Posted: 24 December 2012 at 3:53pm | IP Logged

What constitutes a good terrain card?

This question has several aspects due to terrain having more than one use.  The primary use is resource production.  There are a variety of secondary uses for terrain based on special abilities.

For this post, I'm going to discuss terrain used primarily for resource production.  As a general rule, good resource production means getting a number of resources equal to the strength of the terrain card.  But, realistically, you're probably going to avoid using low level terrain cards.

If you want to look them up look here: http://galacticempires.no-ip.org/GE/cards/Terrain.html

T1:
Most of these are pathetically easy to destroy and only produce 1 or 2 resources.  There is the exception of T1 Expanding universe, but.... promo card...
There are several that produce 2 of energy, supply, or 1 of each.  But they're so easy to destroy I don't bother. 
I either use a terrain with a cool effect, or Planetary Storm(1 Economy).  It and Captured Satellite(1 supply) are played to another terrain and combine with it.  Thus they are relatively difficult to destroy.

T2:
Realistically everything below T4 has the same issue that T1 does.  Most of them are easy to blow up, and don't produce much.
Some of the better exceptions are promos. (Moon-Garden Moon, Parallel Universe)  Some of faves are Commerce moon(2 Eco), Captured Moon(1 Eco, 1 Sup, combines), and Small Moon - Corporate Moon(1 Eco, 1 Sup, 1 Ammo).  Another is Moon - Populated Moon, it has an engagement cost of 2 Sup, but produces 1 Eco, 2 Ene, and 3 Ammo.  Then there's Dust Belt, it can only be played combined, but produces a total of 6 resources.  Oh and Planet of ill Repute.  It requires crew but it make a lot of economy if it has enough crew on it.

T3:
See T1.
Dragon Egg, despite having an effect that only works for dragons, this produces enough resources(1 Eco, Sup, Ene, Ammo) to be worth using in any deck.  And Bosheegh minor planet.  It has the same resource production, but no effect.  There's also Crystal Planet and Rubber Ball Planet. Each produces 4 resources and has an effect that makes it harder to destroy.  I think my favorite is Repair Moon, it produces 2 supply and 2 repair.

T4:
There are a few T4s that generate 6 resources, Gekonauak Moon, Conquered Planet, Small moon - Aldibrik, Vektrea minor(the effect is only useful with Vektreans, but it's a side benefit).  Another useful one is White Dwarf.  It only produces 4 Energy, but it doubles the output of any terrain you play it to.

T5:
There aren't many non-promo T5s that produce more than 5 resources.

Repair Asteroid, Neutron Star, Earth, and Twin Moons are good examples.

T6:
See T5.

Oversized Moon, and Gorgochok are nice.

T7:
This is where we start seeing Persona terrain.  And homeworlds.  They usually have a cool secondary effect that works for a specific empire, and usually good resource production.  I personally avoid using them unless I want the effect. It's not that they're bad, it's that I don't have many of most of them.

Massive Asteroid, Free Trade Zone, and Undiscovered system are useful exceptions.

T8:
See T7.

Massive Ore Planet, Salt Water World, and Scandig are useful.

T9:
At this point there are very few Terrain cards that aren't asociated with an empire.  Blookerak and Shinnicera are pretty much it.  The others usually have good enough production to be usable even outside the empire they're associated with though.

T10:
Um... mostly promos.  The other three are either, a Giant Star, Clydon only, or something that doesn't produce resources.
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Posted: 27 December 2012 at 7:21pm | IP Logged

Well, technically, it doesn't produce anything.  Its ability to play ships engaged is quite useful.  The next turn you'll have to find some other way to power the ship though.

Ohh.... I knew I was forgetting soemthing!  Yeah, plasma field is one of the coolest, and most versatile cards in the game. :D

If they ever do a new GE, they should put in more H/T cards. Some of the existing cards really feel like they should be H/T cards.