Risk Strategies

Risk board game strategies: Australia
by Craig Reade (stillontheshelf.com)

Risk board game strategies: Australia – Defensive Might

Overview

One of the most basic and widely-used strategies in the game of Risk involves establishing the continent of Australia as a defensive base.

Since Australia only has one entry point (Indonesia, through Siam), it is an ideal continent to keep and hold, especially when focusing on a defensive game. Because of its simplicity and popularity, at least one player in every game will attempt it.

If this is your plan, be prepared for fierce competition and make sure you have the stomach to 'risk' the game to gain that foothold.

Risk board game strategies: Australia - Initial Army Placement

There are four territories in Australia – Indonesia, New Guinea, Western Australia and Eastern Australia. With the exception of Indonesia and Eastern Australia (which cannot reach each other), every Australian territory connects with every other one, making it an ideal defensive position.

Editor's note: the version of the game which Dan describes is the one where players can choose which territories they own, rather than the modern, random element when you deal out territory cards.

If you want to take Australia, you must lay claim to at least one of these territories – the more the better. You probably won’t be able to claim all four during initial placement (since no one will want to hand you Australia at the start of the game), but the more the better.

If you can secure New Guinea or Western Australia first, this is ideal as it gives you the most flexibility in the opening turn. After all of the Australian territories are taken, you should claim some Asian territories – Siam especially if you can get it.


After all of Asia is claimed, you can place randomly – Africa and Europe might help you a little bit, but at this point these territories are so remote that they really won’t help you too much early in the game.

After the territories are all claimed, you must place all your forces on a single territory in Australia. Select the one that gives you the most flexibility of attack and the greatest leverage against any opponents who challenge you on the continent.

Be mindful of the units your opponent faces, watch for any players establishing a presence in Asia (as they may try to knock you out) and respond accordingly. Your first priority is having superiority in Australia, but if any potential opponents give up on the continent, you can move on to placing defensive units to keep people out of Australia (Siam is ideal for this – China, India, or Indonesia if you intend to move into Siam and weren’t able to claim it at the beginning of the game).

Risk board game strategies: Australia - Opening Turns

This is where you need to analyze the position of your opponents and determine your course of action. If you are alone or mostly unchallenged in Australia, the choice is simple – take it, and establish a defensive position in Siam. This is the ideal condition.

If there is one other player making a play for the continent, the choice is a little more difficult. By attacking them, you will severely deplete your forces, leaving you vulnerable for attack. On the other hand, in large army battles, the attacker has the advantage.

You can elect to forgo the attack and open the door for your opponent to move off the continent, but they may decide to take the odds for themselves. The best thing to do is to attack – it is an all-or-nothing proposition, but it is your best odds for success.

If you should eliminate the opponent, fortify as many armies possible into Indonesia or Siam, to defend your hard-earned continent. If there is a player with an established presence in Asia, you can almost guarantee that they will attempt to move in and take Australia for themselves.

When there are three or more players going for Australia, the resulting stand-off should seem like a game of chicken. No one will want to attack, because it would open them up to defeat from the third or fourth party. This is a tense situation, but the good news is that with so many players focused on one continent, that leaves the rest of the board open.

If you have an escape route, take it and let the remaining players jockey for position. By the time that conflict is settled, you should be well established on another part of the board.

Risk board game strategies: Australia - Asia and Beyond

After securing Australia, your ideal position is to have your entire force in Siam, with each Australian territory having the minimum of one army each. This is an ideal defensive position – every other continent has at least two entry points to defend, and most players should not be able to muster enough strength to penetrate into Australia in the beginning of the game.

Taking Australia is viewed as a defensive strategy, because while you have guaranteed yourself five reinforcements a turn, your next target for expansion is murky. Most players view Risk as a continent game, where ultimately you should take and hold one continent and work towards another.

With this strategy in mind, the prospect of expanding and taking Asia seems daunting. To really be successful in an Australia defensive position, you have to abandon the conventional continent model and instead focus on territory number.

India and China become your staging ground. While it is a good idea to keep a large force in Siam no matter what, the bulk of your reinforcements should go towards establishing a strong presence in India and China. Defensively this is to your advantage, because there is now a second layer of defense that any opponent who wishes to challenge you for Australia must go through.

From here, do what you can to take Asian territories – don’t focus on defending them, just go for numbers. Make sure you leave enough armies behind to keep your strong presence in China and India, but feel free to leave only one army in each of the other Asian territories you take. You may lose some, but it is unlikely that you will lose them all before your next turn.

Build off the territories you do keep – perhaps re-inforce them if you so choose, but continue to amass troops and slowly peck away at the Asian territories.

There are three more territories that will be ultimately critical for you – Kamchatka, Middle East and Ukraine. The next phase of your expansion will require you to take at least one of these territories as a new staging ground.

Kamchatka is needed if your next target is North America, Middle East for Africa, and Ukraine for Europe. You need to take and hold all three if you want to have any shot at defending Asia.

