Dune Express keeps harvesting accolades

("Harvesting" ... see what I did there?)

Dune Express, mentioned briefly in this very space, has turned into quite the home-published phenomenon over the past few months, generating much praise and many player-created additions. The latest coup for the game — which shows some faint echoes of the Avalon Hill classic while still managing to go in an entirely new direction — was picking up a Golden Geek award for Best PnP Game of 2009. Pretty heady stuff for what clearly began as just "let's play a super-quick Dune using a bunch of beads we've got laying around."

For more on Dune Express, place your cursor upon this link and press once.

CE: Incursion due in February?

Boardgame News is reporting that the Cosmic Incursion expansion set is due in February of 2010, citing Fantasy Flight Games as a source. The FFG site itself, it should be noted, makes no mention of a release date that I can see.

So, for what it's worth: one site (albeit a usually reliable and professional one) is reporting an early 2010 release date. Make of it what you will.

Super-cool Founder news at CE Online

An interesting alien-gram recently landed in my in-box from Cosmic Encounter designer and CE Online owner Peter Olotka, who was celebrating a new Founder (lifetime subscription) at the online site:

Of note is wchaga's member ID of 101, having signed up on July 27, 2001 way back in the Java game days. By comparison, if you sign up today you will sport a number in the 90,000 range.*

It's always good to have an original player return to the mothership. And to return and decide to become a Founder is just made of pure awesomesauce.

*I've been playing since 2005, and my number is 38,309. I can't imagine having a three-digit number.

FFG provides a first look at the rewards deck

Interesting stuff. A 32-card deck, available only to successful defensive allies.

Details are right here, my funny little meat-puppets.

Pacifist is peaceful ... until it's not

The line of the week, via Twitter:

I think the Pacifists in Cosmic Encounter are inappropriately named.

Classic.

CE alien survey update: 30 in, need more

I'm looking for more submissions in our ongoing project to post basic strategies for all 50 aliens from the Fantasy Flight Games base set. It's a simple, two-step process:

1. Check the list below for availability;
2. Write up a short entry (using the style seen in the ones already posted) and drop it off in my in-box.

Fame and fortune are sure to follow.

(Well, not fortune. And, actually, fame is pretty unlikely, too. So forget about that part.)

Is Cosmic Encounter "worth it"?

Why, yes. Yes, it is.

Reminder: Halloween tournament at CE Online

What better way to relax before or after some trick-or-treating? Or, you know, while you're ignoring the doorbell because, honestly, you really don't even like those neighborhood kids ...

Get yer details right here.

CE alien survey #29: RESERVE

First appearance: More Cosmic Encounter.

Plain-English power: Attack cards of 6 or less can be played as Reinforcements. Negotiates can cancel others' Reinforcements.

Loved by: Everyone (when he's allied with them); spammers; fans of the cavalry; World War II Russian tacticians.

Loathed by: Everyone (once he's in the lead); those who despise surprise attacks.

Three ways to win as Reserve:

• With 15 applicable Attack cards in the deck, there's no reason you shouldn't win every encounter you're invited to ally with, more or less. Jump to an early shared lead by joining the offense. When they start to realize you'll only pull ahead more, they'll start to only invite you on defense. Use that to refuel your reinforcement hand. (Then they'll stop inviting you, period.)
• Reinforce intelligently. Only play what you need to edge out your opponent. If you're dropping down an Attack 6 when you only need one more point to win, consider losing so that you can save the Attack 6 for when it really matters. If your opponent blew a big card (20-plus) to beat you, then you can be confident that his next card (and possibly others' cards) will be considerably less powerful.
  
  

The Cosmic Twitter madness continues

Ladies, gentlemen, and aliens: I give you ...

... Cosmic Encounter designer Peter Olotka's Twitter feed.