Schoenen Right Place, Right Time, Right Influence!

This year's Kremlin tournament had the usual share of unusual situations. In one of the Heat games (which the GM lost to the eventual tournament winner), the last wave of the game was assured during the Health phase when the dice cured the at-work Party Chief. In another, the players were so successful at purging sick politicians and so unsuccessful at waving that there weren't enough sick markers left to mark the turn track on turn 7.

Kremlin moved to a three-Heat format this year, which in combination with the revised Heats: Most Wins – Points format led to four clear qualifiers for the Final followed by a six-way tie for the other two slots. For next year, I will add a GM-specified tie breaker related to the number of waves and failed waves during each Heat game, adjusted for those games where the win is not by three waves; details to be determined.

In the first four turns of the Final, the competition for control of the Party Chief was fierce, with one wave each by Haakon, Sebastian, Adam, and Rob. This lead to a lot of Influence showing up on the first rank of the Politburo. At one point, both Adam and Darryl had seven points showing on the Defense Minister, leading to Sebastian having the chance to break the tie. Before that was finalized, Darryl put a point of Influence on the Ideology Chief, then played the Intrigue card giving the player who controlled him the power to break all ties. Once the dust settled, both Adam and Darryl were showing 10 Influence on the Ideology Chief, and again Sebastian had the ability to break the tie due to showing 1 Influence. Darryl then made a deal with Sebastian (bribing him with an Intrigue card) and gained control of the Ideology Chief. The result of this impressive battle: the Ideology Chief was purged on the next turn.

Rob was able to hold onto the Party Chief slot and get another wave in Turn 6. Kevin took the position in Turn 7 but was unable to get a wave the two turns he held it. While Kevin controlling both KGB head and Party Chief, Kevin was twice forced by Intrigue card play to First Purge other Politicians under his control. The first time this happened, he succeeded and went on to purge another 4-5 Politicians; the second time, he failed on the first roll.

On Turn 9, which became the last turn of the Final, there was a Funeral Commission run by the Ideology Chief where the choice was between a double-sick KGB Head and a healthy Defense Minister. Rob was able to put down enough influence to force the election of the Defense Minister, whom he believed he controlled. He was right, and after the failure of a last-minute Intrigue to send the new Party Chief to the Sanitarium during the Parade phase, Rob got his third wave and the win.