Escalating Strategy

[Downey]

If you have the opportunity to grab a bonus early on, is it good to take it or is it better just to spread yourself out as much as humanly possible?

[Shatners Bassoon]

Personally i never go for bonus's in escalating,the only exceptions to that would be if i had 3 out of 4 terts on a small continent like Oz or South America or on one of the complex maps like Waterloo where you can pick up bonus's for holding single terts or three flags etc which are dotted about the map.

[Timminz]

If you'd like to see how going for continents works, in a large (6-8 player) escalating game, just go back to the game you and I were in the other day. Everyone (other than me) was going for continents, and I killed you all in round 5. Stay strong, in multiple locations around the map, and when you have the right combination of cash-in value, cards on the board, and position, you will be able to sweep the map in one turn. Of course, I've simplified the strategy a whole lot for you here, but that's the gist of it.

[Downey]

If you'd like to see how going for continents works, in a large (6-8 player) escalating game, just go back to the game you and I were in the other day. Everyone (other than me) was going for continents, and I killed you all in round 5. Stay strong, in multiple locations around the map, and when you have the right combination of cash-in value, cards on the board, and position, you will be able to sweep the map in one turn. Of course, I've simplified the strategy a whole lot for you here, but that's the gist of it.

Yeah, me and one of the other guys in the thread were talking on MSN about how much you owned all of us.

Thanks Tim!

[Phlaim]

If you have the opportunity to grab a bonus early on, is it good to take it or is it better just to spread yourself out as much as humanly possible?

For me, it depends on the drop. If you got a shit drop and own 2 in SA/Aussie then I would go for the continent. If I had good drop with a nice spread I wouldn't.
If I get to take my turn before anyone has deployed in the continent I try to grab so I have at least 3 terrs in there. Then I can take the last one in round 2. I'd also try some diplomacy to get the people in the continent to move out. If you're saying you gotta go for the continent then a decent player is gonna move out since he doesn't want to lose armies.
However, if you fail, or the players is trying to stop you from taking the continent, then don't try. It's better to focus on the spread then.

Remember that a continent should give you an advantage in the armycount, not a disadvantage. That means you have to waste as little as possible and get the continent fast before the cards go up in value.

[prismsaber]

Don't listen to him ^^^ he makes his points off noob farming. Never ever go for a bonus in a 6 man + esc game. The only time it can be justified is if you have 3/4 territories (in classic australia) and the guy who owns the fourth territory has 3 men or less on it. This so rarely happens just forget about it. If you have, say 2 territories, just fort your men onto 1 and use that area to get your cards. If playing with inexperienced players you may have to engage in diplomacy so that they won't do something stupid like try to take australia themselves. Otherwise, you just want to expand and make sure you have access to the entire map as well as take control of key territories (only attacking 1's of course). Key territories is defined as something like the former Siberia or Ontario (territories that are connected to many others) as well as blocking territories (if you have a stack on Siam no one is getting through into Australia).

[Timminz]

(if you have a stack on Siam no one is getting through into Australia).

This only applies when playing games entirely with players who know what they're doing (ie, people who don't go for continents in escalating games). As soon as 1 or more other people are playing, they might start running over blocks, for no real reason. being able to guess properly, what your opponents are going to do is VERY helpful.

[prismsaber]

(if you have a stack on Siam no one is getting through into Australia).

This only applies when playing games entirely with players who know what they're doing (ie, people who don't go for continents in escalating games). As soon as 1 or more other people are playing, they might start running over blocks, for no real reason. being able to guess properly, what your opponents are going to do is VERY helpful.

I agree and this is why earlier in my post I said that you may have to use diplomacy to make sure you don't get screwed. I guess the best piece of advice one can give to succeed in these low level escalating games is to stay far away from the biggest noobs and be ready to clean up the mess when they inevitably screw up.

[Timminz]

(if you have a stack on Siam no one is getting through into Australia).

This only applies when playing games entirely with players who know what they're doing (ie, people who don't go for continents in escalating games). As soon as 1 or more other people are playing, they might start running over blocks, for no real reason. being able to guess properly, what your opponents are going to do is VERY helpful.

I agree and this is why earlier in my post I said that you may have to use diplomacy to make sure you don't get screwed. I guess the best piece of advice one can give to succeed in these low level escalating games is to stay far away from the biggest noobs and be ready to clean up the mess when they inevitably screw up.

haha! It's funny because it's true. Staying out of Australia, SA, or whatever continent someone looks like they might go for, also does wonders,

[Phlaim]

Just cuz a lot of my points come from farming doesn't mean I'm a bad escalating player.

If you have, say 2 territories, just fort your men onto 1 and use that area to get your cards.

That's what I mostly do, but if my drop sucks, like having all my other terrs in asia for example, then I would go for the continent.

[Phlaim]

I guess the best piece of advice one can give to succeed in these low level escalating games is to stay far away from the biggest noobs and be ready to clean up the mess when they inevitably screw up.

lol, so true.

[Paddy The Cat]

going for bonuses is never a good idea it makes the game a crapshoot.

if you have all territories but 1 in a relatively small bonuses and feel like taking a shot go ahead, if you get it in the first round it will help you, no doubt, but even thats not a good idea if your playing with noobs because then they will more than likely spend the next 4 rounds trying to break you...

rarely do it... just collect cards and stay strong

[Iron Butterfly]

I have learned in my limited experience that bonus territory is not needed for the win and in a cook/enlisted game it is a magnet for trouble.

On the other hand just the other day I lost a stupid game because all the 1 stripers went for the cont bonus and knocked my stacks out od SA, US and Aust.

I love that feeling of running through all the bonus holders and massive piles folks think will save them when on a roll.

There is a different set of rules when playing more experienced players versus what I call the noobie players who play like the board game. Know your opponent and adjust.

[Misiek]

Don't listen to him ^^^ he makes his points off noob farming. Never ever go for a bonus in a 6 man + esc game. The only time it can be justified is if you have 3/4 territories (in classic australia) and the guy who owns the fourth territory has 3 men or less on it. This so rarely happens just forget about it. If you have, say 2 territories, just fort your men onto 1 and use that area to get your cards. If playing with inexperienced players you may have to engage in diplomacy so that they won't do something stupid like try to take australia themselves. Otherwise, you just want to expand and make sure you have access to the entire map as well as take control of key territories (only attacking 1's of course). Key territories is defined as something like the former Siberia or Ontario (territories that are connected to many others) as well as blocking territories (if you have a stack on Siam no one is getting through into Australia).

I completely agree with this. It was hard for me to understand that at first and I lost alot of games, but once i picked up on the strategy, it was easier to see what was going on on the board. Good point about key territories.

[FabledIntegral]

If you have the opportunity to grab a bonus early on, is it good to take it or is it better just to spread yourself out as much as humanly possible?

If there are 4 players or less and you're on a moderate sized map such as classic - Africa/South America/Oceania and potentially Europe (more so in freestyle than escalating) are alright choices. I wouldn't recommend trying for NA or Asia (nor Europe usually).

On a larger map such as 2.1, I'd say taking continents is worth it even in 8 players, although you'd probably not go beyond a 15 bonus unless they are insanely easy to maintain. In those games it pays off to throw down a 5 or something on a country like the Carribean, which isn't a part of a bonus and shouldn't be targeted (assuming you went for somewhere like Africa). Being spread out in escalating is key.