Cull or Collection? Part 2

Yellow & Yangtze

Status: Culled
Regrets?: Maybe
Comment: It's...

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So many of these I've never heard of. Among those that I had, pretty much all decisions that I agree with, except the very first one. I don't have a copy of Y&Y and have only played a couple times but would like to obtain one to do some more comparison with the copy of T&E that will never leave the shelf. Also dumped off Lords of Hellas a while back because it was just another DoaM and one that seemed to have an obvious(?) flaw in that hunting was almost always the surest path to victory. Recently traded my way into a copy of Tournament at Avalon and I'd originally picked up a copy of Tournament at Camelot a few years ago because of your review of T at A...

I'd like to hear more about your 2 player game of Lords of Hellas. I have always disliked how the rules change for low player counts, completely discounting the blue land region for victory. I've always figured if I have 2 players I should play a game more designed for that, like Nexus Ops.

Jackwraith wrote: Also dumped off Lords of Hellas a while back because it was just another DoaM and one that seemed to have an obvious(?) flaw in that hunting was almost always the surest path to victory.

It is frustrating that monster hunting is so powerful, and the most fun path to victory. But I have found that as long as everyone at the table knows that, people can fairly easily put a stop to someone attempting to win via hunting.

hotseatgames wrote: I'd like to hear more about your 2 player game of Lords of Hellas. I have always disliked how the rules change for low player counts, completely discounting the blue land region for victory. I've always figured if I have 2 players I should play a game more designed for that, like Nexus Ops.

We had a 4 player game of Hellas planned with me teaching two new players. As happens, one was unable to make it and my daughter had a migraine. So, it was me and a new player. Since I had it set up, he says why don't we give it a shot at two players. I decided to go for the three region victory (used only the a two player game) and set up at the bottom of the map and was spreading out pretty well. However, he had control of the Zues monument and kept giving me wounds and I foolishly failed a couple of hunts, allowing him to hunt steal and win on hunts. He said he wanted to play again the next day.

I was intrigued by the two player rule that when you take the build monument action, you can choose one action you previously used and repeat it before doing build monument. So, we agreed to play another two player game so I could explore this. I ended up starting in Attica and, using this rule, ended up building 4 temples in the first two rounds, holding the Athena boon, and grabbing a Temple victory very quickly by taking a Temple he had built thinking he was falling behind with no temples. Since I was triggering build monument, I was getting the priests back on the board every time.

That's interesting, I don't think we have had a temple victory, literally ever.

hotseatgames wrote: That's interesting, I don't think we have had a temple victory, literally ever.

I just love that the specific 2 player rules had me thinking about the game in new ways and coming up with new tactics. Churning priests into Athena to build up leadership to take specific temples and not entire areas. We ended up playing a third 2 player game because, in turn, he was interested in coming up with a way to stop me... which he did by starting right next to me and harassing me. That one came down to me being one turn away from a temple win and him getting the hunt legit (not monster stealing).

Jackwraith wrote: So many of these I've never heard of. Among those that I had, pretty much all decisions that I agree with, except the very first one. I don't have a copy of Y&Y and have only played a couple times but would like to obtain one to do some more comparison with the copy of T&E that will never leave the shelf.

I, too, have a copy of T&E which means if I'm lucky enough to get a crew to play something "of this ilk" it gets reached for first. Don't make me feel worse about culling it lol