Tier 1: "The Chosen Ones"
Yassaril - Ok I lied. I said I wasn't going to give you any numerical ranking. You have to excuse me on this one. I just can't help myself. Yassaril is unequivocally the best race in the game. They are number 1! So why are they the best race in the game? They literally have it all. Their starting technology and units are precisely what I would take for an early game rapid expansion. Antimass Deflector and XRD Transports allow them to ignore asteroid fields movement restrictions and give their carriers a healthy two movement range. When you couple this with their starting units which includes two carriers five ground forces two fighters and a cruiser they have the ultimate recipe for early game expansion! Oh and lets not forget their racial abilities. No other single racial ability of any other race has ever been called broken except for? Yep your right Yssaril's skip ability. Its insanely powerful you can literally out stall every other race in the game. I have played games where everyone has passed and I'm literally playing two or three rounds of a turn without any one else able to react in any meaningful way! The funny thing is I could probably stop right here and they would still be the best race in the game. However I'm not finished yet. They also receive one additional action card during the status phase and may look at one opponents action cards per turn. Now action cards run the gambit from complete crap to game breaking. With this is mind you obviously want as many actions cards as you can get in order to increase the chances of getting better ones. Which in the case of the Yssaril is not a problem and is somewhat compounded by knowing what cards your opponent has and thus being able to plan for their actions cards. Or steal them? Yes the Yssaril have a racial technology Mageon Implants which allows them to take an action card from an opponent who's action cards they are looking at. So now not only are you getting three action cards a turn but you are denying your opponents their best action cards. This is the best race in the game if you think otherwise you must be descended from a Tribble. For those of the less William Shatner inclined I introduce the Tribble!
Jol Nar - Every 4X game has them and more than likely they are one of the best races in the game. In Ti3 this holds true. I'm talking about the technology race. As befits a tech race the Jol Nar start with an excellent technology base that allows them to research in any direction that they choose. This technology base coupled with their racial ability to execute both the primary and secondary abilities of the tech strategy card guarantee a unprecedented advance in technology. This essentially ensures that they have will always have the most tech advances in the game and more than likely the most powerful harder to research tech as well. This tech advantage can take several turns to develop but when it does it more than compensates for their racial disadvantage in combat and can really dominate other facets of the game as well. In addition to their racial ability the Jol Nar have two scientists! If played correctly the Jol Nar can pay almost nothing for tech with the use of these scientists. This reduction or outright elimination of costs for technology then allows them to focus their resources on victory point producing endeavors and larger fleets further helping to reduce their racial combat disadvantage. Just to drive home the point of how good this race is with its tech racial ability consider this almost standard first turn play. Take the trade or assembly strategy card and stall until technology is played. When technology is played using your racial ability to execute both the primary and secondary of technology take micro tech with your first free purchase and then using your planets and either three trade goods or three political cards as resources purchase nano technology. With those techs you may then move your units and take planets with the added benefit that they will come into play unexhausted and thus allowing you to still build in your home system. This might literally be the best opening move in this game for any race.
L1Z1X - They are the best all round race of the game. They are good at everything bad at nothing. Their starting tech rivals Jol Nar who has the best tech in the game. Their home system rivals the Barony of Letnev who has the best starting home system in the game. While their starting units are considered their greatest weakness that is only because it is their only weakness! In reality their starting units when coupled with their starting tech and racial abilities are very good. Their racial abilities are focused on making the intimidating but somewhat resource inefficient dreadnought more powerful and cheaper. They also enjoy having their ground forces hitting hard and a very random lets have them start with an extra strategy token thrown in for good measure. The result is a race that is the most flexible of them all. Let us count the ways.... 1.) It can go tech heavy 2.) It can go dreadnought and war sun heavy 2.) It can turtle on its home planet and surrounding systems. 3.) It can go cruiser destroy and fighter heavy. In fact it can do all of those strategies in one game! But you get the idea. They can do whatever they what and do whatever they want relatively well. Ok I know you were waiting for it... "Resistance is Futile!"
