Homeland PBF recruitment and game 1

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1

This is based on the first season of the show (which I haven’t seen), and designed by the classic GF9 triumvirate of Aaron Dill, John Kovaleski and the late Sean Sweigart. It’s a semi-coop social-deduction game in which it can be all too easy to find that you’ve spent too much time on political point-scoring to beat the actual terrorists.

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“3-6 players; BGG best at: 5”

official rules from GF9
Roger’s rules document (62.5 KB)
Space-Biff review

Players welcome!

Game log

Round 1:

  • RossM
    discard Sleeper -5 for 3 rep
    recruit an Asset, discarding Elizabeth Chu
    add a soldier to Severe-1 Political Splinter Group, not looking at or adding intel
    add an agent to Guarded-1 Political Splinter Group, looking at back of Plot card
    claim Low-1 / Radicalized Local Militia and play to it
  • DJCT
    discard Misleading Subterfuge -1 for 1 rep
    recruit an asset, discarding Aileen Morgan
    claim Severe-1 / Political Splinter Group and play to it
    play to Low-1 / Radicalized Local Militia
  • Assussanni
    add an agent to Guarded-1 Political Splinter Group, looking at back of Plot card
    recruit an agent
    claim Guarded-1 Political Splinter Group and play to it
    play to Low-1 / Radicalized Local Militia
  • Chewy77
    Claim Guarded-2 Sectarian Insurgents
    Play intel to Guarded-2 Sectarian Insurgents
    Play intel to Severe-1 Political Splinter Group
    Discard Misleading Subterfuge -1 for 1 Rep
    Recruit an agent
    Play an agent to Severe-1, and look at the Plot

Round 2:

  • DJCT
    Play a soldier to Imminent-1 Political Splinter Group, viewing intel
    Claim Severe-1 Abu Nazir
    Play intel to Severe-1 Abu Nazir
    Play intel to Elevated-2 Sectarian Insurgents
    Recruit a soldier
  • Assussanni
    Play a soldier to Imminent-2 Abu Nazir, look at intel cards
    Claim Low-1 Militant Separatists
    Play intel to Elevated-1 Political Splinter Group
    Play intel to Severe-1 Abu Nazir
    Recruit an Agent
  • Chewy77
    Claim Guarded-2 Military Separatists
    Play intel to Guarded-2 Military Separatists
    Play intel to Imminent-2 Abu Nazir
    Recruit a Soldier
    Play soldier to Imminent-2 Abu Nazir, not looking at cards
    Discard Blown Cover for 2 Rep
  • RossM
    Discard Compromised Intel for 1 Clout, 1 Rep
    Spend to recruit an Asset, discarding Virgil
    Claim Imminent-2 Abu Nazir
    Play a card to Imminent-1 Political Splinter Group
    Play a card to Guarded-1 Radicalized Local Militia
    Reveal David Estes
    Drone Strike Imminent-1 Political Splinter Group and Imminent-2 Abu Nazir

Round 3:

  • Chewy77
    Claim Imminent-2 Religious Extremists
    Play intel to Imminent-2 Religious Extremists
    Play intel to Guarded-1 Militant Separatists
    Discard Dangerous Rabbit Hole for no tokens
    Spend to recruit an Asset, discarding Max
    Play agent to Severe-2 Sectarian Insurgents
  • RossM
    Recruit an Agent (David Estes makes it 2)
    Reveal Carrie Mathison
    Play agent to Elevated-1 Radicalized Local Militia (Carrie inspects all intel)
    Play intel to Elevated-1 Radicalized Local Militia
    Play intel to Imminent-2 Religious Extremists
    Discard Misleading Subterfuge for 1 Rep
    Claim Guarded-2 Political Splinter Group
  • DJCT
    Claim Elevated-3 General Danesh Akbari
    Play intel to Elevated-3 General Danesh Akbari
    Play intel to Elevated-2 Militant Separatists
    Recruit a Soldier
  • Assussanni
    Claim remaining case Elevated-4 Religious Extremists
    Play Intel Elevated-4 Religious Extremists
    Play Intel to Imminent-1 Abu Nazir
    Discard Intel card (Cooked Intel, -3) for 2 Rep
    Deploy an Agent to Elevated-4 Religous Extremists and look at its Plot card
    Recruit a Soldier

Round 4:

  • Assussanni
    Claim Imminent-3 case (which I assume we are drone striking),
    Assign a Soldier to Imminent-3 (don’t look at Intel). @Chewy77 if you could also put a soldier here and call in your drones that would be lovely,
    Play Intel to my Severe-4 case,
    Play Intel to DJCT’s Severe-3 case,
    Discard Dangerous Rabbit Hole (-2)
  • Chewy77
    Claim Severe-5 Lone Wolf
    place 1 point Intel on Imminent-1 Political Splinter Group
    Place 3 point intel under Imminent-2 Sectarian Insurgents
    Recruit a soldier
    Place a soldier on Imminent-3 Tom Walker
    Discard my (0) Authority Rescinded card.
    Use Drone Strike on Imminent-3 Tom Walker
  • RossM
    recruit an asset, discarding Mansour al-Zahrani and revealing Lynne Reed.
    place agent on Imminent-1 Political Splinter Group
    play intel to Imminent-1 Political Splinter Group
    claim Guarded-1 Guerrilla Dissidents
    play intel to Guarded-1 Guerrilla Dissidents
  • DJCT
    claim Severe-6 Majid Javadi
    play intel to Severe-6 Majid Javadi
    play intel to Severe-2 Militant Separatists
    add soldier to Severe-2 Militant Separatists
    recruit a soldier

Round 5:

