waza special assignment ark nova

• #401 Cheetah
• #403 Leopard
• #404 Caracal
• #405 Fennec Fox
• #406 Siberian Tiger
• #407 Sumatran Tiger
• #408 Sloth Bear
• #409 Sun Bear
• #410 Yellow-throated Marten
• #411 Grizzly Bear
• #412 Jaguar
• #413 Cougar
• #414 South American Coati
• #415 Raccoon
• #416 Eurasian Brown Bear
• #418 Eurasian Lynx
• #419 European Badger
• #421 New Zealand Fur Seal
• #422 Australian Sea Lion
• #423 New Zealand Sea Lion
• #424 Australian Dingo
• #425 Tasmanian Devil
• #426 African Bush Elephant
• #427 White Rhinoceros
• #428 Giraffe
• #429 Grevy's Zebra
• #430 Pygmy Hippopotamus
• #431 Asian Elephant
• #432 Indian Rhinoceros
• #433 Giant Panda
• #434 Red Panda
• #435 Malayan Tapir
• #436 American Bison
• #437 Muskox
• #438 Reindeer
• #440 Mountain Tapir
• #441 European Bison
• #443 Red Deer
• #444 Alpine Ibex
• #445 Crested Porcupine
• #446 Dugong
• #447 Red Kangaroo
• #449 Platypus
• #450 Common Wombat
• #451 Proboscis Monkey
• #452 Senegal Bushbaby
• #453 Collared Mangabey
• #454 Ring-tailed Lemur
• #455 Mantled Guereza
• #456 Barbary Macaque
• #457 Mandrill
• #458 Japanese Macaque
• #459 Red-shanked Douc
• #460 Dusky Leaf Monkey
• #461 Horsfield's Tarsier
• #462 Northern Plains Gray Langur
• #463 Panamanian White-faced Capichin
• #464 Brown Spider Monkey
• #465 Golden Lion Tamarin
• #466 Bolivian Red Howler
• #467 Ecuadorian Squirrel Monkey
• #468 Cotton-top Tamarin
• #469 Nile Crocodile
• #470 Western Green Mamba
• #471 African Spurreed Tortoise
• #472 Rock Monitor
• #473 Common Agama
• #474 Indian Rock Python
• #475 King Cobra
• #476 Komodo Dragon
• #477 Veiled Chameleon
• #478 Chinese Water Dragon
• #479 American Alligator
• #480 Broad-snouted Caiman
• #481 Galapagos Giant Tortoise
• #482 Anaconda
• #483 Boa Constrictor
• #484 European Pond Turtle
• #485 Common European Adder
• #486 Common Wall Lizard
• #487 European Grass Snake
• #488 Slow Worm
• #489 Saltwater Crocodile
• #490 Gould's Monitor
• #491 Frilled Lizard
• #492 Inland Taipan
• #493 Thorny Devil
• #494 African Ostrich
• #495 Secretary Bird
• #496 Marabou
• #497 Lesser Flamingo
• #498 Shoebill
• #499 Cinereous Vulture
• #500 Long-billed Vulture
• #501 Indian Peafowl
• #502 Great Hornbill
• #503 Snowy Owl
• #504 Andean Condor
• #505 Bald Eagle
• #506 King Vulture
• #507 Greater Rhea
• #508 Scarlet Macaw
• #509 Golden Eagle
• #510 White Stork
• #511 Greater Flamingo
• #512 Eurasian Eagle-owl
• #513 Barn Owl
• #515 Australian Pelican
• #516 Northern Cassowary
• #517 Laughing Kookaburra
• #518 Lesser Bird-of-Paradise
• #519 (Domestic) Goat
• #522 Donkey
• #523 Domestic Rabbit
• #524 Mangalica
• #525 Guinea Pig
• #526 Alpaca
• #527 Coconut Lorikeet
• #528 Bennett's Wallaby
• #201 Science Lab
• #202 Spokesperson
• #203 Veterinarian
• #204 Science Museum
• #205 Gorilla Field Research
• #206 Medical Breakthrough
• #207 Basic Research
• #208 Science Library
• #209 Technology Institute
• #210 Expert on the Americas
• #211 Expert on Europe
• #212 Expert on Australia
• #213 Expert on Asia
• #214 Expert on Africa
• #215 Breeding Cooperation
• #216 Talented Communicator
• #217 Engineer
• #218 Breeding Program
• #219 Diversity Researcher
• #220 Federal Grants
• #221 Archaeologist
• #222 Release of Patents
• #223 Science Institute
• #224 Migration Recording
• #225 Quarantine Lab
• #226 Foreign Institute
• #227 WAZA Special Assignment
• #228 WAZA Small Animals Program
• #229 Expert in Small Animals
• #230 Expert in Large Animals
• #231 Sponsorship: Primates
• #232 Sponsorship: Reptiles
• #233 Sponsorship: Vultures
• #234 Sponsorship: Lions
• #235 Sponsorship: Elephants
• #236 Primatologist
• #237 Herpetologist
• #238 Ornithologist
• #239 Expert in Predators
• #240 Expert in Herbivores
• #241 Hydrologist
• #242 Geologist
• #243 Meerkat Den
• #244 Penguin Pool
• #245 Aquarium
• #246 Cable Car
• #247 Baboon Rock
• #248 Rhesus Monkey Park
• #249 Barred Owl Hut
• #250 Sea Turtle Tank
• #251 Polar Bear Exhibit
• #252 Spotted Hyena Compound
• #253 Okapi Stable
• #254 Zoo School
• #255 Adventure Playground
• #256 Water Playground
• #257 Side Entrance
• #258 Native Seabirds
• #259 Native Lizards
• #260 Native Farm Animals
• #261 Guided School Tours
• #262 Explorer
• #263 WAZA Large Animal Program
• #264 Free-range New World Monkeys
• #101 Species Diversity
• #102 Habitat Diversity
• #103 Africa
• #104 Americas
• #105 Australia
• #107 Europe
• #108 Primates
• #109 Reptiles
• #111 Herbivores
• #113 Bavarian Forest National Park
• #114 Yosemite National Park
• #115 Angthong National Park
• #116 Serengeti National Park
• #117 Blue Mountains National Park
• #118 Savanna
• #119 Low Mountain Range
• #120 Bamboo Forest
• #121 Sea Cave
• #122 Jungle
• #123 Bird Breeding Program
• #124 Predator Breeding Program
• #125 Reptile Breeding Program
• #126 Herbivore Breeding Program
• #127 Primate Breeding Program
• #128 Aquatic
• #129 Geological
• #130 Small Animals
• #131 Large Animals
• #132 Research
• #001 Large Animal Zoo
• #002 Small Animal Zoo
• #003 Research Zoo
• #004 Architectural Zoo
• #005 Conservation Zoo
• #006 Naturalists' Zoo
• #007 Favorite Zoo
• #008 Sponsored Zoo
• #009 Diverse Species Zoo
• #010 Climbing Park
• #011 Aquatic Park

