Haven't tried this Scenario yet, looks like it can be pretty crunched for time! We have played several times with 2-4 players, no solo yet so looking forward to trying this option.
Hi there. I have played through Mines Liberation Solo with this set up:- 8 Country tiles, 2 Core non city tiles and 1 Core city Tile. This means there are 7 mines to liberate. I give myself 3 days and 3 nights to complete the quest. Its hard but I have managed it. I don't consider myself good at Mage Knight yet but I believe this is a good set up. If you want to make it harder and have the 'Lost Legion' expansion then just exchange some of those tiles with the basic ones. You'll end up with more mines and tougher challenges! I did that initially and kicked my ass badly! I'm enjoying your series. Its definitely getting me thinking about my strategy more! I'd be fascinated to know of any other solo scenario conversions you've made. Cheers.
sidsmiff I think I would also up the time to 3 days/3 nights. Especially since that city tile is surrounded by desert. I am constantly checking BBG for new variants and am also thinking of trying the Lost Legion expansion as well. I'm always eager to break out this game!
Solo McLaughlin I can highly recommend a "Super Epic Conquest-scenario" on Boardgamegeek. I've played throught it once with all 5 characters now, and it's the absolute best way to play MK solo :) Here's the link. www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/1210366/super-epic-conquest
I always choose early bird solo because the tactics you choose get removed at the end of round so I would rather it be gone quicker so I have a chance at better tactics later in the game!
Just a little rule error I picked up (I am learning the game and have found there are a few subtle but import rule differences between the rules and the walkthrough). You only make sure there is one unit with the village recruit symbol for the first scenario otherwise it all random unless a scenario dictates it or you wish the tweek thing to make it easier. Anyway great video I love your voice and articulation.
Just finished my third attempt at a solo conquest playthrough. On the positive side I think this is the first game in which I played all the rules correctly. I finished the game having conquered the level 5 city taken 4 wounds and scored 104 fame. So a step forward but still a mile of winning. So what went wrong? I am sure I made many mistakes I don't yet recognise but one I do is my movement, the way I explored the map lead me to loose maybe a round or more in turns. It was only during this game that I was conscious that core tiles cannot be placed on the right or left most edges of the wedge map. It seems to me it would be really help if someone who has mastered beating 'solo conquest' posted a timeline of goals need to be reached at the end of each round. I have not found anything this specific. Here is my own timeline which is bound to be wrong but I have put up so others can use the idea to help those of us trying to crack this puzzel. I would really appreciate people adding details like when and many keeps/mage towers you should have knocked over, where your reputation should be (I have found during early game judicously burning villages to be vital as long as you keep you rep up by killing rampaging enemies). End of round 2: Be at least Level 3 and above, have conquered at least one or more keeps. Most importantly have revealed a core tile. Have recruited two standard units Mid Game rounds 3-4: Be at least level 5 and above by the end of round 4. Have revealled the locations of one preferrably both cities. Have recruited 3 elite units, have a decent spell or two. (I have yet to get an artifact though I suspect burning down a monastary near the end of the game would make most sense when the loss of 3 reputation doesn't matter, what evil pragmatic bastards we Mage knights are). You will have at least two skill chip tokens plus two advanced skills. I suspect you should have launched your opening salvo on the level 5 city by the end of round 4 so your units are refreshed for round 5. Rounds 5-6 End Game. If you keep close to this schedule then you should have knocked over the first city at the beginning of round 5. I found three elite units was just enough to knock over a level 5 city. If I hadn't been in a rush I know I could of kept my wounds down to two. To beat the final city I think will require 4 elite units so you will need to time in round five to get to level 7 and between now and your final city assault recruit and elite unit plus arrive at the level 8 city with a minimum of 3 to 4 turns to have a decent shot of taking it down. In conclusion acording to other quides I have read you need to keep you wound to 2 and below plus manage your mana accumulation so you have 3 to 4 mana on hand especialy in the opening salvo's of city assaults. All easier said than done. Once again props to Solo McLauglin (I am yet to finish watching her stuff as I can't stop playing) I am far from cracking this nut so any advice is most welcome especially a critique of the above timeline. Finally I noticed a written solo walkthrough in BGG MK files where they scored over 500 fame which gave me some perspective on just how far I have to travel. Also I don't know about anyone else but I would love it if they produced a delux/collectors edition of this game. Imagine Mage Knight with full sized source dice (I wish they would at least produce these), metal figures, painted cities, A better looking fame board with the numbers overlaying an image perhaps (I plan to make my own), glass mana crystals. And finally plastic/metal painted figures for all the mobs with the stats on the base. It would be awesome, a WIZ KID kickstarter perhaps?
