by Shawn Devlin
Games played: 17Completion date: Dec 2
Wins
7 Fay
6 Shawn
2 NN
1 ES
1 the game
Troyes
How it Came to the Collection
A positive review from some site. The worker placement mechanic seemed interesting. Plus, it is set in the Champagne region of France, and I love champagne.
Why it's Still in the Collection
See comment above about where the game is located.
The mechanism of dice available for actions at different costs works well. Being able to change die rolls using influence helps mitigate the luck. And there are plenty of action cards to games will always feel fresh.
But, man, is this a mean game. So much more so than any other euro worker placement game we have. And it is not just about blocking actions. You can mess with the dice your opponent will have in their district next turn. It does not prevent them from taking actions requiring those dice, but it does make it more expensive for them to do it. Also, you can mess with an opponent's dice when you did not have to. For example, you notice your opponent has 3 yellow dice in their district and a great move to use those three dice. You have one yellow die in your district. You use one of your opponent's yellow dice, paying her 2 coins. Then, on her turn, if she wants to use 3 yellow dice, she'll have to pay you 6 coins; or, she does a lesser version of the action for less benefit. This adds a whole layer of complexity to the game and makes me think more about my opponent's actions than I might in other games.
The Troyes: The Ladies of Troyes expansion has 2 rule changes, a bunch of new activity and event cards, and three new female character cards which give you a few more options for end of game scoring. Of the rule changes, one gives each player a single purple die in add to their dice pool that cannot be purchased by an opponent. The other gives each player a special meeple you can move around the city walls to open up new activities. I would say this is not a required expansion but would be a good purchase if you love the game but feel like it is getting a little stale.
rating: 8
