Tips apiary

Factions and Hives

• No faction ability guarantees a win or loss.
• Most Recruit tiles are as strong or stronger than faction abilities.
• Play the board first, and your faction second.
• A faction's starting conditions are more important than its abilities.

Gameplay Strategy Ideas

These are suggestions and untested. Your mileage may vary.

Action efficiency is critical. You have about 14-17 actions in a given game (fewer with more players). As a result, you want to be scoring about 5 points with every action. If you are not, consider how to make them up in a future action. You want to aim for more than 100 points a game.

The best general strategy is to fill out your hives and frames. A filled mat/frame scores 8 points on top of the points each tile gives. Aim for 3-4 Farms (each worth 2VP or 3VP), 1-2 Carve tiles , 1-3 Developments (if you plan on producing Wax ), and the rest as Recruits.

Retrieve is your most impactful action, so activate as many Farms as possible when you do.

In most circumstances, Development tiles are outright better (in terms of scoring or long-term strategy) than a Carve tile , since they give you resources, activate scoring triggers, level your workers, or place tiles. They also tend to have high scores.

Planting seed cards is often a waste of time. They're almost always more valuable to play for the immediate effect. Planting means you have to use a 4-Strength worker on the Research or Explore action, which is less worthwhile than Dance, Carve, or Advance.

Build many Recruit tiles to get discounts and increase the efficiency of your actions. To generate Wax , use seed cards, or placement bonuses, or hibernation pods. Alternatively, buy blue tiles that do the Retrieve action or allow you to keep a second seed card on the Research action. Then do the Research action frequently.

Get three good Farms early, then do the Retrieve action every four turns.

Actions

Explore: Explore 2-4 planets at the start. All other resources should come from seed cards, Recruit discounts, or placement bonuses. The exception is exploring with a 4-Strength worker, though that depends on what kind of planets and their 4-Strength abilities are.

Advance: Buy as few Farms as possible with the Advance action, not more than three. Otherwise, you can get most of them from seed cards. Use the Retrieve action if you get 5+ VP from them. Get the "Retrieve-On-Research" tile with a 2-3 point Farm.

Grow: The hive upgrade is rarely as valuable as you think it is. Use 3/4-Strength bees on this action to maximize efficiency (i.e., get a frame and a new bee).

Convert: Use this action rarely (once or none), and when you do use a 4-Strength worker. Instead, create dances during the Explore action using a planet's 4-Strength ability.

Carve: The only way to buy Carve tiles is with Honey , which should be obtained through discounts or dances. Usually, there is at most one great tile. You can easily win without gaining any Carve tiles. The most valuable ones are Monolith, Efficiency, and Retinue.

Extra Honey: If all the good Carve tiles (or all of them) are taken, convert Honey into other resources, which you can then potentially discard for Queen's Favors. Some seed cards also earn you VP for stored Honey.

Faction Analysis

Unless otherwise stated, all factions start with 3 workers: one 2-Strength and two 1-Strength.

Starting Factions

Name	Ability	Upgraded Ability	Starting Resources	Strategy
ANA	2VP per Recruit tile adjacent to faction tile	Increased to 3VP per Development adjacent	1 , 1	It's good to buy Recruit tiles early for their ongoing effects, so why not profit from it? Though gaining pollen to pay for them will take time.
CYPRI	4VP per Carve tile adjacent to faction tile	Increased to 6VP per Carve adjacent	1 , 1	Carves don't affect anything until the endgame, and nothing here is helping you get carves. Considered to be the weakest starting faction.
LAMA	1VP per built tile	Gain 1 Farm or Recruit tile from the stack	1 , 1	The ability allows you to take some 0VP tiles without hurting your score too much. Considered to be the strongest of the starting factions.
POMON	2VP per Farm adjacent to faction tile	Increased to 3VP per Farm adjacent	1 , 1	This faction gives a decent scoring "safety net", so build Farms early and feel free to experiment.
SINI	3VP per Development adjacent to faction tile	Increased to 4VP per Development adjacent	1 , 1	Harder to profit from due to wax cost. Ideal to gain 12 points, but more likely to get 4-8.

