by Evil Roy
boomtron wrote:
So, in the worst case, where you don't get a priest, worker, or +1 shipping bonus card, what do we think the best option is?
That rules out five of the nine bonus cards. It would only happen if you're last to pick and have the choice of the four cards that you don't want. So this is very unlikely (especially as the bonus card with the shovel is the best option for several of the races).
However, in this case I think I'd burn some power to take the special action to get a priest and use that to advance shipping and then use the shipping get two dwellings without having to terraform. I think you should then have enough money and workers left over (as all of the other bonus cards give money) to advance one dwelling to a trading house and then a temple.