Rising Heat of Stone and Sand
Weaken-and-Destroy.
Weaken-and-Destroy. Likes having where there's /, as it makes all Spirits' Damage more effective there.
Setup
Put 2 Presence on your starting board, in the highest-numbered Sands. You start with your 4 Unique Power Cards and 0 Energy.
Openings
Minor/Plays Build
2aRON's solo playthrough focusing on a Minor/Plays centered build, clearing the inland early to prevent future explores and utilizing Heat's Sacred Site special rule for reduced invader health.
Growth: Option 3 (gain Minor, +2 energy, place 1 presence from plays). Pick Steam Vents (Fire+Air+Earth for innate). Place presence in starting Town land. Cards: Steam Vents (destroy Explorer to stop Build), Stinging Sandstorm (gather presence for Sacred Site, 1 damage destroys Town via special rule). Level 1 innate handles Explore.
Growth: Option 3 (gain Minor, +2 energy, place presence from plays for 3 plays next turn). Pick Visions of Fiery Doom. Place presence in coastal land. Cards: Visions (push Town, prevent Blight), Call to Dahan Herders (push invaders into kill zone). Consolidate invaders for destruction.
Growth: Option 2 (place 2 presence from plays into Mountain for Sacred Site). Scales for strong Turn 4. Cards: Sweltering Exhaustion (skip Build), Gift of Searing Heat (self for +2 energy). Level 1 innate destroys Explorer if non-coastal Explore. Weaker turn, devastating reclaim setup.
Growth: Option 1 (Reclaim, +1 energy, gain Minor). Cards: Gift (spend 1 to destroy Town at Sacred Site), Steam Vents with threshold (3 Earth destroys Town), Sandstorm (recover Sacred Site, destroy new Town), Dahan Herders. Level 3 innate destroys 2 Cities. Reach Terror Level 2.
Growth: Option 1 (Reclaim, +1 energy, gain Major). Cards: Gift only needed. Spend 1 energy to destroy final Town at Sacred Site. Victory at Terror Level 2!