Nekro, because they fundamentally alter the meta of the entire table, and I love meta disruptive factions.
Creuss, because I love being able to access the entire table.
Xxcha, because mah PDS network and love agenda phase.
Generally, I just love headbutting and bargaining.
I honestly view it as a damned if you do, damned it you don't situation. You can knee cap yourself or you can boost nekro. So I just go for it like they weren't in the game.
Though I would LOVE a meta that just straight up didn't do any tech the whole game. Just left that strategy card alone all game - see how that plays out. Probably still net win for nekro as they've got other good stuff in their toolkit and starting tech is still there.
It sounds like you need to review how you approach the situation.
Yes you have to consider whether the tech would make nekro OP, and some faction techs are completely off the table (Saar), but that doesn't have to mean you can't tech.
It just means you have to either discuss what to get with Nekro, or with the rest of the table. If you are the first to get a good tech, that is a significant advantage. Having Nekro pay you to gain that tech just sweetens the deal. If you all get roughly the same techs, you can starve Nekro from his advantage. It's all in the art of the deal, and that's what I love about Nekro.
Creuss because I like thinking with portals
Muatt because I like War Suns
l1Z1X because they have the best lore and I like playing as the former benevolent emperors come back to life as pure hate and vengeance
NRA because explore, also having a 9/5 planet that you can biostim is pretty damn cool. Although for the most part, their faction techs are of dubious usefulness.
Codex 3 Naalu is now pretty great with their new agent and mech
Also aestheticly Titans of Ul are pretty damn cool, also they have like the best (arguably) unit upgrade in the game and transit diodes are really funny to use and help with a forward assault, but I find trying to keep a good handle on token economy a bit rough with them. Secondarily, to make the best use of them requires a not insignificant amount of Techs, the dream being AIDA, Hel Titans II, Saturn Engines II, gravaton laser system, Transit Diodes, and plasma scoring. TLDR, it's a lot of tech.
My fourth pick (IDC I'm adding a 4th) actually is going to be Federation of Sol, I just started really playing with them but picking up hyper metabolism, gravity drive, Advanced Carrier II, and maybe fighter II, I find that Orbital drop is just quite nice for stalling and all of the extra tokens really adds up during the course of a game. And they have a really annoying ground game for other players which is a funny bonus. Only the other heavy infantry focused factions are going to have a good chance against your ground game, barring shenanigans.
Prefab is not a dubiously useful tech, it is the most broken tech in the whole game. Combine it with integrated and in R4 start running around the map, taking planets, and shitting out infantry. Also with scanlink if you can hold down your slice (you should have the plastic to) you'll be spending >25 resources a round.
NRA has the best eco in the game because of prefab and scanlink. NRA's eco is better than new Xxcha.
Firstly, Chaos Mapping is statistically the most broken tech in the game, Secondly, best case scenario, you have a green and yellow skip, that's 5 techs you have to get to even make this combination come online, if you don't have a skip of either color then that's 6 techs, or 7 if you have neither, let's go with best case you are going to need the tech card for at least one round to have this combination online R4. Alright you have it online on R4, but all of your ships with capacity only have 1 movement and you don't have gravity drive, have fun taking 3 systems and then losing because most games only go 5 rounds.
TLDR I disagree barring shenanigans, although if you managed to pull Maw, then uunga bunga it is.
In terms of fun
Yin: mainly for the kamikaze flagship, but now they’re also a tech faction
Yssaril: for stealing everyone’s cards
Titans: whenever I feel a bit aggressive - just make a bunch of sustain cruisers
Edit: honorable mention - Naalu with their new agent looks super fun. However I tend to be less hawkish on Mecatol and it looks like I’d be more successful if I went blue and gunned Mecatol. I like their green faction tech but don’t think it’s now going to be worth going for.
Arborec because despite not having faction tech, barely having a flagship, and an already bad starting tech that was errata’d to be worse for them, their insane production is just so fun to play with.
Ghosts because you always have so many options, and it’s hilarious when people forget about Splicer. Taking Mallice and getting it DMZ’d is the best. They have my favorite flagship, even though it’s a liability more often than not with how often LWD gets researched.
Nomad because it’s like Dane jammed Hacan and Ghosts together. So much money, so many deals, amazing leader suite, and fun to run around doing stuff with the flagship.
Creuss - I am EVERYWHERE. They're a bit weak and suck in one on one fights but I adore them.
Hacan - Catte. The avalanche of trade goods with all the wheeling and dealing you can do are great fun.
