hannibal: rome vs carthage [Updated October 2004]  

Omens: 2004 WBC Report  

 2005 Status: pending 2005 GM commitment

Chris Byrd, CT

2004 Champion

2nd: Keith Wixson, NJ

3rd: Doug White, PA

4th: Henry Rice, NM

5th: Doug Mercer, MD

6th: James Pei, TX

Event History
1996    Thomas Drueding      58
1997    James Doughan      52
1998    Karsten Engelmann      52
1999    Jung Yueh     46
2000    James Pei     41
2001    Aaron Fuegi     35
2002    Peter Reese     41
2003     Keith Wixson     44
2004    Chris Byrd     46

PBeM Event History
2001     Aaron Fuegi     37

WAM Event History
2003    Stuart Tucker    11
2004    James Pei    19


Offsite links:

AREA Ratings

boardgamegeek

 Laurels
Rank Name

From

Last
Total
 1. James Pei

TX

04
168
 2. Keith Wixson

NJ

04
132
 3.  Chris Byrd

CT

04
105
 4. Peter Reese

VA

02
  66
 5. Aaron Fuegi

MA

01
  60
 6. Jung Yueh

MA

99
  50
 7.  Doug White

PA

04
  44
 8. Mark Giddings

NY

01
  40
 9. Jim Heenehan

PA

00
  38
10. David Dockter

MN

02
  36
11. Craig Melton

VA

03
  34
12. Stuart Tucker

MD

04
  33
13. Charles Hickok

PA

03
  30
14. Jim Eliason

IA

03
  24
15.  Randall MacInnis

NJ

04
  22
16. George Seary

NY

99
  20
17. Doug Mercer

MD

04
  18
18. Henry Rice

NM

04
  18
19. Ed Rothenheber

MD

02
  18
20. Phil Barcafer

PA

99
  15
21. Matthew Bacho

MD

04
  12
22. Robert Vollman

ALB

00
  10
23. Ahmed Ilpars

Turkey

03
    6
24. Robert Hassard

NJ

02
    6
25. Paul Gaberson

MD

04
    6
26. John Rinko

VA

99
    5
27. John Firer

WI

01
    3
28. Trevor Bender

CA

01
    2

Past Winners

Thomas Drueding - PA
1996

James Doughan - PA
1997

Karsten Englemann - VA
1998

Jung Yueh - MA
1999

James Pei - TX
2000

Aaron Fuegi - MA
2001

Peter Reese - VA
2002

Keith Wixson - NJ
2003
 


Omens of Caesar ... Deal Me a Championship

Once again, Hannibal was hosted in the pre-convention slot as the Omens mini-con. This format has allowed this event to continue to thrive, while giving players more time for other favorites during the full WBC event hours. Though some people have been unable to attend due to this time slot, attendance has now risen three years in a row under this format and the players continue to greatly favor continuance in the pre-con slot. The GM is on record as being willing to yield the pre-con slot to any other appoved GM wanting it, but hasn't yet heard of any takers.

The format was changed slightly from last year: five rounds of Swiss play, dropping the medal round, except if necessary among two undefeated players for the wood. Our attendance was bolstered not only by two extra players (46), but we also played more games (94 in all), so the ongoing competition with the new game auction had only a minimal effect. We had ten newcomers joining 36 veterans (including four past champions, and two WAM champions, (each past champion losing once in the first day). Second edition (web) rules were allowed if both players agreed, otherwise First edition (what's in the box, as clarified by official AH errata) was the default. The room continued to be populated by a good number of players who had never seen the second edition. Most players opted to play first edition rather than to switch gears from game to game. We expect to play Second Edition as the default at Winter Activation Meeting in January 2005.

The first two rounds witnessed a 25-18 advantage in wins by Carthage which increased in Round 3 (13-7). This 38-25 Carthaginian advantage was announced at the start of day two, but tournament newbies continued to bid for the side in their comfort zone (usually Rome). Rome turned the tide in Round 4 (13-5), but fell behind again in Round 5 (6-7). For the whole turnament, Carthage won 50 games to Rome's 44. Among the top players, it is well-known by now that Carthage has the advantage and therefore deserves some sort of bid. By the end of the tournament, the top seven players had piled up records of 17-2 as Carthage, and 12-4 as Rome. The bottom 18 players had a combined record of 6-13 as Carthage, and 6-33 as Rome. The middle 21 players scored an equal number of wins with each side, though they tended to play Carthage more than 50 percent of the time.

