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Annotated Games: Version 0.9, 4 playersThis game was played during game testing of version 0.9 of Iconoclasm. In this version, the imbalance tile was removed and the immediate victory condition lowered to 2 temples. The moves up to turn 6 are identical with the version 0.8 test. The hexes have a color for the element (red=fire, blue=water, white=air, green=earth, black=spirit) and a number for the strength (or X for imbalances). If a hex has a temple, the number is underlined and preceded by the first letter of the element (F, W, A, E).
For test purpose, the players follow pre-defined strategies. Fire promotes earth temples, hoping to overtake them after iconoclasms. Water aims at building strong early temples with earth support. Air tries to lose earth tiles early while saving air tiles to last. Earth finally attempts to pair earth tiles and split other element tiles.
Fire starts playing for an earth temple with fire presence in the center while water connects her water tiles with earth. Air also adds earth, hoping that an early iconoclasm will damage her main opponent. Earth ignores the center and builds on a weak multi-colored temple in the lower left.
Fire connects fire and earth tiles with a supporting air tile while water goes all in to create a strong water temple. Air dumps an earth tile in desolated area and earth keeps building on her weak temple with a fire.
Fire is concerned about the strong water temple and connects it with the other prospective temple on the lower board so that they may weaken each other. Water plays her last water and gets help by air, who wants to see the others in early iconoclasms, to complete a water temple. Earth plays an air tile, hoping to see an air temple built and destroyed.
Fire plays earth and builds an air temple to weaken the water temple. The game's first iconoclasm takes place and water wins easily with 10 water vs 4 air. The temple is removed together with the air tiles at C2 and D2 and the spirit tiles at E2 and D3.
Water plays a spirit tile to start blocking connections to the water temple. Air has accomplished the opening objective to drop all earth tiles and now continue to drop fire tiles. Earth builds a fire temple with the long-term objective of building an earth temple with water support once the fire temple has been destroyed.
Fire is too weak to defeat the water temple and plays a protective spirit. Water plays spirit to make a potential new temple in the lower part weak. Air drops another fire tile and also attempts to connect the temples. Earth connects tiles around the water temple, expecting it to be gone soon.
Fire plays earth with the idea of building an earth temple. An earth temple would defeat the water temple but the earth tiles would be reduced. Fire would then take over the temple and win the game with 2 temples. Water plays air to connect this future temple with the fire temple, hoping that whoever builds it won't fight the water temple first. This opens up an opportunity for air to play fire and build a fire temple. The result is a disaster for fire as both temples lose against the 6 water supported by 8 earth.
With fire removed from the board and few air remaining, earth plays for an earth temple to get rid of water as well. The earth temple wins over the water temple with 10 earth vs 4 water and earth now has several opportunities to build a 2nd temple.
Fire plays her 2nd tile to the board, hoping that the others will add fire to a temple against earth. Water on the other hand hopes for a water temple in the upper part once the earth temple is gone. Air has a similar plan for an air temple but wants to help fire building a temple to destroy the earth temple first. Earth starts connecting her earth tiles in the right part.
Fire continues to build on a fire temple, hoping that the other elements will do the same. However, water wants to see an air temple and plays air with the intention to take over it. Air is less interested in this and plays water to build a water temple. The water temple wins the external clash with 6 water vs 5 earth.
Earth is not discouraged by the loss of the first earth temple but continues to build on the second.
With 4 earth and 1 supporting fire, it will be strong but will it last the entire game?
Fire plays water with the intention of building a fire temple above the water temple once the latter is destroyed. Water's only hope is to build a temple in the upper part to clash with the strong earth temple. Air start playing her air tiles and group them into a future air temple while earth completes her earth temple.
Fire tries to connect (and destroy) the two temples to free space for her few remaining fire tiles around the water temple. Water wants to prevent this by building a fire temple in the upper part first but air completes the connection to weaken the earth temple before building an air temple. The earth temple easily wins the external clash with 10 earth vs 3 water.
Earth is in trouble. A temple will be built in the upper part and if it becomes a fire temple, it will destroy the earth temple with 6 fire + 2 air vs 6 earth. Another temple must be built and the only option is a water temple. The water temple loses the external clash with 4 water vs 6 earth.
Earth still has the only temple but air has a very strong concentration
of tiles in the center.
Fire plays a water for her future fire temple, knowing that a water temple isn't likely to be built since it'll be too weak against the earth temple. Water understands this and plays earth for another temple to destroy the earth temple first. However, air now takes the opportunity to build the fire temple with air support. The fire temple defeats the earth temple with 6 fire + 4 air vs 6 earth, only to be taken over by air. Air is now 1 tile away from building a 2nd air temple.
Earth connects two earth tiles at another part of the board, hoping that the other
players help completing it before air wins.
Fire plays spirit and it's up to water to choose whether a fire or an earth temple should be built in the upper part. She chooses to build an earth temple, knowing that it will be taken over by fire, so that the earth tiles will support a water temple if she would manage to build one. The earth temple wins the external clash with 6 earth vs 4 air.
Air's only chance is to connect the remaining air tiles in the upper part and earth's only chance
is to connect the remaining earth tiles in the lower part.
Fire fears a water temple most and plays a supporting air. Since air supports fire and has the only remaining water, she doesn't expect any help from there and sets up a bait instead. Air now accepts to play water and build an air temple. What happened? Since water can't win, she helps her supported element air to get the 2nd place for herself. Air wins the external clash with 6 air + 4 water vs 6 fire + 2 earth.
Earth can't build another temple so the air temple remains the only one standing!
Air wins followed by water, fire and earth.
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