Arborec - First rounds for BEGINNERS [Twilight Imperium 4, PoK]

[@waltertav]

I think Warfare is the best strategy for round 1. Move and capture a high resource planet, produce a destroyer and a mech, then do warfare then your agent to upgrade the destroyer to a carrier, and do the secondary of diplo if played (use it on home planet and the resource heavy planet). Capture two more systems, producing in one by spending home planet and second one with the aforementioned resource heavy planet. Sure you lose some stuff from Sarween tools, but you can always get it second round, now that you have a good economy. You can also go for Mecatol second round and place a few mechs there. Hard to lose it after that.

[@essersgamingcave]

Yes I like your approach too. That is certainly a viable way to play Arborec as well. Thank you for sharing :)

[@robertkajita1531]

Wow! I so appreciate your excellent visuals, they are complete visual thoughts. Wow!

[@essersgamingcave]

Thank you for the kind feedback 🙂

[@FoxysMusic]

I would make a case for going Sarween, AI-dev, and then head fo carrier II and fighter II either via psychoarceology (If you have a blue skip) or antimass (if you have asteroid fields in your slice) Simply turn a destroyer into a carrier every turn by using the agent so you can fill them up with fighters when you pop the Hero. Going Fighter/Carrier makes better use of your unique production capacity (and Hero) and you can add transit, destroyer II or dread II if you have a tech-rich game. And make sure to have 2 resources on standby in later rounds to plop out a mech (via commander) when someone activates a crucial system, giving you planetary shield and stronger defence on the ground.

[@essersgamingcave]

That is an interesting idea. I haven't tried that strategy before, but it sounds worth trying. Thanks for writing this :)

[@Toftolus]

Another good video from your hand 🙌 As Robertkajita says, the visuals is fantastic!

[@essersgamingcave]

Thank you, so much. I appreciate your feedback 🙂

[@RickarRickani]

In the past i had success with researching: Sarween tools -> Self-Assembly Routines -> Duranium Armor -> War Sun. I think you can sprinkle an Destroyer 2 and Assault cannon in the mix if needed. But lately i have been tweaking a few game components, i wonder what you think about my Aborec Omega. Bioplamosis (G), After you resolve your MITOSIS faction ability, you may remove any number of ground forces from planets you control and place them on 1 or more planets you control in the same or adjacent systems. Letani Behemoth, DEPLOY: When you would use your MITOSIS faction ability you may replace one of your infantry with 1 mech from you reinforcements instead. This unit is treated as both a structure and a ground force. (SCPT idea) Letani Warrior II (GG), After this unit is destroyed, place the unit on this card. When you use your MITOSIS faction ability, you may place each unit from this card on planets you control.

[@essersgamingcave]

Honestly I never tried having war suns as arborec, but the techs on the way there is reinforcing the defense on any arborec planet! So yeah, I think this tech path could be viable. :) Bioplasmosis: My immediate thought is that it is too powerful to be able to move any number of infantry to one or more adjacent planets/systems. I like the idea of the combined use of Mechs and Mitosis. I'm not sure why the mech should also be treated as a structure though. And finally I really like the idea of the Letani Warrior II being able to be deployed on any planet you control. I think that makes the unit upgrade so much better :)

[@RickarRickani]

@@essersgamingcave The reason why the arborec mechs have planetary shield (as the only one in the game) is because of the old Magen Defence Grid. They changed that into an Omega and now it works with structures. So the idea was to let the mechs be treated as structures so they have a use for their starting tech. the idea was SCPT.

[@RickarRickani]

​@@essersgamingcave The Mech already had the deploy ability i just added the treated as a structure thingy for Magen. Bioplasmosis also already had that move ability. moved it down to 1G for the arborec has a hard time with Tech, a ladder of soorts. I made it Ground Forces and changed the timing to Mitosis instead of at the end of the status phase. I first gave it the Wormhole Generator omega treatment, (Action to move) but that was a little bit to strong. I really am proud of the Letani Warrior 2, it inspired by the Crimson Legionaires of the Mahact. In playtesting these three changes where successfull and lots of fun.

[@essersgamingcave]

Makes sense! Thanks

[@essersgamingcave]

haha I need to play Arborec again soon. I had completely forgotten about that deployment ability :) Your changes sound interesting, and I really hope that Dane Beltrami will publish a new update soon. I think Arborec could use a boost like what you suggest here!

[@christophercastaneda917]

These are quite good! Can you please do Yssaril’s first turn next?

[@essersgamingcave]

Thank you! I'm currently working on Embers of Muatt, but Yssaril can be the next one 👍

[@christophercastaneda917]

@@essersgamingcave that would be timely as I play them for the first time in two weeks!

