Ridgeback

The Players

Clockwise passing will go down this list, while counterlockwise passing will go up.

Age III

Phase 5

Alexandria spends 3 ore, 1 glass, and 1 cloth for a Counterfeiter's Guild. All other players lose 3 gold.

Petra pays 1 gold to Rhodes for a brick and spends 2 brick, 1 ore, 1 glass, 1 papyrus, and 1 cloth for a Pantheon.

Rhodes pays 2 gold to Petra for cloth and spends 2 lumber, 1 ore, and 1 cloth for an Arsenal.

Giza pays 4 gold to Rhodes for brick and glass and 4 gold to Rome for papyrus and lumber and spends 1 lumber, 1 brick, 1 papyrus, and 1 glass for the Builders' Union. Olympia loses 3 gold, Alexandria and Petra each lose 2 gold, and Rhodes and Rome each lose 1 gold.

Rome discards a card for 3 gold.

Olympia pays 2 gold to Alexandria for glass then spend 3 gold, 2 ore, and 1 glass for a Torture Chamber.

Phase 6

Alexandria spends 1 glass to build the last stage of his wonder.

Petra spends 1 lumber, 1 papyrus, and 1 cloth for a Study.

Rhodes plays a Gardens, which is free because of the Statue.

Giza discards a card for 3 gold.

Rome plays a University, which is free because of the Library.

Olympia discards a card for 3 gold.

Phase 7

Alexandria spends 2 brick, 1 stone, 1 cloth, and 1 glass for a Cenotaph. Rhodes loses 1 gold, Giza loses 4 gold, and Olympia loses 2 gold.

Petra pays 1 gold to Rhodes for lumber and 2 gold to Alexandria for stone and spends 3 lumber, 1 stone, and 1 cloth for a Magistrates' Guild.

Rhodes pays 2 gold to Petra for 1 brick and spends 3 brick to build the second stage of his wonder.

Giza discards a card for 3 gold.

Rome pays 2 gold to Giza for stone and spends 2 stone, 1 brick, and 1 cloth to build the second stage of his wonder.

Olympia pays 2 gold to Alexandria for cloth and spends 2 lumber, 1 ore, and 1 cloth for a Bortherhood. All other players lose 3 gold.

Conflicts

Petra has the Diplomacy tile and so does not participate in conflicts.

Alexandria has 3 shields, versus 10 for Rhodes and 7 for Olympia, losing both conflicts.

Rhodes has 10 shields, versus 8 for Giza and 3 for Alexandria, winning both conflicts.

Giza has 8 shields, versus 2 for Rome and 10 for Rhodes, winning versus Rome and losing versus Rhodes. Gains 2 gold from Nero.

Rome has 2 shields, versus 7 for Olympia and 8 for Giza, losing both conflicts.

Olympia has 7 shields, versus 3 for Alexandria and 2 for Rome, winning both conflicts.

Victory Points

Congratulations to Dave on his victory!

End of Game Statements

Dave Hooton (Rome): Thanks to Chris for running this game, which I did not expect to win. It was fairly tight, and getting the University towards the end was worth 12 points. So, never underestimate the value of a college education.

Chris Geggus (Petra): Enjoyed it as usual. Was rather pleased to get as close as I did, but 55 points for Dave in Sciences was too much for anyone to match. Quite liked the leaders – fairly quirky. I do still harbour the suspicion that the sciences are a little too strong in this game. I know it's been argued a lot, but my experience is that a science builder wind more often than not. On that basis maybe I should actually start collecting them!

Thanks to Chris and roll on the next one.

Kevin Wilson (Alexandria): Well, I'm obviously still learning this game. Only my second time and while the mechanics are clearer the strategy remains to learn, or at least improve. I'm still completely intrigued by the game and see why it's so popular. I just need to play more and learn more so sign me up for the next one.

Congrats to Dave on a very nice win. Thank you Chris for running the game. Thanks to the rest of you for the patience while I improve.

Bill Scharf (Rhodes): I did terribly in this game and I did it to myself. I was focused on what I needed for my leaders to score (and I'll admit I did well in that, over twice as many points as everyone else put together), but in order to do that I had to pass on so much on other opportunities … gack I deserved to lose badly. I felt trapped into having to make the “right” moves because of my card choices rather than taking advantage of the cards as they came up … won't make that mistake again …. at least for a while lol.

Christopher Hunt (Olympia): Thanks to Chris H. for management of the game and his understanding of my missed and inaccurate orders. Congratulations to Dave on his win. I still forget how short the game is and how critical each card choice is. Like Chris G. I think the way to succeed is science but after getting the resources necessary to build ones monuments and the military it is too late with no science cards or no money available. Still an exciting game and put me down for another. I would like to explore a similar but more simple play: Hadara.

Martin Burgdorf (Giza): Congratulations to Dave for winning Ridgeback and thanks to the other players and Chris Hassler for making this game possible. Just like Chris Geggus I like the leaders - I have started reading the biography of Nero by Michael Grant, because I played this card. Alkmaeon, Orest and Nero are brothers. Why? They all murdered their mothers.