Tips targi

It is hard for me to believe that no one has written anything for some basic Targi strategy to this date (4/10/2025). For that reason, I will write down a few thoughts here. There are other players on the site who are much better than I am at this game. Nevertheless, I will do my best to put a few tips here.

• Victory Points
  • Like many games, the point is to have the most Victory Points at the end of the game.
  • With this in mind, understand that each Victory Point will cost you a few Goods and or Gold.
    • You can buy VPs directly from the Silversmith:
      • 2 Goods of one Type buy 1 VP
      • 4 Goods of one Type buy 3 VPs
      • 1 Gold buys 2VP
      • 2 Gold buys 4VP
      • It also "costs" you placement of a Targi on the Silversmith.
      • You can make 1 Purchase at the Silversmith when you activate your Targi on this spot.
    • You can generate VPs by choosing, purchasing and playing cards in your display.
    • Some Tribe cards will give you bonus VP at the end of the game.
    • You gain extra VPs from cards In your display during End Game Scoring.
• Raids
  • It is important to prepare for the raids that are upcoming.
  • The Raids happen at the end of the 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th turns.
  • For each Raid, you need to give something up to the Robber. The Four Raids.
    • First Raid: 1 Good or 1 Victory Point
    • Second Raid: 2 Goods or 1 Victory Point
    • Third Raid: 3 Goods or 2 Victory Points
    • Fourth Raid: 1 Gold or 3 Victory Points
  • You should prepare for these raids by collecting the items needed to bribe the Robber so that the Robber does not take your valuable Victory Points.
  • The final Raid happens at the end of the game if the other game end condition is not met.
• Tribe cards
  • A Tribe Card has several important details on it.
    

    Tribe card
  • The Type (Targia, Well, Tent [Camp], Oasis, Camel Rider) - depicted by the picture.
  • The Cost - shown in the top right hand corner. The Cost can include Goods and/or Gold. Costs shown with a slash are either/or.
  • The Value - depicted in the bottom right corner. This is the Tribe card's Victory Point value for end game scoring.
  • In Game Effect - beyond it's value in VPs, the Tribe card might have some sort of in game effect. Examples of this include:
    • Gain 1 point for each 2 cards of a different Type in your display at game's end.
    • Gain a good of your choice when you place this card in your display.
    • You get a discount of any 1 Good when you place another card of this Type in your display.
  • When deciding on the "value" of a Tribe card, weigh all of these characteristics.
  • End game scoring:
    • Each Tribe card is worth a fixed number of VPs.
    • Some Tribe cards give bonus VPs
    • Each full row with only one Type of Tribe card is worth 4 VPs.
    • Each full row with four different Types of Tribe cards is worth 2 VPs.
  • Once you place a Tribe card in your display, you cannot move it. Though, there is one Tribe card that let's you exchange two Tribe cards in your display. Do NOT count on this.
• The Trader
  • The Trader card in the top right allows you to exchange 3 identical Goods for 1 Gold OR other Goods (2 of one Type for 1 of another).
  • You can do this as many times as you like.
  • This is a very useful space.
• Fata Morgana
  • This is another very useful space on the edge, located in the bottom right.
  • When you activate the Targi on this card, it allows you to move one of your Tribe Markers still on the board to any unoccupied card in the middle of the board.
  • Yes, it costs you a Targi, but it gives you flexibility.
• Winner's staistics
  • If you look at the winner's statistics in this game, you notice some interesting things:

Option	Winners	All Players
Gold earned with Goods cards	3.2	2.9
Gold earned with Tribe cards	0.4	0.3
Gold earned with the Trader	2.5	2.6
Goods earned with Border Cards	15.3	15.6
Goods earned with Goods Cards	20.0	19.4
Goods earned with Tribe Cards	3.2	2.6
Goods earned with the Trader	0.2	0.3
Points earned with Goods cards	10.8	10.0
Points earned by playing Tribe cards	11.2	10.8
Points earned for Tribe cards bonuses at the end of the game	2.0	1.7
Points earned for complete rows bonuses at the end of the game	7.7	6.3
Points earned with the Silversmith	2.2	1.9
Goods paid during raids	3.9	3.9
Gold paid during raids	0.1	0.1
Points paid during raids	0.7	0.9
Number of uses of 'Tribal expansion'	3.7	3.7
Number of uses of 'Caravan'	5.1	4.9
Number of uses of 'Noble'	1.5	1.6
Number of uses of 'Fata Morgana'	4.2	3.9
Number of uses of 'Trader'	2.7	2.8
Number of uses of 'Silversmith'	0.8	0.7

• Winners and the rest of the players perform similarly in all of their choices/actions, except for:
  • Winners get more gold from the center cards (the Goods cards).
  • Winners get more end game VPs from complete rows (worth 4 points).
  • Across the board, very few gold coins are paid during Raids.
  • Most Raids are paid using Goods and about 1 VP per game.
  • Winners appear to use Fata Morgana a bit more often (+8%) than other players, though the statistical significance of this is unclear.