One very very very important note: T.I. is and can be brutal, if you're playing with people cannot laugh while watching their empire be obliterated by random happenstance, political sabotage, or by the classic ally turning on them, it will not be enjoyable for anyone. This game must be played with people who can laugh off a loss. And this is a must.
Production quality and humor is excellent in this video. Randomly stumbled here while looking into board games. Hopefully you have continued to make videos of any type.
I've filmed rules videos for two other games so far (Castles of Mad King Ludwig and Eldritch Horror) and will be filming the next one (Dead of Winter) very soon!
Hi guys! I've been playing this game since 2012 with friends and introducing new players to the game has always been time consuming. Thanks to your video, we been introducing new players in record time and were able to start our games earlier as a result. Thanks a lot! Your video is clear, precise, informative, and funny too. If you ever feel like talking about this game again, I would really like you guys to talk about the many optionals rules and variants of the game, stuff like Leaders, Domain Counters or the Age of Empire variant were all objectives are revealed from the start. Also, the expansions really add a lot of fun to the game and if you haven't tried them yet. I really recommand them! Anyway, thanks again guys for the video. It's a very well made useful ressource to help new player get into this great game :)
Best tutorial for TI3 I've seen, perfect for new players. I always send it to friends that are going to play TI3 with my group for the first time, so they know the basic rules.
I picked Twilight imperium up on a sale for dirt cheap, have been super excited to play it. Not only was this one of the funnier things ive seen posted on youtube in a long time, it also gave me a nice foundation of understanding, and made jumping into the game a lot easier. Nice job guys, keep it up! Happily subbed waiting to see what else you guys come up with :)
I’ve played this game once or twice a year for about 5 years now. I watch this video before each game. Thank you so much for this - it is probably my most watched video on UA-cam.
I was invited to play a 6 player game TI3 last week and had never played it. This video helped me to score 8 points in my first game. Had another player not reached 10 before me I would have reached 10 points and won my first game of TI3! I held Mechatol Rex for the entire game but made several tactical errors. It's funny because I was dealt The Sardakk N'orr. Fate? I think so! I might have won but I did not follow your tech tree advice. Extra movement for carriers will be my next focus next time.
You should do another video called "How to convince your stupid friends that don't like TI3 to stop being stupid and play TI3 with you in 32 minutes." Also, great video! :)
Good luck playing it in 32 minutes... I started playing my last game when you first posted that comment. Thought I'd wait for the game to end to respond.
Only just came across this now. I have been looking hard for good instructional videos on TI3 for years, coming up emptyhanded, and was actually starting to feel compelled to make a TI3-instructional series of my own, having taught it extensively. I can now rest my case, as you have done excellently and I doubt anyone will be able to out-do you. A few comments, otherwise not meant to detract from the my overall awe of your video. A) The first mention of PDSs seems to suggest that you can freely shoot at any ships in the system. That is, of course, only the case when you are the one activating the system (firing your own PDSs), but for everyone else with PDSs in range their only choice is whether to shoot at the ships of the activating player or not shoot at all. I am sure you know this and it is only that the current wording can confuse the two for new players. B) Clearer time stamps would be awesome for new players needing to brush up on specific elements of the game. C) This is purely one of personal preference. The choice of Strategy Cards from the base game. I have the impression that most players tend to stray away from those. Partly because some of those from the expansions might be more interesting, partly because one of the originals (Imperium) seems broken in how it locks down the overall gameplay. Considering that you have already made the ultimate instruction video to this otherwise unapproachable game, it could only be topped by you making smaller shorter videos tackling the alternate Strategy Cards and some of the optional rules.
Thanks for the video. Our first game played from 10am till 6pm and we didn't finish. It was amazing fun and just came back to say thanks for this video, it really helped get things rolling. The reference sheets are amazing aids so thanks for the links, the only thing to mention is it included the expansion techs on the flow chart, I was working towards something on a cheat sheet that wasn't in the game.
Oh no! I'm sorry about that. I crossed out all of the expansion techs on my list, but I said that pretty quickly, so it might've been easy to miss. Glad you had a good time though.
This was an excellent video. I'm gearing up to teach this game to five friends, and this is exactly the sort of short (for TI3!) video I was hoping to find for them to prime themselves on. Also, really solid production value. Awesome stuff!
I've had the game for like three years now and never managed to play a game with my friends because the rules were so convoluted. Thanks for making the video and hopefully it'll make it easier for us :)
Best primer we've seen on TI3. Even with some issues that we go over with newbies (some house rules and some expansion rules), this is the best we've seen by far. We actually used this for our most recent game with newbies (March) and will probably be using it for the game next month.
Hey! I just wanted to thank you for creating and sharing this video =) I run the Ottawa Twilight Imperium Cult and use this as a reference for new players, to watch before their first game. It's really helped them feel more comfortable with the game, especially when joining a group of experienced players. Props!
This is awesome! Playing my first TI3 game in two weeks - I'm impressed at the detail and conciseness of this video. I'll be sure to look up your tutorials for other games as well!