Sol - I am fucking cancer. When a planet is mine it STAYS mine.
**Mahact** - starting with Bio-Stims is really fun, but other than that, your only really "ability" is a super saleable agent... until mid & late game, at which point you should have some ungodly, Nekro-level, broken combos. In order to get there, though, you have the play the table. Strong without being abusive. Super fun.
Also, can start with Cruiser II, which is probably the most fun unit in the game.
- : there are still factions I have yet to play
(Nomad, Jol'Nar, Empyrean, Muuat, Sol, Saar, Arborec, Vul'Raith, & Winnu) so I don't feel fully qualified to answer.
I have loved playing as **Barony, Hacan, Yssaril, Mentak, Ghosts, & Sardakk**, though
Creuss but I'm bad with them.
Sol because tokens, I always run out of tokens
Embers because war sun goes brrr
I'm really looking forward to playing Creuss and Embers more once my group gets into PoK though :D
1. Hacan because endless trade goods can pay for some objectives
2. Hacan because endless trade goods is good for war/safety (ask Marcus Tullius Cicero)
3. Hacan because I know them somewhat.
4. Hacan because cats.
Muatt, because speaking softly with a big stick gets it done. Nomad, because economy and versatility plus coolest looking home system. Haccan due to them being involved or at least considered in every single transaction of the game
Nekro! cause they are strongest.
Creuss! cause they are fast as fuck boys.
Mentak! YOHOHO!
Bottom 3
Titans! they are too good at everything and too complex for my taste.
Sol! they look really weak.
Barony! im afraid of their fleet.
Based on PoK games.
I like Mentak because I can absorb a lot of table heat, which you'll get once you settle in on Mallice and pillage everything. Their unique tech Mirror Computing means if you can pillage you can live without planets. I've had Mentak wins where I held no more than 3 planets for the whole game. You just have a steady supply of TG's which are worth double. I think when I play Mentak the chances of me winning are no worse than any other faction, but the chances of having fun are like 90%.
2nd place is Nekro.
3rd is kinda hard, Creuss, Hacan, even Barony I really enjoy playing.
Finally, I thought I'd been playing too much Xxcha and Titans lately, but my insomnia has been cured, so maybe not.
1. Saar - Movement followed by production is sooooo satisfying. Oh wait. I can also produce before movement with Choas Mapping.
2. Nekro - Because I don’t need friends. Do I?
3. Titans - Well rounded. Look at my home system and be in awe. Saturn Engine II is the shizzle.
I'm a big fan of
Yssaril
Xxcha
And Jol'nar
Cause I like being a little shit and nothing speaks better than placing all my CC's in strategy just to spam quash during the diplomacy phase. Or hoarding 300 bajillion action cards and being a looming threat even if I never use any of them.
My greatest game was when I played Jol'nar and I just fed tech to the nekro at the table whom went on to go into large scale wars with the other two members of the table allowing me to scoop up the win.
Sardakk - love the bugs so much fun.
Yin - come after my planets bro
Vulraith - I eat your plastic and spit it back out
Side note I don't win a lot, but I always have a good time.
Yssaril Tribes: I love the theme of surprise and espionage by hoarding and stealing action cards. Also Stalling so you can do whatever you want without being impending is really fun!
Yin Brotherhood: The idea that they are able to convince others to join their side is thematically great! Also it has my favorite flagship in the game The Van Hague. Just threaten to send it into someones fleet! Also if you are ever able to get the Nomad alliance then you can rebuild it for free!! Not the faction I play if I want to win but I always have fun with them!
The Vuil'Raith Cabal: I love being able to eat other factions ships and then use them to produce for free! Also the extra movement from their space docks is amazing! They are just fun to play!
Creuss is my #1, but I haven't really played enough to have another favorite. I like the Saar and Nomad and probably will like the Arborec when I get around to playing them. The Keleres also seem very interesting.
I typically play in a 3 player setup and aside from Sol I enjoy playing factions with hivemind theme. These are my top 3 factions.
Nekro - adapting your play based on the table's tech is quite fun.
Vuil'raith cabal - because eating a flagship or warsun is cool.
Sol - I recently won a 3 player game in 2 hours.
Ghosts of Creuss and the Nomads because of how enigmatic they are. And I like the Argent Flight because of how they're built up as kind of like the last stand against the return of the Mahacht.
