Your personal bonus card tiers

[FrankJones]

As far as me conceding games, points in those games and what not: you can still see what bonuses you hit even if you do concede.

Not exactly. The game replays for Wingspan are notoriously buggy.

Interestingly, the most recent game you conceded had FIVE omnivore birds on board without even playing a 4th round.
Any bonus card that can score 10 points by the end of round 3 by complete accident seems like a pretty good one to me.

Your opponent, whom you resigned against, seemed to have a zero for the Prairie Manager.

Are you saying you would keep Prairie manager instead of Omnivore in your starting hand? Because to me that's insane. In a bad way, not a good way.

[illy831]

I think the average I get is like 1-2 birds, so usually 4 pts. max.

Hm, maybe it's down to your feel of when it's good to select them. I would say 4 points isn't bad; it's not common to be sure at the start that completing any bonus is worth the trouble. That's what makes Forester appealing sometimes. Once you can secure 3-4, it's a matter of: "2 more points, or is there a better way to get points than spending turns/resources on that bird?"

If a 2-pt-per bonus is competing against a Passerine (3-6) or Cartographer (3-7) and I think I have a good shot at completing the latter, I will often take the safer 6-7 points. Sometimes it bites me.

For each kind of 2-pt-per, cards I look out for at the beginning:
- Food Web: Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher/Painted Whitestart, Wilson's Snipe/Spotted Sandpiper: cheap, fast starts, help you draw more. These birds make it likelier to complete the bonus, and the extra food helps with some big point birds (Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher, White-Faced Ibis, Yellow-billed Cuckoo). It's nice if you have one of each, or a Purple Martin/Violet-Green Swallow.
- Rodentologist/Predator: one-food birds that get you drawing/gaining food early, like Eastern Screech Owl, Willet (predator only), or Northern Harrier. Rodentologist the Spotted Owl a great play later on for the bonus.
- Historian: Cooper's Hawk, Forster's Tern, Lincoln's Sparrow, Wilson's Snipe, Anna's Hummingbird make this work early. Baird's Sparrow, which otherwise I usually not go for early on. Without those, Sprague's Pipit, Bell's Vireo, or Cassin's Finch to add a second bonus so you can stop focusing on this one. With this one, you may want to have bowl nests and look out for Say's Phoebe if it pops up.
- Omnivore: Hummingbirds and crows. As others have noted, this one is just really nice if you have those. Also: Brant, Canvasback, American Coot, Purple Gallinule, Red-Headed Woodpecker, Common Grackle, Belted Kingfisher, RIng-Billed Gull: these are all birds I might pick as first wetland bird regardless of the bonus. Some of them less preferred than others, but then you are always just working with what you have.

As for Fishery Manager, I usually end up putting birds there that eat fish, and of course you have the Fish Crow to help out outside of the Wetland. I guess, in a way, the path to achieving is easier in my experience than some of the other ones.

With the wetland, I go by the rule of thumb of finding one bird, any bird to put there as early as possible so that you can start drawing 2x (via egg). That often is not a fish-eating bird, and even if it is, it's a rare game for me to land five (granted I have just done it by accident). So at the beginning of the game, if I draw this, I'm likely to consider any number of other bonuses likelier to hit 6-7 points. Fish are also harder to come by. The first level of this bonus needing three is also tough, because often I don't even want to put three in the wetland to begin with. Two is enough, and I like to seize on chances to draw birds without spending a turn drawing birds (Carolina Wren, Black-necked Stilt, American Oystercatcher — none cost fish).

The fish crow changes that, but only if I have access to it right away.

Backyard birder, Passerine Specialist, whatever the name with the seeds birds.

It's funny, and already covered ground I suppose, but I don't think many players share this opinion about Passerine Specialist. Like all bonuses in this category, I think you'll want to start with a solid 2-3 ideally, but a ton of the best early birds are great for it. It helps if you have an "odd" qualifying bird to start — for example, one or even two in the wetland, where otherwise you might be playing only large birds there. If you are in a total jam to begin, one or even two moving birds are a way out of it they also qualify for this bonus. It's very playable, though not the best. Like Photographer or any of the nest bonuses.

[Archisian]

As far as me conceding games, points in those games and what not: you can still see what bonuses you hit even if you do concede.

Not exactly. The game replays for Wingspan are notoriously buggy.

Interestingly, the most recent game you conceded had FIVE omnivore birds on board without even playing a 4th round.
Any bonus card that can score 10 points by the end of round 3 by complete accident seems like a pretty good one to me.

Your opponent, whom you resigned against, seemed to have a zero for the Prairie Manager.

Are you saying you would keep Prairie manager instead of Omnivore in your starting hand? Because to me that's insane. In a bad way, not a good way.

