Tips wingspan

At its core, Wingspan is an engine-building resource-management game. Actions are your most limited resource--only 26 (8+7+6+5) per game. You want to get the most out of every action. Play that brown-power bird before you take an action in its row so that you get more from the action. Play that pink-power bird as soon as possible so that it may be triggered more times. There are, of course, exceptions (e.g., if you need to move up in the rankings for an end-of-round goal.)

Early Game

When the game starts, analyze each of the end-of-round goals, as they will heavily shape what to go for. Lots of egg goals? Investing in the grasslands may be a good idea. Lots of goals related to the number of birds? Investing more in the forest may be better. You will build birds in every habitat and take every action over the course of most games, but there are other important considerations:

• Three or four nest-specific goals mean birds with "wild" nests are stronger.
• Consider which goals related to nest type exist. Playing birds with that nest type.
• Location-based goals (eggs or birds in specific habitats) mean the birds that move from one habitat to another are stronger.
• Specific pink-power birds become stronger too, as opponents are forced to take these actions or forgo end-of-round goals.
• In a game with four players, the later goals are more important. There's nothing wrong with skipping the first goal or two if it means positioning yourself to win the last ones. In games with 2 or 3, goals are mostly equal, as the second and the third prizes grow at the same speed as the first.

Think of the bonus cards as private end-of-game goals. Consider whether one of your bonus cards aligns with any end-of-round goals. Keep an eye on the face-up bird cards for any that match your end-of-round goals or bonus cards.

Brown- and pink-power birds are ideal in the early game, when there is more time to trigger their powers. You want powers that generate additional cards, food, and eggs.

Cards are your most important resource. Having a good engine to gain you cards lets you find the birds you actually want to play. Birds you don't want can be used to "tuck" under other birds. Over the course of a game, you should be drawing (and discarding) a lot more cards than food. If you have a choice, caching food is worse than taking it, until the last turn or two.

Eggs are inherently less valuable than the other resources until the end of the game. Eggs score points, but cards and food do not. Early in the game, you almost always want to spend an egg to draw (if you can).

The best starting birds give food or cards. Consider the cost of each bird when making this decision. A bird that costs three different food tokens might be good early, but consider how that will impact your ability to play other birds.

The first player is guaranteed their pick of the face-up birds, which may be better than any in your hand. There's nothing wrong with drawing a powerful bird on your first turn.

Generally, keep one to three birds from your starting hand. Never keep all five. Keeping four makes sense if your hand has a lot of good cards and/or you have a one-cost forest bird that you plan to discard to collect two food on your second turn.

Be wary of any actions that benefit opponents equally to you.

Mid-Game

By the mid-game, you should have a small resource engine, hopefully consisting of birds that play toward at least one goal. Here are some principles focused more on the mid-game:

• Routinely check your opponents boards and consider which remaining goals you have a realistic chance at winning. Compare how hard you have to invest into each goal, how likely you are to win it, and what else you could be doing that might yield a greater long-term return, such as winning a later goal.
•• You should check your opponent's resource counts and engine power, as this factors in to how likely they are to win goals. If you're not that far behind them you may see that their resources cannot (or are very unlikely to) outpace you.
• Also check for pink birds. In some cases you should actually skip an action (e.g., predator) to prevent an opponent from gaining a more valuable resource. (Early food is generally worth more than one point.) But this is just one consideration. Sometimes you can't avoid doing things that help an opponent, but maybe you can wait to do it on the same turn as another player.
• It is good to play bonus card birds in the mid-game. This will give you time to play toward the goal. But if you play the card too early, the fact that it doesn't have an action can hurt you.
• If you have a good card-draw engine, prioritize and collect additional play birds. Planning around big bird chains in the last round can often turn the tide of a game.

End Game

As the 3rd round comes to an end and the final round approaches you should be able to plan out the rest of your turns. Make a final decision on which goals you can reasonably commit to and play accordingly. It's okay to not always get the highest tier goal. Maybe playing out your non-goal birds in hand yields more points. Keep in mind that every round you spend gathering food to play your birds is a lost opportunity for other ways to gain points so maybe you should be stocking your remaining birds with eggs instead. You should be able to calculate which plan will give you the most points. Good luck!

Strategy Tips for Solo Play -