Board Game Arena

Nice puzzle! Thanks for posting Joost I like this idea that we can post puzzles for interesting end-game scenarios we encounter. It will probably take some time before anyone can top this puzzle though. Its a very cool and specific sequence that just ekes out the win.

Cool puzzle! I like the way micro mills was used.

Was this a turn based or regular match?
In turn based not hard to solve, but in regular impossible for me

That would be a tough sequence to find in real time, but, some cards were obviously "sell" cards. A player could think, using most of the clock, then sell card and skip second action, starting a new turn with a new real time timer. Repeat, while thinking and planning, until all the obvious "sell" cards have been sold.

FrankJones wrote: ↑25 June 2025, 02:30 That would be a tough sequence to find in real time, but, some cards were obviously "sell" cards. A player could think, using most of the clock, then sell card and skip second action, starting a new turn with a new real time timer. Repeat, while thinking and planning, until all the obvious "sell" cards have been sold.

That is standard, yes.

Here's another one for you:

We trail by 9 VP currently. Our opponent is fairly rich with ICS and at least one Jovian mult coming down next gen. Can we get out with a win before they get the chance to drop these points next generation? If so:

1) What's the line?
2) What's the final score?

All the information needed is in the screenshot, you can click on it and zoom as needed. Our opponent has no other relevant effects and I'm displaying all of ours.

Corvus Mortis wrote: ↑26 June 2025, 04:54 Here's another one for you:

We trail by 9 VP currently. Our opponent is fairly rich with ICS and at least one Jovian mult coming down next gen. Can we get out with a win before they get the chance to drop these points next generation? If so:

1) What's the line?
2) What's the final score?

All the information needed is in the screenshot, you can click on it and zoom as needed. Our opponent has no other relevant effects and I'm displaying all of ours.

Too tired for math, but it looks like just sell all but Big, Gia, Arty lake, caretaker, CEO’s is enough to take all the remaining tr, and some combination of CEO’s point, unmi activation and caretaker is enough to cover the 9 points, should be 7 from TR and 3 from small, unmi activation, caretaker activation. Could maybe fit in rad suits too, dunno, and not sure if arty lake is required on ti for rebates or not but this one seems simple.

You're really trailing by 11 as they will place 1 final green next to a city, so their score will be 85 no matter what.

Ending the game provides 9 TR so you need 3 extra VP as you will definitely lose the tiebreaker.

Playing Big and Ice is a net 0 MC play, eating all your titanium but gaining you enough heat so you can bump twice to off the temp track. You'll be gaining 4 MC and a card from ocean rebates, so we're at 21 MC and 17 cards in hand. 1 ocean missing, which we can use Lake for in the 6 pocket, costing 12 rebated 6, so leaving us with 15 MC and 16 cards. CEO is 1 VP on animals and 3 MC back, leaving us with 18 MC and 15 cards. Sell all but like Farming (for 2 VP), fund Thermalist for +5 VP. Your score should be 92 after that if I didn't mess up.

Corvus Mortis wrote: ↑26 June 2025, 04:54 Here's another one for you:

We trail by 9 VP currently. Our opponent is fairly rich with ICS and at least one Jovian mult coming down next gen. Can we get out with a win before they get the chance to drop these points next generation? If so:

1) What's the line?
2) What's the final score?

All the information needed is in the screenshot, you can click on it and zoom as needed. Our opponent has no other relevant effects and I'm displaying all of ours.

1. CEO on small animals -> 75 VP, 20 M€, 4 tit, 17 cards
2. big asteroid -> 77 VP, 15 M€, 4 tit, 16 cards
3. ice asteroid on top oceans -> 79 VP, 18 M€, 16 cards
4. artificial lake to 6 pocket -> 81 VP, 12 M€, 1 card (1 M€), 15 cards
5. sell 3 cards + lava flows -> 83 VP, 3 M€, 12 cards
(GIA also possible instead of 3 and 5 but 1 less money leftover)
6. cartaker contract + use it -> 84 VP, 3 M€, 11 cards
7. UNMI activation -> 85 VP, 0 M€, 11 cards
8. sell 10 cards + rad-suits -> 86 VP, 7 M€

we are picking 2 new cards from IA and LF, so maybe we get something better to play in step 8. Also instead of 7+8 we can just sell all but Farming, also 2 points all together, but 7+8 is better in case we needed tie breaker (which we don't need here)

opponent is having 85 with greenery, so we won

xspuipuke wrote: ↑26 June 2025, 07:39 You're really trailing by 11 as they will place 1 final green next to a city, so their score will be 85 no matter what.

Ending the game provides 9 TR so you need 3 extra VP as you will definitely lose the tiebreaker.

Playing Big and Ice is a net 0 MC play, eating all your titanium but gaining you enough heat so you can bump twice to off the temp track. You'll be gaining 4 MC and a card from ocean rebates, so we're at 21 MC and 17 cards in hand. 1 ocean missing, which we SP for net 15, leaving us with 6 MC and 17 cards. CEO is 1 VP on animals, leaving us with 6 MC and 16 cards. Sell all, fund Thermalist for +5 VP. Your score should be 89 after that if I didn't mess up.

Didn't notice we have fund available. Then instead of my step 7+8 fund and end up with 89 as you said.

EDIT: No, now I looked at the picture, it would have to be fund for 20, not 14, so we cannot afford it. Then I am sticking to my previous solution with 86 VP.