Space Cats Peace Turtles

The Root Patreon Tournament is officially underway and officially sponsored, so what better way to celebrate than an unofficial episode about how to learn to play the Riverfolk Company? These otters are significantly more versatile than their expansion companions the Lizards, but in some ways require just as much skill to comprehend all of the tools in your kit. 6:58 - Abilities & Setup 10:50 - Company Economy 14:06 - Services 30:36 - Trade Posts 33:58 - Birdsong 39:31 - Daylight & Evening 56:40 - Opening Ideas 1:03:22 - Crafty Corner 1:22:22 - Pitfalls 1:26:32 - Where we find our victory Music by Brian Kupillas. Find more at wanderinglake.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

We kick off our Root tournament this weekend, which means the show is about to get crazy busy! So, we decided it was important to set the table for 2021 and go over how we plan to structure future episodes as well as the changes made to the Patreon. Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

This year’s Holiday Spectacular stream took a lot out of us, and there are so many other things going on that we have a rather short episode for you. It’s a salt filled trip taking a look at what happened, and how we intend to get even next year... Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

It is a time-honored tradition around these parts to wrap up the year with a Faction Tier List. But the whole game just changed and there’s no way any of our thoughts are going to be any good in a year, so we decided to get a little loose with this year’s tier list. So, we present the 100% First Annual Prophecy of Kings Faction Tier List but it’s not a tier list, it’s a Hootenanny, and it is infallible and perfect. #NailedIt Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

This is a weird one, brought to you by our Galactic Council patrons! It’s the return of the infamous Flagship Tournament, where all of the flagships fight in head to head matches with arbitrary complicated rules! Who will be crowned the greatest flagship of them all? Jokes on you, we rigged it! Anyways, this episode is also available in video form on our YouTube and I highly encourage you to go experience it there! Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

Tournament Season is officially on the horizon, and to get things moving, we have business to attend to! This episode covers everything you need to know to get signed up for the upcoming Root tournament as well as loads of information about the 2021 SCPT Twilight Imperium Patreon Tournament. We talk new draft rules, the new time limit rules, and a bit about the Prelims map. I hope you like tournaments, because THAT’S MY WHOLE LIFE NOW. Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

Prophecy of Kings has officially released and to commemorate it, Alec sat down for another Fireside Chat, this time with Dane Beltrami himself! Dane is no stranger to the show, but this is a wonderful casual interview that dives a bit deeper into game development and Dane's insights on the game we all know and love.

It’s bookkeeping day! We’ve got some upcoming tournaments that we wanted to talk about. But that’s not all! With copies of Prophecy of Kings officially out in the wild, we wanted to talk about what we anticipate as players and and as content creators in the Twilight Imperium scene. We talk show goals as well as personal goals for a post-expansion era of SCPT. Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

It feels like forever since we let this show get weird, y’know? Well, today is a weird one. Copies of Prophecy of Kings are shipping to many people this week, which means it’s time to put the final nail in base game’s coffin by assigning every faction a rank! We’re done with subjective tier lists, it’s time to give you the meat you’ve always craved. We took all 17 base game factions and definitively determined the exact order of power. There’s a lot of exact and perfect science in this episode, so I hope your mind can handle it... Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

With all that messy Twilight Imperium business behind us, we can return to the real work. And it is WORK. This week, we have a guide for “the worst faction” in Root, The Lizard Cult. Despite their setbacks, they’re incredibly fun, and hopefully we can help you unlock their potential. Just give us a chance! 12:07 - Abilities 15:24 - Setup 22:39 - Birdsong 29:33 - Daylight 37:50 - Evening 41:55 - Opening Ideas 47:59 - Crafty Corner 1:07:25 - Pitfalls 1:11:25 - Where we find our victory Music by Brian Kupillas. Find more at wanderinglake.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

As part of our 24 hour Extra Life livestream, we recorded this episode LIVE with surprise guest Dane Beltrami. It has a looser structure than you might be used to, but we say goodbye to things we will and won’t miss from a TI4 that lacks Prophecy of Kings, and talk a bit about the things we’re most excited for. The audio is a little bit rough in this one, apologies! Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/ For more info about Twilight Imperium: Prophecy of Kings, be sure to visit https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/

