empire builder [Updated October 2004]  

2004 WBC Report   

 2005 Status: pending 2005 GM commitment

Tom Dunning, NY

2004 Champion

2nd: John Haas, DE

3rd: Mark Kennel, DE

4th: Donna Balkan, ONT

5th: Rich Meyer, MA

6th: Chuck Foster, TX

Event History
1999     Steve Okonski     64
2000     Bill Navolis      61
2001     Jim Yerkey      44
2002     Jim Yerkey      43
2003     Donna Balkan      57
2004     Tom Dunning      64


Offsite links:

AREA Ratings

boardgamegeek

 Laurels
Rank Name

From

Last
Total
 1. Jim Yerkey

MD

03
110
 2. Steve Okonski

MD

02
  70
 3. Donna Balkan

ONT

04
  61
 4. Tom Dunning

NY

04
  52
 5. Bill Navolis

PA

00
  50
 6. Paul Van Bloem

MD

03
  40
 7. Eyal Mozes

NY

02
  36
 8. Richard Meyer

MA

04
  32
 9. Harald Henning

CT

02
  30
10. Greg Mayer

MO

00
  30
11. Debbie Gutermuth

TX

02
  27
12. John Haas

DE

04
  24
13. Olin Hentz

CT

03
  22
14. Mark Franceschini

MD

00
  20
15. Mark Kennel

DE

04
  16
16. Rich Shipley

MD

03
  16
17. Brian Smith

NY

02
    6
18. Cliff Ackman

PA

99
    6
19. Ken Good

OH

00
    5
20. Chuck Foster

TX

04
    4
21. Debbie Otto

MO

99
    3

Past Winners

Steve Okonski - MD
1999

Bill Navolis - PA
2000

Jim Yerkey - MD
2001-2002

Donna Balkan - ONT
2003
 


More medals & Variants ...

The 2004 tournament was one of my greatest gaming experiences of recent memory. A collection of 64 participants gathered to try their hand at various Empire Builder variants. The choices of variants again seemed popular, and eight different maps were used. 25 opening round games were played during the three heats producing 22 different winners. Three runner-ups completed the semi-final field on Friday.

The final field exhibited some of the finest play your GM has witnessed at tournament level. The camaraderie was strong and skill level was high and intense. In the end, Tom Dunning ($254m) won a narrow victory over John Haas ($239m) who led the game from the outset. Mark Kennel ($226m) had a strong finish and garnered third. Defending champ Donna Balkan ($178m) took fourth, and Rich Meyer ($172m) completed the top five.

Tom's victory was well deserved. An unnamed source told me that Tom had made his game group back home play Empire Builder games all year in preparation for the tournament. Going into the final round when victory was imminent, the source said to Tom, "Now, can we play some other games next year?"

In the beginning, John drew high card and built from Seattle to Portland and on towards Billings. Rich then built from Kansas City towards SW Mexico and Durango. Tom began his line from Chicago to Sudbury, followed by Mark who traveled from New York to Chicago and on to Duluth. Donna, playing last, built from New York to Philadelphia and on to Chicago.

After his first delivery in Seattle, Mark drew wood loads back to Dallas and Okalahoma City for a combined $59m giving him an early lead. Rich's first deliveries in Mexico were followed by drawing a coffee load back to Santa Fe. The real crusher came in Rd. 8. After John's wood deliveries he drew cotton loads back to Seattle and Portland for $75m. There were a few moans and murmurs, but the strong of heart pressed onward. A key turning point was in Rd. 17 when John rode Rich's rails into Vera Cruz to get two coffees but only one was available. He had coffee payouts in Denver and Billings. Tom had an extra coffee on board and a delivery in Kansas City but had waited an extra move before dumping the coffee load. John decided to turn around and go back for the coffee at the expense of a couple of turns.

Round 18, the standings were John ($83m) with $69m on board and five major cities; Rich ($51m) with $30m on board and five major cities; Tom ($102m) with $51m on board and six major cities; Mark ($37m) with $78m on board and three major cities; and Donna ($21m) with $33m on board and five major cities. In Rd. 19, the major rivers flooded affecting Rich the most by wiping out six of his bridges, for a rebuilding cost of $19m. In Rd. 25, Mark delivered oil to Philadelphia for $22m and cashed in on the $10m fuel bonus. The same turn, an event card derailed John in Raleigh, in which he lost a valuable turn and a load. In Rd. 26, Rich delivered $47m to Juarez (tobacco and wheat). On an interesting note, in Rd. 29, the first tourist load was picked up.

Beginning Rd. 37, John delivered oats and corn to Vancouver for $53m and reached $246m but lacking a good delivery for the win. Rich had $136m, Mark had $109m, Tom had $185m, and Donna $129m. After rebuilding his flooded rivers and building into his next delivery in Regina, John was at $247m. When John reached $247m, Donna began dumping cards, hoping to pick up a sugar load anywhere east as she was sitting in New York. John was on his way south to complete a delivery to Monterey. In Rd. 44, Tom rode Rich's rails and delivered oil in Tampa for $18m for the win and his fifth WBC wood. Mark had a $26m payoff of oil and wheat in Atlanta and an $18m delivery in Buffalo in the last two turns to vault him into third place.

The game clock was again used in the final which kept the game moving. The game lasted three hours and fifteen minutes with a five-minute break. The game clock was stopped on all event cards until resolution was made.

Medals were again given to the top winners in each variant. Two other special awards were given, and both of these results can be seen at the Empire Builder website. I would like to thank you all again for your recognition of me last year. I've always enjoyed getting people together to play games. It was a delight to watch the superior play of the semi-finalists and finalists this year. My hat is off to you, and a hearty thanks to everyone who competed.

 GM      Chuck Foster  [2nd Year]  NA 
    ckfoster@mindspring.com   NA

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