Faction Strength: 3

Faction Overview:

Ability

You start the game with 3 instead of 2 Dwellings. Place the third one after all players have placed their second ones (but before the Chaos Magicians have placed their only Dwelling).

Stronghold

After building the Stronghold, take an Action token. As a Special action (once per Action phase), you may transform a Terrain space directly adjacent to one of your Structures into your Home terrain (Sandstorm). On this space, you may immediately build a Dwelling by paying its costs. (This ability is not applicable past a River space or Bridge.) Use the Action token to keep track of using this Special action. (The Sandstorm is not considered a Spade.)

Faction Strategy:

Like the Giants, the Nomads don’t care as much about terrain around them, once they have their Stronghold, and can use Sandstorm. However, your chosen strategy should depend greatly on which Round tiles are up, and in which order.

Nomad Strategy, Option 1: Early Stronghold

Using this strategy, at least one of your three starting dwellings can be in a strange place, where you will thereafter use Sandstorm to Transform, and also to reach better terrain hexes.

Rounds 1: Build 2 dwellings and a Trading Post. Burn power for Coins, or take the Coin bonus tile.

Rounds 2: Build a Stronghold

Go for three Towns, especially if your initial placement does not allow you to connect your territory for area scoring. The 2-Fire Favour Tile, which allows Towns at 6 Power, is handy when using this approach.

Nomad Strategy, Option 2: Early Dwellings & Trading Posts

Rounds 1-2: Build 2 more Dwellings and a Trading Post during these two rounds. Burn power for Transform action. Take worker or Transform bonus tiles.

Rounds 3-4: Using the initial income, build according to the Round tiles. If possible, try to fit in a Temple on these rounds. If adjacency gives you enough power for another burn, grab more workers or another Transform action.

Rounds 5-6: Take the one-air favor tile (points for passing with Trading Posts), send priests to the Cult spots, and connect your Towns using Shipping. You should be able to get the top area scoring.

Recommended Starting Locations

A-5 & D-3 & F-5

The middle and right side of the map are good for you, with the most compatible squares, and the possibility of linking your territories using Shipping level 2. Because you have three starting Dwellings, at least one of them should be away from other players, with good expansion squares, but able to be connected to the rest of your territory.

Bonus Tiles

Because some of your dwellings may not have adjacency, the 6-Coin bonus tile is quite good for you. You may also consider taking the points-for-dwellings bonus tile, as you will usually have a Dwelling lead, and it’s nice to cash in on that. Remember that points win games, not economy!

Favour Tiles

Because you may have the option of a third Town, you could consider the two-Fire Favor Tile, which allows you to form cities with 6 power. If pursuing this strategy, the Town-Victory-Point Round Tile should be up. One of your three Towns will most likely require a Sanctuary.

Otherwise, the one-water Favor Tile can be good – you’re likely to be close to maximum on Trading Posts, because it’s the cheapest way to form cities, and getting points for them for at least the last two rounds is a worthwhile boost to your score. If you can get it early enough, the one-earth Favor tile can also be good, the difference being that you have to build the Dwelling to get the points, not have it already built.