Advanced Factions

Name	Ability	Upgraded Ability	Starting Resources	Other	Strategy
ARTI	You may pay 2 for a 3-Strength worker to act like a 4-Strength worker on an action space	Cost is reduced to 1 and gain 1 VP	1 , 1		Definitely upgrade this faction, though note that it renders some Recruits (like "Apprentice") obsolete. Use it to buy high-scoring tiles like Carves and Developments.
CAPEN	When you bump a worker, convert a to	Convert or gain a	1 , 1 , 1 , 1		This ability increases flexibility, as it lets you convert surplus resources into useful ones. Since the ability depends on other players' actions, it's not reliable (except in games with a high player count). The starting resources make up for this, especially if you can get a Development for one .
CARPA		Gain 5 VP during scoring	2 or , 2 , 2 or	Start with four workers of 1-Strength	Because this faction starts with extra resources and workers, plan around gaining Carves and Development and aggressive Retrieves. Speed to the endgame before they can build up their hives. Upgrading your hive helps with this.
CASI	Any time during your turn, convert into 3 of any basic resources	During scoring, gain 2 VP per in your inventory	2	Start with two workers (one 2-Strength and one 1-Strength)	This faction's ability to generate resources is insane. But the upgrade isn't terribly valuable. You should be spending Wax on Developments or converting it into for Recruits. The reduction in workers slows you down as well, so favor strength over speed in the beginning.
CECRO	Gain one Recruit tile for free.	Gain one Recruit tile for free. During scoring, gain 1 VP for each Recruit tile in your hive.	1	Start with two workers (one 2-Strength and one 1-Strength)	Starting with a Recruit tile is a tremendous advantage. Use the pollen and upgrade to keep the momentum and keep gaining Recruits. One of the best factions to choose.
CEDONI	Activate 1 build bonus on each of the first four frames you get	Instead, activate 2 build bonuses on each of the first four frames you get (not retroactive). Also build 2 frames for free.	1 , 1	Start with two workers (one 2-Strength and one 1-Strength)	Upgrade early to gain as many bonuses from frames as you can. Disadvantage is that the fewer workers slow you down.
IBER	Before your turn starts, you may return one worker to your active pool and increase its strength (do not collect income)	If your ability returns a worker to your active pool (not hibernation), you may pay one to collect income from one	1 , 1 , 1		Like Saha, but weaker. However, the ability to level a worker whenever you want gives you tremendous speed, letting you quickly gain Carve tiles and hibernate. If you gain an early lead, it may be impossible for others to catch up (unless the game goes on too long).
JEMIT	When one of your workers hibernates, gain 2 VP or 1	Instead, gain 2VP and 1	1	Start with two 2-Strength workers	The faction ability does not help you until the second half of the game, but since hibernations are inevitable, controlling the Hibernation Comb is your best strategy. Upgrade your hive as soon as possible to take full advantage.
LIGU	Double the effect of adjacent to faction tile (does not include VP earned during scoring)	During scoring, double the VP on all			Similar to the Sini, although you start with no resources. Can be very effective if timed well, but it's highly dependent on how the game starts, especially if someone finds a planet with 3 right away.
NICA	Any time during your turn, convert 3 to 1	Instead, convert 2 to 1	1 , 2 , 3		Needs a good Carve tile on the board to be effective. Pairs nicely with the Apprentice . Buy this or a early with your starting resources.
OREA	Gain 3 when you gain a fourth worker	Gain 3 or 3 VP when you gain a fourth worker	1 , 1 , 2		On average, the faction ability will trigger once or twice in a game. Get the upgrade to gain 3 VP each time.
RIA	When your worker is bumped by an opponent, you and that opponent gain 1	Instead, you and the opponent gain 2	1 , 1 , 1		Getting to the end of the Queen's Favor track is the only way to make worth it. Otherwise, they should be used for converting into VP with dances. Since the ability depends on the actions of other people, it's not reliable (except in games with a high player count). Use your starting resources to get Recruits instead. One of the weakest factions.
SAHA	When you Retrieve, collect income from one additional Farm	When you Retrieve, either collect income from one additional Farm or gain 2 VP	2 , 1		Letting you collect extra income gives you more flexibility to changing circumstances, so you should Retrieve aggressively. This can let you gain a 4-Strength worker, an early dance, carve, or upgrade earlier than usual. Gaining a 2-3VP Farm accelerates your score potential. If you upgrade, choosing the 2VP is better than a Farm that does not score more than 2VP.
SIME	At the start, add 3 seed cards to your hand	Add 2 seed cards to your hand	1 , 1	Start with two workers (1 1-Strength and 1 2-Strength)	Seed cards have some powerful effects (although they become more powerful with the Pharmacist and/or Geneticist . You have a chance to get a free or reduced cost tile or worker right away. But three seed cards also mean you can get three right away.
UTEL	Gain one when you Explore	Instead, gain two when you Explore	1		Exploring is inefficient, and the resources you gain are random (although the ability helps mitigate that). One of the weakest factions.
VISAH	Take 3 and 3 in reserve. When you take the Advance or Carve action, you may buy from this reserve instead of the board.	Build one with a -2 discount or one with a discount of -1 .	2 or 2	Start with two workers (1 1-Strength and 1 2-Strength)	With the reserves, you don't have to worry about another player taking good tiles before you can. It also means other players will bump you without the board changing, which doesn't reveal new information to players. Take the upgrade without hesitation in every game.

