Blinded by Cake

by Keith Page

Illuminati

Group Cards

Plot Cards

This is a UFOs deck driven to winning any way it can:

Kill For Peace
With two K&Gs, you can augment your supply of four Peacefuls, while with Rewriting History is useful after the groups you kill are dead. You may even want to Unmask as Shangri-La for protection
Let Them Eat Cake
That's what Newt is for. He's here to clean up all the unwashed Liberals (including some of your own). Protect him if you plan to bash in the left wing. Use the Liberal Agendas to nuke annoying Groups
Blinded By Science
With 9 Science Groups, all you need to do is the Goal. Orbit One helps in that regard, but it may become a target after a few four-Plot hands
Shangri-La
It'll take luck, NWOs, and probably the Clipper Chip to do this one by yourself. Use the K&Gs on a Bavaria or Cthulhu deck.

Lead

Japan. Japan is the Canada of Scientists. Only it has 6 power normally. If someone else leads Shangri-La, then lead Vatican City and try to bump, you've got too many Peacefuls on the line. Or make a deal with him before the game not to screw around with you if you 'promise' to lead Japan.

Opening Game

Soak up Science groups with Japan. Appear non-threatening with all your 'Peacefuls'. You may want to use your gaggle of +10 cards to nuke another annoying group early on, but make sure you have help, so as to avoid the 'I'll kill you all' stereotype.

Midgame

By this time you should have narrowed down your search for victory to a Goal that you think you can't meet (Newt got assassinated or something)(serves him right). Use your +10s to blow away some Violents or Liberals on one side, then get all scared of the other guy, and try to nuke him too. Don't forget to use the FBI(against Criminal), CDC(against Places), Newt Gingrich(against Liberals), and the AMA(against Violent Scientists, whom you don't need to control). Note: If you play the Nuclear Power Companies at this time, then you know you are asking for it. Save your Cold Fusions for Defense at all times (they are the most useful), and bring out the NPCs before you start a killing rampage. The Orbital Mind Control Lasers are useful here, but not well protected. Keep your NWOs in your hand to kill something annoying (like Interesting Times) or when you have enoughh Peaceful Power to win with Shangri-La.

Endgame

Try to win. At this point your 'Peaceful' facade has probably been thrown off, seeing as how you want to nuke groups for fun (the CDC can get a chance of 18 to destroy China if three +10s are played). Try to use only one +10 during an attack, though two if necessary. Using only one can force the other guy to play his, and even if you don't succeed, you've drawn an enemy +10 into use, and you have more than him. Really. Oh, and at this time you can nuke the Phone Phreaks and INW(eather)O. People will know what you are doing, and besides, that's what they're there for. Always look for a switcheroo win, like when killing Liberals with Newt, everyone else blows up their own Liberals, or combines together to squish key Conservatives. Just play all your NWOs, K&G a high-power group, like the NPCs from Bigger Business, unmask as Shangri-La, and win that. With the UFOs special ability, your plans can become different under almost any circumstance, and your enemies will be confused to boot.

What follows is an explanation of the Group Deck for you editors you.

Japan
The Key Lead. Slurps up Science Groups, your easiest path to victory. Do not destroy.
Vatican City
A good Peaceful Conservative, your only other non-Science (after Japan) is there to thwart Shangri-La
AMA
This is why I built this deck. Key. Good for Defense of very good Groups (notably NPCs). K&Ging the FBI or Phone Company makes them eligible for the AMA. Can also destroy Violent Scientists fairly easily.
FBI
High-Power Science Group used to kill Criminals. K&G them and Violent Criminals get scared.
Nuclear Power Companies
Conservative Science Group. This will make you a hated object, so be subtle and calm about. Make a point of trying to aid some attack to Destroy instead of using the special. To you it's just a good Conservative Scientist, but don't be too silly. Stopping 'Seize The Time' can still be very important.
Newt Gingrich
This man hunts Liberals, and is Science for some reason. I don't know why Newt is interested in all this high-tech stuff, but he's gem. Key Group.
Orbit One
This is the only way to manipulate your Plot deck to find your Goals quickly. Orbit One Can be replaced (Silicon Valley, maybe, or even Bank Of England), but I like it there. It's not as vulnerable as Silicon Valley.
Center For Disease Control
How many of those Violent Government Groups are Places. Too many. It's time to skim the field with a little biogenics. Just make sure you can't fail. CDC's Government nature doesn't matter that much, but it would be nice to get rid of for a time.
Phone Company
High-Powered Science Group. That's it. Replaceable. Corporate alignment a sizeable problem, though if Military-Industrial Complex is used instead of Bigger Business, the Phone Company could be used to a good effect.
Phone Phreaks, International Weather Organization
These are for Newt to eat. They are ridiculously easy to take over, and almost as easy to kill. The Phone Phreaks may be useful for a turn while you control Orbit One or the Phone Company, but feed them to Newt later.

One thing that worries me is the small number of Assassins cards that I know about. My cabal usually doesn't buy INWO that often, but who knows what's there? There may be some killer three card combo in Assassins that turns the UFOs to silly putty. Oh well.

The biggest thing about a UFO deck is its versatility. Exploit it to confuse your foes, but do (don't? --RLM) make them think you will Unmask as Cthulhu. That would be bad. And remember, when you're looking for a sneaky way to win that doesn't use many common, high-power groups, or rares for that matter (six or seven), look to Blinded By Cake.

Other Comments

Don Fnordlioni wrote about this deck:

This deck, I think, is as solid a deck with 5 goals (3 goal cards, Shangri-La, and Basic) can be. Definitely a good use of the UFOs' otherwise crummy Special goal. However, beacause Newt "eats" (destroys) the Phone Phreaks and the IWO, I'd rather see it called "Let Them Eat Science."

The Unmasking as Shangri-La will be antipicated once the second Peaceful group hits your power structure, and it's a two card combo, so I wouldn't count on it. On the other hand, if there's another S-L player, unmask ASAP, because with all the Peacefuls you've got coming, he'll win before you will. With both of you working together, you'll be very hard to stop.

There's a bit of a typo in the end -- I presume the author thinks it's bad to be suspected of Unmasking as Cthulhu.

As for the AMA blasting Violent Science groups... well, there are only four. Two are Secret, and one (General Disorder) will come back. You really have no method of making any more -- I'd lose one of the Liberal Agendas or Kinder & Gentlers for an Assertiveness Training. If you end up turning into Shangri-La early, this will give you targets to shoot at.

I notice there's no Plots to protect your places, and you have four of them. This is a major weakness, probably the biggest one. I'd dump at least two of the to-6 power boosters (I'm not a fan of having a lot of to-6ers, as they suck up action tokens), for things like Early Warning, Volunteer Aid, or This Was Only a Test. Despite your Shangri-La and IWO bonuses, you ought to have at least two Plots, imo. Also consider including the Red Cross somewhere in the groups.

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First posted: July 13, 1997

Last modified: July 13, 1997

Ralph Melton ralph@cs.cmu.edu