Annotated Games: Version 0.9, 4 players

This game was played during game testing of Dyce. For testing purposes, the players used the following strategies:

Red: Aim for the lowest (pure)/highest (blend) prices
Blue: Compete aggressively with extra pounds
Yellow: Aim for quick blends
White (Gray): Aim for slower blends of black whisky

The whisky barons are represented by pawns in the four colors, the shops are represented by colored spaces and the whiskies are represented by colored cubes within those spaces. Each round shows first the player actions and then the whisky baron actions.

Setup

	♟	2	3	4	5		Red:	◻◻◻◻◻◻◼
5						♟	Blue:	◻◻◻◻◻◻◼
5						2	Yellow:	◻◻◻◻◻◻◼
2			⚀			1	White:	◻◻◻◻◻◻◼
1						2
♟						6
	5	6	2	2	♟

Round 1a

	♟	2	3	4	5
5			◼			♟
5	◼			◼		2
2	◻		⚀			1
1						2
♟						6
	5	6	2	2	♟

Round 1b

	♟	2	3	4	5			♟	3	4	5	6		Red:	◻◻◻◻◻◻◼
5			◼			♟	2			♟◼			♟	Blue:	◻◻◼◼
5	◼◼			◼	◼	2	5	♟◼			◼	♟◼	1	Yellow:	◻◻◼◼
2	◻		⚀			1	5	◻		⚀			2	White:	◻◻◻◻◼◼
1						2	2						6
♟						6	♟				♟		2
	5	6	2	2	♟			5	6	2	2	♟

Red aims for the purple whisky baron's cheap red whisky (1) and places a shop with 1 red cube close to him. Blue, however, counters with 1 shop with 1 red cube next to it. Yellow maneuvers to take take advantage of the orange whisky baron's second die, the blue whisky (1). The idea is to get a central shop in the whisky baron's path (since he will move towards red shops at the other edge). White avoids confrontations by going for the yellow whisky (2) offered by the black whisky baron and places 1 yellow cube there.

Both Red and later White decide to pass while Blue spends another turn to place one more shop and a white cube (to compete with Red) and Yellow another turn to place a shop with a red cube (to buy the orange whisky baron's first and second whisky). Red earns 1 pound for passing in her third turn and since both Blue and Yellow pass in their third turn, White also earns 1 pound before the round ends.

The black whisky baron moves so that White can buy a yellow whisky for 2 pounds. Blue buys a red whisky from the orange whisky baron for 2 pounds while blue gets a red whisky from the purple baron for 1 pound. The green whisky baron moved towards the only blue whisky but does not complete any trade this turn.

Round 2

	♟	3	4	5	6			♟	4	5	6	2		Red:	◻◼◼◼
2			♟			♟	2						♟	Blue:	◻◻◼◼
5	♟		◼	◼	♟	1	2			♟◼	♟◼		2	Yellow:	◻◼◼◼
5	◻	◼	⚀	◼		2	5	♟◻	◼	⚀	◼		6	White:	◼◼◼
2				◼		6	5				♟◼		2
♟				♟		2	♟						3
	5	6	2	2	♟			2	5	6	2	♟

In the second round, Blue is the starting player. She places 1 yellow cube in an empty shop and places her third shop close to the black whisky baron. Yellow plans ahead and places a shop with a green cube, aiming to attract the purple whisky baron next round. White continues to attract the black whisky baron with a shop with a blue cube. Finally Red places a shop with a blue cube next to the green whisky baron. All players then pass and it's time for the whisky barons to move.

The black whisky baron moves to the white shop and sells a blue cube for 3 pounds. The orange whisky baron moves to the yellow shop and sells a blue cube for 1 pound. The green whisky baron moves to the red shop and sells a blue cube for 3 pounds. The purple whisky baron also moves to the red shop and sells a red cube for 3 pounds. Yellow's strategic placement in the first round gave her the cheapest cube while Blue skipped buying a cube this round and set her up for selling a cube next round instead.

