Best and Worst Corps discussion

[cranesflyhigh]

D Tier-
Thorgate -Most useless ability, makes some worthless cards just slightly bad instead of horrible. To note: with Colonies I would still say C tier it does come with decent cash to start, but the ability is pretty worthless.

I got to step in and address this one: Thorgate is top 4-5 right now. Standard Tech is just bonkers for either Credicor and Thorgate. But Thorgate can often out rank Credicor in a hurry by activate its build in Earth Cat more often. If I play three early energy tags, I am 9MC ahead with builder on tab with passive heat prod/oxy pumper online. With current meta, UNMI also is way better than it should.

Maybe it's the funky influx of beginners on BGA right now, but Thorgate is top 5 no doubt about it. I think Corbz kinda realized it 2 from last season, since he went essentially undefeated with Thorgate. I am pretty much invincible with Thorgate atm, with one 2nd place finish b/c pointless king making from the 3rd, and it was a final MC tie breaker, Thorgate is so hot right now.

Top 5? Right now? As in this arena season? With corp era on? Cause if yes, ngl, your justification is standing on VERY weak legs.

[RoyalRook]

Yes this season with corp era on, in the current meta Thorgate is top 5 in my opinion.

[cranesflyhigh]

Yes this season with corp era on, in the current meta Thorgate is top 5 in my opinion.

You are either gaslighting to troll or are having very skewed personal data to work with. The latter can happen as with arena most of your wins aren't indicative of actual corp strengths, since there are regularly 200 elo differences where simple experience and game knowledge wins - which you seem to have.

Standard Tech is obviously good with Thorgate. But isn't an autowin button, since what you mostly do with power is buildings. There are other corps that do way better in buildings. Otherwise power is just slow heat prod. The difference in strength is obvious of the card compared to Credicor and even then: it is a single card. Your scenario of playing 3 power tags (considering you find decent ones): okay... why do you wanna do that? Is that 9mc going to be meaningful? Is it going to be better than other corp abilities? Cause in most cases the answer is going to be no.

Thorgate is one of the worst corps in the game. The data backs it up: in big data comparisons it regularly comes in the bottom 3 with UNMI and Phobolog. Now there can be discussions and personal opinions on which of these 3 is the worst (imo Thorgate), but claiming top 5 is ridiculous. Ask most top players in the game and they will have the same conclusion.

[RoyalRook]

Early 9MC and power is huge, that's a free loan and you can do it over and over, since it's a discount not a rebate. Thorgate was thought low tier in the beginning of the steam days as well, the meta has changed over the years. Even for me against lower competitions, I feel like Thorgate often gave me smoother and easier wins comparing to mining guild or Tharsis in the corp era.

Thorgate's hidden power also lies in draft priorities, it's very tough to draft against a good Thorgate comparing to corps like MG, Saturn or Tharsis. Like Credicor Thorgate often requires no cards to win, it's an all around good corp. My top 5:
1. Credicor
2. IC
3. Ecoline
4. Teractor
5. Thorgate
and my play style rank Helion/Saturn(6 or 7 between the 2) higher than Tharsis and MG with current meta.

[cranesflyhigh]

You just added the extra caviat of the 3 cards being early, shifting the goalposts. Once again: you need to find decent playable ones and have a use for that power. The 3 MC over and over, again: what do you want to do with that power?

The draft priorities hidden power is no hidden power at all, cause all you do is have slightly cheaper power, which once again: relies on other cards. Meanwhile other corps can do way more busted things and not rely a non-existent hidden power. I would rather be Saturn or MG and passed a generally good card, just cause the others wanted to deny me a Jov / placement card than be Thorgate and be given hidden power... power.

I am glad that you have a pet corporation that you find good, but that doesn't change the fact that it isn't. If you do not trust big data, most top player rankings put it near the bottom (e.g. ThreadPacifist) and there is a general consensus that it is a bad corp. Most of the times you pick Thorgate, cause your starting hand was utter trash for the other corp and that's it.

[RoyalRook]

I am talking about the current BGA meta, not steam or league with prelude and top players. The meta is different over there, I think the steam community missed out the corp era Thorgate, since the game has been competing on the prelude level for years, and the corp era game didn't get to innovate with some of the new modern concepts. The game speak for itself, Thorgate is just better than Saturn, Hely, MG and Tharsis right now here at BGA.

[cranesflyhigh]

Okay, I will bite: can you elaborate what specifically in the meta makes Thorgate better than on other platforms? What is the difference and how is power better? So much better that Thorgate is top 5? Because your arguments so far have nothing to do with your idea of a different meta. For sure, I agree that Preludes was the least kind to Thorgate, especially comparing to the other bottom 2 of UNMI and Phobolog, but you are making it sound like the difference of Preludes is way more massive.

[RoyalRook]

Its too difficult to put it simply, but a legendary Korean player named T4Mars at boardgamegeek TM forum posted a series of adv game concepts especially on drafts way back that dealt deeply in multiple concepts which really powers up current Thorgate meta which most players here have no idea how to counter.

Highlander and other top players also contributed various articles over the years.

I should have posted more myself but I was just a student of the game back then.

[cranesflyhigh]

So Thorgate is only good if you know the secret advanced draft tech. Good to know

[BlackHatGuy]

There's only 12 corps, so ranking Thorgate 5th isn't exactly high praise. Just means it's not terrible.

I'd put it 7th personally, but either way the conclusion is that it's a pretty mid corporation.