Are you thinking about playing TI or been convinced to play by a fan? First let me say well done! With a little bit of work you are in for an amazing gaming experience, to quote Quentin Smith (Quinns – Shut Up and Sit Down)
‘literally everything modern board gaming can be’
Here is the full Shut Up and Sit Down review:
If you have been lucky enough to find somebody to teach you the game you should be aware that they have taken on a lot. No one system or set of rules in the game is that complicated, it is just that there is a lot of them. A little bit of preparation on your part will make your teacher’s task a lot easier. More importantly you will be able to get to playing the game rather than learning it a lot faster.
There are many board-gaming podcasts but not many podcasts about one board-game! Enter Space Cats Peace Turtles, Yes a podcast that focuses on one game, there are many many episodes, so it can be a bit of a rabbit hole. The episode I want to draw your attention to is ‘Learn to Learn/Learn to Teach’
You only really need to listen to the first half, that is the learn to learn part. The guys who make the podcast truly love the game and are great to listen to, more importantly it is a great preparation for the next steps. One of my favourite parts is when they talk about being kind to your teacher, I really appreciate that one!
As this is a Fantasy Flight game there is a Learn to Play book:
I do recommend downloading this and reading it through, it does a really good job of explaining all of the main concepts. Do not worry if a lot doesn’t click right away, remember you have somebody to teach you! It will just make the ‘teach’ a lot smoother and faster if you have had some exposure to the concepts and rules.
If you prefer to learn via a video this is one of the best I have found:
This can seem like a lot but it will be time well spent and the game itself is well worth it.
At club nights stories have been told of events that have happened during previous games!
If you really want to do your homework there are a couple of handy player aids on Board Game Geek.
I have both of these printed out and always hand them out to players
I am not sure about the rules of sharing files from BGG so I will link directly to them, you will need to sign in to be able to download them
I hope new players find this useful and look forward to seeing you at the table.
Pax Magnifica Bellum Gloriosum!
