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

On the one hand, there's days (Saturdays specifically) where I really can't commit to looking in on things for the vast majority of the game. On the other hand, I'd be more inclined to save sabotage cards for stuff that's directly affecting me than people beefing themselves up... unless we're actively fighting in general anyway.

Also, double checking that all my stuff is on the map, shouldn't Vega Major there have a ground troop or a marker or something on it there?

The I'll add a caveat: If the card affects you, just Sabotage ASAP. I mostly am thinking of cards that someone uses to benefit themselves as being problematic to veto hours later.

Vega Major flipped to neutral (and I lost a GF) thanks to Epithet's Local Unrest card, so no marker or anything there.

I'm playing TXVsdGljdWx0dXJhbGlzbQ== - Multiculturalism: Play during the Strategy Phase. Choose one opponent’s racial special ability. You gain that ability for this round.

The Embers of Muaat have managed to, VIA an elaborate system of paper masks and faked names, register for correspondence courses at the Universities of Jol-Nar. As such, they now share the following ability of their former Jol-Nari masters:

>When executing the secondary ability of the Technology Strategy Card, you may execute its primary ability as well

Just to double check- That's you getting to use that in addition to me getting to use it, right?

Yes, he doesn't steal it, just shares it.

Man, you're going to hate me.

So, if we're all just declaring our strategy phase action cards now, the Mentak will activate one of their sleeper cells among the Jol-Nar for a Scientist Assassination.

Sorry dude, but you have a lot of tech.

Dang, lots of Action Card, er, action going on.

By the way, Epithet, Lucas and `Hrist: If y'all could choose something other than Leadership as your Strategy Card I'd be grateful. Even to you, Epithet, with your nasty Local Unrest business.

Heh heh heh.

I'm up to pick a strategy card, right? Do I have to wait for everyone else to declare an action card? I'm not playing one myself.

I think you're good.

Also, thinking about it further, as most Action Cards that can be played during the Strategy Phase don't have specific timing, I don't see much reason to wait for the table unless you WANT to. So play as you like, and if there are conflicts we can hash them out case by case. Sound fair?

Then I'll take Warfare II.

P.S. I'm sorry about Vega Major please don't sic the L1Z1X on me.

No worries there. I've been working diligently not to use the L1Z1X to my own advantage as Sol — I'll have them pursue their own objectives and conquer unguarded planets, but that's about it (also, in case anyone was wondering, I have no idea what the other Bureaucracy card from last round is; I chose between the two based on a die roll). In fact, if it would make sense for the L1Z1X to attack Sol (for an objective, say), they will do so.

Yeah, I know, just kidding around. It's seriously crazy how quick they can get those dreadnoughts up. If another player does take them over I'll be in trouble.

I'm a little surprised no one has yet, actually. I've given them a huge fleet and kept them competitive in the VP field. The only downside to taking them on at this point is that I know what all their cards are, but if any prospective player was uncomfortable with that we could always discard and draw random new ones.

And if Stiv is reading: You're always welcome to reclaim them, if you have the time to play.

Lucas is up for a Strategy Card, then `Hrist.

I'll take Production.

`Hrist is up.

I do. I also have a lot of Sabotage cards:
Sabotage: Play immediately after an opponent plays an Action Card. Cancel the effect of that card and discard both. Cannot cancel another Sabotage card.

So... yeah. Pull all the fire alarms you want, we're not canceling classes. Especially since apparently we have some new transfer students coming in this semester!

Pay no attention to the slight smoldering. I am most certainly not your former reading lamp. Please direct me to the nuclear wessels.

Edit: Now I'm picturing this whole sequence of action cards playing out like Star Trek IV meets Animal House. The Muaat transfer students arrive, the Mentak operatives decide this is a marvelous opportunity and trip the fire alarm, the Muaat are running around and panicking, and the Jok-Nar just kind of quietly reason their way out of everything from behind the scenes.

Dangit, I knew that was why you were asking about the details of Egarwaen's play.

The Space Vampires claim Technology II

The Federation of Sol will snag Leadership.

Well, nothing left is all that great, so I'll take Assembly and the 4th trade good for me it comes with.

The Yin take Warfare.

The L1Z1X Mindnet will take Bureaucracy.

Trade II receives a bonus counter.

Play order for Round 4 is as follows:

1. Sarcasmorator — Leadership
2. Egarwaen (SPEAKER) — Diplomacy II
3. Googleshng — Assembly
4. Lucas — Production
5. Epithet — Warfare II
6. Severian — Warfare I
7. `Hrist — Technology II
8. L1Z1X Mindnet — Bureaucracy

Which means I'm up. But I gotta make dinner! I'll be back in a bit.

In the meantime: SUSPENSE!

All right, then. With Egarwaen holding Diplomacy II, it's now or never for this. Activating Mecatol Rex.

I move my Carrier from Mecatol Rex to the Arcturus system, pick up my 3 GF from there, then move back to MR (and yes, this is a legal move, explicitly detailed in the FAQ).

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

There are no ships to fight, so we go right on to planetary landing. I commit all 3 of my GFs to Mecatol Rex, and make a bombardment roll with my Dreadnought:

Bombardment: 8 (1 hit)

Shock Troops always die first, so bye-bye! Now for my GF combat rolls:

GF x3: 8, 8, 2 (2 hits)

Egarwaen gets to roll to see if his remaining GF takes out one of mine, but his is certainly outta there and the planet is mine regardless.

Unless there's an Action Card or something.

7 - no damage.

I'd also like to note that that was a really dirty move. Like, I'm considering quitting the game because that was so cheap and lame. You'd never made mention of that FAQ before, so I had no clue it existed, and that's certainly not an obvious interpretation or consequence of the rules, particularly when you'd been adamant before that there was no way to move ships out of a system once it had been activated. Between that and calling out how exposed my systems were to distract attention from your own, I'm beginning to feel that you're using your position as GM to advantage yourself.

The only reason I'm not quitting right away is because I'm pretty sure you've just completely fucked yourself, leaving most of your planets entirely exposed. But we'll see whether you continue to use your position to manipulate the game and provide yourself an advantage.

Whoa, PM being written

On the one hand, hey now! Let's all play nice! On the other hand... no seriously, you can do that? Could have sworn there was past precedent that carriers couldn't scoop stuff up mid-move.

While we're on the subject of clarification, I'm not allowed to use Assembly's secondary when I get around to using the primary, right?

He does appear to be correct and his action is permitted by the precise text of the rules. Carriers can pick up anything from any unactivated system along their path.

They can! There's an example in the rulebook where a carrier picks up some stuff mid-move, and I picked up a fighter mid-move last round with no objection from Sarc.