It’s the last time that finishing the 17th of a thing will mean we are done with that project. It’s been a project over a year in the making, but today marks the end of our base game faction Strategy Guides. And to wrap things up, we have a faction that required some time. And if we hadn’t had an expansion so closely on the horizon, we may have let it bake a little while longer. But even a little while longer in the over wouldn’t have made these plants any better, and so perhaps it is as it should be. This guide is not hopeful, but it is honest, and the truth is that Arborec is a very bad faction, and it’s going to take some serious work and some serious luck to find success. So, let’s talk about how best to make that happen (or not, man. I can only do so much!). 11:44- Overview 40:03 - Problems 50:15 - Round One Strategy Cards 1:08:16 - Tech Paths 1:26:53 - Trading/Meta 1:31:40 - Mid-Game 1:33:40 - Late Game 1:43:39 - Nekro Virus Errata 1:51:41 - Arborec and Barony of Letnev Commanders and Objective: Improve Infrastructure. Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

Be careful. Two chill bros chill out hard in this eppy, and totally wax spiritual, man. They get straight up lifted and...this is Matt, and I haven't really done any drugs and don't know what I'm doing. Anyways, here's a great chat between Alec and TgWelch. Please enjoy it. 8:45 - Hacan Commander: Gila the Silvertongue

It’s spooky season, and that means we get to talk about one of the spookiest factions out there: the Nekro Virus. What once was seen as aggressive, bloodthirsty killing machines are now a deal-oriented accountant wearing brass knuckles. Nekro is a good faction, but only if you dig a bit into the math and strategy that lies under the surface. So let’s dive in! 6:31 - Abilities and Starting Units/Tech 16:12 - First Round Strategy Cards 37:20 - Problems 39:55 - Tech Paths 50:57 - Trading and Meta 1:03:6 - Mid-Game 1:06:37 - Late Game 1:14:41 - Ghosts of Creuss Strategy Guide Errata 1:23:18 - System: Jeol Ir/Accoen and Nekro Virus Hero: Polymorphic Algorithm Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

We’re nearing the end of these base game Strategy Guides. Five years after the release of 3rd Edition, FFG released the Shards of the Throne expansion and included three new factions. Among those was what would quickly become one of the most beloved factions of the entire game, the Ghosts of Creuss. The Ghosts are so cool and interesting, they are TI4 designer Dane Beltrami’s favorite faction. Anyways...here’s a guide we threw together. We think it’s pretty good. 4:05 - Abilities and Starting Units/Tech 16:30 - First Round Strategy Cards 42:13 - Problems 45:08 - Tech Paths 57:30 - Trading and Meta 1:08:50 - Mid-Game 1:15:11 - Late Game 1:22:07 - Muaat Strategy Guide Errata 1:35:38 - Agenda: Nexus Sovereignty and Vuil’Raith Cabal Agent: The Stillness of Stars Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

Do you even understand what this episode cost? Hunter has gone back into the oven to further explore the strategies of the Embers of Muaat, and he’s a harder, colder man because of it. He may be forever changed, but at least we’ll finally know whether Red Tech or Blue Tech is better. You have to listen to this one, because it physically hurt Hunter to make. 8:15 - Abilities and Starting Units/Tech 23:13 - Problems 27:40 - First Round Strategy Cards 43:16 - Tech Paths 52:06 - Trading and Meta 58:30 - Mid-Game 1:00:36 - Late Game 1:10:49 - Muaat Agent: Umbat and Tech: AI Development Algorithm Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

This month the Galactic Council foisted upon us a episode so daunting, we had to enlist help from our own private Rules Judge, Milty! Milty is known in the community as the master of all rules, and there is no better person to host our newest game show: Rules Quiz Extravaganza! 1:35:26 - Explore: Expedition and Sardakk N'orr Mech: Valkyrie Exoskeleton Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

