The Expansion challenge can be achieved in two ways:

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1. Expert level - play with all factions and win 4 games in a row with random factions - you can choose any of the maps, but the map that you have chosen must be used for all four games. Plus you can use the standard cards or the expansion set (i.e. including partisans), but again the same set of cards must be used in all 4 games.

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2. Normal level - same as expert but you can resign and play another game if 

• The random selection gives you the Beavers (as I find it impossible to win with them as on the Hard setting AI will not generally trade with the Beavers)

• The random selection gives you certain combinations:

  • Cats and the selection for AI does not include the Vagabond (the Vagabond is needed to open up the ruins so the cats have somewhere to build their structures). In this case for some reason the random selection process may not select a Vagabond. So if you have not played a Vagabond in the previous games, you can set yourself as the Vagabond. For example if this is the 4th game (i.e. the last game to play in the challenge) and your previous 3 games did not include a Vagabond, then you can choose the Vagabond.

  • Lizards and the selection for AI includes the Alliance. Under the hard setting the Alliance will place supporters on Lizard starting positions and then "blow" them up with revolts. When there is a revolt and Lizards lose troops, there is no revenge.

  • Alliance and the selection for AI includes Lizards. Under the hard setting the Lizards will "sanctify" the Alliance bases if it can, in preference to any other race, even if Alliance is has the least VPs. With no bases it is almost impossible to win with the Alliance.

  • Vagabond and the random selection for AI includes a vagabond and AI chooses first and choses the Tinker - and you as the second vagabond has you turn directly after the first (AI) vagabond - so that you are very unlikely to be able to get crafted items from the other AI players.

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After playing the game many times online, I have found it extremely difficult to win in the above four circumstances - on a hard setting. So if this combination turns up, you can resign and randomly select the factions again for AI, or choose the Vagabond if you have not already played the Vagabond.