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How do you keep it interesting.

 
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willpell
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 7:38 am GMT    Post subject: How do you keep it interesting. Reply with quote

Well, I'm back to spending money on a game I seldom play, and I'm okay with that; five years is a good long break, and if SFR managed to survive without my money all this time, then I can loosen up a little now that I'm gainfully employed, just for the sake of savoring that new die smell.

But thinking back on the olden days, I think part of the reason I stopped playing, other than my outrage at the removal of Charging, was simply that I perceived the game as tending to ossify. It seemed like the only viable strategy was to concentrate all your forces into one army, take a terrain, and then cast magic to kill the other guy's forces one by one. He'd then gather his forces into one army to try and take out your one army, and the game was just really dull and straightforward-seeming.

Is this problem all in my head? Or, if it exists, what do folks do to get around it? How do you pep the game up and keep a good bit of variety in it? Is anything other than absolute optimization (all-missile Amazons, all-melee Dwarves, all-magic Swamp Stalkers, etc.) viable when employed against the same?

I'd be curious to hear how my experience compares with others'.
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chuckpint
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 7:54 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the best answer to that is to look thru some of the games that have been played here on the forums.
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Deeghter
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:31 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah!
FIRST:
Just take a look at the online games here in the forum.
Dull "one-way-games" usually happen to beginners who haven't got the tactical and strategic experience yet.

Once you play against a more experienced player you'll find out that there's a lot more ways to win a game.

I REALLY can recommend taking part in the forum's online games.

Even though it takes a lot more time to finish a game in comparison to a real-life-game, it's still very enjoyable.
YOU CAN LEARN A LOT FROM WATCHING THE OTHERS PLAY!!

JOIN THEM!!!Very Happy

SECOND:

Take a look at Jim's "Tips & Tricks" section!!
There's a lot of useful advice regarding tactics and strategy as well as combining spells, racial abilities and SAIs.
SURPRISE your opponent with underhand plans he/she didn't expect!!

THIRD:

Section "Game Strategy"!!!
Check it out!
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eggsaladsandwich
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:57 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

In the beginning my group did the same thing (consolidate), so we made a house rule that you were never allowed to have more than half your starting army size at any 1 terrain ever. (ie.. in a 36 point game, you could never have more than 18 pts at any terrain during the game).
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cliffwiggs
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 7:46 am GMT    Post subject: Re: How do you keep it interesting. Reply with quote

willpell wrote:

Is this problem all in my head?


It's kinda a question of escalation, kinda a question of styles.

Mathematically every army comes down to an average and a standard deviation. Over the long term game, the army with the better average will triumph and the easiest way to raise your average is to put everything into one army.

Think back to the original warcraft. Get two armies with an equal number of archers. if you left them randomly target eachother then one side with win with only one or two units left. If you force one side to all target a single unit and then move on. Then it will lose very few of its units. Similar concept, specialization beats random.

However, you can get into a rut. At one time everyone played all common armies... then all monster armies came into style... then all missile, then all magic, then all melee. it varies.

Every army has an army that can beat it. So as people start playing all one style, then someone will play another and people will drift towards playing it.

I would've never imagined that a no-magic army would win worlds, but it happened (I didn't compete, but who's to say I would've won or lost?) so maybe we are shifting into the melee realm again...

Anyway, if everyone plays in the same 'rut', then yes the game can devolve into rock-parchment-swords. The trick is to recognize it and break the mold.

I've watched many people get stuck in a rut and imagine themselves against an unbeatable opponent as they beat their head against the same wall over and over. When if they would just do something different, they could've easily won.

It's like playing an army of all slayers (back when sneakattack was more powerful), you couldn't stand up to them in a traditional fight, but they could easily be beat.

so, I guess its just a matter of watching trends and finding ways to break out of them.
Cliff
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DEEPBLUEB2
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:08 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cliff wrote:
I would've never imagined that a no-magic army would win worlds, but it happened (I didn't compete, but who's to say I would've won or lost?) so maybe we are shifting into the melee realm again...


if this is in reference to Dan Burkley's Army...
I'm not sure it's fair to say a Fireshadow and a Dragonlord are not magicians..
afterall they both have a 4 magic rating...and I think Dan used 2 Fireshadows...
so that's 12 Magic health...I don't remember the exact army.

Trolls and leopard riders as well.
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cliffwiggs
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:25 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jim Rayborn wrote:

if this is in reference to Dan Burkley's Army...
I'm not sure it's fair to say a Fireshadow and a Dragonlord are not magicians..


