Secret Satan - post game analysis & new direction for SI ?

[Chaosguy]

Below is the list of the builds submitted for the Secret Satan game (based on the 'secret santa' concept). Each player gave out one build and was randomly given one back in return. The idea was to hand out a build (designed under certain guidelines) which would be a challenge to play, but still playable. In every case, the player was given something which meant it wasn't the same old deceit/prince of lies or charisma 4 build that most public games now are. Sord was kind enough to do the shuffling for us and here is what was played & by whom:

The big list of builds
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Submitted by MM
Player: SupaDupa
Rank: Lord
Public Objective: Sloth
Martial Skill 1
Cunning 1
Intellect 3
Wickedness 1
Charisma 1
Unnatural Prescience
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Submitted by Chaosguy
Player: Chaosguy
Rank: Marquis
Public Objective: Greed
Martial Skill 0
Cunning 0
Intellect 0
Wickedness 1
Charisma 1
Arena Gambler
Ichor Of Rejuvination
Iron Tower of the Mind
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Submitted by Matchstickman
Player: Kaira
Rank: Lord
Public Objective: Pride
Martial Skill 1
Cunning 1
Intellect 1
Wickedness 1
Charisma 1
Glory in Battle
Unnatural Prescience
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Submitted by Moth Bones
Player: MM
Rank: Duke
Public Objective: Wrath
Martial Skill 1
Cunning 0
Intellect 0
Wickedness 1
Charisma 2
Playing For Keeps
Toughness
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Submitted by Kaira
Player: Matchstickman
Rank: Prince
Public Objective: Gluttony
Martial Skill 1
Cunning 1
Intellect 2
Wickedness 1
Charisma 1
Arena Gambler
Playing for Keeps
Obscure
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Submitted by SupaDupa
Player: Moth Bones
Rank: Prince
Public Objective: Wrath
Martial Skill : 3
Cunning : 0
Intellect : 0
Wickedness : 1
Charisma : 1

Note that all builds but one start with Charisma of 1. Some did try to change their builds, but by endgame one of the lessons learned was there wasn't time to turn these builds into something they weren't. (A plus 1 order slot PoP in the hands of the 2 Charimsa build for many turns did skew this, but even that build ran out of time). Case in point: someone was casting "looting of the vaults" in the latter part of the game, but that player didn't come in first nor second.

Those who did best, played 'the builds they were given as the builds they were'. Which bring me to my first point-- none of these builds proved unplayable. Even though (while staying within the set-up rules) the idea was to screw with people by giving them something really challenging, this could have been anybody's game. It was a 2nd time player who took home the win. The two veteran players ended in 3rd & 4th with their hands around each other's throats as the clock wound down quickly. What was arguably the worst build came in 2nd. This style of play created a VERY level playing field. Newb/pro, good build/bad build it came down to how well any player was able to adapt to being handed something unexpected. When life gives you lemons...

Perhaps for the sake of hearing myself talk I'll go a little into each build and how it did in game, but my hope here is that some of the hardcore fans who weren't in this game take a look at the 'Secret Satan' thread and consider trying it themselves. More importantly the hope is that if Vic does invest any more energy in the game he consider the random effect we achieved here. All the players in the game loved the challenge and Solium Infernum has so much potential yet tends to fall into a rut as a game. Adding some randomizing effect in could give it new life !

[Chaosguy]

Rank: Lord
Public Objective: Sloth
Martial Skill 1
Cunning 1
Intellect 3
Wickedness 1
Charisma 1
Unnatural Prescience

This was the winner's build. He was the only guy to maintain his Public Objective, which meant that he got almost NO prestige from diplomacy in a diplomacy-heavy game. He made of point of winning the handful of challenges he was in, and in the latter half the game picking up a large swath of cantons for the census points. He trailed in 2nd for a while, until that leader was eliminated. The build itself is only one point away from getting an extra order slot, although with a starting charisma of one it isn't likely the player would get that until mid-game. Its a build based around controlling events and secret goals (the high Intellect means you'd get a choice when drawing secret objectives). Very doable since it starts with a powerful personal guard legion as well-- meaning this player generally got left alone, giving them time to work on these goals.

