I'm not an expert
Here are nonetheless some tips.
These are mostly for games at 3 or 4 players.
-----------------------
Rules
R1) Read the FAQ
Most people will get at least one small thing wrong in their first game(s).
There are points that are not clear and explicit in the rules.
R2) Understand how the races and powers work and interact in the details and reread them
Don't trust your memory, at least not at first.
Don't mix them up, because some of them are quite similar but not completely so.
Understand, for instance that while both halflings and Heroic offer immunity from attack in 2 regions, halflings do so to the first 2 regions you conquered while "Heroic" let's you choose new emplacements every turn.
Understand that camps from "bivouacking" protect you from the Sorcerer but Fortresses from the Fortified power do not.
But camps don't stay when in decline whereas Fortresses do.
Etc...
R3) Know which powers are still effective when in decline
-----------------------------------------
Generic
G1) How many combos ?
There is no hard rule, but you usually want to play 2 or 3 combos over the course of the game.
A few things might invite you to play one more : a early "Spirit" combo, "Wealthy", a combo with lots of coins on it, 10 turns game as opposed to a 9 turns one, a good combo to pick-up while you have few tokens in decline, having suffered an apocalypse (see G8), ...
G2) Consider how long you want/expect to stay with your next combo when choosing one
If you have many tokens in decline, especially if they have some extra protection, you probably want to pick a new combo that can stay for a while.
G3) First Combo
The first combo you take in the game is usually one that you can ditch quickly so you may want to pick a combo that spreads fast and wide.
The reason is that you want to be able to combine points from a declined combo and a active one.
Powers like "Stout" or "Spirit" are also nice as a first power.
"Wealthy" is nice if you do intend to quickly go into decline.
On the other hand, the ever popular "Sorcerer" is less good than usual as a first combo.
Especially if you are first to play as you probably won't be able to convert any token before round 3 and possibly not even then.
Combos that requires you to attack non-empty regions (Skeletons, Pillaging, Orcs) are also slightly less good as a first combo as you will probably have many opportunities to attack empty regions and empty regions allow a faster development.
G4) Consider your nuisance power
Making points is the most important thing but not letting opponents make points is also nice.
Remember which enemy combos are annoying, realize that you too can annoy them
G5) Beware what combos comes after you
What combos are coming is an important factor.
It will rarely influence your timing for decline but once in a while, it will and should.
More often, it will determine where you want to be on the map and with which combo.
See also the specific stuff below
G6) Remember that you can abandon regions
Sometimes, abandoning a region is a good idea, either to be able to get a region worth more points or better protected or because you get extra points for conquering occupied regions or because you are the sorcerer and want enough power to punch through a frontline to convert some token(s).
Sometimes, not often, you might even abandon all regions and start afresh on another part of the map.
G7) In the end, only victory points count (unless there is an ex-aequo)
It's good to spread out on the map and get lots of tokens for your skeletons etc...
But do remember that at the end of the game it's victory points that count.
More often than not, an average of 10 points per round is around what you need for victory.
So 90 points on a 9 turns game or 100 in a 10 turns one.
G8) Active Apocalypse
If your active race is pretty much destroyed you can be in a very very bad situation because putting them in decline will make you lose your already in-decline tokens (unless they are "spirit" of course) which could lead to a round worth only 1 point or so when you finally decide to decline and even the rounds after the decline will be worth limited points because you'll then have very few tokens in decline.
Likewise, inflicting this on an opponent can cost them so much that they won't be able win even if they get good combos afterward.
This is one more reason why, everything else being equal, attacking a player's active tokens is usually better than attacking their tokens in decline.
G9) Count the opponents points
It might be against the spirit of the rules but knowing how many points each opponent has is very helpful.
Of course, you should complement that with a guess of how many points they'll do in the future if you can.
G10) Who to attack ?
There are lots of factors
-----------------------------------
Combo Specific
S1) Tritons
Tritons will often colonize the North-West.
If you spread in that region with Tritons in the queue, you might get wrecked.
S2) Giants
Giants will usually rush for a mountain and then wreck everything around.
South-East is a popular choice for them but there are many possibilities.
As with the tritons, you may want to avoid being an easy prey to them if there are early giants in the queue. It is however harder to guess where the giants will go.
S3) Sorcerers
Sorcerers can be very powerful. Especially if they are allowed to grow.
Players usually don't want to settle close to them.
Realize however that you may have to attack them to destroy them or just slow them : a sorcerer with 2 tokens lost on the first turn will often remain manageable.
