Dune: Imperium variant for more market churn

All credit goes to BGG user @terjebr777

Preface

Of all my medium/heavy games, Dune: Imperium probably sees the most table time. I love the theme and the gameplay is incredibly tight. Every action matters and the solo automata is easy to use and requires little upkeep.

My only complaint is the static market in the solo variant. The automata doesn't buy or remove cards so you're stuck with whatever RNG gives you. Buying cards you don't need, just to get a refresh, is a great way to clog up your deck and to lose the game.

Thankfully, there are many variants out there and I've picked my favorite to show you.

The Variant

Terje Braten posted this variant on the BGG forums and I absolutely love it for solo play. You can read the full thing in the linked forum thread but it's very simple:

• During the Makers Phase, a sand worm comes up and eats the last card on the market.
• Shift the rest of the cards towards the end of the market and reveal a new card.
• Any time you buy a card, shift the rest towards the end of the market before revealing the new card.

This allows every new card to stay on the market for a bit, before being "eaten" if you don't buy it. It fits the theme and makes solo play a lot more enjoyable when it comes to deckbuilding.

However, it does change the balance of the game. The rules as written are very deliberate, and adapting to an unfavorable market is part of the game. Churning the market makes buying suitable combo cards much easier and I wouldn't recommend this variant for multiplayer games.

For solo play, I definitely recommend it because it's much more enjoyable to interact with a changing market. I usually play on Expert and it still feels like a challenge. The automata can be quite ruthless sometimes.