Don't be a dick. Jol-nar isn't great in a fight, so try not to have too many enemies, especially early on. Don't pick the technology strategy card that often since you can get two techs in one round when other people pick it (you can also choose not to buy a tech and just get the free one by spending a command counter). Because that can get expensive, make sure to build a good economy early. Settle as much as you can, get good trade agreements (get micro technology immediately), and make friends. If you want to be aggressive, just remember it'll be slow to start. The techs that make other players' ships better mostly just make yours not suck so bad, but you can get war suns faster than anyone else if you want. And pick warfare first round. (I've got a few more videos on first turn strategies for TI3 if you want more tips. One of them will extol the virtues of Warfare)
This is very well done. TI3 is a hard game to teach sometimes and this video just makes it a million times better. All these videos are good, I bought Castles of the Mad King because of it.
Really well done and thanks for making this. Introducing TI3 + Expansions to a group of new players this weekend and I am sending this out to them to prep. Now all I have to worry about are the snacks...
Great introduction. While I have played several games of TI3, it's been some years now without playing (horrible, I know), and a brush-up was much needed. I really enjoyed the order of progression which eased my understanding. Thanks! Will watch that Eldritch Horror video next :)
I'm just a few minutes into the vid but I want to say I love it. Your are entertaining and informative. Thank you for all the little cuts that make this video pop with personality.
Excellent video. Very clear walkthrough even though I don't even own the game (yet). Need to make sure all of the players see this before our first session!
Great video! I'm trying to get my friends together for a first time run through and this is exactly what we need! Also liked the subtle humor. Keep it up!
Hey, great video! I feel a lot more confident in my ability to learn this game for the first time tonight after watching your video. Very informative and well structured. Granted the details are a practice makes patterns type of situation but in general I felt like you did a great job in explaining how the game is played. P.S. The resource links are super helpful too :D
I came here because I heard about StarWars Rebellion that will soon be released, and the game will be similar to Twilight Imperium. I wanted to know more about this game and your video filled me with excitation. Great job explaining that amazing game clearly and in entertaining way !! I hope you will do more videos :-)
+Rocker Volt I'm definitely going to do more videos. Eldritch Horror is next. And if you want to learn more about Star Wars Rebellion, Shut up and Sit Down has a great review of it up on their site www.shutupandsitdown.com/blog/post/review-star-wars-rebellion/
Dexter Long Oh my god, I can't tell you how many times I've messed up Eldritch Horror. That's part of the reason I want teach it, because the rules are so finicky. (I'm pretty sure I have them down by now)
+Jacob Russell Good luck with your game! Make sure to stress to the new player, this game is brutal and having a sense of humor while being obliterated will help everyone enjoy the game.
Just finished our second TI3 game. Boy was it a table-flipper! A lot of buildup without any fighting...huge anticlimactic win that we didn't see coming. 😩. This tutorial was great, even though I'm not a noob. Great job explaining a wildly fun, but intimidating game.
Oh no! That does happen on occasion. Sometimes I start a fight just to make sure that other players feel comfortable getting their hands dirty, even if it means I'm the villain that game. And hey, last time I did that the villain ended up winning, so it's not always a bad strategy anyway.
Great video, really gets the points across in a nice, speedy way. If (when?) I convince new people to play this will definitely be my go-to resource. Bit of a correction though. At 19:20 you say that next turn you pick new strategy cards based on the turn order of the previous round's cards. It's actually just clockwise starting with the speaker.
Appreciate this. I've promised to play this game in the near future despite not being into space games, and it will help save time if the owners of the game don't have to spend an hour explaining everything to me.
Really, 36 minutes passed like minutes. Extremly entertaining awesome job guys!!! However i think you didnt have mentioned that secondary ability of strategy cards can't be used by the card owner(or i just get this wrong whole time). Subscribed and hope for more !!!
This game is so fun. I watched this video and I knew I had to play it. I got the game and got lucky enough to find all the expansions at a local game store. Got a couple people interested and gearing up for our first big game in a couple weeks.
This is a great Vid. The game doesn't seem as hard as others have stated. I felt Eldritch Horror was much harder to learn. This is concise and a fantastic beginner/refresher video. Thanks for the effort.
Awesome video. Probably the best tutorial of this game on YT. I really appreciate how streamlined and to-the-point everything is compared to others!! One question though: Instead of taking your transfer action during the round, is it possible to take a second tactical action? (1. Strategic, 2.Tactical, 3.Tactical, 4. Pass). Thank you!!! #Subbed
+Stickybunfun Absolutely. The only action you are required to take during a round is the Strategic action (unless you have 1/Initiative, which has no strategic action). Besides that, you can take as many Tactical and/or Transfer actions as you want or that your number of command counters/options will allow.
Well, that changes things up a bit. I felt like I wasn't doing something right haha. Thank you for the quick reply and super helpful video. Looking forward to whatever you end up doing next!!
Really enjoyed the video, I realize this came out a year ago, but you should really try the game with the expansions. The distant sun tokens and new political style improve on the game HUGE. Not to mention changing out imperial for bureaucracy or Imperial II makes the game less about who gets imperial first. Well done.
