I cheated. I cheated and I don't feel bad about it. I selected a game that I already knew I loved for the game of the month. I never explicitly stated that I wouldn't, but it still feels a bit like cheating. It's just that after a string of games that I couldn't really get into, I needed something to be excited about. So I chose to look at one of my all time favorite games. Now let me try to convince you why it should be one of yours.
Design: <PERSON>, <PERSON> & <PERSON> Art: <PERSON> Publishing: Z-Man Games
This is a follow up article to a game covered earlier in the month. As such, it assumes that you are familiar with the game and how it works. If this game is new to you, check out the Initial Thoughts video to see if it's a game you would be interested in.
The modern board game age has an odd fascination with the mundane and the esoteric. Many of the most popular and well designed games deal with topics such as medieval subsistence farming, colonization, and Mediterranean goods traders. They are such a mainstay that I sometimes wonder if the Europeans from which these games originate have a greater appreciation for history than I or anyone I associate with. But there is a certain appeal that's undeniable. Surely, we are living in the greatest time in history, but it's easy to idealize the past as a quaint and simple time. And I just can't help but be attracted to these games. My love of them borders on the ironic. So when <PERSON> offered me the chance to step into the shoes of a noble family and lead a 13th century French city to prosperity, I was more than willing to jump in.
The palace is the center for military training, but the workers here demand a high salary.
SET 'EM UP
<PERSON> asks a lot of you right out of the gate. You have decide where you will assign your workers before the first round. This will not only dictate what type of actions you will most likely take, it will also affect your income. Assign your workers to the high cost offices like the palace and bishopric, and you'll see your 10 denier income quickly dwindle. This decision can be daunting for a new player, but it's softened by the fact that initial placement is done in serpentine fashion, allowing you to study the placement of others as your place your own. 118
In such, your initial placement isn't just a prolonged setup process, it actually becomes the beginning of the game as players jockey for position. It's also less of a problem given the fluid nature of the game. Plans can and will change as subsequent rounds reveal new and interesting combinations of professions. Still, it does help to some helpful guidance from an experienced player for your first game or two. All this to say, that while there is an initial learning hump, it's well worth getting over.
MIDDLE LIFE CRISIS
Every round of Troyes is ushered in with the unveiling of event cards. These events range from pesky brigands at the gates to all out civil war. And with these events come a toll which must be paid. Events come in three different flavors that correspond to the different roles that the town centers address, military, religious, and commercial. Military events are the most common and will show up every round. They take place in the form of attack dice which must be countered in turn order. To counter an attack die, a player must match the highest numbered attack die with one of their own (or a red military die that is half the number). It simulates the noble families stepping up to the plate and diverting their resources to a pressing matter. It also serves to tamper first player advantage. By eliminating one the first player's high valued dice, they are forced to work with their remaining dice or purchase one from a neighbor. I've heard some say that first player still has too much advantage because purchasing dice is a legitimately solid move and moving in on a strong profession early can really hamper the 3rd and 4th player, but I don't feel that way. I don't have any hard numbers to back up either claim I can just say that it never bothered me.
The commercial and religious events are a little more varied in nature. Whether it's losing money due to drought or the cathedral crumbling due to a work stoppage, every event serves to add context that flavors the experiences. Though they are random, there are few enough total event cards that after a few plays you will become familiar with them and you will learn that having no money or influence at the start of a round is probably not the best idea. The events in Troyes also straddles the line between being overly punishing to the point of being punitive and being harmless to the point of being irrelevant. They add that bit of spice to keep it interesting, a light jab to the ribs to keep you on your toes. 629