Hate Prestige

[MRD90]

I like this game. The base game is fun, and the expansion adds many new cards that I think are interesting (spending goods for military power, combining hand during Explore, nice things like that). I like most of what this game has to offer.

Except Prestige. I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE Prestige. If someone lucks into some early prestige generation that can't be challenged for a couple turns it feels like they can runaway with the game. Doesn't matter which side of this I'm on, it feels terrible. Just last game my opponent got an early settle of the "Produce: +1 Prestige if most Uplift" (Ravaged Uplift World) if I'm remembering the effect properly. I was setting up a Rebel military strategy and couldn't put down as any Uplifts. End score was like 64 - 26. I can have fun even losing in most games, but getting steamrolled like that is just demoralizing, especially when it feels like I don't know what I can do about it. And most Arena/Tournament rules use the expansion, not just base game.

I'll readily admit I'm far from a good player even at base game, but it feels like non-Prestige mechanics have much more counterplay against them. You can set up leeches against a Produce/Consume strategy. Seems much harder to defend against Prestige generation.

One flaw I can definitely identify in my play is underutilization of the special search and Prestige action bonus card. Could that be what I'm missing to combat this? Or do I need to be digging through the deck with Explores more? IDK what to do. I want to like this game as much as I can, but Prestige is really dragging it down right now.

[ColShaw]

Prestige definitely changes the rhythm of the game and the power level of the cards. It's definitely true that the main strength of prestige comes in the first 3 turns or so, which is why cheap prestige-generators are at a premium in Brink of War (Ravaged Uplift, like you said; Gene Breeders; and Security Council are probably the 3 best cards to see in your starting draw in most cases). When I see my opponent drop Gene Breeders and Produce turn 1, my heart always sinks and I figure my chances of winning are probably 25% at best.

That said, it's not a guaranteed win. If you can tie up the prestige for the first couple of turns (Imperium Invasion Fleet can be a VERY nasty surprise and can net 3 prestige in a single turn by Settling a non-military world), it largely negates the effects of prestige engines on the game.

You're absolutely right that you can't leech off opponent prestige. You can, however, use your knowledge of their cards to predict their actions. Very often, Ravaged Uplift and Gene Breeders lock into a trade/produce strategy that many players will just blindly continue. If you can set up a Consume strategy (for instance, Consumer Markets and then drop a couple of blue worlds) you can gain more points than they are getting from the same actions.

I think you ended up in a very unfortunate matchup there, as straight military against prestige engine is likely to lose in most cases. But that's the nature of the game; sometimes we all end up hard-countered by what the opponent draws. Essentially everyone loses at least 25% of their games, no matter how skilled they are (myself included).

I would definitely recommend using the special Search option, especially at the beginning of the game. Against Ravaged Uplift I will often search for a green X just to shut down their prestige generation. But it has many, many other uses. The most common times I use it are with Uplift Mercs to search for a green X, with Rebel Freedom Fighters to search for either +1 Mil devs (praying for Rebel Troops) or Military windfall, or looking for a 6 dev for middle/endgame. It's a hugely valuable tool, though it does need luck to work.