Some combos are better suited to fight them or resist against them.
Any combo with a great attack power through sheer numbers or through -1 attacks will do.
A well placed "halflings" can help (often in the North-east with the first 2 regions creating an impenetrable barrier)
If you are playing them, remember that you can abandon all you regions and restart elsewhere.
If you play against them, be aware that putting two tokens per region on your frontline with them will usually not be enough to deter the sorcerer form attacking you if that allows them to subvert a token behind the frontline.
S4) Skeletons
Skeletons have some similarities with the sorcerers.
When playing them, do try to make it possible to conquer two occupied regions every turn. Even if it means abandoning one.
More tokens means better longevity (unless that triggers the other players into attacking you more strongly...)
S5) Ghouls
With ghouls, you usually want to go in decline very quickly.
This makes them usually a good first pick in the game.
But usually a bad pick if you have already many (non spirit) tokens in decline.
Because of this, "Stout", "Spirit", "Wealthy" or often a good power for them but anything with many tokens can also be nice.
It is often a good idea to keep only around 4 regions with your ghouls in decline (abandon regions if necessary).
This limits how many points you get but makes you a less tempting target while also letting you attack one region every turn to slow down opponents.
--------------------
End game
--------------------
E1) Last round target
On the last round, it is usually better to attack players who still have a round to play.
Unless there is an ex-aequo, you are not costing an opponent anything by attacking them if they have already finished their last round
E2) Points, Points, Points
It's rather obvious but you don't care very much about longevity in the last round...
E3) A last combo ?
You cannot decline in the last round, there is no point.
But should you decline one last time one or two rounds before the last one ?
Usually, not.
Which means that when you take a new combo in round 5/6/7, you should also take that into account.
-----------------
In progress
Here are nonetheless some tips.
These are mostly for games at 3 or 4 players.
-----------------------
Rules
R1) Read the FAQ
Most people will get at least one small thing wrong in their first game(s).
There are points that are not clear and explicit in the rules.
R2) Understand how the races and powers work and interact in the details and reread them
Don't trust your memory, at least not at first.
Don't mix them up, because some of them are quite similar but not completely so.
Understand, for instance that while both halflings and Heroic offer immunity from attack in 2 regions, halflings do so to the first 2 regions you conquered while "Heroic" let's you choose new emplacements every turn.
Understand that camps from "bivouacking" protect you from the Sorcerer but Fortresses from the Fortified power do not.
But camps don't stay when in decline whereas Fortresses do.
Etc...
R3) Know which powers are still effective when in decline
- Ghouls (you know them)
- Spirit (obviously)
- Dwarves : the +1 point per mine is kept
- Fortified : the +1 defense per fortress is kept (but not the extra point)
- Trolls : the lairs stay in place (+1 defense)
-----------------------------------------
Generic
G1) How many combos ?
There is no hard rule, but you usually want to play 2 or 3 combos over the course of the game.
A few things might invite you to play one more : a early "Spirit" combo, "Wealthy", a combo with lots of coins on it, 10 turns game as opposed to a 9 turns one, a good combo to pick-up while you have few tokens in decline, having suffered an apocalypse (see G8), ...
G2) Consider how long you want/expect to stay with your next combo when choosing one
If you have many tokens in decline, especially if they have some extra protection, you probably want to pick a new combo that can stay for a while.
G3) First Combo
The first combo you take in the game is usually one that you can ditch quickly so you may want to pick a combo that spreads fast and wide.
The reason is that you want to be able to combine points from a declined combo and a active one.
Powers like "Stout" or "Spirit" are also nice as a first power.
"Wealthy" is nice if you do intend to quickly go into decline.
On the other hand, the ever popular "Sorcerer" is less good than usual as a first combo.
Especially if you are first to play as you probably won't be able to convert any token before round 3 and possibly not even then.
Combos that requires you to attack non-empty regions (Skeletons, Pillaging, Orcs) are also slightly less good as a first combo as you will probably have many opportunities to attack empty regions and empty regions allow a faster development.
G4) Consider your nuisance power
Making points is the most important thing but not letting opponents make points is also nice.
Remember which enemy combos are annoying, realize that you too can annoy them
G5) Beware what combos comes after you
What combos are coming is an important factor.
It will rarely influence your timing for decline but once in a while, it will and should.
More often, it will determine where you want to be on the map and with which combo.
See also the specific stuff below
G6) Remember that you can abandon regions
Sometimes, abandoning a region is a good idea, either to be able to get a region worth more points or better protected or because you get extra points for conquering occupied regions or because you are the sorcerer and want enough power to punch through a frontline to convert some token(s).