"Finally I noticed a written solo walkthrough in BGG MK files where they scored over 500 fame which gave me some perspective on just how far I have to travel. Also I don't know about anyone else but I would love it if they produced a delux/collectors edition of this game." Can you link the post? im intrigued!!
Wow I had assumed early Early Bird was useless in solo play but squeezing out the extra turns is now obviously more important when the scenrio's of MK are so tight. So do this mean solo player's should typically begin a round taking the lowest cards unless circumstances dictate otherwise through the whole game?
I usually like the manipulation tactics like the one that lets you reroll the mana dice. But now that Early Bird will give you an extra turn? I guess it is just another factor you have to weigh when deciding....
Solo McLaughlin Having read some strategy guides today they stressed some things over others in terms of efficacy. One move away from reliance on the source to power your attacks as soon as possible (you have said this yourself). So when weighing up whether to take 1 or 2 tactic card versus choosing the 3 tactic I think the extra turn will trump it most times. An extra turn can mean getting to mine or glade, defeating a monster den all which put mana into your inventory. The other key point I discovered is units are key to taking down the cities, a powerful spell or two can help but are way mana intensive to get the job done. One player who claim to beat MK solo conquest all the time stressed uncovering a 'core tile' by the second day so you have access to the advanced units. The extra turns are crucial for two turns of extra movement in the first couple of days. Now its time to see if I can put this stuff into practtise myself.
I stumbled on your channel today. I have only watched the first 2 videos of this series but plant to watch more. Hopefully I can give you some good advice. First, Early Bird is NOT useless in solo play. The Right Moment is the useless tactic. They both give you an extra turn. There is one BIG difference that you are overlooking. If the dummy player takes TRM he does not use its ability. That means taking EB instead of TRM gives you 2 extra turns. 1 on day you take it and 1 on the day the dummy player takes TRM. (20% chance you get unlucky and these are on the same day.) Example: I take EB on day 1 and the dummy takes Mana Steal (1 extra turn) On day 2 (or 3) I take Rethink and dummy takes TRM (1 extra turn) or I take TRM on day 1 and the dummy takes Mana Steal (1 extra turn) On day 2 (or 3) I take Rethink and the dummy takes EB (dummy gets the extra turn)
lucasbaron1 Thanks for this insight. I had not realized that letting dummy take Right Moment would be a tactical advantage. Very devious. I like the way you think! ;)
Solo McLaughlin Good, because here are more thoughts. I understand your argument that Rethink and Planning get stronger later in the game but I think Great Start and Mana Steal get stronger also. A hand of 7 cards on the first turn of the game is only good if you are actually going to use them. Wouldn't starting day 2 on top of a mine and drawing 8 cards or using 2 free mana be a more effective use of these tactics? I have stopped outside a city in a village at the end of the second night, used Great Start and then Plundered the village to make my first turn on the 3rd day a very big turn. The 4 extra cards made assaulting the city much easier. I think you dismissed the best card for this situation before even considering it. I would have taken Planning. My first turn would have been moving to the village near the mine. Draw 2 cards. Ideally I get some influence so I can recruit. Draw to 6 again. Plunder the village and now that I have crossbowmen and 8 cards in hand including concentration and battle versatility. That is enough to take on the mine.
lucasbaron1 thats really advanced play, to have the notions of all the resources you have and when to use them. I tend not to plunder the villages, i don't know why, maybe because i don't like seeing my reputation so low. I really liked the mental model you presented!
+lucasbaron1 Yes, that's almost exactly the play I would have made. Taking planning when you're level one (and thus bumping your hand size to 6 for most of the round), is so, so good. I would also have moved to the village near the mine, and then used crystallize with a green die to get a green crystal. That way you draw four cards (maximizing your chance drawing influence) and have a green crystal banked to power up the amazing concentration + battle versatility combo. If you don';t draw any influence, plunder the village for two more cards - and take a moment to gaze in awe at being on turn 2 of the entire game and having a hand of 8 cards. Assuming you get the influence you need with either the draw or the plunder, I'd recruit the crossbowmen, plunder the village (for the first time, or again), and then go take out that mine.
This is such a cool channel. Love the videos. Its like you're hands have a personality all their own. :D
Keep up the great work... very enjoying to watch you!
Haven't tried this Scenario yet, looks like it can be pretty crunched for time! We have played several times with 2-4 players, no solo yet so looking forward to trying this option.
