Yuma defeats ^_^_^_^ 4-3.
Here are game reports. I got a little long winded, sorry.
Yuma 49, ^_^_^_^ 41
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201201/25/game-20120125-170039-1431579c.htmlCounting House, Farming Village, Horn of Plenty, Horse Traders, Monument, Silk Road, Spice Merchant, Swindler, Tunnel, and Workshop
This was a long game, taking 25 turns ending with 3 piles, Tunnels, Farming Villages and Silk Roads. We both opened Spice Merchant/Swindler I think with the intention to trash coppers and wreck havoc on each other. I was able to do so more giving out 3 curses. I rarely like going for Tunnels but decided to with Horse Traders. Despite ^_^_^_^ trashing my H.T. on turn 7--and leaving me with 3 tunnels to clutter--I was able to use them relatively effectively for Golds. I bought the first province on turn 14--this was a long, drawn out game--causing ^_^_^_^ to panic--prematurely I think--into buying Silk Roads. He ended up with 7 of them and 7 estates. I bought a couple more provinces until I felt comfortable and ended the game on piles buying the last Farming Village.
Game 2 ^_^_^_^ 40, Yuma 39
http://councilroom.com/game?game_id=game-20120125-181528-b9ee1d07.htmlBaron, Explorer, Fishing Village, Great Hall, Harvest, Hoard, Horse Traders, Oracle, Treasury, and Watchtower
I don't know what I was thinking, but I opened FV/Watchtower while ^_^_^_^ opened Horse Traders/Fishing Village. His strategy proved to be the best. This game was unusual because of the weak $5 we both basically ignored. ^_^_^_^ bought a couple of Treasuries, but I don't think they impact as much as his good use of HT. ^_^_^_^ dominated early game. I almost able to mount a comeback buying Duchies, ^_^_^_^ matched me, and bought an estate along the way, keeping his lead high enough throughout to maintain victory.
Game 3 ^_^_^_^ 59, Yuma 56
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201201/25/game-20120125-183113-e2b6f867.htmlConspirator, Fairgrounds, Gardens, Mine, Nobles, Possession, Potion, Quarry, Tactician, Trading Post, and Woodcutter
A Tactician game with Trading Post, Nobles and Quarry. ^_^_^_^ was able to win the Nobles split 6/4 because I decided to go for a Gold and Nobles instead of 2 Nobles on turn 10. I think that proved to be the breaking point. It was also an interesting game due to Gardens and Fairgrounds being present. I attempted to use the 2 alternative V.P. cards to come back and almost did, but ^_^_^_^ again countered with enough green to stay ahead the whole game.
Game 4 ^_^_^_^40, Yuma 25
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201201/25/game-20120125-184433-d3a916e6.htmlAmbassador, Border Village, Bureaucrat, Coppersmith, Explorer, Highway, Library, Lighthouse, Swindler, and Torturer
An Ambassador game where I tried Lighthouse/Ambassador while ^_^_^_^ opened Ambassador/Ambassador. I must have been distracted by the USMNT game against Panama that was on in the background because I didn't buy a single money card the whole game. Regardless I think ^_^_^_^ would have won with double ambassador and torturers hitting more often than mine despite my abundance of Lighthouses.
Here I was down 3-1 and feeling pretty miserable...
Game 5 Yuma 30, ^_^_^_^ 16
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201201/25/game-20120125-185019-2645af74.htmlBlack Market, Bureaucrat, City, Cutpurse, Jack of All Trades, Mountebank, Potion, Scout, Steward, Vineyard, and Worker's Village
^_^_^_^ went Double Jack, while i tried something I hadn't before and bought a Mountebank along the way to my Double Jack. I am still not sure if this was the best move, but my Jack and Mounte only collided once--I opted to play Jack that turn. His Double Jack collided more than normal, hindering his ability to trash the 2 curses I was able to get on him. I don't know if the 2 curses and 2 coppers made that big of an impact or not.
Game 6 Yuma 43, ^_^_^_^ 32
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201201/25/game-20120125-190435-24feefdf.htmlCity, Coppersmith, Embargo, Governor, Nobles, Pearl Diver, Potion, Trade Route, Trading Post, University, and Warehouse
Probably the most interesting game we played with University and both Governors and Cities to obtain from it. We ended up splitting the Governors, but I ended up trashing two for Nobles--using other Governors to do so--as the game winded down. We both commented that it was an odd game and that we didnt' play optimally. ^_^_^_^ pointed out that Big Money probably would have defeated both of us.
Game 7 Yuma 34, ^_^_^_^ 33
http://dominion.isotropic.org/gamelog/201201/25/game-20120125-191607-8768df50.html Apothecary, Apprentice, Conspirator, Embargo, Envoy, Harem, Margrave, Torturer, Tunnel, Wishing Well
A game of Apprentice and Envoy as we both Embargoed cards we didn't like--Harem, Torturer and Margrave.
This game was ultimately decided on draw luck at the end. As the tiebreaker, I thought that at turn 14 I was doomed because a Province buy would have lost me the game on first turn tie. However ^_^_^_^'s draw luck was atrocious at the end matching my Duchy buys on turn 14 and 15. Turn 16 I was in despair because I could only buy an Estate but then saw him unable to do anything after drawing (copper, province, duchy, duchy, apprentice). I was then able to buy a province for the win on turn 17. ^_^_^_^ doesn't know this yet, but if he had trashed one of his Duchies on turn 16 instead of a copper, he would have won. By trashing the Duchy he would have drawn 5 cards--which were 2 golds, a copper and 2 provinces. Those two golds and a copper combined with the copper he already had would have been enough for a 36-27 victory. Luckily for me, that didn't happen.
Thanks ^_^_^_^, the games were great fun.
