The gang got together again for another game of Twilight Imperium. It's game 4 for the group, and game number 3 for me. We took the weekend to play another game and try out the remaining factions in the fourth edition of the game. If I'm correct, we've played with every faction except for Winnu. I took the Kingdom of Xxcha this game - the space turtles.
Day one was pretty standard fare. We started out with some pretty slow victory point and resource accrual. Most of that was thanks to a new map layout. Most impressive though was Matt taking control of Mecatol Rex (termed 'Right Cat Soup' in this game) on turn one. He sent a destroyer, carrier, and a unit of infantry onto the central hex after sending them through a blackhole and coming out clean on the other side. Exhilarating stuff.
I started a slow expansion securing several planets on the outskirts of my home system and keeping a solid border with John to my left. We maintained a peaceful alliance all through the game, only with a few touchy moments where it looked like we'd clash. Our trades through the game led to me giving John my Ceasefire Promissory Note for his Support of the Throne. That kept relations pretty much at a status quo. My relations with Will, Matt, and Caleb were a bit more challenging though. No open hostilities on day one, luckily, which allowed Will and Caleb to trade blows. I did manage to screw them both over through the passage of trade deals and other actions throughout, though.
The real drama of the first day came with the passage of Wormhole Research Laws. A and B wormholes were connected by law, which caused John some anxiety. His home planet was bordered by an A wormhole. Two turns later, he played an Action Card to effectively repeal the law and close off easy access to his home system. In a fit of diplomatic betrayal (which I'm known for), I quashed his action card. Playing to the Xxcha's strengths, I used my one ability that round to cancel John's action and keep the wormholes in our game connected.
And what should happen? Caleb exploits the open access and takes control of John's home system. By the luckiest stroke of special actions, Caleb snuck through John's blockade of the wormhole, took control of his home system, and captured his PDS and Space Dock, allowing him to produce new units there. Caleb effectively took control of his home system, reinforced his position from within John's lines, and bunkered down to withstand the counterattack.
That pretty much concluded day 1.
And then came day 2 when all hell broke loose. Will and I agreed to gang up on Matt, who still had control of Right Cat Soup (Mecatol Rex) in the center. I invaded his planet with my first fleet which was lost in full. Then Will went in for the attack on Matt's home system - he knocked out Matt's defending fleet but left the planet to Matt's infantry, effectively blockading him. Caleb and John meanwhile traded fortunes. John managed to take back his home system and Caleb's over extended empire soon fell to Matt and Will combined. While Will moved on Matt, certain he had my support, I launched a surprise attack on his home system and took it. My attack on Matt had been a false front - I'd never intended to take Mecatol Rex.
I got 3 victory points from taking Will's home system but incurred some - justified? - anger when I refused to leave.
Towards the end of the day, we were sitting at 11 VPs, 3 shy of victory. We called it even and then called it a night. After 12-ish hours, I was pretty beat and we were starting to fade.
All in all another good game. Matt and John had me on the ropes for VPs, and Will's war suns were coming at me with a vengeance.
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