Forum game of Through the Ages - new edition

[chumchu]

I recommend you plan to always take a leader from each age. They are very cheap for what they bring. As you are not assured to get your preferred leader early in the next age you might as well get something while you wait.

[Cheater Hater]

Interesting turn, though I did everything I said (Breakthrough Bread & Circuses+build, Knights+build, take Barbarossa), plus the Phalanx I conveniently left out that gets me back in the military race. Other than having to skip Urban Growth again to avoid corruption, the most interesting thing was skipping the Political Phase, despite having multiple events in hand and discarding some. While I think the right answer was that I wanted to get my strength back up before triggering Age I events, at least part of it was that I didn't want to hit a Territory and start an auction when I needed to get to sleep

Anyway, looking ahead to Age II, a couple of questions:
1. Going back to Chumchu's post, I've solved happiness and military, and actions seem fine (especially when I get Monarchy down), but what about food? Do I have any other ways to solve it other than hoping Irrigation falls to me next turn? Should I build more Age A farms in Age II? Is using Barbarossa to trade two Military Actions and one Production for one Civil Action and one Food crazy-dumb or crazy-smart?
2. Is Taj Mahal good? I can take it for free next turn, but it seems like mostly score--8 Production and 3 Civil Actions for one Blue Token doesn't seem like a great deal, especially if I want a later wonder. Edit: Does that even work, since technically I'm not replacing my leader (since Moses died)? If so, Taj was not a good card to literally be the last card (btw, a technicality: does the age end when the deck is depleted, or whwn you would deal from an empty deck?)

[rho21]

1. Going back to Chumchu's post, I've solved happiness and military, and actions seem fine (especially when I get Monarchy down), but what about food? Do I have any other ways to solve it other than hoping Irrigation falls to me next turn? Should I build more Age A farms in Age II?

There's often a bit of a hiatus with food if you reach 2 consumption without upgrading farms. Don't worry too much about it, but you can't let it stretch too long or you won't have the population you need for more urban buildings and military towards the end of Age II.
You're usually looking for about 6 food production (gross) long term, which can be reasonably provided by either Irrigation or Selective Breeding. I wouldn't bother with another Agriculture at this point, it takes forever to produce enough food.

Is using Barbarossa to trade two Military Actions and one Production for one Civil Action and one Food crazy-dumb or crazy-smart?

Barbarossa's action includes the building a military unit bit: you pay one military action to do everything, effectively gaining a free civil action, a resource and a food compared to doing the same by hand. The only problem is that you need to have the food available to be able to do this, and with zero net food production, that's tricky. You'll definitely need to upgrade it sooner rather than later to get good use from him.

Oh hang on, I see what you mean: use Barbarossa's action for a warrior, then spend an additional military action to disband the warrior again. Could be good if you have loads of spare military actions plus some spare production. Getting draws from the military deck is much more important in Age II than Age I though: the cards (particularly tactics and pacts) are much stronger, it starts to be likely there will be military strength differences around for aggressions, wars and defence cards, and colonies start to come out of the event deck. You should do your best to draw 3 whenever possible.

2. Is Taj Mahal good? I can take it for free next turn, but it seems like mostly score--8 Production and 3 Civil Actions for one Blue Token doesn't seem like a great deal, especially if I want a later wonder.

Taj Mahal is reasonable. You're right to be wary of early culture: it's almost always better to improve your economy. On the other hand, the Taj can be a lot of culture if you happen to have some resources to spare, and you do need to get a culture engine going at some point.

Edit: Does that even work, since technically I'm not replacing my leader (since Moses died)? If so, Taj was not a good card to literally be the last card

No, it doesn't work, replace requires the direct replacement action (remember that this also gives you a civil action back in the new rules).

(btw, a technicality: does the age end when the deck is depleted, or whwn you would deal from an empty deck?)

When it is depleted.

[Cheater Hater]

Interesting turn, though a lot of that is because there isn't much I want to do. It seems like the best move is spend 3 actions to take Scientific Method, research it, then Urban Growth to upgrade a Philosophy. I could also spend 3 actions on Coal, grow, then either build the Bread & Circuses now or just elect Barbarossa. I'm worried about committing to more techs when I have Monarchy rotting in my hand...wait. I have a Government in hand and there's nothing I actively want to do? Sounds like Revolution time! I'm not sure that is best (I lose 2 resources to corruption, and the Scientific Method line seems fine), but my assumption is that I'll be able to get something for cheaper later--in particular, Coal won't be two actions until rho21's turn (a nice thing about Revolution is that it only minimally moves the board), and he already has Iron, so I should be able to get it. Of course, now the game is delayed until Saturday, just as it starts to get interesting

[chumchu]

Then you have time to consider your next move =) But you are right that things are starting to get more interestiing. to put it another way. Age 1 is often about setting your self up in more general sense whereas in Age 2 you need to focus your civilisation in some direction to achieve a victory.

In Age 1 Rho got ahead in production and pop while neglecting science. He also snagged two great wonders and he has columbus left to cash in as well. He is somewhat set up for a military push with his pop/resource advantage but he will need more military actions and another military tech to enable an advanced tactic to do it. He could also go for culture by building theaters or libraries with his extra pop and try to defend against military from us. Unfortunately for him he can not afford journalism this turn so I predict he will go for scientiifc method and upgrade this turn. This solves one of his problems, after that he needs some actions and a military build better than legions.

