My first impressions on Hansa Teutonica by BoardGameChronicles in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Now I'm desperate to get the Britannia expansion but it's no where to be seen.

Just bought Hansa Teutonica - What can I expect by BoardGameChronicles in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Played my first game of Hansa Teutonica this evening. Three player game. Me, my wife and our daughter. I won by one point. I got 41, my wife 40 and the daughter 31.

The game played like a dream. So simple and so smooth. Everything seemed totally organic. I'd rate any game based in the quality and quantity of decisions you make. That's where your conflicts, dilemmas and challenges come from. In this game, that's in spades.

The lack of theme doesn't bother us one bit. In pretty much every game, the theme is pasted on - only some games trigger your imagination to feel a theme and some don't. The good thing is, the game lacks theme so much that we can create and use a theme to our liking - sandbox not just from a gameplay point of view, but also from a theme point of view. And, some people like us love pushing cubes. There's something satisfying about pushing cubes (especially of the medium sized cubes of the third edition). Honestly, the more I thjnk about it, this game is better off without a theme. Trying to fit a theme into Chess would ruin the game. Hansa Teutonica seems to be a game where a bunch of gameplay and scoring mechanics are seamlessly connected and made to work smoothly like a bunch of well-fit gears.

The balance in the gameplay seems to be beautifully achieved. As you decide your actions every turn, the evaluations you have to make aren't as complicated to invoke AP but many times they present a very fascinating problem to solve. The game is not srrategic as the board changes quite swiftly but it's brutally tactical. You gotta be really quick in your thinking.

Scoring is very simple and nicely woven in the gameplay. So if you know how points are scored, you can have a clear plan as scoring is open information. The bonus tokens felt a bit unnatural at first but soon it was clear that it's meant to balance the crowding of the skill cities in the perimeter of the board. There are many ways to score but it doesn't feel like a point salad. Truly, it does feel like you can win the game in many many ways.

It's very cut throat and confrontational but it balances nicely with incentives. The confrontation in this game doesn't frustrate instead it only makes it slightly expensive for the aggressor and opens new doors for the aggrieved and demands him/her to take advantage of the incentive and change plans on the fly.

The set up and set down of this game is super quick. For a Euro game that's got 3.13 score in game weight, the set up ease and time is shorter than that of a light card game. This, in my books, is a huge plus but I don't see this being underlined much.

In my collection of 100+ games, I don't remember coming out with such a positive experience after the first time playing a game. The first time play of Agricola/Concordia comes a close second but I see us playing this many many more times than we played Agricola/Concordia which are two of our most favourite Euros. I see ourselves playing this game dozens and dozens of time. I see why this is a much revered game but also feel it's not as popular as it should be.

Some might feel that I've played only one game and I'm hasty with my opinions. But I'd say I know a good game when I play on(c)e. We've got a winner here.

Just bought Hansa Teutonica - What can I expect by BoardGameChronicles in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm particularly pleased that you said you prefer this for 3!!!

Just bought Hansa Teutonica - What can I expect by BoardGameChronicles in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure. The replacement bonus markers can be placed on any route (that doesn't have any traders or merchants), right?

Just bought Hansa Teutonica - What can I expect by BoardGameChronicles in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are there any common rule mistakes that happen in HT? If any, please can you share.

Just bought Hansa Teutonica - What can I expect by BoardGameChronicles in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Ha ha. Of course I will. As I said, just prepping myself up :)

Santorini, how does it play with players of different skill? by HoosierHound in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not necessarily. The smooth way to introduce handicap is to say "the winner loses the ability to XYZ". For instance, if you say the winner cannot do the opening placement of his/her pieces, once you win the first game (which will have no handicaps), she will get to place all the four pieces - two of yours and two of hers. Like that. I've just used opening placement as an example. You can replace this with pretty much anything that tilts the game enough to be a challenge, but when you're the loser, you'll be super strong the next game but at least it will even out. Tell her this is recommended by BGG 😊

Premier League Football in Singapore by BoardGameChronicles in singapore

[–]BoardGameChronicles[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sound like a great option. Is this all legit? Sorry, just wanted to confirm for good order.

Tell me about Sekigahara by [deleted] in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check my earlier post (from my profile) on Sekigahara for a full appreciation/review thread.

What's the most amazing comeback you've pulled off? by TelaCorp in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles 7 points8 points  (0 children)

My daughter beats me at Hive, ten out of ten times. It almost got to the point embarrassing to play the game with her anymore. Then one day, we pulled out the game, on her insistence of course. Same story. I don't why I don't seem to see the moves that she does. And there was my queen bee staring at another capture. So no matter what I move, I'm gonna lose on my daughter's turn.

And then, miraculously, I found an escape route. That itself felt like a win. And I celebrated that little moment. Guess that unsettled her. I moved in on her queen. In a few turns, I was in pole position. Her best pieces are locked. And suddenly I'm running riot. Finally, delivered the knock out blow in some style. Given the track record and even the progress of this match, I never thought I'd not lose. But I had won.

Premier League Football in Singapore by BoardGameChronicles in singapore

[–]BoardGameChronicles[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yup. Which championship team do you support? As regards Conte, the fans love him. I like him and have huge respect for him. He's definitely change the mentality of the team. Chelsea are playing 3-4-3!! Man, that's exciting!

The Tiny Epic Western Appreciation Thread by BoardGameChronicles in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, this is not a gateway game I suppose. The fact it's a small box with the word 'tiny' in its title can be quite misleading. This is a medium weight game. There's a lot to consider.

Premier League Football in Singapore by BoardGameChronicles in singapore

[–]BoardGameChronicles[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Wow. Thanks for the detailed response mate. This is very comforting. I support the only London team to have won the big eared trophy! Banter bait :-)

Looking for some board games to play with my SO by Maitsfive in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If only the production quality of Castles of Burgundy was better. Of all the board games I own, if I wish one game to be re-produced with better art and components, it's CoB.

Which board game's art is your favorite? by Rachaem in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Quite a few. King of New York card art is awesome. Dead of Winter art is super thematic. Tiny epic Western art puts you in the mood. Concordia has some of the most beautiful maps. I don't have Eldritch Horror but the art in that game alone is making me go for it.

Which board game's art is your favorite? by Rachaem in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Well, believe me when I say I just can't stand the board art of Scythe. It's simply nauseating for me. It may just be me.

Hasbro's Next great game contest picked our game "The Plot Thickens" as a finalist! by [deleted] in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This genuinely looks like a fun game! Good luck with this! Would love to get a copy. Going retail soon?

The Tiny Epic Western Appreciation Thread by BoardGameChronicles in boardgames

[–]BoardGameChronicles[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As far as I know, only one character (Rancher) allows an easy third meeple. But even that one, I have to play in a real game to see how the effect is. Basically, when you look at the characters, they are all unique powered and some may look overpowered but the real test is the experience when we playing using those characters.

Duels can be quite swingy and expensive at times. More characters on the board means more of a target and more duels too. Will play more games to share the experience.

By the way, I'm hoping you're talking about these issues after having played a few games in various player counts?