THE AEG 2015 BLACK BOX MOCK DRAFT

 

The results of this draft we presented by Buffalo Area Board Games & The Dice Tower Guild

And now for some history on the two teams in the draft:

Hoard City Stashhwaks

Scouting Report

This has been an interesting year for the Hoard River Stashhawks, who were recently purchased by billionaire canned whole chicken magnate P.J. Washbasin. Known for his bizarre behavior, hardline stance against non-plural marriage, and streaking at the 1987 Kennedy Center Honors, Washbasin has publicly stated that his goal in acquiring the Stashhawks is to "[explitive] total the whole [explitive] aquarium". Since that literally means nothing, many have been left to speculate what team GM Brian will be looking for in this year's draft. Insiders suggest a movement towards style-over-substance, with special attention to anything with "moxie," a term that has become so attached to Washbasin's Stashhawks that it is now on all team office letterhead instead of the team's actual name.

Mike:  Along with the Stashhawks new ownership comes sweeping changes to the Gamegrabber League: This is a banner year for this freshly realigned, newly inter-household league!  It will be interesting to see how the Stashhawks organization rises to meet this new, competitive dynamic, while still finding their operational footing!  Washbasin appears to have a rather Ameritrash-centric approach to drafting--in direct contrast to the machine-like, calculated tack Flippington Nokeepers owner Apollo C. Vermouth prefers.

Flippington Nokeepers:

Scouting Report  

This is the first year in the the league for the Nokeepers. Their owner, Apollo C. Vermouth, recently moved the team from Spendville (home of the Spendville Kickstarters), and fired the Kickstarters beloved GM Chris D'Andrea. The recent hiring of James "The Mad Fipper" is seen as a complete change in direction and philosophy for the team, and the Nokeepers have not made any indications as to which games they will be targeting in the draft. The rumors have been circulating that despite its trouble past and enhancement allegations, that Bacon Wars appears to be the team's #1 choice, although this has not been confirmed.

Mike:  While Apollo C. Vermouth is technically a newcomer to the now-modernized Gamegrabber League, he's been well-known in smaller circles for years, and technically has more experience gamedrafting and running a war room.  The talk this year, though, is not about Vermouth's ruthless, corporate approach to game drafting, but the Nokeepers' recently personnel changes.  Most notably, the headhunter to whom he's handed the baton:  James "The Mad Flipper" is ostensibly the most feared and respected name in the Gamegrabber League.  James has demonstrated an unwavering willingness to trade away nearly any game, no matter how rare or high-quality, for a calculated net gain.  The shelves at Flippington are a notoriously solemn place, with every game knowing they, someday, could be on the trading block.  In spite of the high turnover, James has maintained Vermouth's high standards of quality--Earning a tenured spot on the shelf at Flippington is considered an honor tantamount to a placard in the Hall of Fame.

** Special thanks to Dan S./Staxmayor for the amazing team logos.

79 A.D. Looks Good on You

In the hobby of boardgaming, when we really like a game, we "Pimp it out". We upgrade components, or bits, or any number of things.

Review - The Downfall of Pompeii (2013) - Mayfair Games

The Blurb:

The year is 79 A.D. Pompeii, sitting at the foot of Vesuvius, is at the high point in its development. People come to the city from far and wide to try to make their luck in the city. So far nobody has dreamed of the danger that will bury all of their dreams under mountains of ash just ten years later. Who will survive the eruption of Vesuvius unscathed? The simple rules make it easy to get started with The Downfall Of Pompeii, a game in which a lot of tactical know-how is required – along with a little luck – in order to bring your pieces out of the city at the right time. The game falls into two halves: before and after the eruption of Vesuvius. Before the eruption, players play cards to place their pieces in buildings. After the first eruption, they can also place as many relatives as the number of pieces already in the building they placed their piece in. When Omen cards are drawn, the player can take any opponent's piece and throw it into the erupting volcano. In this manner, players try to get as many pieces onto the board as close to the exits from the city as possible. After the second eruption, the game changes. Now each player places a lava tile, which kills any pieces on that square and may block exits from the city. Then they move two pieces toward the exits, moving them a number of squares equal to the pieces on the square from which they started. The player who gets the most pieces out of the city wins.

Double Duke Panic - A Stratego Story

Tyler wanted me to tell this story from a recent game of Stratego Tournament.

Review - Stratego Tournament (2001) - Jumbo

*Before reading this review, I wanted to say I was hesitant to review this, but Tyler loves this game. You can play this version of Stratego on any Stratego board, you will just need to take out the extra pieces and bombs. The rules can be found in a rough translation to English here.

The Time Mike Made Me Watch

If you look to the right for contributors, you will see the name Mike Cascio. He is my board gaming brother from another mother. He is the reason for my board game obsession. After many years of trying to get me into the hobby, Dr. Gamenstein created the monster you see before you.

Review - King's Gold (2014) - Blue Orange Games

The Blurb

The Caribbean Islands were once a lawless cove run by merchant marines transporting stolen treasures. When news reached the King that these pirates were amassing great riches, he ordered a cut of their loot.

Now in King's Gold, it's your turn to be a pirate, and you must try to pillage ships and other pirates along the way. How far will you go to deceive the greedy King and become the richest pirate on the coast and at sea? On a turn, the active player rolls the five dice up to three times. If a die shows crossbones, it's locked until the end of the turn; otherwise, a player can roll or leave dice as he wants.

When all sixty coins in the box have been removed, the game ends and whoever has the most coins wins.