My Space Fleet is Invincible! — Let's Play Twilight Imperium Third Edition

You have to tap a planet other than Velnor, I think. Because Velnor is one of your red tech specs, and you can't use the tech spec if it's tapped. El'Nath would work, since it has the same 2/0 and you won't be needing that blue spec this round.

Actually, never mind. I think it's fine the way you did it, since the discount would be applied to the purchase price before the tech is paid for.

Oooh, I messed up earlier. I completely forgot I got Micro Technology (specifically to make up for only getting one trade good from the Trade card, even); I should have taken three trade goods instead. I'm willing to suck it up as a learning experience but if everyone's willing to let me take my extra two trade goods retroactively that would be pretty awesome.

I'm down with that.

I'm generally fine with making up for stuff like that as long as it doesn't really affect anything that's happened up to now (like, you can't go back now and steal the Trade Good I got from taking Warfare's bonus token), so go for it.

TECHNOLOGY II
1. Epithet — PRIMARY
2. Lucas — SECONDARY
3. `Hrist — SECONDARY
4. Sarcasmorator — SECONDARY
5. Googleshng — SECONDARY
6. Severian — SECONDARY
7. Egarwaen (SPEAKER) — SECONDARY
8. L1Z1X Mindnet — PASSED

After spending months among the harsh conditions of Wren Terra and Quocen'n, the mad vampiric scientists of Letnev uncover new technological secrets.

Activate Technology II secondary. Spend a point from Strategy Allocation. Tap Wren Terra and Qucen'n for 3 resources along with 3 Trade Goods. Purchase Enviro Compensators.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 1
Strategy Allocation: 1
Fleet Supply: 3 (+1)
Activations: 0

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Arc Prime – 4/0
Wren Terra – 2/1
Qucen'n -- 1/2
Primor -- 2/1 (Ground Troop Refresh)
Rarron -- 0/3 (Green Tech Spec)
Hope's End -- 3/0 (Shock Troopers)

UNITS (Deployed/Total)
Arc Prime/Wren Terra -- Space Dockx2, Dreadnoughtx1, Carrierx2, Ground Forcex1, Fighterx2,Cruiserx1
Qucen'n -- Ground Forcesx2,
Rarron -- Carriersx1, Ground Forcesx1
Primor -- Ground Troopx2
Hope's End -- Carrierx1, Fightersx3, Destroyerx1, Ground Troopx1, Shock Troopx2, Space Dockx1

TECHNOLOGIES OWNED
Hylar V Assault Laser
Antimass Deflectors
XRD Transporters – +1 Carrier movement
Enviro Compensators

TRADE CONTRACTS
Terran 2
Egarwen 2

Trade Goods: 1

VICTORY POINTS: 1

"OK guys. We've been going over the budget here. That whole crazy mass research thing you just splurged on totally broke the bank for us. When you do stuff like that, it consumes all the resources in our empire, and... that's just not sustainable. Learn some restraint."

"Hmm... consuming too many resources? Hey everybody! Let's see if we can research a solution to this problem!"

"I'll start ordering new computers!"

Activating Tech 2 and exhausting all my planets again (except Mehar Xull) and burning a trade good. That gives me 12 resources to work with. I get a 1 resource discount on every tech that isn't yellow. That gives me just enough for another 3 tech binge, provided only the first is yellow.

First off, let's get us some Micro Technology. The server room's just getting too cramped. Also, I don't think we have quite enough interns to serve our needs. We'll have to develop Gen Synthesis to clone up some more. Drat. They keep passing out running back and forth to the commissary. Better re-engineer the template and give it a Hypermetabolism. There! Now next time I do this, I'll only MOSTLY cripple my entire civilization!

CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 2
Political Cards: 0
Trade Goods: 2

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Jol – 1/2
Nar – 2/3
Capha – 3/0
Arnor 2/1
Lor 1/2 (Red Tech Specialty)
Starpoint 3/1
New Albion 1/1 (Green Tech Specialty)
Mehar Xull 1/3 (Blue Tech Specialty)
Mirage – 1/2 (Fighters)

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 1
Strategy Allocation: 1
Fleet Supply: 2
Activations: 0

TECHNOLOGIES OWNED
Hylar V Assault Laser
Deep Space Cannons
Magen Defense Grid
Antimass Deflectors
XRD Transporters
Cybernetics
Gen Synthesis
Hypermetabolism
Enviro Compensator
Sarween Tools
Micro Technology

The rate at which the Universities can get new tech in play with Technology II is kind of terrifying, I have to say. Even if all the +1 to attack roll techs just get them in line with everyone else's base combat scores.

