How to Play Star Realms: Frontiers - The Automatons

[@QuartzIsAnOxide]

When playing intermediate your starting hand should be 3 cards. Apart from that, great tutorial!

[@AlphaFrog1021]

not only intermediate but whenever you're going first

[@franckselsis3615]

Thanks a lot for the video. I have the french version and the rules are not clear at all so the video helps. I noticed some major differences with my version: - the first turn is with 3 cards and not 5 (but comments suggest that you just overlooked this point so it's not a real difference), - the boss does not start with 0 but 8 in my version. Big difference ! - the boss only plays the main action of bases and not ships (but playq all allies actions), which I found weird and my guess is that it's a translation error. Cheers !

[@WakeUpSmellTheCoffee]

The part about the boss playing the primary action of the base and not the ship (but still plays all allies and double allies) is actually the same in the English version. I thought it was weird and thought it was an error too, that’s why I’m here to look at a playthrough. I think I’m just going to play the primary action of the ships anyways. It really just comes down to staying consistent with whatever rule you want to follow during the game.

[@Beedulgi99]

Gotta thank you for this series. Actually went and bought Star Realms Frontier after seeing your videos on it, and I loved it. I still come back to this video every once in awhile when I pick up this game from time to time.

[@OnePlayerForever]

You’re so welcome, awesome to hear you gave it a try! Thanks for stopping by - hopefully have more Star Realms stuff up soon 😊

[@AXRISTEROS]

@@OnePlayerForever has the main card deck for Frontiers many identical cards with the core set of Star Realms??

[@danielschoonwinkel7215]

Thanks for this video! It was the best explanation of a boss battle that I could find! Well done!

[@OnePlayerForever]

Thank you for watching, I’m really glad you enjoyed!

[@OnePlayerForever]

Also, check out my new video for the Dimensional Horror boss challenge!

[@vitezslavcrhonek8862]

13:33 - Conversion Yard forces you to put Scout or Viper from your hand or discard pile to the top of your deck. I'm not sure about the following four combat... But I'd say the condition is met except when you have no Scout or Viper in your hand or discard pile (you can't put it on the top of your deck in the first part of the effect).

[@bankingonmoney8224]

Thanks for providing the playthrough. Was wondering how the solo mode played. Unfortunately, this style of game is not for me. Thanks for sharing.

[@alfredjones2465]

That was a great playthrough, please keep them coming.

[@DarioDiazGonzalez]

hi, great video, but I think on 6:29 you say that you gain 3 damage on the cargo craft, but you don't have a base or another card with that yellow faction, right? same happens on 12:55, and every other time you play the cargo craft.

[@OnePlayerForever]

Yes, this rule isn’t based on the ally ability, but rather every time we can force this particular boss to discard a card, we instead gain 3 combat (they don’t have a hand from which to discard). So the cargo craft becomes a nicely powerful card, because of that ability.

[@tsvet5804]

Thank you for the tutorial, the information in the rulebook or the card was not sufficient for me. If the automatons have already a station and draw a card, the station's cost is already calculated toward the assimilation score? I presume its that way because on the infocard it says "It will continue this process (drawing cards) until the total cost of the cards PLAYED is equal to or greater than the assimilation count."

[@timothytrogdon5647]

In the Automatons Challenge it is not clear what happens after the Boss plays a Trade card because the Boss has no discard pile. Do the ships remain in play - become cumulative. And do the Automatons bases remain in play also. So if an outpost is in play before we can attack the Boss we must destroy the outpost first. Then where does the Base go - to the scrap pile? If the Boss reveals a Farm Ship, for example, after doing combat of 3 (for trade) and another 3 combat for drawing a card (has no deck), then can it scrap the Farm Ship to the Scrap Pile for another 4 damage - 10 damage total. 2 questions, what happens to a Ship or Base after the Boss plays it at the end of Boss's turn and can the Boss use the scrap ability if attached to a Ship to do the extra damage?

[@MarceloGonzalez-on9jw]

I'm two years late on this, but for anyone else who might read it these comments. If the boss plays a card that would allow them to gain Trade, it is converted 1:1 into Combat instead. Ships are discarded at the end of the Boss's turn, same as a human player. The Automaton challenge rules stat that "The Boss has no hand, deck, or discard pile.... If a card would go to the Boss's hand, deck, or discard pile, put it in the scrap heap instead." As played ships would be discarded at the end of the turn, they go to the scrap pile. Bases would not get discarded at the end of the turn, so they would stay in the area of play. If the base is destroyed, it would normally get discarded, so it goes to the scrap pile instead. For your "Farm Ship" scenario, Farmship gains 3 Combat because Trade is converted into Combat then 3 from the "draw a card" stipulation. First rule on the challenge card is "The Boss never uses [Scrap Icon] abilities," so it would not be able to use the +4 Combat ability. So Farm Ship would do 6 damage and be removed to the Scrap Pile immediately.

[@thegamingbarbarian8200]

This game looks awesome I'll have to give it a try.

