The Big 5 Mistakes

[FrankJones]

Thank you for the science list. Looks like a solid ranking.

I am surprised to See Solar Wind power so low. Essentially 8 MC to buy and play after factoring in the titanium rebate, and has 3 tags including the obviously valuable science tag.

But I am also not entirely clear on the hierarchy of energy production cards.

I seem to usually have too little or way more than necessary. But If players need energy production, "power plant" is generally considered a decent card to get that energy, right? That's 7 MC to buy and play, compared to one more dollar for Solar Wind but with the three tags.

Granted, all the cards above it are excellent too. The 16th best science card is likely still a good overall card out of 208 cards.


My reasoning for not playing Strip-mine was two-fold. I was concerned about accelerating the end game too much, and against Saturn Systems I am always nervous about producing Titanium. (Perhaps even more so after getting savagely destroyed by it in my previous game).

I am not sure whether the first reason makes much sense. 2 oxygen bumps isn't going to dramatically shorten the game, and the immediate production is excellent.

The second reason likely makes no sense either. I hadn't seen AMC in the draft, and my opponent had gotten close to zero card draws from the various sources.

I might even rank Trans-Neptune lower. It's 9 MC for a card that does zilch right now. At least Photo gives 2 energy production.

[FrankJones]

Herbivores always seems to score well. I usually end up regretting passing it. Usually, I have it in my starting hand and don't want to tie up the $3 sitting in my hand forever, or, I get it late when I have already planted several greeneries. Or, I see it in the draft and something else very important is there too.

It was in my starting hand today as Ecoline but I decided to be super thrifty and only kept 2 cards, throwing away Herbivores.

I've heard people say Black Polar dust is underrated so I went with that (and pretty much only that; one of only 5 green cards I played all game).

I'm not sure if I just got lucky with additional drafts and card draws, but it seemed to work well.

https://boardgamearena.com/archive/repl ... 301&goto=1

Was this the right approach with basically a non-hand?

[Lytical]

https://boardgamearena.com/gamereview?table=882641113

Your tempo is way off, too much excessive cash while you had the chance to keep open city, herbivores and Tardigrades. Best city, best ecoline scoring after oxy max, free stall and max gen1 value in Tardigrades.

Black Polar Dust is fine, but plants is your game, not cards. Since your opponent is MG it's fine to take two titanium rebate instead. Two cards probably the 3rd option here. You were in no hurry to drop flood convert, if tempo is what you were looking for, get the steels instead while up against MG on tharsis. We are waiting on arctic algae, earth cat, outpost media for flood, which you got immediately punished after top decked media in the following draft, -2 value while wasted flood -4 on MG. It's MG low mineral prod, I wouldn't mine to wait on sabo for media and/or 4 steels hit.

We have big asteroid, GIA and a little halfway into the game, draft optimal, small animal instead of kelp, you don't need kelp and he is too poor for kelp, you are taking his palnts anyway. Your opponent made mistake after mistake in draft, otherwise you may not able to keep up by forgoing way too many points. Let him play Photosynthesis instead of powers via building tag.

It's great to be disciplined, but it doesn't mean to give up the nuts. If you have the top cards for ecoline in your initial draft, keep them. Notably as ecoline, why play heat trapper on MG? You are slowing down the game for both players, which tilt the game favoring MG and engine setups, you were obviously rushing with BPD.

Let's talk about your ocean walk... you were cutting yourself off by walking away from his city, we are ecoline, we don't care about city points, walk over his cities so you won't be cut off from the west. I would have punished you immediately there.

[FrankJones]

I viewed the replay earlier and I couldn't figure out why I rushed flooding. I had 7 plants anyway. That was a play that made no sense.

That is also the second ecoline game in a row in which I boxed myself in by choosing my map spots poorly.

Still a lot of sloppy play to clean up.

[Lytical]

Your hand was so powerful, this is one of those instances, that you may consider not funding any milestones and awards with optimal media big asteroid gia herb small animal and open city. There is nothing can stop that ecoline on tharsis if played right. Your opponent were also giving away the game to you with each draft, that made me want to play.

Tharsis is the most solved map, you can really do crazy stuffs here.