Pax Porfiriana Discussion and Strategy

I've won all bar one or two games i've played of this, more by luck than judgement though. I tend to go loyalty because you can build money with it. Also you can paid by Diaz even in a depression for loyalty points if i remember correctly, and there are a couple of partners that can earn you cash for loyalty.

I sometimes have a swing at command/marshall law. Command is mostly cheapass troops from memory.

If i am not doing well in the economic realm i have on occasions tried to force a recession.

Do you guys tracking VP openly (via cubes or tracks or whatever) actually find it enhancing your game?

It seems like it would, but it also seems like you are less likely to be able to swoop in with a victory out of nowhere. While common sense says Phil Eklund didn't intend for VP to be hidden or obscured on the table, perhaps that is a crucial element of the game. Those A-ha moments where you come out of nowhere and take a topple are quite satisfying.

Only having played VASSAL, where info is open insofar as you have time to look without anyone noticing, I think it would enhance a ftf game immensely.

Gary Sax wrote: Only having played VASSAL, where info is open insofar as you have time to look without anyone noticing, I think it would enhance a ftf game immensely.

I wouldn't want to be the poor sucker keeping that board up to date through things like Unrest plays coming and going.

I honestly don't count too much even in Vassal. I can usually see when something's getting unbalanced, it's only when things shift wildly (like someone adds two Command troops or Revolution points in a turn).

I'll certainly take a count when a topple comes up, but if we're not actively squabbling over one I'm mostly concerned with my own goals.

charlest wrote: Do you guys tracking VP openly (via cubes or tracks or whatever) actually find it enhancing your game?

It seems like it would, but it also seems like you are less likely to be able to swoop in with a victory out of nowhere. While common sense says Phil Eklund didn't intend for VP to be hidden or obscured on the table, perhaps that is a crucial element of the game. Those A-ha moments where you come out of nowhere and take a topple are quite satisfying.

I find its less likely to telegraph your intentions if you can tell at a glance what everyone else has. And newbies appreciate it as well. The graphics can be tought to pick out across a table.

Here's a note from Phil Eklund over on BGG (commenting on a review):

I can only add that there are only two dozen Pax Porfiriana left for sale on my www.sierra-Madre-games.eu website. I may do a small reprint if demand is high enough.

If you think you might want this game and haven't bought it yet, now's the time.

Super cheap shipping, too, from Germany (like 5 bucks).

Not Sure wrote: Here's a note from Phil Eklund over on BGG (commenting on a review):

I can only add that there are only two dozen Pax Porfiriana left for sale on my www.sierra-Madre-games.eu website. I may do a small reprint if demand is high enough.

If you think you might want this game and haven't bought it yet, now's the time.

Surprised it lasted this long - almost 18 months to sell out . It has a small but loyal following.

Buy now - it will only get more expensive once it goes out of print.

cracked open some beers after work and played a game with two of my colleagues, who don't do games much. I won on the third topple card with 3 command points. Not that surprising given that they had only played once before.

One of the things i love about this game is the fact that it has 200 unique cards. And some of them are powerful enough to build half your game strategy around. I got the refrigerated train card and built my entire economy around upgrading connections, then using the money to dump troops around. Because cards like this may not come up, there isn't some nonsense bullet proof strategy we can discuss in this thread. This really is a game that you have to play by ear and see what cards come up in the flop.

I really like this trend in new games, Duke. Nations has this too. You may never see that combination of cards again, so it encourages thinking on your feet combowise.