Author Topic: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!  (Read 39181 times)

Offline danisthirty

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World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« on: August 28, 2014, 02:16:33 AM »
Now that the group stage is over (well, almost over - the one remaining match in Group B won’t change who qualifies and RSV is insanely busy at the moment) it’s time to move on to the first round of the knock-out stage of the competition: the quarter-finals!

If you’ve qualified for this stage of the competition you should have received an email from me already (please let me know if you haven’t). For those who haven’t qualified but who are keen to know who’s playing who, the diagram below should explain everything!



Please post results, screenshots, match reports, banter, smack-talk and anything else relating to this stage of the competition here!

Linkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=991.0
« Last Edit: October 31, 2017, 07:00:06 AM by danisthirty »

Offline jungleboy

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Re: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« Reply #1 on: August 28, 2014, 03:07:35 AM »
Jéré and I played our quarterfinal and I won 235-195. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how I won this match. Jéré executed his game plan - which was to try to block my meeples in the early part of the game - very successfully, and for most of the game I believed I had no chance to win.

Early in the game, Jéré drew a cathedral and, showing the way he was going to play, he opted to place it in a city under my control rather than in one under his control. I like nothing more than closing a big cathedral city, so I fell right into his trap and eagerly expanded my city, adding my builder to it and (still not fully understanding Jéré's strategy) adding two more consolidation meeples for a total of three. Luckily I kept my big meeple out of it. Rather than trying to join my city, Jéré manoeuvred tiles around the city for blocking purposes and left me needing a CRFF tile to complete it. At that stage I wasn't even sure that tile was in the bag at all, because I often confuse the CRFF and the CFFR tiles and I know that T&B only has one of them. Meanwhile, Jéré also blocked a monk of mine (which needed the exact same CRFF tile) and another knight (which needed the CFRF tile that had already been played elsewhere on the board). So with the game only about 1/4 finished, he was in a very strong position.

The game was very low scoring in the early stages, as I was trying to complete what I could and Jéré was trying to block me without paying much attention to his own features. I took a lead of about 20 points or so, but it soon became clear that Jéré had several more meeples up his sleeve and was going to overtake me. Looking ahead to how the end-game scoring was situated, the trade goods were fairly even throughout the match, and while I had taken an early farm that featured a nice configuration of four adjacent two-tile cities (with the four-city CCCC tile in the middle), Jéré quickly added three farmers in the area, which I couldn't match at that stage given my meeple shortage. His strategy from then on seemed quite simple: win the main farm, win the trade goods if possible, and finish small and easily completable features to eventually wear me down without getting bogged down in large features himself.

In the middle part of the game, I used my big meeple to complete what I could, trying not to risk too much. This included a 20-point city to the south which yielded a couple of trade goods. Jéré overtook me, though, and looked on his way to a comfortable win. In hindsight, though, my ability to stay close (within about 10-20 points) and do the best with what I had during this stage was very important. Jéré also placed a meeple on a road by accident, thinking his tile was a four-way intersection that would complete the road when it was a bridge that didn't complete it.

With about 40 tiles to go, I took a look at the whole board and determined that the only way I could win was to complete my cathedral city and at least tie the big farm - so I decided to put all my efforts into those goals. By now I had realised that the tile I needed for my cathedral city was indeed in the bag and so I had a 50% chance of pulling it. As for the farm, I decided to add my double meeple in the area to try to tie it, even though this left me with only my phantom meeple left and meant there wouldn't be much city/road scoring left for me. I also knew that Jéré still had his big meeple in reserve which, if added to the main farm, would have clinched the farm and probably the game for him. He did indeed try to get his big meeple onto the farm, but I blocked him out of it which gave me hope as the farm was tied 3-3.

With about 15-20 tiles to go, the key moment of the game took place when I drew the CRFF tile to complete my cathedral city for 48 points and three silk trade goods (which guaranteed me 10 more points). This gave me a lead of about 36 points, setting the stage for the farm battle to decide the game. I managed to get my phantom onto the main farm to take a 4-3 lead, but Jéré was only a simple straight road, corner road, T-road etc tile away from tying it back up at 4-4. Remarkably it took him a long time to draw the piece he needed and it only came on the last tile of the game. We therefore each claimed 40 points from this 10-city farm, as we both had our pigs in it too.