Shame I don't have 5 other players to try this. although this would be good as a computerized game similar to Civilization, But with the same rules as the board game.
Great tutorial. The rule at 12:20 has always been a little unclear for me. The way page 21 reads in the rules you can never move, build or acquire units into a system that would cause it to exceed its fleet supply. So I play that you can't choose to destroy something to move in. The option to scuttle is only in the status phase. Exceptions seem to be when you withdrawal or retreat when the rules specifically say you have to check your fleet supply and destroy any excess.
+AtroposFate Thanks! And yeah, that rule is a little confusing. To me the rulebook (and faq/errata) seems to say "this can never happen, but here's what to do if it does," which is contradictory to me. I decided to go with the interpretation that let me flick a game piece off the board.
+RTFM Players may never voluntarily exceed their fleet supply when moving or building, so the example given in the video is incorrect. You wouldn't be forced to trash the Destroyer, you'd just not be able to move it in at all. The "destroy ships if you exceed your fleet supply" caveat refers to involuntary Fleet Supply reductions(from laws, Action Cards, Techs, etc.), post-retreat culling, and deliberately reducing your Fleet Supply during Status. This is guru-level rules lawyering, though, and doesn't really matter for first game/tutorial play.
thought this was a good video that explains the game well within some humour included. We plan a big T.I. weekend soon, im using this as a refresh for the vets or first step to learn for the newbs
A great video, A very high information to bullshit ratio. I cant stand videos where everyone thinks they are a comedian. i have been interested in learning this game and now perhaps i can find some players and try it.
+Matt Keller I've been getting asked that a lot, and I might do it some time down the road, but for now I'm going to try to focus on some new games and broaden my horizons a bit. ...and also I don't have the expansions, so...yeah. :/
+LordRando PDS units are never targeted during combat. For your question specifically, if you look at page 17 in the rulebook, under "Bombardment," it says that for every hit the bombarding ship scores, the defending player removes one Ground Force. Then later in "Invasion Success," it talks about PDS units and Space Docks being destroyed when the planet is captured by the invader.
I think i would have added an explanation of what removing command counters to reinforcements actually means. This slowed my play through of it up a good bit.
This is amazing!!! Explained this game Really well and easyish to follow...well a lot easier then other vids! I have a friend who wants to play this in a few weeks! Thanks for teaching me how to play :p
I know your probably not gonna see this but on the off chance you do; can a carrier with a movement speed of 2 drop off ships in a system that it isn't traveling too. As in can a carrier holding ground forces move through a system while dropping forces off in it
This is fantastic! One thing that may help, maybe some annotation notes in the description for easy reference? Like say "Oh I forgot how this step works but Id rather watch a video instead of flipping through a book, what time did they talk about that here?"
Great review! But I'd love to see a let's play of the game, as they often cover some of the more silly or strange rules occurrences that a basic rules explanation often skips over.
Your vocal delivery is really great and I understand what you're going for with the acting, mentioning SUSD, but as a rules explanation, I would find it much easier to follow if the camera lingered on the board for longer while you talked over it, rather than just quickly giving us snapshots of foreign visual clutter before continuing with the talking heads. I watched your Root explanation some time ago and don't remember having the same issue so you've probably improved already, though I watched that after attempting to play it once already which would also help. That's my feedback anyway. Thanks for the service.
+RTFM Cool! Eldritch Horror deserves an tutorial like this one. Just shooting at the dark here: Dungeon Petz is also a game that is in need of something like this on UA-cam. :)
at 16:00 1. PDS provides a planetary defence shield which protects against bombardment from the dreadnought but not the war sun (f***ing death star) 2. War sun goes to planet with PDS and the dread takes the other one 3. PDS free shot scores 1 hit 4. War sun scores 3 hits and destroys all ground forces on the planet 5. PDS can't be a target so is not destroyed! => but following #1 the Sun War could hit it nope?
+MortisDux Not quite. A PDS isn't really a unit like the ground forces are, and so they're never targeted. The PDS is only lost If the planet they're on is captured.
Hello! First, thank you so much for making this. It's great! Secondly, would you consider making a revised version, including the Shattered Empire expansion? Many players consider it a required patch that irons out some serious issues with the base game. Regardless, you've got another subscriber!
+dont normally Maybe some day I will. I agree that the base game has issues, but for now I'm not going to cover expansions with my videos because I want them to be as beginner friendly as possible. Thanks for the sub!
just a suggestion, but you should do a weekly review for T.I.3 of each race explaining their strengths and weaknesses. Then explain what strategies to use knowing that.
great video!! about to play that game, that really helped!! I have questions though: at 11:00, when you attack yellow's system, which system do you activate on your turn? the one you're attacking (so 1 system could have command token from different players at the same time)? once you've moved your ships there (from step 2 of activation sequence Move Ships), PDS' free shot and destroyer's anti-fighter barrage belong to Activation Sequence step 4 Space battle ? Thanks again for that video.
