Wingspan Online Oceania Expansion Beta Game Commentary - October 6, 2023

  Starting Birds, Food, and Bonus

Birds

• Whopping Crane - for Wetlands Scientist and another bonus card
• Spotted Sandpiper - for Wetlands Scientist and more birds

Food

• Berry, Worm, and Rat (for Grey Butcherbird, which I plan to draw first turn)
• Nectar

Bonus Card: Wetlands Scientist - Birds that can only live in Wetlands

Round 1

1. Draw Birds - Grey Butcherbird (from tray, bird for Woodlands, potential tucks and cached rats)
2. Draw Birds - Ring-Billed Gull (from tray, for Wetlands Scientist and tucks)
3. Play Bird - Grey Butcherbird in Woodlands (to get far enough for 2 food and try to get a tuck for round end goal)
4. Gain Food - 2 Nectars from bird feeder (for Ring-Billed Gull), Grey Butcherbird's power unsuccessful (Tui)
5. Play Bird - Ring-Billed Gull in Wetlands (for Wetlands Scientist and round end goal)
6. Draw Birds - Wood Stork (from deck) and Coal Tit (from tray to tuck), Tucked Coal Tit and drew Common Cuckoo (from tray, for between turns eggs and 4th round end goal) using Ring-Billed Gull's power
7. Gain Food - Worm and Fish from bird feeder (for Common Cuckoo and Wood Stork, Grey Butcherbird's power unsuccessful (Common Goldeneye)
8. Play Bird - Common Cuckoo in Grasslands (for possible between turn eggs and use Nectar before round end)

Round End: none

Round End Goal - Birds with Tucked Cards: 0 points (tied for 2nd w/ 1 bird) 

Round 2

1. Gain Food - 2 Nectars from bird feeder (for Wood Stork, Grey Butcherbird's power successful (Sacred Kingfisher tucked and Rat cached)
2. Lay Eggs - 2 eggs
1. Egg from other player's Princess Stephanie's Astrapia
3. Play Bird - Wood Stork in Wetlands (for round end goal and Wetlands Scientist, Bird Bander - Birds that can live in multiple habitats, other option was Behaviorist - different power colors in one column)
4. Gain Food - 2 Nectars from bird feeder (for Whooping Crane), Grey Butcherbird's power successful (White-Breasted Woodswallow tucked and Rat cached)
5. Gain Food - 2 Nectars from bird feeder (for Whooping Crane and Spotted Sandpiper), Grey Butcherbird's power successful (Chimney Swift tucked and Rat cached)
1. Egg from other player's Princess Stephanie's Astrapia
2. Berry from other player's Baltimore Oriole
6. Play Bird - Whooping Crane in Wetlands (for Wetlands Scientist, Ecologist - Birds in your habitat with the fewest birds, other option was Grassland Data Analyst - Consecutrive Birds in Grasslands with ascending or descending wingspans, which I still could have done, but this one can be frustrating and can probably end up with at least 6 if not 8 from the Ecologist working on Bird Bander)
1. Berry from other player's Baltimore Oriole
7. Play Bird - Spotted Sandpiper in Wetlands (for Wetlands Scientist, use Nectar before round end, and to be able to draw more birds)

Round End: none

Round End Goal - Beak Pointing Left 1 point (3rd w/ 1 bird)

Round 3

1. Draw Birds - Red Crossbill (from deck), Golden Eagle (from tray, for Bird Bander), and Carrion Crow (from tray, for Bird Bander), Common Buzzard from Spotted Sandpiper's power, Tucked Red Crossbill and drew Grey-Headed Mannikin (from tray, for game end to help get more with Ecologist maybe) using Ring-Billed Gull's power
1. Egg from Common Cuckoo's power (before turn)
2. Draw Birds - Mountain Chickadee (from tray to tuck, but ended up changing mind from Spotted Sandpiper's draw), Forester's Tern (from tray, for Wetlands Scientist), and Regent Bowerbird (from tray, for Bird Bander), Pacific Black Duck from Spotted Sandpiper's power, Tucked Forester's Tern and drew Long-Tailed Tit (from deck) using Ring-Billed Gull's power
1. Egg from other player's Princess Stephanie's Astrapia
2. Berry from other player's Baltimore Oriole
3. Gain Food - Nectar and Rat from bird feeder (for Common Buzzard and Golden Eagle), Grey Butcherbird's power unsuccessful (American White Pelican)
1. Egg from Common Cuckoo's power
4. Play Bird - Common Buzzard in Woodlands (for Bird Bander and round end goal)
5. Play Bird - Regent Bowerbird in Woodlands (for Bird Bander and more food)
1. Egg from Common Cuckoo's power
6. Play Bird - Carrion Crow in Grasslands (for Bird Bander and round end power)

Round End: 2 Rats cached on Carrion Crow

Round End Goal - Fish and Rat in Food Cost of Your Birds: 3 points (2nd w/ 4 food cost)

Round 4

1. Gain Food - Nectar, Wheat, and Rat from bird feeder (discarded Long-Tailed Tit for 3rd food, for Grey-Headed Mannikin and Pacific Black Duck), Worm from Regent Bowerbird's power, Grey Butcherbird's power unsuccessful (Brant)
1. Egg from Common Cuckoo's power
2. Gain Food - Nectar and Rat from bird feeder (for Golden Eagle and Pacific Black Duck), Worm from Regent Bowerbird's power, Grey Butcherbird's power unsuccessful (Clark's Nutcracker)
3. Play Bird - Golden Eagle in Grasslands (for Bird Bander)
4. Lay Eggs - 4 eggs (discarded Mountain Chickadee and Worm for 3rd and 4th eggs), Golden Eagle's power successful (Little Owl tucked)
1. Egg from Common Cuckoo's power
5. Play Bird - Pacific Black Duck in Grasslands (for Wetlands Scientist)
1. Egg from Common Cuckoo's power

Round End: 3 Rats cached on Carrion Crow

Round End Goal - Worm in Food Cost of Your Birds: 3 points (tied for 2nd w/ 6 food cost)

Game End: 2 eggs on Pacific Black Duck

Nectar

Woodlands - 0 points (3rd w/ 1)

Grasslands - 0 points (3rd w/ 2)

Wetlands - 5 points (1st w/ 9)

Game End - Lost

Final Score - 104

• Bird Points - 50
• Bonus Cards - 20
• End of Round Goals - 7
• Eggs - 7
• Food on Cards - 8
• Tucked Cards - 7
• Nectar - 5