You are a fantastic presenter 👍👍
Hi there. I have played through Mines Liberation Solo with this set up:-
8 Country tiles, 2 Core non city tiles and 1 Core city Tile.
This means there are 7 mines to liberate.
I give myself 3 days and 3 nights to complete the quest.
Its hard but I have managed it. I don't consider myself good at Mage Knight yet but I believe this is a good set up. If you want to make it harder and have the 'Lost Legion' expansion then just exchange some of those tiles with the basic ones. You'll end up with more mines and tougher challenges! I did that initially and kicked my ass badly!
I'm enjoying your series. Its definitely getting me thinking about my strategy more! I'd be fascinated to know of any other solo scenario conversions you've made.
Cheers.
sidsmiff I think I would also up the time to 3 days/3 nights. Especially since that city tile is surrounded by desert. I am constantly checking BBG for new variants and am also thinking of trying the Lost Legion expansion as well. I'm always eager to break out this game!
Solo McLaughlin I can highly recommend a "Super Epic Conquest-scenario" on Boardgamegeek. I've played throught it once with all 5 characters now, and it's the absolute best way to play MK solo :) Here's the link. www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/1210366/super-epic-conquest
Hey, you should play the solo variant for Nations. You'll love it
Good afternoon! Is this game one where you keep track of your progress?
I always choose early bird solo because the tactics you choose get removed at the end of round so I would rather it be gone quicker so I have a chance at better tactics later in the game!
Just a little rule error I picked up (I am learning the game and have found there are a few subtle but import rule differences between the rules and the walkthrough). You only make sure there is one unit with the village recruit symbol for the first scenario otherwise it all random unless a scenario dictates it or you wish the tweek thing to make it easier. Anyway great video I love your voice and articulation.
Yup. You are correct. Only on the start of the game.
Just finished my third attempt at a solo conquest playthrough. On the positive side I think this is the first game in which I played all the rules correctly. I finished the game having conquered the level 5 city taken 4 wounds and scored 104 fame. So a step forward but still a mile of winning.
So what went wrong? I am sure I made many mistakes I don't yet recognise but one I do is my movement, the way I explored the map lead me to loose maybe a round or more in turns. It was only during this game that I was conscious that core tiles cannot be placed on the right or left most edges of the wedge map.
It seems to me it would be really help if someone who has mastered beating 'solo conquest' posted a timeline of goals need to be reached at the end of each round. I have not found anything this specific.
Here is my own timeline which is bound to be wrong but I have put up so others can use the idea to help those of us trying to crack this puzzel. I would really appreciate people adding details like when and many keeps/mage towers you should have knocked over, where your reputation should be (I have found during early game judicously burning villages to be vital as long as you keep you rep up by killing rampaging enemies).
End of round 2: Be at least Level 3 and above, have conquered at least one or more keeps. Most importantly have revealed a core tile. Have recruited two standard units
Mid Game rounds 3-4: Be at least level 5 and above by the end of round 4. Have revealled the locations of one preferrably both cities.
Have recruited 3 elite units, have a decent spell or two. (I have yet to get an artifact though I suspect burning down a monastary near the end of the game would make most sense when the loss of 3 reputation doesn't matter, what evil pragmatic bastards we Mage knights are).
You will have at least two skill chip tokens plus two advanced skills. I suspect you should have launched your opening salvo on the level 5 city by the end of round 4 so your units are refreshed for round 5.
Rounds 5-6 End Game. If you keep close to this schedule then you should have knocked over the first city at the beginning of round 5. I found three elite units was just enough to knock over a level 5 city. If I hadn't been in a rush I know I could of kept my wounds down to two.
To beat the final city I think will require 4 elite units so you will need to time in round five to get to level 7 and between now and your final city assault recruit and elite unit plus arrive at the level 8 city with a minimum of 3 to 4 turns to have a decent shot of taking it down.
In conclusion acording to other quides I have read you need to keep you wound to 2 and below plus manage your mana accumulation so you have 3 to 4 mana on hand especialy in the opening salvo's of city assaults. All easier said than done.
Once again props to Solo McLauglin (I am yet to finish watching her stuff as I can't stop playing) I am far from cracking this nut so any advice is most welcome especially a critique of the above timeline.
Finally I noticed a written solo walkthrough in BGG MK files where they scored over 500 fame which gave me some perspective on just how far I have to travel. Also I don't know about anyone else but I would love it if they produced a delux/collectors edition of this game.
