by cmontgo2
dreadnaught wrote:
I think I may have you beat and turn 1 is still in progress.
Dealt three 2 point cards (one Selim II M.A.) and a one pointer. In the first impulse I played Tribute for 5 points to combine the fleets and do Piracy, no hits on four dice. HRE then stole the M.A. via St Johns in their impulse.
Impulse 2 I Patronized ali Reis for 2 CP hoping the Taliban strings him up at turn end.
Do I risk another piracy attempt in Barbary Coast (3 dice against me)
Do I continue the Venice Influence race w/ the HRE or try another piracy. Grand Visor for a wild stab at Suez, the four military units or 5 CP to include the 4pt Patronage of Sinan before the 2 pointer comes aboard.
Ottomans are challenging.
Dealt three 2 point cards (one Selim II M.A.) and a one pointer. In the first impulse I played Tribute for 5 points to combine the fleets and do Piracy, no hits on four dice. HRE then stole the M.A. via St Johns in their impulse.
Impulse 2 I Patronized ali Reis for 2 CP hoping the Taliban strings him up at turn end.
Do I risk another piracy attempt in Barbary Coast (3 dice against me)
Do I continue the Venice Influence race w/ the HRE or try another piracy. Grand Visor for a wild stab at Suez, the four military units or 5 CP to include the 4pt Patronage of Sinan before the 2 pointer comes aboard.
Ottomans are challenging.
I wouldn't worry about an influence race with the HRE - that should be Spain's job.
Keep the pressure on Spain and protect Buda - keep pirating. Keep trying to build the Suez. I think early on, the Ottoman only has one real course of action unless/until the HRE begin to pose a victory threat . . . so keep your army and navy as large as you can.
Turn 2 or Turn 3, perhaps try to take out Cypress for the VP.
I've not got many games under my belt - but from the three I am currently in, the Ottoman best-practices notwithstanding game developments that might require some other action - are to keep the pressure on Spain, sell juicy Prot cards for 2-cards to the Prot (maybe over the course of two turns) and pirate the hell out of Spain. Every CP and fleet they spend attacking you is a CP they can't spend capturing Algiers or Tunis or influencing Venice (all of which are bad for you).
Thing is, I'm not sure when the Otts should back off and start to play the non-violent game . . . still figuring that one out.