Post up your favorite specialist and how you like to use them!

For me, smuggler is my fav. Zip around your territorry in early game to secure points, then promote to tycoon to start outproducing everyone else. Great synergy with Tinkerer/Minister of Energy.

I like the sabatuer just because it really gives you an edge in the early game when contesting OPs.

I got inspector early and made sure that the queen is always safe. Queen+inspector is like having a defending War Hero.

Also, princess and her extra vision range is amazing. No synergy with sentry/diplomat, though, from what I understand.

Early game definitely smuggler or navigator for the quick OP caps. Smuggler is better because of Tycoon as you said. Late-game though I enjoy using Pirate + Double-Agent to have a bit of fun messing with the other players (I'm a bit of a diplomatic dick that way).

Can someone explain how double agent works exactly? If someone has an attack incoming with a couple specialists, I send a double agent with 1 drillers to attack the point they're coming from. There's no point to send any drillers because all get destroyed and I steal their specialists? Once this happens, does the sub turn back around to where I sent it from?

You should be able to scroll ahead to see what happens. What you said is correct, but they get your Double Agent as well.

kylebear wrote:If someone has an attack incoming with a couple specialists, I send a double agent with 1 drillers to attack the point they're coming from. There's no point to send any drillers because all get destroyed

Indeed, so technically you can send 0 drillers and just the Double Agent.

and I steal their specialists? Once this happens, does the sub turn back around to where I sent it from

Yes, in theory.
You use the Double Agent either to wipe out a really large sub (so many drillers that you want to waste your specialist on them), or to steal some specialists.

But two things to take into account:
* Subs swap ownership with specialist aboard. So your Double Agent, becomes theirs.
* You have to look at combat priority as well. If your opponent sends a Saboteur (priority 3) and you counter with a Double Agent (priority 5), the Saboteur will redirect your sub to your nearest outpost before the Double Agent can do anything.

I always love when people start talking about their favorite strategies in a game like this, because it's a good way to distinguish a well balanced game from one that's not. Ideally, we'd see every specialist listed somewhere here.
I can tell you I personally love an early-game infiltrator. It makes a blitzkrieg-style rush so easy, and sets you up well for the rest of the game. If used well, you could conquer an enemy with just an infiltrator and the drillers you start with.

viktor wrote: princess and her extra vision range is amazing. No synergy with sentry/diplomat, though, from what I understand.

Actually (unless they've changed the rules and i missed it) princess/intelligence officer do synergize with sentries and diplomats increasing their range. A princess/diplomat on the same out post when combined with some offensive specialists can be incredibly effective.

Personally, I think all of the specialists can be used to great effect depending on the situation and what your other specialist choices are. I generally wait until i have a few hires to see what possible combos i can get. Though if i had to pick a favorite it would be diplomat (its a game of Diplomacy, of course its the best.)

pmoney wrote:Though if i had to pick a favorite it would be diplomat (its a game of Diplomacy, of course its the best.)

In our last game, we had a beta rule set, I think the Diplomat's behavior has been changed but haven't started a new game yet to see it in action.

The Diplomat became a favorite of mine as well when you could re-use sab's and pair it with a General.

That may be different now.