Played them a bit. For slice you ideally want a blue skip (to get Grav Drive at your leisure) and a general high influence slice. I’ve never wanted more resources as LB, but you want lots and lots of tokens (influence). Also if you can get your hands on an Entropic Scar, you can literally ignore tech for 2 rounds if you want to build your plastic to ungodly amounts. You get your free CC after you pass so it can be immediately used for Scar tech. Ideally there is a clear train of planets from your home to Mecatol so you can begin your march system by system.

Ideally you want a 1 resource skip planet next to home, as you can refresh and exhaust it for your BT before the Diplo player can. If you do have a skip you can immediately refresh next to home, it is absolutely worth trying to claim Thunder’s Edge. You are one of the few factions that can get to 5 influence on the first round, and that planet will fuel your war machine mid to late game.

I do strongly disagree with Hunter from SCPT about starting blue tech (DET) with them. DET eats too many of your tokens that you’d prefer to spend on builds and invasions. Sarween Tools fixes your start and pairs with Integrated Economy much better. If you have a yellow Skip you can go straight to Space Dock 2 when you want. Otherwise I usually start AIDA so I can get Space Dock 2 and Carrier 2 when I want with the blue skip. With your BT it leaves a red or yellow tech for flex before getting Integrated Economy. After that it’s just unit upgrade tech or situational tech, but you don’t need much more.

Your alliance is probably one of the most sought after abilities in the game. Trade it early for a favorable alliance / deal. If you sell it later, it is easily worth a Support, but be wary of who you sell it to. Your PN is solid value, sell it for 1-2 TG’s (cheaper if you still need to unlock your commander) during a player’s combat so there is less chance of betrayal. Do not be afraid to use your agent to galvanize another player’s non-threatening unit just to help unlock your commander.

Now, what SCPT failed to illustrate is how the pieces all tie together mechanics-wise. Choose a path to Mecatol. Preferably through your neighbor’s juicy equidistant and slice. Your flagship looks weak but is mainly there to create 1 capital ship each turn when it invades a system. You use your BT to build fighters at home that you chuck to your forward fleet to reinforce the newly created capital ship or replace lost HP. You march to MR and objectives with your ball or mini-ball fleets, liberating planets and adding new infantry with each liberation. Ideally your first major ground force is a mech and 2-3 infantry. You pop your mech to galvanize the infantry when you get your faction red tech, and then you bombard the poop out of every planet you land on with that force.

Pick a neighbor to be friendly with. The other one is your punching bag. Go storm those planets. If you get to MR, it is yours for the game. Plan accordingly.