If you are making a play for Asia, Kamchatka should be the first territory you should take with any respectable force. Establishing a strong defensive position in Kamchatka will establish a "wall" to put your back against as you push west through Asia.

As your position in Asia gets stronger, your opponents will work to prevent you from taking it. However, any player approaching you from Africa or Europe also has to worry about weakening their forces along those fronts too much, so it is unlikely they will throw everything they have against you. By securing Kamchatka first, you have blocked a player in North America, who is in a much stronger position to attack you with more force.

Risk board game strategies: Australia - Conclusion

Once you have taken and secured Siam and established a strong presence in India and China, there is little advance strategizing you can do – so much depends on the strength and position of your opponents, any diplomatic relationships you have established and your own strength.

What course you take at this point should be dependent on the game conditions, not your initial strategy. Australia favors the defensive player, but not one who is afraid to make any offensive moves.

If you stay where you are, you will last a long time, but eventually an opponent will become strong enough to break through your defensive shell and defeat you. Expand too quickly, and the defensive advantage is gone.

Playing an Australia campaign requires patience, as well as a slow and steady expansion. It brings to mind a turtle – not only does your "turtle shell" defense keep you safe, but your slow progress will ensure that you have enough offensive might to claim victory in the game.

Comments:
think that when playing for Australia, you should not take immediate territory there. Instead, only put one there and the rest in Asia; The majority of your troops will wait until someone claims Australia. When someone claims it (like in 3 turns), you strike.

The reason behind this is that the player taking Australia will have put the majority of their troops there and weakened himself everywhere else, reducing his income of troops; your troops in Asia will have some on each square and therefore get more troop income (no one will want to attack your troops because they know it is impossible to hold Asia this early in the game, this is how you have more troop income than the Australia player)

Then, when the time is right, pile up near Australia and strike. If you have cards, turn them in and wreck havoc.

This strategy works even better when you go before them because you will be turning cards in before them, you will have more troop income, and the you will have meat shields all across Asia to protect Australia.

Comments:
... is an unbeatable RISK strategy for games in which a.) 4 to 6 players are playing, and b.) with rising "book" values, which I call "The Melbourne Method".

1.) Take Australia RIGHT AWAY, shift-move all possible armies to SIAM. Likely, you'll receive 1 card.

2.) Attack NO ONE. Accept your additional 2 armies each time it's your turn, placing your total of 5 armies ONLY on SIAM. Don't worry that you're not accumulating cards. Card sets or "books" aren't worth much yet.

3.) As your opponents trade "books" of cards for initially SMALL numbers of additional armies, begin to pay close attention to discern which of your opponents has ALL the following criteria:

a,) has ALL of his or her remaining forces fairly PROXIMATE to your own.

b.) has been "WHITTLED DOWN" somewhat by other opponents' attacks.

c.) has 4 or 5 CARDS he or she will soon be required to turn in.

4.) Once you've identified an opponent possessed of ALL these things, you will now BEGIN attacking from SIAM, with a force numbering approximately 50 armies and make a BEE-LINE for the aforementioned opponent meeting the criteria listed above, and continue your attack until that opponent is defeated, at which point he must relinquish his cards to you, and you will now turn in at least one 3-card "book" for additional armies, and continue your attack on the one among the REMAINING opponents who possesses the greatest number of the same 3 criteria discussed above, and when you've defeated his last army, you're entitled to turn in HIS remaining cards for MORE ARMIES, and then you'll select a new victim and ATTACK UNTIL VICTORY!!!

This is indisputably the best RISK strategy to win a 4 to 6 player game with "rising book values" rule invoked.

Regards, The General.


Risk board game strategies: South America
by Craig Reade (stillontheshelf.com)

Risk board game strategies: South America

Overview South America is more than the poor-man’s substitute for Australia. It is identical to Australia in every way, except that it has two entry points, instead of one.

Many players make the mistake of assuming that a similar defensive strategy can be employed successfully, and opt to begin their game in that continent if Australia is too competitive. This is a mistake. Australia caters to the defensive player, but South America very much favors the offensive player.

In order to be successful starting the game in South America, you cannot establish yourself defensively and then move forward, or you will be trapped. You must play more aggressively and the map is structured in a way that is is beneficial for you to do so.

Risk board game strategies: South America - Initial Army Placement

Obviously you want to claim some territories in South America from the start. If you can only get one, you should do your best to take Argentina, or Peru if that fails. Yes – that puts you in a position where you have to fight if someone challenges you for the continent, but your opponent will know that.

Since South America is offensive in nature, you can’t win the game if you lose the bulk of your starting forces in a pyrrhic war over South American supremacy. Giving them Brazil or Venezuela to start with allows them an easy escape route, one they are likely to take.

After South America, you only have two expansion choices once the game starts – Africa and North America. It is impossible to say which is the more viable target until the game begins, but North America is the preferable point to expand into, so claim any territories there that you can.

