Root: Top 5 Strategies

Just a few tips to help you start off with each faction, and one that's good for all of them.

Corrections:
None so far! Let me know if there are any rules I got wrong and I'll place them here.

[DarkThomy]

To be fair, after many games ... we realized the true Birds strategy :
it is OKAY to go into turmoil as long as you used your leader's perk as most as you could !
Going into turmoil, will NOT (by itself) cost you points... Only if you put a lot of blue cards in your decree.
You might even still gain point in the turmoil turn depending on how many roosts you have.
Your opponents often tunnel vision on you getting into turmoil but not what will happen after.. Even to the point of ignoring you when it's inevitable.

[vendetta]

This is a great video, thanks. I was overwhelmed the first time I played Root because I was just given all the rules. Being told the one or two keys to success for each faction in addition to the rules is extremely helpful so new players have some idea of what they should be focusing on.

[andraslibal]

With the birds go very aggressive very early on ... I find it hard to have enough birds die to fill the recruit so easy on the recruit I had turmoil many times because of it. If you have the leader that doubles the recruit never put 3 cards there you will need to bring 6 birds to the board and you won't have 6 birds dying in a turn.

[coolranchluke]

True vagabond strategy: Quest the living hell out of it. That stuff adds up QUICK.

[josefkainrad]

Moving forward can you announce what youre about to give a strategy for? A lot of us listen to this in a podcast style while at work, so we cant necessarily see the screen show "Marquis de Cat" and then you start with it.

[alsenddrake]

Just got this yesterday. Played a 3-man game with some family, and did a 2-man game with 2 bots using an online tool to test it out with one of them today.

And the favor can swing things hugely, and are also easiest for the Alliance to use. We had I was the Alliance, she was the Vagabond, and the ai played the birds and cats.

Let's just say, I called on a favor just as the birds fell into turmoil while clashing with the cats.

Both sides were devestated. They both lost about half their buildings and a quarter or more of their forces due to how things were going. Birds never recovered, and were too weak to resist The Vagabond (who had joined a Coalition with me) moving in with a crossbow and sword to pick off any roosts they tried to place, while my forces held my bases allowing me to secure the last points to win.

[xhuggels]

personally rushing 3 hammers with the tinkerer is really overpower as, once you collect the favor cards, you can just favor every turn, deleting everything off the entire map, racking up points for killing buildings/tokens+infamy

[avonmorespringers]

you make the classic new cat player mistake: sawmills are NOT the most important building, recruiters are. the marquise score slowly its more important to use recruiters to slow down the other players than focus on scoreing

[christianbechhenriksen]

This is beginner’s strategi. Too simplyfied.

To add.
The Cats should focus on the middle of the board (clearings with many building spots) And go 1: sawmills and 2: recruit buildings, you can skip the last building, getting wood economy fast is the best.

Woodland Alliance: Get the support tokens out fast. Don’t try to go for a flashy revolt in the center, it will be removed. Stay on 2 bases for a bit, you can buy an officer, so you have 3, never have 4. The threat of the 3. revolt is better than actually revolting.

The Vagabond is strong, if he’s trying to befriend everybody, you need to attack. He’s basicly a solo engine game and will win, if noone attacks him fast.

The Earie seems weak for scoring points. You should go for a domination win typically. But be ready, everyone will go for you now obviously.

[constChg]

"Training officers will also let
you recruit new warriors and place sympathy tokens without spending supporters." <--- how does this work?

[pointynoodle]

Strongly disagree with your bird strategy. You *never* put 2 bird on build in the late game, instead start the game with despot, put a bird on build and another animal on move, you’ll be able to expand faster than anyone can stop you.

Getting turmoil is fine, but accept that it will happen and do it on your own terms. Best to turmoil because you run out of roosts to build; you’ll get a full turn and 5 points every turn

[quintenskevin]

I stop watching at 2 minutes because these are no advices. These are just the rules of the games and of the faction. If you read the book and the factions board and play a round or to you will know all of this.