Space Cats Peace Turtles

Tournament preparations are underway, and first on our list was to make a properly balanced map for the Preliminary round. Eighteen games will be played on this map, so we wanted to make sure it had exactly the right feel. On today’s episode, we breakdown the map and discuss its yin and yangs between slices and go over which factions we think can flourish in which spots. Then we have some errata o...

It’s time for another Player Profile! There’s only one other host of the podcast, so that means this week’s profile is all about Hunter! We cover his much more strategic background, how he goes about handling relationships at the table, and how he manages his salt output. Also included is a breakdown of the structure of the upcoming Patreon tournament and some overview of a recent Good Yin Brother...

The votes are in, and the Galactic Council has spoken! This time, the council proposed a conversation about what factions are best for new players and what skills new players can hope to develop when playing a specific faction. We brought in our friend and frequent contributor E.J. to help us with this discussion. We hope this is a great episode to show to new players as a possible entry point for...

It’s Election Day! Which means it’s time to discuss the best way to elect a faction in Twilight Imperium. This episode is focused on our Draft method for the upcoming Patreon Tournament. We outline the system in detail, and discuss the pros and cons to using it. Then it’s a breakdown of how the system works and analyzing the types of decision making we expect players to make when using it. Enjoy!...

Today is the first episode of a new concept for the show: Player Profiles! We find there is value in assessing why a specific player makes the decisions they make. You can use their ideas to better your own play, or use their thoughts AGAINST THEM. For the first one, we break down how Matt has thought about strategy games in the past, and what goes through his head when he plays Twilight Imperium....

Shh! There are many secrets in this episode. This week, Matt and Hunter discuss the value of secret, backdoor politicking in Twilight Imperium, and the different amounts of whispering that seem acceptable within the community. Looking for more feedback on this discussion, so be sure give your thoughts! Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com

Today’s episode is a bit of a stranger topic. But with the Patreon tournament more on our mind, we felt it was best to talk a little bit about the benefits and pitfalls of playing on Tabletop Simulator. We’re hoping this episode sparks more discussion from TTS experts in the community that we can follow up on next week. After our TTS discussion is errata for Tech Skips. Music provided by Ben Prunt...

While tech paths are still topical, Matt and Hunter decided to sit down and talk about planets with Tech Specialties, otherwise known as Tech Skips. They break down the different planets themselves, the best techs to skip, and how this impacts different factions' tech paths. After that is errata for the “Always and Nevers” episode from last week. Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benprunt...

It’s time for an episode decided on by the Galactic Council! The “Always and Nevers” of Twilight Imperium is our list of somewhat absolutes players should consider when playing. None of this is actually absolute, and there is no such thing as always and no such thing as never. Unless we’re talking about Stymie. Then "Not Even Once..." Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com o...

Sorry for the late show this week! While Matt was traveling across most of the United States, Hunter sat down with other close friends and discussed getting mad in games of Twilight Imperium. TI has a special ability to get players emotionally involved, and often that leads to explosive results. Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com

It’s our Ding Dang Ol’ Birthday! So it’s time to celebrate. To do so, we’re going to set the strategy and theory-crafting aside, and instead discuss our plans for year two and onward. We’re shifting the focus of the Patreon to primarily revolve around tournament and league play, and so today we break down what a lot of that means for you. We’re very excited to try more tournaments and have a lot o...

It’s time to finish the fight! This week we complete the trilogy of Optimal Tech Path discussion. This episode is defined by some of the more difficult to pin down factions and leads to some more open ended ideas of what is truly optimal.   Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com

We’re putting off Tech Paths Part 3 this week because we just streamed our very first 14 point game, and there is simple too much to talk about while we still have it on our minds. This won’t be an in depth analysis of 14 point games at large, but instead a breakdown of the game we played and our first reactions to the differences between 10 points and 14 points. This game is available on our YouT...

Hey look! It’s just what you asked for! It’s more discussions on Tech Paths. This week we cover six more factions Optimal Tech Paths, and breakdown alternatives to those paths. We’ve got five more to go, so looks like there will be a part three!!   Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com

This week marks the first item on our list of topics Matt and Hunter are revisiting and re-examining. Tech hasn’t been covered extensively since Ep 004, and we’ve learned a lot about the game since then. So, in looking closer, we decided to focus on the importance of Optimal Tech Paths in TI4, and what that looks like for different factions. Stay tuned, because next week we’ll continue this conver...

We sat down with Fantasy Flight’s Corey Konieczka and asked him about all things Twilight Imperium, from his beginning with the company to the development and reception of 4th edition. Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com

We made it through GenCon! This week is a recording we did the evening before the finals. We sat down with some of our close friends and crew members and broke now all of our favorite parts of GenCon and the Semifinals of the tournament. Afterwards, it’s just Hunter and Matt, giving a rundown of what you all hoped to see from GenCon, vs what we ended up actually seeing. Music provided by Ben Prunt...

GenCon is THIS WEEK and we are absolutely flipping our lids. We’re bouncing off the walls and going crazy in anticipation. So what follows is a recording in which we bottle our excitement and present it to you, capped and labeled with just the right level of carbonation. We hope you enjoy as we indulge a little and discuss what we expect from GenCon 2018. Afterwards, Matt does some solo errata on...

So you’re playing Twilight Imperium, and things are going GREAT! You flown ahead in victory points but now the board is threatening to violently attack you, and it feels like you’re so close to victory. What do you do? Today, Hunter Donaldson and Matt Martens discuss what to do when the tides of battle start to turn and when the lead starts to feel more like a burden. Don’t give up! Let us show yo...

So you’re playing Twilight Imperium, and things are going south. You haven’t been able to keep up in victory points or you were just violently attacked, and it feels like the game is over for you. What do you do? Today, Hunter Donaldson and Matt Martens discuss what to do when the going gets tough. Don’t give up! Let us show you how to win from behind. Afterwards, there’s errata from our discussio...

The Galactic Council has voted yet again! This time, Matt Martens and Hunter Donaldson discuss what all changes in Twilight Imperium when you knock the player count down to five. Before that is some brief discussion about the Game of Thrones Board Game (2nd Edition), and afterwards is errata on last week’s…”discussion” about a Twilight Imperium movie. Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at ben...

We're gettin' pretty weird today. Main Pod-Daddy Matt is out this week so that leaves Pod-Daddy Hunter to pick up the pieces. So instead of getting anything done Hunter recruits frequent guest Alex to just talk about a TI movie? Yep. You love it when Hunter is in charge. You know you do.   Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com

We’re out of the First Round Strategies, and in the sprint to complete them all, we’ve been putting off giving you another This Imperium Life. So this week, we’re doing just that! Listen in for YOUR tales of betrayal, victory, ghost ships, and the color blue.   Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com

And so ends our journey through all 17 factions of Twilight Imperium. It was a long road, but we came out the other side with a lot more information than when we started, and so today Matt Martens and Hunter Donaldson have decided to analyze everything they've learned along the way. After discussing all of the guides, we'll discuss what's next for Space Cats Peace Turtles, and then, as usual, some...

For as long as space has had cats and peace has had turtles, Matt and Hunter's relationship with the Brotherhood of Yin has been tumultuous. It’s finally time to settle the score and break down these booger-boys. What does it take to unlock their kamikaze potential? Join the only person qualified to help, JattaPake, as he explores the depths, and then afterward, someone will respond to your errata...