We broke into two groups at the Game Parlor--Railroad Tycoon and Agricola (duh.) The four of us sat down, set up the game, dealt the cards (I-deck), read the cards and...

"Hey, can I play? I really want a game of this."

Um, OK.

Goodbye food-generating cards. Hello pile o' mediocrity.

I went second and grabbed the freebie occupation space (first player took the clay.) I put down the Fence Delivery Man, thinking I better get this down ASAP or it won't be worth anything. I struggled (meaning I may have taken inefficient actions) to find the extra food to pay for the first 4 fences in round 7.

Start player moved two to my left, but there was a lot of resource grabbing and I could play another occupation--the Musician--in the next round. Get one grain whenever another player takes travelling players. That word _another_ was annoying, because there were a few times I wanted the 3 food on there. Also, other players tend not to do what you want.

On turn three, I took the starting player and placed the Flagon. I secretly cursed the flagon for the next 6 rounds, figuring nobody's ever gonna build the *&^% well. It was feast and famine, because in round 8 the guy to my right built the well and then upgraded in the same turn! I took in 8 food. I went from wondering where my next meal was coming from and how to pay for my next round of fences to personal supermarket in a few minutes.

But that flagon didn't pay off for awhile. I was wondering where the food was gonna come from. I had to take the food as first player--gee, what a great use of that--just to ensure non-starvation. In the meantime, from rounds 2 - 4, Greg was raking in the resources and starting his extensions. Doug (the fifth guy) was generating a major grain factory with his "Field Watchman" getting a ploughed field every time he took grain.

After round 4:

Greg and Doug didn't have food problems early and did get their family going. Greg had a fishing net along with a big food grab. Doug had the Clay Oven and was baking bread like a mad man.

John was pursuing his "anti-farm" strategy -- a milking cow, a Wildlife Reserve, and the Cabinet Maker. He found just enough food at each stage.

Malcolm wasn't exactly getting anything going.


In the next few rounds I started grabbing resources, as those who already had them were now building with them. I fretted inwardly about where my food was coming from, but I play this game boldly (not necessarily well, but boldly!) Gotta grab 6 clay or 8 wood when you can, and I did both and more grabs besides.


After round 7:

I had built the first of two delivery-man fences at the start of round 7, scraping up the food I-forget-where--probably the old-fashioned way: I fished for it. I built an extension and three stables, which along with fence deliveryman set me for the best animal farm in the village by game's end. I still had only 2 family members; but on the plus side(?) there was one or two less family to feed.

Greg and Doug were already at 4 family members. My only hope was in their lack of diversification. Greg didn't have any fields going and Doug didn't have a good set of stables and animals, although he hardly had any unusued fields--he did the giant pasture thing along with a few stables.

John still had NOTHING on his fields but was working his cards like a magician.

Malcolm took a begging card. He got the slaughterman down, but we weren't doing a lot of that by this point. The game was kind of playing him.


Now is where my aforementioned Well of Bounty kicked in. I would have two fields with grain planted. I would no longer be living hand-to-mouth. Animals were breeding; I wasn't forced to eat them bfore they could.

Many cards were played by this time--too many to track. I know Doug had manure and the shepherd's crook.

After round 9:

I finally had three family members; but that would be all I'd ever get. I renovated to clay. I could never get the stone I wanted to build the major improvements. Either there was just one stone on the action card or I passed on it for "more pressing and important" things to do (sound familiar?) and then it would be gone. (For this case, it really hurt only having two family.)

During the renovation then improve, I played the wood path. I knew Doug had the stone road, becasuse he asked about what it was in the beginning of the game. I figured he wouldn't have the time/resources/inclination to play it by this point. (I would be correct.)

Doug and Greg seemed to be busy playing cards and finding food. Greg was scooping up stone and other resouces.

Malcolm was finally getting use from his slaughterhouse. He always seemed to be a resource short for what he wanted to build.

John was John.

Fade to End

Doug 33 -- his lack of unused spaces, his 5 family members, and good crop growing pulled out the win. The grain getting a plowed field card really got him going.

Greg 31 -- Great use of resource conversions, family growth and the only one to get a stone house, but he didn't get his crops or animals going. Greg's a big proponent of Wood. I'm still in discussion with him about this--do you grab at all costs, or do you look for more efficient avenues (for example, clay, renovate, build up with clay) if everyone's grabbing wood at any cost? We played some two-player games where there is only one wood spot--wood is very valuable there.

Jim 31 -- I forgot about the Wooden Path getting 2 bonus points until this session report. But with or without it, I didn't win. Once or twice I got a major hosing from the player before me (John) who grabbed what I wanted. I stormed down the back stretch, really building a complete farm (4 cattle, 4 boar, 4 sheep) along with maxing grain and managing two veggies. I had 4 or 5 (can't remember) unused spaces and only 3 family members.

John 26 -- 11 unused spaces and he still posted this score. He renovated to clay and had two extra family members without room. (He made a round 12 start player grab and took this both times.) He had each animal type on his reserve and had grain and veggies in his stock! Quite cool and I might make use of some of his ideas in future games. This strategy really speaks to the game of what you can accomplish and how you can go about it.

Malcolm 17 -- Like John, he doesn't love this game like Doug, Greg and I do. It might be said that interest level decided this game. Doug was desperate for a game of this. Greg and I reallly like it, but we had played recently. John and Malcolm weren't putting their best in, so frequently they were taking the "wrong" things and/or setting others up.

Speaking of setting each other up, I'd almost like a Caylus turn order rather than just clockwise. A couple times I snagged some major resource hauls because John as start player had his own plans. I benefitted from where I was in the seating not because of anything I did. Also, I think Greg beneffited from Malcom (on his left) NEVER taking the start player. I realize this would complicate the game some, but what's one more thing? It's not difficult in Caylus, and this is a gamer's game after all.