You will have to quickly take and fortify Central America if you want to be successful, so it is a good idea to claim that as well.

Naturally you want to place the bulk of your initial armies on one territory inside South America. If your dominance is assured, you can work on securing your northern border by placing troops in Central America (should you own it).

Risk board game strategies: South America - Opening Turns

The first couple turns are critical. You need to take South America and have your positions in Brazil and Central America fortified as quickly as possible.

This is where the big difference between Australia and South America comes into play. No player has any reason to claim and strongly fortify Siam early in the game except a player in Australia. However, to the dismay of the player attempting a South American campaign, things are a little more crowded.

It is very likely that at least one player will be attempting footholds in either Africa or North America, and as such it is inevitable that another player will attempt to establish a strong border in North Africa or Central America. If this happens, your campaign will end before it began.

Locked at five armies for reinforcements every turn, you will be forced to divide those troops between Brazil and Venezuela, only to be unable to make an intelligent attack. Failing to take territories, it is only a matter of time before one of your neighbors hand in a set and overwhelms your forces.

So, speed and intelligent positioning are critical. Offense is the name of the game. North, or East? No doubt you now have the point – offense, offense. But where do you expand, North America, or Africa?

A lot depends on the game conditions and, like any reliable strategy, you don’t want to spread yourself too thin.

Of the two, North America is a better option. Africa has fewer territories that are easier to access, but Africa is in the middle of everything and is going to be a direct target of anyone who is stuck in Europe or Asia looking for a good place to establish a stronghold.

North America, on the other hand, is ideal because it is more isolated, and if you should somehow manage to take it, between the two continents there are only three entry points. Being able to defend 13 territories on two continents at only three points is an easy way of securing a good number of reinforcements – you couldn’t ask for a better stronghold.

That is the reason so much emphasis was placed on Central America during Initial Placement. Preventing any players from taking and holding Central America gives you the perfect staging point to attack the rest of the continent and secures the only path into South America from the north.

Risk board game strategies: South America - Conclusion As always, the game changes more and more as the game progresses. The three most important things to keep in mind when employing a South American campaign are:

1- Offense
2- Keep your back door well defended
3- Do not get trapped in South America
Ideally, you want to gain control of your second continent before the player in Australia begins to make real offensive pushes.

Once you have reached this point, it is a matter of addressing the current situation on the board and discovering what direction you should take to achieve the endgame.

Deck-Building in Magic - some lifted thoughts

Mathematically running a 60 card deck gives you the best chance to get any spell at any given time. I've talked about in a few other post but i'll say it again here. There is a basic rule when u start deck building.

[This is not really true, 60 cards is the minimum amount of cards one is allowed to have to make a legal deck and because of this is it is the optimal minimum. If 7 cards were alowed people would run 7 card decks.

Also 60 cards, being the minimum is the optimal amount of cards for 1 vs 1 tournament play where people start at 20 life. In multiplayer games deckbuilding is an entirely different ballgame. 60 cards becomes a weakness rather then a strength as a single game can easily take several hours and you will mill your own deck. It also becomes harder to have an answer to everything in a 60 card deck.

So yes 60 cards is fine if you have a single purpose like aggro or combo decks and you are racing. For control decks who try to stall the early game this 60 card limit becomes less important.]



It's Called the
Rule of Nine

This rule helps the deck have a focused direction and higher consistency and makes it easier to change as you play and test it.

First you pick the nine cards that will make up the core of your deck. Only 9. Once you have picked these nine you will have 4 copies of each. this will give you 36 cards with 24 slots left open for lands.

I'd like to expand the "9 cards theory" a bit.

When creating a deck, before selecting cards you'll have to determine what type of deck you are constructing.

Begin firstly by selecting 3 creatures, and 3 spells that go well with the chosen theme of the deck. Next chose 3 cards that you determine will protect, support or amplify previously chosen cards.

You now have 9 cards as a basis for your deck that should nearly be a 1 per 3 ratio of creatures, spells and lands. 2/3 of your spells should be doing what your deck is ment to do, and 1/3 of your spells should give your cards the advantage and speed required.



Also try to keep in mind the 1O1D guidelines. Magic is a game of resources - be it life, cards, mana or creatures. Your cards are either designed to take one (or more) of these resources from your opponent (being an offensive card) or either protecting (or adding to) your resources, being a defensive card.

The thumb rule of 1O1D is having a 1 offensive card per 1 defensive card ratio, making the deck able to be agressive and defensive at an equal ratio.

When analyzing cards out of this perspective, notice the cards being both offensive and defensive at the same time, such as "target player looses 2 life, you gain 2 life". These cards that both takes resoruces from your opponent while adding to your own. Simply put, these cards are "unfair" as they are both 1D1O in a single card slot.


[This is an interesting approach but in my opinion you are making it look far too simple. Lets say my favourite 9 cards all cost 9 mana and more. Playing 4 of each just doesn't make a deck. It does not work like that.