+MortisDux Good questions. You always activate the system you're moving into, so yes, you can have one system with multiple players' command counters. Step 3 of the Activation Sequence is PDS fire, so that's its own step. The Destroyer's anti-fighter barrage is part of Step 4, and happens just before space combat begins. It's important to remember that PDS fire isn't part of space combat because you can sometimes (if you've extended the range of your PDS) use them to fire on ships in adjacent systems even if they aren't starting a fight.
+RTFM thank you for these answers!! what would really help your videos for next time is a time list of what explanations starts when :) that would really help going back and forth in the video when in doubt about rule, great great work still!! thanks
Thank you so much for this video, it's very helpful...Can I ask a couple of things though. 1) When I activate, can I activate two different systems on the same tactical action and 2) At the Production step, do I have to activate the home system if I have a Space Dock only at that system? (which means I am gonna produce units once per turn, right?)
No problem, glad you like it. You can activate two systems if you're doing a transfer action, during tactical actions you can only activate one. If you want to build units, you have to activate a system with a Space Dock. At the beginning of the game this will only be your home system, but as you play you'll probably end up building Space Docks elsewhere, so when you activate those systems, you'll be able to build there as well.
Ok, but during the first rounds I only have my Home planet Dock. So, if I activate a non- home planet during Tactical, can I then activate the home system during step 7 so I can produce?
During a Tactical Action you can only activate one system, so that won't be possible. But you can use a Transfer Action to activate two adjacent systems (one being your home system), after which you can produce units in one system.
One very very very important note: T.I. is and can be brutal, if you're playing with people cannot laugh while watching their empire be obliterated by random happenstance, political sabotage, or by the classic ally turning on them, it will not be enjoyable for anyone. This game must be played with people who can laugh off a loss. And this is a must.
+Merchant Ivory (filmstudent) Quite right.
Quick Time Stamps->
0:30 -Actual start
1:41 -PART 1= Basics
2:59 -Phases of Gameplay (starting with 'Action')
9:14 -Shout out to 2 important Techs (XRD Transports & Deep Space Cannons)
9:40 -PART 2= Combat
18:44 -PART 3= Strategies
20:00 -Technology
21:21 -Warfare
22:09 -Trade
24:25 -Logistic
25:00 -Political (also, action cards explained)
27:43 -Diplomacy
28:03 -Initiative
28:50 -Imperial (leads up to Part 4)
28:52 -PART 4= Winning
31:45 -Galaxy Building
33:46 -Final Words
Holy shit this is one of the best videos on UA-cam in terms of quality and conciseness.
I assumed an hour was enough to read up on this. Fuck me.
Haha, thanks!
Awesome. Now I can continue to think about playing TI3 someday
This is by far the best rules explanation video I've seen for TI3. Thanks!
Production quality and humor is excellent in this video. Randomly stumbled here while looking into board games. Hopefully you have continued to make videos of any type.
I've filmed rules videos for two other games so far (Castles of Mad King Ludwig and Eldritch Horror) and will be filming the next one (Dead of Winter) very soon!
Hi guys! I've been playing this game since 2012 with friends and introducing new players to the game has always been time consuming. Thanks to your video, we been introducing new players in record time and were able to start our games earlier as a result. Thanks a lot! Your video is clear, precise, informative, and funny too.
If you ever feel like talking about this game again, I would really like you guys to talk about the many optionals rules and variants of the game, stuff like Leaders, Domain Counters or the Age of Empire variant were all objectives are revealed from the start. Also, the expansions really add a lot of fun to the game and if you haven't tried them yet. I really recommand them!
Anyway, thanks again guys for the video. It's a very well made useful ressource to help new player get into this great game :)
Best tutorial for TI3 I've seen, perfect for new players. I always send it to friends that are going to play TI3 with my group for the first time, so they know the basic rules.
My god where was this when me and my friend basically had to crack the system ON OUR OWN. Thank you sir for doing the good work
Best rule walkthrough of TI ever. Thanks! Will use this for the beginners in our group.
I picked Twilight imperium up on a sale for dirt cheap, have been super excited to play it. Not only was this one of the funnier things ive seen posted on youtube in a long time, it also gave me a nice foundation of understanding, and made jumping into the game a lot easier. Nice job guys, keep it up! Happily subbed waiting to see what else you guys come up with :)
Thanks for the clear, concise tutorial. The writing is excellent and it cleared up several questions we had after reading the manual. Thanks.
No problem! Glad I could help!
I’ve played this game once or twice a year for about 5 years now. I watch this video before each game.
Thank you so much for this - it is probably my most watched video on UA-cam.
Hey thanks! That's awesome!
I was invited to play a 6 player game TI3 last week and had never played it. This video helped me to score 8 points in my first game. Had another player not reached 10 before me I would have reached 10 points and won my first game of TI3! I held Mechatol Rex for the entire game but made several tactical errors. It's funny because I was dealt The Sardakk N'orr. Fate? I think so! I might have won but I did not follow your tech tree advice. Extra movement for carriers will be my next focus next time.