I hope you enjoy your outdoor cooking with lots of SALT. Today, we delve into our only remaining base game Root faction, the Vagabond. Much maligned by the rest of the forest creatures, the Vagabond is power, requires focus from the rest of the table to stop, and...honestly can sometimes not be that fun to play as. It is an uphill meta-battle, and here are tools on how to survive your early games as this most infamous racoon. 5:50 - Abilities and Setup 30:28 - Birdsong and Slipping 34:54 - Daylight and Inventory Management 40:48 - Evening 42:28 - Opening Ideas 52:45 - Crafty Corner 1:05:43 - Pitfalls 1:09:17 - Finding a Win 1:15:28 - Yin Brotherhood Strategy Guide Errata 1:22:16 - Prophecy of Kings Reveals! (Xxcha Commander and AC: Deadly Plot) Music by Brian Kupillas. Find more at wanderinglake.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

It’s not 2018 anymore, and that means we get to like the Yin and talk about them in a serious context. This might legitimately be Matt’s best faction, and hopefully that translates to some somewhat decent strategic insights. You be the judge! And stick around for the final Yin Brotherhood Prophecy of Kings spoiler! 4:53 - Overview 24:43 - Tech Paths 40:29 - Strategy Cards 59:39 - Problems 1:01:35 - Trading 1:10:00 - Mid-Game 1:13:52 - Late Game 1:26:57 - Yin Agent: Brother Milor and Agenda: Search Warrant Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

This month on Fireside Chats Alec sits down with the creator and moderator of the TI4 on TTS Discord, PhilRoi. He’s a huge figure in the community who puts in tons of effort and hours to ensure everyone has a safe and fun place to organize games of Twilight Imperium online. Not to mention he’s an incredibly kind person who is incredibly easy to talk to! 5:02 - Objective: Explore the Outer Rim Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

Development of Leder Games’ Oath has been completed, and a lot has changed since the last time we talked to Cole Wehrle. So, we decided to sit down with him again so he could update us on what’s new, what’s not, and what’s to come! Additionally, we talk about where he sees Root heading in future expansions, as well as the competitive Root scene and our upcoming test tournament! 8:20 - Explore: Enigmatic Device and Jol-Nar Mech: Shield Paling Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

For our second consecutive Galactic Council episode, the winner was an update on all of the components and abilities revealed for Prophecy of Kings so far. Now we couldn’t cover EVERYTHING, but today we touch on all of the tech, objectives, and faction stuff we’ve seen. It’s a LOT, so strap in and prepare to get your lace up your analysis shoes. We’re about to go trekkin’. 4:12 - Tech: Bio-Stims and Yssaril Commander: So Ata To see more reveals, visit Wekker's spreadsheet! Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

It’s the day you’ve been waiting all this time for. Nearly 3 years in, and we’ve finally managed to book our significant others to appear on the show. They were a tough get, and we had to offer some major residuals, but we finally got them on board. The Galactic Council submitted loads of questions, and we went through as many of them as we could so that you all could get the inner scoop of what it’s like to be our Partners in TI. 1:51:47 - System: Atlas and L1z1x Commander and Mech: 2RAM and Annihilator Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

We’re trying to get our significant others to sit down for this month’s Galactic Council episode, but it’s proving more difficult than we originally planned. So, Alec is here to save the day with yet another Fireside Chat. This time with longstanding patron and Discord rabble-rouser, Billy! 6:47 - Objective: Command an Armada and Barony Agent: Viscount Unlenn Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

And so begins the saga of the most temporary strategy guides ever written. Why are we writing guides for a game whose strategy will be radically changed in a matter of months? BECAUSE! When you start something you finish it! Even if it costs you everything. Even if all you’re left with is a Floating Factory and a single infantry sitting alone in a distant asteroid field. See, I still tied it back to Saar, who this strategy guide is about. And also, stick around for a Prophecy of Kings Saar spoiler! 5:27 - Overview 15:27 - Round One 33:56 - Problems 35:54 - Tech 45:34 - Trading/Meta 49:15 - Mid-Game 53:15 - Late Game 58:20 - Root: Woodland Alliance Errata 1:09:17 - Exploration: Freelancers and Saar Mech Reveal! Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