[@OnePlayerForever]

wholly recommend - I love this game!

[@mattwilbat7570]

Question... If the Boss has a base, in play worth "4" during the next turn would that count towards the assimilation count or would you only count the drawn cards??

[@OnePlayerForever]

Good question. Because a base stays in play without costing anything on subsequent turns, only newly drawn cards count toward the assimilation score. I’ve had a few games where the boss gets lucky and draws like 3 or 4 bases in a row, it can make things rather tricky when they are gaining all that combat for free each turn.

[@mattwilbat3125]

follow up Q... during solo play, same scenario; if player has a base [non-outpost] does the boss attack that first before attacking authority or dies he bypass in order to always attack authority.

[@OnePlayerForever]

@@mattwilbat3125 Yeh, the boss will always attack a base (that they can destroy) before a player (unless they can destroy the player). paraphrasing the rulebook, the boss will: 1. attack the highest authority player it can defeat 2. attack the highest defense outpost it can destroy 3. attack the highest defense non-outpost base it can destroy 4. attack the player with the lowest authority Some bosses do specify otherwise (there's one that always alternates attacks between players for example) but that's it in general :)

[@QuartzIsAnOxide]

I've been adding assimilation for their base every turn their base is on play...

[@eljugonsolitario]

a doubt, the abilities of allies of the cards of the automa, only use them if it has allies? Or does he always use all the card effects?

[@thegamesninja3119]

The Automatons sounds like a band name and Star Realms: Frontiers sounds like an album or song name 🥷 that being said I am a fan of the games. I was thinking of using a stacked trade deck for the Dummy player to tell a story while playing.

[@philiplastimosa6874]

Thanks for posting this solo play. It was fun. Do the sleeved Star Realms cards still fit in the original box insert?

[@OnePlayerForever]

Unfortunately not! I had to take out the insert, and have devised a sort of temporary stacking system to keep everything organised. It’s a shame because I really like the small box in terms of portability, and non-intimidating-ness, but may have to find a different solution. Lots of 3D printing templates online for Star Realms boxes that I may explore..

[@AlphaFrog1021]

@@OnePlayerForever so it fits without the white insert that separates 2 deck?

[@OnePlayerForever]

Yes, all the cards still fit, just without that cardboard piece

[@shoryukennl1008]

Mine just fit perfect

[@garygabrielroaestrada9691]

If you play 2 o 3 players , the boss atack all at the same time or we can split de damage?

[@camael080]

A question... The cost of the base that the boss has in play counts for the assimilation number when drawing the cards?

[@dmyzem]

Bases that are already in play are not counted.

[@malcolmsleight9334]

Why do people worry about the art? It's the gameplay that really matters.

[@electricdread9980]

I thought he gains attack when he has the ability to scrap cards from hand

[@OnePlayerForever]

Most circumstances seem to lead to the boss gaining combat, that’s true, but in this scenario if the boss can scrap a card, the player is forced to place either a scout or a viper from their hand or discard on top of their deck. This essentially limits your power in the next turn (as you only have 4 cards) and forces you to draw a mediocre card in the following turn..

[@hyvll]

I thought this boss was playing the whole card (ie: primary attribute, ally and double allies). No wonder I was getting pounded.

[@OnePlayerForever]

Yeah that would make things pretty difficult!

[@DaniCha]

Me too.

[@supercommando440]

So you basically play 5 cards in your hand, draw 5 new for next turn, and repeat... every turn? SOrry just skipping thru the video and I haven't seen anything like where you would purposely KEEP a card in hand (not play it) to COMBINE it with another card, to do some power on a later turn. You just play every card every turn... Am I missing something? Do any of the cards in your hand ever "interact" to provide a better gain or power?

[@OnePlayerForever]

Yeah, that’s right. The cards do combine using the ‘ally ability’, whereby if you play cards of the same faction, you get an extra bonus (usually combat or coins). That counts for bases, outposts and ships, so there is a pretty decent chance of getting those cards to interact, especially if you target one or two specific factions from the line. I think if you were allowed to keep cards between turns, you’d basically just save up until you had all the same faction, all the ally abilities and then just crush everything in your path haha. Having to use all your cards introduces an element of luck but also a bit of tactical deck building too..! All that to say, yup, and thanks for watching the video 😄

[@stephenbarone4053]

@@OnePlayerForever I don't quite get when you can use ally ability. Do they both need to have ally ability (a second square/symbol) or just one has it and the other needs be the same fraction (hope that question makes sense)? Also, don't quite get what the assimilation does? thanks

[@OnePlayerForever]

@@stephenbarone4053 Yes, good question. Some cards have an ally ability, others do not. When they do, theres a faction symbol at the bottom of the card which means if you have ONE other card of that faction in your hand (or on the board if it's a base) you activate the ally ability. Some cards have a 'double ally' ability, which activates if you have TWO (or more) other cards of the same faction in your hand. Hope that helps!