I don't agree. The JolNar are tier2 in my opinion, because despite all their tech, they're fucking vulnerable due to their -1 in all combat rolls, which renders many units basically useless (most striking Carriers and Destroyers). They're hitting notably fewer enemies each combat round.
ReplyDeleteThe L1z1x may have a couple of starting techs, but they are not exactly that great, especially since they are weak on the blue techs.
I agree with you on the Jol-Nar and actually posted a post yesterday about revising my initial rankings. In fact I'm dropping them to tier 3.
ReplyDeleteBut there is really no way you are going to convince me about the Lizix. You either need XRD transporters or Stasis Capsules. Blue tech just doesn't matter if you have stasis capsules... Oh and they start with stasis capsules! The Lizix tech purchases in order should be this.
1.) Neural Motivator (They can take advantage of having it turn one or two. Thus getting the most advantage from receiving one additional action card a turn.)
2.) Inheritence Systems. (They can now skip all of those blue tech prereqs.)
3.) Type IV Drive. (Now their cheaper and harder hitting Dreadnoughts can move)
4.) Assault Cannons (Now those Dreadnoughts fire before combat starts...)
5.) Graviton Negator (Now their Dreadnoughts can bombard through PDS...)
6+.) Whatever the game requires if near wormholes or a rift get gravity drives watch your Dreadnoughts move three. If you need to take out home systems get Light Wave Deflector and stop peoples ability to score points. Its crazy what they can do from this point.
But the point is after only purchasing 5 techs! Their Dreadnoughts are fully tech upgraded cost 4 and hit on 4s! The Lizix actually break Dreadnoughts! They are the only race in the game that can make them cost effective no one else comes close!
Besides that I don't see how you can ignore their starting system. 2nd best in the game. Or their starting units? This race is ready to expand and expand fast all the while kicking the shit out of anyone who gets in their way. On top of that they have really good representatives for the new assembly. Free cruiser representative anyone? In my opinion they are an undisputed tier one race...
I think they are tier 1 playing with SA, but still, the Dreadnaughts and Tech alone does not balance out other disadvantages.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I would object to you saying the L1z1x HS is the second best; several two-planet-systems or the Hacan system are better.
Second, they suck at Trade, where they have only two "1" which won't gain them anything. They are mainly shut out of Trade the whole game.
Third, having such big military advantages tends to aggregate other players and to position them against you, which is not always an advantage.
I would rate the Hacan much higher, for instance. They have ridicilous resources pouring in, no weaknesses and quick friends with anybody.
Just wanted to say first off thanks for responding and checking out the blog. I wish more people commented I really like debating the finer points of the game.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with you on the Lizix HS. 5 resources for one planet is the highest in the game. This game is also about resource management. In this case the Lizix start with a major advantage in that category. The Hacan triple planet home system is nice but it is resource poor. Also to take full advantage of it you have to build two additional space docks in system. Furthermore defending three planets is much harder than one. And you cannot score VPs if you don't even control one of your home systems planets. What home system in your opinion besides Barony is better than Lizix's?
I don't see how they are shut out of trade by their contracts. Also I do believe that one of their contracts is a 2 but I would have to check and could be mistaken. All that simply means is that rather than being shut out the are receiving less trade goods than others. Especially with the new trade when you always receive full value for your trade contracts and trade contracts pay out the turn they are made. This really hurts Hacan as now there trade contracts are not a deterrent to aggression against them as they can be remade and pay out in the same turn. And their trade contracts are paying out the full 3 value meaning they are giving their opponents more trade goods then with trade II.
Also Hacan does have weaknesses. Their starting techs are specialized. Their racial techs are expensive. Their starting home system for three planets is resource poor. Outside of trade they have no advantages. So yes they can have amazing trade income but if trade is not taken... Than they are just a mediocre race. Their advantages depend on trade being taken if its not than they are wasted. And during the end game trade is often not taken... Whereas Lizix abilities are always useful as combat is usually a large part of scoring VPs since the majority of objectives are combat based. With the other being tech based of which Lizix also has a starting advantage.