Deemed “The Jol-Nar of Root,” the Woodland Alliance is very powerful, and rather straight-forward in what they need to do in order to win. However, they can still have rather intimidating hurdles to get over for new players. So today, we want to cover solid play while avoiding the traps new players fall into. Stick around too, because at the end of the episode, we have more Twilight Imperium: Prophecy of Kings reveals!! 9:25 - Abilities 16:55 - Birdsong, Sympathy, and Bases 24:28 - Daylight, Evening, and Officers 40:27 - Opening Ideas 44:00 - Arts and Crafts 53:31 - Pitfalls and Winning 57:32 - The Winnu Strategy Guide Errata 1:07:08 - Prophecy of Kings Reveals! (Hacan Mech, and Shard of the Throne) Music by Brian Kupillas. Find more at wanderinglake.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

There has already been so much new stuff to digest this weekend, but only one thing is actually CURRENTLY playable. Alongside the reveal of Prophecy of Kings on Friday, Fantasy Flight also released the first official Twilight Codex, which contains more Omega components, new action cards, and a whole playable scenario! Today, we sit down with Dane and just talk through every single thing in the document, and Dane shares a few design insights, but mostly we just freak out about all of the cool new stuff. To download the Codex, visit: https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgames.com/filer_public/94/c5/94c59830-533e-47aa-a708-25634575161b/twilight_codex_v1-compressed.pdf Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

AAAAHHHH! It happened. The expansion for Twilight Imperium 4th Edition, Prophecy of Kings, has been announced! And the only way to celebrate this momentous occasion is to bring designer Dane Beltrami onto the show and go in depth into every new mechanic. Additionally, we have been given exclusive access to one of the SEVEN new factions, and will be doing an exhaustive reveal of the lore and abilities of The Nomad. You cannot miss this episode. Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com To learn more about our Discord, Twitter, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

Hunter is hitting the road this week, moving back to Arkansas to be with his baby daddy. In lieu of time to record a proper episode, Alec is here to fill the gap yet again with another Fireside Chat. This time, he sits down with Weird Bear Fargoness and his son, GenCon 2019 Finalist Xenofeline. There aren’t many father/son duos in our community, and the humor and skill these two both bring is so valuable. Enjoy! Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

Winnu Winnu, Chicken Dinnu. It’s a faction so bad at winning that they have a celebratory catch phrase. How did we get here? Is there a trick to all of this that makes Winnu truly viable? Or is every win just a fluke? Let’s talk about “strategy” for the faction that really really really wants Mecatol Rex and basically nothing else. Also, if you prefer three and four player games...I’m really sorry that this episode isn’t more for you. I bet you have way more fun with Winnu… 7:16 - Overview 25:30 - Early Game 52:00 - Tech 59:19 - Trade/Meta 1:04:26 - Mid-Game 1:10:44 - Late Game 1:15:40 - Root Eyrie Dynasties Errata Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

Birds, man. Lemme tell ya. This was a tough nut to crack, but eventually we found some comfort with The Eyrie Dynasties in Root. They are a good faction, but they can, at times, feel a bit tough to learn and unlock the full potential of. Half programming, and half slow-burn, the Eyrie makes for a faction that, when things go wrong it can feel crippling. But when things go right, they are among the toughest to stop. So join us while we learn to play as these fierce lil’ birds. 9:23 - Abilities 11:49 - Birdsong and The Decree 22:45 - Leaders 30:43 - Daylight and Turmoil 43:48 - Evening 46:22 - Crafty Corner 59:20 - Pitfalls 1:05:30 - Victory Music by Brian Kupillas. Find more at wanderinglake.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

Open up your cosmic history books and get yourself ready for story-time! Today Hunter and Alec the person sat down together to talk about the Lore of Twilight Imperium 4th edition. We talk a lot about the opening crawl in the learn to play book and dive deep into several faction sheets. It was actually super fun and I feel a new sense of appreciation for the writing in these games. LIKE DID YOU KNOW THAT THE NEKRO ARE SPOOKY? They are. Also please watch the FFG inflight report with Hunter and friends on July 29th 7PM Central (5PM Pacific). Watch it on https://www.twitch.tv/ffglive while you listen to us jabber on https://www.twitch.tv/spacecatspeaceturtles Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

Introducing a new show within the show, FIRESIDE CHATS. This week enjoy some special programming from community favorite Root, AKA Alec. Today (actually in April) he sat down with one of our favorite players of all time MAGI to have a wide-ranging conversation about strategy games, TI, and tournaments. Check out the beginning of the episode for this week’s rundown and general announcements and stay tuned for our proper Galactic Council episode about Twilight Imperium Lore in a few days. Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