The important concepts of deck building are mana curve and mana fix.

These 3 points should be taken into account when building a deck:

- The mana cost of your spell should determine how many copies you play.
- The color of mana required should determine how many copies you play
- The importance of a card for winning the game should determine how many copies you play.

For tournament play there is a pretty basic rule that says if it costs more then 4 mana it better win you the game or it is not worth playing. Though there are exceptions to this rule it is a good starting point.

Mana Cost

If a spell costs more then 4 mana you should not play 4 copies simply because you don't need these cards in your opening hand (they will be dead cards for many turns). If these cards are part of a combo or if they are your only win condition you can play 4 despite their mana cost.

Type of Mana

A spell like Cruel Ultimatum is obviously more difficult to cast then a mono colored spell of the same converted mana cost. This should be taken into account as well. If your deck has lots of mana fix or you play lots of dual lands and fetch you might not care about the type of mana a spell cost. This depends on the meta game however. Obviously in tournament play like legacy where there is a lot of land removal even your duals won't cut it.

Concept and Aim

Rather then build a deck around 9 cards I would suggest building a deck around a concept, an archtype if you will. Do you want a fast aggro or combo deck that wants a short game or will you make a control deck that is able to handle any type of game. This is very important as a control deck needs means to stall the early game so it can dominate the mid to late game where an aggro deck most of the time does not care about the mid and late game and just wants a fast and efficient kill. This plays an important part in your choice of cards.

For instance I could make a control deck with a single card as win condition, a Nicol Bolas Planeswalker for instance can serve this purpose. That means I have a lot of open card slots to spend on anti cards that shut down my opponent.


Basic deck building tips

A good basic rule for a 60 card deck is the 20/20/20 rule meaning 20 land, 20 spells and 20 creatures. This is your template and you change these proportions based on your card choice.

If you play lots of spells that cost more then 3 mana play more land 22-26. 20 will be your minimum unless you are building a legacy tourney deck in which case this post will be pretty useless to you anyway.

Build in multiple victory conditions, for example a green deck with lots of mana accelleration can play a single Rude Awakening as an alternative kill while it will usually win using big creatures the rude awakening serves as a backup plan. Adding 1 mountain and a fireball to that deck adds another win condition. The more versatile a deck the stronger it becomes. Spells like Thought Hemorrhage, cranial Extraction, extirpate and the likes won't hurt you as much and you'll have a deck that is harder to predict by your opponent. He might opt to spend his last counter countering a creature that will kill him in 3 turns while your alternate kill can now finish him right away.]

After doing this you will have a "First Draft" version of your deck. Play with it, Play against your friends and at this point you may notice that the strategy isn't working or you missing a crucial card. This is the point where you may want to take 1 or 2 cards down to 3 copies to make room for 2 copies of another card etc.

Ps. If your going to play extended or legacy mana ramping is important the best things to do is look at tournament lvl version of the deck you are trying to build and try to understand why each card has its place there.

Now for the best Gf in the world that was actually talked into playing magic, god bless your soul.

A very easy way to figure out mana is to count all the mana symbols in your deck exclude the colorless ones. Once you do that you make a ratio and that gives you your split. for example:

Your Deck has 4 cards...
1uu - card 1
uu - card 2
bbb - card 3
b - card 4

So you have 4 blue(u) mana symbols
And 4 Black(b) mana symbols
This gives you a 50:50 split

so if you have another deck that has 9u:3b you have a 3:1 ratio so for every 3 blue mana you will want to have 1 black mana.

It may seem a little confusing at first but once you get the hang of it you will always have reliable mana : )

Perhaps you want to build a standard deck in the current format?

1) Are you familiar with the cards in the set - even if you do not own all of them?

2) Are you familiar with any current decks being used in tournaments?

3) What kind of decks are popular where you play?

4) What kind of player are you (this has to do with your temperment and personality)?

5) Are you familiar with the new game mechanics, i.e. Landfall or the rules for Planeswalkers, etc.

6) How will my deck win or what is its win condition? Many players actually do not comprehend the importance of this and in a 2 out of 3 matches timed event they play on, for example, against a Control deck which is happy to win slowly so there isn't enough time for a second or third match. So if you can't realistically reach your win condition save the time for a second and third tie breaking match.

7) Do you have a relaistic win condition and implementable strategy?

8) Do I know what the 15 side board cards are for? Have I written notes so I know specifically which cards to add and which ones to remove when I sideboard against a deck.

