I have been looking forward to playing this for some time so it was a great opportunity when Tim & Kath brought it along to Shire Gamers last night. Andy, Mike and I had not played it either, Tim and Kath have played a few times before.

Round 1.
My first decision was that bidding for a builder at this stage was going to be useful. I was prepared to go as high as necessary realising that he would save me 400f every time I built from then on. Unbelievably, I got him for 600f so I recouped the money in one and a half builds. Consequently I built a workshop immediately as my action. For my second action I purchased the freedom of religion. I suspected that competition for the freedoms would be greater than competition for buildings. Although at the end of the first round I was disappointed to see all those who had completed a work race off into the lead

Round 2
To complete one of my works this go I needed a forest. I duly bid for and got one fairly cheaply. As my actions I purchased freedom of opinion and completed my first work, the Bell Maker. I shared the 3pp bonus for greatest work and cashed in a considerable amount of the prestige points for florins. A glance around the table showed me that I was doing well for cash at this stage, the effect of an early builder, I think.

Round 3
I spotted that Tim had completed the Goldsmith, fitting my workshop and freedom of opinion. He would be good to recruit later. So in the auction phase I built a park. Now the bottom 3/7ths of my principality was full with no gaps. To celebrate I built another big building, the laboratory. I figured this might help for prestige cards later and it would enable me to build my Botanist. However I did no work during this action phase due to an epiphanic moment. I realised that it was worth sacrificing something to ensure getting the greatest works bonus each time I completed - like building in the castle in Caylus. From now on no work without the bonus. Instead of completing a work I bought a bonus card to ensure my plan would work.

Round 4
The minimum cost for a work was getting higher and I needed to boost my efforts. Most people already had a jester so I was able to bid for one fairly cheaply. To boost my work value I first bought a profession card. Then I completed the Botanist, winning the greatest work bonus as planned. Cash back was about half and half, but I was pretty well off compared to others so I could afford prestige points.

Round 5
In order to recruit the Goldsmith later I bought a Lake for 200f. No-one else was bidding. I purchased a tower for my Astronomer and completed that work. With the help of the bonus card I was able to secure the greatest work for the second time. I took nearly all the prestige points rather than florins, hoping to run down to nearly zero cash by the end of the game. Risky, but necessary.

Round 6
I needed a recruitment card and a prestige card from the final two auctions. This round brought the recruitment card. Amazingly no-one else went for it, most people either having a different agenda or being out of cash. I picked up a fairly rubbish bonus card as my first action but was still able to complete the Goldsmith I had recruited. Because all the different buildings and landscapes were in place I was able to win greatest work again. Most of the florins went towards prestige, saving just 1000f for the final round.

Round 7
I needed a prestige card to win and was willing to bid as high as 700f for it, saving 300f for a bonus card. I duly got the prestige card, only Kath was really interested, but she faded after 600f. The plan was intact. A really good bonus card allowed one final work but failed to be the greatest. However Mike, who was quite a way behind, won that stopping any other nearer rivals. Finally, the prestige card put me out of sight on 67pp.

Conclusion
I have learned that an early builder is good and that completing a work is best if it also gets the greatest work bonus. Another time I think I might have gone for another prestige card and earlier in the game. This game jumps to near the top of my wish-list. It is well balanced with several good lines of strategy left to explore. Each round brings a fairly difficult choice both of bidding and action. And all the time a delicate equilibrium of money, prestige and building needs balancing. Just my sort of game.

Nice report. Thanks.
Sadly, even if I'd managed the best work bonus (which was likely until Mike played his last work with 2 bonus cards) AND had full points for my prestige card, I couldn't have caught you.

You're right about getting a builder early on... I spent at least 800 more on buildings, which could've been another 4 points.

Nice session report. Your early realization about best work was impressive, as many people take a few games to work out the bonus's full significance.



Just to clarify, the effects of multiple Jesters stack, unlike landscapes. I'm sure you had it right, but your wording here made me worry enough to comment.

PoF is my favourite German game, so I always enjoy when someone new to the game likes it.

Yup, thanks, Linnaeus. A couple of people did stack Jesters. In round 4 I was able to purchase my first (and only) Jester cheaply, because by then the competition to buy them had decreased. Given that you only have 7 chances to buy at auction in order to get multiple Jesters you presumably have to sacrifice something else - probably recruitment or prestige cards, since you have to have a couple of landscapes and a builder is a good investment. I must try the 'Jesters strategy' sometime.