So I played the base game before and after watching every episode of the series with my wife and the game becomes that much more enjoyable.

WE'ere lucky enough to have two other couples who have watched the series and play the game with us.

After playing it about a dozen times, we are now looking for buying the expansions. They are a bit pricey though so we probably want only one.

Which expansion give you the most bang for your buck as far as adding enjoyable options that you would actually use time and time again?

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, the game made me watch the complete series (previously I watched season 1), too.

As for the expansions, people seem to disagree which one is better. I have now reached a point where I say both are equally good.

Some say Exodus is better because of Cylon Fleet option (completely new rules for the appearance of Cylon ships, more balanced than fleet attack cards) and because some options of Pegasus are not well-tested or balanced (Agenda cards, New Caprica Objective). In addition the new loyalty cards and TheTrial/Boxing the line (introduced by Ionian Nebula option) make for a less predictable game.

Others say Pegasus is better, because you can use it almost completely with base game objective (except New Caprica cards and board), while Allies, Trauma rules and The Trial/Boxing the line have to be used in conjunction and force you to use Ionian Nebula Option in Exodus, just like New Vipers and CAG title force you to use Exodus' Cylon Fleet Option. Also Pegasus contains the Pegasus board, Treachery cards and intentional executions (Airlock space on Pegasus boards) which are all well-liked parts.

All this means that. if you want to buy just one expansion (I recommend buying both), you should test them to see which one you prefer.

Right, they both have a diverting-if-slightly buggy endgame, so that's kind of a wash. I haven't actually played Ionian Nebula yet, but I strongly suspect that I'd like it better than New Caprica, but each has its charms, I'm sure

Reasons to get Exodus:

• You're looking to replace the utter randomness of the cylon attacks with something a little more predictable (in a mostly good way)
• You're looking to (slightly) complicate the players' relationships with their respective teams, especially the colonials
• You're looking for an endgame that is more than just a change of scenery and crisis decks, and the idea of player elimination does not fill you with a burning rage
• You wish pilots had more to do

Reasons to get Pegasus:

• You are looking for mostly incremental additions to the rules, rather than fundamental changes
• You play a lot of 4 or 6 player games, and are looking for an (imperfect) alternative to the Sympathizer
• You want to throw people out the airlock, and the idea that this can be abused as a loyalty test does not fill you with a burning rage
• You wish pilots had less to do

Personally, I find that Exodus adds more stuff that I like, though I appreciate that it might be a little weird without Pegasus, if only because of such minor tweaks as Pegasus's Investigative Committee and revised Cylon locations. (One could house rule those in, I suppose.)

edit: oh, and for what it's worth, Pegasus makes things somewhat easier for the colonials, especailly in terms of space combat, whereas Exodus seems to make things a bit harder, so if your group's win ratio is a little high or low, that's also worth keeping in mind.

Oliphant,

It's my opinion that Exodus is superior to Pegasus.

Pegasus distorts the character power curve considerably with the addition of two very weak characters (Dee, Kat) and two very strong ones (Ellen Tigh and Helena Cain, who is in a category unto herself). I would argue that the latter two are stronger than anything in the base game. Meanwhile, Exodus introduces characters who are distinct but generally comparable in terms of individual power to the base game characters. (To be fair, I admit Tory Foster pushes the curve forward somewhat.)

Also, my group has found that Exodus goes a long way toward opening the game from having only two classes that matter (political and military leader, a problem that Pegasus exacerbates greatly) to all four classes having something to offer.

Then there is the shift from a feast-or-famine experience of the maps to a steady pressure from the Cylon Fleet. It's a very different experience, and while I admit that each method has its charms, I generally prefer the Cylon Fleet.

You do miss out on cylon leaders with Exodus, though. So since it sounds like you play regularly with 4 or 6, I concede that Pegasus' cylon leader mechanic does improve that experience and it's strictly superior to the sympathizer option from the base game. But speaking as a long-time player who only plays five player games and has banked 50+ games with each combination of components (base, base + Pegasus, base + Exodus, all), my vote would be for Exodus. Hope that helps!