She is industrious. She is stalwart. She is really hard to win Root with. She is the Marquise de Cat. What is often used as the “learning” faction for Root is the one with some of the most problems to overcome. So, to help you in your process of learning all of the varied faction in Root, we wanted to present this overview of the Cats! 6:19 - Abilities & Setup 19:14 - Birdsong, Daylight, & Evening 28:28 - Opening Strategies 37:43 - Crafty Corner 1:02:00 - Pitfalls 1:09:15 - Finding Victory 1:14:18 - L1z1x Errata Music by Brian Kupillas. Find more at wanderinglake.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

The time rift is still open and the universe is in absolute chaos. This episode careens back and forth between pre-baby and post-baby Matt, and you can expect more in the weeks to come. While Matt and Hunter are trapped in this time loop, they found a chance to talk about the L1z1x Mindnet. Enjoy that talk before eternity folds back in on itself and we all wake up as cyborgs. Section Outline: Overview - 7:09 Early Game - 20:14 Technology - 42:25 Trading/Meta - 55:00 Mid Game - 58:15 Late Game - 01:01:25 Rundown - 01:09:58 Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

Today we’re going to mind-meld with the psychic reptiles we love so much, The Naalu Collective! Listen as Matt and Hunter unveil their Naalu strategy guide! Also we have entered the Baby arc of the show where Matt and Hunter will begin hopping through time as they record many episodes early for air so that the baby will have plenty of Matt time. Also stay tuned to the end for a live update on that. ;) If you need any clues it’s Hunter writing this episode summary and I uhh never do that normally. Section Outline: Overview - 7:09 Early Game - 20:14 Technology - 42:25 Trading/Meta - 55:00 Mid Game - 58:15 Late Game - 01:01:25 Rundown - 01:09:58 Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

Our original plan was to make an overview episode for the Marquise de Cat in Leder Games’ Root for this week. But, in setting out on that journey, we realized Root requires a bit more setup. So, this week, we want to cover the key actions at your disposal in Root and the ways they impact your positioning and points. Then, when we DO get to faction overviews, we can use these ideas as a framework to better organize our thoughts. Music by Brian Kupillas. Find more at wanderinglake.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

Kind of a weird tone to start this week’s episode, but that’s just the vibe these days. Eventually, we talk a bit about the 14 point tournament from last weekend that was a wildly fun party for the community. We’ve got thoughts on 14 point games, winmaking, and streaming TI, so maybe there’s something in there for everyone. We certainly hope everyone willing to listen feels welcome, that’s for sure. Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

What a world we’re in! Last week was a faction guide, and we’ve got another one hot on it’s trail. Yssaril is a faction all about subterfuge and sneakery, and turns out that can be a difficult tool to wield. Action Cards can be a mighty force, but only with the economics to back them up. So, is this faction good? Come listen and find out! 11:58 Yssaril Tribes Overview 25:21 First Round Strategy Cards 50:15 Early Game Problems 54:28 Technology 1:04:50 Trading/Meta 1:14:05 Mid-Game 1:19:52 Late Game Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

This episode hit a few snags along the way. Our first recording put us over three, and we ended up getting pillaged, so we had to record another once we’d spent our other episodes. So, here now, finally, is our Mentak Coalition Strategy Guide. They’re a bit more straightforward than some of our previous guides, but that doesn’t mean there are important nuances that any player must tend to. Also, at the top, we chat a bit about our games in the 14 point tournament Semifinals that we both took part in last weekend. More on that experience to come in a future episode, though! 0:00 Matt and Hunter’s games in the 14 Point Tournament Semifinals 19:30 Mentak Overview 36:22 First Round Strategy Cards 58:12 Early Game Problems 1:05:05 Technology 1:23:00 Trading/Meta 1:34:22 Mid-game 1:40:00 Late Game Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

It is time to embark on a new journey! We’ve been honing our skills at Leder Games’ Root, and we want to start this game off the way we start all of our games: learning how to LEARN Root. This is different from your Learn to Play guides out there, and instead we discuss the ways to approach the game and the types of tactics to approach if you hope to develop a real love of this game. Music by Brian Kupillas. Find more at wanderinglake.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