Sometimes, not often, you might even abandon all regions and start afresh on another part of the map.
G7) In the end, only victory points count (unless there is an ex-aequo)
It's good to spread out on the map and get lots of tokens for your skeletons etc...
But do remember that at the end of the game it's victory points that count.
More often than not, an average of 10 points per round is around what you need for victory.
So 90 points on a 9 turns game or 100 in a 10 turns one.
G8) Active Apocalypse
If your active race is pretty much destroyed you can be in a very very bad situation because putting them in decline will make you lose your already in-decline tokens (unless they are "spirit" of course) which could lead to a round worth only 1 point or so when you finally decide to decline and even the rounds after the decline will be worth limited points because you'll then have very few tokens in decline.
Likewise, inflicting this on an opponent can cost them so much that they won't be able win even if they get good combos afterward.
This is one more reason why, everything else being equal, attacking a player's active tokens is usually better than attacking their tokens in decline.
G9) Count the opponents points
It might be against the spirit of the rules but knowing how many points each opponent has is very helpful.
Of course, you should complement that with a guess of how many points they'll do in the future if you can.
G10) Who to attack ?
There are lots of factors
- How many points per turn do you get out of this ? (now and after decline)
- Who is your direct opponent in term of score ? (see G9)
- Can you put someone out of the game ? (see G8)
- Do you end up with a good or poor defensive situation now ? (mountains are nice, do you occupy regions worth more points for some opponent, do you occupy regions that an opponent can attack at -1 cost, can you protect your inner regions with a small and strong frontline ...)
- Do you end up with a good or poor defensive situation when you later decline ? (mountains are nice, beware of zones that might be too tempting for an opponent to flood with their next combo , do you occupy regions worth more points for current or incoming combos, do you occupy regions that current or future enemy combos can attack at -1 cost, ...)
- Are you putting some opponent into a specific situation where they are more likely to want to decline/postpone decline , attack you/someone else,... And how do you feel about that
- Are you breaking an opponent's momentum ?
- ...
-----------------------------------
Combo Specific
S1) Tritons
Tritons will often colonize the North-West.
If you spread in that region with Tritons in the queue, you might get wrecked.
S2) Giants
Giants will usually rush for a mountain and then wreck everything around.
South-East is a popular choice for them but there are many possibilities.
As with the tritons, you may want to avoid being an easy prey to them if there are early giants in the queue. It is however harder to guess where the giants will go.
S3) Sorcerers
Sorcerers can be very powerful. Especially if they are allowed to grow.
Players usually don't want to settle close to them.
Realize however that you may have to attack them to destroy them or just slow them : a sorcerer with 2 tokens lost on the first turn will often remain manageable.
Some combos are better suited to fight them or resist against them.
Any combo with a great attack power through sheer numbers or through -1 attacks will do.
A well placed "halflings" can help (often in the North-east with the first 2 regions creating an impenetrable barrier)
If you are playing them, remember that you can abandon all you regions and restart elsewhere.
If you play against them, be aware that putting two tokens per region on your frontline with them will usually not be enough to deter the sorcerer form attacking you if that allows them to subvert a token behind the frontline.
S4) Skeletons
Skeletons have some similarities with the sorcerers.
When playing them, do try to make it possible to conquer two occupied regions every turn. Even if it means abandoning one.
More tokens means better longevity (unless that triggers the other players into attacking you more strongly...)
S5) Ghouls
With ghouls, you usually want to go in decline very quickly.
This makes them usually a good first pick in the game.
But usually a bad pick if you have already many (non spirit) tokens in decline.
Because of this, "Stout", "Spirit", "Wealthy" or often a good power for them but anything with many tokens can also be nice.
It is often a good idea to keep only around 4 regions with your ghouls in decline (abandon regions if necessary).
This limits how many points you get but makes you a less tempting target while also letting you attack one region every turn to slow down opponents.
--------------------
End game
--------------------
E1) Last round target
On the last round, it is usually better to attack players who still have a round to play.
Unless there is an ex-aequo, you are not costing an opponent anything by attacking them if they have already finished their last round
E2) Points, Points, Points
It's rather obvious but you don't care very much about longevity in the last round...
E3) A last combo ?
You cannot decline in the last round, there is no point.
But should you decline one last time one or two rounds before the last one ?
Usually, not.
Which means that when you take a new combo in round 5/6/7, you should also take that into account.
-----------------
In progress