Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Markov Chain]

If you have only one non-Golem action in your deck, then every Golem you play will go through your entire deck, and any Tunnel not in your hand will turn into gold.

To start this, open Potion/Silver, and buy more Silver until you get your Golem.  Then start buying Tunnels, as they will give you more money than Silver once you have the Golem.  I wouldn't recommend a second Potion because it will get in the way when you don't want any more Golems, and the Gold will run out eventually, particularly if there are more than two players.

The ideal single action for this strategy is Scheme, because you only need a single Golem; you can take back the Golem when it draws the Scheme.  You will play the Golem every turn except when the Scheme is in your initial hand after the shuffle, and when the Golem finds the Scheme, you have another card draw and thus have five cards to get your 8 coins.

Other good single actions are cards that will make use of the money, such as Council Room and Wharf.  Golem/Council Room can get you another Golem and a Province if you happen to draw your potion.   Golem/Wharf allows you to buy a second Wharf without losing too much Tunnel benefit, as you will often have one Wharf in play from the last turn for the Golem not to find.  And if the Golem does pick up both Wharves before finding all your Tunnels, you won't be too unhappy with four extra cards and three buys for the next two turns to use all the gold you already have.

[def]

Open Potion/Silver, really?
You probably won't get a Golem first reshuffle, and may not even buy a Silver every turn first reshuffle. Let's say second reshuffle, so you can play it first turn 8-10. It's a bad Hoard if you only play it once, because this leaves you with 1 Potion, 1 Golem, X Tunnels, X Golds, and you can't buy much else useful. Maybe you play it the second time on turn 11, and then it's starting to get a bit useful. But a Big Money only player will have lots of Silvers and Golds at this point already.
I don't see how this can work at all without support

I tried it a bit, I got my Golem on turn 8, 3, 8, 4, 5, 7 and was totally screwed on 5-2 splits I didn't mention here.
The time I got the Golem turn 3, I got 8 Tunnels afterwards when I had less then 8. I had 20 Golds until turn 20, but only hit 8 once, because all the Tunnels, Potion and Golem got in the way. Only when I got 7 more Golds on turn 20, I started Greening heavily, buying Provinces and Duchies every turn. Starting with turn 21. That's way too late, even with 8 Tunnels being VP as well.

Now Scheme is nice with it, with a first reshuffle Golem, I hit 8 Tunnels and 6 Provinces by turn 18. But the first reshuffle Golem only happens with 33,7% chance. With a second shuffle, I hit 3 Provinces and 7 Tunnels by turn 17, which is good, but not overwhelming. And there are still the times where you are screwed.

Didn't try the other cards you mentioned.

Didn't test how resilient it is against attacks. Might be not hurt this much by Cursers except Sea Hag, though a Curse on the second reshuffle can destroy your chance to buy a Golem, too. I think Militia or Cutpurse are a big problem, though.

So this is a three-card-combo which works great on a 4-3 split where you also hit the 1/3-chance to hit an early Golem and your opponent didn't contest you on tunnels.

[dondon151]

Didn't test how resilient it is against attacks. Might be not hurt this much by Cursers except Sea Hag, though a Curse on the second reshuffle can destroy your chance to buy a Golem, too.

If Young Witch is on the board, surely YW-Tunnel is a superior strategy as well.

[WanderingWinder]

I'm pretty sure that, much like Golem/Counting house, this is cute, but not very strong at all.

[qmech]

You will play the Golem every turn except when the Scheme is in your initial hand after the shuffle, and when the Golem finds the Scheme, you have another card draw and thus have five cards to get your 8 coins.

If the Scheme is in your hand, then you can just play it before the Golem.  You lose a card from hand when you play the Golem, but you can't stall this way.  I suspect Golem/Tunnel is too slow anyway though.

[DG]

I see golem/tunnel as a half strategy. If you can find the another good partner card for the golem then the addition of tunnels might work really well.