I ranked the ARCS Guild Cards

[@orisitsteven]

I think you may have misread the cartel cards. Or perhaps I misunderstood your statements about them. It sounded to me like you said you couldn't spend that resource in your prelude. You cannot spend the resource if it is on the cartel card, but if you tax it you can spend it from your hold. Loved the video btw!

[@Neon_Gorilla]

First off thank you very much for the kind words. I interpreted that all of the given resource goes on the card so didn’t think about any resources you acquire prior to securing. I think you are probably right. Maybe Leder can weigh in?

[@orisitsteven]

There is one other thing to consider. I interpret the card as stating that you "own the supply", but it does not state that you can't tax that resource anymore. My understanding is that both you and your opponents can still tax that resource and, therefore, move it to your personal hold. If opponents do this, then they would lose that resource at the end of the round, which disincentivizes them from doing so.

[@Neon_Gorilla]

@@orisitsteven you are completely correct. I read “the supply” as “your supply”. Thanks for the correction!

[@orisitsteven]

@@Neon_Gorilla Haha, I am glad I could help!

[@georgegoldie7007]

I think you've underrated secret order. If you have a hand of relatively high numbered cards, with a bit of card counting, you can essentially keep initiative for most (if not all) of the round. Then it means you can double or even triple declare on empath or keeper which is good if you're doing well on those resources. Obviously it's conditional, but for a empath/keeper engine strat, this card can win you the game. I came 2nd in a 4 player game with 26 points and the 1st placed player who had this card came first with 48 points. It was a demolition and we couldn't do anything other than seize initiative, only to lose it at the end of the chapter. Maybe not a S or A tier card but certainly not D imo!

[@Neon_Gorilla]

Fair, you might have convinced me to go to c. I can see a situation that you luck out and no one has the card to surpass or doesn’t choose to seize but it is still dependent on something you have no control of at all, even if you were the card counting type that will just tell you it’s not likely to work or not. I like cards that give concrete benefits that don’t depend on other players. I think the odds of this winning the came is particularly low especially at higher player counts where more cards are potential surpasses. I will say orski just put out a video after gameplay where secret order and farseers are an op combo. Appreciate your perspective it is fun thinking about all the scenarios.

[@georgegoldie7007]

@@Neon_Gorilla haha fair enough. I suppose I just got really unlucky and the player who won saw an opportunity to make it work and never let up. I suppose that's the game in a nutshell right? Identifying how and when you can win with the tools at your disposal and making it work as best you can. Very fun. Great video. I'm really looking forward to more strategy guides coming out. This game is nuts

[@Neon_Gorilla]

@@georgegoldie7007 you hit it on the head there… think that exact statement and cards like secret order are why some are turned off with arcs. You have to see the forest through the trees and the options sometimes seem endless. Thanks for watching!

[@phk975]

@@Neon_Gorilla ​ In 3p using this with 6's guarantees that no one can surpass. Same with 7's in 4p. Usually declaring 6's and 7's (and double/triple declaring) comes with the high cost of giving up a lot of actions to other players, and instead you can choke out other players and/or force them to seize. This card can absolutely be game defining.

[@Neon_Gorilla]

@@phk975 fair point, I have played the majority at 2 so overlooked

[@dcrbdh]

I also agree that Elder Broker is mostly a bad card. I think it's prelude ability knocks it up from a D to a C. This would be the only reason outside of it's symbol that I would try to secure it. Gaining 3 resources like that can set up a big play.

[@dcrbdh]

Union cards are S tier, you’re getting an extra action that chapter over other players. There is a good chance you’ll start the next chapter with the initiative. Galactic bards is less good (B tier). Loyal Empaths is an S-tier card. Consider how good psionic resources are, and you’re spending any resources as a psionic resource. Also immune to outrage and hard to steal? Awesome.

[@Neon_Gorilla]

Sweet

[@justinvamp15]

Your production quality is incredible - love the Arcs content! Also I think the best part of the Loyal cards is actually the ability to spend other resources as the stated one. Especially the Fuel, Psionic, and Weapons ones - being able to turn any resource into a Weapon and not needing a city on that planet is crazy good.

[@Neon_Gorilla]

Appreciate you Justin!

[@analog_arnie]

Looks like others have already commented on the cartels. Secret Order declaring empath = you keep initiative (or force them to sieze). If youve got empath going this is a devastating card. Keeper less so, but still good.

[@Neon_Gorilla]

@@analog_arnie thanks Arnie

[@phk975]

Union cards should be S tier by your logic, since they can always allow you to burn the extra card to seize the initiative. They're even better than Lattice Spies, because it gives you the flexibility of doing that or receiving full action pips of any card in your hand by saving it for your extra turn. Plus, the extra card can't be raided.

[@Neon_Gorilla]

Fair assessment, I still think the fact that it doesn’t give initiative immediately and is suit specific holds it back from S for me at least. No guarantee that suit will be played when you need it. The likelihood of this happening increases at lower player counts. I do like the flexibility you describe though. I think lattice spies immediate seizure might be slightly more broadly applicable. Either way I like them both.

[@phk975]

@@Neon_Gorilla The timing is the same. You can't use prelude actions of cards you secure that turn, so it would wait a turn anyway.

[@Neon_Gorilla]

@@phk975 this assumes you have acquired spies and union previously: use spies, seize initiative next round you lead or use union if the matching card happens to get played before your turn then get card and decide to wait until the end of chapter to use it to seize or you already seized and you are just placing the card. It’s a timing thing I suppose . But like I said it needs to have the right card either in your hand to play or happen to be played before you. If the card is played later in the round that is a no go. I don’t really want to argue tiers on this because they are both good cards. I think we can agree to disagree here.

[@phk975]

Gotcha. I thought the whole point of this is to argue tiers 😁. I do think the potential extra action guild cards are an incredible boon though. If you're the only player with extra cards, you can save a high-pip card for your extra turn and you guarantee initiative for the next chapter.

[@Neon_Gorilla]

@@phk975 debate is totally fine, I think we just found an impasse. I appreciate you caring enough to engage

[@FBracht]

Sworn Guardians has a trick up their Standard-sized sleeves: sure, on a Raid against you it only offers a single key buffer, but outside of a raid it **completely blocks** other people from stealing resources from you by using other cards with stealing effects. I’d personally rate it A tier. At least B.

[@Neon_Gorilla]

@@FBracht ah that is interesting, would have helped my wife yesterday when I disguarded shipping interest to steal fuel. It was the final straw and she conceded

[@BenChandler-xo4fm]

I think Mining Interest is at least A tier. Being able to discard it, gain 3-5 material, and then build 3-5 times in one turn can create HUGE swings on the board.

[@Neon_Gorilla]

@@BenChandler-xo4fm funny you say that I did just that yesterday with shipping interest right after they stole fuel from me and I took it right back. It crushed their will. Prelude action is OP for sure…never used the main action replacement. So I could be swayed in your direction. It will be interesting how my perspective changes as I play more and more.