Cards that allow free cards: Oil Miller, Farm Helper, and Builder are EXTREMELY strong. This game is won and lost with card density. If you get these, you slam them as early as you can and plan around them. Cards that translate VP in Resorces: Peon and Marketer. Peon is good whenever, while Marketer loses value as the game goes on. Cards that give free money: Wagoner and Beekeeper (Though Ag Worker can be good as well, if you have an access number of Fields. See Above. Otherwise, it often just makes you spin your wheels). Wagoner is the only card that guarantees you 2 silver a turn without any work at all. Beekeeper can hit 3 per turn with a good draw, but it takes some luck and time to set up. Consistency vs Power. Cards that impact the dice: Migrant Laborer is probably the strongest card in 1v1 leading to more blowouts than I care to remember. Its value goes down in 3 and 4. Tenant is also very strong, and often a good counter to ML. Village Elder is reverse, very weak in 1v1 because of the limited number of dice, but goes up in value with more players, as you're more likely to hit your number. Anything that requires picking a die to trigger: Very bad in 1v1, slightly better in 4. You want your helpers to fire regardless of the dice luck. Random ones that are good in certain situation: Joiner on turn 1 can lead to breeding pigs on the first go. You pay for your extension with a VP, buy a pig, and use your box to make a pig and boom. Free piggies! Haggler is ok if you can get return pigs early, otherwise not so much. There are a few others that are ok sometimes, but for the most part these are the ones worth playing. Always ask yourself "Is a field more consistent than this?"
By "Best to build" I assume you're talking about the craft buildings? It depends largely on which ones are open, and what order they are available to do. But here are some rules of thumb: If money is available on turn 1, you should aim to clear it immediately. Especially if you can do it first. It's by far the easiest to clear, taking only 6 ships and 8 dollars. Your starter box is already half of that. And the return of 3 money per turn will set you up to buy roof tiles with no problem, and easily buy all the deliveries you need. Pigs is terrible. There's almost no ROI on it till late in the game. Do this last, or next to last in all situations. (See Below) Deli: Either first or last. If you have a good draw, and you can get the free card from the roof tiles, you can sometimes blitz a few cheap barrows and snag this quickly. Free Boxes every turn is huge. Other than this rare situation, you're better off spending your starter box on getting going and doing this last. The other 3 are all on a case-by-case situation, and you have to judge what you have and what you can do. Rule of thumb though, you should be aiming to complete something every turn.
What cards are best to build 1st, 2nd 3rd and 4th? What helper cards are the best?
Cards that allow free cards: Oil Miller, Farm Helper, and Builder are EXTREMELY strong. This game is won and lost with card density. If you get these, you slam them as early as you can and plan around them.
Cards that translate VP in Resorces: Peon and Marketer. Peon is good whenever, while Marketer loses value as the game goes on.
Cards that give free money: Wagoner and Beekeeper (Though Ag Worker can be good as well, if you have an access number of Fields. See Above. Otherwise, it often just makes you spin your wheels). Wagoner is the only card that guarantees you 2 silver a turn without any work at all. Beekeeper can hit 3 per turn with a good draw, but it takes some luck and time to set up. Consistency vs Power.
Cards that impact the dice: Migrant Laborer is probably the strongest card in 1v1 leading to more blowouts than I care to remember. Its value goes down in 3 and 4. Tenant is also very strong, and often a good counter to ML. Village Elder is reverse, very weak in 1v1 because of the limited number of dice, but goes up in value with more players, as you're more likely to hit your number.
Anything that requires picking a die to trigger: Very bad in 1v1, slightly better in 4. You want your helpers to fire regardless of the dice luck.
Random ones that are good in certain situation: Joiner on turn 1 can lead to breeding pigs on the first go. You pay for your extension with a VP, buy a pig, and use your box to make a pig and boom. Free piggies!
Haggler is ok if you can get return pigs early, otherwise not so much.
There are a few others that are ok sometimes, but for the most part these are the ones worth playing. Always ask yourself "Is a field more consistent than this?"
By "Best to build" I assume you're talking about the craft buildings? It depends largely on which ones are open, and what order they are available to do. But here are some rules of thumb:
If money is available on turn 1, you should aim to clear it immediately. Especially if you can do it first. It's by far the easiest to clear, taking only 6 ships and 8 dollars. Your starter box is already half of that. And the return of 3 money per turn will set you up to buy roof tiles with no problem, and easily buy all the deliveries you need.
Pigs is terrible. There's almost no ROI on it till late in the game. Do this last, or next to last in all situations. (See Below)
Deli: Either first or last. If you have a good draw, and you can get the free card from the roof tiles, you can sometimes blitz a few cheap barrows and snag this quickly. Free Boxes every turn is huge. Other than this rare situation, you're better off spending your starter box on getting going and doing this last.
The other 3 are all on a case-by-case situation, and you have to judge what you have and what you can do. Rule of thumb though, you should be aiming to complete something every turn.