I'm hoping to drum up some discussion on specialist strategy. I'm in my first live game now and finding myself with a lot of questions/thoughts strategy wise.

What's your approach to specialists in the early game versus late?

Early on, would one be better served promoting an early hire or trying to get another hire on the board?

Given the random nature of what's available, are there certain "must picks" that you always want to hire?

My specific example at the moment: my first hire was an Inspector. Would I be better served promoting for the global boost that seems like it could be a big early advantage? Or would I be better off with a 2nd specialist?

Just curious what some of the thoughts out there are.

I'm about a dozen games in and I don't enter a game with a specific strategy in mind.

I generally wait and see what the first three groups of specialists are.

If my first or second group include a speed specialist, I almost automatically select it. I'm really excited if I get a smuggler in those.

If I end up getting a smuggler or helmsman first/second, then I employ a more aggressive style. I use drillers for attacking rather then setting up mine locations.

If a speed specialist isn't available in the first three groups, then I choose a more defensive strategy and use drillers to set up mine locations.

Towards the end game, I try to get a navigator and pirate to set up a sub for Queen/mine hunting. Navigator/Pirate/Smuggler is a deadly combo where you can move quickly and unpredictably.

In a current game I am in, I had to fall to a defensive strategy and an Inspector was my first best choice. I used it pretty well deflecting waves of 6-driller subs while I slowly set up my territory. I think it was my 6th group of specialists where I finally had a smuggler as a choice.

Also, regarding the Double Agent specialist - I find not many people have seen it in action or use it often so it causes a lot of devastating misplays. Using it in your favor can swing entire games.

As Braxo said, it's pretty dependent on what choices you get. In my first few games I managed to get multiple smugglers in the first few days meaning I could keep one and upgrade the other to a tycoon for a super aggressive push. But once I had that as my favourite strategy I realised that I had just been lucky to keep getting them early in games and I haven't had it happen since. In my last game I didn't get the choice of a smuggler at all but I got other choices and adapted my gameplay to it.

Braxo wrote:Also, regarding the Double Agent specialist - I find not many people have seen it in action or use it often so it causes a lot of devastating misplays. Using it in your favor can swing entire games.

To add to this, please please please never use a double agent in an attack. I have seen this done so many times and all the defender needs to do is send 1 driller back at you for a disastrous outcome. Their power comes from the ability to make your opponent double think every attack on you: "what if he uses his double agent this time..."