by Dijitz
Yin is actually my 2nd favorite race. I wrote a reply to a thread a while back:Racial+Dacxive+Fanaticism+Flagship=OP The only problem you should be having is where to fit all the GFs. Who cares! They're fighters too! They kinda like a Naluu/Sol hybrid as far as their flagship fleet is concerned.
Medium to heavy influence planets+colonies=never having to pick logistics/leadership again and with resource swap ability means big time production. I won my first game with Yin. I could not be stalled, out maneuvered, and as a result of the former, barely out-gunned. I found them to be very powerful. While everyone was fighting over the resource rich planets, I scooped up the influence ones, swapped whatever I needed just before I built. (had lots to choose from with colonies and had the planet with 4 influence+colony+spacedock... can't remember name, but that was a production capacity of 8!!!). Sarween Tools helped too. Had 3 separate building systems, so with secondary of Imp II I mostly built 4 times per round. That was 4 extra GF I didn't have to use PC for (Using Yin Spinner)! Always had Strategy tokens because of logistics secondary (lots of influence, remember) and with Diplomacy I secondary! WHOOO!!! Just refresh my 4+1 influence planet! Never needed to invade MR once! I was on fire! Not to mention early domination during politics and extra CC's to spend on secondary for action cards later.
On that note, don't forget to scoop up the refineries too! I still managed to get three of them in my game.
If not playing with Diplomacy I, then go with Nano Tech (not really part of Yin strategy, more to do with heavy influence game, but when playing with Yin I HIGHLY recommend playing for influence). Also, if using the first combo I mentioned (Racial+Dacxive+Fanaticism+Flagship=OP), then Micro is not out of the way, so I guess ya, it is a Yin strategy.
Added bonus to influence game: slight dominance with Assembly/Political. Only slight though, as Yin has no BDYGRD.
Discard destroyer or cruiser to potentially take out a warsun with the right action card? Awesome! Also useful for taking out carriers! If not used, free deterrent from enemy invasion.
Yin spinner is just nice all around. The most precious resource in the game IMHO is production capacity. Getting that extra GF every time you build is real nice, but to properly use this, you must have a space dock in 3 separate systems. That combined with Imp II 2ndary or Production will give you 4 free GF per game round. This can be upped to as much as 5-6 with warfare I and that action card that allows you to take one CC from any one of your activated systems. Again this plays into Yin’s Flagship, essentially free fighters. Use GF’s as fighters, kill spaceships, use GF’s in invasion, get more GF’s. Trample anyone?
Diplomat on home system=better luck next time. (I was invaded by Sardakk, in that 4 player game, in an effort to thwart my point collection. I used my diplomat's ability, stalled the invasion, picked second, so I grabbed Initiative then Diplomacy I, and on my first turn activated diplomacy and target the Sardakk player. Giving me the pest defended home system in the game). As I like to say, the enemy of my enemy is my shield!
Agent=Free sabotage when you need it most.
Admiral=Awesome on flagship
I really enjoyed the Brotherhood of Yin. IMHO I found that they were one of the most fun races to play. BUT they are the most micro-managed race. You can’t be sleepy and win with these guys.
The thread can be found here: http://boardgamegeek.com/article/9868082#9868082