Note to self: be very afraid of former masters. Clearly setting fire to their server room didn't set them back as far as we hoped.

Yeah, I'd potentially be pretty freaking scary right now if I weren't still ultimately in hippie mode. As is, I'm probably just going to chill out over here researching stuff for the sake of having it researched until either I run out, or someone's crazy enough to try and attack me. Half my ship types still suck in combat and all... I think. I need to make a reference sheet of what all has bonuses right now.

Well, if people are cool with me taking the two trade goods I missed, I now have five. I'll activate the Technology secondary, spend 1 strategy CC and four trade goods and buy the Cybernetics tech using my green specialties on Xxehan and Lodor.

I now have remaining:
1 trade good
1 strategy CC

Yeah, it's tough to remember, so this round I posted brief tech descriptions of all my techs when I bought the new one, for my own reference as much as anyone else's. But I'm pretty sure you currently have +1 to Fighters, Cruisers, Destroyers, PDS and Ground Forces, and an additional +1 to GF when they're defending. And those are just the combat bonuses.

The Yin have visited all of the amusement parks around Florr-idarr, and are getting ready to grab a rental space car and head to parts unknown. In order to interface with the Galactic Positioning System, they need to upgrade their head jacks.

Researching Cybernetics, Fighters get +1 on all rolls. We exhaust Tar'Mann and Gral for 2 resources, and spend 4 Trade Goods.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 3
Strategy Allocation: 2
Fleet Supply: 3
Activations: 0
Total in play: 8/16

Trade Goods: 2

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Darien – 2/4
Arinam - 1/2, Blue Tech SpecialtyMeer - 0/4
Centauri - 1/3
Gral - 1/1, Blue Tech Specialty
Tar'Mann - 1/1

The L1Z1X Mindnet tires of being so short on strategic flexibility, and executes the primary ability of Bureaucracy:



Their free Command Counter goes into Strategy Allocation. And our new Public Objective is:

I control Planets with total Influence greater than the players to my right and left.

And whaddya know, with 8 influence vs. 5 for the Sardakk N'orr and 6 for the Embers of Muaat, the L1Z1X actually do! So they also claim an immediate Victory Point, for a total of 2.

No need to wait for everyone to activate the secondary; just post before your next action. Sol will pass.

Lucas is up.

The Mentak spend a strategy CC to activate the Bureacracy secondary and draw their cards.

They then demonstrate their Leadership:



Taking charge and putting two CCs in strategy and one in the command pool. Not activating the secondary.

Command Pool: 3/3
Strategy Allocation: 2/2

Since we're waiting on secondary passes/activations for two strat cards right now, I think it's probably good to pause a while and let those be mostly resolved. Game's complicated enough without playing too far ahead.

Agreed. I'll post status for both below.

The L1Z1X Mindnet will exhaust Mellon, and Rigel I, II and III for 6 influence, and take 3 Command Counters, placing 1 in Fleet Supply and 2 in Strategy Allocation.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 2
Fleet Supply: 5
Activations: 0
Total in play: 9/16

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
[0.0.0.] – 5/0
Mellon – 0/2
Zohbat – 3/1, Blue tech specialty
Rigel I – 0/1
Rigel II – 1/2
Rigel III – 1/1, Blue tech specialty
Quann – 2/1, Green tech specialty

The Federation of Sol will exhaust Vega Minor for 2 influence to purchase 1 CC, and place it in Fleet Supply.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 2
Fleet Supply: 5
Activations: 1
Total in play: 10/16

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Jord – 4/2
Vega Major – 2/1
Vega Minor – 1/2, Blue tech specialty
Lazar – 1/0
Sakulag – 2/1
Thibah – 1/1
Arcturus – 1/1
Sumerian – 2/2, Refresh Ability: 2 Trade Goods

BUREAUCRACY
1. L1Z1X Mindnet — PRIMARY
2. Epithet — PASSED
3. Lucas — SECONDARY
4. `Hrist — PASSED
5. Sarcasmorator — PASSED
6. Googleshng — SECONDARY
7. Severian — PASSED
8. Egarwaen (SPEAKER) — PASSED

LEADERSHIP
1. Lucas — PRIMARY
2. `Hrist — SECONDARY
3. Sarcasmorator — SECONDARY
4. Googleshng — SECONDARY
5. Severian — SECONDARY
6. Egarwaen (SPEAKER) — SECONDARY
7. L1Z1X Mindnet — SECONDARY
8. Epithet — SECONDARY

Passing on Bureaucracy's secondary.

