Having just finished it with the new changes, here's my strategy that worked well:
Part 1: First half of the game the strategy is to lose each round quickly (no "influence") while getting as much "work" as possible. You also want 10 blackmail so you can visit Cassandra and move the plot along between matches. You can leave her daughter Alexandria alone for this stage.
Cards [each card is "++" unless otherwise noted]:
Work ethic (x5, News Room)
Work Hard (x5, News Room)
Rest+ (x2, Gym) Could also do one Rest++ card.
Check your Options (x3 or x4, News Room)
Money Hoarding [NOT ++ or +, just the basic card] (x3)
Information Gathering (x2)
Other cards of your choice, but keep the total at 20. You want to maximize chance of getting the "Rest" card. Nothing that increases influence or costs a lot of money to play.
Strategy Notes:
- Max out your starting energy by going to the gym after each game.
- You have to trade the three "Money Hoarding" cards to get the pimp as an ally (in the Ghetto I believe), after that get them again and make them "Money Hoarding++".
- It is now much easier to get the allies to "++" level b/c now you can go home and click "visit", which will let you visit each ally whenever you want. Do that as soon as possible.
- Play her husband as an ally each game to lower her glory. Once you have 2 whores and the pimp to ++, drop him.
- Strategy each game is to do anything that will lower your influence while increasing your work, such as paying influence to remove her "Strong Demeanor" card.
- You should also use this time to build up a lot of money, both with "money hoarding" and by converting work to money after matches.
Once Cassandra's Glory is around 900, or you're about 1/2 to 2/3's through her home visits, shift to a winning strategy:
Part 2: Now you're lowering her influence and raising your glory. This part of the game is actually challenging now, especially if you haven't maxed the allies yet. If you want to see the "losing" route save the game and let Cassandra get 1000 glory at this point. Otherwise start shifting your cards to:
Cards below use the "Rumors" plus "Sexual" cards to win. An alternative option is "Stick in Her Wheels" card.
Cards [each card is "++" unless otherwise noted]:
Work ethic (x4)
Work Hard (x4)
Rest (x2)
Check Your Options (x3)
Money Hoarding (x3) (replace with "Pimp Whore++" x2 later)
Rumors+ (debatable, but I didn't use ++ version b/c of the high energy cost)
Ass Grab+ (not ++. You just use it for its affect the "Rumors+" card)
Bend Over (x1, Ghetto) [you'll only play it 3 times each match, each time using your secretary whore to make it's energy cost 0]
Power Play (x1, Business Center) Only play it once each match initially.
Handjob+ (x1, Red Light District) [can ++ later once you have lots of blackmail from "Bend Over"]
As you wear Cassandra down you can swap some cards out for sexual cards (both for strategy and fun/variety). I swapped all three "Money Hoarding" for "Pimp Whore"(x2, Red Light District) and "BJ under Desk". Eventually can swap out "Bend Over" for anything else, you'll have a LOT of blackmail.
- Maximize your influence at the "Newsroom"
- Max the two whores and the pimp.
- Early in this phase you may want to use Chad instead of the Pimp. If you "Look Carefully" for 10 energy you won't get jumped by Cassandra's thugs. Near the end of the game you won't need to "look around" at all b/c you'll have all the cards/allies you want so you can drop Chad for the Pimp.
- You may start losing money for awhile, that's ok.
- You don't care how much 'work' she gets, she can't use it if you win the card match
- You don't care about losing influence. You can reduce her influence well before yours gets to zero.
- As long as you have 100 glory or so you don't care about your "work" either, if you win the match it gets converted to glory, not energy/money/blackmail
- Switch to the "Alexandria" storyline and max her out (just the two left columns of events). This will make her card help you a lot.
- Once you're ready to win the game swap "Power Play" for a 'sexual' card and just max out the work each match, you'll make 100 glory a match and win quickly.
