Cosmic Encounter - Tips & Strategies

If there is a player who is becoming a runaway leader, players should make a serious effort to ally against them whenever that player is involved in an encounter. This is also true for when a player gets a very powerful alien power that can become out of hand.

In a similar vein, if a player who is really lagging behind is involved in an encounter, it will probably be in your best interest to not ally against them, unless it would mean victory for you.

And be wary of permanent foreign alliances. I’ve played games where people tried to “team up” for the majority of the game, and CE is not a team game. Managing alliances is a key to the game, and always remember it’s just a game. You’ll need to cajole, connive, and burn some bridges in order to get the victory.

Don’t ask for help anytime you’re uncertain. Part of the game is bluffing! If you always ask for help then you’ll probably wind up sharing a victory and/or losing to other opponents you invited along!

Deal out three powers to each player. They take one, discard one and pass the last one to the left. So you get one of your choice, get to decide on one NOT being in the game, and one you MUST play. This really helps you learn the power strategies well. NOTE – This variant should not be played unless ALL players are very familiar with the game.

While I normally play this game just for the pure chaos and fun, when I really want to win, I’ve found that one surefire way to do this is to draw cards whenever I get the chance. While it can be tempting to always ally with the attacker because of the lure of winning a colony, if you want to win all by yourself it can be more beneficial to ally with the defender to accumulate an impressive hand of cards. This will give you access to the awesome power of flares and artifacts, as well as a greater range of attack cards. It also gives you more bluffing power. However, be aware that this game is mostly about enjoying the journey, and victory cannot ever be guaranteed. This strategy should help though!

I know this seems a bit silly but I have found that when I get a new alien I read the ability and get excited about using it and draw my own conclusions sometimes as I want to get going.

Read it carefully and discuss with the group so they can double check for you. You will usually find that there was a way you can use the ability that you hadn’t thought of the first time you read it.

It’s quite useful if you can keep track of wich flares and artifacts are still in game. This way you won’t be surprised when a card or power zap is played on you and screws you. In the same manner you can hold some powerful artifacts like the zaps, moebius tubes and plague and use them when it’s gonna hurt your opponents most.

I own about 4 versions of this, and have played ALL the incarnations of this game, as it is one of my favorites.

It is important to keep in mind that CE is not a serious board-game. It is HIGHLY social, and frequently imbalanced as my group likes to call it a F**K or “screw” Your Buddy type of game.

If you have a stoic type of group who can’t let loose or takes their games too seriously…I suggest finding a different type of group to play with!

HAVE FUN!!! 😀

Magician says “Do Not Use with Oracle,” but this restriction is completely unnecessary. In fact, Magician already needs a timing clarification to solve the conflict with its own Wild flare, and once you take care of than then the Oracle conflict basically gets fixed “for free.”

The sequence goes like this: Magician plays a card face up, then Oracle plays two cards, then Magician adds one of them to his hand (without changing his own encounter card). This allows both players to still get a benefit out of their power.

We treat Magician as if it included the following text:

If another game effect requires you to play your card first (e.g., Oracle, Wild Magician), you must do so. You then still use your power, but may not change the card you played.

We sometimes (when in a punchy mood) play Multi-Blinds. Three powers, all played face down. No powers are in force that are not showing. When you want to have a power at your disposal, turn it over and reveal it. Losing by 14? Turn over the Virus and win by 49! About to lose a lot to the warp? Flip that Zombie up.

The trick is that you cannot have more than two powers in play at any one time. So you will have to decide which one to lose each turn.

Makes for some crazy games.