Churchill – playing short scenario

Lately I was coming back pretty often to Churchill – one of my favorite 3-player games (which I explicitly expressed in my review). We played that game a lot and everything started around two years ago with below session… It never got properly published so today it is time to fix it…

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That mid-week boardgame meeting was supposed to unfold in completely different way – we planned another position with another bunch of fellow gamers. As it is in life, the plans went their way and reality its. In the end I met Jakub (with whom I am playing pretty extensively all possible types of games) and for the first time Dominik – with whom later on we had so many occasions to met at the boardgames table.

As I was fresh from reading Churchill rules, it was only obvious that w should try this game. Having the meeting held during a weekday and not being familiar with game we of course planned for short, 3-turns scenario (from October 1944 till July 1945).

We rolled for the sides and started in following set-up:

• Dominik was Churchill
• Jakub –  Roosevelt
• and me Stalin

And then the game begun…

TURN 8 (Moscow)

Main events:

• it was first play for Dominik in Churchill (we tried with Kuba some attempt already) but he really dominated us completely in conference and easily won it!
• The USA successfully developed A-Bomb
• The USSR enter Eastern Prussia but combined UK/USA forces are not enough to storm Rhine river!
• Funny situation in Pacific – US wins attack having minimal chances, while the 80% attack fails
• The UK achieves breakthrough in Burma and India!
• USA 23, USSR 21, UK 18

TURN 9 (Yalta)

What happened:

• This time, having decent cards and playing according to their strengths, USSR claims victory for the conference.
• However, the USSR attack on Berlin fails miserably – which with Allies finally getting into Rhineland balances situation in Europe
• The whole Eastern Europe however starts to turn to Communism – suddenly, a lot of governments changes to red
• The UK finalizes things in Italy while US are at the gates of Japan
• USSR 40, USA 35, UK 24

TURN 10 (Potsdam)

Main developments:

• Things started to move fast and unpredictably. First, US wins the conference.
• Secondly, the attack on Berlin. Both sides (Western Allies and USSR) puts as much forces as possible there. In the end, UK and USA fails while their opponents from eastern sides storms the Berlin…
• US makes significant progress in the Pacific
• While colonies in Asia are place of very heated political struggle
• And… we end the game!

The final score (after end-game adjustment):

1. Michal (USSR) 54
2. Dominik (UK) 37
3. Jakub (US) 32

So what happened? Germany collapsed but Japan managed to survive. We entered the unprecedented time of post-war turmoil where first player was losing 5 points, third 3 points and last was getting 5. In the end, we did not played as real alliance nor anybody managed to dominate the rest entirely… Cool game, great re-playability and theme!