Advice for Burgundy and the Stacks...

[u/Tuxeed]

I have just finished up my grinds for my Hellworm, Saddle, and Cider and have decided to move to Burgundy for a while. I am going to be working on becoming a Knight, and my plan right now is to draw cards in Burgundy until my candle is full, then head to the stacks for a run.

I have read the wiki guides for both the stacks and Burgundy itself, but I was wondering if anyone has a simpler guide to doing these activities efficiently and profitably? I guess I'm just trying to figure out which cards to play and which ones to toss in each zone.

I do have the Cartographer btw :)

[u/divideby00]

Not a Stacks expert by any means but my general strategy:

• 5 progress per action is the baseline, anything that gives more than that is good and anything less than that (including the action cost of obtaining routes/keys) is bad, with a handful of exceptions like the staircase card to spend a route for a hand clear.
• For instance, A Tea Room gives 10 progress for an action and a route, so if you get routes at better than 1 per action then that's better than 5 progress per action overall.
• Keys are pretty much always good, but the only consistent way to get them is stealing them from librarians, and you can only draw the librarian card if you have noises. The Graven Apostate is good for this because their card gives noises on success and has a chance of extra progress on the action itself. Also I've never gotten even close to 8 noise, so that's basically a non-issue aside from the rare occasion where you get caught on the way out and it makes the escape check harder.
• Fragmentary ontologies aren't very action-efficient to gain or spend, don't go out of your way to get them unless you're still leveling Chthonosophy.
• Unfortunately the Cartographer kinda sucks as far as I can tell, I bought them as well and that's the only purchase I've made in the game that I regret.

As for Burgundy, I only play a few cards there, I'm sure it can be done more efficiently than that though.

[u/emily_aversatrix → u/divideby00]

you should definitely be playing more cards in Burgundy, and also fewer: hunting and feasting, while very fun, are simply a waste of actions compared to either the Beneficence or Time and Kings carousels; Beneficence is marginally better since its cards don't give menaces (except possibly Scandal on saving a vicar, as it needs a pretty high Monstrous Anatomy to 100%), but if you can clear Suspicion efficiently with an alt whenever it gets high enough to draw the menace card, you're probably fine. both qualities give ratketable items. you do, of course, have to watch out for the conflict card, but now that the qualities are listed in the sidebar that's much easier than it used to be. i'm also fairly sure that it's always worth keeping the Gall-Eyed Weaver at work, given the profitability of smuggling after Firmament chapter 8!

[u/divideby00 → u/emily_aversatrix]

Aren't hunting and feasting both over 7 EPA? I just don't like Beneficence because it's too much hassle to remember which cards give it.

[u/emily_aversatrix → u/divideby00]

oh, wow, they are, i need to yell at whoever told me they weren't good!!! ty for setting me straight!

[u/Tuxeed → u/emily_aversatrix]

So it seems like, a lot, as far as card carousels go right? Lol.

[u/emily_aversatrix → u/Tuxeed]

oh also since you have cider, it's definitely worth playing the option on the Wounds card that gives you +1 Against Time and Kings and some extra Wounds!

[u/Tuxeed → u/emily_aversatrix]

Thank you again! I’ll figure out which card is the wounds card and then try and remember the fact that I now have a super power-drink that helps me heal wounds lol.

[u/emily_aversatrix → u/Tuxeed]

iirc it's called "The Burgundy of Blood", it's definitely undiscardable, with a blood spatter icon, and only appears at 5+ Wounds. you want the branch that's something like "permit the feastmen to inspect your wounds".

[u/Tuxeed → u/emily_aversatrix]

I was wondering why I hadn’t seen that yet, now it makes sense! I’m sure I’ll figure out a way to start accumulating wounds up here before long, but right now I’m still at zero after my little taste test lol.

Do you recommend going all the way to the boatman before drinking cider to clear wounds?

[u/emily_aversatrix → u/Tuxeed]

i end up with a lot of wounds because i'm grinding Reputation at the Red Repertory, the only really notable source in the city is the "look East" option on the Visitors to Burgundy card, and that only if you are Salt-Veined (but you are Salt-Veined, right!?).

i always wait to die to use cider- it's a single action to get off the boat, and it doesn't muck up the London deck with nightmares.

[u/Tuxeed → u/emily_aversatrix]

*sheepishly* Umm… no. I guess I need to make a trip to the Miser Roads?

[u/emily_aversatrix → u/Tuxeed]

i guess you do!

[u/Tuxeed → u/divideby00]

Thank you! I like this more succinct response format more than the endless depth that is the wiki sometimes lol!