Root: Top 5 Strategies

[@DarkThomy]

To be fair, after many games ... we realized the true Birds strategy : it is OKAY to go into turmoil as long as you used your leader's perk as most as you could ! Going into turmoil, will NOT (by itself) cost you points... Only if you put a lot of blue cards in your decree. You might even still gain point in the turmoil turn depending on how many roosts you have. Your opponents often tunnel vision on you getting into turmoil but not what will happen after.. Even to the point of ignoring you when it's inevitable.

[@Polmax2312]

Every competitive games I’ve seen (and done) birds winning were executed without a single turmoil up until the very end. Turmoil is relatively ok when you are close to winning, but early to midgame you just lose so many actions.

[@feepants4495]

I agree, they can do so much, there are so many options. So sometimes it’s okay to go into turmoil if it benefits you.

[@andraslibal]

With the birds go very aggressive very early on ... I find it hard to have enough birds die to fill the recruit so easy on the recruit I had turmoil many times because of it. If you have the leader that doubles the recruit never put 3 cards there you will need to bring 6 birds to the board and you won't have 6 birds dying in a turn.

[@RTFM]

Some great tips!

[@zeHatWearingMan]

Its funny because I played my first game yesterday, and did exactly that. I realized my mistake midgame but its still comical that you point out a scenario that happened to me so recently.

[@andraslibal]

@@zeHatWearingMan it is interesting to learn the different strategies, one of my current favorite bird strategies is to deliberately turmoil, just get all the nests and birds on the map as fast as possible using mostly non-bird cards in the decree but always,always putting in 2 cards per turn. This way the decree swells really fast and placing 2 nests per turn can quickly get you up to 6-7 nests with near 20 birds out ... then you turmoil and bring in the owl general and just destroy them, fight and defend as many nests as you can and survive and don't turmoil until you get to 30 pts. Alternatively if many nests died bring the condor ... taking out support goes up to 2 pts. This worked quite a few times for me. A deliberate, planned, low point loss turmoil and a switch to a really deadly general :)))

[@vendetta124292]

This is a great video, thanks. I was overwhelmed the first time I played Root because I was just given all the rules. Being told the one or two keys to success for each faction in addition to the rules is extremely helpful so new players have some idea of what they should be focusing on.

[@RTFM]

I'm so glad it was helpful for you!

[@coolranchluke]

True vagabond strategy: Quest the living hell out of it. That stuff adds up QUICK.

[@Sjjdex]

And if you have adventurer for your vagabond it is pretty solid startegy

[@alsenddrake7764]

Just got this yesterday. Played a 3-man game with some family, and did a 2-man game with 2 bots using an online tool to test it out with one of them today. And the favor can swing things hugely, and are also easiest for the Alliance to use. We had I was the Alliance, she was the Vagabond, and the ai played the birds and cats. Let's just say, I called on a favor just as the birds fell into turmoil while clashing with the cats. Both sides were devestated. They both lost about half their buildings and a quarter or more of their forces due to how things were going. Birds never recovered, and were too weak to resist The Vagabond (who had joined a Coalition with me) moving in with a crossbow and sword to pick off any roosts they tried to place, while my forces held my bases allowing me to secure the last points to win.

[@jbnnz325]

Hey man, do you have the link of the online tool that you're using for the bots? Thanks a lot!

[@josefkainrad]

Moving forward can you announce what youre about to give a strategy for? A lot of us listen to this in a podcast style while at work, so we cant necessarily see the screen show "Marquis de Cat" and then you start with it.

[@RTFM]

I'll keep that in mind, thanks.

[@avonmorespringers9525]

you make the classic new cat player mistake: sawmills are NOT the most important building, recruiters are. the marquise score slowly its more important to use recruiters to slow down the other players than focus on scoreing

[@welersoncarvalhodeavila4499]

Recruiters also makes you draw more cards which means more actions if you draw bird cards

[@xhuggels]

personally rushing 3 hammers with the tinkerer is really overpower as, once you collect the favor cards, you can just favor every turn, deleting everything off the entire map, racking up points for killing buildings/tokens+infamy

[@RTFM]

It's definitely powerful, though it does bank on getting favor cards, which is not a guarantee by any means.

[@xhuggels]

@@RTFM but if you dont find one of em, there are other cards that help you with that too. Its balanced in the sense that like you said its dififcult to pull off since you need multiple pieces for it to work.

[@Sjjdex]

​@@xhuggelsIt can be pretty powerful but you wont get any infamy points by favor cards because of rule 9.2.9.lll.a : you can only get points in battle

[@LordoftheBoard]

Good video! I love strategy guides

[@RTFM]

Thanks! And thanks for providing expansion faction strategies on the other comment.

[@christianbechhenriksen898]

This is beginner’s strategi. Too simplyfied. To add. The Cats should focus on the middle of the board (clearings with many building spots) And go 1: sawmills and 2: recruit buildings, you can skip the last building, getting wood economy fast is the best. Woodland Alliance: Get the support tokens out fast. Don’t try to go for a flashy revolt in the center, it will be removed. Stay on 2 bases for a bit, you can buy an officer, so you have 3, never have 4. The threat of the 3. revolt is better than actually revolting. The Vagabond is strong, if he’s trying to befriend everybody, you need to attack. He’s basicly a solo engine game and will win, if noone attacks him fast. The Earie seems weak for scoring points. You should go for a domination win typically. But be ready, everyone will go for you now obviously.

[@Sjjdex]

And an extra tip for eyries are try to do exploding birds strategy thats pretty powerful

[@afrofrycook]

What about the expansion factions?

[@LordoftheBoard]

Some Riverfolk tips Cycle through the funds you receive quickly by other players that way they will be more apt to trade with you more. Always keep a full hand of cards, keeping the cards you have for sale competitive will make players be watching what is for sale more! Try to cycle through which cards will work for the current state. Always remind players to purchase your services.

[@LordoftheBoard]

Lizard cult are a complex faction but some tips Balance garden suits. Get two of each first before getting tons of one type. Try and balance your hand with suits. Attempt to get place lizards in the most annoying areas to try and get players to attack you. Also a dominance victory with the lizards is wonderful! As you are so mobile and players are forced to attack you meaning you get acolytes to punish them back!

[@RTFM]

​ Lord of the Board gave better tips than the ones I would have. Still haven't won a single game with either of those two factions :/

[@pointynoodle]

Strongly disagree with your bird strategy. You *never* put 2 bird on build in the late game, instead start the game with despot, put a bird on build and another animal on move, you’ll be able to expand faster than anyone can stop you. Getting turmoil is fine, but accept that it will happen and do it on your own terms. Best to turmoil because you run out of roosts to build; you’ll get a full turn and 5 points every turn

[@constChg]

"Training officers will also let you recruit new warriors and place sympathy tokens without spending supporters."

[@RTFM]

During the Evening you take Military Operations a number of times equal to your number of officers. One of those operations gets you warriors and another lets you place sympathy. Neither of these actions cost anything.

[@Sjjdex]

And you can make easy points by just 3 officers first move to a no symphaty clearing than take organize action and lastly recuit a warrior in your base

[@geekworthy7938]

Groot! Groot! Groot!

[@quintenskevin]

I stop watching at 2 minutes because these are no advices. These are just the rules of the games and of the faction. If you read the book and the factions board and play a round or to you will know all of this.

[@themuffinman4044]

still helped though, and i have read the book 4 times lol

[@AndyKoch]

I think you're being unfair in that assessment. The advice given here is sound. None of it was "just the rules".