You should do another video called "How to convince your stupid friends that don't like TI3 to stop being stupid and play TI3 with you in 32 minutes." Also, great video! :)
Good luck playing it in 32 minutes... I started playing my last game when you first posted that comment. Thought I'd wait for the game to end to respond.
this is great. you really deserve more views.
+Duggan Friendshuh Thanks! I'm glad you like it.
Only just came across this now. I have been looking hard for good instructional videos on TI3 for years, coming up emptyhanded, and was actually starting to feel compelled to make a TI3-instructional series of my own, having taught it extensively. I can now rest my case, as you have done excellently and I doubt anyone will be able to out-do you.
A few comments, otherwise not meant to detract from the my overall awe of your video.
A) The first mention of PDSs seems to suggest that you can freely shoot at any ships in the system. That is, of course, only the case when you are the one activating the system (firing your own PDSs), but for everyone else with PDSs in range their only choice is whether to shoot at the ships of the activating player or not shoot at all. I am sure you know this and it is only that the current wording can confuse the two for new players.
B) Clearer time stamps would be awesome for new players needing to brush up on specific elements of the game.
C) This is purely one of personal preference. The choice of Strategy Cards from the base game. I have the impression that most players tend to stray away from those. Partly because some of those from the expansions might be more interesting, partly because one of the originals (Imperium) seems broken in how it locks down the overall gameplay. Considering that you have already made the ultimate instruction video to this otherwise unapproachable game, it could only be topped by you making smaller shorter videos tackling the alternate Strategy Cards and some of the optional rules.
Thanks for the video. Our first game played from 10am till 6pm and we didn't finish. It was amazing fun and just came back to say thanks for this video, it really helped get things rolling. The reference sheets are amazing aids so thanks for the links, the only thing to mention is it included the expansion techs on the flow chart, I was working towards something on a cheat sheet that wasn't in the game.
Oh no! I'm sorry about that. I crossed out all of the expansion techs on my list, but I said that pretty quickly, so it might've been easy to miss. Glad you had a good time though.
Yeah one of the few things I'm sure I did, as did we now. Thank you again and no need to be sorry then haha.
This was an excellent video. I'm gearing up to teach this game to five friends, and this is exactly the sort of short (for TI3!) video I was hoping to find for them to prime themselves on. Also, really solid production value. Awesome stuff!
I've had the game for like three years now and never managed to play a game with my friends because the rules were so convoluted. Thanks for making the video and hopefully it'll make it easier for us :)
Best primer we've seen on TI3. Even with some issues that we go over with newbies (some house rules and some expansion rules), this is the best we've seen by far. We actually used this for our most recent game with newbies (March) and will probably be using it for the game next month.
Hey! I just wanted to thank you for creating and sharing this video =) I run the Ottawa Twilight Imperium Cult and use this as a reference for new players, to watch before their first game. It's really helped them feel more comfortable with the game, especially when joining a group of experienced players. Props!
Thanks a lot! Always glad to help people learn a good game.
Way easier to follow than some of the other how to play TI3 videos I have seen. The dummy round for new players suggestion is a good idea.
This is awesome! Playing my first TI3 game in two weeks - I'm impressed at the detail and conciseness of this video. I'll be sure to look up your tutorials for other games as well!
Thanks! Let me know how it goes. Always love hearing TI3 stories.
I will! The random race selection has been done. Time to start planning. I'm Jol-Nar. Any suggestions?
Don't be a dick. Jol-nar isn't great in a fight, so try not to have too many enemies, especially early on. Don't pick the technology strategy card that often since you can get two techs in one round when other people pick it (you can also choose not to buy a tech and just get the free one by spending a command counter). Because that can get expensive, make sure to build a good economy early. Settle as much as you can, get good trade agreements (get micro technology immediately), and make friends. If you want to be aggressive, just remember it'll be slow to start. The techs that make other players' ships better mostly just make yours not suck so bad, but you can get war suns faster than anyone else if you want.
And pick warfare first round. (I've got a few more videos on first turn strategies for TI3 if you want more tips. One of them will extol the virtues of Warfare)
Excellent video. Very clearly articulated and explained. You folks have a real talent for tutorial-giving.
Thank you so much!
I didn't even know I wanted to play Twilight Imperium until I watched this. Now to convince my friends to play.
Thank you
how much is game?
In store it's about $90 USD. You can get it on Amazon for about $70 though.
This is the best instruction video on UA-cam for TI3. Please leave it up for us smucks who haven't gone over to 4th edition.
Of course! I wouldn't dream of taking this down.
This is very well done. TI3 is a hard game to teach sometimes and this video just makes it a million times better.
All these videos are good, I bought Castles of the Mad King because of it.
Thanks! Glad I could help and point you toward a great new game.
Really well done and thanks for making this. Introducing TI3 + Expansions to a group of new players this weekend and I am sending this out to them to prep.
Now all I have to worry about are the snacks...
Great introduction. While I have played several games of TI3, it's been some years now without playing (horrible, I know), and a brush-up was much needed. I really enjoyed the order of progression which eased my understanding. Thanks! Will watch that Eldritch Horror video next :)
The best how-to of a complex board game I've seen. Well done.
