Amun-Re vs Santiago

With Tikal out of the picture, the race for my next purchase reaches a show-down between Amun-Re and Santiago. I've played halfway through both games and thus far really like what I've seen. Both games are solid Euros with familiar mechanics that bear rather similar resemblances to some others that I have, and as such might not be completely novel buys. But then again, maybe I just really like a particular group of games. Following is a brief description of both games so feel free to fire away with any suggestion/questions.


AMUN-RE
-A Game for Gods and Other Immortals

Everyone knows of the pyramids on the Nile - eternal monuments of a powerful and beautiful culture that still can take our breath away. Each player as a pharaoh aims to build the most pyramids. To accomplish this he must first acquire provinces where he can trade and farm, with the harvest size from his farm depending on the number of farmers he employ and the offering of sacrifices to Amun-Re. With his profits he can buy new provinces and ultimately building stones to erect the pyramids. At the end of the game, the player who best manages his resources and constructs the most magnificient of pyramids wins the game.

Designer: Reiner Knizia (Ra, Tigris & Euphrates, Through the Desert, Modern Art)
BGG Rating: 7.67 (Total votes 2078, standard deviation 1.23)
BGG Ranking: 32
Players: 3-5 (Best with 5, average with 3-4)
Duration: 90 minutes
Complexity: Medium (ala Ra, Modern Art, El Grande)
Theme: Pharaohs competing to erect pyramids in Ancient Egypt
Mechanics: Auction and Resource Management
Player Interaction: Medium - Bidding for provinces, sacrifices to Amun-Re
Player Confrontation: Low - No direct attack on opponents although out-bidding someone can mess with their plans in a big way :))))))) (Cash is an important commodity ala caylus - you can be totally screwed without them)
Luck: Nil (YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Components: Excellent - Good quality board with lots of bits and miniature pyramids!
Comparable Games: Ra, Puerto Rico
Replayability: Medium-High
My Current Rating: 8.0

SANTIAGO
- The Water Flows Where the Money Goes

Several miles west of the African mainland lies the Cape Verde Island of Santiago. The climate is hot and every drop of water is precious. The players are landowners bidding for plantations with specific crops on them (bananas, sugar cane, potatoes, beans or red peppers) and trying to connect them into large plantations. These plantations must quickly be connected to the canal irrigation system or else they will dry up and produce no yield.

To ensure that new canals connect your own plantations to the irrigation system, you have to bribe the current Canal Overseer. The sooner a plantation is irrigated and connected to other plantations of the same type, the more yield – and thus the more money – will be gained at the end of the game. The player who acquires, irrigates and connects his plantations most effectively will win the game.

Designer: Claudia Hely & Roman Pelek
BGG Rating: 7.60 (Total votes 937, standard deviation 1.12)
BGG Ranking: 57
Players: 3-5 (Best with 5, ?poor with 3-4)
Duration: 90 minutes
Complexity: Low (ala Ticket to Ride, Settlers Of Catan)
Theme: Plantation owners competing to farm crops in Africa
Mechanics: Auction and Tile Placement
Player Interaction: High - Bidding for crops, competing to position crops on board and ultimately what makes Santiago a star - Bribing the Canal Overseer!!!
Player Confrontation: Vicious (ala Diplomacy, Intrige) - Players can form alliances during bribery phase pooling their resources together to make the irrigation go one way. Sorry bro if your crops are on the other side of the field...
Luck: Low- Random turnover of crop tiles ala puerto rico
Components: Good - Good quality board with just enough bits to make the game playable without unnecessary distractions.
Comparable Games: Diplomacy, El-Grande, Intrige
Replayability: High
My Current Rating: 8.0