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Jules Verne once said, “Hey, Steampunks. Nice threads.” Ever since that fateful day, these retronauts have been classing up the joint everywhere they go. Any base in the game will look smarter and be just a bit friendlier for full-on Steampunk domination.
Steampunks are from the Awesome Level 9000 set and do not have a Titan card.
Complexity Level: Low-Medium
Mechanics
- Playing Actions on Bases
- Minions and Actions Support Each Other
What happens with an engine when no one's there to operate it? Steampunks know the answer intimately well. Steampunks have tons of play-on-base actions. Pretty much all their other cards interact with play-on-base actions in some way. Conversely, pretty much all their play-on-base actions interact with minions in some way. Quite a symbiotic relationship going on here.
Strategy
Steampunks have a lot of power and mobility when they put their minions and play-on-base actions together, and lack it all when they separate. It is important to realize just how intertwined their minions and actions are. 6/10 of their actions directly rely on your minions, and 9/10 of their minions' abilities directly rely on play-on-base actions (Steam Queen also protects play-on-minion actions). This symbiosis tends to get ever stronger the more minions and play-on-base actions you have in play. As a consequence, the beginning of the game tends to be slow for Steampunks, and also just after bases they won score. Keep steaming on by recycling your play-on-base actions with Mechanic and Scrap Diving.
Usually, factions with abilities that draw extra cards also have abilities that play extra cards, but Steampunks do not. Drawing extra cards still helps you find the best cards in your deck, though, even if you have to discard down to 10. Note that the extra card from Difference Engine comes after Phase 4 of your turn, so you would end with 11 cards not 10.
Opponents may try to disrupt the plan. You should look out for this, but Steampunks thought ahead for you. Steam Queen, Escape Hatch, and Ornate Dome help you stay in control of the situation. Combine these three with Difference Engine to create a nigh-impenetrable fortress. The longer you keep the base these are on from breaking, the longer you will profit from it.
Synergy
Factions with play-on-base actions are great for Steampunks, and ones that play into their utilities.
- Pirates - Abet Steampunks with the original kings of mobility. Steampunks have no minion destruction of their own, if you needed that.
- Tricksters - Amazingly, Tricksters have almost as many play-on-base actions as Steampunks.
- Bear Cavalry - Bears have a couple play-on-base actions that greatly buff your minions, as well as a couple extra minion plays to balance Difference Engine.
- Ancient Incas - Sapa Inca can fetch Aggromotive and Rotary Slug Thrower.
- Star Roamers - Plug into these guys' insane protective movement chains and extra minion plays. If you're smart, your power will end up exactly where you need it.
Cards - Minions
1x Steam Queen
Power 5 - Ongoing: Your actions are not affected by other players’ cards.
Errata? Yes/No
Clarifications:
- None
2x Mechanic
Power4 - Choose an action in your discard pile that can be played on a base and play it as an extra action.
Errata? Yes/No
Clarifications:
- None
3x Steam Man
Power 3 - Ongoing: Has +1 power if this base has one of your actions played on it.
Errata? Yes/No
Clarifications:
- This triggers if you have more than one action on its base.
4x Captain Ahab
Power 2 - Talent: Move this minion to a base that has one of your actions played on it.
Errata? Yes/No
Clarifications:
- None
Cards - Actions
1x Aggromotive
Play on a base. Ongoing: If you have a minion here, you have +5 power here.
Errata? Yes/No
Clarifications:
- The +5 power is not added to any minion, but just adds to your total there, during every player’s turn.
1x Change of Venue
Place one of your actions that is on a base or minion into your hand. Play it again as an extra action.
Errata? Yes/No
Clarifications:
- None
1x Difference Engine
Play on a base. Ongoing: If you have a minion here, draw an extra card at the end of your turn.
Errata? Yes/No
Clarifications:
- None
1x Escape Hatch
Play on a base. Ongoing: When your minions here are destroyed, return them to your hand instead.
Errata: Yes, Wording
Clarifications:
- Minions placed into your hand do not count as being destroyed (c.f. Field of Honor).
1x Ornate Dome
Play on a base. Destroy all other players’ actions on this base. Ongoing: Other players cannot play actions on this base.
Errata: Yes, Wording
Clarifications:
- This does not affect actions on minions, nor prevent such actions from being played. This does not block actions that target a base but are not played on it (e.g., Rampage, Disenchant).
1x Rotary Slug Thrower
Play on a base. Ongoing: Your minions here each have +2 power.
Errata? Yes/No
Clarifications:
- None
2x Scrap Diving
Place an action from your discard pile into your hand.
Errata? Yes/No
Clarifications:
- None
2x Zeppelin
Play on a base. Talent: Move one of your minions from another base to here, or from here to another base.
Errata? Yes/No
Clarifications:
- None
Cards - Bases
1x Inventor's Salon
Breakpoint 22 - VPs: 4 2 1 - After this base scores, the winner may draw an action from their discard pile.
Errata: Yes, Wording
Clarifications:
- None
1x Workshop
Breakpoint 20 - VPs: 4 2 1 - When a player plays an action card on this base, that player may play an extra action.
Errata? Yes/No
Clarifications:
- None
