Late game strategy advice

[charliec247]

My question pertains to a decision point late game, so heads up for those willing to help: it's in Gen 9. I was tanking trying to find the correct play when the opponent conceded, and it is that moment that I want to ask about.

Here is the game in question
https://boardgamearena.com/gamereview?table=676275685

I was trying to decide whether to pay 14 and fund Thermalist or just rush endgame with Standard Technology support, because barring finding Deimos Down or Giant Ice Asteroid I think the game is ending in 11 generations anyway, rather than the preferred 10. What would you have done?

Also feel free to comment on any of my plays throughout this game, I'm pretty sure there's a few moves that could be better played.

[SzyBek]

I just saw your starting hand. Its a must to pick ecozone, advanced ecosystems and virus. Those are insane scoring cards. Even tardigrades which is stall action and makes your advanced ecosystems playable.

[charliec247]

I just saw your starting hand. Its a must to pick ecozone, advanced ecosystems and virus. Those are insane scoring cards. Even tardigrades which is stall action and makes your advanced ecosystems playable.

So what you're saying is
Keep 7 cards (my 4 and your 3), start Gen 1 with 21MC after preudes

Activate Robinson, pass?
(Barring opponent's actions or the ocean card draw that may affect the above line of play)

[schulni]

So yes to keeping those cards and not overextending generation 1. I'd probably look to play earth catapult generation 2.

On your actual question, you had complete control of the game at that point, and had also drawn a jovian multiplier, which is the only thing that could hypothetically hurt you (although you had so much plant production and mc that you could easily overcome that), so I don't think it would have mattered what you did. But let's say the game were actually close. I think you always have to ask: does terraforming benefit me or my opponent more? That's a question you should be asking regularly during the game anyway, because you always want to know if you want to end the game as quickly as possible or slow it down. If you need to end the game quickly, then yes, do asteroid standard projects as often as you can. In some games it becomes almost the only thing you should spend money on. Controlling the heat track can be hard because it's so long. It is also often valuable to fund the second award before your opponent, since 20mc for 5 points is no small investment, so I think you are absolutely right to be thinking about that.

[FrankJones]

I don't give up attack cards in 2-player. I'm keeping Virus also. Is Robinson the right choice? I often find it appealing, only to discover that it doesn't really pan out. The 2 preludes make it difficult to use Robinson for energy and plant production. And increases the likelihood of needing to use it for MC production. Symbiotic seems like a good keep also, given the overall green-tag synergy that seems very likely.

[FrankJones]

I was trying to decide whether to pay 14 and fund Thermalist or just rush endgame with Standard Technology support, because barring finding Deimos Down or Giant Ice Asteroid I think the game is ending in 11 generations anyway, rather than the preferred 10. What would you have done?

Also feel free to comment on any of my plays throughout this game, I'm pretty sure there's a few moves that could be better played.

You have 4 cards. Your opponent has 18 cards, AI central, and discounts. If I'm in your spot, I am spamming standard project asteroids and ending this game ASAP.

With investment loan, and a good amount of money, there are a couple ways I could see it ending in gen 10, though you're right that 11 is more likely. Still, you'll score well with your city and your plant production and noctis farming, and the TR gained from the temperature raises and likely the bonus ocean.

[ThothTheRaven]

Agree with Szybek that it is 100% wrong to skip the eco scoring. My keeps would be: Robinson | turbines, shipment | all EXCEPT symbi, lightning, reservoir (reservoir is fine but we're a bit low on money still and probably not rush)

[ThothTheRaven]

Also you should have played insects for 4 gen 6 and funded LL (landlord) much earlier. A strong opponent would have funded scientist on 8. These were both much higher priorities than big asteroid stealing 0 plants (and now you have no titanium target with 3 ti prod so you spend it on a very worthless jovian). taking lunar beam gen 7 makes no sense. loan and ICS are both very strong while lunar beam is unplayable for both of you.
To answer your gen 9 question: don't bother funding. you have more than enough to win so just focus on ending. this is far less important of a difference than your earlier misplays tho so i'd focus more on improving those.
edit for clarity on the fund: thermalist fund is bad bc it is one of your best ways to throw the game. your opponent doesn't really want to convert their heat anyway so you basically slow down the game a ton for nothing, and if they play mass converter for example it becomes very easy for them to flip or deny 40+ heat of conversions

[charliec247]

Thanks for the responses. Follow-up questions:

1. Suppose I did go Insects for 4 in Gen 6. I would now be up 11-0 in plant prod with Mining Area and Plantation in hand, leading 5-3 in landlord count. Is that a clincher for landlord because his MC prod is low (so not worried about SP'ing Cities and Greeneries in an attempt to catch up) as well as that heat is being stalled right now (so no need to worry about Trees, Bushes and friends)? I'm thinking on how the opponent can steal landlord. Is there any incentive for the opponent to get some ground game points, even if Oxygen is maxed out (and, furthermore, is it even optimal for him)?

2. The Gen 9 Livestock. At that point I figured that with the resources I had I'd be able to end the game on my own in Gen 11 with enough resources left over to play Livestock (and optimally put animals on Imported Hydrogen since Oxygen was maxed out). Is Livestock even the correct play there, (because the money saved is 1.5 temperature steps)? Or should I leave open the possibility that I could find Deimos Down/Giant Ice Asteroid in Gen 10? How likely is the opponent to contribute to terraforming and enabling me to end the game on Gen 10?

[Wacky1]

Hi OP / all. Great information on this thread.

About question 1- I think in general 11 to 0 plant prod advantage, and being ahead 2 tiles, warrants a landlord fund. Doubly so if it late gen (past 5 or so)? As always the scenarios can vary (maybe if you are playing against ecoline, and they have AI central going with 20 cards in hand... maybe a risky fund?).