Dominion Strategy Forum

Dominion => Dominion General Discussion => Topic started by: Graystripe77 on September 03, 2011, 06:19:08 pm

Title: How do i explain early trashing is a good thing to a newbie?
Post by: Graystripe77 on September 03, 2011, 06:19:08 pm

I've been playing with a newbie who is asking for advice, and i've been trying to explain that early trashing estates and coppers is usually beneficial, but she is having a hard time grasping this. Any advice?

Title: Re: How do i explain early trashing is a good thing to a newbie?
Post by: ackack on September 03, 2011, 06:54:49 pm

Show, don't tell.

Title: Re: How do i explain early trashing is a good thing to a newbie?
Post by: jonts26 on September 03, 2011, 08:16:42 pm

I usually take a slightly mathematical approach. You can see if it works.

1. Typically you win by buying more provinces. They cost 8. Therefore, without card drawers, you need to average $1.6 per card. So coppers and estates bring down the average amount you have to spend.

2. The more coppers and estates you have, the less you get to play your good cards.

Mostly though, I agree with ackack. Play a sample game with chapel.

Title: Re: How do i explain early trashing is a good thing to a newbie?
Post by: krawhitham on September 05, 2011, 06:09:34 am

Tie her to a chair, shine a light in her eyes and explain it very forcefully to her.

Or do it the other ways suggested, if you want to be boring..

Title: Re: How do i explain early trashing is a good thing to a newbie?
Post by: Davio on September 05, 2011, 06:14:52 am

I agree with "Show, don't tell".

Just trash everything and buy a Province on turn 6.

Title: Re: How do i explain early trashing is a good thing to a newbie?
Post by: Geronimoo on September 05, 2011, 06:27:34 am

Imagine there's a bag with ten $1 dollar bills and one $100 bill in it.

Now grab 5 bills blind and keep the money, but before you do, you may remove any number of $1 dollar bills. How many $1 dollar bills do you want to remove?

Title: Re: How do i explain early trashing is a good thing to a newbie?
Post by: fp on September 06, 2011, 02:50:05 pm

Read my article that I just posted...

Title: Re: How do i explain early trashing is a good thing to a newbie?
Post by: shraeye on September 06, 2011, 04:52:51 pm

I agree that nothing teaches it like experience.  But when I taught one friend in my game-playing group the lesson, I did it first verbally.  Then when a game came up with Chapel, and I saw him buy one, I smiled to myself and didn't buy Chapel.  He definitely learned the lesson when he crushed us all by the end of the game.  So teach the lesson, then throw one game to give the newbie a ridiculously satisfying win. 

"You destroyed me because your deck was much higher quality" makes for a happier and smarter opponent than "Ok, this time I crushed you because my deck was better. Care to play again and lose terribly for a new reason?"

Title: Re: How do i explain early trashing is a good thing to a newbie?
Post by: theory on September 08, 2011, 12:10:52 am

The analogy I use (similar to Geronimoo's):

Imagine playing a game where each turn, you roll a die to see how many points you gain. One way to score higher is to add bigger and bigger numbers to the die. But an even better way is to eliminate the smaller numbers from your die altogether.