This is a report of an on-going game on MaBiWeb, game #22850:
http://www.mabiweb.com/modules.php?name=GM_YearDragon&g_id=2...

The three players were Scholle, mHabes, and tarot (me), with me going last in the initial persons selection. The event order was:

Peace - Peace - Drought - Contagion - Drought - Tribute -
Festival - Mongols - Tribute - Contagion - Mongols - Festival

The second Drought was on round 5 - the earliest possible. This was clearly a builder's game.

Round 0

I was surprised to find out that, when my turn came about, the Healer + Farmer combination (the one which best fit the event order) had not been taken, and with that 8-point combination I would even get to go first. It seemed that Scholle and mHabes wanted to play a money strategy, so they each got a Tax Collector (plus a Healer or a Farmer) and so had only 7 person points (PP) each. With little hesitation, I took the 8-PP combination.

Round 1

So I went first. In the first round in this game, since one has only two different younger persons, most actions are not too efficient when compared against the two major VP-generators, Large Privilage and Building. So my choice is between these two, and I chose Privilage. After playing the move, I had doubts about it, since this was clearly a builder's game, and I may need that $6 to play out my game smoothly. I really hate losing a person due to space shortage, so buying the privilage left me with only 2 rounds to build a palace and to get rice for the first drought - and I had no money to pay for those moves.

MHabes picked the group with the build action, but instead of building he taxed for $5. Then Scholle, with the choice between Fireworks, Parade, and paying $3 for other actions, got a Fireworks. I would have chosen Parade if I were in that seat: I think most players underestimate the subtle power of this action.

In the person phase, I got a second younger Farmer, mHabes a Tax Collector, and Scholle also a younger Farmer. This means that I'm going first again on round 2.

Round 2

I'm not so naive as to go into a drought round with no rice when I have no money. So I harvested and got 3 rice. And that's why I got a Farmer: with 4 PP, I had a good chance of getting to go first again, too.

Scholle built - but he did a zero build (didn't make a new palace). MHabes paid $3 to tax for $8. Seeing these moves, I knew that they were not winning this game. About the only reason one would do a zero build in the early game is because one has bought a large privilage and thus can't afford to do better. And taxing when you already have $11 is waste of time - most things in ths game depreciate with time (in terms of their VP-generating potential), and it's more efficient to spend your money first before getting more money than one can spend.

I took a Builder. My plan was that, I would build if I could, but if not, I'd take rice again and then fire a Farmer, and be ready to do a double build after that. Scholle took an elder healer; apparently he was too afraid of losing anyone to the Contagion coming two rounds later. And then mHabes took a Builder. The PP track is now: tarot = 14, Scholle = 12, mHabes = 12, so I'm going first again next round.

Round 3 (Drought)

I built, and the other two mandatorily got rice. So everyone had just enough rice for the Drought.

In the person phase, I got a Healer. I could have got an elder and be fully immunized against the contagion, and by depleting the elders that would give Scholle a hard time too. But I looked at the persons track (at 14-12-12) and decided that the three PP were worth more than the two lives. (Farmer's and Healer's lives, to be exact, in my evil mind. ) At this point, I realized: by going first with two starting persons taking care of the first two events, I had a big starting advantage, because that freed me from having to take any elders, so I could keep my PP lead for quite a while - even with two builders.

MHabes and Scholle both got a Tax Collector. So the PP track is now at 18-15-15. But now I'm scoring 5 VP at round end, while the others are still scoring 2.

Round 4 (Contagion)

I'm not so naive as to go into a drought round with no rice when I have no money. So I harvested and got 3 rice. Scholle taxed and mHabes bought a Large Privilage.

In the person phase, I got my second Builder. Scholle also got a Builder, and mHabes got his mandatory elder Healer. But both Scholle and mHabes are firing people (the second one for mHabes) because of lack of palace space.

I and mHabes each lost a person to the Contagion.

Round 5 (Drought)

I did a double build, in a drought round. This would cause a Farmer to starve in the drought, but it was a worthy sacrifice for the sake of our demonstration of extravagance. Scholle mandatorily got rice.

MHabes had alredy fired his Farmer due to lack of space, so he decided to buy another Large Privilage instead of getting just a single rice.

I realized that there was only one Tax Collector left in the pile, so I picked him up to avoid being cheated of a person. He's great for the Tribute next turn, too. Scholle took an elder Warrior. MHabes took a Pyrotechnist, who was immediately starved to death (together with the never-used Builder) in the Drought. The PP track was now: tarot = 23, mHabes = 21, Scholle = 20 .

At this point, it was clear that I was running away with this game. I started with a Large Privilage, and above that was also able to successfully play out the double build game, losing only 2 expendable persons to events. Scholle was still scoring only 2 VP at end-of-round, and while mHabes had two Large Privilages, he was down to two persons and already behind a fair amount in VP. At that point, I challenged myself by changing my goal from merely winning to winning by over 24 VP, in other words, winning without the VP from the large privilage.

Round 6 (Tribute)

I taxed for the Tribute.

When I thought about it later, it was perhaps better for me to tax in round 5, and double build in round 6 (getting the Tax Collector before the Builder, of course). This way, I could have avoided losing one person. For a double build game, one is often stretched very thin on expendable persons, because one needs many persons to occupy the palaces, especially since the persons recruited during double-build rounds (which should be most of the rounds in the mid-game) go into one-floor palaces and hence become not expendable. On the other hand, building in round 5 allows me to build again sooner, on round 7. However, I might want to get Fireworks instead in round 7.

The main reason one wants to double build in a Drought round is because he is not going first, so he wants to build when he can do it for free. But I am going first in this game. So the 5 rounds were not really perfect after all - although it was "perfect" enough for a runaway win. Anyway, the moves had already been made, so we'll see.

Both mHabes and Scholle naturally built, on the round after the second Drought.

Since Scholle had taken an elder Warrior last round, there was now only one left. I was thinking of getting a Pyrotechnic and then getting Fireworks next round, but if mHabes got the elder Warrior, I would be losing persons to the Mongols, and I didn't want that. Plus, getting the Warrior would screw mHabes, who was the runner-up player, while getting Fireworks would only screw Scholle, who was already hopelessly behind. So I took the Warrior, and instead of Fireworks I'd do the double build again next round.

MHabes played his Lady, and Scholle got an elder Scholar.

At the end of round 6, the position was:

VP: tarot = 32, mHabes = 24, Scholle = 13
PP: tarot = 26, Scholle = 22, mHabes = 22

VP income:
tarot = 5 palace + 2 privilage = 7
mHabes = 3 palace + 4 privilage + 1 lady = 8
Scholle = 3 palace = 3

Persons:
tarot (6) = Builder x2 + yn Healer x2 + Tax + el Warrior
Scholle (6) = Builder + yn Healer + el Healer + Tax + el Warrior + el Scholar
mHabes (3) = Tax + el Healer + Lady

Money: tarot = 1, Scholle = 4, mHabes = 0


Round 7 (Festival)

I did a double build. Scholle taxed. At the point of writing of this article, we're waiting for mHabes's move.

It's about time to play my Lady this round.