Tapping Loki and Perimeter for two command counters, and placing one in Command Pool and one in SA.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 3
Strategy Allocation: 2
Fleet Supply: 3

PLANETS
Quinarra – 3/1
Tren’lak – 1/0
Ashtroth 2/0
Abbadon 1/0 (red tech specialty)
Loki 1/2
Perimeter 2/2
Vefut II 2/0 (red tech specialty)

Pass on Bureaucracy.

Activate Leadership secondary. Exhaust Rarron for 3 influence to get one CC. That one CC goes into the regular pool.

Pass on Bureaocracy, activating Leadership. Exhausting Meer for 2 CC's, placing one in Strategy and one in Fleet Supply.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 3
Strategy Allocation: 3
Fleet Supply: 4
Activations: 0
Total in play: 10/16

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Darien – 2/4
Arinam - 1/2, Blue Tech Specialty
Meer - 0/4
Centauri - 1/3
Gral - 1/1, Blue Tech Specialty
Tar'Mann - 1/1

Passing on Bureaucracy, activating Leadership. Exhausting Coorneeq and Lisis for 2 CCs. Both go in Strategy Allocation. (Incidentally, I've been miscounting my CCs this turn - I forgot to cut out the Activations removed from the board last turn.)

THE EMBERS OF MUAAT

CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 3
Political Cards: 1
Trade Goods: 3

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 2
Fleet Supply: 3
Total in play: 7/16

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Muaat (4/1)
Lesab (2/1, Green Tech Spec)
Resculon (2/0)
Coorneeq (1/2, Red Tech Spec)
Velnor (2/0, Red Tech Spec)
Lisis (2/2)
El'Nath (2/0, Blue Tech Spec)

And with that, Googleshng is up, and he can just post his secondary decisions along with his action.

So I've been sending occasional PMs to keep the game flowing. Is this annoying? I'm trying to strike a balance between too pestering and not pestering enough.

I'm cool with PM pestering. Especially since wow it's taken me a whole day to respond to some of this strategy stuff. Sorry about that, been a busy day. So! Going in order here...

First we have Bureaucracy which... sure, why the heck not? I'll activate the secondary on it. Why not? So drawing and drawing, my dwindling resources shuffle around thusly:

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 1
Strategy Allocation: 0
Fleet Supply: 2
Activations: 0

CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 3
Political Cards: 1
Trade Goods: 2

And Mehar Xull's 1/3 is still available for use.

Now we've got Leadership coming up, followed by my turn. I was kinda thinking of using up all my resources and building a nice little dock when my turn next came around (you know, next paragraph), but eh, not really the best move hanging a big sign out where everyone's swarming around the capital saying "Here! Take this over for a free victory point!" So sure. I'll exhaust this influential planet here (and speaking of victory conditions, we refresh all planets before checking that influence objective, right?) and kick in a trade good, activating Leadership's secondary for 2 CCs, one to Command, and one going back into to Strategy.


COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 1
Fleet Supply: 2
Activations: 0

CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 3
Political Cards: 1
Trade Goods: 1

Now it's time for my actual turn! Which... I need to double check a thing or two before actually. I'll be right back to edit it in after a brief word from our sponsors!

Actually, while I'm double checking things, in the interest of simulating the proper tabletop environment, I suppose this should be actually asked openly across the table-

Hey Egar! You're clearly gearing up for something big over there, and I'd just as soon not get in your way by cutting off your path. So... were you looking to attack Mechatol Rex or something else you wouldn't be able to reach if I take Tsion/Bellatrix? And actually, for that matter, Sarc- assuming he does want to attack the capitol there, and I do take that system first, could he still just hop over Mirage and do so without worrying about mussing up the little flagpole I have sitting on it?

Only an opponent's ships block movement through normal systems, so yeah, he can hop over Mirage as long as you don't put any ships there.

