SantoriniPowerEros

Introduction

Eros is one of the gods who can accomplish the win very soon. With the help of the opponent, he can win in just 3 moves! But the opponent is not here to help...

God Power

Place your workers anywhere along opposite edges of the board. You also win if one of your workers moves to a space neighboring your other worker and both are on the first level (or the same level in a 3-player game).

Category

Winning conditions

Explaination

Firstly, you can only place your workers in the perimeter. Secondly, you have to move your workers to win: forcing doesn't count.

Game Strategies

Early Game

Although Eros’s workers start far away, this is the phase of the game in which Eros is stronger. The board is wide open and Eros needs to get his workers together (otherwise he just doesn’t have any power). Since there are not many obstacles, it will be easy to connect the workers, but connecting them at a level 1 is a whole other story. With Eros you would like to have the whole board with level 1s, but your opponent will make sure that doesn’t happen by either winning first, or building a block over your level 1 and suddenly that square is no longer useful (in terms of your power).

So with Eros you don’t want to build in the middle of the board (for example the third row or the C column) if your opponent can build in that same square in the next turn. This creates a barrier in the middle of the board and it will be harder to connect your workers. For example, in the first move of the game, I would suggest that you build in a corner (or nearby) as even if your opponent builds a level 2 in that square, it won’t create a barrier (in the middle of the board). You will get your workers close, but you need to do it carefully (whenever they are close, you can start to build level 1s next to your workers). For example, in this position:

Building on C3 is can be seen as a mistake. The center, which is the square that connects everything, is now “obstructed”. Next, Eros can enter the C column but the center will make it easier for the opponent to keep Eros apart. Another way to see why you don’t want level 2s in the center is: imagine Eros in a level 1 in C3 and imagine Eros in a level 1 in A3. In which square would you prefer to be? C3 of course, for several reasons, one of which being the fact that your other worker can neighbor you in 8 different squares.

Mid Game

Eros is creating threats (one worker in a level 1 and the other threatens to move to a level 1 neighboring that square) and the opponent is obliged to defend. This usually happens by building a level 2 in the square Eros was threatening to move to. Whenever this happens, Eros might not want to move up (to the level 2)... Consider 2 different situations: the first is good to move up, the second it is better to keep in the level 1.

The opponent has just built on C3 because Eros was threatening to win. This creates another level 2 around Eros and he might want to move up to create level 3 winning threats. But here there is a much better move: by moving to B4 and building on A1 the win is unavoidable. From this example we can already see how useful it was to have a worker in C3.

For the second example, consider this:

The last move was the opponent building on C1 (preventing the win). The dome in C3 makes it very difficult for Eros to connect his workers. Instead, Eros will take his chance to get a great position. He will move to C1 and build on B2. We can say that Eros is currently playing without a power, but it was only due to his power that he was able to reach this wonderful position. The opponent will have to be very careful and it will be very hard not to lose (a mere Mortal would lose).

Late Game

If Eros was able to reach this phase, this means that his opponent was not the aggressive type. It will be very hard for Eros to win now that the board has domes everywhere. One last try Eros can do, and this will be a common tactic which everyone playing with or against Eros should know is the double attack, by threatening to win by moving to a level 3, and by using his power.

Jason was careless and overlooked Eros's threat, which is why he domed D1 when Eros built a level 3 there. That's why Eros won by moving to B1. So in the first move Eros threatens two different wins, and the opponent (not a double builder), cannot defend them both.

Specific Matchups

Aeolus

Aeolus can use the wind to prevent Eros from winning (or getting closer), but just moving to the side can create two threats which are now not denied by the wind. Aeolus needs to play this very carefully.

Aprhodite

At first it might seem that Eros can win, but this is just an illusion. Aphrodite can just spend her time building level 2s and when the time comes, Eros will be trapped on the ground level.

Forcers (e.g. Apollo/Charon/Scylla/Minotaur)

Control over Eros is more than enough for these powers.

Ares

This balanced game can go either way. Ares defends quite well by removing the level 1s, but he needs to be careful by doing so.

Artemis

Moving twice and building a level 2 after every Eros’s level 1 seems more than enough to win. But this is very deceiving, Eros is actually better here.

Asteria

A dome can be very very bad for Eros, but Asteria might be forced to place the dome in a square she wouldn’t ideally want it to be just so that she doesn’t lose. Anyway, Asteria should be preferred (although it is easier to play with Eros).

Domers (e.g. Atlas/Selene, not Asteria)

Eros is doomed to play with no power against these gods. They can build a barrier of domes in the middle of the board and Eros will NEVER connect his workers. Eros can try to get some initiative while the opponent is busy doing this, but he can’t hope much. There can be done a similar analysis with Clio, which can easily keep Eros appart.

Killers (e.g. Bia/Medusa)

It is scary the thought of losing a worker and consequently the power. However, Eros should not be afraid and prove to Bia (by staying away from double attacks) that he is better. Playing against Medusa might be harder.

Eris

The fact that Eris can control Eros makes it difficult for Eros to win using his condition. But Eris will spend the whole game just defending and Eros will have the initiative the whole game. Eros should be preferred.

Hades

If Hades “forces” Eros to move to a level 2, then he is just facing a Mortal and the game is most likely over. This matchup will be very hard for Eros.

Hera

Eros can win while having one of his workers in the perimeter as long as the other one moves to a central square. This said, Hera is quite weak in this matchup.

Hermes

Although it may seem that Hermes's movement can prevent Eros from becoming closer, this will be extremely difficult and Eros will most likely win (I would suggest Hermes to go first).

Maenads

Yet again, it seems that Maenads would be the one defending here. But it's quite the opposite. Eros does not have great winning chances here.

Nemesis

Although this is an interesting matchup, Eros should have no problems winning it. He should just worry about his winning condition (and not reach level 3).

Pan

This is a balanced matchup but much easier to play for Eros.

Proteus

An interesting matchup where Proteus can use his extra worker to create barriers. This game can go to both sides, but the player with Proteus needs to be more experienced.

Triton

One of the scariest gods starts by being himself scared of Eros. It is tricky, but Triton should still be able to win.

Conclusion

While Eros is very strong in the beginning and it may force the opponent to defend move after move, there are a lot of gods who can do this quite well and this is why Eros is generally the weakest side.

Tier ranking: C

It is scary to play against Eros, especially if you don’t like to defend. But if you are able to pull his workers apart, you should have a comfortable game and only in the beginning you might sweat a little.