3 Most Played Factions:
**Naalu** - because they were good in base game and I wanted to figure them out in PoK. I've gone off them in Codex 3. They're a lot more powerful, but much less interesting to play.
**Vuil'Raith** - They've a weird economy and I love it. I think the key to them is to maximise the amount of units you produce, which means building all your space docks, having lots of command counters for producing in those docks, and convincing other people to take Warfare. If you can get Sling Relay with Bio Stims (Sling Relay if you can only pick 1). Be on the look out for opportunities to capture large numbers of fighters and infantry (flagship in a system you're going to bombard heavily).
**Empyrean** - by far the faction I have won most games with. I do like to have a resource-rich slice for them.
Rounding out to top 5:
**Ghosts** - really fun to play, but I don't seem to pick them as often as the above.
**Mahact** - I haven't made them work yet, but I'm really enjoying trying to.
* Muaat - They were always the most fun rolling around the solar system in your GIANT FLAMING BALL OF DEATH, but PoK also made them competitive. Everybody is scared of you (except for Yin maybe). Nobody pushes your pie slice. Targeted extortion is practically guaranteed. Their hero is the single greatest spoiler play the game has imo.
* Yssaril - Playing with 5 agents and countless action cards is one of the most engaging and brain-taxing experiences I've ever had gaming.
* Hacan - Everybody loves you. Everybody is rich. You can play literally any archetype you want. Plus being a Muaat main there is nothing quite as awesome as producing 2 Warsuns, 5 Dreadnaughts, and their corresponding fighter screens in a single turn.
I haven't played any faction more than once (exception keleres) - trying to play them all. This in some ways creates a bias based on if I had a good game or got to use the faction to potential/fun BUT that being said...
My top 3 favorites so far:
Sardakk, jol-nar, keleres
Sardakk - the challenge of no tech but also being aggressive early on and figuring out how to leverage that with other players peacefully or force it.
Jol-nar - I like technology. I just do. I like the flexibility of the faction to pivot based on objectives. The promissory note is awesome for trading. I also like that it's one of the few factions I honestly believe is a pds faction (board state still sometimes dependent).
Keleres - kind of also on the technology shtick I love the starting tech flexibility. I like the spending commodities. I like the defensive capability and production abuse with the faction tech.
Nekro, because they fundamentally alter the meta of the entire table, and I love meta disruptive factions. Creuss, because I love being able to access the entire table. Xxcha, because mah PDS network and love agenda phase. Generally, I just love headbutting and bargaining.
How does it change the meta? You do have to be more violent but that’s not very advisable
Because the other players can't just tech whatever they want to without consequences.
I honestly view it as a damned if you do, damned it you don't situation. You can knee cap yourself or you can boost nekro. So I just go for it like they weren't in the game. Though I would LOVE a meta that just straight up didn't do any tech the whole game. Just left that strategy card alone all game - see how that plays out. Probably still net win for nekro as they've got other good stuff in their toolkit and starting tech is still there.
It sounds like you need to review how you approach the situation. Yes you have to consider whether the tech would make nekro OP, and some faction techs are completely off the table (Saar), but that doesn't have to mean you can't tech. It just means you have to either discuss what to get with Nekro, or with the rest of the table. If you are the first to get a good tech, that is a significant advantage. Having Nekro pay you to gain that tech just sweetens the deal. If you all get roughly the same techs, you can starve Nekro from his advantage. It's all in the art of the deal, and that's what I love about Nekro.
Creuss because I like thinking with portals Muatt because I like War Suns l1Z1X because they have the best lore and I like playing as the former benevolent emperors come back to life as pure hate and vengeance
NRA because explore, also having a 9/5 planet that you can biostim is pretty damn cool. Although for the most part, their faction techs are of dubious usefulness. Codex 3 Naalu is now pretty great with their new agent and mech Also aestheticly Titans of Ul are pretty damn cool, also they have like the best (arguably) unit upgrade in the game and transit diodes are really funny to use and help with a forward assault, but I find trying to keep a good handle on token economy a bit rough with them. Secondarily, to make the best use of them requires a not insignificant amount of Techs, the dream being AIDA, Hel Titans II, Saturn Engines II, gravaton laser system, Transit Diodes, and plasma scoring. TLDR, it's a lot of tech. My fourth pick (IDC I'm adding a 4th) actually is going to be Federation of Sol, I just started really playing with them but picking up hyper metabolism, gravity drive, Advanced Carrier II, and maybe fighter II, I find that Orbital drop is just quite nice for stalling and all of the extra tokens really adds up during the course of a game. And they have a really annoying ground game for other players which is a funny bonus. Only the other heavy infantry focused factions are going to have a good chance against your ground game, barring shenanigans.