9) This is a postulate or general rule and applies as appropriate, but like the rule of 9 (4 x 9 = 36) which establishes your core nine cards and how they interact is good. You are duplicating how those 9 cards interact. For example, the 9 core cards in a Kor Soldier deck may be Kor Duelist, Kitesail Apprentice, Brave the Elements, Armament Master, Trailblazer's Boots, Kor Firewalker, Kor Outfitter, Kor Skyfisher, and Magebane Armor - in order of casting cost.
Some of the new comes into play effects of mana (Lands) such as Sejiri Steppe should be counted in your land ratio, although if used they add synergy to your 9 core cards. My general rule is the rule of 3. If you wouldn't at least run three copies in your deck leave it out.
Exception: The Mana curve by groups and outliers. I like at least one card that cost one mana in my opening hand, two that cost two mana to play, one that cost three mana, and only one that cost 4 or more mana in my opening hand along with 2 or 3 lands depending on the average mana cost of my deck and whether or not I am playing two colors and or have a lot of cards that require two of the same type of mana symbols to be played. So in the Core group above I had 12 one casting cost spells, 20 two casting spells and 4 three casting cost spells. So add 5 lands for a single color deck and 6 lands for a dual colored deck. Try your miniature 15 or 16 card deck against another deck to play test it. What worked well, what didn't work well, or did you discover any surprises? Make some notes. In the above miny deck I noticed that I didn't consistently get enough artifact spells in my opening hand so a ratio of 2/9 isn't high enough. So 4 more artifacts may be needed. A weenie creature deck has less land and therefore less of the 3, 4, or higher casting cards than a deck with more land. The Kor Soldier deck, for example, has no 4 casting cost spells.

10) Card advantage, efficiency, and time (as it applies to a card game - not time for alloted match). Time proceeds in turns in Magic the Gathering. Efficiency involves how many turns it takes to play your cards on average based on your deck design and card advantage means that as play progresses you obtain more cards than your opponent. Do you understand your deck from this frame of reference? Lets consider some tradeoffs.
If black plays a tap land on turn 1. On turn 2 plays a basic land then plays Sign in Blood - draw two cards to replace one. On turn 3 plays a land and plays blightning doing three damage to an opponent and causing the opponent to discard two cards for one card played. That is a net card advantage of two cards in three turns. But was it efficient? White's Kor deck plays a Trusty Machete (Artifact equipment) turn 1. Turn 2 plays a Kor Outfitter and equips with machete. Turn 3 attacks for 4 points of damage. Then plays Armament Master and leaves one mana unused and holds a Brave the Elements Instant. So if white played first 9 cards were drawn, 6 permanents are in play after 3 turns, two are discarded, and 1 remains in hand. Black playing second has drawn 12 cards, has 3 lands in play and has seven cards in hand. Black has 14 life versus 17 life for white. How would you evaluate this? Can black's card advantage neutralize the real threats that are in play? Equipment in some respects acts like multiple cards because besides permanently boosting the creature's capabilities it is attached over and over again like it is a new card. So if it requires two spells to destroy a creature wearing equipment then white soon gains the card advantage. White's efficiency is on par with black's card advantage in this scenario!

These tips should give you a framework for building your deck - if you believe a Goblinguide - although i cannot remember if I've forgotten more than I've learned about MtG.

In current Standard (Eldrazi, M10, etc) the "fetch" lands that fetch a land "untapped" are expensive - $10 a pop since it requires quite a few pack purchases to acquire them. But to reduce the chance of being mana screwed because of a certain color, and dual mana symbols in the casting cost of a spell, decks that want to run more than one color and be consistently competitive require them. In a Pro-Tour qualifier, for example, which has more than 5 rounds followed by a play-off (top eight, etc.) decks will eliminate themselves from contention simply by getting bad land draws in one of the rounds. So to play dual or tri colors in order to play multiple Plainswalkers, Spreading Seas, and Day of Judgement, etc. consistent mana draws are key.
For a mere one life a fetch land can even get a land during your opponent's turn. Hint- do not use its ability until you need the mana - so if someone attempts to destroy it (non-basic land) or attach a Spreading Seas to it then use its ability which will cause their spell or effect to fizzle which means they have also squandered valuable resources!
Of course MtG wants to sell lots of packs so rares are important to compete, but I support local store owners who throw in "rareless" Standard tournaments to give everyone an opportunity to compete on equal ground since most of the common and uncommon cards are easy to obtain. So deck design, how you play, and the meta game will come into play but everyone can build something competitive.
But if fetch lands are breaking your bank (they do mine) try one color weenie decks. But even when two weenie decks built the same except for lands (fetch lands) the deck that can get land out of its deck without it coming into play tapped stands a better statistical chance over a number of matches of drawing that card/spell/equipment that leads to an advantage which otherwise may not be drawn. So if fetch lands remove 2 of 22 lands from my deck when I want to draw a creature, spell, or artifact (equipment perhaps) I have better odds of doing that in a randomized deck.
After 2 turns a deck that used 2 fetch lands has this deck ratio: 18 lands/50 (all cards) versus a deck without fetch lands (or not played on first 2 turns) 20/52 is 38 % versus 38 1/2 %. That 1/2 % of being more likely to draw a land impacts play significantly and is generally worth the 2 life paid for the cards drawing advantage. And as more Fetch lands are drawn and played in lieu of basic lands that 1/2% difference jumps to a full 1 % or more advantage.
So cards that have dual mana symbols of the same land type pose a statisitical risk. The tradeoff had better be an advantage of another type if utilizing these cards in a dual or tri color deck. For example, a creature protected from the color of deck you are facing may offset the disadvantage of key card draws (top decking), especially if it drawn in your opening hand.

