Dominion Strategy Forum

Dominion => Puzzles and Challenges => Topic started by: -Stef- on March 01, 2015, 08:07:33 am

Title: Obelisk
Post by: -Stef- on March 01, 2015, 08:07:33 am
Obelisk
action - $4
Each player gains or loses a VP token (You choose for each player). Then each player that doesn't have the highest number of VP tokens doubles his or her VP tokens.

(You can't lose a VP token if you don't have any)

You're playing a two player game against an opponent that plays a Fool's Gold into provinces strategy. Your plan is to just buy & play Obelisks.
But how many Obelisk plays do you need to get in to overcome the 48 point deficit?
Title: Re: Obelisk
Post by: Awaclus on March 01, 2015, 08:13:24 am
So I get to choose for each player, or I choose gain or lose and then that happens for each player? I assume it's the former because otherwise this puzzle doesn't make much sense, but I thought it was the latter when I first read the card.
Title: Re: Obelisk
Post by: A Drowned Kernel on March 01, 2015, 08:41:46 am
48, if you have the highest amount of VPs and your opponent doesn't have any this is just monument.
Title: Re: Obelisk
Post by: pubby on March 01, 2015, 08:52:01 am
I think it takes about 13. Maybe 12 if you optimize the first last turn. It doesn't really matter the amount of VP tokens your opponent ends up with because yours grows exponentially.

Code: [Select]
1 0
2 0
3 2
4 6
10 7
11 16
24 17
25 36
52 37
53 76
108 77
109 156
220 157
Title: Re: Obelisk
Post by: Awaclus on March 01, 2015, 08:59:02 am
I can get 11. EDIT: No this version doesn't actually work. But 11 might be still possible.

Code: [Select]
1 - 0
2 - 2
3 - 4
6 - 5
7 - 12
14 - 13
15 - 28
30 - 29
31 - 60
62 - 61
63 - 124
Title: Re: Obelisk
Post by: -Stef- on March 01, 2015, 09:03:30 am
I can get 11.

Code: [Select]
3 - 4
6 - 5

I had 11 also but I don't think your solution is legal. How do you get from 3-4 to 6-5?
Both players have to either gain or lose a VP token, doing nothing is not an option.
Title: Re: Obelisk
Post by: TheOthin on March 01, 2015, 09:11:18 am
3-4 to 8-5 should fix that, right?
Title: Re: Obelisk
Post by: SCSN on March 01, 2015, 09:28:50 am
(1, 0)
(2, 0)
(3, 2)
(4, 6)
(10, 7)
(11, 12)
(24, 13)
(25, 28)
(52, 27)
(53, 52)
(104, 53)
Title: Re: Obelisk
Post by: -Stef- on March 01, 2015, 09:43:46 am
(1, 0)
(2, 0)
(3, 2)
(4, 6)
(10, 7)
(11, 12)
(24, 13)
(25, 28)
(52, 27)
(53, 52)
(104, 53)

Yes, that works :)
This has the optimal number of turns, which was the goal of the puzzle.
You could get 2 more points difference by tweaking the last 2 steps. (52-27 -> 53-56 -> 108-55)

Max number of points difference after X plays of Obelisk:
Code: [Select]
1 - 1
2 - 2
3 - 3
4 - 4
5 - 5
6 - 6
7 - 11
8 - 13
9 - 25
10 - 29
11 - 53
12 - 61
13 - 109
14 - 125
15 - 221
16 - 253
17 - 445
18 - 509
19 - 893
20 - 1021
21 - 1789
22 - 2045
23 - 3581
24 - 4093
Title: Re: Obelisk
Post by: Ozle on March 01, 2015, 03:40:02 pm
Is it 6?
Title: Re: Obelisk
Post by: liopoil on March 01, 2015, 03:48:02 pm
The mirror is weird. Literally the only thing that matters is endgame control and the ability to play an obelisk or two a turn.
Title: Re: Obelisk
Post by: GendoIkari on March 02, 2015, 01:09:13 pm
The mirror is weird. Literally the only thing that matters is endgame control and the ability to play an obelisk or two a turn.

Same as many Goons games.
Title: Re: Obelisk
Post by: liopoil on March 02, 2015, 03:24:03 pm
The mirror is weird. Literally the only thing that matters is endgame control and the ability to play an obelisk or two a turn.

Same as many Goons games.
Not quite though. You only really need to play obelisks on the last turn, but you also need to get them high enough that green is irrelevant, which shouldn't be hard.