Round 3

	♟	4	5	6	2			♟	5	6	2	6		Red:	◼◼◼
2						♟	3						♟	Blue:	◼◻◻◻◼
2		◼	♟	♟		2	2		♟◼				6	Yellow:	◼◻◻◻◻◼◼
5	♟	◼	⚀	◼		6	2		♟◼	⚁	♟◼		2	White:	◻◼◼◼
5		◼	◼	♟		2	5		◼	♟◼			3
♟						3	♟						2
	2	5	6	2	♟			1	2	5	6	♟

Yellow starts the third round and places a shop with a red cube to attract the green whisky baron. White sees no good opportunities and choose to pass immediately to earn a pound. Red places a shop with an orange cube next to the yellow shop with a red cube, knowing that the green whisky baron will be looking for orange next round. Blue places a purple cube in her shop next to the black whisky baron and places another shop for future use. Yellow passes and White earns another pound before all the other players pass.

Blue and Yellow monopolize the trade this round with Blue selling purple to black and buying yellow from orange while Yellow buys red from green and sells green to purple. Blue and Yellow now have the most pounds but few whiskies, paving the way for Red and White the next round.

Round 4

	♟	5	6	2	6			♟	6	2	6	1		Red:	◼◻◻◻◻◻◻◻◼
3						♟	1						♟	Blue:	◼◻◻◻◼
2		♟	◼			6	3			♟◼			6	Yellow:	◼◻◻◻◼◼
2		♟	⚁	♟		2	2		♟	⚂			2	White:	◼◼◻◻◻◻◻◻
5		◼	♟			3	2		♟◼		♟		3
♟		◼				2	♟		◼				2
	1	2	5	6	♟			4	1	2	5	♟

The turn has come to White to start the round and she place a black cube in a shop next to the black whisky baron and another shop close to the purple and green whisky barons. Red is happy with her position and passes and so does Blue. Yellow gambles a bit by placing a purple cube, although she lacks the necessary blue cube to blend purple. Hence, she places it in a new shop far away from the orange whisky baron, hoping to find blue by the time he arrives. With that, all players pass.

The black whisky baron moves to buy a black cube from White's shop. The orange whisky baron moves closer to the only shop with purple. The green whisky baron moves to buy an orange cube from the red shop. This leaves no orange cube for the purple whisky baron so he doesn't move and his die is removed.

Round 5

	♟	6	2	6	1			♟	2	6	1	1		Red:	◼◻◻◻◻◼◼
1						♟	4						♟	Blue:	◼◻◻◻◻◻◼
3			♟			6	1			♟			6	Yellow:	◼◻◻◻◼◼
2	◼	♟	⚂			2	3	♟◼		⚃			2	White:	◼◼◻◻◻◻◻◻
2		♟		♟		3	2		♟	♟			3
♟		◼				2	♟		◼				2
	4	1	2	5	♟			4	4	1	2	♟

The fifth round becomes a bit of a waiting round with all players but Red passing. The reason is that all players need pure whiskies but only a yellow cube is available (from the purple whisky baron) and this is either not the right color or to far from their shops. Red's action is to place a yellow cube in the shop next to the purple whisky baron and another shop close to the orange whisky baron.

This also means that neither the black, nor the green whisky baron moves and that there dice are removed without any trading. The orange whisky baron continues to move towards the purple cube while the purple whisky baron moves to the red shop and sells a yellow cube.

Round 6

	♟	2	6	1	1			♟	6	1	1	6		Red:	◼◻◻◻◻◻◼◼
4			◼			♟	4			♟◼			♟	Blue:	◼◻◻◻◼◼
1	◻		♟			6	4	♟◻					6	Yellow:	◼◼◼◼
3	♟	◼	⚃	◼		2	1		♟◼	⚃	◼		2	White:	◼◼◻◻◻◻◼
2	◼	♟	♟			3	3	◼	♟				3
♟		◼◼				2	♟		◼◼				2
	4	4	1	2	♟			2	4	4	1	♟

The sixth round has more activity. Blue places a blue cube next to the purple whisky baron and a purple cube within reach of the orange whisky baron. Yellow counters with a pound in her shop with a purple cube and a blue cube next to the green whisky baron. White places 1 yellow cube next to the black whisky baron and a red cube between the purple and the green whisky barons. The idea is that both of them will soon be selling red. Red decides to refrain from the competition this turn and pass. Since all the other players pass afterward, the turn ends with only 1 "pass pound" each.

