The first time I played 1861 was 2.5 years ago at
PrezCon. I
overbid on the P1 and P2 and started the NIK at $220. We stopped our
3-player
game due to time constraints and I think I was in last place.
A friend brought home a copy of 1861 from
In those days, we rarely opened green minors
except for the
E and the MB.
I went to RailCon that year and played 3 games of
1861. I
won the first two easily and was glad it was chosen for the final. I
finished
last to Todd Vander Pluym, James Robinson and Ian Booth (who might be
three of
the 5
strongest players in
Todd (whom I had beaten earlier in the week) and
James
developed the following strategy:
A. keeping their minors out longer
B. starting green minors just to get the 3Ts
C. transferring the 3Ts to their starting yellow
minor; and
D. letting the green minor be absorbed by the RSR
and getting most of their
money
back.
This was a huge strategic breakthrough and I
immediately
adopted it. I am sure it has been independently discovered several
times in
various parts of the 18XX globe and is now standard operating procedure
at tournaments and when
we play
in
Last year at
I decided that if doubling 2Ts was right then the
sooner you did
it, the more money you would make. After some thought, I realized you
could get
3 2Ts for 200R by the end of OR1B. For example:
KK @ 50
KR @ 50
KK buys 2T, lays toward
KR lays toward
In 1B both of those trains run and the KK buys a
third 2T with 2 loans and 10R.
For the rest of that spring I just destroyed
everyone I
played in 1861. But the good players adapted. They started bidding a
little
less for the privates and Moscow RRs, a little more for the KR and the
SpW (you
can do this with MK-MV; MK-KR; KK-KR or SpW-RO). Also, if one player
does
this
with KK-KR and another does it with SpW-RO, you get to the 4T that much
quicker
and it does not work as well. But last summer (2008), all the
tournament
regulars knew
both how to play it and how to defend it.
I think those
are the two big strategic
breakthroughs in
1861. Since then, the improvement has all been about tactics and
timing.
Rick's opening was extremely dangerous. The "no
minor
opening" usually only works out if 8 minors start and buy all 10 2Ts.
Then
you can start in OR2A with an instant 3T. If you have to buy a 2T in 2A
it is
not nearly as strong. And you usually do unless the other players are
asleep.
But Rick likes to experiment.
Some people prefer the MNN to the MK. I disagree.
The MK can
decide whether to tie in the MV, KR or KK. By the time the MNN reaches
E-Kat,
all three Moscow RRs will have access to the "perfect 3T run" of
Moscow-NN-Ekaterinburg. Let the MNN do the dirty work and pay the $.
Start the NIK
or the
MK.
MNN--Charles for 150R
KK--Bruce for 100
KR--Bruce for 105***
I may have lost the game right here for a flippant
remark. I
had 150 left and Charles had 100. Charles asked me which minor I
wanted. I
said: "I am taking the KR. You can make me pay an extra 5R if you
want." He bid 100 on the KR. Later, Mike's NW came on at 135 and Todd
was
able to buy a share. I had 132 and was not. I only lost by 180. That
share
cost me 15 of stock increase, 18 dollars of run and tempo in purchases.
It may
have cost me another share later. There is a multiplying effect. But I
am a
smart-ass and fun is as important as winning. I would do it again.
MV--Charles @ 100
I used the KK-KR extra 2T opening detailed above.
I probably
use it too often. Having invented it, I am emotionally attached to it.
My
baby....(Sigh)...Isn't it cute?
Todd bought a 2nd 2T in the NIK in OR2A so that
later he
could move $ into the NIK from another minor without having the NIK
fall
back.
SR2
Rick started the SpW @ 180
Todd started the KB @ 100
Mike started the RO @ 100****
This decision is questionable. The RO is a very
slow starter
without a cooperative SpW. The OK might have been better. OK runs for
60R its
first turn and the RO for 50R. Mike later merged the RO and the the MK
at 135R
but might have been better off waiting for the MK to grow up and
letting the RO
(or the OK) go into government. Personally, I would rather have a major
company at 100
than 135 in most situations. Also, only 2 2Ts were left.
I had 105 and did not start a minor. This decison
is also
questionable. My reason was that, as the only person running an extra
2T, I was
better off extending the yellow phase as long as possible. My extra
train meant
that I was making as much money in my hand as those with privates while
making
more
money in RRs.
Mike ended up having to buy the 2T across from the
MK and
the MK bought the first 3T with loans. But he had less than 135R in the
critical
SR3 round and could open no minor.
In SR3, Todd got the D @ 160, Charles got the MB @
180, Rick
got the E @ 145 and the SV @ 140 and I got the V and the TR @ 140
each.*****
140 is the perfect price for a green minor because
you can
buy the 3T for 135 with 2 loans and still have 5R left to buy across a
2T
to make
room for the 3T in your yellow minor.
Rick and I, by having the most $ in SR3 (I had 322
and he
had 287) got 2 3Ts each. The other players had 1 each.
In the first merge round, Mike merged the MK and
the RO to
form the NW @ 135. He had the money to buy 2 more shares--taking him to
40%. I
like to get to 50% (so that I am not losing income) but reinvesting in
MR1 is
usually good. If he waits he can grow up the MK @ 100 and just let the
RO die.
He can get to 60%. That is what I would have done.
Charles also merged the MNN and the MV @ 150 and
was only
able to buy 1 more share (taking him to 30%).
This was questionable. In 1 turn he could have
grown up the
MNN @ 100 and got to 60% (using, in part, the money from the defunct
MV). It
was also VERY, VERY good for Todd.
Charles bought the first 4 on the GRR, Mike bought
the
second 4 on the NW and the RSR bought the third 4.
In MR 3B, Todd grew up the NIK at 120 and bought
4. It sold
out. He had moved the money from both the KB and the D into the NIK and
it had
a 3T and 1050Rs. He bought the last 4T and the first 5T.*****
Had Charles not grown up, I argue, too early, Todd
would
have been looking at 2 4Ts and would have had 1 fewer payouts running 3
trains
out of
In SR4, both the Blue (Todd) and the Black (Mike,
with Todd
heavily invested) were sold out. I sold 1 of each and bought RED
(Charles). I
did not want the 2 RRs Todd was holding to float. Unfortunately, others
did the
same. Todd and Mike both bought in the shares and Todd got enough $ for
a 2+2
that ran once and Mike a 5+5E that ran once (which gave Todd an extra
194R on
the last turn. So this may have been a mistake on my part.
In MR4A, I merged and got a 5 and later the 2nd 6.
Rick grew
up the SpW and got a 5 and the first 7. The RSR got the 2nd 7T.
Mike formed a new RR in SR6. He and I bought 2
each, Rick,
Charles and Todd 1 each. Later he said he should have let me start it
since he
would not fill up anyway (and did not need the president's share) and
then it
would have cost more $ to buy trains. Had he done so, I would have made
104R
more.
It was, I think, a good game. I made a couple of
little
mistakes that cost me the win. Todd played very well. That is why he is
"The King of Train Games."