User:Anise/Stacks Carding
The Theory[edit]
In order to comparatively evaluate cards, I've chosen to score their value
based on defining a score of one point as equivalent to five
Progress, where "Progress" refers to either
Perusing the Stacks or Finding the Centre depending on whether you're
in the first or second phase of the run. Actions that give results other than
progress are assigned a score based on how much progress they enable and/or the
monetary value of their rewards.
For simplicity, I choose the
Index of Banned Works
as the baseline to calculate the monetary value of five progress, since it's
the apocryphon that pays out in the same currency (stuivers) as (almost)
everything else you get from a Stacks run. Choosing a "par" of one action per
five progress, a run will take 22 actions, making a score of one worth
1/22 of the best sell value (at Burguny), 2356 stuivers. That makes one point
worth approximately 107 stuivers. With that ratio established, we know, for
example, that the
50x Tantalising Possibilities
which some some successes reward are worth about 0.93 points, almost as
good as making five Progress.
Some items, such as 
Routes
and 
Ontologies, don't provide progress
themselves, but do enable progress on other cards. If you spend an action
gaining one Route and then another action spending it to gain five progress,
that's two actions to gain five progress, and therefore I assign 0.5 points for
each of those actions. We'd like to avoid lower value actions when we can.
Given keys unlock some 15-progress options, by similar reasoning I value them
at 1.5 points, earning 3 points over two actions.
Noises in the Library I don't (yet) assign a value to, since they enable
one profitable action (stealing keys), but with a risk that is extremely
dependent on stats and equipment. Also the difference between zero and one
point of Noises is universally significant, while any subsequent point is
potentially valuable if you're navigating with the Graven Apostate and
potentially costly if you're failing so many checks you're at risk of
maxing out the menace.
The Chained Octavo gets its points mostly from the stuiver value of the
Glimpse of Anathema and additionally from possibly skipping you ahead
the equivalent of 0–40 progress.
The value of a hand clear depends on the expected value of the cards you might draw minus the value of the cards you hold. If the possibility of drawing the Chained Volume card exists, then the value of a hand clear is higher. Given the context dependence of it, in this version of the calculator, the hand clear is not assigned a value.
The value of menaces is based on the assumption of being able to clear 6CP in one social action. Their value is therefore approximately −0.17 points.
| Score | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Progress
|
1 | Baseline |
| 1 Progress
|
0 | Waste, effectively rounded down to a multiple of 5. Negligible value. |
| Route Traced through the Library
|
0.5 | Based on the many options that exchange this for 5 progress. |
| Fragmentary Ontology
|
0.4 | Fewer options to trade these 1:1 for progress, but Focus on the path ahead trades 5 for 15 progress in a single action. Valued by splitting the difference between 0.5 and 0.3. |
 Library Key
|
1.5 | Based on cards that exchange this for 15 progress. |
 1CP Wounds or  1CP Nightmares
|
−0.17 | Opportunity cost based on 1 social action to reduce by 6 CP. |
| 1CP Noises in the Library
|
0 | Too context dependent to assign a score. Good for acquiring keys or if Exploring with the Apostate. Bad if you fail enough challenges to put you at risk. |
 107
|
1 | 1/22 of  Index of Banned Works's value
|
 5.35
|
1 | Based on a 1:20 value ratio with Stuivers.
|
| 50 Tantalising Possibilities
|
0.93 | Worth 100 Stuivers.
|
 Chained Octavo
|
38.86 | Increase in run's stuiver value + average of 0–40
|
 Hand Clear
|
? | Value expected to be the difference between your current hand and your average hand. Use the deck stats table to determine average hand value. |
Planning[edit]
This form will update the table based on your character's stats/outfits. Because there are so many checks that use combined stats, the form includes groupings for each combination outfit you have. For checks that use items, the table assumes you adopt the strategy of holding as many as you need to 100% the checks.
For help constructing outfits to maximize your odds of passing these challenges, consult the Combination Challenge Outfit Planner.
