None Corp Era Card Talk #7 Martian Rails

[RoyalRook]

On this one we differ. As with all prod cards, this one doesn't have long enough to pay off in Non-Corp era. And to top it off it doesn't help with any Awards if played late, and only marginally helps with Builder Milestone if played early. I'd rather play the much maligned Zeppelins mid/late game to help with Banker.

I can barely recall playing this at all in my games. I think I'd only take it mid-game as MG if it helps with Builder or I have loads of spare steel and nothing else to spend that on. But keeping this in starting hand as MG is expensive given low starting MC, so I probably wouldn't ever keep in opener.

after some further comtemplation and in game tinkering, I am coming around to your take. It's too slow and in the best of scenarios, my strategy is too fragile and be countered by a bad third. I baited someone to play Rails in one of my games and it worked out perfectly. I also take my own advice and speculated on Rails in a game, messed up my early game tempo and never even played it with a modest amount of cities on board.

I think I remember only the good times, while happily grinding it out with deltas, and forgot about the bad times. If everything lined up perfectly, you are winning anyway, it's not because of rails(good plant prod, ahead in points, deltas with targets). So Martian Rails is a win more card in many senses. I do reserve the opinions that it's a viable hedge against possible Tharsis, but need help, so it doesn't deserve to go to the trash bin directly.

You can certainly pass it in draft with a peace of mind.

[Yahyra]

On this one we differ. As with all prod cards, this one doesn't have long enough to pay off in Non-Corp era. And to top it off it doesn't help with any Awards if played late, and only marginally helps with Builder Milestone if played early. I'd rather play the much maligned Zeppelins mid/late game to help with Banker.

I can barely recall playing this at all in my games. I think I'd only take it mid-game as MG if it helps with Builder or I have loads of spare steel and nothing else to spend that on. But keeping this in starting hand as MG is expensive given low starting MC, so I probably wouldn't ever keep in opener.

after some further comtemplation and in game tinkering, I am coming around to your take. It's too slow and in the best of scenarios, my strategy is too fragile and be countered by a bad third. I baited someone to play Rails in one of my games and it worked out perfectly. I also take my own advice and speculated on Rails in a game, messed up my early game tempo and never even played it with a modest amount of cities on board.

I think I remember only the good times, while happily grinding it out with deltas, and forgot about the bad times. If everything lined up perfectly, you are winning anyway, it's not because of rails(good plant prod, ahead in points, deltas with targets). So Martian Rails is a win more card in many senses. I do reserve the opinions that it's a viable hedge against possible Tharsis, but need help, so it doesn't deserve to go to the trash bin directly.

You can certainly pass it in draft with a peace of mind.

Deltas?

[RoyalRook]

Deltas are cards like predators and ants that flip points between two players or you may consider any cards that generate free points as the game drags on.