PREFERRED (2ND EDITION): Kayenta Games-Servant Draft Strategy

A review of strategies to consider for the servant draft. This video is a support video for the main setup instructions found in Kayenta Games-Video Instructional Series-Setting Up a Game of Obsession, 2nd Printing w/Expansions ( • PREFERRED: Kayenta Gam... ).

[@WhiteOpsDude]

I always love to watch your videos, Dan!

[@lazulin]

I have a question about set-up, and the servant draft in particular. In your video, you showed the servant draft happening before the guest draft. However, the York strategy of getting a lady's maid only makes sense if you know that your starting guests are women. When we've played the servant draft, we played it after the guest draft. This creates an even more complex decision: rather than matching your family advantage, you might choose servants that synergize with your starting guests. This is especially key if you choose not to draft the guests and distribute randomly. For example, if I have two money-oriented starting guests, I am going useful man for the additional money boost and mitigation of tile-reputation issues. That way, I can best leverage those purchases. Do you see any problems with, as a variant, switching the servant draft and guest distribution the way I have?

[@kayentagamesdanhallagan856]

Not at all. There is a different set of decisions no matter where you place the draft. I picked at the beginning because the great advantage given to the last player was offset by a lack of information about her opponents. It was a safer position for the official draft (I didn't think I was going to break anything), but I will try your way next time!

[@ec2754]

New Player question: Is it important that we take the suggested drafting options, or does the drafting strategy somewhat change if the required tiles are not available at the start?

[@kayentagamesdanhallagan856]

I think you are touching on what would be an excellent variant. I did the draft before the market was stocked because I thought it would be too great an advantage to draft 1st. For example, if the Housekeeper's Room was visible, the value of the Head Housemaid would skyrocket. The Renovated Kitchen and Carriage House tiles would change the value of the Cook and Hall Boy respectively. But I think it would be a fun variant.