I checked back on the replay on that game, and in that particular instance, if I had Omnivore Expert and Prairie Manager in my starting hand and all the other circumstances were the same (I start first turn, same cards in starting hand and tray, etc.), I would keep Omnivore Expert because I had one of the Hummingbirds, Brewer's Blackbird and I had access to the other Hummingbird and Yellow-billed Cuckoo on the first turn, giving me 8 pts. If I didn't have the same circumstances, I don't know which one I'd pick. I still think I'd choose Prairie Manager because, as I mentioned, I like flexibility and to try and start laying eggs around the middle to end of round 3. I feel like the bonuses that give you 2 pts per bird, including Omnivore Expert, pigeon-hole you a bit and hoping either your draws or the tray works out for you. I have pretty bad luck on drawing birds I want or need. It feels like a lot of games, my opponent ends up with one or both of the Crows, Belted Kingfisher, King Rail or other good Omnivore birds more often than I do. So, based on my experiences playing this game, the strategy that has given me the best chance to win is to remain flexible.

Then again, you're a much better player than me, so if I want to get to your level, maybe I need to rethink how I play.

[Archisian]

- Omnivore: Hummingbirds and crows. As others have noted, this one is just really nice if you have those. Also: Brant, Canvasback, American Coot, Purple Gallinule, Red-Headed Woodpecker, Common Grackle, Belted Kingfisher, RIng-Billed Gull: these are all birds I might pick as first wetland bird regardless of the bonus. Some of them less preferred than others, but then you are always just working with what you have.

Red-headed Woodpecker? I heard many people say it's a bad card for it's high cost and low point value.

[illy831]

Red-headed Woodpecker? I heard many people say it's a bad card for it's high cost and low point value.

Yes, it's far down the ideal list, but I mentioned it as an Omnivore-qualifying bird that can go in the wetland. There are games where it's the only or best of the starting birds you have access to that can go there. For example, you could keep it as one of two birds, play it immediately, lay eggs, and start drawing 2 birds while also gaining seeds to play your second bird. With Omnivore, it's no longer low points, so it can also work out in the meadow.

The Prairie Manager really does not seem flexible to me. I consider it a good bonus because it allows you to score 8, but it funnels you away from top meadow birds if you want to have two of those. As an example, you can't max Prairie and have a Crow + House Finch, when you could just make hay with those two instead while scoring 6 or 7 on some other bonus. That said, if you pick up Prairie you do have some good options to zone in on with your locked-in gameplan, like the cheap sparrows (especially Savannah) and the lay-all-eggs (Ash-Throated Flycatcher, Say's Phoebe, Inca Dove) to compensate for if you are lacking brown powers in the meadow.

would keep Omnivore Expert because I had one of the Hummingbirds, Brewer's Blackbird and I had access to the other Hummingbird and Yellow-billed Cuckoo on the first turn, giving me 8 pts

Yeah, that sounds pretty strong to me. The reason hummingbirds work so well here is the downside (giving food to everyone) is negated by how it amplifies the bonus (you want to play other Omnivore birds, so you don't even care what food you gain from it). Maybe you put the hummingbirds in the water to try to build up surplus cards for the Blackbird, and take minimal lay egg turns until the late game. Your Cuckoo will help drop some eggs on the hummingbirds in the meantime.

[ChioneWinterfury]

Interesting that no one has really mentioned to extent the bonus cards tie in with the various possible round end goals in the game.

Going just for bonus cards purely based on their own probability and not looking at round end goals is half the battle lost, against an opponent who had picked a bonus card that ties in the the round end goal. In 2P games, the 3 pt swing X 4 is enough to win/lose the game more than your average 4-6 pts per bonus card you're going to pick.

That's why visionary leader should just be removed/ignored/not picked/just don't/don't be that guy/really just don't. First whammy it doesn't tie in with end round end goal, second whammy you want the birds to be on your board, not in your hand, third whammy wood duck is removed. Straight F-Tier Hell for this bonus card.

Every other bonus card can hit the round end goals in some way, some hit more types of round end goals than others.

Breeding Manager is useless if you don't have a egg laying engine and the right cards. Just avoid if you don't expect to have a 4 bird grassland going for u and having the right birds with big capacity for it.

Backyard birder and Passerine Specialist run the same problem, the point per food cost is just too low for the birds that qualify. Having 7 1 cost 3 pt birds for backyard is a wet dream, and less than 30% of passerine birds score more than 6 pt per bird anyway.

The 4 nest type bonus cards and 3 Habitat bonus cards, probably higher tier if their nest type or habitat appears as a round end bonus or if very generic type of round end bonus shows up 3 out of 4 rounds. Otherwise you're diverting attention away from fighting for the 3 point swing hence lower tier.

