Session 5

(D. Ferreira, D. Nunes, F. Nunes, D. Bação, R. Dias)


We decided to make this session on Friday (holiday), so that Renato could join us for a while.

The session started with a game of Puerto Rico, that was initially intended for 3 players, but bação arrived before the end of the setup, and he also joined. I think it was not the best game for him, since he was a new player, and the game isn't easy for first time players.

The game began with D. Nunes taking an early lead, by the time Renato arrived. When we decided to make room for him to seat, Bação accidentally destroyed the game setting, and we decided not to continue and play Bohnanza instead, with all 5 players.

Puerto Rico: unfinished


This was the first time a game of bohnanza was played with more than 3 players, and we where anticipating that.

The first thing notice was the lower number of points of the final score. We usually manage to get 20+ points in a 3 player game, but in this game D. Ferreira only had 15 ( the highest point player) . Renato, who add to keep one eye on the game and another on his like kid, was second tied with D. Nunes.


Overall, it was fun, and I got the impression that the game works better with more than three players and the game was faster, even with the third run through the deck.. We still need to play the game with 7 and see how it scales.

Bohnanza: Davide Ferreira


Renato had to leave, while we finish to setup Shadows Over Camelot.

I've already tried this game alone (controlling 3 and 4 knights) and with my brother (each controlling a knight) with a small rule change. Unfortunately, that change made the game easy and my brother had a bias opinion of the game. he was reluctant in playing it.

Unlike in the games played before the session, loyalty cards were distributed. I had a feeling that the possible presence of a traitor would change the game from the experience me and my brother had.

The game was a litte slow at first, since Bação and Ferreira didn't knew what to do first. Some mistakes happened (the main one an incorrect use of King Arthur's special power). In the end, the knights won the game with only 3 black swords on the round table. The loyalty cards revealed no traitor.

Shadows Over Camelot: The knights (D. Ferreira, D. Nunes, D. Bação, Filipe "Sir Runegarth" Nunes


The previous game was really fun, and because (since we had time), we decided to play another. Only two of the knights were the same, and the other 2 changed, and for the first time Sir Kay was in play.

The game had a bad start. Bação started moving to the grail quest and placed a couple of grail cards. During the first turns no despair cards came out, and he manage to fill 3 spots with no despairs on the table. I when to the Excalibur quest and the other knights stayed in Camelot.

A few turns later, both Bação and D. Nunes were at the grail quest and this is were the game started to be difficult. Bação saw the top black card (he had Sir Percival) and said it "it's very bad", and the knights began to sacrifice life points or adding siege engines. The card was later revealed and it was a dispair card. But by the time the grail quest was completed and another siege engine was added (7 or 8 total), and we had only a few white swords. To add more trouble, the Pict and Saxons had no progression on the quests and already some warriors where there.

At this point, the game was true to it's name; there really was danger to Camelot, and we had to fight wars on almost every front. One time during the 10 siege engines were outside Camelot with 3 Picts on the table.

It was only a matter of time before the game was lost, and I gave the final stroke by adding the 12th siege engine and revealing myself as the traitor.

Shadows Over Camelot: Traitor (Filipe "Sir Runegarth" Nunes)


I received some criticism after the game saying that I didn't do enough to betray the knights. But the fact is that in the beginning of the game I when to the Excalibur quest and discarded all my grail cards and my Merlins, when I could just move to the grail quest and help with it. After, I obtained the Lancelot's armour and I got the ability to chose the worst card for the knights. I didn't always chose it because Bação sometimes saw one card and decided not to use it. Finally, for most of the game I was a bit lost, moving to one quest and dropping a card, moving again to another, always reluctant to sacrifice life points.

I could of been exposed when I chose to play the Morgana that played the next 3 black cards, but no accusation was made, and in the next turn, I added the final siege engine, and Camelot fell.

I admit that I could of done more as the traitor, but the other knights did half my job, by adding early in the game siege engines to Camelot, and there was no need to over-expose myself. I could just wait a few turns and select the worst black card to play, and eventually the knights couldn't cover all the holes and I would attack the weakest flank.

After the session ended, everyone wanted to be the traitor next time.