Since I didn't play him, I didn't know the exact makeup. So let me clarify by saying that its not a traditional 18health mage army. He may have had units with magic, but not the same way that 98% of other players do..
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DEEPBLUEB2
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:31 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

Scott Cobbs 2005:
4 Dragon Masters and 2 health of Apprentices
Seems like the same thing heavy melee Magicians.

So a list of armies would help everyone.
I've been pushing for this for a long time...
BTW..I never saw your 2007 World Champion Army Cliff. Wink
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cliffwiggs
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:34 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jim Rayborn wrote:

BTW..I never saw your 2007 World Champion Army Cliff. Wink


Its posted somewhere... It was very similar to the one I won intermediate with. a slayer, lavaelf man/cav, and a smidge of dwarves.
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DEEPBLUEB2
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:36 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have pictures from afar...and the movie of when they announced when you won though...

any magic?
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cliffwiggs
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 9:02 am GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jim Rayborn wrote:

any magic?


of course.

50% magic. I think it was 4health of dwarf common and the rest mixed lava elf, but a little heavy on the rare.

the cav was mixed, but had several light rares as well for the counter.

people are so afraid of counter that they usually wouldn't attack.
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:38 pm GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

willpell wrote:
How do you pep the game up and keep a good bit of variety in it? Is anything other than absolute optimization (all-missile Amazons, all-melee Dwarves, all-magic Swamp Stalkers, etc.) viable when employed against the same?


I found "RISK" is the key to opening doors...
and then they can be shut in your face as well...
but if you a willing to risk it,
then you can unlock powers that are are normally not available.

I'll give you an example...
Igniter or Scorcher
They both have identical melee....
but one has 2 scorching touch shields...the other has no saves, but 3 maneuvers.
So if you choose the "nosave" unit...it's kind of a oxymoron...as you really want scorching touch as an arsenal when using Scalders...
so by choosing the 3 maneuvers instead...you become vulnerable...but at the same time you don't need to create a Calvary army to attempt to win the maneuver roll...thus going first , and banking on a melee terrain face.
Here your mages...at a Highland say..can pump up burning hands.
(More chances of Magic Faces...and Doubling Red)
Now the safe play is to use the scorching touch as a defense...but if you are willing to risk it...
you may win the maneuver roll this way...
then you can wipe out an army...or be wiped out.



So that is optimizing...but in a different way.
Optimizing Risk Twisted Evil

One advantage...it's usually not expected.

You could throw in a Charkin if you wanted...
the counters only deal.............8 damage.... Twisted Evil
They have multiple maneuver faces.
The Charkin fits the theme..(risk) as besides the deadly Counters...
it has no Shields.
So again zero Calvary..and High risk...but here the Charkin takes a little edge off the risk.
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dburkley
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 6:07 pm GMT    Post subject: How Do You keep It Interesting? Reply with quote

Jim Rayborn wrote:
Cliff wrote:
I would've never imagined that a no-magic army would win worlds, but it happened (I didn't compete, but who's to say I would've won or lost?) so maybe we are shifting into the melee realm again...


if this is in reference to Dan Burkley's Army...
I'm not sure it's fair to say a Fireshadow and a Dragonlord are not magicians..
afterall they both have a 4 magic rating...and I think Dan used 2 Fireshadows...
so that's 12 Magic health...I don't remember the exact army.

Trolls and leopard riders as well.


The army I played for the World Event 2008 was composed of only 10 dice (the Dragonlord and Fireshadow qualifying as "magicians"):
3 x Trolls
3 x Leopard Riders
1 x Filcher
1 x White Dragonlord
1 x Fireshadow
1 x Gold Medallion

Part of the reasoning behind that army was my inexperience with magic, so I stayed with what I knew and was comfortable with - and it worked out.

As far as "keeping it interesting", every opponent has a different strategy, and that will also vary with the army being played. I really like playing Goblins, but I've been trying out other races, and combinations of races. Jim "opened my eyes" to an aggressive magic/maneuver strategy with his GENCON 2008 Battlefest army; Cliff showed the potential of an army based on 6 Bronze Medallions; and Chuck's Feral/Lava Elf army had some elegant tricks I never saw before.
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ddicerc
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:39 pm GMT    Post subject: Reply with quote

The idea that playing "against the grain" can give you an edge against other, maybe even superior armies, played out in Nationals this year. Dan used an army similar to his World Champion, Robert used one similar to his WC army from'06, and Mike DeZearn had another melee-heavy army. Jonathan had the only missile-oriented army in the finals, and he picked apart the melee guys in the multi and then in the head-to-heads (2 wins, 1 loss). He had the army that wasn't like the rest, and in this case it worked to give him the title.

BTW, the semi-official term for bunching all your units in one army is :playing Canadian." In our home games, you're required to stand and sing the first line of "O, Canada" when you do it.
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