Tips fivetribes

General Tips & Principles

Watch the Market

• Track which goods (cloth, spices, goats, jewels, falcons) are close to filling up or emptying out.

• Time your sales for peak value (e.g., sell on the third or fourth meeple flip) to gain extra points.

• Deny opponents big sales by clearing stacks they are targeting.

Balance Income vs Points

• Early coin income funds powerful Djinn drafts.

• Avoid spending everything on points too soon.

• Do not hoard coins so long that you fall behind in scoring.

Meeple Management

• Clearing a large stack of five or more meeples is rewarding.

• Avoid leaving single meeples behind for easy pickups.

• Beware lone stacks that opponents can exploit.

Djinn Timing

• Some Djinns pay off immediately, like those that boost movement.

• Others reward endgame conditions, like flipped tile colors.

• Plan your coin spending with Djinn timing in mind.

Board Awareness

• Scan the board each turn for cascade or denial opportunities.

• Think two or three moves ahead.

• Anticipate where new stacks will form and who can benefit.

Signature Strategies

The Caravan Conductor

Core Idea: Use movement-boosting Djinns to clear long, efficient paths.

How It Works:

• Target central stacks of five or more meeples.

• Drop them across high-value tiles like palaces or oases.

Best When: Early game, before stacks are too broken up.

Pitfall: Leaving single meeples for opponents to finish.

Market Mastermind

Core Idea: Dominate one or two goods and sell them in bulk for maximum value.

How It Works:

• Identify which goods are clustered.

• Force refills by taking odd numbers of cards.

Best When: Playing with 4 or 5 players where goods competition is high.

Pitfall: Being too obvious and letting others block or undercut your sales.

Palace Prowler

Core Idea: Place camels on yellow palace tiles to earn consistent points.

How It Works:

• Use red meeples to place camels.

• Prioritize palace tiles when claiming tiles.

Best When: Palaces are clustered in one section of the board.

Pitfall: Ignoring other point sources like priests and viziers.

Djinn Collector (Genie Hoarder)

Core Idea: Accumulate Djinns for special powers and bonus points.

How It Works:

• Save coins by taking modest actions.

• Focus on Djinns that combo well (like movement plus market bonuses).

Best When: Fewer players are competing for Djinns.

Pitfall: Running low on coins and missing key opportunities.

Assassin’s Shadow

Core Idea: Use white meeples to assassinate opponents’ viziers or priests.

How It Works:

• Gather exactly five white meeples.

• Use them to eliminate high-value enemy meeples.

Best When: Others are heavily investing in vizier or priest tracks.

Pitfall: This strategy is mostly denial, so be sure you’re scoring elsewhere.

Putting It All Together

Flexible Openers

• Open with a Caravan Conductor move.

• Use the coins earned to buy a Djinn that boosts movement or scoring.

Midgame Pivot

• If goods start to run out, switch to Palace Prowler for consistent points.

• Consider assassinating to control opponent scoring.

Endgame Finisher

• Close with Assassin’s Shadow to disrupt final priest or vizier tallies.

• Maximize points by securing last-move tile claims with camels.

Final Thoughts

Adapt Constantly

• Each game setup is unique.

• Don’t force a fixed strategy.

• Read the board and adjust.

Monitor Opponent Coins

• Anticipate Djinn grabs or big spending turns.

• Deny key Djinns when possible.

Psychological Play

• Suggest a big move to provoke bad reactions.

• Sometimes bluffing interest in one area opens up another.

Find your rhythm by blending these strategies. Good luck, and may your Djinns grant you victory! - Jay Swint 2025