Wingspan Online Daily Game Commentary - October 1, 2023

  Starting Birds, Food, and Bonus

Birds

• Greylag Goose - for Ethologist and double for 3rd and 4th round end goals
• Brown-Headed Cowbird - for Ethologist and between turns eggs
• Barn Swallow - star nest for round end goals and Brown-Headed Cowbird's power

Food

• Worm (for Barn Swallow)
• Wheat (for Brown-Headed Cowbird)

Bonus Card: Ethologist - Different power colors in one habitat

Round 1

1. Draw Birds - Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker (from tray, for Worms)
2. Gain Food - Berry from bird feeder (for Yellow-Belled Sapsucker)
3. Play Bird - Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker in Woodlands (for Worms)
4. Gain Food - Wheat from bird feeder (for Greylag Goose), Worm from Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker's power (for Barn Swallow)
5. Play Bird - Barn Swallow in Wetlands (star nest for round end goal and Brown-Headed Cowbird's power, to tuck while drawing birds)
6. Play Bird - Brown-Headed Cowbird in Grasslands (for between turns eggs)
7. Draw Birds - Eurasian Green Woodpecker  (from tray to tuck), Tucked Eurasian Green Woodpecker and drew Belted Kingfisher (from tray, for Ethologist) using Barn Swallow's power
1. Egg from Brown-Headed Cowbird's power
8. Draw Birds - Savi's Warbler (from tray to tuck), Tucked Savi's Warbler and drew European Honey Buzzard (from tray, for Ethologist and potential round end Worms ) using Barn Swallow's power

Round End: none

Round End Goal - Builder Nest Bird w/ Egg 2 points (tied for 1st w/ 1 bird) 

Round 2

1. Gain Food - Fish from bird feeder (for Belted Kingfisher), Worm from Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker's power (for European Honey Buzzard)
2. Play Bird - Belted Kingfisher in Wetlands (for Ethologist and potential between turns Fish)
1. Egg from Brown-Headed Cowbird's power
3. Draw Birds - Common Cuckoo (from deck) and Mourning Dove (from tray to tuck), Tucked Mourning Dove  and drew Brown Pelican (from tray, for Ethologist) using Barn Swallow's power
1. Egg from Brown-Headed Cowbird's power
2. Fish from Belted Kingfisher's power
4. Play Bird - European Honey Buzzard in Woodlands (for potential round end Worms and to be far enough in Woodlands to get 2 food)
1. Egg from Brown-Headed Cowbird's power
5. Gain Food - Worm and Wheat from bird feeder (for Common Cuckoo and Greylag Goose), Worm from Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker's power (for Common Cuckoo)
1. Egg from Brown-Headed Cowbird's power
6. Play Bird - Common Cuckoo in Woodlands (for more between turn eggs as both other player's had Ravens leading to these being very successful between turn powers this game)
1. Egg from Common Cuckoo's power
2. Egg from Brown-Headed Cowbird's power
7. Draw Birds - Willet (from tray, for 3rd round end goal and egg space for Common Cuckoo's power) and Yellow-Breasted Chat (from tray to tuck), Tucked Yellow-Breasted Chat and drew Mountain Bluebird (from tray, to play two birds at once in Grasslands at some point) using Barn Swallow's power
1. Fish from Belted Kingfisher's power

Round End: 2 Worms from European Honey Buzzards's power

Round End Goal - Food in Personal Supply: 2 point (2nd w/ 4 food)

Round 3

1. Play Bird - Willet in Wetlands (for round end goal and more egg space for Common Cuckoo's power)
1. Fish from Belted Kingfisher's power
2. Gain Food - Berry and Wheat from bird feeder (for Mountain Bluebird and Greylag Goose), Worm from Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker's power (for Mountain Bluebird)
1. Fish from Belted Kingfisher's power
2. Egg from Common Cuckoo's power
3. Egg from Brown-Headed Cowbird's power
3. Play Bird - Greylag Goose in Wetlands (used Worm and Fish for 3rd Wheat in food cost, for Ethologist, round end goal, and more egg space for Common Cuckoo's power)
1. Wheat from other player's Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
2. Egg from Common Cuckoo's power
3. Egg from Brown-Headed Cowbird's power
4. Draw Birds - Eurasian Nuthatch (from deck), Corsican Nuthatch (from tray, for another bonus card), and Brant (from tray to tuck), Willet's power successful w/ 3 dice (Fish cached), Tucked Brant and drew Hooded Crow (from deck) using Barn Swallow's power
1. Fish from Belted Kingfisher's power
5. Play Bird - Mountain Bluebird and Hooded Crow in Grasslands (used Fish and Wheat for Hooded' Crow's Worm food cost, to use Hooded Crow's round end power)
1. Egg from Common Cuckoo's power
2. Egg from Brown-Headed Cowbird's power
6. Draw Birds - Ring-Billed Gull (from deck), Whooping Crane (from deck), and Northern Flicker (from tray to tuck), Willet's power unsuccessful w/ 3 dice, Tucked Northern Flicker and drew Common Starling (from tray, to maybe play for tucking excess food) using Barn Swallow's power
1. Egg from Common Cuckoo's power
2. Egg from Brown-Headed Cowbird's power

Round End: 2 Worms from European Honey Buzzards's power, Tucked Brown Pelican and Ring-Billed Gull and drew Red-Bellied Woodpecker and Yellow-Headed Blackbird (from deck) using Hooded Crow's power

Round End Goal - Cluster Nest Bird w/ Egg: 4 points (tied for 1st w/ 5 birds)

Round 4

1. Gain Food - Berry, Wheat, and ? from bird feeder (discarded Yellow-Headed Blackbird for 3rd food, for Corscian Nuthatch and Whooping Crane), Worm from Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker's power (for Common Starling)
1. Fish from other player's Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (before turn)
2. Play Bird - Corsican Nuthatch in Woodlands (maxes Ethologist, Passerine Specialist - Birds with wingspans 30 cm or less, Wheat from bird feeder for maybe playing Eurasian Nuthatch)
1. Egg from Common Cuckoo's power
2. Egg from Brown-Headed Cowbird's power
3. Play Bird - Whooping Crane in Wetlands (Bird Bander - Birds with a tuck power, which I had 2 played and already planned to play 3rd, other option was Enclosure Builder - Birds with Cluster Nests, which was too late to get 6th bird to max)
1. Fish from Belted Kingfisher's power
4. Play Bird - Common Starling in Grasslands (for Bird Counter and discard excess food to tuck at round end)
1. Egg from Common Cuckoo's power
2. Egg from Brown-Headed Cowbird's power
5. Lay Eggs - 4 eggs

Round End: 2 Worms from European Honey Buzzards's power, Tucked Eurasian Nuthatch and Red-Bellied Woodpecker and drew Common Grackle and European Turtle Dove (from tray) using Hooded Crow's power, Discarded 2 Fish, 2 Worms, and Wheat to tuck 5 under Common Starling

Round End Goal - Total Birds: 7 points (1st w/ 14 birds)

Game End - Won

Final Score - 104

• Bird Points - 50
• Bonus Cards - 14
• End of Round Goals - 15
• Eggs - 9
• Food on Cards - 1
• Tucked Cards - 15