Fief
I’ve got a dear friend preparing to move across the country in a couple weeks, so he gets to pick the games the next couple weeks.
This week he’s choosing Fief: France 1429 aka Crusader Kings: the Board Game. But not just plain old Fief, he wants it with allll the trimmings and widgets and gewgaws. Every bit of plastic, every chit, every fucking thing.
So I’m studying up on these last three expansions to the game that we never even punched and it feels like I’m cramming for midterms.
I’ve played with the Crusades, but not with the Teutons & Templars. Crusades was interesting, but after the game we felt like the individual victory should be bumped to 4VP in addition to bumping the alliance to 5 as it says in the rules. Otherwise there just doesn’t seem to be the incentive to engage in all the work and risk it takes to go on crusade while somebody is winning all by themselves on the main board.
Also at 3/5 there is zero reason to ally, because one of the allies must already be poised to win alone.
What’s your favorite obscure/weird rule?
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For me it is the Pope’s immunity to Justice. Assassin Popes have featured in our games on several occasions.
We’ll bump the individual to 4 I think. I saw that too and went hmm.
James Stuart I also like the justice stuff, but for me it’s the whole cavalcade thing.
I love the chevauchee rules!
My favourite rule: if the King mandates the Grandmaster of the Templars to be killed, and the pope gives assent, they both must SAVE OR DIE BECAUSE CURSES
“aka Crusader Kings: the Board Game” is a rather strong claim… will have to look into this 🙂
Christian Griffen I stand by the claim! It’s all backstabby politics and alliances and brutal land grabs. It’s also not an especially “tight” design, and your efforts can get totally screwed due to bad luck and happenstance.
If you look at the bgg page that’s the main beef folks have with the game. You can’t really take all the credit for winning not feel too bad about losing.
You have to accept going in that you might wind up playing a hopeless position for several hours, purely by chance. You can make all the right moves and still get screwed by a die roll. But it can also generate amazing narratives. It’s a game to be played for the experience.
That sure does sound like CK 🙂
Just so we’re all on the same page! 😃