In the Round 5 game between the two remaining undefeated players, Chris Byrd and Doug White, the bid went up to 2 for Carthage, with Byrd accepting the role of Rome and two extra PC markers. White chose to park Hannibal in Gallia Cisalpinia for most of the game. Syracuse remained neutral for the whole game, but Philip joined Carthage on Turn 5 and remained loyal. White's Carthage seemed to have the upper hand when in Turn 7 a Messenger was intercepted and Mago managed to defeated Scipio Africanus, though without delivering the kill shot. On Turn 8, Hannibal was subjected to numerous giant battles against Africanus and was finally driven out of Cisalpinia. Byrd, fearing a potential Syracuse alliance, went on the offensive on Turn 9 to increase the province count, winning the game 11-7. Chris became this tournament's ninth first-time champion (there has never been a two-time winner), demoting defending champion Keith Wixson - his opposition in last year's final) to second place.

This year, total wins were the first factor in determining tournament rank, followed by tournament points (a strength-of-schedule system of points, which awards 10 points for wins, 12 points for byes, 1 point for each win by a player you played during the tournament, and 0.4 point for each round bypassed by an opponent you played during the tournament). As this tournament has six prizes, one of the 4-1 players did not win a prize, based on having played opponents who did the worst during the tournament. The tie between players with equal tournament points was usually broken by head-to-head record or by accumulated tournament points of players they had beaten.

Special thanks are owed to assistant GM, Jim Heenehan, who this year provided the hand-painted tropies for the special awards for Best Carthaginian, Best Roman, Best Sack, and "Pack It In"--and covered while the GM stole away to the WBC Auction for a few minutes in Round 5. Based on the stories revealed in the game record sheets, I,'ve created a few extra Honorable Mentions as well (see below).

Rankings after five swiss rounds (W-L record and side propensity) tourney pts., awards:

Five Wins:
1. Chris Byrd (5-0, 3xCW, 2xRW), 64.4 pts., Newest in our long list of first-time Champions

Four Wins:
2. Keith Wixson (4-1, 4xCW, 1xRL), 58 pts., Best Carthaginian Award
3. Doug White (4-1, 3xCW, 1xCL), 55.8 pts.
4. Henry Rice (4-1, 3xRW, 1xCL), 52.8 pts., Best Roman Award
5. Doug Mercer (4-1, 3xCW, 1xRL), 52.4 pts.
6. James Pei (4-1, 3xRW, 1xRL), 52.4 pts.
7. Tim Hall (4-1, 2xRW, 1xRL), 52 pts.

Three Wins:
8. Roderick Lee (3-2, 2xCW, 1xCL), 47 pts.
9. Jim Heenehan (3-2, 3xCW, 1xCL), 45.4 pts.
10. Michael Mitchell (3-2, 2xCW, 2xCL), 44.8 pts.
11. Glenn McMaster (3-2, 2xCW, 1xCL), 44.2 pts.
12. Randall MacInnis (3-2, 2xRW, 1xRL), 43.8 pts.
13. Jim Eliason (3-2, 2xRW, 2xCL), 42.4 pts.
14. Pat Mirk (2-2+1 bye, 2xRW, 1xRL), 41.4 pts.
15. Bill Banks (3-2, 3xCW, 1xCL), 41 pts.
16. Brian Mountford (3-2, all Roman), 40.8 pts.
17. Thomas Richardson (3-2, 2xRW, 2xCL), 39 pts., Best Sack of Enemy Capital Award
18. Ken Samuel (3-2, 3xCW, 1xCL), 38.6 pts.
19. Bill Morse (3-1, 3xRW, 1xCL), 37.4 pts.

Two Wins:
20. David Dockter (2-2, 1xRW, 1xRL), 32 pts.
21. Ahmet Ilpars (2-2, 1xRW, 1xRL), 31 pts., Hannibal Ad Portas Honorable Mention
22. Derek Landel (2-3, 2xRW, 2xRL), 29.8 pts.
23. Pete Reese (2-1, all Roman), 29 pts.
24. Ray Freeman (2-3, 1xCW, 2xCL), 29 pts., Quickest Resignation Honorable Mention
25. Jim Fardette (2-2, 1xRW, 1xRL), 28 pts.
26. Stuart Tucker (2-3, 2xCW, 1xRL), 27.8 pts.
27. Terry Coleman (2-2, all Carthaginian), 25.6 pts.
28. Hank Burkhalter (2-3, 1xCW, 2xCL), 22 pts.

