Your thoughts about Skali expansion

[la gratouille]

Hi,

Here are my "feelings" about the expansion, i would like to know yours. They are only "feelings" and they could change, maybe reading you

1. Luck
I have seen very powerfull combinations, or even card on their own, very powerfull. It seems that if you get them, especially early in the game, it can be a lost game and you can do nothing to go against it.
I know that it can happen in the base game, but a lot less, especially if you play with advanced options (I appreciate a lot the option that allow you to discard after taking a destination, and I don't know why it does not exist for more than 2 players).
In resume, my feeling is that Skali increase the "luck weight" in the game.
Your thoughts ?

2. Thinking time/deepness
There is more things to take in consideration, so the game is longer + you can easyly forget something, it needs more focus.
Related to the previous point, does it worth it to think more, if luck can destroy you ?
Your thoughts ?

3. Optimization and engine building.
What I like in Knarr is how condensed is the game, each card and action gets his importance. You build something, but you can also plan to throw it away by buying big destinations. A card can be used to build an engine, to give you something usefull, AND to buy something. Balance, timing, optimisation, so much things in a so small game.
With Skali I've seen some strategies based on playing a minimum of cards, throwing them away to buy small destinations, almost as soon as they are in play, associating bonuses to those 2 actions (playing a new card+buying a small destination). That way you get money to buy villages cards, you win almost all raids, and you win the game. I simplify it, it can also ask you to add a big destination that gives you an axe to be sure to win raids, and it asks some skills to play it properly. But if you know Knarr, you can play like that and it can work quite often.
It gives me the feeling that we loose the sensation to build something to sacrifice at the right time. Maybe it is an efficient optimisation, but I get the feeling that we loose something here.
Your thoughts ?

Thx if you accept to share your feelings and thoughts about the expansion here

And enjoy your games

La Gratouille

[la gratouille]

I've been playing a few more games, and now I can confirm a few things.

1. Luck
100% sure that luck is a lot more important with Skali.

3. Optimization and engine building.
I've been through ridiculous situations where 1 player could just look at the other player buying more and more villages cards, winning all raids except one. There was no building of anything, only luck to get the right villages cards at the beginning of the game.
Another game I've played, I did my best playing the bonus card, buying big destinations, optimising to the maximum and making sacrifice of my cards at the right time, but once again, even if you build a better game, with the right villages cards, your opponent win.

My conclusion is that :
a) some villages cards are too powerfull, especially if you get them from the beginning.
b) the expansion destroy the base game by allowing players to discard and discard again, winning raids one after the other. There is no building, the game become very oportunist.
In resume : jump on the best villages cards as soon as you can. Be the 1st player can give you a huge advantage. The opponent can remove the good cards, but if some others come up, then the game is finished after a few turns : boring. Once you get the right cards, discard to buy small destinations, pick a few cards (a minimum is enough), discard them, buy small destination, get bonuses from your villages cards+coins, buy more villages cards, pick 1, eventually 2 cards, buy small destinations, win all raids (maybe you'll lost 1), eventually buy one big destination, especially if it gives you axe, and you win.
Some of the best cards to do that "strategy", are :
the one giving you 1 coin when you play a new color : then you'll egt 2 coins each time, at the beginning of the game it can be extremely powerfull.
basically, the ones that gives you something when you play a new color
basically, all cards giving you axes to do something, especially the ones for playing a new color or buying a small destination.

A more opportunist game can suit to some players, I am happy for them. But Skali really changes the game. It is a good points that it really changes the game, but it does not do it conserving the beauty of the original game in my opinion.
If what you like in Knarr is his optimisation, his engine motor, his timing to sacrifice your cards, you won't find it with Skali : you'll play another kind of game, a lot more based on luck and opportunism.

[la gratouille]

Another BGA game lost linked to luck with the expansion, especially the fact that I could not prevent my opponent to get village cards giving axes early in the game. Once again...

It was a 2 player game.

If anyone gets a different experience, gives us the key to fight luck with Skali, and/or to go against villages cards giving axes early in the game.