From: Tang Chi Wai Subject: AH - AGE OF RENAISANCE - Strategy discussion AOR is one of the finest game I have ever played. The intrigues in diplomacy, events, payoffs and advance combine to force every player to adjust his plan, and make every game unique. After playing AOR for more than 20 times, I still could not figure a fixed strategy for every game, and I am enthusiastic for every coming game. Here I share some of my experience playing AOR. GENERAL STRATEGY The MOST IMPORTANT points for AOR is that you must understand the situation. Know what you are doing, estimate the strengths(& weakness) of other players, and make a little planning for the next turn. In AOR, very often, what affects you most is not what you do, but what other players have done or will do. Thus try to understand what other players are doing. Watching quietly to see someone hitting the fourth silk to pay $144 or saving money to buy Ocean navigation ought not be done. Keep in mind that in AOR, rewards feeds rewards, and most benefits from advance are gained at the expenses of other players. While it is nice to get religions and exploration early, the late comers will only discover that he buys the advance only to prevent other from cathedral him or see the Far East boxes all but filled. Besides checking other players, it is imperative to plan before hand. What should you do next turn? Bid low to pay goods? Bid high to hit provinces? Or save money and go for exploration? Different objectives require different advances and corresponding action. Unconcerted effort will bring you the worst disaster - falling behind other players. On the other hand, full flung overall planning is impossible due to the unexpected card play of goods or events. A goods payoffs can allow someone to get cathedral, military can wipe out all your provinces except those number higher than 4, and it is sometimes irresistable to some leaders, like Gutemburg Or Columbus. Plans are so often spoiled that the only solution is to adjust the plan constantly to fit the new situation. Diplomacy is one of the keystone of AOR. You need friends, not only to gang up against the leader, but also to divide the empty provinces early in the game. You could also force your 'FRIEND' to pay you a dearly goods so that your disaster will not befall upon him. As it is not compulsory to keep promises, diplomacy could be a really vily matter in the game. TIPS & TACTICS Competition What provinces you are going to hit? Go early to hit large provinces and last to hit small provinces? Yes but little more than that. Here is what to do first IMO(descending order) 1.Goods to be paid 2.Dominating key commodities(Spice and silk, to a lesser extent,cloth, wine and metal) 3.Goods likely to be paid by other(see him hitting the fourth wine...) 4.Large Provinces 5.Maximize number of proinces Domination of key commodities reward you in the payoffs as well as giving you occasional draw of additional card - double benefit. There are two approach to pay goods, either hit as many as possible, then bid low next turn, or hit some and voice loudly to other that you are going to pay it. What happens in the latter case? Say you get three wine and say loudly:'I shall pay wine the next turn'. The selfish and greedy players are more likely to fight each other for two wines and share the payoffs than fight you. Card play Goods payoffs Don't need to think if you are the majority holder of that goods. If it is owned by other players, consider the case if it is better or worse to pay it later to decide to play or not. Usually in epoch I or II, goods leading to large payoffs to other are withheld, to see for possible takeover of those goods provinces, but in epoch III, you may be force to pay someone $144 so that he will not get $200 later(by industry). It is often said that you should bid low(10, 5 or even 0) to pay goods so that the provinces don't get revolted. NEVER bid as low as this. The reason id threefold. First, after a payment of more than $100, you will probably be viewed as the leader and ganged up by other players. Second, some great disaster is almost sure to fall to you as soon as you pay the goods.(Civil war, alchemist's gold or black death) Third, you cannot exploit the advance into full due to lack of tokens. You need many tokens, actually, to maintain enough provinces, to absorb hit from the disaster and properly use the advances newly acquired. If you bid, say 10 tokens, and someone give you a civil war( not to say followed by a black death), then all small provinces are wiped out, what is the use of cathedral of ocean navigation you acquired? It takes at least two turn to repair the damage and the income is reduced. So the benefits are almost cancelled out by the disadvantages. Events Disasters The great disasters(Black death, alchemist's gold and civil war) have two uses. Either to use it as bluffing material to force someone to pay you goods or not to attack you, etc. They may also be used against someone who may do damage to you. For example, when you are busy going exploration and someone is about to acquire cathedral, you pay him alchemist's gold so that his money gets the proper usage... In pivotal tun 3, civil war may allow you to dominate whole area and give you an immense blessing of good provinces. Other disasters(all drive down the misey index) can also swing the game in the later turn when someone's MI is on the red zone. Military advantages Bid high before using them to exploit to the advantages. Hit small provinces when possible, as the percentage yield is greater for small provinces(Against 2 provinces, 36 tokens with military advantage is equivalent to 48 tokens, not taking into effect of +1 black dieroll) If playing the last ma, try to take salonika silk, once acquired, it is very difficult to be taken again wthout military advantage. Papal decree Papal decree is often used to ban religion or exploration after you have acquire, say ocean navigation, holy indulgence or cathedral. Sometimes, it is used to prevent other from acquiring the feared cathedral or the jealous Ocean navigation. Leaders Often good but rarely great. In 3 or 4 players game, better to protect the leader in the box to prevent other fron patronizing him. In full six player game, good leaders earn more from other players patronage. It should be careful that in playing good exploration leader(Walter the Penniless, Columbus or Henry the Navigator), it is desirable to bid high and play late so that Papal Decree will not spoil the leader by banning exploration. Crusade One of the most desirable card in the deck. Play it early in turn 1 or turn 2, as it offers excellent opportunity for expansion, otherwise keep it. Wait until you have goods to pay. Imagine you get the gold/ivory, and take two small ivory provinces, you flip the ivory in area V using crusade and pay $90... ADVANCES The real core of the game, advances both enhances your position and count towards victory. Mid game of AOR often revolve around rushing towards three advances : cathedral, ocean navigation and interest and profit, if you decide to go for one of exploration/religion/commerce, concentrate on this unless a really good leader give the temptation. Try to invest as much as possible, money in hand doesn't generate until you get interest and profit. And saving is bad in AOR, as it attracts alchemist. Get the first advance of each category, as they are the really useful ones and allow you to reduce MI. When you hesitate between commerce and religion, or exploration and commerce, go for commerce. Commerce is the only kind of advance that continually and surely rewards you.