Section 2: Daily Specials (just the options, how to look at using your daily specials)
First, let’s just look at what you can get, forget about how. The newest building, will be a L2 Winners Plaza. It is an Attack based building. The daily special will be a selection kit, so you will have the option of L1 and the upgrade to L2. You can consider the Winners Plaza L2, better than either Carousel or Checkmate Square, all ages. The comparison is easy. All are 3x3, so, WP will outperform (early ages it will be equal at times) the other 2. It will also give close to the same Happiness as the Carousel but no city defense (not a biggie for me). So, I can see many going for it. It will be offered at least 2X as it was in beta.
Second, Altar Garden is back. It is a selection kit, L1 base and upgrade. Now, this 2X3 is a good building but it will require 5 selection kits (assuming you have no other parts from last time it was offered). For attack, Artemis will give you better attack than Carousel (much less happy, no city defense). Versus checkmate, checkmate is slightly better on a per tile basis but not by much. Now Artemis will give you 1 FP too, so that does add value to the building. Please, please do not make the mistake of getting the Divine Selection kit. That will only provide you the Altar Garden L1 base, that is it. So, consider it the Not-so-Divine Selection kit. Remember you need 5 to make a fully leveled building.
Colossus, 4x4, great building, the selection kit is being offered. At this point we can see Carousel is no longer such a great building. It is good, but there is better out there. Colossus does compare with Carousel in earlier ages, then is better after Future Era for attack. It has no happiness in fact it adds population. A fully leveled Colossus gives 6FP, it would require 10 selection kits. It is being offered in the Antique Dealer, currently I have seen it for bid only, not on the shelf to buy. Don’t expect to get a L10 Colossus from there in a month, maybe 6 months would be a better goal, could be more. A winners plaza L2 and checkmate, both a better for attack, per tile, all ages. So, this will be a player decision, lose a little attack but get some FPs, 6 FP in a 4X4 attack building is good.
Contestants Estate, 2x3, 3% attack, well it is what it is. Think Barry Manilow, Copacabana, Lola – 30 years later, Copa closed, she goes by the name Blanche, lives in a 1 bdrm apt above the corner liquor store, chain smokes on the fire escape balcony, seedy part of town - a has been…lol It isn’t terrible and it is a 1 to 1 hit, only requires 1 daily special, no upgrade needed (hmm, wonder if it has a future, may not want to sell them) but there is better out there.
Lastly, Classical Garden Set is available as a selection kit. I would say don’t waste your daily specials on it. You can get the pieces in the AD, shelf or bid, if you really want the set.
Let me touch on the tracks, all are 1x4. This is my opinion but unless you are getting both Hippodromes, I don’t see any reason to get them. Yes, Roiusoi Track 3% defense is nice, but a sentinel outpost is better. OK, the Leukoi Track, 1 FP, sure, FPs are great. But, it is a SoK equivalent and maybe not worth your limited daily specials. If you do chain these buildings, in the middle of both the Carceres and Sphendone, the values double. You can still have a L6 Carceres, L4 Spendone, no diamonds spent, just play every day. This is a decision for each player to make. The other track, Venetoi, 3 goods, I didn’t even consider.
Sentinel Outpost L1 and the upgrade were in beta, I expect them in the live event. Some have said that Inno made a mistake, and they are too powerful per tile. I don’t think so, they have been offering it regularly in events, maybe they skipped one, but they obviously are good with it. As well you should be, bcs I consider it one of the best buildings in the game at L2. A 1x1, non-road, 4% defense is so versatile and it helps balance your player, almost always more attack then defense.
Other specials were, Ornate bath, Arena of Victors, Athletes Living Quarters, (Not-so) Divine Selection kit (3X), Tholos Selection Kit, Wishing well and shrink kit, rogue hideout (no shrink kit), SoK, Reno kit (2X), Gigantic Medals package, tactician tower L1 and upgrade, Pillar of Heroes selection kit, Hall of Fame selection kit (SOH’s are better), Champion retreat. Well, just a bunch of fillers to me.