First move

Forum rules
Please DO NOT POST BUGS on this forum. Please report (and vote) bugs on : https://boardgamearena.com/#!bugs
User avatar
Romain672
Posts: 1014
Joined: 05 April 2016, 13:53

First move

Post by Romain672 »

edit: This is an old post, created about ~24h after the game was out.
Hi,
I would like to talk about what you do at the first move of the game since it's simple.

We have 5 possibility :
1 - Risky, but can give a good thing.
2 - Useless, except at 2 or 3 players where you just use one card for gain one point and if the creature use one of his best card for block 1&5 it's really good.
3 - Give a good shot for second turn, which is good too.
4 - Few usefull. Seem like a low risk like the 2. One card let you use the effect on an adjacent tile, which is really good with it.
5 - The best one for gain another card.

As a player, I think I will go most of the time on 5 (45%), a good amount of time on 1 (30%), regulary on 3 (20%), and sometimes on 4 (5%).
As the creature, I will try to block 1&5 and put the best token on 1 for remove 2 live.

Now, with many players, there will be a good chance someone will go on 1 or 5. So, I think you should in theory reduce the amount of time you go there? And put more 3? And more 2 turn 2?

What are you though about this? It's obvious 1&5 are the best move if it work. If it work...
Last edited by Romain672 on 06 May 2019, 21:39, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
nandblock
Posts: 213
Joined: 23 December 2015, 02:13

Re: First move

Post by nandblock »

First move makes no sense in isolation. The hunted players need to get cards badly, and fast. This means they need to split up at the start--the creature can't hit 1, 3 and 5 all on the same turn (any players who manage to get 3 should probably put down 1+5 the next turn and hope the creature doesn't have a card to block both spots). Someone is going to probably get caught anyway on the first turn or the 2nd, so the Hunted should just try to make sure someone is on 1, 3 and 5 to ensure there are more place cards to work with on turn 3. Probably in the absence of explicit communication they can just randomly decide, and hope it works out. Or just pick randomly 1-5. I don't even think 2 is a bad choice, it is pretty safe and you then start round 2 with a full hand of cards.

In the end the first few turns are just multiplayer rock-paper-scissors, until the options diversify a bit.
Last edited by nandblock on 07 May 2019, 02:37, edited 1 time in total.
ClimateChangeIsReal
Posts: 14
Joined: 01 August 2018, 21:18

Re: First move

Post by ClimateChangeIsReal »

I like to start the game on the jungle, as I usually do not get caught, and if I do, someone else will be able to go to 3 or 5 while the creature messes with me. I am perfectly fine with sharing this and may not even change my strategy because of it.
User avatar
Romain672
Posts: 1014
Joined: 05 April 2016, 13:53

Re: First move

Post by Romain672 »

Yup I saw that after lots of game, doing 2 for nothing is fine for first turn.
Shaq Jenkins
Posts: 156
Joined: 27 November 2013, 04:49

Re: First move

Post by Shaq Jenkins »

The first move depends heavily on what survival card I start with.

If I can move or dodge the creature token, then I'll choose 5.

If I don't have a useful survival card, then I'll choose something safe like 2 or 4.
User avatar
Romain672
Posts: 1014
Joined: 05 April 2016, 13:53

Re: First move

Post by Romain672 »

I don't think 4 is ever a good first choice, except with the card who let you copy on adjacent power.

Problem with 4 is the dual artemis/cible token where the most obvious play for the creature is Creature on 1 (since it make lost 2will) and artemis/cible on 4+5 (for cancel the 5).
Second best one is creature on 3 and artemis/cible on 4+5.
Third one is creature on 5 and artemis/cible on 1+2.

And I can't find a good forth one since you want to block the 5, and the 1 if the Creature is on 5.
So 4 is often cancelled.
Shaq Jenkins
Posts: 156
Joined: 27 November 2013, 04:49

Re: First move

Post by Shaq Jenkins »

I disagree. I rarely see the creature put the creature token or the artemis token on 4 during the first move, which makes it relatively safe. It also allows the person who chose 4 to choose 1, 3, or 5 during the next turn since the other players probably played one of those cards. It's important for players to spread out and not choose the same numbers. I like choosing 4 on the first turn because I'm pretty much guaranteed not to get caught.
User avatar
nandblock
Posts: 213
Joined: 23 December 2015, 02:13

Re: First move

Post by nandblock »

Agreed that the main thing is to spread out. It may even be worth publicly discussing this, if there are 5 Hunted players and 1 Creature: just say "OK, each of us goes to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5", and let the Creature pick one of them (presumably 1 is likely as it nets 2 red cubes).

4 is decent, except it's kind of a waste if 2 players go there at once (though the other Hunted can pick the card back up, I guess).
User avatar
Romain672
Posts: 1014
Joined: 05 April 2016, 13:53

Re: First move

Post by Romain672 »

@Shaq Jenking : Did you understood what I mean? It's because 4 is adjacent to 5 that I found 4 bad for first move, and 2 way better.

I'm agree on the fact to spread up, but if you consider the creature will always goes on 1+4+5 or 3+4+5 if he get a card for block 2 place, you can easily get punished cause of that... (if I remember correctly, it's 3 card (perhaps more) with 1 who need to be played phase 1 so it doesn't count, so only 2/20, but it still 29,5% of the time, which is really high for getting really few if it work).

@nandblock : Interresting. You just have to ask the 1 to do something else like (random number)33% of the time, and you resolve this problem.
But I think spreading like that is bad, you want to goes randomly on the same place for have a chance for the creature to not get 1 point 100% of the time (except perhaps for 4 and 8).
(don't think you can take back the card you just played)
Shaq Jenkins
Posts: 156
Joined: 27 November 2013, 04:49

Re: First move

Post by Shaq Jenkins »

Did YOU understand what I meant? In your response to me, you insisted that "you don't think 4 is ever a good choice, except with the card who let you copy on adjacent power." Those are your direct words.

I disagreed with you and listed reasons as to why I think 4 is a perfectly fine choice for a first move, especially since most players on the team won't choose that place and the creature is most likely not going to block it unless they have a double Artemia or Mirage card (and there's no guarantee that the creature will get those cards first). I'd much rather lose 4 on my first turn than the other choices.
Post Reply

Return to “Not Alone”