Of course, Ark Nova has seen enduring popularity since its release from German manufacturer Feuerland Spiele Games. Created by a spreadsheet working gent, Mathias Wigge is now a full-time designer thanks to Ark Nova. And celebrating this wonderful game, we’re noting the fact that it briefly reached number 2 on BGG!
Within this series of blogs, I want to celebrate the different elements within the game. Of course, the first decision to make is which cards to choose from the 8 you have in the beginning.
Which animals/sponsor do you play? What do you discard? We’ll let’s look at two examples from all expansions then based on the current BGA Arena series.
All Expansions
So in this starting hand taken from the website: https://ark-nova.ender-wiggin.com/quizzes which has a daily starting hand quiz there are few lines you could take.
In this two-player game, there’s a clear choice in Basic Research that rewards you with Conservation points for every 2 symbols you’ve played. It requires an upgraded sponsor card, but with two universities require – the hand size and science icon with repetition or animal symbol – you’ll be well on your way. Essentially, it’s free points. And if you’re planning to upgrade sponsors later, another good option is the Foreign Institute. This aligns with habitat diversity and you might aim to collect all five tails by the game’s end. It’s also a useful card for the end game.
Now, let’s consider the other two options. The Snowy Owl looks appealing, but without bird icons, it’s a bit of a stretch. Since this is the expansion, you could go for the bird university, but without knowing the appends action order, it’s hard to say definitively. However, I’d probably save the Snowy Owl for later, as it’s a solid card with perception. Searching through the deck and keeping two cards is a great ability.
For the final choice, I could go a few ways. The European Deer is a nice, affordable animal that adds some appeal. It could be released later, giving you a good start in round one. Alternatively, you could focus on a sponsor-heavy hand and go for something like the Gorilla Field Research. This involves taking one science and bird University and taking the X on the map for Foreign Institute and hoping to draw an animal by playing cards on your first move.
From the opening hand, the Conservation Zoo seems like a great end game card. It’s easier to achieve in most games, and since we don’t have any water icons visible in the cards we have, it appears to be the most obvious choice.
Arena Version
Arena players use the same maps, which are updated based on high play volumes. Competitive play also helps fix some issues in the maps and helps to balance the game.
Honestly, this starting hand is pretty miserable.
The Rhea is a playable animal that gives an extra card, potentially drawing into something good from the deck. Tiger is a great card but requires two science icons and with no sponsors would take a while to get going. The Red Kangaroo is similar. While easier to play, you want to maximise its pouching ability to boost its appeal from 7 to 11. However, it’s a four-size animal and requires 23 money, making it quite costly.
I’d start with the Red Kangaroo and grab my Australia partner zoo first move. Then, I’d place a four size over the five monies in the bottom right-hand corner of Park Restaurant. I’d also take the Predator Breeding Programme along with the Tiger. Later, I’d look to get an Asia Partner Zoo for this matching Tiger. This matches the predator projects, so is a nice later play.
I wouldn’t take the Emu because I’m not aiming for five Australia. I’d focus on a quick two Australia project straight after the first break. I’d probably keep the Rhea as something to play in round two and hope the display and card actions give me something good later. The end games aren’t great with these starting cards and no sponsors. An Architectural Zoo win could be a possibility, though Park Restaurant has a quirk of being the largest map to build on with 43 hexes.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. A quick overview of two-player games of Ark Nova. One with the competitive arena mode and the other with the base game, along with the expansion. Both offer quite similar experiences, though one has identical maps to balance out some of the choices.
In the first game, you have a hand that offers multiple paths to choose from. However, in the second game, you might feel a bit lost. That’s the beauty of Ark Nova– there are so many strategies and ways to play, offering a wide range of possibilities. It’s fascinating to observe how different players approach their games and strive to excel. I hope this guide helps you choose your cards and assess each one you’re given.
