Games Circle 30 Sep 2006
Games - Tikal
Gamers - Wai Yan, Jeff, Ainul, Heng
I arrived late again to find my friend Alvin and his friend Paul playing Ticket to Ride: Europe (TTR:E) with Chua and Jeff Goh. I’m sure that the gateway game TTR:E was played for the benefit of Paul rather than Alvin, whom I understand thrash everyone else as he had played lots of times with me and my Klang group.
I watched awhile before… Jeff Aw and Wai Yan came to the rescue! They brought forth Tikal and Ainul coincidentally drop in at the right time to setup a four player game. It’s my first played game (I watched the last time). However, since I already know all the rules, we all just started playing. We’ve got a good pace going and Jeff Goh came and have a look after hie TTR:E game.
Here is a closeup of a beautiful board, with red (Wai Yan) initially going north, orange (Jeff) going northeast, white (Ainul) going east and black (me, Heng) going last and picking up the scraps.
And here’s an obligatory shot of me in my Analysis-Paralysis mode.
To give me some pressure, the other gamers put this hourglass thingy in front of me… tick tock!
(Please note, the retail copy of Tikal does not come with this hourglass!)
The stage is set for the future rounds: camps (the triangular thingies) side by side each other. Red against orange in the north and white against black in the east.
Ainul here, enjoying the Analysis-Paralysis of choosing a place to put his temple-tile.
The veteran duo, orange and white, demonstrating their experienced strategy by going for the early temple guard.
In midgame, white and black engaged in a fatalistic conflict over control of a meagre 6-point temple.
The temple goes to 7-point, the battle goes wild!!! What a mass of explorers!!!
The other conflict raging on the other side. Mass of red and orange over a 6 and an 8-point temple!!!
An overview of the board at midgame. Red and orange clearly locked in battle while black and white having their own little conflict going. If you look closely enough, red managed to cordon off the right side of the board all to herself.
The eventual winner, Wai Yan, queen of the temples surveying the board… Judging by the end score where she scores 100++ and almost double the next player’s score, that serious look means business, man!
We end up playing the game for two-half hour. Meanwhile, on the other table, Jeff Goh and Chua brought up a game of Memoir 44. An interesting 2 player WWII game which I heard is easy to teach and involving to play.
Henry and Alvin teaching Paul the ropes in Puerto Rico. (Hope Paul didn’t get thrash too hard by happy gamers Alvin and Henry…)
Another day, another gaming session complete. Hope to see Alvin and Paul at Games Circle again! =)
p.s. Been enjoying Tikal online lately. Completed one game and having two ongoing games currently. Anyone interested in learning without having to meet face to face can go to www.spielbyweb.com or drop a message to me here… (And now, back to my online games, let’s see which temple to claim…)
