10th April - Colosseum
After a week's break here we are again, Steve hadn't been with last session and as it was his turn he chose the new DoW game Colosseum. Our last playing had been with only 3 players and we weren't sure that it was that good with that number. In particular the auction and trading phases seemed decidedly flat. Jo had joined us this week so we could give it a proper test drive with a full complement of players.
Colosseum is a very visually pleasing game
I ran through the rules for the benefit of Jo and Steve neither of whom had played before and after a few questions off we went. I was the first player and I immediately bought an Emperor's loge, this gives you 2 dice to roll in the event production phase and after last time I thought that it was definitely a benefit, giving you more opportunity to move the nobles into your arena and to get Emperor medals. The game is definitely much better with 5 players with some action on both the auction and trading phases of the game, although you can still wait and see if you can get what you want when the markets are replenished when the bid initiator wins the bid. Some interesting different strategies were in evidence, Richard for instance only bought one other event programme I think, his spectators were treated to the same show 3 times, brought back by special demand he reckoned. He also didn't move the nobles into his arena much, leaving them queuing up just outside so other players had to move them in.
Jo seems to have got things under control while Richard studies which event to purchase - then puts on the same one again.....and again!!
Whereas last time Richard made a miscalculation and used all his money to buy an event and left none to bid for assets, this time it was Steve who purchased an event for production on the last turn only to realise that his arena wasn't big enough!! Jo was in the lead for 3 turns garnering 3 podiums, Richard had purchased 3, or was it 4 season tickets. I hadn't got any season tickets, but I did get my arena to maximum size, as did everyone except Steve.
One of the Consuls cozying up to the Emperor just outside Richard's arena
As I said we all thought the game was much better with 5 players and our game took just over 2 hours. I suppose you try to build up your assets to produce the blockbuster event on the last turn, well I did anyway and Richard cashed in 6 Emperor medals for a hefty 18 points. So a very enjoyable evening was had by all.
Final Scores
Richard 90, Jo 84, Colin 80, Steve 65, Garry 60
posted by Colin @ 10:17 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Yep the 'Cavalry of Spartacus' was the 'Mousetrap' of the ancient world!! - The audience just couldn't get enough of it!!
As Colin said Colosseum definitely worked better with 5 players than 3 - there was more competition for resources and more trading between players.
For my part I tried something different from last time (ie not run out of money!!) - basically I decided in the final turn I would produce 'Circus Maximus’ - the largest show that would fit in a single expansion arena - and that I would try to close the differential with the other players producing larger shows by buying lots of season tickets and accumulating lots of medals.
As part of this plan I didn't want to give the other players more points/money than necessary so I never moved the Emperor, Senators or Consuls onto or past my arena until the final turn - this meant there was a opportunity cost for most other players to move them (Except perhaps Steve who had the next arena on the track) in that they only immediately helped someone else by moving them (ie Me or Steve).
In order to get some income - and because I was purchasing season tickets rather than new shows or arena expansions - I continually re produced my highest value initial show 'Cavalry of Spartacus' - this coupled with the fact that I mostly had the Horse & Gladiator star performers gave me enough cash to do the purchases I required and to do a final productions of 'Circus Maximus’ - which despite being one chariot short gave me enough points for the win.
I actually really enjoyed the game and 5 players was a definite improvement on 3 players.
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