On this month’s edition of the Galactic Council, they bring you something a bit more off the beaten path. Since we have new tech, it seems the hottest topic is what new possibilities have opened up in the world of “tech paths.” So, today we explore some of that space, while also just brainstorming what non-traditional tech paths we could experiment with with each faction. But first! Dane Beltrami is going to join us and catch us up to speed with the recent Omega release, as well as the even MORE recent Living Rules Reference 1.3! Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

Call me Matt. Some years ago -- nevermind how long precisely -- having little or no command counters on my sheet, and nothing particular to interest me on the board, I thought I would sail about a little and see the turtley part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the anger, and regulating the circulation… It’s time to slay my white whale. Join us, for the long anticipated guide to the Xxcha Kingdom 10:10 Overview 22:20 Round 1 Strategy Cards 55:16 Early Game Problems 1:10:16 Tech Paths 1:22:11 Trading 1:33:13 Mid Game 1:41:00 The Meta and Late Game Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

The tournament is over with a stunning final game, but it’s now time to return to some sense of normalcy. How better to get back into the swing of things than to start discussing the new technologies and updated Diplomacy Dane and FFG released on April 1, 2020? Today we analyze the updated Magen Defense Grid, X-89 Bacterial Weapon, and Diplomacy, as well as theorize how that affects some of our recent faction strategy guides. Don’t forget to grab the new technologies and Diplomacy for yourself! Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

You made it, dear listener. It’s been a long road of amazing games, but it all ends this weekend. And to help us cross the finish line, we sat down with each of our finalists to pick their brain about strategy, competition, metagaming, and more. We get a great look at how each of these highly skilled competitors differs in styles, and we’re certain it will make for an incredibly tight race in the Championship. Please join us, this Saturday, April 18 at 17:00 UTC. You better follow us on Twitch so you can get notified when the game goes live! Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

The Semifinals are officially over, which means we only have one game left of this year’s monumental tournament. But before we can properly introduce our players, next week, we need to go over all of the absolutely wild action that took place over these six games. They were all incredibly memorable, despite Matt’s horrible ability to remember things. Also, you better follow us on Twitch so you can join for the upcoming FINALS! Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

We are right at the end of the semifinals, which means this week’s episode is strategy-lite. We played a Three Player game recently, and realized we have covered every other player count, and it was time to give this one it’s day in the sun. We discuss the differences, between 3p and other counts, the pros and cons, and some the strategy to utilize. Additionally, Matt “debuts” his Trident map that he made over a year and a half ago! Which you can find here: https://www.reddit.com/r/twilightimperium/comments/8zyfjz/the_trident_3_player_map_that_encourages_conflict/ Also, you better follow us on Twitch so you can join for these ongoing Semi-finals! Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

The Space Witches of Dune are essentially the de facto best faction in the game. They have a plethora of strengths, almost no weaknesses, and some abilities that are downright broken. Today, we break all of that down and take a closer look at how to get started playing the wildly complex Bene Gesserit Music by Brian Kupillas. Find more at wanderinglake.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

Coronavirus and tournament have thrown our schedules out of wack! So, what was supposed to be an “extra” episode in the feed is ending up as ep 126! We’ve owed the February Galactic Council Player Profile on our friend Alex for some time now, and we were finally able to sit down with the boy. In this, we discuss his history with TI, his playstyle, and what this great game has taught him. Also, you better follow us on Twitch so you can join for these ongoing Semi-finals! Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon

The Galactic Council voted this month to have a discussion about the matchup of Hacan vs Mentak. It’s an interesting dichotomy, especially compared to our last matchup episode, Sol vs Yin. This one is rampant with meta assumptions and a lot of second guessing! Sounds about right when dealing with trade goods and negotiations! Then, we finally complete the Tournament Prelim updates! Also, you better follow us on Twitch so you can join us when those Semi-finals start THIS WEEKEND! Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Join in on the discussion here, on our Discord, or at our Board Game Geek Guild. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. And send us your in game moments for Play of the Week! and This Imperium Life at [email protected] We appreciate all of the feedback and discussion, but there are more ways you can contribute! If you want to join in and decide future games and topics to cover, visit our Patreon