[@essersgamingcave]

I've had a hard time recording anything last week, so I'm not sure how soon Yssaril will release. But they are the action card faction. And even though AC's are powerful, you still need ships to help you score VP's and keep you safe from your neighbours. And your home system can only produce 4 units at every build. This is something you need to fix, by either building a forward dock or research Space Dock II. And I wouldn't rush to get the faction techs. They are good, but don't help you score VP's directly. So I would research the regular techs that will immediately help you in your current turn, and get the faction techs when you have spare resources for them. And lastly cross your fingers, that you get the action cards you actually need in that specific game :)

[@christophercastaneda917]

@@essersgamingcave I appreciate the follow up! I’ve been doing a lot of mental gymnastics trying to figure out how to optimize the first turn or two. There are a LOT of ways to do so. I’d love to get two techs first turn but I’m finding resources and timing difficult to do so. I’ll let you know how the game goes on Saturday. Thank you!!

[@Emanon...]

Fin video!

[@essersgamingcave]

Jeg håber du fik noget ud af den :)

[@Emanon...]

Har aldrig spillet Arborec før, selvom jeg er efterhånden lidt en TI4 veteran. Så nu prøver jeg at få al den hjælp jeg kan få da de fleste råd er bare "lad nu være, de sutter" 😁 Er du tilfældigvis fra Kbh?

[@essersgamingcave]

De er i hvert fald længere tid om at blive stærke. Så jeg hørt de skulle være bedre i 14 pts spil, men jeg har ikke selv prøvet. Jeg er næsten fra kbh ja :) @@Emanon...

[@mikhailcherevatskiy5735]

Hi. Which tool is that? Tabletop simulator?

[@essersgamingcave]

Hi Mikhail, yes it is Tabletop Simulator

[@nickkooyman4445]

Quick question. In the first round with tech. In the first step you produce 2 units for free. Sarween tools says: when one or more units produce you can reduce the combined cost by 1. So 2 infantry with production 1 can produce 2 units but you still have to pay one. Because both can build 1 unit for cost of 1, which totals 2 minus 1 for sarween tools. So you still have to pay 1 right?

[@essersgamingcave]

You get 2 infantry units for the price of 1 resource, even though the production is spread across two infantry that each have Production 1 :)

[@nickkooyman4445]

@@essersgamingcave Yes i agree. But at 8:49 you say, so we produce 2 infantry basically for free. Which isn't true, it still costs 1. But i agree it costs one and you get two even tho it is spread across 2 units.

[@essersgamingcave]

I'm not sure I follow here. In the video I produce 2 infantry in total. That costs 1 resource to do. Then we have sarween tools, that reduces the total cost by 1, then we are down to 0/free. How do you get it to cost 1?

[@nickkooyman4445]

I get to cost 1 like this. infantry has 1 production, so it can produce 1 piece of plastic regardless of which piece. This means that, you can produce 1 other infantry instead of the regular 2, which still costs 1.Therefore, if you produce 2 pieces of plastic, it has to come from both infantry pieces (1 of each which costs a total of 2). You can add sarween tools 1 time in total (not per priece that produces), so it costs a total of 1 instead of 0. I dont think the production value is combined, they are 2 separate instances of prodcution 1. @@essersgamingcave

[@essersgamingcave]

Now I understand what you mean. When a system is activated and the production step is reached then all units are produced simultaneously as a single event. So the system as a whole has a Production capacity of 2, and then Sarween tools is used to subtract 1 from the combined cost of production

[@jazordon]

technology gies nothing to Arborec in round one. 1 clear first pick for arborec is Warfare if they have good systems on the path to mecatol. With Warfare in first round Arborec usually is able to take Mecatol in round two and than hold it for most of the game; and this will benefit Arborec may more economically than sarween tools.

[@essersgamingcave]

That is an interesting strategy. I haven't tried rushing Mecatol as the Arborec, but if we get the chance to settle there, then it is probably ours to keep. Thanks for sharing

[@paolok5967]

Hi)) thx) need a Muaat

[@essersgamingcave]

Hi Paolo, Muatt is actually coming up next. I work on having it ready by next week :)

[@paolok5967]

@@essersgamingcave I think that using the 7 for 1 free technology is not the best choice))) You use it that way in many your videos)

[@essersgamingcave]

You could be right :) Feel free to comment your suggestions. I'm always curious about alternatives

[@paolok5967]

If U take it U should use the maximum potential, I think)) it will not be very often when U could take it)))

[@essersgamingcave]

I think the Arborec is getting the best start by getting Sarween Tools in round one. But I also cover the Trade, Warfare and Diplomacy cards during the video, for those cases where Technology is taken by another player. I don't think these cards are just as good, but they still give you a decent to good round 1 :)