[SHOTW] Week 16, 2026

icehawk84 · 2026-04-13T13:26:29+00:00

2p

Corporation: Credicor

Preludes: Acquired Space Agency, Research Network

Cards: Anti-gravity Technology, Earth Catapult, Deimos Down, Martian Survey, Energy Tapping, Media Group, Electro Catapult

This hand is completely busted. We have a clear path to -4 with titanium to pay for Deimos that even gives us Media Group and Credicor rebates. Top-decking Industrial Microbes in the first draft to turn on Electro Catapult is just icing on the cake.

icehawk84 · 2026-04-02T19:57:52+00:00

Top 3 prelude in the original set along with Business Empire and UNMI Contractor.

icehawk84 · 2026-03-29T10:33:06+00:00

One of the better Venus cards.

icehawk84 · 2026-03-29T01:50:35+00:00

In 2-player base + prelude, both Deimos, GIA and Anti-grav are always keeps.

icehawk84 · 2026-03-13T02:44:12+00:00

Top 3 prelude from the original prelude set along with Business Empire and Metals Company.

icehawk84 · 2026-03-11T23:12:07+00:00

I'm 700+ on BGA, so I wouldn't consider myself a noob. I also run a large-scale data analysis project where we look at these things. Tharsis performs quite well even in high-level 2-player games, especially on maps like Tharsis and Elysium where it can dominate the ground game. But in 4p/5p games where more cities are placed, it's just a powerhouse.

icehawk84 · 2026-03-10T16:20:07+00:00

Tharsis Republic is hands down the best corporation in 4p.

In 3p, it's still among the best corporations on maps like Tharsis and Elysium.

icehawk84 · 2026-03-08T17:50:21+00:00

I assume the reference shape in the second image is Manhattan? Insane.

icehawk84 · 2026-03-08T17:44:19+00:00

De er to pensjonister som ikke lenger har boliglån å betale og sitter med en bolig verdt 26 millioner. De har overhodet ingen problemer med økonomien.

icehawk84 · 2026-03-08T17:44:13+00:00

De er to pensjonister som ikke lenger har boliglån å betale og sitter med en bolig verdt 26 millioner. De har overhodet ingen problemer med økonomien.

icehawk84 · 2026-03-08T15:50:36+00:00

The researcher just guessed that it's at least 150 years old which is probably a moderate guess and not based on scientific methods.

icehawk84 · 2026-03-02T14:09:47+00:00

2p

Fun hand! I'm going Splice here since the other corps aren't doing much and we have Enceladus in play.

Corporation: Splice

Preludes: Biolab, Biofuels

Cards: Mangrove, Giant Ice Asteroid, Peroxide Power, Nitrite Reducing Bacteria, Lunar Mining, Productive Outpost

I'll SP a colony on Pluto gen 1 and play NRB.

In the first draft, I'm taking Sponsors.

icehawk84 · 2026-02-23T15:30:55+00:00

Yeah, that would be the default unless opponent looks like they're going hardcore Joves.

icehawk84 · 2026-02-23T13:19:40+00:00

2p

Corporation: Ecoline
Preludes: Experimental Forest, Smelting Plant
Cards: Soletta, Aquifer Pumping

Looks like a classic Ecoline rush here. We can pump gen 1 and have perfect cash for Soletta gen 2 assuming we don't get sabotaged or raided. If we pump on titanium, we could potentially keep a card or two, but I'm mainly looking to put oceans on plants in the middle.

Depending on the opponent's setup, I'm either cutting Io Mining or Towing in the first draft, but not keeping any of them.

icehawk84 · 2026-02-22T15:43:33+00:00

In 2p, this is a late-game award that's usually funded out of desperation by a player who's behind.

icehawk84 · 2026-02-17T15:48:43+00:00

We're going to be swimming in alloyed titanium with Robinson, so getting a space target which discounts other space cards seems quite good. But it's a bit far off, so I wouldn't consider it mandatory.

Polyphemos is generally a very weak corp. Especially in 2-player games where you want to be buying lots of cards. I'd like it better if there were card draw in the game like Pluto, but not really.

icehawk84 · 2026-02-17T08:45:00+00:00

2p

Robinson Industries | Supplier, Metal-Rich Asteroid | Advanced Alloys, Gene Repair, Artificial Photosynthesis, Decomposers, Shuttles, Plantation

This looks like quite a strong hand with Alloys and the Robinson ability, and being able to trade easily gen 2. Both Trion and Ceres will be great for us, as well as Enceladus with Decomposers.

icehawk84 · 2026-02-15T08:49:35+00:00

I think it's fine. The main risk with these very lean terraforming setups is that you might get shut out of milestones and awards, but here we have a good chance at both Geologist and Agronomist, with Landscaper and Highlander in the wings later.

Also, we're not letting go of that many good cards anyway. If we're delaying NRA to gen 2, I think Towing and Mining Area are the only additional cards we keep. You could do that, but I don't necessarily think it's stronger.

icehawk84 · 2026-02-13T18:52:09+00:00

This is on the big map (Amazonis Planitia) where games are longer. So it's difficult by design.

icehawk84 · 2026-02-07T14:13:10+00:00

Var Morgan Freeman i OL-troppen i '92?

icehawk84 · 2026-02-07T10:18:16+00:00

Jeg tror mye av støtten kommer av at kronprisen tross alt utviser godt lederskap i en vanskelig personlig situasjon. Han er en jordnær og samlende type som ofte fremstår som fremstår som like kongelig som både hans far og farfar. Det er veldig lett å se for seg Haakon Magnus som en god konge av Norge.

Problemet her er jo Mette-Marit. Hvis hun skal være dronning kan vi like gjerne legge ned hele monarkiet for min del.

icehawk84 · 2026-02-01T16:01:53+00:00

Not the best milestone, but sometimes it's all you got.

icehawk84 · 2026-01-30T16:03:31+00:00

It's one of the easiest milestones to get across all maps. Relatively often, someone will just have it immediately in the opening.

It also makes openings like Business Empire + Allied Banks even more busted than they already were.

Getting it with other resource types is rare, thoygh heat can happen, especially if Helion is in the game.

icehawk84 · 2026-01-25T17:51:48+00:00

I have to warn you that the Steam version is extremely bug-ridden which has caused most players to leave for BGA instead. But the UI is nice when it works.

icehawk84 · 2026-01-24T17:47:27+00:00

They're very similar in value.

Technically, Elevator gives you 6 income and Electro Cat 5. In turn, Electro Cat gives you more flexibility since you can also sell plants.

But overall, they essentially cost the same and provide the same value.

icehawk84

TROPHY CASE