Jéré had a few other little farms going as well, and I was able to win two 6-point farms as well with the meeples I got back from my cathedral city. With so much action in the last part of the game it was difficult to keep recomputing the situation, so when Jéré laid the final tile to tie up the farm, I still wasn't sure who had won with a lot of end-game scoring to come. I was surprised to see that the margin was 30 points (edit: 40 points) but this still showed that even with the cathedral city, it would have been touch and go if I hadn't tied up the main farm. We each claimed 20 points from trade goods so this wasn't really a factor, though there were a couple of situations in the middle of the game where we each closed cities of the other player to earn trade goods.

In the screenshot of the board below, I have circled the two most important moments of the game for me: the last cathedral city tile (circled in red) and the tile that blocked Jéré's big meeple out of the main farm (circled in blue).

Thanks to Jéré for a very well played, cut-throat game that was worthy of a World Cup quarterfinal :)

If I end up playing MrNumbers next, who plays a similar game to Jéré, I will have to be smarter about the way I play!
« Last Edit: August 28, 2014, 03:44:08 AM by jungleboy »

Offline danisthirty

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Re: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« Reply #2 on: August 28, 2014, 03:34:48 AM »
A great report jungleboy! It was an incredible game to watch too (since I was hosting) as Jere really was absolutely ruthless throughout, especially in the early stages of the game where he was absolutely intent on blocking at every available opportunity, and making opportunities where there weren't! I think he scaled this down in the second half of the game but I too thought he'd done enough for the win by then.

One thing jungleboy did particularly well was simply to keep going even when he was down to his last meeple. I was surprised that the scores stayed so close for so long considering the scale of the disadvantage that jungleboy was facing, but he kept going with short roads and small cities and didn't give Jere the chance to get too far ahead when a lesser-player (i.e. me) would have given up.

The fact that the main farm was tied was also rather surprising as Jere went at this with some aggression right from the start of the game. I couldn't believe how long it took to get his fourth farmer onto it (the right tile simply refused to come along), but jungleboy did well to cut his double-meeple off and kept his share of the farm in doing so. Interestingly enough, if Jere had won the 40-point farm outright the final scores would have been even!

Great game both. Very well played.

Offline MrNumbers

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Re: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2014, 04:39:40 AM »
That was a very nice report, jungleboy! I could feel the game flow reading it! :)
If sometimes Carcassonne tournaments will need a professional commentator, I know one guy ;)

It really looks like Jéré is playing similar style as me. Reading his moves and desicions I also stayed confused how he could lost. Anyway, if I win rfielder (who will have a rematch with me), I will have a rematch with you, jungleboy, since you are the only one, except Dan, of course, who win a game from me in the League.
"I never lose. Either I win or I learn." (Nelson Mandela)

Offline danisthirty

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Re: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2014, 05:34:59 AM »
Obviously jungleboy has played one game more than the rest of us and Jere has been eliminated in the process, but it’s funny how the 7 remaining players are the same 7 who played in the league. The World Cup has turned into a League reunion! Now if only it has the same result... ;)

Offline MrNumbers

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Re: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« Reply #5 on: August 28, 2014, 06:00:08 AM »
The World Cup has turned into a League reunion! Now if only it has the same result... ;)

In that case I would repeat my second game against you, Dan, in the final! ;D

Offline jungleboy

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Re: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2014, 06:07:14 AM »
I think the League was a learning process for a lot of us (or certainly for me). I lost games I probably should have won, and then I've won those same types of games in the WC. So the experience of the League definitely helped.

Offline Jéré

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Re: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2014, 06:17:47 AM »
Brilliant report jungleboy! Thanks for sharing and of course congratulations for the victory!

I cannot say the luck factor played an important role in this game since he had 50% chance to draw the tile he needed (aka the pig tail!) Despite having a strategy that I thought solid, I managed to make a few mistakes. I have no excuses for not taking full control of the main field, which was relatively easy. Merit goes to jungleboy for blocking my double follower. Surprising but well deserved victory! Bravo!

