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Innovation (IOV) WBC 2022 Event Report 1
Updated November 13, 2023
31 Players Michael Thiessen Event History
2022 Champion & Laurels

Brothers Battle For The Championship!

If I were to pick a card to summarize 2019’s event, it would be Roadbuilding. We melded many cards and got some laurels/into the century in exchange. But in the classic civ-building game, Civilization, Roadbuilding does lead to worse epidemics. So perhaps it’s fitting that when we get back to WBC in 2022 that Medicine [I demand you exchange the highest card in your score pile for the lowest card in my score pile] is an appropriate card. We did exchange a top-of-the-week spot for a mid-week spot this year, in an attempt to move away from the more crowded opening weekend. We also exchanged last year’s high attendance for one that was ~40% lower - hopefully unrelated to the time shift, but we’ll see when the data is available.

The 3rd edition continues to be the preferred edition. We did not have any issues with sets this year (due to the lower attendance) - but things will hopefully be closer to normal next year, so thanks to those who brought their sets, and please continue to do so!

The format this year removed the hated timers to ensure the rounds ran on time. We mostly finished within the 3 hours, with one game slowing the start of the bracket stage… although it took around that amount of time to build the bracket by hand. I have a more reasonable plan for automating that going forward.

Fifty-four games of Innovation were played this year (around half of last years). In the preliminary rounds, 34 were won on Achievements, and 8 on Score, and 12 unknown victory types due to incomplete/unrecorded/lost score sheets. Mostly my fault - apologies.

The Final this year were a duel between two twins, Matthew and Micheal Theissen. As such, the amount of trash talk during this Final was a bit higher than normal, with Micheal taking the first (but not the last) jab at Matthew’s weak start of Code of Laws to his own Sailing. “Aha, but I started Code of Laws because I knew you’d open with Sailing,” was the retort.

Both brothers took a first action of “draw,” with Micheal’s second action melding Agriculture - to Matthew’s lament of “No - that’s been used against me every game!” Matthew responded with melding Oars, and sharing it’s dogma, allowing both players a draw. Micheal ran Agriculture to score two points, and took both players sailing (Matthew got Domestication, and Micheal clothing, to cover Sailing). Matthew used that Domestication twice to get down Archery and Tools, in an attempt to get some clothes on. However, Micheal was able to use clothing over multiple actions to score the last 1, and the first 2, giving him the 1 achievement. Matthew, meanwhile, was using Domestication to try to find his missing piece of green clothes.

At this point Matthew had Tools, Domestication, City States, and Archery, against Micheal’s smaller, but stronger, board of Agriculture, Pottery, and Clothing. However, Matthew’s next turn was to draw and meld Mathematics, which certainly could be a game-changer. Micheal kept using his slight clothes advantage to get 4 more points - Matthew responded by using Math to find Optics, and using Optics, but failing to find a coin., and also failing to find a green card to get clothed. Micheal continued to run his clothing, getting 2 more points, and then Achieved the 2. Achievements 2-0 for Micheal.

Matthew used Optics twice more, finding Paper and Translation, as well as 8 points, and that needed green, too much rejoicing. This forced Micheal to switch to Pottery for points, which he used for several actions in a row. Matthew continued to try to score off Optics and did succeed again. But then failed and was forced to give a point to Micheal. After a couple more runs of Pottery from Micheal, Matthew takes a moment to think, then asks “You have 17 points and a 3 in your hand?” Micheal confirms, and Matthew runs Education (Micheal declines the offered share) - returning one of his Optics-gained 4s to draw a 6 - Machine Tools, which he melds. Micheal melds Machinery and achieves the 3 achievement - up 3-0.

However, Matthew now has a tech lead, and with Machine tools and a 4 in his score pile, is able to just score 4 points and action, and does so for a couple actions. Micheal tries to keep up with Pottery, but it’s only scoring him 3 points. Matthew achieves the 4 - it’s now 3-1 for Micheal.

Micheal continues to use Pottery - as much to score as to tech up, he claims. 4 actions later he does use Pottery to draw a 5… but that’s because Matthew is still scoring the 4s with Machine tools, and, right after Micheal draws the 5, Matthew scores the 5 achievement. 3-2 for Micheal.

Micheal continues to pottery, and then melds Astronomy. Matthew continues to Machine tools and achieves the 6. 3-3!

Micheal shares the Astronomy - neither find a blue or a green. He shares it again - Matthew gets Encyclopedia, and both green 6’s, but Micheal finds Atomic theory, and both blue 7’s, as well as getting a sharing bonus. The score piles are now at 38 for Matthew to 36 for Micheal. Matthew’s board is Encyclopedia, Metric System, Machine Tools, Education, and Domestication, vs Micheals Evolution, Astronomy, Machinery, and Clothing.

Matthew laments that his hand still contains a 1 “I just want to domesticate!”, he says, as he takes a Meld action to get Emancipation on the board, before using it. That only attacks the hand, not the score pile, so Micheal is still able to meld a 7 to turn off Emancipation and achieve the 7 on his turn, putting the score to 4-3.

Matthew runs the metric system to splay his greens and draws a 7. But Micheal fires back with melding Canning and running Astronomy to claim the Universe achievement. 5-3 for achievement for Micheal!

Matthew steals an 8 out of Micheal’s hand with Explosives. Micheal thinks for a bit on his turn… out loud he muses that he can win this turn if he’s lucky. Matthew is in favor “I don’t win if you play safe!” Micheal continues musing out out “What does bicycle do… hmm. that’s a no for me.” While Matthew wonders out loud “Do you get points if you have quick turns?” Ahh, brotherly love. Micheal decides to draw an 8 and meld Rocketry. Matthew responds with melding Mobility and achieving the 8. 5-4 for Micheal.

Micheal fires some rockets, knocking Matthew’s score down to 24. Mobility and Emancipation score Matthew 22 of those points right back. Micheal takes 2 draw actions while exclaiming that he dislikes Matthew’s mobility and follows that up next turn with sharing Astronomy and drawing a 9. Matthew melds Vaccination and runs it a couple of times - the second time returns all the 2s in the game from Micheal’s score pile! - and then Achieves the 9 - 5 to 5! However, immediately after Micheal is able to meld Socialism and run it, tucking 6 cards, which claims Monument for his 6th achievement. Congratulations Micheal, and to all who had fun this year with Innovation!

2022 Laurelists Repeating Laurelists: 1
Matthew Thiessen Robb Effinger Aaron Birnbaum Luke Luckini Bronwyn Woods
2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Steve Koleszar examining his hand. Semifinal between Thiessen and Birnbaum.
Semifinal between Effinger and Thiessen. Finalists Michael and Matthew Thiessen with
GM Robb Effinger.
GM  Robb Effinger [7th Year]