King of Tokyo Openings: Rerolls, Energy, and Entering Tokyo

King of Tokyo has no fixed opening. The dice see to that. But the first few turns still follow a pattern. Every Monster starts at 10 Life and 0 points, the card row is fresh, and nobody is a threat yet. That makes the opening the best time to invest, and the worst time to play scared.

Pick a goal before you roll

You get up to three rolls. The strongest habit you can build is choosing what you want before the first roll lands, then adjusting once.

Here is the math that makes focus pay. If you keep only one face and reroll everything else, each die has about a 42 percent chance of showing that face by the end of three rolls. With all six dice chasing one face, you average about 2.5 of it, and you have about an even chance of getting three or more.

That works for Smash results, for Energy, and for a single number. It falls apart when you split your dice across three goals. Two goals is fine. Four is a turn that does nothing well.

Which numbers to chase

Numbers score only in sets of three, so a scattered handful of 1s and 2s is usually worth nothing. Some guidelines:

• Threes are the best set. Three 3s score 3 points, the same as one turn in Tokyo plus 1.
• A pair on the first roll is a start, not a plan. Two 3s with four dice to reroll is a fine reason to chase 3s. Two 1s usually is not.
• Extra matching dice add 1 each. Four 2s score 3, so a big set of a low number can still pay.
• Let numbers go when the turn offers better. Three Energy or three Smash results can be worth more than a 1-point set.

Energy early, points later

Points win the game, so it feels wrong to roll for lightning on turn one. But a Keep card bought early pays every turn for the rest of the game. Cards that add a die, give you an extra reroll, or make your Smash results hit harder all compound. Bought on turn two, a card like that might fire ten times. Bought on turn ten, it may fire twice.

So in the opening, Energy is usually worth more than it looks. A turn that ends with four or five Energy cubes and no points can be a strong turn, if the row has something worth buying soon.

Two cautions:

• Read the row before you roll. If nothing for sale helps you, Energy is a slower investment. You may spend 2 to sweep the row, but that is 2 Energy spent on a hope.
• Discard cards with points are a finisher’s tool. Early on, a Keep card that changes your dice usually beats a one-time handful of points.

Do you want to be in Tokyo first?

With 2 to 4 players, the first player must enter Tokyo City, because it starts empty. With 5 or 6, the first player enters Tokyo City, and the next Monster to reach its enter Tokyo step with the Bay empty must enter Tokyo Bay.

That is not the burden it seems. Early Tokyo is the best Tokyo:

• You have full Life. You can take a round of hits and still Yield with plenty left.
• The table is not focused yet. Other players are rolling for Energy and numbers, not swinging every die at you.
• The points are real. 1 for entering and 2 for starting your next turn there is 3 points before anyone else has scored much.

The usual plan is to take Tokyo early, collect a turn or two of points, and Yield when someone finally hits you hard. You lose the Life either way, but you leave on your terms and heal next turn.

When to keep Smash results from outside

In the opening, Smash results from outside only hurt whoever is in Tokyo. Keeping them is a choice about Tokyo, not about damage.

• Keep them if you want in. If the Monster in Tokyo Yields, you enter and score 1. With 8 or more Life, that is often a good trade.
• Let them go if you want to build. Rerolling claws into Energy or a number set may be the better turn, especially when someone else is already pounding on Tokyo.

Remember that wounding Tokyo is never free. Every hit you land makes it more likely the Monster leaves, and then you must go in.

A simple opening plan

1. Read the card row before your first roll.
2. Choose one or two goals, and keep only dice that serve them.
3. Lean toward Energy if a good Keep card is for sale or close to affordable.
4. Accept Tokyo early with high Life, and plan your exit before you need it.

If your table is newer and some players worry the dice decide everything, our piece on luck and skill in board games is a good read. The dice are random. What you keep is not.