air baron [Updated April 2006]

ABN   
    20    21
    16    9   
     16       9  

 Limerock   Paradise Terrace, Table 3

Robert Sohn, NJ

2005 Champion

2nd: Pat Richardson, VA

3rd: John Coussis, IL

4th: Ken Rothstein, NY

5th: Brian Schott, MD

6th: Tom Bissa, MI
Event History
1996    Jack Jaeger      118
1997    James Garvey      110
1998    Fred Minard        94
1999    Ken Rothstein      117
2000    John Coussis     109
2001      Jack Jaeger       72
2002     Chris Storzillo        73
2003     Jonathan Fox        68
2004     Michael Musko        80
2005     Robert Sohn        75

AREA Ratings

GM: Barry Shutt

A Wargame for Capitalists & Travellers

Air Baron is the dice rolling, airport controlling, game where anyone can be claimed the greatest success the skies have known. Come join us and see how your approach to dominating the airline industry compares.

Common Tactics Options:

Spread your hub presence into many diverse markets, providing a solid base of income. Thus, improving your ability to keep cash on hand for further purchases, while remaining a minor threat to your opposition waiting to spring your trap.

Perhaps focus your efforts on two or three key hubs and gain total domination in these markets. This creates multiple bases for you to launch your carefully timed strategy and take over the weaker surrounding hubs.

There is always the appeal of a hostile takeover approach. Gain some quick cash and enter "Fare Wars" using your funding to literally "roll" over the competition. This forces your opponent out of spaces and you gain control and the potential revenue the spokes once provided to them.

Patience is a virtue, and perhaps the harmonious path to victory. Build your bankroll and store the Jumbos in your hanger. Having them ready to fly at a moments notice can greatly impact the game. Keep the engines warmed and dispatch them at the right moment to overthrow your competitors hubs to claim your victory "right out of the blue".

Do not neglect the very prosperous foreign travel market. Set course with your sole Super Sonic Transport, or take a $20 million loan to tap into the wealth that overseas travelers bring. In either case the funding potential foreign markets bring is unparalleled and cannot be ignored.

Format: Four (4) Qualifying Heats, Semifinal and Final (all 3hr limit)

There will be no "Air Baron" session for young folks at WBC this year, but it is a family game that children 10 and over can play competitively. Everyone is invited to join in this great family style game of airport overthrow and intrigue to determine the 2005 WBC Sky Captain and the Airports of Tomorrow.

To lessen adjudication problems, the event will use the following rules.

1) The first calamity marker placed in the cup will be drawn from the Crash, Local Competitor, Strike and Recession chits. The Oil can marker is then mixed with the remaining calamities and they are randomly distributed to the market share chart normally - ensuring that the Oil Can will not be the first Calamity in the cup and giving players longer to become established.
2) Remove the Oil can chit from play if it is drawn after the two-hour mark. These two changes should lessen the impact of the Oil Can Calamity and the resulting probability of games running past the time limit.
3) Five-player games will be the norm although other versions will be played in the Heats as necessitated by size of the field and number of games available. However, advanced rounds will always advance a multiple of five. Check the event kiosk for Alternate status.
4) 25 winners will advance to the Semi-Final round for five games with the winners advancing to the Final. Should less than 25 players opt to advance, sufficient four-player games will be played to accommodate the field. Those playing in four-player games (as opposed to five-player games) will be selected at random. Should less than 20 players appear, only the top multiple of five will advance (e.g., 15 of 19 will generate three semi-final games with the last four players cut). If less than five games are played in the semi-finals, sufficient runner-ups (based on % of the winner's score) will advance to fill the final with five-players. If only one Semi-Final game is played, it will be the Final instead.

MESE ADVANCEMENT TIE-BREAKERS: In Multiple Entry, Single Elimination events for multi-player games, players possibly qualify for Single Elimination play in the second round by winning any of up to four preliminary Heats. Occasionally, players may advance wihout winning a heat. Players can enter one or more Heats without limit. All MESE events for multi-player games consist of three rounds; an opening Round consisting of two to four Preliminary Heats, a semifinal and a Final. The semifinal round will advance a predesignated optimum number of players to fill the second round; i.e., 25 players for a five-player game, 16 players for a four-player game, etc. but in all cases will advance no more than half of all players which participated in the Preliminaries. If insufficient players advance to warrant a semifinal round, the scheduled semifinal will instead become the Final.

NEW MESE TIE-BREAKERS: A Preliminary Heat win will NOT in itself guarantee advancement. All MESE events will advance the optimum number of players to the next round based on the following tie-breakers without exception.
1. Win in first Heat entered
2. Most Wins
3.Win in second Heat entered
4.Win in third Heat entered
5.Win in fourth Heat entered
6. has brought a copy of the game if needed for next round; otherwise highest non-winning position followed by highest % of the winning score
7. average finish in all heats entered; e.g., a 2nd and two 3rds = 2.67 and beats two 2nds and two 4ths (average: 3)
8.high dice roll

"Win and you're in" is no longer a given although it is a strong possibility. This system of tie breakers encourages repeat play in Heats without requiring it. A single win (especially in the first Heat entered) will probably advance that winner but is not guaranteed to do so. Conversely, players who continue to play additional heats after winning a Preliminary game only enhance their chances of advancement without damaging their prospects, but a player who wins their only Preliminary game will probably advance without investing further time in Preliminary play. Meanwhile, non-winners who continue in Preliminary Heats will have additional chances to qualify in search of that elusive first win since in most events, a single win will still advance you to a semifinal round.

 GM      Barry Shutt  [1st Year]   NA
    NA    NA

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