Board Game Arena

This is like one of the only science tag pre Venus that doesn't carry a point. It's in the same league as Research, Quantum, Mars U, is it really that good?????

Base Cost: 17 MC total (14 to play + 3 to draft).
You get 3 power prod value around (7.33*3) 22MC, science + building tag 4.5 to 5MC, assuming no scientist contractor, nor builder in play. You get 27-17=10 surplus...ok that's actually pretty sweet...until you compare it to Quantum that yield of ROI of 17MC.

So Why in all god's glory the card doesn't have like 2 points on it????? No one is complaining about not getting a point for Research and Mars U right? Those cards win you games. But why Fusion Power doesn't get some points?

To be fair, I won some weird games with this card, especially with Thorgate, but mostly it's a trap card, unless there is some math I am missing here, it bothers me that this card doesn't have any point on it, or less expansive with it's 2 power tag requirement.

Its true that no one is complaining about not getting a point for research and mars U, because these cards do get you a point.

Quantum can't be paid in steel, and has requirement harder to meet, that alone makes it worse compared to fusion.

I don’t know who started this evaluating-in-mc thing but I feel like I owe them a beer. Keep lying to yourself :p. A more sensible title would be useful if someone is to take this seriously.

The main difference with Quantum is the HUGE 4 science tag requirement.
And the 2 power requirement for fusion. They really are very different branded cards.

You do better to compare fusion with other 3 power production cards like Giant Space Mirrors.
And compare Quantum to other heavy science requirement cards.

The other thing is that power production is not all the same, it's not linear. The 4th power is not nearly as useful as the 1st power.
Power production cards are normally seen as 'enablers' for other cards that require power production.
Likelihood of having cards with 1 power prod requirement - very high.
Likelihood of having cards with 4 power prod requirement - very low.
The enabler part as well means you have to stop judging the card solely by itself and the theoretical cost benefit it's giving you. You don't judge the car based on fuel you buy for it.
You could argue, that in a lot of different scenarios that 3 power prod is almost the same as 4. [3 extra heat you got playing in gen 7 didn't help at all]

Someone else made the very good point, that these S-tier cards with VP have the VP simply to elevate the cards price to help balance. So for Mars U, if it didn't have the 1VP then how much would that ability cost? It's very difficult to gauge and has a very wide variation, so as a balance they slap a VP attached to the card. A bit like adding weight to the hull of a ship to make it more stable. You can't have a rocket engine on a dingy, things get stupid.

So do you think fusion power is better than quantum? Considering the efficiency and more lenient tag requirements, should we kept it more in the initial draft and speculate like how we treat quantum and/or mass? Do you think it's worthy to be speculated?

I think we should, the idea of it's an inefficient card is unfounded and wrong, especially considering it effect so many rewards, milestones and pumpers and even trigger science payoffs. Sure it doesn't carry discounts, but it's cheaper. If it keeps the same cost and carries a point, I would go as far as saying you should always keep it if it doesn't slow you down.

What do you guys think? I am saying this, b/c somehow I traced so many wins back to playing Fusion Power of all cards, my mean other cards are important but this one card rocks it.

If you are comparing Fusion Power to any other card it should be Tect Stress Power

Problem with FP is by the time I have 2 power tags I dont need more energy

That's what people like to say, but what often happens is that you ended up needing all the energies you can find. And getting two energy tags via fuel and solar wind power and such doesn't secure your energy needs. Wild tags also are fantastic. Even say you have four powers already, but if running oxygen bumpers, you would like more powers anyway. Powers are guuuud. Last but not least, don't underestimate that building tag science, it's pretty sweet.

ArchDevious wrote: ↑17 August 2026, 07:02 Problem with FP is by the time I have 2 power tags I dont need more energy

I don’t know why that would be the case. Fusion doesn’t need a rebalance. Extractor is overrated. I’d personally rank the latter a bit higher but both cards are comparable in strength.

Would it be fair to say, you have a much higher chance letting Mass or Quantum die in your hand than Fusion Power? And mathematically speaking, if there is a point on it, I am keeping it every single time; So points are pointless in the beginning, therefore I say we keep Fusion Power every single time in the initial draft, especially if have excessive cash to spare.

It's not that far from Mass san 5 science tag expense, which is 15 for ROI of 16MC assuming zero discounts in the future(normally +10mc), you can get to mass from fusion, or fusion robotic. My point is that if we all keeping mass to speculate b/c how ungodly efficient it is when dropped...then technically we should speculate on Fusion as well. Yeah? What do you guys think? I say I am more likely to hit 2 energy tags than 5 science tags through the drafts. I am dropping Fusion under gen 5 comparing to Mass which probably around gen 6 and playing about 5 space tags till degeneration.