Author Topic: Gencant Solo Contest: 1st August – 4th August 2019 (Read 13256 times)

Decar · « **on:** July 31, 2019, 02:28:03 AM »

It's time for our 5th annual Gencant contest!

For those of you who don't know: GenCon is the largest tabletop-game convention in North America by both attendance and number of events.
However, lots of people, like me, can't attend this large convention.

Since 2015, Carcassonne Central has takes part in the large 'unconvention' that uses social media to unite those not attending Gencon—GenCant
More details here: http://www.gencant.com/history/

History of GenCant at Carcassonne Central
In 2015, we attempted to break the high-score using a Carcassonne base-game.
In 2016, I shared a solo-variant of Carcassonne called: Carcassonne: Solomo
In 2017, I shared The Abbot's Walk
In 2018, I shared The Knave of Carcassonne

This year I share: Carcasonne: The Invaders.

I am going to publish the rules later today, subscribe to this thread to get updates ASAP!

Post your entries on this thread, provide a photograph of the board and score-track before final scoring.

To post on Twitter include: #GenCant2019 #Carcsolocon @Carcassonne in your tweet.

Keep your eyes peeled for The Invaders!

Results

Leven 87
Meepledrone 85
Rosco 81
TheSteveAllen 48? --> Possibly
RichTheFish 14

Linkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=4351.0

danisthirty · « **Reply #1 on:** July 31, 2019, 08:45:41 AM »

Looking forward to it!

Decar · « **Reply #2 on:** July 31, 2019, 02:10:05 PM »

You can download the rules as a member of Carcassonne Central here:

The Invaders

In quick summary:

Set up the game as normal.
Instead of creating a supply create a pyramid with levels:

The black meeple are invaders, the red meeple are yours.
Use a mixture of coloured meeple for the invaders, if you don't have enough!
The grey meeple are spaces for reinforcements, I'll cover that in a moment.
Put your last meeple on 0 on the score-track. Put another meeple to represent the invader's score.

Game play is the same as the base game, except if you play a meeple, it must be the left most meeple from the pyramid.
So the first meeple is an invader, the second is yours. You'll work your way down the pyramid.

You can only play Invaders in fields, if they've not already be claimed.
During play, if you draw a cloister and the next meeple to play is an invader, they invade the cloister. Place the cloister where it can be surrounded by the most tiles and claim it with the invader. If there is more than one place, you can choose. If a cloister is completed with an invader, you can leave the invader there until the end of the game.

If you complete a feature, do not return your meeple to your supply. Instead, you may make the meeple a reinforcement, and add it to the next available reinforcement location on your
pyramid.
You can only reinforce:
• Level 3, 2, or 1 of the pyramid.
• Any level ahead of the next meeple to place.

The game ends when all the tiles are placed.

End game scoring:

-10 points for any unplayed meeple still in the pyramid.
-20 points for any of your meeple still on the board.
Invaders score:
Their cloisters,
For every field where they hold a majority, 3 points per complete city, and 2 points per incomplete city.

Your final score is = your score - the invader's score.

Complete rules are available as a PDF.

Contest Ends at Midnight on Sunday
Thanks to TheSteveAllen for play testing!

Rosco · « **Reply #3 on:** July 31, 2019, 02:19:52 PM »

Sounds interesting - I will give it a try

Sent from my H8416 using Tapatalk

TheSteveAllen · « **Reply #4 on:** August 01, 2019, 03:59:12 AM »

Quote from: Rosco on July 31, 2019, 02:19:52 PM

Sounds interesting - I will give it a try

Sent from my H8416 using Tapatalk

It is very interesting. In fact, attached is one I made earlier - looks like a battlefield, but is actually a very friendly game!

Leven · « **Reply #5 on:** August 01, 2019, 10:20:27 AM »

My first attempt. Not a good one (115-51=64), just getting familiar with the rules. Will be better.

Decar · « **Reply #6 on:** August 01, 2019, 12:51:49 PM »

Looks like the invaders did well with cloisters!
Just checking the meeple on complete features didnt score you -20 points t the end of the game. My wording in end game scoring isn't clear-It's only your meeple on incomplete features that are penalized. Can't see any on your photo, so looks good!

Meepledrone · « **Reply #7 on:** August 02, 2019, 11:38:53 AM »

I've been enjoying this devilish child of Decar's...

This was my first attempt, corrections included to the scoring - my bad... These invaders are very vicious:

Invaders - Round #1: Result = 112 - 55 = 57 points

I was lucky and claimed a couple of monasteries

Meepledrone · « **Reply #8 on:** August 02, 2019, 11:44:24 AM »

It was not enough so I gave it a second try and even had the luxury of not placing a meeple

:

Invaders - Round #2. Result = 98 - 50 - 10 (penalty) = 38 points

This is becoming a spiral of self destruction

Leven · « **Reply #9 on:** August 03, 2019, 11:56:26 AM »

My new personal best: 115 - 42 = 73.

Meepledrone · « **Reply #10 on:** August 04, 2019, 03:06:47 AM »

I continued this morning down the path of self destruction and hatred...

You can see my results for Round #3:

Result = 115 - 39 - 20 = 56 points

I waited to much to place the last row of meeples. I had to place them come what may as I only had 8 tiles for eight meeples. So my last meeple was placed as a farmer on the last tile to scratch 2 lousy points when confronted the following dilemma:
* Not placing the meeple = -10 points
* Placing the meeple as a farmer = 12 points from cities - 20 points = -8 points
Two points are two points. Misery wins!

Meepledrone · « **Reply #11 on:** August 04, 2019, 03:17:16 AM »

So, unhappy with the result I give it a go again...

Round #4 unfolds as follows...

Result = 99 - 31 = 68 points

Finally I managed to place all the meeples and let invaders only score monasteries. However the score per monastery was modest: 5 points in average.

Not a great scoring on my part but better than ever… Reinforcements can be a nightmare more than a help.

This can only get better... Right?

Meepledrone · « **Reply #12 on:** August 04, 2019, 03:30:52 AM »

So... full of hope, I decide to succumb again to this challenge.

Round #5 is on...

Result = 120 - 35 = 85 points

Unbelievable!!! Invaders scored 4 monasteries only… And I managed to score 3 succulent cities plus a small one... and a long road. Monasteries came out in arow so no much damage control could be done. I got the one I claimed so I preferred to join the cloister game. Game on!!!

No reinforcements used and I get this awesome result! Awesome!!!