Bishop wrote:I think a lot of people don't realise that escalating games require a completely different strategy than flat rate or no card games. In flat rate, and especially no card games, the most important factor for growth and strength is owning continents. I think most would agree that the best strategy is to try and hold continents.
The problem a lot of people have with escalating games is that they try to play a strategy based on getting continents. Most of the time these people get beat out by someone who has put themselves in a position to steal cards. They don't realise that the person who stole cards ws trying to place themselves in a position to get cards and probably was ignoring continents all together. They think this person was just lucky to get cards. As the person was not playing in what they perceive as basic strategy (taking continents), they figure the player sucked and simply got lucky.
But really this person won because they altered their strategy for the escalating games. Here is an example of my escalating strategy and tactics:
I ignore continents and simply try and stay out of my opponents way. The begining of the game consists of fighting as little as possible. This usually involves hanging around in Asia somewhere. I try and consolidate my troops and put myself in a position to trade in a set at the opportune time and take someone elses cards.
There's lots of good tactics for this. I try to put myself in a position to attack in a lot of different directions. This means I don't, for example, have all my troops in Japon and have a single one of my own armies in Kamtchatka. This would prevent my army from sweeping into North America. I also try and isolate single armies from somebody else inside my frontiers. Basicially, I make a defensive sheild around a singe enemy army. If an enemy has an army in Japan, I'll build troops in Kamtchatka and Mongolia, so anyone taking out that colour has to fight through me. This usually gives me a monopoly on getting that person's cards.
What do people thing of this? Am I full of shit?
You're perfectly right. I do get escalating strategy, ask anyone I've played against recently. However, I still think there's more luck involved in escalating than flat rate.
To Marv's comment, the dice are the same in every game, just because you've more rolls doesn't mean your luck is better, it just means the odds are different.
