April and October are my favorite months for gaming. October is obvious with a Halloween/horror theme and a plethora of goodies. April is less obvious, but it’s a favorite because it is my birthday month. So, I get to pick the games we play AND there is usually a plethora chocolaty treats. Win-win-WIN.

So, what’s on today’s tabletop gaming agenda? Well, you’d think we’d be disappointed by a low turnout, but that gives us an opportunity to bring out games that do not support our usual 5+ gamers. Unfortunately for him, Sam’s attempt to sway me into choosing Robo Rally over the alternative failed miserably, and April’s game day consisted of one of my lesser (almost never) played games that I love, Doom and Caylus.

Guests:
Sam “I brought a flourless chocolate cupcake for your birthday from your favorite bakery, so I’ve banked immunity” (@normallywho)
Derek “Are you ready for ice cream now? (5 minutes later) How about now?”
ITGirl “OMG a cupcake!!” (@itgirlnet)

Sam's Marine
Sam’s Marine
First Up: Doom
Description (from BoardGameGeek.com) – “Attention all Marines! All UAC personnel be advised. There has been a code red security breach in the dimensional gateway research facility here at the Union Aerospace Corporation’s Mars base. We are under invasion. I repeat, we are under invasion. Report immediately to central command. If you are isolated from the main facility, seek out other marines, form squads, and engage the invaders with whatever means possible. The weapons at the Mars base are limited, but should be sufficient for neutralizing the invaders.”

Derek's Marine
Derek’s Marine
In the boardgame, like the computer game, demonic invaders have broken through from another dimension into the Union Aerospace Corporation’s Mars base. Marines have been deployed to the base to protect UAC personnel and destroy the invaders. Up to three players will take the roles of heavily armed and highly trained marines, while one player will control the legion of demonic invaders. The marine players explore the claustrophobic rooms and corridors of the Mars base, attacking monsters, picking up new weapons and equipment, and working together to complete specific mission objectives.

Don't open that door! My invaders lie in wait.
Don’t open that door! My invaders lie in wait.
The heart of Doom: The Boardgame is the scenario. Before every game, a scenario must be chosen. Each individual scenario will tell you how to set up the game, explain any special rules, and describe the specific objectives you must achieve in order to win the game. You will find several ready-to-play scenarios in the Doom Scenario Guide.

Winner: ME as the Demonic Invaders. The scenario I chose was The Inferno, which required the marines to rescue scientists as they fought their way through the map. So, it’s a must to balance fast movement with killing monsters, a much different approach than most of the other scenarios. If a scientist died before they got to him, then they lose. It was NOT the scientists’ lucky day…

Next up, Caylus, new to me, but not so new to Derek and Sam (you can see where I’m going with this).

Caylus in progress: Sam's black, Derek's Green, and I'm red.
Caylus in progress: Sam’s black, Derek’s Green, and I’m red.
Next Up: Caylus
Description (from BoardGameGeek.com) – Once upon a time … in 1289. To strengthen the borders of the Kingdom of France, King Philip the Fair decided to have a new castle built. For the time being, Caylus is but a humble village, but soon, workers and craftsmen will be flocking by the cartload, attracted by the great prospects. Around the building site, a city is slowly rising up. The players embody master builders. By building the King’s castle and developing the city around it, they earn prestige points and gain the King’s favor. When the castle is finished, the player who has earned the most prestige wins the game.

Winner: Another LONG game. Derek “outbuilt” and “outprestiged” Sam (and I) once again to claim victory. He cleverly made a last minute build that pushed him into the lead with prestige points. I was SO far behind, that I changed my strategy to one of harassment until the end of the game. Want that resource? I’ll put my workers on it. Want to rule the provost? Denied! Now, I’ll pass, just so you have to pay more to place your workers. I’m such a poor loser.

See you next month, where I hope to sneak in Robo Rally!

April 2013 Gamegeeks Game Results