Imagine Mage Knight with full sized source dice (I wish they would at least produce these), metal figures, painted cities, A better looking fame board with the numbers overlaying an image perhaps (I plan to make my own), glass mana crystals. And finally plastic/metal painted figures for all the mobs with the stats on the base. It would be awesome, a WIZ KID kickstarter perhaps?
"Finally I noticed a written solo walkthrough in BGG MK files where they scored over 500 fame which gave me some perspective on just how far I have to travel. Also I don't know about anyone else but I would love it if they produced a delux/collectors edition of this game."
Can you link the post? im intrigued!!
Wow I had assumed early Early Bird was useless in solo play but squeezing out the extra turns is now obviously more important when the scenrio's of MK are so tight. So do this mean solo player's should typically begin a round taking the lowest cards unless circumstances dictate otherwise through the whole game?
I usually like the manipulation tactics like the one that lets you reroll the mana dice. But now that Early Bird will give you an extra turn? I guess it is just another factor you have to weigh when deciding....
Solo McLaughlin Having read some strategy guides today they stressed some things over others in terms of efficacy. One move away from reliance on the source to power your attacks as soon as possible (you have said this yourself). So when weighing up whether to take 1 or 2 tactic card versus choosing the 3 tactic I think the extra turn will trump it most times. An extra turn can mean getting to mine or glade, defeating a monster den all which put mana into your inventory.
The other key point I discovered is units are key to taking down the cities, a powerful spell or two can help but are way mana intensive to get the job done. One player who claim to beat MK solo conquest all the time stressed uncovering a 'core tile' by the second day so you have access to the advanced units. The extra turns are crucial for two turns of extra movement in the first couple of days.
Now its time to see if I can put this stuff into practtise myself.
I stumbled on your channel today. I have only watched the first 2 videos of this series but plant to watch more. Hopefully I can give you some good advice.
First, Early Bird is NOT useless in solo play. The Right Moment is the useless tactic. They both give you an extra turn. There is one BIG difference that you are overlooking. If the dummy player takes TRM he does not use its ability. That means taking EB instead of TRM gives you 2 extra turns. 1 on day you take it and 1 on the day the dummy player takes TRM. (20% chance you get unlucky and these are on the same day.)
Example: I take EB on day 1 and the dummy takes Mana Steal (1 extra turn)
On day 2 (or 3) I take Rethink and dummy takes TRM (1 extra turn)
or
I take TRM on day 1 and the dummy takes Mana Steal (1 extra turn)
On day 2 (or 3) I take Rethink and the dummy takes EB (dummy gets the extra turn)
lucasbaron1 Thanks for this insight. I had not realized that letting dummy take Right Moment would be a tactical advantage. Very devious. I like the way you think! ;)
Solo McLaughlin Good, because here are more thoughts.
I understand your argument that Rethink and Planning get stronger later in the game but I think Great Start and Mana Steal get stronger also. A hand of 7 cards on the first turn of the game is only good if you are actually going to use them. Wouldn't starting day 2 on top of a mine and drawing 8 cards or using 2 free mana be a more effective use of these tactics? I have stopped outside a city in a village at the end of the second night, used Great Start and then Plundered the village to make my first turn on the 3rd day a very big turn. The 4 extra cards made assaulting the city much easier.
I think you dismissed the best card for this situation before even considering it. I would have taken Planning. My first turn would have been moving to the village near the mine. Draw 2 cards. Ideally I get some influence so I can recruit. Draw to 6 again. Plunder the village and now that I have crossbowmen and 8 cards in hand including concentration and battle versatility. That is enough to take on the mine.
lucasbaron1 thats really advanced play, to have the notions of all the resources you have and when to use them. I tend not to plunder the villages, i don't know why, maybe because i don't like seeing my reputation so low. I really liked the mental model you presented!
+lucasbaron1 Yes, that's almost exactly the play I would have made. Taking planning when you're level one (and thus bumping your hand size to 6 for most of the round), is so, so good.
I would also have moved to the village near the mine, and then used crystallize with a green die to get a green crystal. That way you draw four cards (maximizing your chance drawing influence) and have a green crystal banked to power up the amazing concentration + battle versatility combo. If you don';t draw any influence, plunder the village for two more cards - and take a moment to gaze in awe at being on turn 2 of the entire game and having a hand of 8 cards.
Assuming you get the influence you need with either the draw or the plunder, I'd recruit the crossbowmen, plunder the village (for the first time, or again), and then go take out that mine.
Gostei :) Muito bom !
Good video
Talking hands!
Hello
you talk so much and you move your hands a lot....