Solitare rules

Has anyone come up with a solitare variant to play C&C Ancients?

Thanks

Hi ThomO,
welcome aboard!

There are some thread over the net talking about "SOLO PLAY" Ruels.
I'll try to sum them up here to openly discuss and maybe improve them.

1) Use your own hand of card and give the "other player" just 1 card (draw and play it immediately, applying the relative effect).

2) Give each side their "normal" hand. Take a hand and do the "best you can" with what they have, then draw that side's new card but don't look at it. Then pick up the other side's cards and make the best play you can with them, draw their next card and don't look at it. When picking up again Side 1, they have one "new" card and you can just do the best you can with them.
Using this variant it's suggested taking out the "first strike" card, that lets the defender interrupt play and say, "No, I'm going to roll against you first." This one is just too hard (for me anyway) to deal with solo.
Also "Counterattack" could be a problem for solo, consider also removing it if this harden your solo play.
(this one is from Kevin Duke).

3) Whitout considering initial card hands, draw 2 cards at the begining of each turn and select the best of your choice and discard the other. That way you will never know cards in other hand, and it could be easier for solo play.
(this one is from Paul Dickey).

4) Roll a normal die for each side before their turn. If you roll equal or lower than the army´s command, take two cards. Select one and discard the other. If you roll higher you take one card and use it. Armies with command 6 take 2 cards every turn (as long as command does not change during the battle).
It´s a good way to play both sides without preference. It also keeps a little bit of the advantage of the army with more command. Very useful when playing historical scenarios. The bad part is it takes away the slight "strategic" part of the game you enjoy when having the full hand of cards. It´s more of a "how to maximize the turn" thing. It´s good training though and you never know what will happen next.
(this one is from Guido Quaranta).

5) use normal card hands for each side and rankd the choice of tactical cards before throwing 2d6. After rolling you will compare dice desult with a table like this: 6-8 is the best choice (ranked at 1st place before), 9-10 is the 2nd ranked card , 4-5 is the 3rd ranked, etc.
This method involvs some tactics and also luck.

I'm trying out the #4 option right now and like it very much. I did make one slight adjustment, though. A side with a "6" command rating gets three command cards at the start of each of its turns. I found that an opponent with a "4" rating often rolls four or less thus getting to draw two cards just like the "6." That seemed to me too much of a evening out between the two sides.

So far, so good. The game is very enjoyable.

I have been using a variation of #4 What I do is take command of the side that historically was on the attack, deal a normal hand but when I draw a new card at the end of my turn I draw "blind" ie I do not look at it until my next turn. When I play my "solo" opponents turn I use #4 as described. Good practice for hand management...............Gary

Welcome to the Forum. I found Commands and Colors an excellent way to play solo when no "real" opponent is available, or to sharpen my tactical skills.

With nearly 400 solo games under my "tunic", I have used mainly #3, and if the other side's command is larger, giving them 3 cards to the others 2. I did try using all the cards for both, but didn't feel comfortable with it. Currently now, I am playing the 2 Punic War campaign. I am going to give that # 1 a spin. I am curious to see how that plays out.

Ok, I just played Cannae, with the Carthaginians getting all their cards, and the Romans only one. Carthage won 7 - 5, but it was a very close contest with the Romans having chances. The Carthaginian left flank did great work, while the right did very little. Pretty happy with the solo #1 after one game.