Malinda Kyrkos and Elissa Hoeger were two of the six women in the field ... always a surprising preference for the fair sex given its marathon sessions.	Ted and Jennifer Drozd have doubtless shared this gameboard previously at family gaming sessions. Malinda Kyrkos plots her next lucky calamity trade recipient.

ACV again held steady at 32 players for what is one of WBC's longest events. We experimented with a 'fast game' heat on Tuesday night which drew 13 players. The fast game variant includes a set number of turns, a quick start setup with positions already staked out, and a variable point credit that is worth more the longer you wait to use it. Reaction to this was generally positive, and it will return next year. Overall, eight games were played in the three preliminary heats, and conveniently advanced eight players to the Final.

Civilizations rise and fall in this game, and military might, clever trading, skillful diplomacy, and a touch of luck all come into play during the eight hours of play. Some nations are destroyed by calamities, such as Doug Galullo's Assyria which was plagued by an unusual number of disasters, being the victim of Civil War, multiple Earthquakes, Famine, and Epidemic. Our GM, playing Iberia, was poised to win until the last two turns brought assaults from Assyria and Thrace twice eliminated two of his cities.

This year marked the closest Final ever, as the championship was decided by a single point. Greg Kulp, playing Thrace, won his first ACV title, defeating 2008 champ Christina Harley's Babylon by a single point of treasury remaining after the final purchases. Christina is a master trader. This was demonstrated on the last turn as she was able to collect full sets of Bronze and Wine, and purchased almost 600 points of advances, catapaulting her from the middle of the pack to the very top. It was not until Greg finalized his purchases and added his treasury that we had a winner. Previous Finals have been close, with Joe Gunderson having won by a mere 22 points one year, but this is the first time that a single point has decided the championship.

Congratulations to Greg, and many thanks to all of our players without who we would not have this event. We look forward to seeing you all again next year, and encourage newcomers to join us.

Advanced Civilization is one of those games that is played at conventions since its length and number of players are hard to come by at home.	Vassili Kyrkos, Susan Cornett, Kevin Youells and Jennifer Drozd play a "quick" game in the Preliminary heats. Kevin cts as an AGM by authoring these reports.