I'm just a few minutes into the vid but I want to say I love it.
Your are entertaining and informative. Thank you for all the little cuts that make this video pop with personality.
Excellent video. Very clear walkthrough even though I don't even own the game (yet). Need to make sure all of the players see this before our first session!
This is like the best let's play I've ever seen. Thank you!
Karl Johan Nordensten this is a tutorial not a let's play.
Great video! I'm trying to get my friends together for a first time run through and this is exactly what we need! Also liked the subtle humor. Keep it up!
Hey, great video! I feel a lot more confident in my ability to learn this game for the first time tonight after watching your video. Very informative and well structured. Granted the details are a practice makes patterns type of situation but in general I felt like you did a great job in explaining how the game is played.
P.S.
The resource links are super helpful too :D
I came here because I heard about StarWars Rebellion that will soon be released, and the game will be similar to Twilight Imperium. I wanted to know more about this game and your video filled me with excitation. Great job explaining that amazing game clearly and in entertaining way !! I hope you will do more videos :-)
+Rocker Volt I'm definitely going to do more videos. Eldritch Horror is next. And if you want to learn more about Star Wars Rebellion, Shut up and Sit Down has a great review of it up on their site www.shutupandsitdown.com/blog/post/review-star-wars-rebellion/
+RTFM Great, thank you for the link !! Looking forward to watch your next video. I had great nights with my friends on Arkham horror :-)
+RTFM Can't wait to see your Eldrich horror video. I love fantasy flight games but always end up playing them wrong the first 2-3 times I try
Dexter Long Oh my god, I can't tell you how many times I've messed up Eldritch Horror. That's part of the reason I want teach it, because the rules are so finicky. (I'm pretty sure I have them down by now)
This is so great. I'm hosting a 4 player game in a week or so. Three of us have played but one has not. This is going to be a HUGE help.
+Jacob Russell Good luck with your game! Make sure to stress to the new player, this game is brutal and having a sense of humor while being obliterated will help everyone enjoy the game.
Brilliant video. Thanks! I would wish for a follow up where you go through all expansion modules :)
this is a god send when i have two hours before my guests arrive and i haven't played in a year! Thanks great video.
Time for a new video with 4th edition :)
Yes please!
Do it!
Just finished our second TI3 game. Boy was it a table-flipper! A lot of buildup without any fighting...huge anticlimactic win that we didn't see coming. 😩. This tutorial was great, even though I'm not a noob. Great job explaining a wildly fun, but intimidating game.
Oh no! That does happen on occasion. Sometimes I start a fight just to make sure that other players feel comfortable getting their hands dirty, even if it means I'm the villain that game. And hey, last time I did that the villain ended up winning, so it's not always a bad strategy anyway.
Great video, really gets the points across in a nice, speedy way. If (when?) I convince new people to play this will definitely be my go-to resource.
Bit of a correction though. At 19:20 you say that next turn you pick new strategy cards based on the turn order of the previous round's cards. It's actually just clockwise starting with the speaker.
Thanks for that. I'd put up an annotation fixing it, but UA-cam doesn't allow annotation editing anymore :/
Appreciate this. I've promised to play this game in the near future despite not being into space games, and it will help save time if the owners of the game don't have to spend an hour explaining everything to me.
Thanks for the effort, guys. I have a better picture of the game, before playing it the first time tonight :)
how did it go?
Very well, almost won :)
Really, 36 minutes passed like minutes. Extremly entertaining awesome job guys!!! However i think you didnt have mentioned that secondary ability of strategy cards can't be used by the card owner(or i just get this wrong whole time). Subscribed and hope for more !!!
Subscribed! Keep making videos. Right to the point with fluff only if you want it. Great job dude!
This game is so fun. I watched this video and I knew I had to play it. I got the game and got lucky enough to find all the expansions at a local game store. Got a couple people interested and gearing up for our first big game in a couple weeks.
Man, you really lucked out finding the expansions. The only ones available online are being sold for ridiculous prices.
This is a great Vid. The game doesn't seem as hard as others have stated. I felt Eldritch Horror was much harder to learn. This is concise and a fantastic beginner/refresher video. Thanks for the effort.
Very well done! I'll be using a similar format the next time I get Twilight Imperium to the table.
great video extremely insightful. thank you for taking such an organized and understandable approach.
best wishes!
I wish I had found this before I played TI for the first time. Great video guys!
Awesome video. Probably the best tutorial of this game on YT. I really appreciate how streamlined and to-the-point everything is compared to others!! One question though: Instead of taking your transfer action during the round, is it possible to take a second tactical action? (1. Strategic, 2.Tactical, 3.Tactical, 4. Pass). Thank you!!! #Subbed
+Stickybunfun Absolutely. The only action you are required to take during a round is the Strategic action (unless you have 1/Initiative, which has no strategic action). Besides that, you can take as many Tactical and/or Transfer actions as you want or that your number of command counters/options will allow.
Well, that changes things up a bit. I felt like I wasn't doing something right haha. Thank you for the quick reply and super helpful video. Looking forward to whatever you end up doing next!!
