caylus [Updated Oct. 21, 2006]  

2006 WBC Report  

 2007 Status: pending 2007 GM commitment

Jeremy Spencer, NC

2006 Champion

Offsite links:

     

WBC Event History
2006    Jeremy Spencer     72

 

Euro Quest Event History
2006    Peter Putnam     20

 

 Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Jeremy Spencer     NC    06     40
  2.  Peter Putnam       MD    06     44
  3.  Rod Spade          PA    06     16
  4.  Tom DeMarco        NJ    06     12
  5.  Christine Frattali WA    06     12
  6.  Tom Browne         PA    06     10
  7.  Andrew Gerb        MD    06      8
      8.  Ken Rothstein      NY    06      8    
  9.  Lance Slitka       MD    06      4
 10. Jack Jaeger          VA    06     2

2006 Laurelists

Peter Putnam, MD
2nd

Rod Spade, PA
3rd

Christine Frattali, WA
4th

Ken Rothstein, NY
5th

Tom Browne, PA
6th


 "Ambitious" might be the best way to sum up GM Tom McCorry's efforts. Not only does he run two events—but they are both three-heat whoppers with over 220 players total.

 "Prepared" is another word that comes to mind. Notice the wooden doweling table stands in the background that Tom fashioned to aid quick player seating. Classy.

Auspicious Debut ...

Caylus got off to a roaring start in its first year of release, jumping to the third highest rated game on Board Game Geek, winning a special award for "Complex Game" from the jury of the prestigious Spiel des Jahres award, and selling out its first print run. Caylus' debut at the WBC was just as auspicious with 72 people participating in the tournament. Heat 1 on Tuesday had nine 4-player games with an interesting result: Only players who went either first or last in the first turn won their games! Heat 2 had six games with a more balanced spread of winners/starting turn order. Heat 3 was the biggest with ten games and only a slight bias toward the first or last player. Interestingly, out of the 31 total games played (including the elimination rounds) the player going second at the start of the game only won twice.

The semi-finals had 25 qualifiers who squared off in five-player games. Ken Rothstein, Peter Martin, Rod Spade, Christine Frattali, and Jeremy Spence (in initial turn order for the Final) advanced to the final table. Christine edged Tom Browne on a tie-breaker in her semi-final game to advance so Tom's compensation was 6th place laurels.

The game started slowly on Turn 1 with each player placing a single worker and leaving the provost with the bailiff. Turn 2 saw more action with Rod and Christine heading to the Stables early, Ken taking up residence in the Inn, and Jeremy heading for the Castle to start work on the Dungeon. But Rod made use of the Guild to send the provost toward the Castle. After completing the bridge, the players had moved the provost another two spaces toward the Castle. Unfortunately for Jeremy, he no longer had the diversity of goods needed for the Castle but he had no prestige to lose yet so no harm done.

On Turn 3 everyone avoided the castle and continued the aggressive provost movement with the provost ending five spaces closer to the castle again, this time with Peter controlling the Guild.  On Turn 4 Ken sent the provost away from the Castle to the joy of all the players and Peter finally got the Castle started by building the first Dungeon section. Turn 5 was the final phase for building the Dungeon, so everybody but Rod headed to the Castle for a chance to please the king. At this point the turn order and scores were Rod (0), Peter (14), Ken (10), Christine (9), and Jeremy (8). 

The provost was up to its old tricks on Turn 6, with Jeremy's Guild starting the charge fivespaces back to the castle. Turn 7 was uneventful but Turn 8 saw the provost moving three spaces toward the Castle with the help of Rod's Guild and 6 Denier in bribes. Turn 9 saw the provost move away from the Castle with the help of Ken's Guild, triggering the end of the Wall Phase. The King was not pleased with Ken however for he failed to help contribute to building the Castle Wall, losing him three points of prestige. Turn order and scores were now Jeremy (21), Rod (23), Peter (30), Ken (16), and Christine (21).

The provost must have liked the pubs near the castle because once again he headed there with the help of Ken's Guild. Jeremy started off the Castle tower with a single build. Turn 11 saw the provost heading for the outskirts of town, Christine building two sections of the tower and Jeremy three more sections and Jeremy earning five prestige points this turn from his donation to the Church. Turn 12 proved to be the last when Rod built five sections of the Tower and Peter built the final three. Jeremy once again donated to the Church earning him five prestige points. Ken earned the wrath of the king once again for not working on the Castle, costing him four prestige points. After the final favors were taken, the players turned in their excess resources. Jeremy turned in 10 resources giving him 60 prestige points and a one-point win over Peter who had no excess resources. Rod finished third with 55 points, followed by Christine with 48 and Ken with 41.

Congratulations to all of the players for the well played games and an enjoyable event. I look forward to an even bigger event next year with Caylus' wider availability.


2006 Euro Quest Laurelists

Peter Putnam, MD
1nd

Tom DeMarco, NJ
2nd

Andrew Gerb. MD
3rd

Tom Browne, PA
4th

Lance Slitka, MD
5th

 GM      Tom McCorry (1st Year)  NA  
    tmccorry@belmontcc.com   NA

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