for kremlin

[Jhegel]

Sign me up for Kremlin as well! Thanks!

[Cordawg]

Put me on the kremlin list as a maybe since risk legacy might  b done by then

[PhotoJim]

You know people liked Kremlin when two of the people who played it yesterday want to play it again this week. 

I told Lori that while I'm a competitive gamer and I really like winning, Kremlin is one of the games where I can lose and still have a blast.  Last night was certainly one of those times.  I turned the game upside down at one point with a play I made but I still lost. 

Given last night's time experience, let's change the runtime of Kremlin to 150 minutes.  See you next week!

[NeikeDjour]

I'm going to bring Lords of Xidit back again. Had a blast this week playing it. Needs at least 4 players, up to 5. (120 minutes @ 6:30)

The Black Southern Host has arisen, corrupting the hearts of the indigenous creatures. Afflicted by a mysterious sickness, they are attacking human cities. The last remaining hope for restoring peace to Xidit lies with the Kingdom's noble heirs, the Idrakys. As one of them, you must roam the Kingdom recruiting brave soldiers and reclaiming threatened cities. Your bravery will not go unrewarded: accumulate wealth, send bards to sing your praises, and build Sorcerers' Guilds! Lords of Xidit features simultaneous programming and an elimination-based scoring system that leaves no room for complacency! In more detail, at the end of the game players compare their influence in one category and the player with the least influence is eliminated and his pieces removed from the board; players then compare influence in another category, with a player again being removed. The order of elimination is randomly determined at the start of play, forcing you to thinking in different ways each game. Prepare to ride out, Idrakys, and forge your legend!

[PhotoJim]

Put me on the kremlin list as a maybe since risk legacy might  b done by then

We can wait 5 or 10 minutes but we'll have to start at 8:40 if you're not ready.  Hopefully you can make it.

[Rosencrantz]

Unfortunately I'm no longer able to make it out.  Please remove me from CO2 and Imperial Settlers.   Hopefully these games will be brought out again.

[R Newell]

I'll take both of Rosencrantz's vacated spots (CO2 at 6:30 and Imperial Settlers at 8:30).  Thanks.

[Dana_Tillusz]

My buddy Shane can't make it out now so there is an open spot on BSG.