Quick answer
Reserve pieces are not bonus value by default. They are emergency shape control. Hold them when the board is playable, deploy them when they create safety, tempo, or a boss answer, and spend them only when the current problem is more dangerous than the future problem you are saving them for.
What reserve pieces are for
Reserve pieces are best understood as off-board options that can change the shape of a bad turn. Their value is not only the piece itself; it is the flexibility to answer a problem after the board reveals it.
- Use reserve to open movement when pieces are trapped.
- Use reserve to create a capture that was not available before.
- Use reserve to protect a key piece or buy setup time.
- Do not use reserve just because it makes a safe board look stronger.
Hold, deploy, or spend
Most reserve mistakes come from treating every reserve decision the same. Separate the three decisions: holding preserves future answers, deploying changes the current board, and spending commits the resource.
| Choice | Best for | Risk | Manual note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hold | Playable current board | Low | Correct when the next boss or crumble pressure is more dangerous than the current turn. |
| Deploy | Shape problem | Medium | Correct when it creates a safe square, capture, escape, or tempo reset. |
| Spend | Real emergency | Medium-high | Correct when not spending is likely to lose more than future pressure will. |
Good reserve triggers
A reserve trigger should be concrete. If you cannot name the problem it solves, you are probably spending it too early.
- A key piece is trapped and reserve opens an exit.
- A boss rule or board state needs one tempo reset.
- A capture becomes safe only after the reserve piece changes the route.
- Board crumble removed the space your build needs.
- The shop offered no answer and reserve is the remaining answer.
Bad reserve habits
Bad reserve use feels efficient in the moment but weakens the next pressure turn. The common pattern is spending the safety net while the board is already safe.
| Choice | Best for | Risk | Manual note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value decoration | Already safe boards | High | Adds small reward but removes a future emergency answer. |
| Panic deploy | Unclear danger | Medium-high | Uses reserve before identifying the real threat. |
| Never spend | Over-saving | Medium | Reserve has no value if the run dies while waiting for a perfect trigger. |
Reserve with builds and bosses
Reserve should support the build weakness, not repeat the build strength. If the build already scales, reserve should answer movement or boss pressure. If the build controls space, reserve can buy tempo for economy or synergy.
- Pair narrow combo builds with reserve escape plans.
- Pair economy builds with reserve safety plans.
- Before bosses, ask which boss problem reserve can answer.
- During board crumble, reserve is often worth more than another scaling choice.
Version note
Public launch information and early v1.1.0 context. Treat hard gambit and build rankings as provisional until direct play notes are added.
FAQ
When should I hold reserve pieces?
Hold reserve when the current board is playable and a boss, crumble, or awkward board is likely to need an emergency answer soon.
When should I deploy reserve pieces?
Deploy reserve when it creates safety, a clean capture, an escape route, or a tempo reset that the current board actually needs.
Is it bad to never spend reserve?
Yes. Over-saving is also a mistake. Spend reserve when the current danger is real and waiting would lose the run.
How do reserve pieces affect builds?
They should cover the build weakness. Narrow builds need escape and tempo; economy builds need safety; boss plans need emergency answers.