Cry Havoc

I opened Cry Havoc with a brief word about balance, which turned out to be an optimistic choice. The Humans went to the player who is usually ahead, the Machines took the opposing side, and I tried the Pilgrims for the first time. It all looked set for a splendidly uneven but compelling fight. Problems often do, before they begin their shift.

Each faction pursues victory through its own units and skills. With the Pilgrims, I quickly built a pool of more than ten crystals, turning my skills into scoring opportunities; it was a clean, effective route, with just enough pressure in keeping it alive.

The Machines produced their own answer through shredder drones, assembling a rather impressive knot of genocide. Cry Havoc asks you to watch what the others are doing and answer their threats, rather than simply tending your private little engine. Here, though, the most meaningful interaction was watching the Human player disappear over the horizon.

The Humans won comfortably and by a wide margin, largely on the back of two skills that half of BGG already complains about. They are powerful. Powerful enough to make the other factions' efforts feel like very careful set dressing around their victory. I will not be giving it another chance as a three-player game.