Thanks Dan for organising this WC: Amazing job! I'm eliminated now but I must say I had a lot of fun and I'll be back for the next tournament! Cheers! :)


Offline danisthirty

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Re: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2014, 06:22:04 AM »
@MrNumbers - if it looks like that’s going to happen I may never play Carcassonne again! Although, if we’d been playing with Abbey & Mayor (as will be included in the final) I could at least have won the farm for myself by placing my barn before you’d stolen it from me (assuming you didn’t do it first)...

@jungleboy – definitely agree. I think the league was useful both in learning to play using JCZ but also in developing tactics and other tricks.

@Jere – I’m sorry I didn’t get to play against you. Hopefully we can arrange a “friendly” game sometime after the competition is over?

Offline MrNumbers

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Re: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« Reply #9 on: August 30, 2014, 07:44:23 AM »
Another QF game just happened: MrNumbers vs. Rfielder.
Final score - 280:184.

I can't write such beautiful reviews as jungleboy does, but there are some things that can be told about the game :)
Right from the start of the game, after placing all the river tiles, Robert claimed a city and then placed builder on it. But opponent's builder for me is like a red reg for a bull :D Very soon it was blocked till the rest of the game (Robert had an opportunity to avoid blocking, just did't spot it). I continued to search for blocking opportunities and found 4 throughout the game. At 2/3 of the game I started to build a city with a Cathedral, Robert tried to connect to it with a big follower, I tried to add mine, but this city just remained incomplete and my builder was frozen too. Robert continued to expand his part of the city, although I hoped to merge them with a purpose not to give Robert these points, but didn't get the right tile. My opponent received 14 points for his part in the end. At the very end Robert managed to connect to my 14-point city in just 2 moves and stole from me trade goods: 2 grains and 1 wine, which equalizes our grain quantity and Robert received additional 10 points.
What surprised me much is that Robert didn't fight for the farms. As a result I have claimed all good spots earning 66 points in total.

Now I will have a rematch with jungleboy in semifinal ;)

Offline jungleboy

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Re: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« Reply #10 on: August 31, 2014, 10:21:18 AM »
I can't write such beautiful reviews as jungleboy does, but there are some things that can be told about the game :)

On the contrary, this is a very beautiful line:

But opponent's builder for me is like a red reg for a bull :D

...and a good reminder for me to be careful with my builder in our semifinal. Congratulations on your win and see you soon!


Offline quevy

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Re: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« Reply #11 on: August 31, 2014, 02:07:14 PM »
Rosco vs Quevy

I have won 268/232

it was a good game, balanced and fun.
The luck was on my starts more times than Rosco.
Sooner or later everything will turn against me and I will not receive even a tile favorable.


A knight is sworn to valour.
His heart knows only virtue.
His blade defends the helpless.
His might upholds the weak.
His word speaks only truth.
His wrath undoes the wicked.

 :white-meeple: My works.

Offline danisthirty

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Re: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« Reply #12 on: September 01, 2014, 03:32:59 AM »
Well done to everyone who has played their games so far. Sorry to those who have been eliminated. I have had the privilege of watching 2 of the 3 games and they have been fantastic!

Quick summary of the action so far:

Q/F1: (due to be played on Tuesday/ Thursday)
Q/F2: quevy 269 - 232 Rosco
Q/F3: jungleboy 235 - 195 Jere
Q/F4: MrNumbers 280 - 184 rfielder

S/F1: ? vs. quevy
S/F2: jungleboy vs. MrNumbers

Really looking forward to playing Carcking and (potentially) getting to play quevy in the next round!  :(y)
« Last Edit: September 01, 2014, 05:13:55 AM by danisthirty »

Offline Andrew the Ambo

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Re: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« Reply #13 on: September 01, 2014, 04:21:09 AM »
I like the trash talk to psych out Carcking ;)

Offline danisthirty

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Re: World Cup - Knock-out Stage!
« Reply #14 on: September 01, 2014, 05:18:28 AM »
If only it had been deliberate. Sorry if this appeared disrespectful, my somewhat presumptuous post was entirely accidental!  :-[

I know from previous experience that Carcking is a force to be reckoned with. He's a very cunning player and I learnt a lot from him in our games as part of the league.

The best/ luckiest man will win, and I genuinely have no idea who this will be (but I'm looking forward to finding out)...


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