I love using the Jol Nar, because using the tech strategy you can research war Suns on turn TWO.
Also, doctor who theme! Yay!
Really enjoyed the video, I realize this came out a year ago, but you should really try the game with the expansions. The distant sun tokens and new political style improve on the game HUGE. Not to mention changing out imperial for bureaucracy or Imperial II makes the game less about who gets imperial first. Well done.
such a great rules explanation!
Thanks!
Well done. Well done. You should definitely snag both the expansions and do a brief overview of what they change.
6:50 omg this made the entire video
You did a fine job there mate!
Wow. Excelent way to sum it up. Wish I'd had seen this vid before we started playing.
"It's fine, don't even worry about it" LOL!
Great video! One thing I noticed: Bonus counters can be redeemed for a command counter or a trade good, but you just said a trade good.
+rlbond Ooh, good catch. Annotated!
Awesome job! Would love to see more of these "quick as possible" game rule explanations... totally subbed and will share!
great vid! Use it every time someone is new and wants to play!
Great job on the Video. Please, keep up the great work.
Thanks. Playing first game tonight and this will help quite a bit.
Truly fantastic tutorial. Shared with friends!
Shame I don't have 5 other players to try this. although this would be good as a computerized game similar to Civilization, But with the same rules as the board game.
Great tutorial. The rule at 12:20 has always been a little unclear for me. The way page 21 reads in the rules you can never move, build or acquire units into a system that would cause it to exceed its fleet supply. So I play that you can't choose to destroy something to move in. The option to scuttle is only in the status phase. Exceptions seem to be when you withdrawal or retreat when the rules specifically say you have to check your fleet supply and destroy any excess.
+AtroposFate Thanks! And yeah, that rule is a little confusing. To me the rulebook (and faq/errata) seems to say "this can never happen, but here's what to do if it does," which is contradictory to me. I decided to go with the interpretation that let me flick a game piece off the board.
+RTFM Players may never voluntarily exceed their fleet supply when moving or building, so the example given in the video is incorrect. You wouldn't be forced to trash the Destroyer, you'd just not be able to move it in at all. The "destroy ships if you exceed your fleet supply" caveat refers to involuntary Fleet Supply reductions(from laws, Action Cards, Techs, etc.), post-retreat culling, and deliberately reducing your Fleet Supply during Status. This is guru-level rules lawyering, though, and doesn't really matter for first game/tutorial play.
thought this was a good video that explains the game well within some humour included. We plan a big T.I. weekend soon, im using this as a refresh for the vets or first step to learn for the newbs
Way to go man. this video was awesome thanks!!
Brilliant video. Really deserves more views! :D
We will need a "Twilight Imperium 4th Edition in 32 minutes" video now... :)
Oh don't you worry. I'm already preparing for that.
31 minutes.
A great video, A very high information to bullshit ratio. I cant stand videos where everyone thinks they are a comedian.
i have been interested in learning this game and now perhaps i can find some players and try it.
Two cute guys explaining an awesome game, just perfect. Thanks so much!
Just played today, due to game length we dont play that often, and watching this last night would have been a good refresh
As a huge fan of TI3, consider me a new fan - great video. I have to ask though - when is the video coming with the expansions included :)?
+Matt Keller I've been getting asked that a lot, and I might do it some time down the road, but for now I'm going to try to focus on some new games and broaden my horizons a bit.
...and also I don't have the expansions, so...yeah. :/
Any thoughts on doing a TI4 version of this very fun and super helpful learning tool?
16:30 Where do the rules refer to that PDS Units cant be taken as casulties during bombardment of a War Sun?
+LordRando PDS units are never targeted during combat. For your question specifically, if you look at page 17 in the rulebook, under "Bombardment," it says that for every hit the bombarding ship scores, the defending player removes one Ground Force. Then later in "Invasion Success," it talks about PDS units and Space Docks being destroyed when the planet is captured by the invader.
This is a fantastic video. I've shared it with all my friends.
I think i would have added an explanation of what removing command counters to reinforcements actually means. This slowed my play through of it up a good bit.
Very nice job! Will link to buddies and make them watch before we play :)
This is amazing!!! Explained this game Really well and easyish to follow...well a lot easier then other vids! I have a friend who wants to play this in a few weeks! Thanks for teaching me how to play :p
Great vid. Any plans on releasing an updated version, since 4th edition is coming?
Amazing job. Using this to teach the game on Sunday!
+Hans Saunders Let me know how it goes!
Went fantastic. The video was a big help! We got about three rounds in as an introductory game and had a blast. Can't wait to get a full game in asap.
Thanks for the Video, subscribed. I have a game comming up on Sunday and this is allthe preparation I'll be having :D
Thanks, hope it goes well!
I know your probably not gonna see this but on the off chance you do; can a carrier with a movement speed of 2 drop off ships in a system that it isn't traveling too. As in can a carrier holding ground forces move through a system while dropping forces off in it
They can't drop off ground forces like that, but they can pick up GFs that are on the way.
This is fantastic! One thing that may help, maybe some annotation notes in the description for easy reference? Like say "Oh I forgot how this step works but Id rather watch a video instead of flipping through a book, what time did they talk about that here?"