The black whisky baron moves and sells a yellow cube to White. The orange whisky baron keeps moving towards the yellow shop with a purple cube, since there is also a white cube here. The green whisky baron moves to the yellow shop with a blue cube and since this is now gone, the purple whisky baron moves to the blue cube at the blue shop instead. All players except White now have the cubes necessary to blend next round.

Round 7

	♟	6	1	1	6			♟	6	1	1	6		Red:	◼◻◻◻◻◻◼◼
4			♟			♟	4						♟	Blue:	◼◻◻◼◼◼
4	♟	◼		◼	◻	6	4		♟♟◼	♟	◼	◻	2	Yellow:	◼◼◻◻◻◻◻◻◻◼
1	◻	♟	⚃	◼	◼	2	1	◻		⚄	◼	◼	3	White:	◼◼◻◻◻◻◻◼
3	◼	♟				3	3	◼					2
♟		◼◼	◼			2	♟		♟◼◼	◼			5
	2	4	4	1	♟			3	2	4	4	♟

Yellow plans ahead by placing a blue and a yellow cube, hoping for the black whisky baron to head that way. White finds herself with no good options and passes rather than wasting actions. Red on the other hand places both a blue and a yellow cube to be prepared to fight for the coming pure whiskies. Blue places a red cube aimed at the adjacent purple whisky baron and a green cube in a shop which she hopes the black whisky baron will be close to when it's time. Yellow passes and White earns a pound before all the others pass and the round ends.

Both the black and the orange whisky barons look for purple this round but only Yellow is able to sell this round. The green and the purple whisky barons happen to both end up at Blue's shop, where the former sells a red cube. With that, both White and Yellow have two victory points but Red and Blue well positioned to get their second victory points soon.

Round 8

	♟	6	1	1	6			♟	6	1	1	6		Red:	◼◼◻◻◻◻◻◻◻◻
4		◼				♟	1		♟◼				♟	Blue:	◼◻◻◻◼◼◼
4		♟♟	♟	◼	◻	2	4				♟◼	◻	3	Yellow:	◼◼◻◻◻◻◼◼
1	◻	◻	⚄	◼	◼	3	4	◻	♟◻	⚅	◼	◼	2	White:	◼◼◻◻◻◼◼
3	◼					2	1	◼					5
♟	◼	♟	◼			5	♟	♟◼		◼			6
	3	2	4	4	♟			1	3	2	4	♟

White places a shop and a red cube next to the orange whisky baron. Red places a shop and an orange cube next to the green whisky baron. Blue is happy with her placement and passes. Yellow places a yellow cube only next to the purple whisky baron. After that, all players pass so Blue and White earn a pound each.

Yellow and White buy yellow and red cubes respectively from their whisky barons while Red sells orange to the black whisky baron. Blue hopes to sell purple to the black whisky baron next round, which will then be the last round.

Round 9

	♟	6	1	1	6			♟	1	1	6			Red:	◼◼◻◻◻◻◻◻◻◻◻◼
1		♟	◼			♟				♟◼			♟	Blue:	◼◼◻◻◻◻◻◻◻◻◻◻◼
4				♟◼	◻	3	1				♟◼	◻	2	Yellow:	◼◼◻◻◻◻◻◼◼
4	◻	♟	⚅	◼	◼	2	4	♟◻		⚅	◼	◼	5	White:	◼◼◼◻◻◻◻◼
1	◼					5	4	♟◼					6
♟	♟		◼			6	♟			◼
	1	3	2	4	♟			1	3	2		♟

In the final round, all players except White are happy with the positions and pass. This earns the starting player Red 2 pounds and the others 1 pound each. However, White uses her turn to replace a red cube with a blue to attract the orange whisky baron and to place a green cube to attract the green whisky baron.

Red gets to buy a final red cube from the purple whisky baron while Blue finally gets to sell a purple cube to the black whisky baron. White first buys a blue cube from the orange whisky baron, which enables her to sell green cube to the green whisky baron.

With that the game ends with very close scores:

	Player	£ from VP	£ from whisky	£ left	Total £
1.	Blue	12	3	10	25
2.	Red	12	3	9	24
3.	White	18	3	4	25
4.	Yellow	12	6	5	23

P&P

Dyce contains physical components only - no printing is necessary to play.