And getting back to the topic, I came really, really close to winning on Hard today but the dice betrayed me in the last task of the final mission. I knew I couldn't hold it together for one more turn, but tried anyway just because... and saw ALL SIX continents go into panic.

One more comment on strategy. You always need to be aware of what you could lose and whether you can afford it. I hardly ever send three interceptors up against a UFO force, because it's too much to lose in one shot. The one exception I can think of - Domination invasion plans, where you just don't have enough firepower otherwise. Three satellites, sure, because they are only out for a turn - but three interceptors is RISKY, even more so than sending three soldiers on one task - because you could well still have a reasonable fighting force after losing three soldiers, but with only eight interceptors in the game, losing three is crippling unless you have Interceptor Repair.

Oh, one other thing. Don't overlook the 1-value squad leader techs that boost a particular soldier class; I know I've gotten good use out of three of the four, and I can't remember the fourth (support) one off the top of my head. They're not something to focus on (definitely inferior to the auto kill ones), and I usually find myself going for other things, but they ARE all useful, especially late in the game when one scientist is usually enough to get them.

Played a mission on normal today with my roommate. Got domination, and we were getting swarmed with UFOs, and had a couple bad rolls with our Interceptors, and base-defense wasn't going too well, either. We did get "lucky", though, as our base got a critical when all countries were still in the yellow, so no extra-UFOs.

Round 6 we got the final mission and we decided to rush the mission with the two elite we had (heavy and Sniper) as well as two regular soldiers so we had one of each. air-defense still got bad rolls, coupled with the huge armada hovering over the world (we had only 4 UFO-tokens left) a total of 4 continents went into panic in that turn.

Base-defense held on, albeit barely, staying one point away from destruction, when it was the turn of the suicide-squad. First roll on the Chrysalid, sweep. First Roll on second objective, 2 out of three successes, but also a 1 on the alien-dice, so I had to burn the revive I had to keep the sniper alive as well as my Support-weapon to clinch the necessary three Sucesses for the objective.

At last, our Sniper and Heavy, the elite of the elite, went into the last objective, with a 4 on the threat-counter. First Roll, no Success on 3 dice (normally four due to 2 elites, but objective says to roll one less dice), but a 7, so we roll again. Another Whiff, this time with an 8 on the Alien-Dice. Then, three successes and another 8, so the Final Mission is completed, though sadly, the App says we will lose due to the Status of the Final Mission being requested after the Panic-States.

Domination is a tough win , my wife and I got domination and the base was attacked constantly and allot more UFO's came down. plus our die rolls betrayed us and we lost with our base destroyed in round 4. We have only won infiltration (i think that's the alien attack, its the one with the picture of the commander, science and engineer on the front). any other alien mission have been so close but no win, panic always got the best of us or the base went down in a flaming wreck.

I won Occupation in tutorial on my first run, but I lost badly on Misdirection in Easy. Five Crisis Cards every round, three enemies in base for two rounds then suddenly massive UFO attacks everywhere. I rolled badly in researches so only have 5 research cards in round 5, in which all Interceptors are lost and round 6 unlocks the final mission but UFOs all come in droves until there are 22 UFOs on the board. Good Game indeed.

I usually play alone for now, on hard difficulty level.

Winning rate is about 60% - about 2 of 3 games.

Successfully finished on hard: Infiltration, Domination, Occupation and Onslaught so far.

Being beaten on: Misdirection, Domination and Onslaught, I think.

Before that, if I remember it right I:

-lost Tutorial 3 times (2 times alone, 1 time with friend), won it once (with same friend)

-won once on easy (solo)

-won with 2 friends on normal (Misdirection)

-lost badly Onslaught at hard same night

-won hard Occupation same night, same squad (real tight game it was)

From my experience - the game looks real hard on tutorial, when you know nothing yet and don't know how to gain advantage of your gear. After you get it, the game opens.

I believe, playing solo is more demanding, but it is also more effective - you make plans and consequently realize it, so it may be little easier to make big finish a little more premeditated...

So, it may be a bit easier sometimes to win it alone, IMHO.

Resolution Phase (12/14)

Last paragraph: "All discarded cards are placed on the bottom of their respective decks."

Thanks for this.

I am not sure this explicitly precludes it (as it seems to be more saying that discarded cards are sorted FIFO and need not be shuffled). Using this as the sole ruling would imply mission cards go to the bottom, which we know they do not. Therefor I think this is more of a ruling on the ordering of the cards. I could be wrong, but I do not see how this can imply anything about the tech-deck other then the order of cards discarded. Respective decks, does not stipulate what the decks are, ie the discard deck (if it exists) or the tech deck. The game rules feel the need the explicitly define where the crisis cards go, and what happens to the mission cards, but there is no such explicit ruling on the tech cards (and am not sure about the enemy deck as I do not remember).