Some new ones are "totem armor" for enchantments or "levelers" in Rise of Aldrazi. Allies was a new introduction, which seems an improvement over "tribal" cards. Repeated mechanics or re-introduced mechanics include "deathtouch" and spells/abilites that "tap".

There are two way to evaluate them generally. First is to determine which sets and colors have the mechanic and how many cards of a color have the mechanic. Compare the quantity, casting cost, and utility of the cards. Which color seems to benefit the most from a mechanic. Black mages seem to benefit from the "cycling" mechanic, because not only did it help you draw deeper into the deck to reach a key card, but it helped you get key cards in the graveyard which is one of a black mages's methods of disrupting the universl rules. Generally, one or two of the five colors (six if colorless is added) has an advantage over the others for certain mechanics.

Second is to compare mechanics to other mechanics. Do you prefer totem armor over levelers? In draft, such preferences can be very important to help you draft efficiently. Drafting cards that enhance the mechanic that your drafted cards may focus around, i.e. leveling
can be advantageous. Venerated Teacher, although not a leveler, adds synergy by rising all your levlers two levels when it comes into play. This can save mana and time normally required to increase a creatures level such that its power/toughness/ability may impact the game construct. On the other hand Aura Finesse complements Auras and Totem Armor. It also allows an extra card draw.

I'm evaluating a deck built around the mechanic of tapping, for example, and a key card "sleep" which is only uncommon. It doesn't target the creatures just a player and only impacts "all" your targeted opponent's creatures.
My list has sleep, Paralysing Grasp, Twitch, Wall of Frost, Alluring Siren (creatures forced to attack have to tap unless they have vigilence) Tempest Owl, and Surrakar Banaisher (which returns tapped creatures to a player's hands & complements the mechanic). Can you add others to the list?
What static ability(s) or mechanics are a hindrance to the tap mechanic? Vigilance is a minor one (takes Siren out of the equation) Another one is shroud - fortunately Sleep gets around it since it doesn't target as I mentioned above - like Day of judgement "all" is the key operative word. Be cautious of cards that use the word "all" as they can definately be game changing or altering.

El Grande Tactics 201

Jay Fox's 10 Strategic Tips for Tournament El Grande

At the 2004 WBC I finally broke through the semi-final ranks and went on to win the El Grande tournament. Having had a long-standing affair with Kramer and Ulrich’s masterpiece, I feel I owe a debt both to my wife for the many hours (and days) spent apart from her while moving caballeros, and to boardgamegeek.com for the endless resource of knowledge provided for all games. I only apologize that it took me this long to write something.

So with that mildly verbose introduction aside, I offer readers ten strategic points that finally helped me successfully acquire "wood" at the WBC for El Grande. I take no collective credit for these kernels of wisdom. Many of you will be familiar will some or even all of them. But perhaps I can lend a different perspective that will help game play in a tournament setting, where in my mind the real action unfolds.

NOTE – I do use him, his, he, etc., in this article. Rather than alternate or struggle for gender-neutral terms, please assume the player references apply equally.

1) KNOW THE ACTION CARDS

If during a tournament one or more of my fellow players picks up an action card simply for the purpose of review, then I feel as if I already have an advantage. Nothing in the quest to improve your play in El Grande has more of an impact than knowledge of every action, and the frequency of each action in each particular pile.

The 3-pile contains two Score the Fives Regions action cards. In the 2004 WBC championship game, neither had come up through the end of round six. During that round, and then in round seven, I began taking up a stronger position in all of the Five regions. In round eight a Score the Five Regions card was turned over, I played my 13 power card, and earned fourteen points. At the end of the game, the final differential between first and second was twelve points.

Many players I watch focus on the Royal Advisor action for fear that it will ruin their well-planned 1 followed by 13 power card play. I hope my brief example demonstrates the power of knowing all the actions card, and planning on their arrival, particularly late in the game.

2) THE RULE OF TWO

I am forever indebted to Jason Levine, the 2001 champion, for the following tidbit of good play. Whenever possible during the first three rounds (and even the fourth occasionally), take an initial position of at least two caballeros in a province. Intrigue actions and the normal placement of other players' caballeros simply wreak havoc on solo cabs. That wonderful board position of four single caballeros holding the fort in four separate provinces will disappear before (in the words of Moe Howard) you can say Ticonderoga.

There are exceptions to this rule. A lowest power card play, followed by the highest power card plays often work wonders for locking up a very strong region with only one cab (see point 9 below). An early Score the Firsts action will often necessitate solo cab placements to reap a full reward.

