Your Money is in Good Hands

A Gnomes of Zurich deck by Reverend Pee Kitty

Concept

We control the banks, we control the government. If you try to do something we don't like, you'll suddenly find yourself short on cash. Your plots will be our plots, and our plots will multiply and multiply before your eyes. Suffer, mortal.

ILLUMINATI

Gnomes of Zurich

GROUPS

RESOURCES

PLOTS

* These are just "generally useful" cards that can be swapped out to meet your needs (i.e., a Hex if you know you're going against Hermes, or Interference if you know you're going against Bavaria).

STRATEGY

This depends on whether you're playing a two-player or multiplayer game. In a two-player game, you want to build up quickly and aggressively, preventing your opponent from doing anything. Lead with the S&L or the Federal Reserve, depending on what Plots you draw. Get out Xanadu as soon as possible, then it becomes safe to bring out the NPCs and IRS. Use the IRS and The Auditor from Hell to steal Plot cards, while using the Bank of England to draw plenty of your own. Use the NPCs, Supreme Court, and S&L to cancel any offensive actions your foe takes. If he doesn't rely on any Govt or Corp groups, leave your Supreme Court in your hand and focus on other strategies. Use your bonuses to take over at least one Bank every turn.

When you get NASA and the Clipper Chip out, your Govt groups become very powerful. This is the time to play NWO:MIC. Now NASA can donate its action to the NPCs or the Bank of England. If you don't trust your NWO to survive, use Nationalization on the NPCs; otherwise, use it on the Offshore Banks. Use one of these Govt groups to hit your foe with a Senate Investigating Committee as soon as possible.

The Disasters let you remove a key token from a Place at the right time, and can be effective in their own right. Meteor Strike can affect anything, and can devastate or destroy a group far from the Illuminati. Giant Kudzu can be used two ways: When he has lots of tokens, make him waste them saving his Place, or, when he's low on tokens, use it to take out an important Place.

If you're playing right, you should have the ability to cancel your foe's actions, draw as many Plot cards as you need, and still have tokens left for attack and defense, in a matter of turns. If you've gotten most of your Power-6-Boosters out, you could pull off an early win with Power For Its Own Sake; otherwise, you should be able to win in a few turns. Remember your bonus to take over Banks; with the S&L and Federal Reserve out, you'll be up to +13. Use this to make a last-minute rush to victory.

In a multiplayer game, or when facing Discordia, you can't just crush your opponent. Try not to call TOO much attention to yourself as you build up your power structure. Lead with the Federal Reserve, and bring out the S&Ls as soon as possible. Now you can start taking over Banks as fast as possible without being too obvious. Xanadu is a must, and getting out a Suicide Squad, just to sit there next to your power structure, will make most foes hesitate to bring out a good Resource. Keep the Bank of England safe, and use it to draw defensive Plots (such as the +10 boosters) in case a coalition is created against you. If you keep quiet, and build up a tight but powerful power structure, with lots of Power 5 and 6 Govt groups, you could pull off a fast surprise win with Power For Its Own Sake by bringing out NWO:Chicken, NWO:MIC, and a Clipper Chip all at once.

All-in-all, this is a definite power gaming deck, but that's what Zurich is good at. Don't win with it too much, though, or you may find your tires slashed after the game...

Rev. Pee Kitty, of the order Malkavian-Dobbsian

Meow!

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