I have started on a heavy science strategy to get extra actions and I have a temporary military advanatge with the great wall. Getiing constitutional monarchy this early was lucky for me. I had saved my science for just that situation but I could have had to wait a long time. I'm short on pop at the moment with no real happy building and food production going. If I get some extra yellow tokens then irrigation and drama might work but I think they might fall short. With the great wall you want to spam units and hopefully get defensive army or napoleonic army for your tactic.

You are in between us both. You have enough action to do waht you want but not as many as I have. You have more ppo than me but not as many as Rho. If you can get some food production going you can match him with the help of Barbarossa. With knights in play you are better set up than us for the age 2 tactics. If you can draw a tactic and some aggressions/wars ( and preferably Napoleon) you can go heavy military and try to steal resources and culture from us. With barbarossa and some disbanding of bronze and philosposhy that might be an awfully big army. If you do not get any good military draws you can play more reactively: try to upgrade infra to set your self up for whatever comes along. Food then production then culture or science should probably be your priority in that case.

[Cheater Hater]

You think I should go Military? That seems so risky, considering I'm barely keeping up with you two in strength, mostly on the back of my lucky tactic. Aggressions seem simple enough to calculate (board+3, then wager how many defense cards my opponents have, but wars seem hard--how many units can I expect my opponents to conjure up? Is it just as simple as saying "here's the most military my opponent can create based on workers/actions/resources/a tactic, hope I don't forget something?" Or am I supposed to be willing to take a small loss if it requires my opponent to divert too many resources to it (first by disbanding workers, then my creating an army that might not have a real use (other than taking colonies/hoping to draw your own military actions))?

However, the Infrastructure plan seems fine--my tentative plan was to take and play Selective Breeding, upgrade a farm, take Coal, and maybe grow. The annoying thing is that the first worker has to go on Bread & Circuses, though that will cover me for a while.

[chumchu]

In most eurogames there is a point when you transition form building economy to collecting victory points. Focusing your civ is the TtA equivivalent and it can come at different times during the game, sometimes age 1 or sometimes age 3 depending on what combo you get. Building infrastructure is putting off that decision to later where you hope you can do it more efficiently and that means you should stay flexible rather than focused. Focusing your civ is finding an efficient way to build military or culture and committing to it. (e.g. me building 2 legions with great wall or rho building operas with bach)

Regarding military, there will almost certainly be a military push in age 2 and 3. The question is more if you lead it and try to win the events benefitting the strongest player or if you wait for the othersto build military first and use the time that gives you to get more infrastructure or culture in. I'm speculating about who will lead. I'm not saying that you should blindly go military, that is a desperate strategy. What I am saying that you may get a good opportunity to go military and you should prepare accordingly as it might win you the game if you can do it well. What you need is a more efficient way to build military than us (usualy a better tactic but Barbarossa and great wall are such examples as well) and some card(s) to cash in if we fail to do so. For example, I would try to pick riflemen and cannon tech in your position and aim for Napoleon as your leader this age.

I'm not seeing a great culture option form your position. Maybe switching your two philosophies to operas with Bach to take advantage of the fact that the science from your wonder means you do not need labs as much. Getting 3 scientific methods and an early Sid Meier in the next age could work but it depends on a single card.

[Cheater Hater]

Stupid time zones--Territories add virtual turns to the game (and so will aggressions, if anyone ever plays one), and since a lot of the game is based on the hidden information of the military cards it's not like I can just start talking about my plans in here--at least I have the notes part of my board to keep track of things (and presumably in the next game I'll have a spoiler thread).

Edit: Well, I didn't get Vast Territory either--so much for those Territories I put in the deck. I could have bid 6, but I have a feeling you would have bid 7 then. I feel like I'm messing up Colonies--do they exist mostly as a way to leverage military that's not a direct aggression (or war), or is there something else? It feels very luck of the draw--you can't afford to send many troops, especially if it's not your turn or the next (since you can't immediately rebuild), so you either have to spend cards on colony-specific stuff (Colossus, the Navigation line of techs, Columbus/Cook) or hope to draw Defense/Colonization cards--except then you aren't able to put many/any Territories in the Event deck! I have to be missing something.

[chumchu]

They exist as a way to leverage certain military builds (or drawing many defense cards and certain techs/leaders). They also give a slight bonus to the people playing events as you want them to come on your turn so that you can build back. To seed colonies you only need something that makes them better for you on average: a colonisation bonus, 1-2 defense cards, easy to build back (Barbarossa is great for that). Usually you want to bid 1 population for it or 2 population if it is one the best (Vast and Inhabited territory usually). Therefore it is better to have a 2 unit tactic for that reason (medieval army instead of phalanx). They can also be a way to switch tactics. I actually miscounted when I bid 6, that was probably too much. I had no resources to build drama and irrigation this turn and I'm also behind on military, now I might be hit by military events. If I avoid that I could make it work with Wave of Nationalism and frugality for some very cheap military. The extra yellows are especially good for me as I have no efficient source of food and happiness, and it makes dram/irrigation last much longer.

[Cheater Hater]

Well, here we go again with another population-focused territory--I wonder why there are two territories that are so similar in the deck? I wonder if I'll be able to get this for two--rho has shown no interest in Territories at all.