But exceptions (and there are others) aside, those who follow the Rule of Two will generally find happiness. Those who follow the Rule of Two will discover that other players are hesitant to use intrigue actions to move two cabs of one player early in the game. And those who follow the Rule of Two will find that other players are unwilling to compete early in regions where they now have to place three cabs for a majority.

3) LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH

When playing El Grande, my mantra is the chorus made famous by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – "Love the one you’re with". Five player El Grande games are the equivalent of hurricanes, both in swirling confusion and the unpredictable. Short-term plans get things done in the game. Long-term plans are as effective as levees against Katrina.

It is easy to spot the violators of this rule. They often have 15 cabs in New Castille battling out their opponent’s 14 cabs. Or they are trying to make-up a 25-point differential in the last three rounds; but they are just so primed to play that 1 power card in round eight, followed by the 13 in round nine. Or they just gave up a nice Score the Region of your choice action in round four, because it would have given them the lead and you know that in El Grande everyone goes after the leader (see point 10 below).

Addressing the first example, if someone is stealing your province, find another place to roost or shut him out with the king. 2 points for the Grande is not worth a commitment of several cabs that could be working for you elsewhere. And so on. And so on. Each El Grande game evolves differently. Love the one you are with and leave your grand strategy outside the tournament room.

4) THE RULE OF THREE

Speaking of planning, it can be done. But my successful planning has always been short-term planning. And for that I use the Rule of Three.

In my view, El Grande is actually three games, consisting of three sets of three rounds, each culminating in a scoring round. Rather than trying to plan for an entire game, which I have already said is a recipe for disaster, my suggestion is to plan for the next scoring round.

For instance, after the flip in the first round, a nice early scoring opportunity may be available. Perhaps you can play a 11 or 12 power card, grab a Score the Fives and, because of the placement of the King and possibly your own initial province being a five region, suddenly you hammer home 17 points. At that point, Rule of Three planning says make the first three rounds a scoring set. Perhaps the second set of three rounds, you stock up your court and take up strong positions in two provinces, to avoid being readily clipped by intrigue actions.

Beware, though, that rigidity kills. Keep the blinders off. Round three affects round four, and round six affects round seven. The purpose of the Rule of Three is to give your game direction in the first round of each set, so that when you arrive at the scoring round you have not been wandering aimlessly through the desert.

5) PLAY THE BOARD NOT THE PLAYERS

In hockey, the guy who plays puck instead of the man often finds out what that little red light behind his goalie is for.

In El Grande, the rule is the opposite. Play the board, not the players. I have violated this rule more times than I care to admit (including the 2005 semi-finals where I was defending my title), and I always find myself well off the lead when I do.

If you are a tournament player and a known strong tournament player is sitting across from you, avert your eyes, focus on the board, or risk being turned into a pillar of salt. Almost all tournament El Grande games are 5 player affairs. Zoning in on one or possibly two players who you perceive as the main threat to your victory will lead to your ruin. Why? Because those two perceived weaker players now get free reign over the rest of the board you are ignoring.

Harder still is ignoring that strong tournament player if he is attacking you because he perceives you as the threat. Again, play the board. If you allow yourself to be drawn into a fight, the other players will be the only beneficiaries of your reactive play.

FIRST NOTE – Although this is a whole game strategic tip, if you and the strong tournament player are tied for the lead in round nine and far in front of the other players, you should be doing your best to beat the hell out of each other.

SECOND NOTE – the scoring track is part of the board. If the first place cab color has a lead of 25 points, rally your fellow players immediately.

6) INVEST WISELY – DIVERSIFY!

Financial planners advise that you diversify your portfolio. Piggybacking on that wisdom, my advice is to treat El Grande regions like stocks. Since you have no idea in Round 1 which will pay you the best dividends, it is best to choose a few regions and capitalize on your opportunities as the game progresses.

One early strategy that I have found works well is to take up one position in each of the region categories (a four, five and six/seven region). Score the regions make up five of the eleven cards in the 3 pile. As those cards are turned over, your resources should shift accordingly. For example if both Score the Fours are gone by round three, begin to take up stronger positions in the other six regions as you prepare for the remaining score the regions cards to appear.

I consider the Castillo a weak alternative for 3-pile diversity. Score the region cards offer maximums of twelve to nineteen points (excluding bonuses); the Castillo is a flat five. However, if four of the Score the Region cards are out by the end of Round 6, load away in the Castillo for the last scoring set. Such a strategy might well produce fifteen points (two Score the Castillo cards and Round 9 general scoring).

And although diversity works well, guard against spreading yourself too thin. Again, tournament El Grande is almost always a five-player affair, where a weak board position is difficult to reverse after Round 5.

7) LOSING THE COUNT AND THE GAME AT THE SAME TIME

In tournament El Grande, if you lose count of how many caballeros each player (including you) has dropped into the Castillo, you will lose the game. If you lose count of how many caballeros each player (including you) has dropped into the Castillo, you will lose the game. If you lose count of how many caballeros each player (including you) has dropped into the Castillo, you will lose the game. If you lose count of how many caballeros each player (including you) has dropped into the Castillo, you will lose the game.

