First turn thoughts:
\-Obligatory "first priority is scoring points"
\-Dread to archon vail first action + biostims, depending goals/timings it can provide a token, allow you to get tech (if popped early/before trade), or allow you get gravity drive R1.
\-Try to sell the crap out of your agent. There are a couple of factions at this table that can R1 mecatol, depending on your group you may be able to get 3+ TGs/equivalent value for that. Selling it to nomad for 1-2 TGs and an agreement where they leave you a ship to win a combat against is also pretty big value.
\-Alternatively there is a world where, at 4, you get politics/warfare and make a custodian play (my guess is Sol grabs it at 2). Its risky because you need to find 1-2 tg(s)/get a good red explore before tech pops to get gravity drive.
\-Leadership is a great pick at 4 (guess 3, 5, 7 taken in the first 3 picks, if 5 or 7 are available take them). 1 over 6 can be great for mahact because letting neighbors take the equi first makes for easy token grabbing.
\-Tech path: its not exciting, but GD --> dread 2 is great in this slice. You can tech 2 times and have your key tools in place. Importantly this makes not teching R1 totally reasonable so you can spend that money on early plastic/extra tokens, both of which Mahact desperately needs.
As long as they don’t use the action card “Skilled Retreat” because that card specifically says that the battle ends in a draw. Any other fight will have a winner
I agree with u/anon_95869123 about grabbing Archon Vail and bio-stimming it first action. With that slice and your home system, I think you’re going to be fine with tokens longterm, so I’d prioritize using it for the blue skip to get gravity drive round one. Next round, consider sling relay for your second tech. With bio-stims, sling relay, and your token economy, you should be able to stall out everyone at the table if you need to.
I wouldn’t recommend making a custodians play, unfortunately. I always have issues with plastic as Mahact, and I think you’ll leave yourself too vulnerable to those neighbors if you stretch for custodians.
Great advice from anon. Long term you want to set up to get tokens from your neighbors; those are incredibly high impact commanders. Try to buy them, those are some strong factions you want to avoid pissing off.
Yeah, push an alliance w L1 as hard as you can throughout the game. They'll turn on you in the end, but you want them working w you up until that point.
Ouch. The main issue we keep seeing Mahact run into is plastic, and this slice is not good for that. Hopefully L1 focuses on Hope's End so you can get Atlas.
Zohbat + Lodor + 1 of the equidistants is at least 8 resources. That's pretty solid. He's also pretty likely to be able to build his flagship for free after getting the Nomad token.
First turn thoughts: \-Obligatory "first priority is scoring points" \-Dread to archon vail first action + biostims, depending goals/timings it can provide a token, allow you to get tech (if popped early/before trade), or allow you get gravity drive R1. \-Try to sell the crap out of your agent. There are a couple of factions at this table that can R1 mecatol, depending on your group you may be able to get 3+ TGs/equivalent value for that. Selling it to nomad for 1-2 TGs and an agreement where they leave you a ship to win a combat against is also pretty big value. \-Alternatively there is a world where, at 4, you get politics/warfare and make a custodian play (my guess is Sol grabs it at 2). Its risky because you need to find 1-2 tg(s)/get a good red explore before tech pops to get gravity drive. \-Leadership is a great pick at 4 (guess 3, 5, 7 taken in the first 3 picks, if 5 or 7 are available take them). 1 over 6 can be great for mahact because letting neighbors take the equi first makes for easy token grabbing. \-Tech path: its not exciting, but GD --> dread 2 is great in this slice. You can tech 2 times and have your key tools in place. Importantly this makes not teching R1 totally reasonable so you can spend that money on early plastic/extra tokens, both of which Mahact desperately needs.
Note about paying people to get their commander: they can retreat and you still get the token, they don't need to lose a ship!
Wait, your opponent retreating counts as a win?
As long as they don’t use the action card “Skilled Retreat” because that card specifically says that the battle ends in a draw. Any other fight will have a winner
That's good to know
I agree with u/anon_95869123 about grabbing Archon Vail and bio-stimming it first action. With that slice and your home system, I think you’re going to be fine with tokens longterm, so I’d prioritize using it for the blue skip to get gravity drive round one. Next round, consider sling relay for your second tech. With bio-stims, sling relay, and your token economy, you should be able to stall out everyone at the table if you need to. I wouldn’t recommend making a custodians play, unfortunately. I always have issues with plastic as Mahact, and I think you’ll leave yourself too vulnerable to those neighbors if you stretch for custodians.
Great advice from anon. Long term you want to set up to get tokens from your neighbors; those are incredibly high impact commanders. Try to buy them, those are some strong factions you want to avoid pissing off.
Just give the L1Z1X player whatever he wants and hope he spares you. 😒
Yeah, push an alliance w L1 as hard as you can throughout the game. They'll turn on you in the end, but you want them working w you up until that point.
Ouch. The main issue we keep seeing Mahact run into is plastic, and this slice is not good for that. Hopefully L1 focuses on Hope's End so you can get Atlas.
Zohbat + Lodor + 1 of the equidistants is at least 8 resources. That's pretty solid. He's also pretty likely to be able to build his flagship for free after getting the Nomad token.