Dominion Strategy Forum

Dominion => Puzzles and Challenges => Topic started by: Tables on June 29, 2011, 04:06:02 pm

Title: Most VPs in 4 turns
Post by: Tables on June 29, 2011, 04:06:02 pm
Today, one of the questions at the Sci-Fi society Quiz was to get as many VPs as possible in 4 turns, assuming perfect shuffle luck. (edit: In a solitaire game). Naturally only having one or two minutes to do so, it's unlikely anybody got the optimal strategy.

My team's was to go Coppersmith/Silver, turn 3 Coppersmith a Province, turn 4, 3 Coppers + Silver for a Duchy, gaining 9 VPs. This beat out the second best teams cute answer of going Duchy/Estate/Duchy/Estate. But I think you can do better.

So the open challenge is, getting as many VPs by any means, in 4 turns.
Title: Re: Most VPs in 4 turns
Post by: Yariv on June 29, 2011, 04:24:00 pm
You can do better with Ironworks/Chancellor for 2 Island, 2 Duchy (get a pair on each of turn 3 and 4).
Title: Re: Most VPs in 4 turns
Post by: A_S00 on June 29, 2011, 05:31:33 pm
This feels a little cheap, but your puzzle does say "by any means."

Turn 1:
P1 (4c1e) - buy Coppersmith
P2 (4c1e) - buy Throne Room

Turn 2:
P1 (3c2e) - buy Ambassador (reshuffle)
P2 (3c2w) - buy Smugglers (reshuffle)

Turn 3:
P1 (4c, Coppersmith) - Coppersmith, buy Province
P2 (2c1e, Throne Room, Smugglers) - Throne Room > Smugglers > 2xProvince, buy Estate

Turn 4:
P1 (2c2e, Ambassador) - Ambassador > Estate, buy Estate
P2 (5c) - buy Duchy

Player 2 finishes with 2xProvince, 1xDuchy, 4xEstate (19 total VP, or +16 from start).

*edit* Forgot $ limit on Smugglers, doesn't work.  Back to drawing board.
Title: Re: Most VPs in 4 turns
Post by: lefaiison on June 29, 2011, 05:42:12 pm
I merge your two solutions, and raise you a

IW
Chancellor,
IW a Coppersmith, Chancellor + 3 Coppers = Duchy
IW a Island, Coppersmith + 4 Coppers = Province.

11 points :)

Title: Re: Most VPs in 4 turns
Post by: Yariv on June 29, 2011, 05:46:04 pm
A_S00, you can't smuggle provinces (without a double bridge/princess, at least)
Title: Re: Most VPs in 4 turns
Post by: A_S00 on June 29, 2011, 06:02:39 pm
Fixed:

Turn 1:
P1 (4c1e) - buy Envoy
P2 (4c1e) - buy Throne Room

Turn 2:
P1 (3c2e) - buy Ambassador (reshuffle)
P2 (3c2w) - buy Smugglers (reshuffle)

Turn 3:
P1 (4c, Envoy) - Envoy (3c1e, discard 1e), buy Duchy
P2 (2c1e, Throne Room, Smugglers) - Throne Room > Smugglers > 2xDuchy, buy Estate

Turn 4:
P1 (1e, Ambassador (reshuffle), Duchy, 1e) - Ambassador > Duchy
P2 (5c) - buy Duchy

Player 2 ends with 4x Duchy, 4x Estate, for +13 VP.  'Course, now it's a little more obvious that the players are in cahoots...

*edit*

More fixed:

Turn 1:
P1 (4c1e) - buy Mining Village
P2 (4c1e) - buy Envoy

Turn 2:
P1 (3c2e) - buy Masquerade (reshuffle)
P2 (3c2w) - buy Silver (reshuffle)

Turn 3:
P1 (2c1e, Masquerade, Mining Village) - Mining Village (trash, draw 1c), Masquerade (draw 2c, pass 1e, receive 1c), buy Province
P2 (2c1e, Envoy, Silver) - Envoy (draw 4c, discard 1e), buy Province

Turn 4:
P1 (1c3e, (reshuffle), Masquerade) - Masquerade (draw 1c, Province, pass Province, receive 1e), buy Estate
P2 (1e, Province, (reshuffle), Envoy, Silver) - Envoy (4c, discard 1e), buy Duchy

Player 2 ends 2x Province, 1x Duchy, 3x Estate for +15 VP.
Title: Re: Most VPs in 4 turns
Post by: Blaeu on June 29, 2011, 06:58:18 pm
Although the TC did not specifically state that this is a solitaire type puzzle, I think most puzzles worded in this way are assumed to be.
Title: Re: Most VPs in 4 turns
Post by: Tables on June 30, 2011, 10:31:34 am
Ah, yes, this is supposed to be a Solitaire puzzle - that was how it was asked to us, at least. I'll edit that into the first post.

It looks like earning 11 VPs is the best solution so far.
Title: Re: Most VPs in 4 turns
Post by: DStu on June 30, 2011, 11:34:48 am
Hmm, I get Province in T3 and $7 in T4 with some selftributing trick, but I don't think you can squeeze out a 8th coin on the second turn...
Title: Re: Most VPs in 4 turns
Post by: Blaeu on June 30, 2011, 06:19:15 pm
I merge your two solutions, and raise you a

IW
Chancellor,
IW a Coppersmith, Chancellor + 3 Coppers = Duchy
IW a Island, Coppersmith + 4 Coppers = Province.

11 points :)



I had completely missed this post before, sorry about that.  How do you use your Ironworks twice?  It is still in play when you use your Chancellor, so it would not be included in the re-shuffle.
Title: Re: Most VPs in 4 turns
Post by: guided on June 30, 2011, 06:30:06 pm
It is still in play when you use your Chancellor
You should like

read the actual text on the Chancellor card.
Title: Re: Most VPs in 4 turns
Post by: Blaeu on June 30, 2011, 06:35:20 pm
It is still in play when you use your Chancellor
You should like

read the actual text on the Chancellor card.

Oh yeah, you're right.  I was totally on a one track mind trying to get more than 11.  My mistake.
Title: Re: Most VPs in 4 turns
Post by: rogerclee on July 02, 2011, 12:58:00 pm
Maybe I'm missing something, but...

Silver/Envoy

3: Draw Envoy, Silver, 3 copper. Play Envoy, drawing 3 copper and 2 estates, discarding an estate. Buy a province.
4: Draw the remaining 1 copper, 1 estate, reshuffle, drawing envoy silver copper. Play envoy, drawing 5 copper, discarding one. Buy a province.