Tips splendor

Basic Strategy

Early Game

• Card getting order: high value > late game > noble.
• Gem getting order: current > opponent > mid game > late game.

Mid Game

• Mid game starts when all players get about 3-4 cards.
• Calculate your needs carefully and minimize the turns needed. If they are taken by opponents, consider reserving.
• Observe opponents' strategies.
  • Sometimes buy cards when they have 8 or more gems to have a better chance to get a gem you want.
  • Sometimes buy cards with gold so that you can buy cards faster.
• Secure the cards you want by either having multiple plans or reserving them.
• Reserving cards can also disrupt opponents' strategies while also providing you the flexibility of a gold coin.
  • Spend gold carefully to prevent getting stuck later on.

Late Game

• Late game starts when a player gets at least 10 points.
• When taking gems, plan at least 2 ways to buy a high value card. That way you can get points quicker.
• Observe what your opponents need most and grab them to get more time.
• Ending the game as soon as possible is much more important than getting more points, unless you are the first player.
• Use reserves to secure points first before limiting your opponents.
• Unless your opponents are way ahead, just buy cards to secure your position or you may accidentally reveal a card that can change the game!

Different Main Strategies

• There are many main strategies in Splendor, which applies for everyone and usually have no preference over one another.
• If you think a strategy is op (over powered), it is because you haven't found a way to block them or be faster.

Card Reserving

• First, reserve 1-2 important cards, mostly level 2. This can prevent opponents getting them.
• Then, buy a few level 1 cards, at least 1 of each type. This should build up your basic engine.
• After that, start buying cards you reserved and reserve new cards, prioritizing point cards.
• Do note that you can reserve cards from the deck, which is a good thing when you don't want to destroy the current position.
• If you notice your opponent aiming for a card, reserve it first to waste their effort.
• This strategy is what strong players usually do. Therefore when the gold stock is empty, consider other ways to counter...

Engine Building

• First, buy about 7-9 level 1 cards to get discounts.
• Secondly, buy cards that can get you nobles. That are valuable in return of your engines.
• Lastly, start buying point cards with little cost after discount. Some better players can even get cards for free!
• This strategy is mostly useful for players who have some gaming experience. Do note that everyone wants them and it can be tricky!

High-Score Aiming

• First, select a target. You can reserve it if you want. Then, start collecting lots of gems for it.
• You want to get point cards, especially level 2 and 3 ones. Therefore buy any point card if you can afford.
• This strategy is mostly useful for beginners with little experience in gaming. It can be effective, but can be blocked easily.
• To prevent that, reserve a level 3 card, then buy level 1 cards to reach it and repeat. It is much faster.

Nobles Hoarding

• First, compare the nobles and see what cards they need in common. Get those cards first.
• Then, observe your opponents and decide exactly which nobles you want and get the cards needed.
• This strategy is good as you can get 2 or more nobles if you are lucky, potentially winning you the game. However it is quite slow, so not recommended. .

Card Review

Which cards are the best?

• Level 1: (4,1) > (3,0) > (4,0) > (5,0)
• Level 2: (6,3) > (5,2) > (7,2) = (8,2) > (7,1) = (8,1)
• Level 3: (10,5) > (7,4) > (12,4) > (14,3)
• Note: Each card here is shown by (cost, point). Cards are sorted from most valuable to least valuable.

What relationship are there between the colors?

Note: Each relationship is shown by (most needed gem color) for (card color). These relationships are typically true, but not always.

• Level 1:
  • ⬛ for 🟩 (Green for Black)
  • 🟦 for ⬛ (Blue for Black)
  • 🟩 for 🟩 (Green for Green)
  • 🟥 for 🟦 (Red for Blue)
  • ⬜ for 🟥 (White for Red)
• Level 2:
  • ⬛ for 🟥 (Black for Red)
  • 🟦 for 🟦 (Blue for Blue)
  • 🟩 for 🟩 (Green for Green)
  • 🟥 for ⬜ (Red for White)
  • ⬜ for ⬛ (White for Black)
• Level 3:
  • ⬛ for ⬜ (Black for White)
  • 🟦 for 🟩 (Blue for Green)
  • 🟩 for 🟥 (Green for Red)
  • 🟥 for ⬛ (Red for Black)
  • ⬜ for 🟦 (White for Blue)

Number of Players

	2 Players	3 Players	4 Players
Card Contention	Lower	Moderate	Higher
Avg. Gem Tokens of Each Color	2 per player	1.67 per player	1.75 per player
Avg. Gold Tokens	2.5 per player	1.67 per player	1.25 per player