Queens of the Throne Age

We met up as usual for our weekly games binge, but for some reason it felt like a long time since I'd seen anyone. Ah, the tricks a mind can play. As we walked in, a new game was laid out across the table, tempting us to investigate its intricacies.

The game was Game of Thrones, which has also been a book and a TV show. One of the few board games you might find in a game of charades, then. The map was a sort of distorted Orkney Islands of
silly made-up names. I was in charge of the Greyjoy family – a family whose ancestors were too poor or stupid to change their name by deed poll.

Anja and Steve walked us through the basic rules, promising us that other more specialised rules would pop up as the game went on. We got stuck in a little after eight, and we were a lulled into a false sense of security as the first two rounds sped past without too much trouble. Then round three happened. First, three special cards each needed a lengthy period to work out the consequences. Then people started battling each other for once.

Towards the end of the game, the score chart in the top
right shows Adam only one away from a win.

It cannot be denied that Adam got the perfect spot. He more or less had the whole Eastern seaboard to himself. Meanwhile, Sam was stuck in the board game's version of Scotland: lots of large territories but not a great deal to do.

I started slowly and soon became squashed between the hordes from my north (Sam) and south (Anja). Meanwhile Adam was quickly building up territories with buildings in (and what do territories with buildings in make? Prizes!) which sped him to an early lead. A lead that soon turned into a win, as he picked up his seventh building, causing the game to end immediately, just before Sam was about to unleash an attack by sea on his HQ.

The rest of us were in second place with three buildings each, and I almost said "We'd better do the tie-break rules because I don't feel like I came in second" but when we did those rules, it turned out I did come in second! With barely any presence on the map! Baffling.

1. Adam, 7 buildings
2. Andrew, 3 buildings, 3 supplies, 1 power token
3. Anja, 3 buildings, 3 supplies, 0 power tokens, highest influence
4. Steve, 3 buildings, 3 supplies, 0 power tokens, not as much influence
5. Sam, 3 buildings, 2 supplies

My second-placed territory highlighted. Amazing what
you can do with three regions and some sea.

Since the game was over sooner than we thought, we played a quick game of No Thanks, just to give those gamers who aren't good at strategy or planning a chance for a win. I have to say, I got a bit lucky. I picked up an early ten on a whim and was rewarded during the game with an eleven, nine, eight and seven. With those in my pocket, I just had to play it safe and I finished with no red coins at all. Sam, though, played a cannier game, picking up red coins to draw level with me with Anja not far behind.

1= Sam 7
1= Andrew 7
2. Anja 12
3. Adam 23
4. Steve 27

Then, as we were discussing possibilities for our next big games weekend, Anja and Steve dropped a bombshell. They are expecting a tiny new meeple in April! We all congratulated them on their new arrival, and decided that if we do do something, it'll have to be before mid-March.

Such happy tidings almost make the form table seem unimportant...

Almost, I said. Of course it's still important.

						Points
Andrew	1	2	3	1	5	12
Adam	3	1	2	3	5	14
Sam	1	5	1	4	5	16
Anja	2	3	5	5	5	20
Joe	3	2	5	5	5	20
Steve	4	4	5	5	5	23