The SoC Training Academy and its Training Grounds provide basic training for new and old members looking to enhance their game strategy. "Train a Cook today, lose to a Sergeant tomorrow"
Yes, you are blocking yourself, but there is no way to avoid it and get a card. You have bad options all the way around. Do not feel locked into my advice, if you wan to try something a bit more aggressive, go ahead. This is a good time to experiment, because you have nothing to lose.
When you have a bunch of bonus monkeys in a game - and they cooperate as they are here - it is tough.
Map: Classic Shapes Type: Terminator Fortifications: Unlimited Spoils: Escalating Number of Players: 6 Play Order: Sequential
Round: 8
Cards to turn in:: S2, N8, F1
Comments: This round, yellow will cash in a set worth 12 and it's pretty evident he'll want to use that to take me out. I know he'll be stronger in taking Europe if I don't defend against his expansion, but it'd be pretty devastating to lose that stack. I can't imagine that pink, with that 14-army stack would idly stand by and let yellow hold Europe. I think I've done my job there long enough. Time to back out. 2 on E6, 1 on F1... take A2. In the long run, yellow might be a good target to take out. I'm wondering if I should begin edging my stack in North America over towards N3 as well.
OK, giving yellow the Es will lose the game for you. In fact, the other players are such wimps in this game there is unlikely any good result. I would deploy 1 each on E6, F1, and N5 then attack N2 and no advance. Hopefully yellow will take teal for the points. If yelllow takes you from the Es, we can reevaluate next turn.
Looks good. I agree you need to get out of the way in Europe now. No sense in losing that pile right now. I think NA will be next round if the board doesn't change too much.
Yellow can take teal with a cash in and the use of E1. Regardless, if yellow just take the bonus, and none of the other players take teal outside the bonus, which they have been doing so far, you are toast anyway.
Should I listen to the 1st class Sergeant or the Captain.
I really don't think it will occur to yellow to go after cyan. He's not set up for it as indicated in Asia by his unconsolidated adjacent territories. I think I'm just asking for it if I stay in Europe. I think I would be better off stepping back.
Ahh. My apologies to MPJH. I think too slow. While I was formulating my thoughts you two were having a nice little conversation without me knowing it. Sorry for the confusion.
I took dhallmeyer/my original position because I think I will try and take teal next turn as my spoils will be worth at least 20... then I will have spoils the following turn worth at least 25. Losing that stack in Europe would take away my chance of eliminating any player in the foreseeable future. We'll see what happens. Anyway, I appreciate all your help, mpjh. That move in my other game this morning was awesome advice
Thanks for your help too, dhallmeyer.
Another question as well... What are your thoughts as far as using the Game Chat to spur other players into action? I find that sometimes it backfires. I would like to say something like, "Hey pink, why don't you help out in Europe!"
I've found that the game chat is unreliable in spurring others to action(or inaction), but always worth a shot. just be sure to be polite, or else it may come back to get you later in the game.
Map: Classic Shapes Type: Terminator Fortifications: Unlimited Spoils: Escalating Number of Players: 6 Play Order: Sequential
Round: 9
Cards to turn in:FULL SET (worth 20) : S2, N8, F1, N2
Comments: So, things didn't go too bad. Yellow took Europe as expected after I backed out, but red spent most of his spoils removing yellow in E7. I believe I have the ability to take out cyan or green this turn. I think green is the best option, because he has 4 cards while cyan only has 3. That way, I'll cash in the second set during the turn and have the ability to fortify all my positions. So, I will put 6 on N5 and the rest on A2, eliminate green AND cyan in Asia and green in North America. Who knows, I may be a contender after all.
I couldn't wait any longer. Was too excited about the chance. I eliminated green and cyan and started working on yellow and got two extra sets along the way. Things are looking up in this game. Seems like my good game and my bad game just switched. Its all in the cards and timing it seems.
Map: Classic Shapes Type: Terminator Fortifications: Unlimited Spoils: Escalating Number of Players: 6 Play Order: Sequential
Round: 10
Cards:: S2, N7, A3
Comments: Yellow seems to have given up hope. He skipped his last turn, making it even easier for me to eliminate him now. With my stacks in Africa and North America, I will attack E3 and E1 but will not advance any remaining troops. I will use my stack in A2 to take (in this order) E6, E5, E2, E4. I will then judge, depending on how my troops fare and how my spoils stack up, whether to try and take out pink or red or whether to fortify for next turn.
The numbers stacked up right, but the dice failed me in the end. I lost 10 armies trying to take out 2 in N6. Really wanted to get pink's points in the end. But, oh well, 3 out of 5 players isn't so bad.
I did use soft attack, but I was at the point where if I couldn't finish taking out red, I knew pink would take the game, so I had to give it all I could.