So, with Sam, Joe, Adam and myself we began with a light introduction. Something without too much reaching across the table, in light of Sam's still-bandaged torso. Skulls and Roses. This game of guessing and counter-guessing is quick and easy to learn and even though it was Sam's first go, we did say it was leaderboard. Honest, Adam.
1. Sam
2. Andrew
3. Joe
4. Adam
After this, it was eight o'clock and time for the headline act. The lights! The curtain! The roar of the crowd and the smell of fresh greasepaint! Yes, it was Colosseum, the game of dazzling showbiz larks in ancient Rome.
It had been a while, so there was some referencing the rule book, but nothing to stop the unbridled joy of putting on a show for passing dignitaries. My tactic was almost as daring as the costume I wore on the opening night of my final production! I ignored the doge, preferring to rely on blind luck with a single die to get bums on seats.
Adam did the same, deciding to build up his arena in the first round. This allowed him to put on an impressive five shows during the game. Meanwhile, showbiz jealousy reared its ugly head as Sam and Joe both stocked up on lions. A moment’s of indecision from Joe in the buying and building round allowed Sam to swoop in and buy the rights to Lions! The Musical! (or as it’s also know: The Legendary Lion Hunters)
Adam’s big production was Cesar’s Triumphant March: that epic tale which has so often been the ruin of an ambitious young producer. Joe went for something about Safaris, and I put on the cheeky but tasteful Isis’ Revealed Secrets. I was lucky enough to get the Emperor in and I had three star performers in the cast, which propelled me to first place.
Andrew 87
Adam 84
Sam 79
Joe 79
By now it was still only ten o’clock, so we returned to the skill and bluffwork of Skulls and Roses. This time Joe put all thoughts of his middling form out of his head, and cruised to two victories, making him GNN’s own Hell’s Angel leader. If only he had somewhere to park his Harley.
1. Joe
2. Andrew
3. Adam
4. Sam
1. Joe
2. Andrew
3. Adam
4. Sam
(not a mistake – we finished in the same places twice in a row)
No change at the top of the form table, but Joe rises to third. Sam’s illness has clearly affected him, as he tumbles down to seventh.
| Points | ||||||
| Steve | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Andrew | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| Joe | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| Anja | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 13 |
| Adam | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 13 |
| Hannah | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 13 |
| Sam | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 15 |
| Quentin | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 19 |
| Jonny | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 19 |
| Paul | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 19 |
| Sally | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 23 |
It was a great evening — Sam and I managed a tense game of Mr Jack before Adam and Andrew arrived: despite his internal injuries, Sam (playing the eponymous murderer) hobbled through a sewer and escaped in round 4, disguised as a prostitute. Oldest trick in the book.
ReplyDeleteI really like Skull and Roses (just for the record it's Skull singular, Andrew - luckily all those geeks who would be infuriated by the mis-spelling don't read our blog). A great distillation of the bluffing element of many games, it seems to have hidden depths.
And Colosseum is a classic - lovely to get it to the table again.
In fact I was cursing two things: Sam stole my number one choice of final show, but I had a back-up. My main agony was that I was deliberating over a second medium show in round four, but lacked the green guys to make it work, and was concerned it wouldn't generate the cash needed to expand my casino (whoops wrong game) and buy the big show for the last round. I ended up gaining to greenies that turn and an extra buy token, so I should have rallied my thespian instincts and gone for it - it's what Andreas Llyoddus Webberus would have done.
One thing I never do enough of in Colosseum is checking out what shows I think other people are going to put on. It's hard enough keeping track of my own plans, I find.
Thanks Joe for hosting, Andrew for the write-up and Adam for the comedy glasses. Games have cured me; headache definitely down to a 1 or 2 today (in hospital they constantly asked me to grade the pain out of ten) and I'm actually out of the house...
ReplyDeleteI think Skull and Roses is very poker-like, therefore I'm crap at it... The dark glasses were a desperate attempt to disguise my utterly obvious intentions, but instead they nearly made Andrew wet himself. Thinking about it that could have been just as good - damn! I should have kept them on!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Colosseum again too - it's been too long!