The Shortest, Longest Game

Harrumph!  On the 3rd we played to exhaustion, with the Hutts (me) being drubbed solidly by Darth Kent and Rebel Leader LaBan.  It was the top of the 7th turn, so we photo-documented the gameboard and resolved to resume this week. 

And indeed, after an orgy of sushi we painstakingly set up the board, the card decks, the fleets, the legions, and started up again.  Rebel Ric immediately reinforced his troops in the El'Rood Sector with both his normal tranche plus 7 more from a faction card straight. 

First, he assaulted Hoth, which fell after a brief battle.  Then he attacked the star base at Bespin, which quickly surrendered.  As it turned out, this was the Emperor's secret location.  Game ova!

We finished off the evening learning the rules to Primordial Soup, a potential alternative game. 

An Open Letter from Kent the Hutt

After nearly three weeks without a galactic deathmatch due to infections picked up in a Sarlacc pit, we are set to resume tomorrow.  Meanwhile, we are pleased to bring you this e-mail rant from Kent the Hutt.

To the mettlesome conspirators; The impudent Darth Trilby and traitorous Peetza the Hutt,

You fools!  You insufferable, treacherous wipers of Yak bottoms and shovelers of cockroach frass!

Has not the Six Sectors profited and stabilized under the Mighty and Powerful Tutt the Hutt's kind rule for these three millennium?  Has he not brought stability to galactic markets?  Peace and prosperity reigns!

King Tutt the Hutt smells a rebellion.  Ingrates!  How you will suffer!

Just for the hint of an uprising, King Tutt the Hutt, now decrees a 5% rebellion tax on Romulan Ale, all Scotch, chocolate and Za from Old Earth.  He suspends both your delegations from the Supreme Council.  Should you persist, your consulates will be smashed into rubble and rebuilt as casinos.

He shall crush your infantile rebellion with his cousins, the giant Sandworms of Tatooine, juggernauts from the mills of Bpfassh, spice Balrogs from the deep mines of Kessel and the four armed Yeti of Hoth.  Beware you measly insects, beware,  He will draw and quarter you with feral Tontons, grind you up and feed you to his octopods for amusement. 

So it is written, so it becomes Galactic Law, so shall it come to pass.

Hutthoowah!

Hoongwah the Hutt, Grand Vizier to the Munificent and Benevolent King Tutt the Hutt

Yet Another Hutt Defeat

Things have not gone well for the Hutts these last few weeks.  Tonight was no different, except for the Rudy's BBQ brisket. 

Things started with a spirited defense against Rebel (Kent) incursions, but an initial Hutt offensive with 12 legions against three Imperial defenders ended in disaster.  The Hutts were never again a credible threat. 

Rebels and Storm Troopers duked it out for a number of turns with some catastrophically good and bad dice rolls.  Rebels failed conspicuously against the Hutts at Byss and Duro.  The Storm Troopers failed the same against Hutss at Kessel.  But even with large numbers of reinforcements, the Empire couldn't significantly dent the Rebels.  By gradually pushing the Force Meter to the light side, the Rebels were able to use their faction card surplus to good effect, eventually capturing Starbase Barbarella, which led to still more faction cards.

In the end, Starbase Sith Lord Laban was cutoff from reinforcements.  A concerted attack by the Rebels captured the Emperor.  Game ova. 

I won; how come I feel like I lost?

Deputy Rebel Leader Karl got off to a strong start, knocking off a bunch of Imperial systems garrisoned by lone legions.  But there were no Hutts to be attacked.  Kent the Hutt responded by a dismal set of rolls, barely getting his faction cards.  Sith Lord Ric then proceeded to kick ass -- he could not roll anything less than a six.  Hutt resistance crumbled; Rebels fell like nine pins.

From that inauspicious start, things went slowly downhill for the Hutts.  The Rebels held their own, but only just.  Faction cards at least kept the Force Meter in the positive side.  The Empire's clones continued to gain ground.  The Sith Lord locked in the Wild Space early on, eventually conquered the El'Rood Sector, fully occupied the Ison Corridor, and nearly had the entire Mid Rim captured.  Things were looking grim, Kent was despondent, the Rebels were hiding under rocks.

When the Empire used the Death Star stationed at Omwat to destroy its own garrison at Excarga,it hinted strongly that the Emperor himself was within the heavily fortified Wild Space.  An enormously successful Imperial assault reduced the Rebels to a half-dozen systems and perhaps a dozen legions.  Fortunately, a faction card straight provided enough fire power to roll over Mon Calamari, make the long hyperspace jump to Bffassch, take Sluis Van from behind, and capture Omwat.  In a desperate forlorn hope attack, two legions threw themselves at the weakly held but still fortified Elom, their best guess as to the Emperor's location. 

With one lucky roll, the Rebels captured the Sith Lord.  Had they failed, the Hutts had some prodigious faction cards of their own to unleash, but it certainly looked like it was going to be the Empire's game. Ultimately, despite a Rebel victory, it was clear that all the dice rolls went in favor of the e-vile Empire.  At least by capturing the Emperor, we stopped the incessant sixes. 

Another Hutt Victory

It seemed like such a simple thing:  whomp on the Hutts until they were no longer a threat, then duke it out with the Empire.  But Pizza da Hutt had no such plans -- he quietly amassed faction cards and made his decisive moves. 

It began simply enough with Rebel Leader Karl setting up in a strong initial position and actually captured the Core Worlds in the first turn.  The Hutts made good progress, neutralizing the Core World threat, and then Sith Lord Wood managed to capture the El'Rood Sector. 

The battle see-sawed back and forth.  A well-timed Imperial faction card saved the Death Star from destruction, but as the Hutts continued to gain cards of their own, the green hoard grew in strength.  After two faction card straights in three turns, they were able to control ten resource planets. 

Game ova... Hutt victory.

Finally, a Non-Hutt Victory

After two weeks of nonstop Hutt victories, Rebel Leader Ric and myself, Sith Lord Horak, realized that something had to change.  We did not have a specific non-aggression pact, but we did realize that the Hutts had to be the focus of our attention until they were no longer a significant threat.  The result was Kent the Hutt being bombarded turn after turn by both opposing factions. 

It wasn't until the Hutts were down to a single resource planet (and less than a handful of systems in total), that Rebels and Storm Troopers turned on each other.  Maybe if we'd had Nightlock berries, we could have had a Hunger Games finale.  As it was, the Empire's position in the Wild Space gave them an edge. Ultimately, Imperial ships, Star Bases, and a faction card flush (3 bombers) were able to put the galaxy firmly under Storm Trooper control. 
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As I write this, Kent is in Tucson attending the funeral for Hank Madden, his good friend and fellow professional photographer.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Hank's family and friends during this difficult time.  The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Huntington's Disease Society of America.

Game, interrupted

It's catchup time around the ol' blog tonight.  Three weeks ago we played a marathon session and things were pretty even by the eighth turn.  Exhausted, we adjourned following our procedure for photographing the board, stabilizing the faction card decks, and all that.  Here's the situation:

Two weeks ago, with full bellies thanks to Kent's special recipe of sloppy Joes, we set the board up as before and resumed the battle for galactic domination.  Rebel Leader Ric started off and promptly conquered Gamorr and rolled into Excarga.  Where the Emperor's Starbase was all along.  Game ova.

With such an anticlimax, we reloaded the game without switching sides.  Kent the Hutt proceeded to march to victory in a very short three-turn game.