Comments on Germany v. UK Match 4
Psyduck and I played on Tuesday and I wrote most of this up then. Since then I've had a busy week and have only just got round to finishing it off and posting. Any comments welcome.
Game 1
http://dom.retrobox.eu/?/20131126/log.505f5ec4a2e6714a97eee844.1385497786579.txtA Vineyard board although it could do with a more accessible +Buy. I start on the Vineyards early
and eventually win the split 5-3. He gets a couple of Provinces but my 6 point Vineyards are just enough.
Psyduck: 28, RobertJ: 31
Game 2
http://dom.retrobox.eu/?/20131126/log.505f5ec4a2e6714a97eee844.1385498926186.txtVagrant, Woodcutter, Nomad Camp, Band of Misfits, Duke, Ghost Ship, Harvest, Rabble, Treasury, Forge, Colony
We both go for predominantly Ghost Ship and Money. I also pick up a Harvest as a counter of sorts to Ghost Ship. The key question seems to be when and how to green. I dive into the Duchies having lost hope of reliably getting to $11 while he builds up his economy for longer. Eventually the Duchies are evenly split and he has a few Colonies for an comfortable win.
Psyduck: 83, RobertJ: 62
Game 3
http://dom.retrobox.eu/?/20131126/log.505f5ec4a2e6714a97eee844.1385500245919.txtDevelop, Militia, Noble Brigand, Sea Hag, Wandering Minstrel, Golem, Hunting Party, Mint, Rogue, Hunting Grounds
We both get a 2-5 opening. He goes for Hunting Party while I get Sea Hag. He manages to control the Curses with Develop, wins the Hunting Party split 6-4, and picks up his own Sea Hag later. In Turn 14 I have some kind of brain explosion. I feel as if I need to do something risky as I'm way beheind, and choose to Develop a Hunting Party into a Wandering Minstrel+Hunting Grounds. This is partly to set up a good next turn and partly in the hope of developing the Hunting Grounds into 2 Duchies later. In retrospect I really needed to keep that Hunting Party and everything falls apart from here.
Psyduck: 36, RobertJ: 17
Game 4
http://dom.retrobox.eu/?/20131126/log.505f5ec4a2e6714a97eee844.1385501216441.txtGreat Hall, Tunnel, Bureaucrat, Nomad Camp, Sea Hag, Silk Road, Taxman, Minion, Grand Market, Peddler
Silk Roads with Great Hall and Tunnel for support. He opens Nomad Camp while I go for Sea Hag. I use my Great Halls to pick up a few cheap Peddlers and build a bit more while he goes hard for Silk Roads. I manage to get a couple of Provinces but it's not quite enough.
Psyduck: 36, RobertJ: 35
Game 5
http://dom.retrobox.eu/?/20131126/log.505f5ec4a2e6714a97eee844.1385502511114.txtLookout, Plaza, Procession, Butcher, Haggler, Knights, Tactician, Tribute, Border Village, Expand, Shelters
This is a crazy board! I can never reisist double Tactician and here I think there is pretty good support for it
with coin tokens and Haggler/Border Village to pick up Butcher fodder. He gets just a single Tactician, more money, and Dame Anna. I probably should have got Processions earlier (among other nice moves, Processioning Butcher and then getting it back with a Border Village thrown in is a neat trick). Other than that I'm pretty happy with how I play this one. There's a moment of concern when he gets a 14 point lead with 2 Provinces left but I've got a big turn coming in which I Expand and Butcher my way to the win.
Psyduck: 26, RobertJ: 33
So we reach the last game with him leading 3-2 and I need a win to get anything out of this match.
Game 6
http://dom.retrobox.eu/?/20131126/log.505f5ec4a2e6714a97eee844.1385504119675.txtCellar, Oasis, Oracle, Swindler, Conspirator, Cartographer, Embassy, Merchant Guild, Rabble, Nobles, Colony
I aim for Conspirator with Oasis, Cellar and Cartographer to help it out. We both get an early Swindler and this stops either of our decks coming together. Swindling also depletes piles and after a while we're both scrambling for points with rather clunky decks. I feel good about my chances right to the end but somehow when it finishes I'm 2 points behind. Grrrr.
Psyduck: 40, RobertJ: 38
Overall a nice match with some interesting boards and several close games. In particular, I reckon Games 1,4 and 6 could easily have gone either way so I'm a bit disappointed not to come away with a draw. However he certainly out-played me in Games 2 and 3 and played well throughout so it's definitely a fair result. Losing in agonising fashion to Germany in other World Cups is practically our national tradition so maybe it's no surprise to see Dominion going the same way!
Thanks Psyduck for a fun set of games and for hosting. Amazingly Goko also behaved itself apart from a few login in problems and minor lagging in one game.