Hive Analysis

Hives tend to be a little more impactful and less balanced because of their tile bonuses and access to bonuses.

Name	Tile Bonuses	Strategy
The Az	1 hex with 2 VP 1 hex with 2 4 hexes that let you reserve an Advance tile on the board 1 hex with 1 seed card 1 hex with 1	You can build a tile in your reserve by taking the advance action, but strength doesn't matter if you're building from your reserve. Overall good, but take note that there's nothing to help you build the tiles you've reserved.
The Gum	4 hexes with "Pay 1 to gain 1 seed card" 1 hex that says "Plant one seed card from your hand"	Because you have to spend resources to gain seed cards, this hive's power is less than other hives that let you get bonuses for free. Nonetheless, seed cards are worth doing this once or twice.
The Hexagon	3 hexes that let you take a Carve tile and add it to a reserve. When all six hexes of the hive are filled, you may either build a Carve tile from your reserve or gain 2 . The reserve is then discarded.	There isn't much to this hive except gaining good Carve tiles that other players can't get. However, this forces you into building Carves, even if you don't want to or the circumstances aren't good.
The Langstroth	1 hex with "A here costs -2 " 1 hex with "A here costs -1 and -1 " 1 hex with "A here costs -1 " 1 hex with "A here costs -1 "	Early access to discounted Farms and Recruits let you get ahead without worrying about storage. And these discounts don't come at any cost, so you can use your resources to get these tiles. Pairs best with Cecro. Many consider this to be the best mat in the game.
The Layens	1 hex with 1 1 hex with 1 1 hex with 1 1 hex with 1 1 hex with "perform 1 conversion without placing a worker" 1 hex with "perform 2 conversions without placing a worker" 1 hex with "perform 3 conversions without placing a worker"	The opportunities to convert for free sound promising, but only pay off if you have a dance or a discount of some kind.
The Log	4 hexes with 1 free 1-Strength worker 3 hexes with 1	Some factions (like Carpa) make this hive useless, but otherwise, having 2 workers available is good if your workers aren't managed well. Synergizes with the "empty hive" rule.
The National	1 hex with 1 1 hex with 1 2 hexes with "collect income from one " 1 hex with "do the Retrieve action"	This hive encourages building Farms and rushing the board. Good for factions with an advantage with the Retrieve action.
The Poppleton	2 hexes with 1 VP 3 hexes with 1 1 hex with "When you build here, build to the right for free"	Has a high scoring potential, but difficult to play around. The free is its best feature, but it's far away from the other bonus tiles. Do not use with a faction that does not gain resources well.
The Skep	2 hexes with 1 2 hexes with 1 2 hexes with 1 1 hex with 1	Doesn't have many strengths or weaknesses. Works with most factions. But not as good as "The Az".
The Smith	3 hexes with "convert to 2 hexes with "convert to 5 VP 1 hex with "convert to	A rush strategy works well with this hive. Works well with Casi, Capen, Carpa, or Cecro. Many consider this to be the best mat in the game.
The Top Bar	4 hexes with 1 1 hex with 1 2 hexes with 1 free frame	This is an excellent frame that you should grab if you have the choice. Synergizes with Cedoni specifically and lets you avoid taking time to do a Grow action. Two free frames can net you 16 VP easily.
The Warre	2 hexes with seed cards, 2 hexes with , 2 hexes with	An average mat with no strong points or weak points. Works with every faction, but it's hard to get a high score with it. Similar to "The Poppleton".