Strategy Tips for Agricola

VERSION 2011-05-11 2
In General:
Agricola is a game about efficiency of action. Therefore
!ore total actions "#ia $amil% &ro'th( is ofte) the si)gle best thi)g %ou ca) ha#e.
Make the best use of every action
If a) actio) s*ace has +AN,- or +A$TER-. tr% to do both actions together.
Buy in bulk -
/uil0 t'o rooms at o)ce i)stea0 of buil0i)g o)e room t'ice1
$e)ce a large area o)ce i)stea0 of se#eral small areas se#eral times1
/uil0 as ma)% stables as *ossible 'he) also buil0i)g rooms1
So' at least t'o fiel0s at a time.
... etc ...
The game is about scori)g *oi)ts. )ot about buil0i)g a *rett% farm. E#er% actio) %ou ta2e
shoul0 a00ress this 3uestio) What is the easiest way to get points?
There are 4 ma5or +strategies- "i) or0er of *ote)tial *oi)ts(
Expansion: /uil0 Rooms. Re)o#atio). a)0 $amil% &ro'th
6he) ma7e0 out 'ith 5 sto)e rooms ! pts "2 *8 room. 4 *8 *erso)(
S*ecial )ote +Rooms- is the o)l% thi)g %ou ca) buil0 that has )o *oi)t limit.
S*ecial )ote /esi0es *oi)ts. famil% members gi#e %ou more actio)s9
"anching: :astures. Shee*. /oar. ;attle. $e)ce0 Stables
6he) ma7e0 out 'ith a)imals a)0 stables # pts "assumi)g < fe)ce0 stables. <
*astures(
$ar%ing: $iel0s. &rai). Vegetables
6he) ma7e0 out & pts
A 'i))i)g strateg% 'ill ble)0 some of each of these. but ob#iousl% the e7*a)sio) route is goi)g
to be the most re'ar0i)g if achie#e0.
Ideal Order of Operations
1. Establish a +foo0 e)gi)e-
2. Re)o#ate to cla% "cla% is usuall% less i) 0ema)0 tha) 'oo0(
4. /uil0 a cla% room.
<. $amil% gro'th.
5. Score *oi)ts9
On Family Growth
If %ou ca) e7*a)0 from 2 famil% members to 4
This basicall% gi#es %ou !#' %ore actions tha) e#er%o)e else. If this ha**e)s earl% a)0 )o
o)e else goes for $amil% &ro'th. %ou are *racticall% guara)tee0 to 'i). 50= more actio)s
mea)s 50= more resources ac3uire0. 50= more farm 0e#elo*me)t. 50= more foo0. etc.
E#e) if the only thing the thir0 *erso) 0oes is *ic2 u* foo0 off the boar0. that frees up the
other two to get actual point(scoring work done)
*nowball effect: more actio)s 'ill let %ou e7*a)0 %our famil% e#e) more. e#e) faster9
On Actions
+on,t co%pete for si%ilar resources) If e#er%o)e is tr%i)g to 0o the same thi)g. 0o somethi)g
else or fi)0 a 0iffere)t 'a% to accom*lish the same thi)g.
-ook to block other players) If other *la%ers ha#e #ul)erabilities i) their foo0 su**l% or
ge)eral strateg%. bloc2i)g them at the right time coul0 stro)gl% set them bac2 or stic2 them 'ith
beggi)g car0s.
It 'or2s better if %ou don,t re.uire actions to be taken in any particular order. That 'a% if
o)e actio) is bloc2e0. %ou ca) ta2e the other. >)o' 'hich actio)s %ou )ee0 ahea0 of time9
On Cards
?oo2 for cards that overlap for +s%)ergistic effect-. "This i)creases %our efficie)c%(
;ar0s that hel* %ou establish food security earl% i) the game 'ill gi#e %ou a lea0.
@se car0s that are worth points or bonus points.
If car0s *ro#i0e bo)us *oi)ts. strive to maximize the bonus. If %ou ca)At 0o this. 0o)At bother1
there are li2el% better 'a%s to get *oi)ts.
On Food
/et a food engine working 0*01) The soo)er %ou ha#e foo0 securit%. the soo)er %ou ca)
sto* 'asti)g time o) getti)g foo0 "'hich scores )o *oi)ts9(
+on,t ac.uire %ore food than you need. Bou get )o e7tra *oi)ts for ha#i)g a lot of foo0.
&e)erall% s*ea2i)g. getting food fro% converting vegetables or ani%als is %ore efficient
than trying to bake bread) &etti)g a brea0 ba2i)g routi)e off the grou)0 is e7*e)si#e ":lo' C
Ta2e &rai) C So' C /a2e /rea01 a)0 thatAs o)l% after %ou ha#e a) o#e) of some 2i)0(
2egetables are es*eciall% )ice if %ou ca) get the ;oo2i)g Dearth a)0 fi)0 some 'a% of getti)g
#egetables out earl%.
/etting the 3earth or $ireplace is a %ore flexible food strategy than 4vens) O#e)s ca)
only ba2e brea0.
*kip the $ireplace and go directly to the 5ooking 3earth. The 0iffere)ce is o)l% E2 cla%.
This also *re#e)ts others from getti)g the Dearth.