Sunday 11 January 2015

Hillmann Impish

I finally gave up the idea of playing games tonight when Andrew texted me to say he had no trousers. It's been that kind of weekend. Then suddenly, whilst reading The Greatest Gresham to the boys, the phone rang. It was an unusually perky Adam, saying he'd try and get Ian out of his sick bed and up to my house.

Ian was too ill to join us - get well soon mate - but Andrew, thanks to the wonder of radiators, jumped in the car and made a dash up the hill whilst Adam - with an alarming lack of bags under his eyes - and I played The Hive.

I say we played. Actually Adam played - I never got started, and if it was a boxing match my metaphorical coach would have thrown in the metaphorical towel well before the end. Maybe Adam metaphorically slipped on it and knocked himself out on the metaphorical corner post. We'll never know.

As it was my bee - after several desperate delays of the inevitable - succumbed.

Adam - beats Sam, comprehensively.
Sam - loses.

Andrew - perhaps his driving affected by the dampness of his trousers - still hadn't joined us, so I talked Adam through the simple delights of Black Fleet and we quickly had it set up and ready to go. Andrew walked in, sat down, and began sailing his ships like there was no tomorrow. Nautically speaking, there wasn't, as Adam broadsided and scuttled us.


I did manage to force it to a tie-break at least, but when the Creeping Custard already has enough money to flip his last card with a turn to go, and you have had your last turn and only have one doubloon left for a tie-breaker - in gaming parlance, you're fucked.


Adam - 5 cards flipped; 9 doubloons
Sam - 5 cards flipped; 1 doubloon
Andrew - 4 cards flipped.

With the bit now between his teeth Adam took us on at Castles of Mad King Ludwig. He had won this last time he played, but at that point I was just a rank amateur and hadn't fully understood the scoring. I felt with the practise Andrew and I had been putting in, at least one of us would give him a run for his money.


It looked like it'd be Andrew at first as he surged up the score track. But we caught him and as the game neared its end it was fairly close. Then, at the very end, it wasn't close at all:

Adam 115
Sam 101
Andrew 86

When is he going to have another baby, for chrissake?







Points
Sam 2 2 1 1 2 8
Andrew 3 3 2 2 1 11
Ian 3 3 2 3 3 14
Andy 6 2 3 2 2 15
Adam 1 1 5 5 5 17
Katy 1 1 5 5 5 17
Matt 5 1 1 5 5 17
Steve 3 3 4 5 5 20
Joe 2 4 5 5 5 21
Anja 6 5 3 4 5 23

3 comments:

  1. I blame myself. When I made that review of the year, I should have lied and said Adam did really well. Now he's got something to prove, and nothing's going to stop him.

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  2. I blame you too. By the way, doesn't Adam get another 1 for Hive?

    I love Castles of Mad King Ludwig. When I was younger I used to constantly draw imaginary houses and underground lairs so it has a weird escapist/nostalgic appeal to me.

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  3. Even though they have a Division, I don't think two-player games would really work on the form table.

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