One Win:
29. Paul Gaberson (1-4, 1xRW, 3xRL), 25 pts.
30. Eugene Lin (1-4, 1xCW, 3xRL), 22.8 pts.
31. Scott Moll (1-4, 1xCW, 2xCL), 22.4 pts.
32. Matthew Bacho (1-2, all Roman), 19 pts.
33. Ed Rothenheber (1-2, 1xRW, 1xRL), 19 pts., Most Demoralized Sack Honorable Mention
34. Michael Ussery (0-2+1 bye, all roman), 18 pts.
35. Rob Seulowitz (1-2, 1xCW, 1xCL), 17.8 pts.
36. Peter Stein (1-2, 1xCW, 1xCL), 16.4 pts.
37. Tim Miller (1-3, all Roman), 15.8 pts.
38. Henry Richardson (1-3, 1xRW, 3xCL), 15.8 pts.
39. Charles Hickok (1-2, all Roman), 15.6 pts.
40. Ewan McNay (1-0, Carthaginian), 12 pts.
41. Jim Doughan (1-1, all Carthaginian), 12 pts.

Zero Wins:
42. Jared Scarborough (0-4, two of each), 9 pts., John "Pack It In" Memorial Award
43. William Lentz (0-3, 2xRL), 7 pts.
44. Peter Card (0-3, 2xRL), 7 pts.
45. Bruno Sinigaglio (0-2, all Roman), 6 pts.
46. Chris Hancock (0-1, Roman), 3 pts.

Notes on Awards and Honorable Mentions:
Quickest Resignation:
For knowing when to give up. Jim Eliason exited in 40 minutes in Round 2, but it was Ray Freeman who saw the writing on the wall after only 15 minutes in his Round 4 game, having witnessed Hannibal losing 4 CUs in the Alps and then dying by the hands of Bill Morse's Publius C. Scipio.

Most Demoralizing Sack: For being subjected to an early improbable defeat. Ed Rothenheber, having already played two Top Ten players during the day, probably thought he'd have an easier time of it in Round 3 against a tournament rookie. Alas, Thomas Richardson utilized the Treachery Within the City card to sack Carthage on Turn 3, despite Ed's efforts to enact a Truce. After 38 minutes into Round 3, Ed was not to be seen again in the tournament.

Hannibal Ad Portas: For coming oh so close to sacking Rome. Ahmet Ilpars' Hannibal already had achieved two siege points against Rome and had driven off Scipio Africanus' attacks twice, but Patrick Mirk's Africanus finally killed Hannibal on his third try in turn 6, going on to defeat Ilpars by a 10-8 province count, and costing him the Best Sack award.

Best Sack of Enemy Capital Award. (And, no, New Carthage doesn't count, no matter how many times James Pei takes it.) Tournament rookie Thomas Richardson managed to sack Carthage not once, but twice, both times early in the game.

The John "Pack It In" Memorial Award: "I Came, I Saw, ... got pummeled, and returned for more." This award goes to the player that faced the most abysmal defeats and took it all smiling, returning to game again. Jared Scarborough, our only entrant this year to go without victory in four tries, managed in Round 1 as the Roman to lose Italy (including Capua), resigning upon the death of Africanus. In Round 2, his resignation as Carthage came even quicker when Marcellus seized Africa, while his Hannibal could not drive Paulus off of Mutina. In Round 3, his Romans managed to kill Hannibal on Turn 7, but he still lost the 9-9 province count at game end. Proving himself a good sport and a glutton for punishment, Jared showed up on day two for Round 4 as Carthage, managing to kill off Hannibal on Turn 2. He kept the province count tied through the first seven turns, but, by the middle of Turn 9, with the province count 11-7 against him, Jared graciously resigned to give Henry Richardson his only win of the tournament. We, the players, salute you, Jared. We will remember your story with a smile.

 GM      Stuart Tucker  [3rd Year]   NA 
    econedit@aol.com   NA

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