republic of rome [Updated October 2004]  

2004 WBC Report  

 2005 Status: pending 2005 GM commitment

Chase Bramwell, OH

2004 Champion

2nd: Robert Seulowitz, NY

3rd: Tom Phillips, NJ

4th: Sean Larsen, NJ

5th: Matt Bacho, MD

6th: Charles Dunn, VA

Event History
1991    Jim Doughan      20
1992    Robert Rudolph      23
1993    Sean Finnerty      23
1994    Chris Greenfield      25
1995    Michael Ehlers      37
1996    Michael Ehlers      41
1997    Chris Bartiromo      27
1998    Charles Dunn      32
1999    Brian Ecton     27
2000    Chase Bramwell     31
2001    Tom Phillips     32
2002    Sean Larsen     27
2003    Nick Benedict     21
2004    Chase Bramwell     24

PBeM Event History
2001    Rob Mull      16


Offsite links:

AREA Ratings

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 Laurels
Rank Name

From

Last
Total
 1. Chase Bramwell

OH

04
96
 2. Tom Phillips

NJ

04
78
 3. Sean Larsen

NJ

04
49
 4. Nick Benedict

CA

03
48
 5. Rob Seulowitz

NY

04
38
 6. Brian Ecton

VA

99
30
 7. Bret Mingo

MD

02
24
 8. Craig Moffit

NJ

02
24
 9. Alan Witte

NJ

03
18
10. Henry Rice

NM

01
18
11. Chris Bodkin

IN

00
16
12. Brad Anderson

OH

02
12
13. Sean Finnerty

NY

03
12
14. Kevin Barry

PA

01
12
15. Rob Mull

CO

01
10
16. Frank McNally

MA

03
  9
17. Chris Greenfield

NJ

99
  9
18. Matt Bacho

MD

04
  6
19. Rich O'Briean

MD

03
  6
20. Bill Dyer

IL

99
  6
21. Charles Dunn

VA

04
  3
22. Will Wible

VA

01
  3
23. Rob Knowles

NC

99
  3

Past Winners

Jim Doughan - PA
1991

Robert Rudolph - PA
1992

Sean Finnerty - NY
1993

Chris Greenfield - NJ
1994


Michael Ehlers - MD
1995-1996


Chris Bartiromo - NJ
1997


Charles Dunn - VA
1998


Brian Ecton - VA
1999
 

Chase Bramwell - OH
2000, 2004

Tom Phillips - NJ
2001

Sean Larsen - NJ
2002

Nick Benedict - CA
2003
     
 


Burn, Rome, Burn

This year's format was new, interesting, and a tad over-ambitious given the time the GM was willing to devote to it. We are indebted to champ Chase Bramwell for the following account. This event's format and very existance will be dependent on someone stepping forward to provide the necessary dedicated GM.

Top finishers from a single qualification night were taken to play two concurrent and isolated final games. If 'the game' happened to win at either final table, then the other game would immediately end with the current leader being declared the tournament winner. In addition, if either table produced a consul-for-life or victorious rebel, he/she, too, could earn immediate tournament victory. The aim, of course, was to push players to more quickly and aggressively attempt to take control of Rome rather than waiting for an artificially induced end-game turn.

This new system had some merits in determining a Republic of Rome champion - particularly without the 'game winning' in the final, allowing a lead player to facilitate the fall of Rome for his/her own personal victory. However, the finals consisted of two four-player games which were a less than optimal format. This was certainly unnecessary given the number of players participating in, and available from, the earlier round. In addition, a single night of qualification left players at the mercy of a single game in which to qualify - where other players could facilitate, directly or indirectly, the fall of Rome, eliminating all players at a given table from advancement.

In the future, I recommend two nights of qualification play. Winners of games either night advance, with highest-percentage influence filling the remaining spots. This gives players the choice of nights to play, or multiple chances to qualify. If we continue with the simultaneous final games, then I suggest doing so with tables of 5-6 players each (preferably the same number at each table) with matching random event decks, taken from the Middle & Late Republics.

My understanding is that Rob Seulowitz and Sean Larsen will be co-GMs for next year's tournament.

Separately, we need to resolve the legitimacy of vetoing or voting down the initial Rome Consul as the game's first Censor.

 GM      Nick Benedict [1st year]   NA 
    NA   NA

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