Token economy: optimal conversion

The three metals and their values

DIKTAT models an economy with three levels of wealth:

• Bronze: 1 IP per token. Abundant, hardly attackable individually, but not dense.
• Silver: 4 IP per token. Target of Hostile Takeover Silver, equivalent to "pocket money".
• Gold: 15 IP per token. The king-metal, ultra-targeted but ultra-profitable.

This hierarchy is deliberately non-linear. The progression 1 → 4 → 15 exceeds a simple multiplication by 4. Why? Because Gold is artificially rare (only 10 tokens in the initial bank), and because the game must reward risk-taking.

Bank rates in detail

In the BANK phase, the available conversions are:

• 3 Bronze → 1 Silver (loss 3 IP, gain 4 IP: +1 IP)
• 3 Silver → 1 Gold (loss 12 IP, gain 15 IP: +3 IP)
• 1 Silver → 2 Bronze (downgrade, loss 4 IP, gain 2 IP: -2 IP)
• 1 Gold → 2 Silver (downgrade, loss 15 IP, gain 8 IP: -7 IP)
• 1 Gold → 5 Bronze (downgrade, loss 15 IP, gain 5 IP: -10 IP)

First conclusion: upward conversion is always profitable, downward conversion is costly. This asymmetry naturally pushes players toward promotion rather than downgrade.

When to convert Bronze to Silver?

The 3-for-1 conversion yields a free IP and improves your density. Consider two scenarios for the same total of 12 IP:

• Player A: 12 Bronze. To steal 4 IP from them, you need a Silver takeover... impossible (no Silver). You must either wait for them to convert, or target them with a Bankruptcy.
• Player B: 3 Silver. A single Silver takeover suffices to take 4 IP from them.

Player A is more resilient. Player B is more targeted. Which is the right choice? It depends on the number of plots remaining in play:

• Lots of plots in the deck (early game): stay in Bronze.
• Few remaining plots (end game): convert to Silver and Gold to densify your IP.

The Gold threshold: 3 Silver or more

Converting 3 Silver to 1 Gold makes you gain +3 free IP. It's the best operation in the game. But beware:

• It makes you lose 3 Silver tokens in exchange for 1 Gold. Your defences against Silver takeovers diminish (you're vulnerable to a single target: your Gold).
• You become the target of Hostile Takeover Gold at the table.

Recommendation: convert to Gold as soon as you reach 4-5 Silver in stock, not before. You thus keep a Silver cushion and limit your exposure.

Loan vs accumulation arbitrage

The Loan card gives +1 immediate Gold (15 IP) for -1 Bronze at closing (1 IP). Net: +14 IP in a single turn. It is, by far, the best Resources card in the game.

Comparison with classic accumulation: to gain +14 IP through accumulation, you'd have to play Basic Income (3 Bronze = 3 IP) almost five times. The Loan short-circuits this process. The main accelerator of a game. Play it every turn if you can.

Restriction: you can only borrow if the bank has Gold available. When Gold becomes scarce, the Loan loses its value.

Defensive downgrading

Converting 1 Gold to 5 Bronze costs 10 IP; going through 1 Gold → 2 Silver costs "only" 7 IP. Why would one accept this loss? One reason only: you fear an imminent Hostile Takeover Gold. If you have 1 Gold and an opponent clearly shows their intentions, downgrading deprives the opponent of their target.

Calculation: if the Gold takeover succeeds, you lose 15 net IP. If you downgrade to 2 Silver first, you only lose 7 IP; to 5 Bronze, only 10 IP. That's a +8 or +5 IP differential in favour of downgrading. But this manoeuvre reveals your fear and signals your weakness: it can also invite other plots.

Conversion laws change everything

If a conversion law is in the Book, the rates change. A law that raises the Bronze → Silver rate to 4-for-1 (instead of 3) makes promotion immediately neutral, and any upward conversion loses interest: in this case, accumulate instead, or spend an Executive Decree to cancel the law.

Conversely, a law that improves the Silver → Gold rate transforms the economy: convert massively to Gold while the law is active. Conversion laws are therefore triggers of short-term strategy.

Conclusion

DIKTAT's economy rewards those who calculate. Three principles to remember:

1. Convert to Gold as soon as you have 4+ Silver: +3 free IP, too good to miss.
2. Stay in Bronze while plots are circulating: dispersion protects you.
3. Play the Loan without hesitation: +14 net IP, it's the best card in the game.

Understanding the economy is understanding 70% of DIKTAT. The other 30% depends on the cards you draw and table psychology.