Food type bonus cards are probably good if you already have 1 or 2 of the bird who qualify and also hit the round end goals. Generally mid tier for additional points that are easy to pick up, except Bird Feeder. 5 and 8 birds is just too much work for the points they give. Viticulturist is slightly higher tier due to only needing 4 birds to max out. Falconer actually belongs here in terms of the base game since most hunting birds eat rodent, with some fish eating so it's like a hybrid food type bonus card?

There is reason why Omnivore, Oologist, Cartographer, Photographer, Historian, Ecologist, Bird Counter are high tier on their own. The birds that qualify either builds your engine or qualifies for some round end goals almost always.

Bird Counter and Omnivore are the ones you might want to take into account your starting hand, though Bird Counter sometimes builds into itself due to card draw and tuck mulligan.

Ecologist is weak if there is competition for most birds in certain habitat, but birds who can move habitat can mitigate some of the issues.

Historian is the iffy one cause of stella jay and nutcracker and lower probability. Cartographer is the easiest one no brainer just pick. Photographer been a trap for me sometimes cause some of their birds are not efficient in terms of point/food and brown ability.

[Archisian]

Interesting that no one has really mentioned to extent the bonus cards tie in with the various possible round end goals in the game.

Going just for bonus cards purely based on their own probability and not looking at round end goals is half the battle lost, against an opponent who had picked a bonus card that ties in the the round end goal. In 2P games, the 3 pt swing X 4 is enough to win/lose the game more than your average 4-6 pts per bonus card you're going to pick.

That's why visionary leader should just be removed/ignored/not picked/just don't/don't be that guy/really just don't. First whammy it doesn't tie in with end round end goal, second whammy you want the birds to be on your board, not in your hand, third whammy wood duck is removed. Straight F-Tier Hell for this bonus card.

Every other bonus card can hit the round end goals in some way, some hit more types of round end goals than others.

Breeding Manager is useless if you don't have a egg laying engine and the right cards. Just avoid if you don't expect to have a 4 bird grassland going for u and having the right birds with big capacity for it.

Backyard birder and Passerine Specialist run the same problem, the point per food cost is just too low for the birds that qualify. Having 7 1 cost 3 pt birds for backyard is a wet dream, and less than 30% of passerine birds score more than 6 pt per bird anyway.

The 4 nest type bonus cards and 3 Habitat bonus cards, probably higher tier if their nest type or habitat appears as a round end bonus or if very generic type of round end bonus shows up 3 out of 4 rounds. Otherwise you're diverting attention away from fighting for the 3 point swing hence lower tier.

Food type bonus cards are probably good if you already have 1 or 2 of the bird who qualify and also hit the round end goals. Generally mid tier for additional points that are easy to pick up, except Bird Feeder. 5 and 8 birds is just too much work for the points they give. Viticulturist is slightly higher tier due to only needing 4 birds to max out. Falconer actually belongs here in terms of the base game since most hunting birds eat rodent, with some fish eating so it's like a hybrid food type bonus card?

There is reason why Omnivore, Oologist, Cartographer, Photographer, Historian, Ecologist, Bird Counter are high tier on their own. The birds that qualify either builds your engine or qualifies for some round end goals almost always.

Bird Counter and Omnivore are the ones you might want to take into account your starting hand, though Bird Counter sometimes builds into itself due to card draw and tuck mulligan.

Ecologist is weak if there is competition for most birds in certain habitat, but birds who can move habitat can mitigate some of the issues.

Historian is the iffy one cause of stella jay and nutcracker and lower probability. Cartographer is the easiest one no brainer just pick. Photographer been a trap for me sometimes cause some of their birds are not efficient in terms of point/food and brown ability.

I usually try not to worry too much about the end-of-round goals. I usually lose the first one because my opponent almost always has cards that fulfill the goal before I could. So I just say to hell with the first goal. The others I try to compete, but I base it on what the end-of-round goals are, cards in the tray and the cards I draw. Sometimes, I just forgo them altogether.

For example, if a game has end-of-round goals based on eggs in certain nest types and my opponent throws down 2-3 birds with Star nests, I just say screw it on the end-of-round goals and just try to build and engine to drop birds with large point values.

[Archisian]

Yes, it's far down the ideal list, but I mentioned it as an Omnivore-qualifying bird that can go in the wetland. There are games where it's the only or best of the starting birds you have access to that can go there. For example, you could keep it as one of two birds, play it immediately, lay eggs, and start drawing 2 birds while also gaining seeds to play your second bird. With Omnivore, it's no longer low points, so it can also work out in the meadow.

Mmkay, I'll try to incorporate trying to get this card more often.

