Session Report - BSG Exodus - I Make A Big Mistake

This 6 player game was played on 1 September 2012. From the Pegasus Expansion we used Pegasus but did not use New Caprica. From the Exodus Expansion, we used the Conflicted Loyalties and the Cylon Pursuit board, but not the Ionian Nebula. We played without a Cylon Sympathizer.

The players, in turn order:

Cally - Mat

Tigh - Garrett

Baltar (President) - Justin

Tory - Me

Cain (Admiral) – Brendan

Boomer (CAG) - Charlie

I am not a Cylon.

Another game with a few new players. Perhaps an easy game for us humans to identify the Cylons since we have 2 of 6 players having an extra chance to be a Cylon.

The first turn is fairly slow. Cally XO's Boomer to get her into space. Tigh XO's Boomer again to escort some civilian ships but we fail the Temple of the Final Five crisis by 3. Baltar repairs 2 vipers and Tory takes 2 more political cards. Tory's crisis is Ambush by the Press, which is appropriate as I am already thinking on getting my hands on the Presidency. Baltar chooses to lose a morale. Cain XO's Boomer and another civilian is escorted, but we lose another morale when we get the Build Cylon Detector crisis. Boomer takes an extra action and shoots at 2 raiders, killing 1. Her crisis is Rescue Mission and we lose 1 fuel and 1 raptor. The Basestar fires at Galactica and misses. We are down to 7 fuel and 8 morale.

Cally starts off turn two by moving to the Pegasus to use the main batteries but misses even with Strategic Planning. Tigh launches 2 vipers and we pass his crisis but the Basestar fires at Galactica and destroys 1 food. Baltar repairs 2 vipers and we pass his crisis. The raiders attack but miss. We jump a distance of 3 but lose 2 fuel. By now I am seriously thinking about how I can take the Presidency. Baltar (a new player) has not collected any Quorum cards and either just doesn't know what he should be doing or is doing a poor job as President. However, I cannot suggest that I take over the Presidency. I am a very logical player and I will appeal to logic to get the support of the others. However, since that is what I always do, they will immediately accuse me of being a Cylon. I don't want to waste time and resources checking me when I know I am not. Also, I have begun to suspect Cally. Nothing specific, just a hunch. Many of us have played this game so often together that we are getting good at reading each other. Cally is acting funny. Using the main batteries is a sign. 

I am first after the jump and I draw political cards, since we are a bit low on cards and seeing nothing else useful to do. We lose another food and morale to my crisis, Riots. As we have boarders, Cain moves to the Armoury, Tigh uses Strategic planning and he easily kills the Cylon. Cains crisis is Fulfiller of Prophecy. I add in a Support for the People and Baltar uses Investigative Committee. We pass. Boomer launches and we barely pass her crisis, thanks to Tigh using Iron Will. 

Turn three begins and Cally fires the main battery again and kills all 3 raiders on the board. The President chooses to discard skill on her crisis. By this time I suspect Cally is a Cylon. Her actions have been, not useless but less effective than they could be. She never seems to help much with skill checks. This turn is quiet, Tigh goes to the Research Lab but his crisis allows the Admiral to put someone in the Brig. I suggest Cally is acting suspiciously and Cain agrees and puts her in. Baltar finally moves to the President's Office and uses an Inspirational Speech to gain one morale. We barely pass his crisis but we jump. Cain takes us a distance of 3 (total of 6 in 2 jumps) but we lose 2 fuel and 1 population. Loyalty cards are handed out. I am not a Cylon. 

With the half way point being passed and additional loyalty cards handed out, Boomer goes into the Brig and there is a discussion on who to check. I am still convinced Cally is a Cylon and will likely reveal on her turn. No one has been checked yet and we have 2 players (Baltar and Boomer) who have received 3 loyalty cards and are most likely to be Cylons. Most would say you have to check the Admiral, but I am sure he was not a Cylon from the start due to the way he was playing and the probability favours Boomer or Baltar. If I can get Baltar to check Boomer, we should be able to tell based on what he says, if the Cylon is Boomer or Baltar. I am pretty sure we are correct about Cally and I know it is not me, so even if they are both clean, then it is either Tigh or Cain. I take 2 political skill cards, we barely pass my crisis and the Cylons jump in. 

Cain is next and, based on my argument, he XO's Baltar to check Boomer and says Boomer is not a Cylon. That means it is likely Cain or Tigh. We barely pass the crisis. Boomer tries to get out but we have few cards to help. Boomer fails.

Turn four begins and, as suspected, Cally reveals. Tigh shoots at a Basestar and kills it and 5 raiders, best shooting I have ever seen. Unfortunately, our crisis is spiked and we fail, we can't be sure who it is. The Hanger Deck is damaged, a civilian ship is destroyed and we lose 2 population. Eleven raiders and 1 heavy raider jump in. All of a sudden we are in a world of hurt. We need to get vipers out. Baltar repairs the Hanger Deck and he decides to lose one morale to his crisis, Colonial Day. Tory draws 2 politics cards but my crisis, Rescue the Fleet costs us 2 population.

We are in a serious situation and we have to jump as soon as possible. Cain is next to go and, not having played in a while, I ask about her special ability and can it be used to get us out of here. It can, but the damage we would take is serious and we are not that far from jumping anyway. Cain decides to force jump us and it is obvious that she is the other Cylon. Two civilian ships are destroyed and we lose 3 population and 1 fuel. All of a sudden we have gone from in a good position to serious trouble. We are low on resources and surrounded by Cylons. Boomer gets out of the brig on her turn and pulls the crisis Admiral Grilled. We fail it and lose 1 morale.

Turn five and Cally, the revealed Cylon, goes to Caprica and pulls a crisis on us and we lose another morale. Tigh Brigs Cain. He suicides and reveals as a Cylon. We purposely fail, as we don't think we can afford the cards, and lose 1 food. Baltar XO's Tigh who fires the main batteries. We pass his crisis and gain 1 morale but Tigh is sent to Sickbay. Tory XO's Tigh, who is now the Admiral and decides to nuke the Basestar. We pass the crisis but Baltar is sent to Sickbay. 

Our resources are so low at this point, Cain uses his turn to activate raiders and they destroy a civilian ship (several, in fact) and the humans lose. 

Overall, a good game. The turning point was definitely the way Cain revealed by force jumping the ship. This really hurt us. I do not think Cain would have thought of it if I didn't mention it.