Hey, I was wondering if the community could provide me their feedback on trying to use Baltar’s once-per-game ability in games. How did your group react when you told them what you saw? Did you have trouble as cylon Baltar trying to trick your friends? Did you tell the truth? I’m worried that if I play as human Baltar one game and cylon Baltar in another, my friends may be able to figure it out based on how I react to seeing another player’s loyalty cards. So far I’ve only played as the good doctor once and I was a cylon but didn’t use the ability because I didn’t want to confirm or deny anyone’s identity to the group and I was worried that I might tip my hand if I tried.

I know that obviously a bit of acting will be needed to pull of a false cylon accusation, and I know how to be sneaky as a cylon, but I'm just curious to hear what experiences you guys have had as Baltar.

My last game Baltar was the President. He got several ways to peak at Loyalty cards (including his ability).

He simply kept it quiet .. and let us breed distrust and paranoia ourselves. He was a cylon from the beginning and didn't feel he needed to drop a false accusation as it may bring suspicions on himself.

It worked out pretty well too considering he ended up with BOTH cylon cards and none of us trusted anyone else since we couldn't figure out who the 2nd cylon was.

My wife just likes to say things like "I'd trust him," or just "throw him/her in the brig."

personally, If baltar said nothing, I'd wait until that person's turn, and if that person doesn't reveal, then toss baltar in the brig.

I really like playing Baltar (and Boomer but that's not on topic) and I have yet to truly lie on my detector and so far I've won every game as him.****

****Of course this wasn't going to be as simple as honesty is the best policy.

All three times I've played Baltar I was human troughout the game and won. Twice I found a cylon with detector and got him or her brigged and the other time I was president and looked at a total of 5 loyalty cards and found a cylon (3 from once per game on Boomer, my crisis let me examine Admiral Amada, and Mug Shots caught cylon Saul and due to executive order I had the action to brig him). I'm just a lucky cyclon detecting machine . The odds of me being human 3 games and brigging a cylon in each game all quite so I'm not a perfect example of how to play Baltar.

There was one game I "half-lied." I caught cylon Adama, and saw both cyclon loyalty cards. I said "He's a cylon, if anyone executive orders me before his turn I can brig him and we can start looking for the other one." Before the cylon's next turn after revealing we reached distance 8, so I said that he indeed had both. I later asked if he would have given me his other loyalty, and he said he would have.

Playing Baltar is tricky. When I used Baltar (I wasn't a Cylon), I used it before the sleeper phase on the president (Roslin)... I just had that feeling cause those quorum cards were just sitting there in the players hand and he wasnt activating locations blaming Roslin's weakness. I assumed right and right away I said outloud that shes a cylon. I then said why I suspected her in the first place and everyone kinda thought about it and agreed with my assesment that in 3 or 4 turns she hasn't activated locations or used quorum cards (not to mention Politics skill cards led to us failing a skill check). I also offered myself up to be sent to the Brig just to ease doubt stating that if both of us were in the brig, there would be at least one cylon in there.

Also, if you are Baltar, the more players there are in the game, there is less than a chance you will draw a Cylon loyalty card right off the bat. Make sure you make that known to the other players if you use his ability before the sleeper phase. If my math is right, with a 3 player game, you have a 28% chance of drawing a cylon card at the beginning as Baltar compared to a 16% chance in a 6 player game. If Boomer is a character in the group, the percentages should go down even more too. The most "You are Not a Cylon" cards there are in the Loyalty deck, the less of a chance you will get a cylon card at game setup.

Most of all, have a reason ready for the group as to why you are looking at the person's cards in the first place. If you just kinda randomly do it, they might see it as simply one Cylon trying to figure out who the other one is.

Overall, in my opinion, if you use this ability, I wouldn't keep what you find out a secret. Most players will probably take your silence as "you are guilty." For example, if you are a Cylon and you look at another players cards and they are Cylon, if you don't say anything, most people will probably assume you are a Cylon and will also assume the other is a Cylon, screwing you both over. Which is why I cannot see keeping the information secret a good thing.

Baltarr's ability is pretty sticky. Often, you throw your lot in with the suspicious party if you don't discuss using the ability with your fellow players. Usually, I will discuss using the ability with other players, to get some sort of consensus on whether they'll believe my report. That said, it's very tricky when Baltarr is a cylon, because you have to weigh whether you want an unimpeachable human against you, or gambling that you can lock a human up.