I am just not sure at the moment. Think I will send FFG an email.

You may well be right IMO BTW. Please do not take the above as a dismissal of your viewpoint. I am a bit of a stickler for the language used in rules, as it is generally the only way to fairly evaluate disputes between players in my experience.

Thankyou for taking the time to get back to me, I appreciate it.

Thread derailing over (Sorry OP)

I am not sure this explicitly precludes it (as it seems to be more saying that discarded cards are sorted FIFO and need not be shuffled). Using this as the sole ruling would imply mission cards go to the bottom, which we know they do not.

Completed missions go back in the box. Discarded missions go in the discard pile. In the resolution phase cleanup, all discard piles go back to the bottom of their draw stacks. I'm not seeing any conflict here. Am I missing something?

I am not sure this explicitly precludes it (as it seems to be more saying that discarded cards are sorted FIFO and need not be shuffled). Using this as the sole ruling would imply mission cards go to the bottom, which we know they do not.

Completed missions go back in the box. Discarded missions go in the discard pile. In the resolution phase cleanup, all discard piles go back to the bottom of their draw stacks. I'm not seeing any conflict here. Am I missing something?

I agree and that is how we have been playing it , then only in the crisis deck when you pull the shuffle the deck and draw one card and resolve immediatly do we shuffle up any deck( and only the crisis desk), but this was supposed to be a "have you won yet?" thread not a tech thread, and I have had alot of fun reading the win loss results in the thread so far

So to continue with that tradition my wife and I hope to tackle a game tonight, maybe even 4 player with our boys, and will post our did we win result afterward.

Played through the tutorial for the first time last night solo. Had to make a desperate push near the end and won with 1 damage left before my base was toast. Very exciting!

I'm loving this game so far!

Finally won my first game solo play on easy on Domination. Totally a make-or-break turn, I had to tank the final mission in one go as there were so many UFOs left on the board I had virtually zero chance of the world not falling into panic next round. Talk about tense

I did manage to win playing the tutorial in solo mode and in 4 player mode (although it wasn't actually a win as we did the final mission too early on in the resolution phase). Since then it's been tough as the next 3 games on normal difficulty, with 4 players, we lost badly. Excuse being we had a new player to induct each time!

Last week we played again (Infiltration on normal) with an experienced player (4 games played) as Science Officer and we cruised to victory - getting tech out early was the key as we got the final mission out on turn 6 and completed it with only one roll of the dice.

Score at the end was 76 - at the end of turn 5 we had no ufos on the board, all continents still in the yellow and no units in the recruitment pool; I think the app can tell when you are doing too well and adjusts, turn 6 was tough going.

Loving the game - I like the fact that everyone is involved all the way through, it is fairly quick and really makes you feel the pressure

Haha I totally forgot to score my game - it was my first victory though so I have photo evidence (hopefully I can go back and score from the photo).

EDIT: Oh dear, only 55 points! (also, I know that UFO on Africa should be in orbit, I just forgot to move it at the end of Global defense that round - not that it would have made much difference, as I was toast next round if I didn't win!)

This was what I was looking for. To the top!

-K

Finally won my first game solo play on easy on Domination. Totally a make-or-break turn, I had to tank the final mission in one go as there were so many UFOs left on the board I had virtually zero chance of the world not falling into panic next round. Talk about tense

Had a couple of games last night - won both

The second game we did Domination on Hard - despite having to have a second go at the Final Mission we won on turn 6. Actually crushed the alien invaders; we ended with 93 points (could have been 96 if I had left on UFO on the map (cost three interceptors in killing it and risked the three Satellites to kill the UFO I left in orbit)

All continents were in the yellow, base was undamaged, one ufo left in orbit and three dead interceptors and three dead troops. Kicked. Ass.

Looks like we'll have to play Expert next time...

Finally won my first game solo play on easy on Domination. Totally a make-or-break turn, I had to tank the final mission in one go as there were so many UFOs left on the board I had virtually zero chance of the world not falling into panic next round. Talk about tense

Had a couple of games last night - won both

The second game we did Domination on Hard - despite having to have a second go at the Final Mission we won on turn 6. Actually crushed the alien invaders; we ended with 93 points (could have been 96 if I had left on UFO on the map (cost three interceptors in killing it and risked the three Satellites to kill the UFO I left in orbit)

All continents were in the yellow, base was undamaged, one ufo left in orbit and three dead interceptors and three dead troops. Kicked. Ass.

Looks like we'll have to play Expert next time...

Wouldn't it have been 95 points (2 UFOs; 3 dead soldiers)?

I've won a solo game on Expert (mostly proving a point) - I forget which invasion plan.