Oh hey then! That means it actually IS possible for me to do something that isn't going to kick off a war between me and someone! Keen! Activating Tsion/Bellatrix and moving in just the carrier and ground force from New Albion, taking both. And the Council of Friendly Space Brains would like to remind everyone what great effort they had to make to maintain peaceful relations with the 4 or so neighbors they could have just invaded and saved the headache.


COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 1
Strategy Allocation: 1
Fleet Supply: 2
Activations: 1

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Jol – 1/2
Nar – 2/3
Capha – 3/0
Arnor 2/1
Lor 1/2 (Red Tech Specialty)
Starpoint 3/1
New Albion 1/1 (Green Tech Specialty)
Mehar Xull 1/3 (Blue Tech Specialty)
Mirage 1/2 (Fighters)
Tsion 2/2 (Trade Goods)
Bellatrix 0/1 (Red Tech Specialty)

UNITS
Jol/Nar - Space Dock x1, Fighter x2, Ground Forces x2 (1 on each)
Starpoint/New Albion - PDS x1 (Starpoint), Dreadnought x1
Mehar Xull - PDS x1, Ground Forces x3, Carrier x1, Fighter x1, Dreadnought x1
Tsion/Bellatrix - Carrier x1, Ground Forces x1

All right, then!

`Hrist is up.

A hiss from Mt. Vampire in the Realm of the Vampires on Arc Prime.

"We must have more fighters! More we say!"

Activate Production. Use the two resources received from the Primary to produce four fighters.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 1
Strategy Allocation: 1
Fleet Supply: 3 (+1)
Activations: 0

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Arc Prime – 4/0
Wren Terra – 2/1
Qucen'n -- 1/2
Primor -- 2/1 (Ground Troop Refresh)
Rarron -- 0/3 (Green Tech Spec)
Hope's End -- 3/0 (Shock Troopers)

UNITS (Deployed/Total)
Arc Prime/Wren Terra -- Space Dockx2, Dreadnoughtx1, Carrierx2, Ground Forcex1, Fighterx6, Cruiserx1
Qucen'n -- Ground Forcesx2,
Rarron -- Carriersx1, Ground Forcesx1
Primor -- Ground Troopx2
Hope's End -- Carrierx1, Fightersx3, Destroyerx1, Ground Troopx1, Shock Troopx2, Space Dockx1

TECHNOLOGIES OWNED
Hylar V Assault Laser
Antimass Deflectors
XRD Transporters – +1 Carrier movement
Enviro Compensators

TRADE CONTRACTS
Terran 2
Egarwen 2

Trade Goods: 0

VICTORY POINTS: 1

We definitely want to get Production squared away before moving on to severian's action.

PRODUCTION
1. `Hrist — PRIMARY
2. Sarcasmorator — SECONDARY
3. Googleshng — PASSED
4. Severian — PASSED
5. Egarwaen (SPEAKER) — PENDING
6. L1Z1X Mindnet — SECONDARY
7. Epithet — PASSED
8. Lucas — PASSED

I'll post up a new map ASAP once this is all done, because there've been a lot of changes.

The Federation of Sol will spend a Command Counter from Strategy Allocation and use their free resource from Sarween Tools to build 2 Fighters in the Thibah system.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 1
Fleet Supply: 5
Activations: 1
Total in play: 9/16

UNIT DEPLOYMENT
Thibah: Carrier x1, Fighter x4, Dreadnought x2, Space Dock x1

The L1Z1X Mindnet will spend a Command Counter from Strategy Allocation, discard both Political Cards and a Trade Good for 3 resources to build 2 Ground Forces and a Cruiser in their Home System.

CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 2
Political Cards: 0
Trade Goods: 1

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 1
Fleet Supply: 5
Activations: 0
Total in play: 8/16

UNIT DEPLOYMENT
[0.0.0.] – Space Dock x1, Ground Forces x3, PDS x1
[0.0.0.] space: Dreadnought x1, Cruiser x3, Destroyer x1, Fighter x2

Pass. 2 ground forces are not worth a CC.

Despite Chamberlain Shvass' constant demands for more cruisers, his undersecretary quietly stuffs the Chamberlain's production orders into the bottom drawer of his desk, knowing the system can barely support the fleet that's there now.

(Passing on the production secondary.)

The Yin Pass on Production.

My move is really simple, and won't affect anyone. Should I do it, or still wait for people to buy/pass on production?

Oh, the PM's are great when you're out and about, especially when you accidentally break your phone's browser while trying to hack it for free tethering.