Hand and Brain
Abstract
In these notes from the Sloppy Lab, we describe how two teammates may play together as a hand and brain pair.
~ Artwork by xoque
Method
When playing in this way, each player assumes either the role of the brain or the hand.
The Brain decides which house will be called each turn. At the start of the game, they also get to decide whether or not to mulligan the team's opening hand.
The Hand carries out all actions in a turn after the house has been called.
During their turn, teammates are not allowed to discuss game decisions. The brain must choose a house without consulting the hand. The hand must make their plays without input from the brain.
We find that having the hand stream over a Discord voice channel, with the brain dictating house selections, to be an ideal configuration. Initial results suggest that this method yields a 3% improvement over sending house selections via DM, especially if you like your teammates.
Results
It has been suggested that choosing a house is the most important decision we make in a turn. This is not true.
When playing, we should consider all the possible end states we can reach through our turn, and then perform the actions that drive us toward the most desirable one. Considered in this light, house selection is not really a decision. Instead, it is the first step of execution after a plan has been decided on.
With that in mind, both players may want to calculate their end-of-turn game state before a single action is taken. This is not only an exercise in visualization, but also leads to more meaningful discussion after each turn is over - and we do recommend that teams discuss their plays and decisions after each turn. Teams employing the hand and brain technique will enjoy a play experience that challenges them to plan, and execute, their turns with care and forethought.
As an aside - keep in mind that hand and brain games can lead to extra long "in the tank" moments at the start of a turn. Especially when playing with non-teammates, or even unwitting opponents, it's best to be mindful of your rate of play.
References
Our lab is uncertain of the term's true origin, but I first heard of playing as a hand and brain team through the world of online chess. When playing this way, the brain dictates which piece to move and the hand decides how to move it. The notes above represent our adaptation of that system to KeyForge.
Appendix A
Not every deck will make for great hand and brain play. Some things to look for in a deck might include:
- Decks that interact with the board. We want turns that involve more than counting bonus aember in hand.
- Decks with nondeterministic elements. Wild Wormhole, Punctuated Equilibrium, Neutron Shark, etc. - these can lead to complex turns filled with subtle decision points.
As an example, teammate not2night and I have been enjoying some very rewarding games with Brikblade of the Commander’s Guildhall:
Brikblade is usually looking to build a large board and zoom through its deck courtesy of those Punctuated Equilibriums. Games are packed full of tactical complexity and also strategic depth, making it very well suited for hand and brain play.