  • Chewy77
    claim Severe-3 Radicalized Local Militia
    play intel to Severe-3 Radicalized Local Militia
    play intel to Elevated-1 Guerrilla Dissidents
    discard Agent Roster Leak for tokens
    recruit a soldier
  • RossM
    Recruit an asset, discarding Scott Ryan
    play intel to Imminent-1
    play intel to Imminent-2
    Discard Suicide Bombing for 1 rep
    Claim Guarded-1
  • DJCT
    claim Guarded-2
    Play intel to Imminent-2
    Play intel to Imminent-6
    Place 2 soldiers on Imminent-4
    Discard Compromised Intel for 1 clout 1 rep
  • Assussanni
    Recruit an asset, discarding Special Agent Hall
    discard Media Attention (-1) for 1 Rep,
    claim the remaining case, Low-1,
    place an Intel card under Imminent-2,
    place an Intel card under Imminent-4. It doesn’t matter which goes where, because:
    activate Asset: William Walden / Vice President of the United States / 2 VP / Once per Terrorist Turn, you may discard a Soldier to lower the Impact of a Threat by 1 / Drone Strike,
    drone strike Imminent-2 and Imminent-4.

Round 6:

  • DJCT
    Claim imminent-4.
    Put Interagency Cooperation / (2) / 1 Clout on imminent-4
    Put Search Warrant / (2) / 1 Clout on imminent-3
    Recruit a soldier.
    Place soldier on imminent-2
  • Assussanni
    recruit a soldier
    play intel to Imminent-4
    claim Elevated-3
    play intel to Elevated-3
    turn up Elizabeth Gaines
  • Chewy77
    discard Cooked Intel (-3)
    recruit an asset (reveal Saul Berenson, discard Judge Jeffery Turner)
    claim Guarded-2 Guerrilla Dissidents and play
    play intel to Elevated-2 Sectarian Insurgents
    deploy 2 soldiers to Imminent-4 Political Splinter Group
  • RossM
    recruit an asset (discard Nicholas Brody)
    discard Jihad
    deploy soldier to Imminent-2, looking at intel
    play to Imminent-2 and Imminent-4
    drone strike Imminent-2 and Imminent-4
3 Likes
2

If the game is anything like that first season, it will be good, very good.

3

Well, I enjoy it, but it looks as if people aren’t feeling enthused.

4

I am happy to join, I haven’t got much on PBF - wise. But I will have to read the rules later tonight

5

Happy to, but I am on holibobs for a week.

1 Like
6

Sadly, just haven’t been feeling up for PBF gaming lately. Haven’t been gaming on TTS of late either. Just feels like too much effort.

1 Like
7

I’m up for it. I’ve never watched the show, but the type of game looks like it’s right in my wheelhouse.

8

I’ll play; the social deduction bit was making me wary. Love IRL - did not get on with in forum BOTC.

1 Like
9

@COMaestro - please feel no pressure from me!

@RossM, let me know when you’re back and I’ll kick things off. I’ve played with four and it works well. Two more slots if anyone fancies them.

2 Likes
10

Oh, not at all. Really, this should be right up my alley, just not feeling it lately.

1 Like
11

I’m back. Read the rules, watched some play throughs.

Only question. Does is cost anything to recruit an agent or soldier?

1 Like
12

Only opportunity cost. In each turn you may do just one of:

  • recruit an asset (3 tokens);
  • recruit a soldier;
  • recruit an agent.
1 Like
13

Ok. That clicks. To me it was a no brainer to just recruit them all each turn.

14

Ouch, I had completely forgotten about this. I will read the rules tonight :man_facepalming:

15

I’m still 8+ hours’ drive from home.

2 Likes
16

I’ve read through the rules and everything makes sense. That may change the moment we start playing…

17

Home again.

OK, we have round the table (randomly ordered):

and I’ve just PMed you your secret information.

The pool of loyalty cards for this 4-player game is:
3 Loyal Agent
1 Political Opportunist
1 Terrorist Mole

Round 1 begins.

Play order this round:

  • RossM
  • DJCT
  • Assussanni
  • Chewy77

No threats to resolve now.

Threat board:

1 2
Imminent
Severe Political Splinter Group / Soph 2 / Impact 2 / Adv 1 Clout, 1 Soldier / Lead UNCLAIMED
Elevated
Guarded Political Splinter Group / Soph 2 / Impact 3 / Adv 1 Soldier, 1 Clout / Lead UNCLAIMED Sectarian Insurgents / Soph 1 / Impact 1 / Adv 1 Agent / Lead UNCLAIMED
Low Radicalized Local Militia / Soph 0 / Impact 1 / Adv 2 Intel / Lead UNCLAIMED

(This presentation will change over time, I’m writing the software as I go. Requests welcome.)

So RossM is first to play.

As a reminder, you MUST:

  • claim an unclaimed case
  • play a face-down Intel card onto each of two claimed cases, of which at least one cannot be yours. (In this special situation where there will be only one claimed case, Ross should play only onto that.)

You MAY:

  • recruit an Agent, Soldier or Asset
  • deploy one or more Soldiers to a case
  • deploy one or more Agents to a case
  • turn any of your Assets face-up
  • use the powers of face-up Assets

Each of these things happens at most once in your turn, but you can do them in any order.

18

Hey everyone! I’m certainly not a werewolf.

Discard a sleeper (-5) for 3 rep.

Recruit an asset for 1 clout and 2 rep.

19

Ok. Drop a soldier on the severe threat and a spy on the other political splinter group.

20

Discard:
Elizabeth Chu / Agency Analyst / 3 VP / +2 to all Guerrilla Dissident Threats / Draw 2 Intel cards when a Guerrilla Dissident Threat is Neutralized