What's on your table right now?

[LongBlade]

Over the holiday one of my nieces was extolling the virtues of Cards Against Humanity during the big snow storm this week.

Not one to miss an opportunity to get gaming on the family docket I offer to go to Target to get something similarly enjoyable. Daughter #2 tags along.

There are three (what should I call them? "non-conventional games"?): Catan, Ticket to Ride: Europe, and Pandemic. After a brief discussion Daughter #2 picks Pandemic.

I nearly pass out with joy.

We play Pandemic (just the two of us). She likes it. I check my pulse to see if I'm still alive.

She agrees to play it again.

So, gentlemen, I need to know. In this universe in Star Trek TOS, does Spock have a beard most of the time?

[Bison]

I didn't know Spock was gay.

[Staggerwing]

Wrong Star Trek franchise...

[Rekim]

I didn't know Spock was gay.

plus, best mashup ever

https://youtu.be/3uxTpyCdriY?list=FLA5Yn4KY58JQkMAHVIGqjTA

[LongBlade]

I didn't know Spock was gay.

plus, best mashup ever

https://youtu.be/3uxTpyCdriY?list=FLA5Yn4KY58JQkMAHVIGqjTA

smh

OK, that was totally uncalled for.  >:(

And funny.

[BanzaiCat]

My daughter and I played Star Wars: Risk no less than four times yesterday. I played the Rebellion three times and won each time, then switched with her for the last game and played the Empire and lost.

The game very much leans towards the Rebellion, though one of my three wins came at the absolute last moment with only two Y-Wings left...one of them got a lucky shot off at the Death Star when my daughter's TIE fighters left a hole in their defenses. Very much a Star Wars-esque win; the other two were more crushing.

http://www.amazon.com/Risk-Star-Wars-Edition-Game/dp/B00SDJG59K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451581938&sr=8-1&keywords=risk+star+wars+game

It's a pretty good, quick game. I found it for $24.95 at a GameStop...the above link sells it for cheaper (sans shipping of course).

[Cyrano]

Black Edition :).

Some of the parts are nicer, but the box is really the best part...extruded foam holding case for the board and bits.

Agree, re: favoring the Rebellion, although the Empire gets a shed load of Ties that it has to use aggressively.  Also, if the Empire gets lucky on the convoy freighters with the Death Star early on, the Rebellion will have a bad time of it.

[Nefaro]

I want more info on Star Wars Rebellion from FFG.  Release is supposed to be Februrary iirc but I wanna see some gameplay vids.  Looks bitchin.  ;)

[Bison]

Yeah Rebellion looks like it'll be awesome.

[BanzaiCat]

Nice edition, Cyrano. I'm happy with the bits that came in my more pedestrian version but damn those pieces look nice!

I was actually kind of surprised at the details on the TIE fighters. I thought they'd be featureless but there's lots of detail in them...the cockpit windows, the laser mountings, and the TIE panels even have ridges and texture to them.

My daughter, when playing the Empire, liked to have the Super Star Destroyer shed tons of TIE fighters and move them as a big mass. It was a pretty difficult tactic to deal with, especially when the Death Star destroys all of the Rebel fleet and then can start shooting at Rebel fighter groups on the board, making concentration suicidal.

[avrotim]

I am deeply envious.   I got the regular version before I even knew about the Black Box edition.  I can't afford to buy what is essentially the same game twice. 

On the table for me is New York 1776 by Worthington Games.  Right now I am just pushing the blocks around solo to get a feel for the game.

[Nefaro]

Just came in this afternoon...

Time for Stinky Paladin and Sadistic Sorcerer in some solitaire action soon!

[Arctic Blast]

I want more info on Star Wars Rebellion from FFG.  Release is supposed to be Februrary iirc but I wanna see some gameplay vids.  Looks bitchin.  ;)

If they've somehow figured out a way to make it work as a 2-4 player game, I'm in. If it's a 2 player game playing pretend as more than that, it'll never get played, so I'm out.

Besides, I just scored a trade for Forbidden Stars.  :D

[Nefaro]

I want more info on Star Wars Rebellion from FFG.  Release is supposed to be Februrary iirc but I wanna see some gameplay vids.  Looks bitchin.  ;)

If they've somehow figured out a way to make it work as a 2-4 player game, I'm in. If it's a 2 player game playing pretend as more than that, it'll never get played, so I'm out.

Besides, I just scored a trade for Forbidden Stars.  :D

Reviews say that Forbidden Stars is pretty much just a 2-player game due to the lengthy battles forcing any extra players to go take a nap for 10 minutes at a time.

[LongBlade]

Reviews say that Forbidden Stars is pretty much just a 2-player game due to the lengthy battles forcing any extra players to go take a nap for 10 minutes at a time.

I've played it twice and didn't find myself bored. There's a mechanic where you play your intended action on a planet. A player going after you can play his intended action on yours, and another on his. The result is a stack that gets built. If you plan appropriately going last (or near last) can be an advantage - or not if you plan poorly/wrongly.

I think that mechanic keeps you in the game even when you're not doing anything because you're waiting to see what everyone else is doing.

Also, the victory objectives are generally scattered all over the map. In a four player game I've found myself caught in a mix between horror and glee as two opponents locked horns in a sector of the map where I really wanted to go. It was great to see them blasting each other, but less than great seeing them occupy a planet I need to win the game.

Perhaps the greatest thing is the chaos walls which block movement. It's amazing how one turn they can help you complete your objective and the next totally spoil it. It's a great mechanic.

So, yes, there are down times between your turn, but generally I've not felt bored. In any event it's no more boring than waiting for your turn in many other boardgames.