Point taken?

Okay, sometimes you get lucky. But in tournament play, I prefer to rely on skill, and rather than be thankful when fortune shines upon me.

In 2004, I won my semi-finals when my chief rival (who was in the lead) lost count in the final scoring round. His miscalculation lost him a shot at the championship.

Point taken?


8) YES, YOU ARE PLAYING WITH HUMAN BEINGS

My father is a wonderful poker player. His favorite saying is "they play the cards and I play with them." When he sits down to a game, he spends a lot of time schmoozing the table, getting to know the other players. Most people love to talk about themselves, and my dad does a great job of giving them that opportunity.

By doing so, he accomplishes two things. First, he makes the game an experience where you actually learn about your fellow human beings. Imagine that?

Second, he earns himself a few friends during the course of play. In poker, friends are good. They hesitate to screw you (choosing instead to screw the a-holes at the table). They often show you their cards, even when you do not call them. And when the game is over, you shake hands, share a laugh, and go your separate ways.

Lets return to my 2004 semi-final. I actually needed two things to win. First, was the ninth round Castillo count miscalculation discussed previously. Second, was the neutralization of an intrigue action the leader was going to use against me in Round 8.

Rather than detail the action card play, let me instead detail the human interaction. Player X (not the leader) had acted rather supercilious throughout the game. During the game, I had befriended Player Y (also not the leader) who had enough of Player X's antics. In Round 8, Player Y, who I was certain was going to execute a power card 1-13 play, threw down the 13, took the intrigue card that I had feared, and used it against Player X. Even better, it opened up a 1-13 play to me, which I could then use against the leader.

In the championship game that followed, I finished not only in first, but also with a genuine handshake from every other player, all of whom I learned oodles (job, family, interests, etc.) about while we played.

Yes. You are playing with human beings.

9) THE BEST OFFENSE IS RARELY A GOOD DEFENSE

First principle – every power card played, every action taken, every caballero moved should in some way better your board position and/or bring you points.

To some degree, this personal rule builds off of point five (play the board, not the players). But the focus here is to have your decisions grounded in offense. And why offense?

Second principle – generally offense helps you and defense helps others.

Here is an example. In Round 5 Player X is the leader. Player Y is three points back. Player Y has selected the Score the 5s card. Player X will get 14 points. Player Y will get 11 points, and the remaining players get no more than 1 or 2 points. Player Y chooses not execute the action.

Select and refuse actions only as a last or unavoidable resort. In this example, Player Y lost the opportunity to distance himself from the field, because he did not want to give Player X an additional three-point lead. True, the example is abstract without a board in front of us to analyze. But from my experience, ninety-five percent of the time turning down the action in this situation is the wrong defensive move.

Intrigue actions are often misused defensively, as well. Many players see these moves as good opportunities to undermine their opponents' positions. Since an intrigue action often occurs as the last action taken (meaning the executing player has the lowest card), it should be viewed as a larger platform for offense in the following round.

Taking back-to-back actions (last in one round, first in the next) is usually one of the most potent plays in El Grande. Foreseeing them, and more importantly using both of them offensively for your position, will separate tournament success from failure.

10) THE LEAD

Players who gripe about being ganged up on when they have the lead should be slapped. Alright, maybe not slapped, but at least chastised. Give me the lead any day, any time. I would rather protect a 15-point margin, the try to make up a 15-point deficit.

I think the reason so many tournament players complain about the lead, is that they often violate one or more (usually more) of the previous nine strategic points outlined. I am reminded of a WBC tournament game I played a few years back, where someone took the Score the First Place in All Regions in Round 1 with a 13-power card and a well-positioned king. Obviously he was squarely in the lead by the end of the round.

But instead of point piling at the expense of his court and higher power cards, he consolidated, improved his board position, etc. In other words, he used the initial point padding as part of a balanced approach. We did close the gap, but by that time he was strong enough to complete his wire-to-wire finish.

Lesson – Bad play and weak positions ruin leads

It is true that the leader usually is the focus of the intrigue screw cards. That’s the point of the game, folks! But the talented leader should have the position to deflect the attack. Will it always work? Of course, not. Just like lying in wait behind the leaders does not always work.

The difference is the guy who built the lead has seen the action cards that got him there. The person lying in wait can only hope he gets the cards he needs to overcome the lead differential. And in my book that is a poor way to go about winning any El Grande Game, whether or not in a tournament setting.

SUMMARY

I hope some of what I wrote has been helpful. Please keep in mind these are just my opinions. Respondents are asked not to take offense or offend.

In the end, we do the best we can, particularly with this game. The WBC El Grande tournament has gone through six successive years without a repeat winner. And all without a die being cast.

With that, see you in Lancaster! J

PS – Feel free to email me with any questions or points for discussion. I love talking about this game. In other words, you are not imposing.


Jay Fox's 10 Strategic Tips for Tournament El Grande