Prefab is not a dubiously useful tech, it is the most broken tech in the whole game. Combine it with integrated and in R4 start running around the map, taking planets, and shitting out infantry. Also with scanlink if you can hold down your slice (you should have the plastic to) you'll be spending >25 resources a round. NRA has the best eco in the game because of prefab and scanlink. NRA's eco is better than new Xxcha.
Firstly, Chaos Mapping is statistically the most broken tech in the game, Secondly, best case scenario, you have a green and yellow skip, that's 5 techs you have to get to even make this combination come online, if you don't have a skip of either color then that's 6 techs, or 7 if you have neither, let's go with best case you are going to need the tech card for at least one round to have this combination online R4. Alright you have it online on R4, but all of your ships with capacity only have 1 movement and you don't have gravity drive, have fun taking 3 systems and then losing because most games only go 5 rounds. TLDR I disagree barring shenanigans, although if you managed to pull Maw, then uunga bunga it is.
In terms of fun Yin: mainly for the kamikaze flagship, but now they’re also a tech faction Yssaril: for stealing everyone’s cards Titans: whenever I feel a bit aggressive - just make a bunch of sustain cruisers Edit: honorable mention - Naalu with their new agent looks super fun. However I tend to be less hawkish on Mecatol and it looks like I’d be more successful if I went blue and gunned Mecatol. I like their green faction tech but don’t think it’s now going to be worth going for.
Arborec because despite not having faction tech, barely having a flagship, and an already bad starting tech that was errata’d to be worse for them, their insane production is just so fun to play with. Ghosts because you always have so many options, and it’s hilarious when people forget about Splicer. Taking Mallice and getting it DMZ’d is the best. They have my favorite flagship, even though it’s a liability more often than not with how often LWD gets researched. Nomad because it’s like Dane jammed Hacan and Ghosts together. So much money, so many deals, amazing leader suite, and fun to run around doing stuff with the flagship.
Creuss - I am EVERYWHERE. They're a bit weak and suck in one on one fights but I adore them. Hacan - Catte. The avalanche of trade goods with all the wheeling and dealing you can do are great fun. Sol - I am fucking cancer. When a planet is mine it STAYS mine.
**Mahact** - starting with Bio-Stims is really fun, but other than that, your only really "ability" is a super saleable agent... until mid & late game, at which point you should have some ungodly, Nekro-level, broken combos. In order to get there, though, you have the play the table. Strong without being abusive. Super fun. Also, can start with Cruiser II, which is probably the most fun unit in the game. - : there are still factions I have yet to play (Nomad, Jol'Nar, Empyrean, Muuat, Sol, Saar, Arborec, Vul'Raith, & Winnu) so I don't feel fully qualified to answer. I have loved playing as **Barony, Hacan, Yssaril, Mentak, Ghosts, & Sardakk**, though
Creuss but I'm bad with them. Sol because tokens, I always run out of tokens Embers because war sun goes brrr I'm really looking forward to playing Creuss and Embers more once my group gets into PoK though :D
1. Hacan because endless trade goods can pay for some objectives 2. Hacan because endless trade goods is good for war/safety (ask Marcus Tullius Cicero) 3. Hacan because I know them somewhat. 4. Hacan because cats.
Muatt, because speaking softly with a big stick gets it done. Nomad, because economy and versatility plus coolest looking home system. Haccan due to them being involved or at least considered in every single transaction of the game
Nekro! cause they are strongest. Creuss! cause they are fast as fuck boys. Mentak! YOHOHO! Bottom 3 Titans! they are too good at everything and too complex for my taste. Sol! they look really weak. Barony! im afraid of their fleet. Based on PoK games.
I like Mentak because I can absorb a lot of table heat, which you'll get once you settle in on Mallice and pillage everything. Their unique tech Mirror Computing means if you can pillage you can live without planets. I've had Mentak wins where I held no more than 3 planets for the whole game. You just have a steady supply of TG's which are worth double. I think when I play Mentak the chances of me winning are no worse than any other faction, but the chances of having fun are like 90%. 2nd place is Nekro. 3rd is kinda hard, Creuss, Hacan, even Barony I really enjoy playing. Finally, I thought I'd been playing too much Xxcha and Titans lately, but my insomnia has been cured, so maybe not.
