About ABG Game Days
home recent topics recent posts search faq  

Arlington Board Gamers :: Forum

user:
psw:
| lost password | register
Messages in this topic - RSS

Home » Game strategy (online or otherwise) » TM - Darklings / Alchemists

3/31/2014 10:42:38 PM

dashmudtz
dashmudtz
( Matt Schmaltz)
Posts: 46
BggId: dashmudtz
Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

With this set up, I actually would have taken the alchemists over the darklings.

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

player2 (Fortuna)

Let me see if I can guess why.

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

player2 (Fortuna)

Because you'll be delaying TPs, and Alchemists can get you gold without it? That's all I've got.

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

Actually several things.

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

First rewards for end of round. There are 2 of each color, 2 make in into the game.

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

For blue, both require being at the 4 spot to get one.

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

for brown, 1 requires the 4 spot, and the other is the brown-coin. So again requires or rewards being very high on the track, not just some accidental thing while doing everything else.

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

Darklings start with a priest, and start at 1 on both the brown and blue tracks. So for just your starting priest(or later if you can get away with it) you are guaranteeing yourself 2 or more very strong end of round rewards.

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

The more of those 4, the higher the reason to play darklings.

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

player2 (Fortuna)

But then why the Alchemists?

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

The offset of starting with a priest for darklings is that they start with 2 less cubes. Every faction(except swarmlings and darklings) begin the game with 6, darklings only get 4. Since the 2worker tile is missing, it hurts them considerably. Especially if on the first turn you are torn between expanding out to up your cube generation, or put it up for the blue reward.

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

So they aren't getting max use of the cult tracks like they can in other set ups, and they are worker poor. So in that instance it isn't a reason to play alchemists, its a reason to not play darklings.

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

As far as why I like alchemists

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

I wont tell the entire way I would play them in this set up, but in general, they generate a lot of money, which will help spam trading posts on the turns that you get points for them.

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

and expanding out afterwards wont be too hard since it is very easy for them to upgrade digging. Halflings and alchemists upgrade digging the easiest. making it easier for them to spread out and build dwellings in the last 2 rounds.

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

There are some obstacles to be overcome for sure, but they have some solid potential.

1 month 2 days ago, round 0, turn 0

player2 (Fortuna)
okay… You can delay the TPs without hurting for cash too.
permalink
3/31/2014 10:46:02 PM

dashmudtz
dashmudtz
( Matt Schmaltz)
Posts: 46
BggId: dashmudtz
Alchemists (Fortuna)

There's really no other place on the board that makes as much sense for Black, is there.

1 month 1 day ago, round 0, turn 0

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

E1 to c1 is fine. I2 has a good chain. A4 b3 a8 also works. And all of that can be connected in the end with single shipping

1 month 1 day ago, round 0, turn 0

Alchemists (Fortuna)

Right, but there are only three spots on the board where you can expand three times with a single spade each, and two of them are near each other in the east.

1 month 1 day ago, round 0, turn 0

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

E1 to c1 and i2 to i4 also are 4 long at 2 and 4 spades total which is the same or cheaper

1 month 1 day ago, round 0, turn 0

Alchemists (Fortuna)

Ok, right, when you consider the total spade cost.

1 month 1 day ago, round 0, turn 0
permalink
3/31/2014 10:49:11 PM

dashmudtz
dashmudtz
( Matt Schmaltz)
Posts: 46
BggId: dashmudtz
Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

Not giving black a lot of discounted trading posts, and power leeches goes a long way

14 days ago, round 6, turn 4

Alchemists (Fortuna)

Black, as in me this game, or Black as in whoever is Black in any game?

14 days ago, round 6, turn 4

Chaos Magicians (Dashmudtz)

this game. matters more for darklings, but in general isnt bad advice.

13 days ago, round 6, turn 5
permalink
3/31/2014 10:53:30 PM

dashmudtz
dashmudtz
( Matt Schmaltz)
Posts: 46
BggId: dashmudtz
Engineers (Dashmudtz)

darklings

24 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Halflings (johnkerr)

Was that an obvious choice for this setup? I thought the lack of priest bonus might slow them down a little.

24 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Engineers (Dashmudtz)

There may be a better race, I just think that the darklings are very strong in games where the end of round rewards all cost 4. They are able to get them easier than many other races. Also there isnt a good building progression amoung the rounds, which plays well for the darklings. They can build their stuff pretty haphazardly and it is nearly always sufficient, allowing them to take better advantage of unusual set ups.

24 days ago, round 0, turn 0

Engineers (Dashmudtz)

There was a thread where the designer chimed in, and it pretty much summed up my thoughts on the darklings. They really aren't the best race, but they are very very forgiving, and don't require any specfics in the set up to be good. They are just always decent. i think that is why they have such a high win ratio. They are rarely the best, but if others aren't playing very well / picking good races, they will win by default

24 days ago, round 0, turn 0







Reasoning for the end of round bonus thought - All 4 of the brown and blue rewards require 4 spaces/reward a high number for the single brown reward. And since Darklings start on both blue and brown, they are a single priest away from getting the strongest rewards(sometimes 2 for 1).




Also When the expensive rewards are in the game, it take a lot of effort for other factions to achieve them, in this situation, it rewards the factions that rely on them more.
permalink

Home » Game strategy (online or otherwise) » TM - Darklings / Alchemists