Amazing tutorial !
Great review! But I'd love to see a let's play of the game, as they often cover some of the more silly or strange rules occurrences that a basic rules explanation often skips over.
+Jimmiusmaximus I've thought about it, but it is an 8-hour game. I might do something similar to this though: bit.ly/1UxV6bM
RTFM Good idea, the 'diary format' is one of my favorite things about the SUSD plays.
(it would be a monster to edit though!)
Jimmiusmaximus Yeah...honestly, I'm worrying about getting enough people together to just play the game first.
Just bought 3rd Edition. Thanks for this! It feels like it's been really useful. (I'll find out tomorrow, I suppose?)
Thanks, good luck!
Your vocal delivery is really great and I understand what you're going for with the acting, mentioning SUSD, but as a rules explanation, I would find it much easier to follow if the camera lingered on the board for longer while you talked over it, rather than just quickly giving us snapshots of foreign visual clutter before continuing with the talking heads. I watched your Root explanation some time ago and don't remember having the same issue so you've probably improved already, though I watched that after attempting to play it once already which would also help. That's my feedback anyway. Thanks for the service.
Yeah, this was my first video and I definitely learned a lot from it. Since then I've tried to include more and more game footage.
This tutorial is amazing, you're really good at this.
Any plans to do start doing videos about other games?
+Guilherme S Sure do. Next game on my list is Eldritch Horror.
+RTFM Cool! Eldritch Horror deserves an tutorial like this one. Just shooting at the dark here: Dungeon Petz is also a game that is in need of something like this on UA-cam. :)
I've never actually played Dungeon Petz. Heard it's good though.
+RTFM Oh well, still can't wait to see the next videos, I tend to buy games after watching rule tutorials and yours just made me buy TI3.
at 16:00
1. PDS provides a planetary defence shield which protects against bombardment from the dreadnought but not the war sun (f***ing death star)
2. War sun goes to planet with PDS and the dread takes the other one
3. PDS free shot scores 1 hit
4. War sun scores 3 hits and destroys all ground forces on the planet
5. PDS can't be a target so is not destroyed! => but following #1 the Sun War could hit it nope?
+MortisDux Not quite. A PDS isn't really a unit like the ground forces are, and so they're never targeted. The PDS is only lost If the planet they're on is captured.
Very helpful gentlemen. Much appreciated.
Hello! First, thank you so much for making this. It's great!
Secondly, would you consider making a revised version, including the Shattered Empire expansion?
Many players consider it a required patch that irons out some serious issues with the base game.
Regardless, you've got another subscriber!
+dont normally Maybe some day I will. I agree that the base game has issues, but for now I'm not going to cover expansions with my videos because I want them to be as beginner friendly as possible. Thanks for the sub!
just a suggestion, but you should do a weekly review for T.I.3 of each race explaining their strengths and weaknesses. Then explain what strategies to use knowing that.
great video!! about to play that game, that really helped!! I have questions though: at 11:00, when you attack yellow's system, which system do you activate on your turn? the one you're attacking (so 1 system could have command token from different players at the same time)? once you've moved your ships there (from step 2 of activation sequence Move Ships), PDS' free shot and destroyer's anti-fighter barrage belong to Activation Sequence step 4 Space battle ? Thanks again for that video.
+MortisDux Good questions. You always activate the system you're moving into, so yes, you can have one system with multiple players' command counters. Step 3 of the Activation Sequence is PDS fire, so that's its own step. The Destroyer's anti-fighter barrage is part of Step 4, and happens just before space combat begins. It's important to remember that PDS fire isn't part of space combat because you can sometimes (if you've extended the range of your PDS) use them to fire on ships in adjacent systems even if they aren't starting a fight.
+RTFM thank you for these answers!! what would really help your videos for next time is a time list of what explanations starts when :) that would really help going back and forth in the video when in doubt about rule, great great work still!! thanks
+MortisDux Not a bad idea
What is that lone fighter doing in the Mellon/Zobat system during the Transfer action explanation? Lovely video - kudos!
+Hector Flores Yeah, that was a little mistake. Pretend there's a spacedock there.
Thank you so much for this video, it's very helpful...Can I ask a couple of things though. 1) When I activate, can I activate two different systems on the same tactical action and 2) At the Production step, do I have to activate the home system if I have a Space Dock only at that system? (which means I am gonna produce units once per turn, right?)
No problem, glad you like it. You can activate two systems if you're doing a transfer action, during tactical actions you can only activate one. If you want to build units, you have to activate a system with a Space Dock. At the beginning of the game this will only be your home system, but as you play you'll probably end up building Space Docks elsewhere, so when you activate those systems, you'll be able to build there as well.
Ok, but during the first rounds I only have my Home planet Dock. So, if I activate a non- home planet during Tactical, can I then activate the home system during step 7 so I can produce?
During a Tactical Action you can only activate one system, so that won't be possible. But you can use a Transfer Action to activate two adjacent systems (one being your home system), after which you can produce units in one system.