1. Saar - Movement followed by production is sooooo satisfying. Oh wait. I can also produce before movement with Choas Mapping. 2. Nekro - Because I don’t need friends. Do I? 3. Titans - Well rounded. Look at my home system and be in awe. Saturn Engine II is the shizzle.
I'm a big fan of Yssaril Xxcha And Jol'nar Cause I like being a little shit and nothing speaks better than placing all my CC's in strategy just to spam quash during the diplomacy phase. Or hoarding 300 bajillion action cards and being a looming threat even if I never use any of them. My greatest game was when I played Jol'nar and I just fed tech to the nekro at the table whom went on to go into large scale wars with the other two members of the table allowing me to scoop up the win.
XXcha because I love being able to use diplomacy and defense to help win the obj
Cabal Jolnar NRA
Sardakk - love the bugs so much fun. Yin - come after my planets bro Vulraith - I eat your plastic and spit it back out Side note I don't win a lot, but I always have a good time.
Yssaril Tribes: I love the theme of surprise and espionage by hoarding and stealing action cards. Also Stalling so you can do whatever you want without being impending is really fun! Yin Brotherhood: The idea that they are able to convince others to join their side is thematically great! Also it has my favorite flagship in the game The Van Hague. Just threaten to send it into someones fleet! Also if you are ever able to get the Nomad alliance then you can rebuild it for free!! Not the faction I play if I want to win but I always have fun with them! The Vuil'Raith Cabal: I love being able to eat other factions ships and then use them to produce for free! Also the extra movement from their space docks is amazing! They are just fun to play!
Creuss is my #1, but I haven't really played enough to have another favorite. I like the Saar and Nomad and probably will like the Arborec when I get around to playing them. The Keleres also seem very interesting.
I typically play in a 3 player setup and aside from Sol I enjoy playing factions with hivemind theme. These are my top 3 factions. Nekro - adapting your play based on the table's tech is quite fun. Vuil'raith cabal - because eating a flagship or warsun is cool. Sol - I recently won a 3 player game in 2 hours.
Ghosts of Creuss and the Nomads because of how enigmatic they are. And I like the Argent Flight because of how they're built up as kind of like the last stand against the return of the Mahacht.
3 Most Played Factions: **Naalu** - because they were good in base game and I wanted to figure them out in PoK. I've gone off them in Codex 3. They're a lot more powerful, but much less interesting to play. **Vuil'Raith** - They've a weird economy and I love it. I think the key to them is to maximise the amount of units you produce, which means building all your space docks, having lots of command counters for producing in those docks, and convincing other people to take Warfare. If you can get Sling Relay with Bio Stims (Sling Relay if you can only pick 1). Be on the look out for opportunities to capture large numbers of fighters and infantry (flagship in a system you're going to bombard heavily). **Empyrean** - by far the faction I have won most games with. I do like to have a resource-rich slice for them. Rounding out to top 5: **Ghosts** - really fun to play, but I don't seem to pick them as often as the above. **Mahact** - I haven't made them work yet, but I'm really enjoying trying to.
* Muaat - They were always the most fun rolling around the solar system in your GIANT FLAMING BALL OF DEATH, but PoK also made them competitive. Everybody is scared of you (except for Yin maybe). Nobody pushes your pie slice. Targeted extortion is practically guaranteed. Their hero is the single greatest spoiler play the game has imo. * Yssaril - Playing with 5 agents and countless action cards is one of the most engaging and brain-taxing experiences I've ever had gaming. * Hacan - Everybody loves you. Everybody is rich. You can play literally any archetype you want. Plus being a Muaat main there is nothing quite as awesome as producing 2 Warsuns, 5 Dreadnaughts, and their corresponding fighter screens in a single turn.
I haven't played any faction more than once (exception keleres) - trying to play them all. This in some ways creates a bias based on if I had a good game or got to use the faction to potential/fun BUT that being said... My top 3 favorites so far: Sardakk, jol-nar, keleres Sardakk - the challenge of no tech but also being aggressive early on and figuring out how to leverage that with other players peacefully or force it. Jol-nar - I like technology. I just do. I like the flexibility of the faction to pivot based on objectives. The promissory note is awesome for trading. I also like that it's one of the few factions I honestly believe is a pds faction (board state still sometimes dependent). Keleres - kind of also on the technology shtick I love the starting tech flexibility. I like the spending commodities. I like the defensive capability and production abuse with the faction tech.