Plain or assaulted

 I went to Sam’s this Sunday to try out Plains Indian Wars. This game is based around a period when settlers and the US cavalry were trying to build an infrastructure across some land held by Native Americians. The board has a (non-accurate) map of the mid west, and it is across this theatre that the dice-based battles will take place. The basics are pretty easy. Play a card, do what it says, resolve any battle. There are often moments where we weren’t sure of the official rules (such as where to retreat to) but we never let ourselves get bogged down with unnecessary details.

I was the invading settlers and, from the start, I concentrated on building the railroad. The wagons seemed to look after themselves and I didn’t need to pay them a great deal of mind. Sam got some tough rolls during combat and I was able to wipe out the North Plains Indian tribe by the end of the game, except for a couple in the far north-west who’d been diligently beating up enemy Indians for points.

And, in fact, I almost didn’t win because I went for a thematic victory (ie, complete the railroad) and paid scant attention to the actual business of gaining points. I didn't note the exact results but it was something like 25-21, with the wagons helping to push me into the winning position.

A very nice game, very fast moving. A little bit of brain burn as ideal strategies are formed on the fly, but not too much to slow things down. Those wagons seem a bit overpowered, though.

After this, I requested Bandu. Rare to see it as a two player game, but I was just in the mood. It was much the same as the last time we played. I went unconventional early on, and it almost worked too. But I was too ambitious with my plans of a new flat platform held up by a rickety x-shaped block and the peak of a cone. It gave way beneath the second piece I put on it.

Sam, meanwhile, played an excellent game. I thought my choices for him were pretty mean with one curved surface after another, but he piled them up with aplomb. Additionally, once he'd won, he started stacking up extra pieces with gay abandon, as they used to say. This lap of honour lasted four or five pieces before his edifice finally collapsed.

And with that, I was done. Thanks Sam, nice to get some gaming done before the heatwave hit the following day.