Puzzle

[Joost1987]

I just finished an interesting game in which my opponent just passed with all parameters filled. This last turn was an interesting puzzle. There are 14 events played (in total) and my opponent does not have any cards in play that can influence the score anymore (like immigration city).

Blue leads 'landlord' 19 to 11, Blue leads 'banker' 19 to 8, red leads 'scientist' 7 to 4.

The questions:

1) Should you play Great Convoy for 6 points and hope that the 2 cards you get help you?
2) If not: what is the best alternative?
3) With best play: what is the final score?

Don't look up what I did in the game log (will share my play later, will be interesting to see if people find better plays).

https://postimg.cc/rRp1fRYg for a better picture quality (press 'zoom')



Edit: spoiler tags don't seem to be supported by this forum.

[xspuipuke]

What's most puzzling to me is why your opponent would pass with 25 cash and not even SP a city as their final move. The game is over anyway. (You would have lost then.)

[Joost1987]

Absolutely true, not trying to show an amazing win here. Should definitely have lost.

[Corvus Mortis]

[spoiler]

We have the Banker tie with Farming, SPC, GH, convert, Hotels, Micro, Insulation. Can’t see any way we do better than that.

[/spoiler]

[rocketsh1p]

[SPOILER BLOCK]

1) SP City on 2 hexes right from ur north city for 2 cashback = 33 - 25 + 2 = 10mc (+1pt)
2) media archives 10 - 8 +14 = 16mc
3) Farming = 16-16 = 0 (+2 pts) +3 plants
4) Greenhouses 3 steel (+ 6 plants, convert between cities) + 2 cash = 2 (+3 pts)
4) Sell 4 cards (mircom, spacehotels, ins remaining) = 6mc
5) Spacehotels with 1mc, 3 titanium = 5 mc
6) microm = 2mc
7) insulation = 0mc, banker tied (+5 pts)
2 conversions (since exactly 16 plants) = + 4 pts + 1pt for herbies
Final score 105 - 104 win
But very tough to find this exact line in less then 2 minutes must agree
Intuitively what u think of first is playing great convoy and hope for the best

P.S. Corvus already posted solution above very interesting puzzle indeed

[ArchDevious]

What's most puzzling to me is why your opponent would pass with 25 cash and not even SP a city as their final move. The game is over anyway. (You would have lost then.)

not puzzling at all, he clearly passed thinking the game wasnt ending that gen

[FrankJones]

Greenhouses and Large Convoy add 10 points, and then Media archives leaves you with 15 MC. You need to score 5 more points somehow. Either Ganymede or Farming can add 3 points. You need to hope that whatever you get from large convoy gives you 2 points. Farming is cheaper. Sell the other 6 cards and you have 4 dollars left after playing Farming, Convoy, Greenhouses and media archives. You need to get a 4 dollar 2-point card from Convoy.

[Oops. Opponent is Ecoline. You need 16 points. ]

[Edit - I should have taken a closer look. Very clever. And tactical ! ]

Why did the opponent pass instead of putting down a crucial city !??

[xspuipuke]

What's most puzzling to me is why your opponent would pass with 25 cash and not even SP a city as their final move. The game is over anyway. (You would have lost then.)

not puzzling at all, he clearly passed thinking the game wasnt ending that gen

Oxy at 14, temp at 8, and 9 oceans ... yes, clearly not ending that gen

[Joost1987]

[SPOILER BLOCK]

1) SP City on 2 hexes right from ur north city for 2 cashback = 33 - 25 + 2 = 10mc (+1pt)
2) media archives 10 - 8 +14 = 16mc
3) Farming = 16-16 = 0 (+2 pts) +3 plants
4) Greenhouses 3 steel (+ 6 plants, convert between cities) + 2 cash = 2 (+3 pts)
4) Sell 4 cards (mircom, spacehotels, ins remaining) = 6mc
5) Spacehotels with 1mc, 3 titanium = 5 mc
6) microm = 2mc
7) insulation = 0mc, banker tied (+5 pts)
2 conversions (since exactly 16 plants) = + 4 pts + 1pt for herbies
Final score 105 - 104 win
But very tough to find this exact line in less then 2 minutes must agree
Intuitively what u think of first is playing great convoy and hope for the best

P.S. Corvus already posted solution above very interesting puzzle indeed

This is the line I chose, with one difference: I placed the SP city one more to the right, which gains 1 extra point (because opponent will have to play their greenery next to this city if they want it connected to their city. 106-104 was what the game ended in.

@ FrankJones: going for that line with large convoy is so tempting , but in this case probably not the best.

[FrankJones]

@ FrankJones: going for that line with large convoy is so tempting , but in this case probably not the best.

There's no "probably" about it.
The line that was played guarantees a win; Large Convoy is most likely a loss.