Victory Conditions

Reviews and Roundups

Ark Nova: Which action cards to upgrade?

As a fairly regular Ark Nova player (combining both physical and BoardGameArena plays I’m at around 100 games played), I believe I have a pretty rough hold on the general strategy and the overall meta of the game. (I’m talking about the base game – I haven’t played Marine Worlds that many times yet.)

Therefore I was quite surprised when I browsed BGG forums and stumbled upon a guy advocating to always upgrade the Sponsor card first. Not that it’s wrong to upgrade that card, but I believe there are so many better alternatives.

This article lists my preferences (in the order of importance), which I found work quite well. I’m sure some will disagree and I’d be interested to hear why in the comments.

As you are probably aware, there are only four opportunities to upgrade an action card, so you’ll never be able to upgrade all of them. One of the upgrade spots is the bonus when you reach Conservation 2: you have a chance of getting an extra worker or upgrading a card.

Although I once believed you should never go for the worker here, I now think the choice is not so black and white. Yes, you should still normally take a card upgrade here. But an early second worker is just such a powerful tool that you should aim to get it as soon as possible. I prefer an early conservation project (a release or a partnership), but if all else fails, you can consider taking a worker here.

If it’s one action card that you absolutely should upgrade every single time, it’s the Cards action card. It’s pretty much mandatory (I can’t remember one game I haven’t upgraded it) since it allows you to draw cards from the reputation range and draw more cards.

And there’s no need to overstate the importance of having the choice of more cards in Ark Nova. It means a higher probability of getting the cards you need and it’s crucial for winning.

Let’s not forget that you also need the upgrade to advance beyond reputation 9, which is also something you want to do every game since the rewards on the reputation track are just so good.

But that doesn’t mean you should upgrade Cards as your first action card. It’s not that potent when your reputation is still low (fewer cards to choose from). But as you move up on the reputation track beyond the second and third card, then it’s time to go for it.

This one is usually the first one to upgrade, although I won’t upgrade it 100% of the time. One of the keys to success in Ark Nova is to have a healthy income system, allowing you to build the necessary pens and host the animals.

Although the appeal track brings in cash by itself, against more experienced players, it’s usually not enough to do everything you want. Therefore, having several kiosk clusters (a cluster is a kiosk with as many structures around it – ideally 6) is a highly lucrative source of income.

The degraded version of the card limits you since you can only build one structure at a time. Also, money is scarcer at the beginning of the game. Therefore I prefer to start with my first kiosk cluster as early as possible. This is also the reason I upgraded the Build card first, so I can still build pens alongside the kiosks and pavilions.

In certain maps (i.e. Icecream parlor map, Restaurant map, or Silver Lake map) you won’t need that many kiosks, therefore you can wait with the upgrade a bit or in rare cases even skip it altogether.

On the other hand, there are maps with obvious chokepoints that need the upgraded Build card if you want to expand without limitations (Observation tower comes to mind), which pretty much forces you to upgrade it.

Also, let’s not forget that you can only fill the entire map only if your Build action card is upgraded. And this can give you a nice boost as you try to make that final points leap. Some end goals (Architectural map, for example) also demand that you spread aggressively.

