Encounter token strategy

[charles_watkins]

I got a lot out of posts where players told how they rolled up big scores using Charles, Phailin, Anna, and Molly. Each of those optimized results from a different token, but none of them addressed Encounter tokens, so I'd like to offer a strategy for that.

++SPOILERS AHOY++

Naturally, the strategy aims at enhancing the Encounter token as much as possible and then collecting as many as I can. My goal is to recruit all the Journalists and Traders, which will raise the Encounter token to 18-31 status and 22-33 gold, comparable to a Treasure Hunt or Secret. (Research also gets boosted to 8-10.)

The obvious choice for Captain is Yu. Now that his power has been changed to give 2 Encounters for each successful roll, I want him to take as many spins as possible. Charles is a great companion for Yu, since his story card will provide Treasure Hunts in London and increases hate among the crew. His Survival and Diplomacy skills are useful and he is a decent fighter. Anna comes along mainly to train Yu, but she is also useful in combat.

The first three cards I play are the personal stories for Charles, Anna, and Yu in that order. I could start Anna first and gain another trait, but I am already getting four and Charles can bring in more gold. By the time Yu comes in, there is plenty of hate to exploit for more Encounters. The fourth card is Anna's Polymath and by then Yu should be level 5 in all three traits. He gets Engineer 5 with his starter Combustion,Tinkerer and Pilot on level ups, Steam Engines from Saxon, and Advanced Tools from Stockholm. He gets Naturalist 5 by learning Electromagnetics, Classical Physics, and Chemistry from Anna, Biology from Stockholm, and Astronomy from Observations, Anna, or Telescope. He gets Archeologist 5 from Architecture in Stockholm, History and Legends from the History Book, Occult in Memphis Desert, and Excavation in San Fran. With some luck in Rio, he will get to level 6 in all of these. As a backup, it is also possible to get him to level 6 in Quick Thinker or Survivalist. I will replay Saxon until I get one of these combos in Stockholm. The last card will be Work the Wits for more Encounters and hate.

Saxon: I want to come out of this with the Heliodor, Crown of Thorns, and Steam Engines for Yu. Even without the renown, the Crown is great to have, worth 30 supply points. For level 2 promotions, I give Anna Classical Physics, Charles Tracking, and Yu Tinkerer.

Mali: This is the hardest expedition, since I am very weak on Friendly combats and my Terror attacks are often ineffective. I also have only 10 supplies, plus maybe 6-9 more using the Crown. Still, the plan is to get the Mining Tools, collect all the loot, and go to Crystal Mines where I take the Study bonus rather than the Gold. If all goes well, I should be able to complete two research trees at the end of the expedition. To prepare, I buy a Machete for Anna, Translation Guide for Charles, and Rose for Yu. If I have enough gold, I also get a Compass for Charles and swap that for the Translation Guide after he spends Insight.

Memphis Desert: By now I have the bonus supplies from Improved Cargo and Trade or Plunder, along with the Crown, so I can thoroughly loot this place. I'll get Occult for Yu and maybe another trait for a crew member if the sandstorm comes up. To prepare, I buy the Biscuit Box for Charles and Grappling Hook and History Book for Yu. I get red gloves for Yu and purple gloves for Anna and Charles, spending the rest on armor (saving 100 for the shop).

Anagogic Archipelago: Garuda will be a hard fight for this crew, but the Witch and the Heads are doable. To prepare for the Witch, I get Merciless for Anna at Turkish Baths. I also like to get her King of Thieves so she can become my Rogue spinner. Charles and Yu get gloves upgraded and Anna switches to the Book of Horrors. For level 4 promotions, Anna gets Chemistry, Charles gets Customs. and Yu gets Piloting. Depending on how much progress Anna has made toward level 4, I may need to get her a Chemistry Set so she will have that trait in time to teach it to Yu. Charles is becoming my Beguiler spinner, so he gets the Rose and takes Storytelling from Bobo's rescue. I also like to get him a Spyglass for the combat bonus. I can open Observations to get Yu a trait he needs and then start on Psychology.

Shangri-La: I know there will be no final battle, so hunger penalties don't matter -- as soon as I get the other combats done. Once those are cleared, I can roam all over collecting everything this land has to offer. Preparations are mainly to get Yu up to level 6 for the Specialists in Rio, which might mean trading out Archeology for Quick Thinker or Survivalist, depending on how the Rio Specialists are grouped. Since I've been racking up tons of Study, I can complete the Psychology tree and spend Insight in Asia.

Using this Encounter strategy, I am able to score over 15,000 renown. (It may be possible to go higher by swapping Victor for Charles and going to Shangri-La as the fourth expedition.)

[The BlackVision]

You can go higher with Emerged last and the King Crab to maximise finishing encounter tokens.

[STTICE]

I cant find the crown of thorns on the saxon map? Mind telling me how you get it? I have solved the gargoyle puzzle

[The BlackVision]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=522008957 has the answers you seek.