Catan Tourney

So, last weekend, at our Local Games store Blue Highway Games my wife and I played in a Settlers of Catan Tourney.

This required a simple $5 entry fee and our bodies present. (Bringing my own copy of the game for the store to use got me a free soda and candy too!

With everyone set up, they randomized tables for each of us and had a preset map. I played a game against three others players, only one I knew. Another player, who we shall call Snape was quite the jerk. Frankly, from the get go my enjoyment of the game was ruined. See, when he wanted to trade, he would stick out his jaw and almost snarl his plan. “I have a sheep I just got, I’m going to trade it to you for two wheat and a brick. Take it!”

Then, once you said never mind he would continue to hold it out with a look of “by all that is unholy I’ll kill you,” in his eyes. And, if you were able to avert your eyes, he would shake his head with a “gosh, what an idiot.” I then refused to trade with him, ever. Needless to say, I lost. I had 3 pts. I know. That’s bad.

My wife had ten victory points in her hand when another player won instead, so she took second.

The tourney runners then placed each player at a table reflective of their ability (all the #1s sat at a table with others, #2s with 2s and so-on) This meant I sat at the table of the #4s, e.g. losers. I had a much more fun game. Fairly co-op for a Catan game, trading fairly, and no problems. I still only got 6 pts, and lost. Yep. #32 of 32.

My wife though, won her second game. It took a lot of deliberating to figure out who went to the final table, basically, because my Wife tied in victory points with two others for fourth seat, and it went to the third tie-breaker, based on how well other players did against those players in prior games. Needless to say, my wife was the fourth seat at the final table. The other three guys, (including the jerk from my first table) were al, we found out later, from Olympia, and came all the way north for the tourney. my wife had played the board before (it was, in this case Catan:germanies,) which justified the other players to pick on her whenever 7s came up. Still, even with them stealing form her left and right, she held her own, and earned her own 9 points when the three of them began pickering over longest road. First one guy, then another, then a third took longest road, which guaranteed his victory. The other three, including my wife, tied for second. Took the pot for 2nd 3rd and 4th and split t three ways.

Yes, my wife, who was reluctant to play in a tournament in the first place took second, and I took last. I’m so proud of her.