3 Association

On to the next one. This one is a bit more situational but mostly still worth it.

The ability to perform multiple Association actions is a nice bonus, but it’s nowhere near enough to justify upgrading since you’ll rarely have enough power. Besides, there are usually enough Association actions per game anyway.

On the other hand, donations (particularly the cheap early ones) are very lucrative. Providing you have enough income (our kiosk clusters come in handy again), this can be a serious early-game boost if you snatch them up first.

The upgraded Association card is also needed if you want to take the 3rd and 4th partner zoo. This depends on whether you need the icons for the conservation projects or the zoo slots have a useful unlock (depends on the map you play).

As a rule of thumb, I will consider skipping the Association upgrade if I know I won’t need the 3rd and 4th zoo, the cheap donations have already been taken, and I have better alternatives (desired sponsors or animals that demand an upgraded card).

This upgrade is particularly useful as a late-game action when you can afford to place more animals at once and can also afford to take directly from the reputation (you have money and a high enough reputation – remember our Build and Card upgrades).

Therefore it’s usually the last to get upgraded. One thing not to be overlooked is that you also get 1 reputation at 5 power. This might not seem much, but it will add up and help you climb on the reputation ladder. Remember, those higher-up rewards on the rep track are especially attractive.

For me to consider skipping this upgrade, several pieces would have to fall into place. Namely, I would have to be very lucky with the game progress so far, that I basically wouldn’t need many more animals in my zoo. Lucky with my animal card draw (having all my conservation project icons where I want them) and lucky with sponsor cards (i.e. WAZA special assignment for small animals, Breeding cooperation, and similar).

This leaves only the Sponsors action card. Its upgrade is very situational and I’d have to have some really good tier 2 sponsor cards to consider it.

I’m not saying it’s not useful: the extra income potential and easier playing of sponsors’ cards all come in handy. But the issue is that the other action cards are consistently more useful (as explained above). So to justify the upgrade I also need a strong argument against upgrading any of the other 4 actions, not only good sponsor cards.

Let’s take a look at some statistics about the frequency of action card upgrades from Board Game Arena:

Just looking at these numbers (I know they don’t tell the whole story of importance, priority, and timing of upgrades) it seems like my strategy is quite aligned with the overall meta of the game. There are some discrepancies, particularly on the Sponsors card.

While it’s true this is the least desirable action card to upgrade, I’m still a bit behind the averages, so trying to spot those games where the Sponsor upgrade is optimal is a good way to improve further for me.

Further reading:

• Why is Ark Nova so Popular? – 5 Reasons
• ARNO Review – The Best Way To Play Ark Nova Solo?

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map 10 digging cant trigger waza spec?

Post by gamson » 15 March 2024, 17:33

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Ark Nova is a 1-4 player strategy board game about creating a modern zoo. Using unique cards and an array of different actions, players will build enclosures, accommodate animals, and support conservation projects all over the world. This subreddit is for discussing anything related to the board game Ark Nova.

Big Animals?

I’ve played it surely 10 times with my gf and i find quite impossible to place a big animal on the board without ‘wasting’ some of my moves in order to get a big animal out Is there a strategy or some tips to do it more ‘effortlessly’

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Ark Nova board game

Discussion in ' Zoo Games & Simulators ' started by Crowthorne , 15 Feb 2022 .

Crowthorne Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

A new board game about running a zoo has been getting a lot of attention in board game circles. Ark Nova is about running a zoo, keeping the public happy and contributing to conservation projects. I've played it twice and can confirm it's heavy, thinky, and pretty hard, but also lots of fun! (Also long, our games have been around 3 hours so far) Ark Nova  

jwer Well-Known Member 15+ year member

That looks cool I’m still pretty stuck on “Wingspan”, still following the rumours that a new expansion will arrive in 2022…  

It is cool! If you've played Terraforming Mars then Ark Nova is similar enough that you can get the hang of it pretty quickly. It's not cheap though and as it's currently between print runs, it's going for silly money. There's a Wingspan thread here (there's been two expansions released so far, with more in the planning) : Wingspan Board Game  

I have Terraforming Mars, but I must be doing something wrong while trying to play the game because it just plays plain odd for us… I need to watch some of the online instruction video’s, because the rule book doesn’t seem to help. And now we’re back to Wingspan. I have both expansions, don’t worry  

For anyone on BoardGameArena, Ark Nova is now playable online: • Board Game Arena The implementation is really good and plays very well  

PossumRoach Well-Known Member 5+ year member

Crowthorne said: ↑ For anyone on BoardGameArena, Ark Nova is now playable online: • Board Game Arena The implementation is really good and plays very well Click to expand...

PossumRoach said: ↑ Can you play against an AI on your own? Click to expand...

What does ARNO stand for?  

dillotest0 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

PossumRoach said: ↑ What does ARNO stand for? Click to expand...

Mickey Well-Known Member 5+ year member

There's an expansion planned right? I've heard it's focused on marine/aquatic animals  

Mickey said: ↑ There's an expansion planned right? I've heard it's focused on marine/aquatic animals Click to expand...

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