amazing space venture  

Updated 11/29/2008

2008 WBC Report  

 2009 Status: pending December Membership Trial Vote

Roger Knowles, OH

2008 Champion

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Event History
2008    Roger Knowles     27
 Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Roger Knowles      OH    08     20
  2.  Bob Menzel         VT    08     12
  3.  Connor Davis       MD    08      8
  4.  Barry Shutt        PA    08      6
  5.  Brandon Bernard    PA    08      4
  6.  Mike Davis         MD    08      2
2008 Laurelists

Bob Menzel, VT
2nd

Connor Davis, MD
3rd

Barry Shutt, PA
4th

Brandon Bernard, PA
5th

Mike Davis, MD
6th


Steve LeShay explains his game during one of eight demo sessions.

First time players were the norm in the four heats.

Simply Amazing ...

27 players competed in the first Amazing Space Venture competition with 47 starts and 13 games over a grueling three-day period before a "Lord of the Universe" was finally proclaimed.  Using two-player rules (draw and place three tiles) throughout to speed up play, all but one game was resolved well within a two-hour time limit.  The four heat format was ideal for this introductory coached event. As anticipated, scores were close for each heat with the largest margin of victory 43 points (a three-player game) and the closest game decided by a mere four points (a four-player game).

In the final contest, two veteran wargamers, Roger Knowles of Willowick, OH and Bob Menzel of Mount Pelier, VT  advanced from the semi-finals for head-to-head competition beginning at 10:10 p.m., Saturday. 

Roger jumped off to an almost unbelievable 50-1 lead by quickly exploring four planets and playing three Explorer cards  from his hand on the first four turns. To this point, Bob's only score had been to draw and place the first Sun tile for one point.   Bob finally drew and placed some tiles to his liking and was able to move one of his space ships to a planet tile and play Madame Maxine on her Home Planet  X'am. That discovery, with an "abundant land and water" environment, allowed him to close the gap to 50-19. But on the next turn when he tried to steal one of Roger's planets with a UFO, Roger negated the move by playing a "conspiracy" card.

Several turns later, with Roger still leading 68-37, Bob called a "troika summit" thus effectively moving one of Roger's space ships away from the action, and then upgraded one of his own space ships to a Colony ship.  At that point the game's momentum changed dramatically. In one of the biggest moves of any game ever played, Bob moved his space ship into a worm hole and out of another worm hole, played a Cyber Jump Special Action card to move again, and discovered a 5-point corner planet ten squares away from where he initially began his move! That closed the score to 97-87, but it was still Roger's game to lose. 

The game remained close with Bob getting a bonus for having a strong empire (six or more discovered planets within his home sector).  Then on the last move,  he was able to trap Roger's space ship with an "electromagnetic web" environment on another corner planet, Cephai. Roger scored the points for discovery, however, and when the final pirates, space probes, space stations, and planets were tallied, Roger had won by only three points, 163-160.  

Both players agreed that what had begun as a potential wipeout ended in an exciting, nail-biting, hard-fought conclusion worthy of two champion players. No one knew for sure until the final count who was going to win. In the true spirit of intergalactic friendship, Roger who already owned a copy of Amazing Space Venture, gave his first prize of another copy of the game to runner-up Bob. And, after handshakes all around, he was proud to accept the first Amazing Space Venture (Captain Rookie) Award Certificate from Game Master (and game designer) Steve LeShay.

 GM      Steve LeShay (1st Year)  NA  
    info@shercogames.com   NA

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