Rank: Marquis
Public Objective: Greed
Martial Skill 0
Cunning 0
Intellect 0
Wickedness 1
Charisma 1
Arena Gambler
Ichor Of Rejuvination
Iron Tower of the Mind

This was the weakest build in the game. This player took 2nd. Its hope lies in the Arena Gambler perk, and in this case that was capilized on, the player getting a decent but not overpowerful praetor and boosting their abilities with manuscripts. In the late game the surprise of someone having taken the old deceit route meant the Iron Tower perk came in handy in keeping the prized praetor safe in this player's vault. This player also took advantage of the census in the latter half of the game to rack up points.

Rank: Lord
Public Objective: Pride
Martial Skill 1
Cunning 1
Intellect 1
Wickedness 1
Charisma 1
Glory in Battle
Unnatural Prescience

A super-balanced build, this player lead the game until being eliminated mid-game. The Glory In Battle perk meant they should have spent time using their relatively strong starting legion to bully their weaker neighbors. In this case the player did not capitalize on that (instead perhaps trying to up stats specific to some other build) and ultimately was displaced due to it.

Rank: Duke
Public Objective: Wrath
Martial Skill 1
Cunning 0
Intellect 0
Wickedness 1
Charisma 2
Playing For Keeps
Toughness

A straight-forward Wrath build-- something you never see played now in actual games, this was perhaps the "best" build given out. The charisma advantage this position had should have given this build a distinct advantage despite the weakness of its starting legion. Here again, after a strong start and then a set back, this player spent a majority of their time increasing stats, ending the game with the fewest cantons in 4th place. A more active approach with this build and a different ending would've been likely.

Rank: Prince
Public Objective: Gluttony
Martial Skill 1
Cunning 1
Intellect 2
Wickedness 1
Charisma 1
Arena Gambler
Playing for Keeps
Obscure

Another build with many possibilties, but also many challenges. Obscure plus charisma 1 was a serious challenge, but it also meant one of the strongest starting legions as the -8 points from obscure had to be re-distributed. Playing for Keeps and Gluttony were incongruous, but again the latter lent more points to be entered into stats. This is a build where early game momentum with the starting legion was key, followed by late game points via the Arena Gambler Perk. Unfortunately in this case, this arena gambler bought a strong praetor but played them un-buffed and lost to another strong praetor. Lack of early game capitalization meant it never recovered from that and this build took 5th place.

Rank: Prince
Public Objective: Wrath
Martial Skill : 3
Cunning : 0
Intellect : 0
Wickedness : 1
Charisma : 1

Another straight-forward Wrath build, this player did well in playing it as such, holding 2nd early game, 1st mid-game and almost completing its public objective late game, but falling to 3rd in the process. A key element in this game was this player entering into the arena challenges against an arena gambler with a heavily buffed praetor. The lost prestige from that was costly, and drew energy in the form of order slots away from its ground wars.

[Moth Bones]

A fascinating analysis CG, thanks a lot for that.

One thing I'll note is that virtually none of the new stuff from the Rectification expansion came into play at all; no use of Curse manuscripts, or any of the new rituals (I did pick up the Bottle of Whispers, but lack of ritual chamber space and pressure of other matters meant that it was a wasted purchase). I guess this was partly due to the lack of Deceit/Destruction builds on show.

You were probably right in that I shouldn't have got sidetracked with praetor combat, but I play adaptively and with the Crimson Skull falling into my lap it seemed a shame not to use it; I figured that I could keep up diplo pressure and reap prestige without risking my ownership of the +1 PoP. This turned out not to be the case, and the speed with which the last few tokens were drawn meant that I was unable to recover.

I still think there's a lot of life in SI, and I'm looking forward to being in a game where the Curse manuscripts have a significant effect.