The Prairie Manager really does not seem flexible to me. I consider it a good bonus because it allows you to score 8, but it funnels you away from top meadow birds if you want to have two of those. As an example, you can't max Prairie and have a Crow + House Finch, when you could just make hay with those two instead while scoring 6 or 7 on some other bonus. That said, if you pick up Prairie you do have some good options to zone in on with your locked-in gameplan, like the cheap sparrows (especially Savannah) and the lay-all-eggs (Ash-Throated Flycatcher, Say's Phoebe, Inca Dove) to compensate for if you are lacking brown powers in the meadow.

If I had those specific cards in hand or had access to them from the tray, I might forgo Prairie Manager and just maximize points from the bird counter. But if I don't, for me, Prairie Manager gives me more opportunities with some good birds, such as the Sparrows you mentioned. Cards such as Sprague's Pipit, Chestnut-Collared Longspur and the Greater Prairie Chicken can help with some good point value and extra bonus draw.

Yeah, that sounds pretty strong to me. The reason hummingbirds work so well here is the downside (giving food to everyone) is negated by how it amplifies the bonus (you want to play other Omnivore birds, so you don't even care what food you gain from it). Maybe you put the hummingbirds in the water to try to build up surplus cards for the Blackbird, and take minimal lay egg turns until the late game. Your Cuckoo will help drop some eggs on the hummingbirds in the meantime.

Yeah, I should have done that come to think of it. I got too locked into the "Get your two birds in the Forest before you do anything" idea when I could have developed better for more points.

[vivafringe]

Surprised to see so much chatter and only 1 person posted a proper tier list. Here's mine. Some preamble - I play a very egg focused strategy. My average points from eggs is 23, while most other ranked players seem to hover around 19. This doesn't come for free though - I score less with bonus cards (8 points vs about 11). So bonus cards aren't as central to my strategy as a lot of players. I think they're strong but inconsistent, and in most games I prefer consistency so I go for eggs instead.

S+:

Oologist - literally always 6 points.

S:

Ecologist - 6 points if I get it early. Sometimes 4 points if I get it late - I prefer to max out my grasslands rather than play 3 birds in both wetland and forest.

A+:

Anatomist - I feel like I get 7 on this a lot, and 3 almost all of the time. There are a lot of strong birds with body parts.

Omnivore specialist - 17% of cards, compared to 10% for some of the other 2 points per card bonuses. I have been blown out by people scoring 12 from this. Some of the strongest cards have wild symbols - the hummingbirds, crows, etc.

A:

Cartographer - 21% of cards compared to 25% of cards for anatomist. Still quite good and consistently gets 3.

Bird Counter - Tuck birds are some of the strongest birds. Usually around 4 points. If I get more than that I am probably winning the game anyway, so not as strong as the average points suggests.

Viticulturalist - occasionally 7, often 3.

Prairie Manager - occasionally 7, often 3.

B:

Passerine specialist - a lot of the small wingspan birds are good in the grasslands, so I am usually close to getting 3 points with this and usually just need to play 1 more bird for it. Can rarely get 6 points.

Photographer - Same % as Passerine, I usually get to 3 points.

Falconer - the hunt birds are overall pretty bad and you'd rather not play them, but you have to play what you draw and so sometimes I end up with these on my board. 2-4 points.

Rodentologist - very similar to the Falconer. Decent % but the % are lots of bad cards.

Food web expert - It's fine, you usually get a couple of these. 2-4 points.

Backyard Birder - High requirements and pursuing it too much results in... a low scoring board! You want your early birds to be low points but your later birds to be high points. Sometimes 3, rarely 6.

All of the nest cards - I haven't noticed much variation. In theory platform builder might be the worst one with the ravens banned, but you still get the crows so who knows.

C:

Historian - a tier lower than the other 2 points per bird cards because I feel like the strong birds don't qualify for this. I never seem to have a lot of these on my board.

Large Bird Specialist - the large birds are bad in the egg row and I don't like playing them. Very hard to get to 3 points. Better if you are spamming bonus cards, as a lot of the bonus card birds have large wingspans.

Fishery Manager - Usually need to play a bad bird to get this to 3.

Bird Feeder - I think the 5+ requirement for 3 points is too harsh. It can be a struggle to even get 3.

D:

Breeding Manager - usually 1-2 points. Pretty bad but at least it consistently scores something.

Forester - I hate playing birds in the forest and never max this. A struggle to get 4 points.

Wetland scientist - Easier to get than forester but you score 1 less point.

F:

Visionary Leader - Embarrassing for this card to be in the game.

[FrankJones]

ok, so, Visionary leader is unanimous.

Can we Petition Elizabeth to allow an option to just remove this stupid card? Nobody EVER picks it at the start, and anyone who plays a bonus card bird and draws it feels cheated.

If we can play without the power 5, surely we can play without the "inept 1" bonus card ??