module = StacksCarding modulefunc = score form = parameters result = form-target name = Best Outfits param = singles|Single Attribute Checks||group|Watchful,Shadowy,Kataleptic_Toxicology,Chthonosophy,Steward_of_the_Discordance param = Watchful|Watchful|300|int|0-400 param = Shadowy|Shadowy|300|int|0-400 param = Kataleptic_Toxicology|Kataleptic Toxicology|12|int|0-20 param = Chthonosophy|Chthonosophy|6|int|0-20 param = Steward_of_the_Discordance|Steward of the Discordance|5|int|0-20 param = group_insubstantial_shadowy|Insubstantial+Shadowy||group|Insubstantial-Shadowy-Shadowy,Insubstantial-Shadowy-Insubstantial param = Insubstantial-Shadowy-Insubstantial|Insubstantial|3|int|0-20 param = Insubstantial-Shadowy-Shadowy|Shadowy|300|int|0-400 param = group_ma_inerrant_watchful|Monstrous Anatomy+Inerrant+Watchful||group|Monstrous_Anatomy-Inerrant-Watchful-Monstrous_Anatomy,Monstrous_Anatomy-Inerrant-Watchful-Inerrant,Monstrous_Anatomy-Inerrant-Watchful-Watchful param = Monstrous_Anatomy-Inerrant-Watchful-Monstrous_Anatomy|Monstrous Anatomy|12|int|0-20 param = Monstrous_Anatomy-Inerrant-Watchful-Inerrant|Inerrant|4|int|0-20 param = Monstrous_Anatomy-Inerrant-Watchful-Watchful|Watchful|250|int|0-400 param = group_watchful_shadowy|Watchful+Shadowy||group|Watchful-Shadowy-Watchful,Watchful-Shadowy-Shadowy param = Watchful-Shadowy-Watchful|Watchful|275|int|0-400 param = Watchful-Shadowy-Shadowy|Shadowy|275|int|0-400 param = group_chthonosophy_watchful|Chthonosophy+Watchful||group|Chthonosophy-Watchful-Chthonosophy,Chthonosophy-Watchful-Watchful param = Chthonosophy-Watchful-Chthonosophy|Chthonosophy|6|int|0-20 param = Chthonosophy-Watchful-Watchful|Watchful|300|int|0-400 param = group_neathproofed_inerrant|Neathproofed+Inerrant||group|Neathproofed-Inerrant-Neathproofed,Neathproofed-Inerrant-Inerrant param = Neathproofed-Inerrant-Neathproofed|Neathproofed|3|int|0-20 param = Neathproofed-Inerrant-Inerrant|Inerrant|3|int|0-20 param = group_ma_persuasive|Monstrous Anatomy+Persuasive||group|Monstrous_Anatomy-Persuasive-Monstrous_Anatomy,Monstrous_Anatomy-Persuasive-Persuasive param = Monstrous_Anatomy-Persuasive-Monstrous_Anatomy|Monstrous Anatomy|14|int|0-20 param = Monstrous_Anatomy-Persuasive-Persuasive|Persuasive|250|int|0-400 param = group_neathproofed_shadowy|Neathproofed+Shadowy||group|Neathproofed-Shadowy-Shadowy,Neathproofed-Shadowy-Neathproofed param = Neathproofed-Shadowy-Neathproofed|Neathproofed|3|int|0-20 param = Neathproofed-Shadowy-Shadowy|Shadowy|300|int|0-400 param = group_dangerous_watchful|Dangerous+Watchful||group|Dangerous-Watchful-Dangerous,Dangerous-Watchful-Watchful param = Dangerous-Watchful-Dangerous|Dangerous|275|int|0-400 param = Dangerous-Watchful-Watchful|Watchful|275|int|0-400 param = group_inerrant_watchful|Inerrant+Watchful||group|Inerrant-Watchful-Inerrant,Inerrant-Watchful-Watchful param = Inerrant-Watchful-Inerrant|Inerrant|4|int|0-20 param = Inerrant-Watchful-Watchful|Watchful|300|int|0-400 param = group_bizarre_persuasive|Bizarre+Persuasive||group|Bizarre-Persuasive-Bizarre,Bizarre-Persuasive-Persuasive param = Bizarre-Persuasive-Bizarre|Bizarre|16|int|0-30 param = Bizarre-Persuasive-Persuasive|Persuasive|250|int|0-400 param = group_unlocks|Using||group|Mapping_with_the_Cartographer,Exploring_with_the_Apostate param = Mapping_with_the_Cartographer|Clamorous Cartographer|false|check|true,false param = Exploring_with_the_Apostate|Graven Apostate|false|check|true,false
Tips[edit]
Sort by the "Avg" column. Usually, you should play the card in your hand with the highest score, as long as you have the item(s) required for it, but there are some exceptions. For example, if you find yourself building up several dozen Ontologies and Routes, you should probably shift focus to spending them. They're doing no good otherwise.
If you're running low on Ontologies and/or Routes such that you can't 100% Course correct or Consult your maps of the library, it's worth prioritizing the collection of more, since these actions are both particularly valuable.
The more Library Keys you hold at the end of a run, the higher the chance of encountering Overdue when Finding your way back. Even if you succeed the check on it, it's a wasted action that's guaranteed to increase your Wounds. To avoid this, consider spending keys as you acquire them rather than hording tem, being sure to hold one for the Chained Volume when it becomes possible to draw.
The Chained Volume card can be drawn starting ten runs after the last time you found it, but only during the first phase, before finding your target book. This raises the average value of a card draw, so it's worthwhile to shift your strategy to give yourself more draws and therefore higher odds of drawing it. Hand clears become more valuable as well. You might also prioritize "prep" actions—gaining keys, routes, and ontologies—deferring choices that directly make progress so you can draw more cards during this phase. If you're unlucky on drawing the Chained Volume, you'll at least build up resources you can freely spend to speed up the latter half of the run and those afterward, reducing the action cost of trying again to pull the Chained Volume.
Card Table[edit]
| Average Score | ||
|---|---|---|
| Octavo Possible? | No | Yes |
| Card Draw | 1.05 | 1.25 |
| Fresh Hand | 4.18 | 5.01 |
