brass

Updated Nov. 16, 2015

2015 WBC Report

2016 Status: pending 2016 GM commitment

Greg Thatcher, CA

2015 Champion

Event History

2010 Bruce Hodgins 32
2011 Rob Flowers 45
2012 Paul Sampson 37
2013 William Kendrick 45
2014 Philip Shea 33
2015 Greg Thatcher 40

Laurels

 Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
   1.  Bruce Hodgins      on    14     51
   2.  William Kendrick   uk    14     51
   3.  Paul Sampson       OH    15     45
   4.  Philip Shea        FL    14     45
   5.  Rob Flowers        MD    15     42
   6.  Daniel Speyer      NY    13     39
   7.  John Corrado       VA    14     36
   8.  Greg Thatcher      CA    15     30
   9.  Eugene Hourany     CA    15     30
  10.  Tom McCorry        VA    10     18
  11.  John Dextraze      on    13     15
  12.  Ed Kendrick        uk    13     12
  13.  Chris Skuce        on    10     12
  14.  Sceadeau D'Tela    NC    15      9
  15.  Tedd Mullally      NJ    14      9
  16.  David Platnick     VA    10      9
  17.  Rob Murray         NJ    15      6
  18.  Lachlan Salter     on    12      6
  19.  Al Hurda           on    14      3
2015 Laurelists Returning Laurelists: 0

Eugene Hourany, CA
2nd

Rob Flowers, MD
3rd

Sceadeau D'Tela, NC
4th

Rob Murray, NJ
5th

Paul Sampson, OH
6th


Past Winners

Bruce Hodgins, on
2010

Rob Flowers, MD
2011

Paul Sampson, OH
2012

William Kendrick, uk
2013

Philip Shea, VA
2014

Rob Murray moves under watchful
eye of Al Hurda.

Kevin Barry, Bill Burch,
Timothy O'Flynn and Phil Shea

Who Me ... Winning? ...

Attendance rebounded during our Lancaster exit with 17 Preliminary games logged. This resulted in three double winners, 11 qualifiers and five alternates advancing to Round 2. One of the semifinal games broke all records for irresponsible borrowing with a total of £394 cash lying before the four players! The IMF will be sending an observer to the next tournament.

A mix of the usual suspects and new faces manned the Final table. Red was 2011 champion Rob Flowers; Purple was Eugene Hourany, who placed third in 2012; Green was Sceadeau D’Tela, living proof that neither alternate status nor a name that’s almost impossible for the GM to spell correctly can keep a good man down; and Yellow was Greg “I don’t know what I’m doing” Thatcher, whose air of bewilderment that he had got this far touched not a few hearts. Interestingly, none of the double winners made it past the Round 2, although two of them did record the best runner-up status and consequently nailed down fifth and sixth place.

Red and Purple began with determined Mill development while Green and Yellow built Coal and cashed in on the demand for Iron. Then Red built Iron as well and Yellow built a Port-2 in Liverpool while Green developed away four Ports and Purple built his first two Mill-3s. In Turn 5 Purple dropped to the back of the pack by building a canal and taking a loan (dropping his income to -£9) before building his third Mill-3 and shipping for a flawless demonstration of the Mill-3 strategy in six turns. Meanwhile, desultory canal building progressed and Green developed Shipyards before double-building one in Liverpool. Purple then surpassed himself by building a Mill-4 and shipping it to one of Yellow’s ports, while Red built and shipped a single Mill-3 and Yellow and Green continued to build Coal and Iron. At the end of the Canal era Purple had a handy lead with 47 points, of which no less than 39 would score again. Second was Yellow with 42 based on Coal, Iron and ports but with 17 points in non-repeating canals.

Ten rail links representing 56 potential points were laid in the first turn of the Rail era, with Yellow profiting by building two coal mines, followed by a third and another port. Purple continued his pursuit of the Mill-builders’ award with a Mill-4 while Red and Green built further rails. Yellow fed their demand with Coal and Iron and Purple topped-out his final Mill-4, shipping both on Turn 4 while loaning-up for the canter home. Yellow’s income of £19 enabled him to eschew loans while churning out more coal and both Port-4s while Red, having built-out his rails, turned to mills and Green built his first shipyard. Purple was filling out his score by building high-end ironworks, Green got his second shipyard in Birkenhead, Red built two Mill-4s, and Yellow suddenly developed away his shipyards. And in the last turn Red shipped, Green overbuilt with an Iron-4 in Manchester, Purple had run out of money and passed and Yellow built a shipyard in Barrow, which to everyone’s surprise put him ahead of Purple to win the title. So once again a determined and effective mills strategy fell to an opportunist Coal, Iron, ports and shipyard approach. That innocent air won’t convince anyone next year, Greg since you now have both laurels and wood to hide!

After six years, during which the Brass tournament has become established, your GM is handing over the reins to former champion and long-time assistant Bruce Hodgins, who will continue the tradition with truly Canadian politeness and firmness. Thanks also to six-year assistant GM (and former champion) William Kendrick, whose dedicating note-taking made writing this report so easy!

The finalists mug for posterity.
GM Edward Kendrick [6th Year] NA
EdwardAKendrick@gmail.com NA

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