Here we are. You have just finished the first game of Wendake and, if it hit you, there will probably be a second one. Whether it is to arrive "prepared" for the next adventure as a chieftain, or simply for the curiosity to read some in-depth information on the game, I propose to read this very short guide.
The scoring tracks.
How to get on the tracks in a balanced way? There is no single answer (otherwise the game would be much less exciting) but an analysis of the tracks can help in your choices.
Business. At the beginning he often tends to underestimate the possibility of buying points on this track using one resource of each type (therefore a maximum of 5, in addition to the points guaranteed by the progress tiles). You can score many points in a few actions in this way, which makes it hypothetically possible, if you have a good production, to eventually make up for any gap in the sphere of trade. Of course this must be balanced with the fact that neglecting the trade action also involves playing many turns without the bonuses reconnected to the progress tiles.
War. Here, too, you should decide in advance whether to aim to expand in order to get more points with a single action, perhaps postponing it, or whether to do it several times, obtaining fewer points but keeping your tribe in the initial territory for the ritual. Postponing the war ultimately has the disadvantage of revealing the turtles late, which can turn their strategy one way or the other if taken early. On the other hand, waging war several times requires very careful planning of the personal dashboard, otherwise you risk not accumulating enough points.
rituals. It is very difficult to get on this track when you have expanded on the map, but it is also true that the action will almost always be available on your board. Also in this case, you can choose whether to do fewer rituals but at the beginning of the game, or more less effective rituals during the turns.
Mask. This is certainly the track where you climb more gradually as a result, unless you opt for the immediate purchase of progress tiles that enhance the mask action, it would be good to try to perform the action at every turn or almost. , so as not to lag too far behind.
The fights
Fights between tribes tend to depend on the more or less belligerent attitude of the players at the table. You can safely play with or without. However, it can be observed that getting involved in battle can be very helpful in getting your tribe members back to the board and making them available for drum action again. The total absence of fighting can lead to some difficulty in scoring points on the ritual, especially in the late stages of the game. Too many fights, on the other hand, make it difficult for both sides in the conflict to get on the war track and, if the battles do not involve all the players, there is a risk of favoring the excluded parties a lot.
The progress tiles
These tiles can prove to be crucial in two respects: first of all they confer a handful of points both on trade and on another path; secondly, they enhance a specific action or provide additional action. It would be good, therefore, to choose the card carefully, perhaps opting for something that enhances a weak point and at the same time gives points on a track on which we are in difficulty.
How to build your own dashboard
There is definitely not a single strategy and it comes down to personal choices. A general advice could be to build your own board in order to always have available the actions that directly confer points on the tracks (Trade, war and mask). Furthermore, it can be very risky to give up a specific action altogether, thus making it impossible to carry out it. Equally risky is filling the board with the same action, which may lose its usefulness as the game progresses.
These are the observations that emerged after several two- and four-player games. I hope that these "pills" can be useful or at least interesting for a comparison with your own game choices: after all Wendake it's also nice because there are so many possible ways to achieve victory!
If you are not familiar with this beautiful board game and are intrigued by reading this strategy guide, we also recommend reading our very accurate review.
