I just picked up this game and I’ve read through the rulebook. But there’s a few issues I’m not sure of. (I’m also watching some videos of the game which will hopefully clear these up but I figured I might as well ask here as well.)
I’m pretty certain on this one but I want to make sure. When you place a worker on a production space, you only get the production for that turn only, correct? It’s not like you can put a worker on a mine on one turn and get yellowcake and then collect more yellowcake on subsequent turns as long as that worker remains there? My understanding is workers produce on the turn they’re placed and after that, they just block the space without producing anything.
My understanding is you start the game with four laborers. Do you have full access of these laborers? Or do you have to “activate” them somehow? The reason I’m wondering is because of the Universities. One of them gives you an output of three laborers if you assign one laborer to it. That seems like a waste is you already have the use of all four of your laborers. Is this just a means of getting three contractor laborers?
Once I’ve activated scientists and engineers by means of universities, are they available to me for the rest of the game? Or do I lose them when I retrieve my workers? When I’m clearing my buildings of workers, does that include any workers other players put there through espionage? Or do they stay until that player retrieves them? And when I’m clearing contractors from the main board, is it everyone’s contractors or just mine?
If you load a bomb on to a bomber and take the bomber off your airstrike track, can it still be attacked by another player during an airstrike?
yes - you get the immediate benefit, but nothing after
2)You have full access to 4 laborers. The university that gives you 3 laborers indeed gives you 3 contractors (I like to say you get 3 interns / grad students)
Once you get an engineer / scientist of your color it is yours until the end of the game. The rule book is very clear of what happens when you retrieve workers.
Step 1: Return all of your permanent Workers from
the Main Board and all Player Boards to your personal
supply. Do not collect any Workers from the
General Supply at this time.
Step 2: Return all Workers on your Buildings,
Bombs, and Implosion Test counters to their appropriate
supplies. Contractors return to the General
Supply. Permanent Workers return to their owners’
personal supplies.
Step 3: Return all contractors on the Main Board
and your personal supply to the General Supply.
When you test drop a bomb you reduce your bomber count (say from 5 to 4) if later you are attacked be attacked your bomber count could go down more (it doesn’t matter for VP - the bomb has already exploded)
Just to be sure I understood, you’re saying I do clear all the other players’ espionage workers off my buildings and the other players’ contractors off the main board?
I’m not talking about a test. I’m talking about loading. Let’s say I’m not generally into building aircraft. I have no fighters and one bomber. I load a bomb on to my lone bomber and drop my bomber track down to zero - which signals the bomber is still in existence but it’s no longer available for airstrikes.
Then another player launches an airstrike against me and has a fighter attack me. I don’t have any fighters or bombers on my regular tracks to eliminate. Does he get to eliminate the loaded bomber?
Yes, right here in step 2
Step 2: Return all Workers on your Buildings,
Bombs, and Implosion Test counters to their appropriate
supplies. Contractors return to the General
Supply. Permanent Workers return to their owners’
personal supplies.
so after you retrieve workers, there should be nobody on your board (and no contractors on the main board)
(which again is directly in the rules)
The other question is a bit trickier
Hmmm I’d say if your bomber track is at zero it just stays there. Once loaded the 5 VP is permanent. (unless you test that later, but that would be suboptimal)
I did check The Manhattan Project | Board Game | BoardGameGeek but didn’t see anything. I’m 98.3% sure of it though
One thing that may help with contractors. Once used they do not belong to anyone. So that is why they are cleared from the main board when anyone retrieves workers (they do not remember who placed them)
Thinking about some more - I’m sure that the 5VP is permanent.
Think of it this way - when you load a bomb, the bomber goes out of the game (perhaps to an aviation museum)
This does mean you cannot load a bomb if you bomber count is 0
But it’s not just about the initial placement. Part of the strategy of the game is placing workers to block other players. Giving other players the ability to remove your contractors when they choose really weakens that tactic.
That’s what I was wondering about. I was thinking launching an airstrike against another player’s loaded bombers would be a tactic for lowering his victory point count.