Mastering the Expert Difficulty Level in Dune: Imperium
Compete to hold sway amidst a spice-filled world of influence, intrigue, and combat in Dune: Imperium.
Onto the highest difficulty level in Dune: Imperium! I hoped to find a little more of a challenge, even though I was very happy with discovering all sorts of strategies. Having just the right amount of limitations in choices can make for one of the best solo game experiences, and I was nearly there! Just needed to… Lose? Ha ha! Back to the table I went!
Game Overview
Game Name: Dune: Imperium
Publication Year: 2020
Designer: Paul Dennen
Artists: Clay Brooks, Raul Ramos, and Nate Storm
Publisher: Dire Wolf
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
All of the intricate choices come down to choosing the optimal action spaces, yet these are limited by the card symbols. Figuring out how to win in combat and balance alliances with the factions is fun, all within the bounds of a smooth solo mode. And all the spice, of course!
First Play
June 22, 2022
Complexity
3
Latest Play
October 27, 2022
Expansions
1
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
10
Play Time
50 Minutes
High Score
12
Game Area
40" x 28"
Low Score
6
Clear Iconography
Almost all of my attention was on my own strategy, thanks to the very clear solo opponent deck. No surprises with what these cards meant as they were flipped!
Both solo opponents mainly work to block action spaces, which also helps them in combat and with influence.
Despite being very random, this system works very well! The cards also feature swords for combat, adding another element of randomness without much effort.
There’s a fine line when it comes to random elements, but I think this is one of the better implementations I’ve seen.
Maintaining Alliances
As I continued on with the expert difficulty level, not much felt like it changed. I didn’t have access to my third Agent, but I didn’t feel like this limited me all that much.
Even when the solo opponents started drawing all the influence cards near the end, it was too late! I already forged alliances with some of the factions.
This started to feel a little repetitive, although take that with a grain of salt: I played nonstop for several days!
I felt like I coasted along with victory points, always finding a way to pull off a flourish near the very end.
A Minimalist Deck
Despite still feeling like the challenge was somewhat limited, I had a fantastic time finding new deck strategies.
In fact, I had a meager 8-card deck in a single play. Look closely, and it should be clear why! With plenty of Fremen cards, I triggered the bonds and collected extra bonuses.
I converted all of the extra spice into troops a lot, giving me the edge in most conflicts. Piter de Vries was a late card, yet I picked up a couple of extra intrigue cards!
This was the first time I didn’t have that many cards, and it gave me the perfect edge to pull off my easiest victory.
Most Intriguing
The main cards used for action and reveal turns are, of course, the core element. But never underestimate the intrigue cards! These random cards can be amazing.
I mainly needed the combat cards to work with my strategy, but some of the others came in handy.
Carthag or the secrets space on the Bene Gesserit influence track were my favorite spots! Supplemented with some desert action spaces, I was all set each round.
The luck of the draw can be frustrating at times, but I found a way to always make these cards work in my favor.
The Trouble with Winning Too Much
Not surprisingly, I didn’t find much of a challenge existed here. The trickiest moments were when a solo opponent gained an alliance. At that point, I sometimes had to pivot my choices a little bit to steal that victory point. Otherwise, I had some of my top spots blocked, yet always had a backup plan. And again, I only had 2 agents the whole time.
High winning percentages can be awesome in certain solo games. I particularly enjoy winning a lot in some lighter, quicker games. It’s a nice boost in confidence when things all fall into place! But as I won every single play of this one, I lost sight of the challenge. My main reason to return was to try out different decks and use other cards.
Now, this isn’t to say that the game failed for me in a major way. After all, the one recommendation to solve this issue is to add in Dune: Imperium – Rise of Ix. Guess what’s about to be added before I pack this all away? Ha! I hope the new choices and components help create a sense of a challenge for me at the expert difficulty level. Definitely possible!
Also, I’ve seen plenty of tips to simply skip right over the base game. For me personally, I like to add in expansions after a little bit just to get an idea of what’s new. Maybe my interest in the game waned a little bit, but what if things go amazingly well with the expansion? Then the real strength is with the expansion, and I’ll be able to understand that.
Session Overview
Play Number: 5 and 6
Accessory: Dune: Imperium Deluxe Upgrade Pack
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Expert Difficulty Level
Outcome: 10-9-8 and 10-9-8 (2 Wins)
It felt a little anti-climactic to win both of these plays. Yet I suppose I should be happy: I definitely mastered this one! The next step is to add in the expansion to see what that might do. From most accounts, it adds just enough to the solo mode without making it feel overwhelming. I’m looking forward to unpacking it and trying it out next!
%
10 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
9
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
6
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
9
+ Pros (Positives)
- All of the cards create interesting decisions around how to manage an entire deck with the maximum bonuses.
- Play time moves quickly with very little downtime, and the final victory point condition is easy to keep track of.
- There are plenty of action space choices, but not too many to create confusion or analysis paralysis.
- Even without the upgraded accessory kit, the components are excellent and work extremely well when playing.
- Different leaders provide asymmetry and some unique ways to utilize various action spaces or resources.
- Combining card symbols with worker placement limits the decisions just enough to make each turn very fun.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Even the hardest difficulty level can be somewhat easy to win and a little too predictable to feel challenging.
- Adjusting strategies based on the solo opponents is rather straightforward, only reacting to blocked actions.
- Conflicts can be underwhelming if both solo opponents don’t participate in recruiting and adding troops.
- Some action spaces in the Landsraad Council or CHAOM are rarely, if ever, used and the board space feels wasted.
Victory Conditions
Score the Most Points
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game as Earl Memnon Thorvald.
Win at least 1 game as Prince Rhombur Vernius.
Win at least 1 game at the novice difficulty level.
Win at least 1 game at the veteran difficulty level.
Win at least 1 game at the expert difficulty level.
Continue the Conversation
Have you tried Dune: Imperium? Which difficulty level seems to work best for you? I’m excited to mix in the expansion with my next couple of plays to see how that might change things up. Winning regularly is a nice aspect of some games, but I’m hoping to discover more of a challenge in this one. Still, this should be a lot of fun as I keep seeing new cards!
Hi, I’m new in board game, and I choose this Dune the base game. After play solo several time, I have time to play together with my family, and it’s multiple the joy. I think the deck building is something that can’t be reach with solo, since the draw of new card is to slow since just us. Do you have any suggestions to make it more enjoy in that part?
Welcome to the wonderful world of board games! I typically find the fun in making do with a small set of cards. However, there are some variants out there that churn or shuffle through the market row more often. This gives you more choices to buy from. I believe there is an official implementation in the rulebook for Dune: Imperium – Rise of Ix and you’ll find several others on the BGG forum. Hope this helps and that you continue to have fun with the game!
Thank you for your help. After learning more, I discovered that various expansions (which I do not yet own) were attempting to address flaws in deck building, such as the Family Atomics rules. I agree with the strategy of a tiny set deck. I’ll look for a variation that will add to the excitement of playing solo.
You’re very welcome! I hope you find something that works for you to make the game even more fun. Best of luck to you!