No Cards for Beginners

[stringybeany]

... you can find the type of game that you enjoy the most and seem to have a better grasp of, and find other players that enjoy the same.

That's why I gravitated towards 4-player escalating. For some reason my particular style works best in those games. I'm not sure why.

I've gotten bored with those games though. If I were just interested in protecting my score and rank I'd continue to to play only those, but it wouldn't be much fun, and if its not fun, why bother?

I think protecting your score can become a trap that steals the fun from your game.

OK, I'm way off topic . . . back to n0-card strategy . . .next!

[MeDeFe]

One thing: Patience, if you don't have it, you will never win (unless of course you sacrifice a 17 year old virgin at new moon and pray to the dice gods to grant you their blessing)


In a no card game you can win as long as you have one territory left, if you aren't a threat noone will attack you, if you are a threat, look like you aren't one.


Don't be afraid of letting others do your job for you, if an other player is holding a continent it can be a very good idea not to break his bonus, leave him for someone else who's more paranoid, maybe for the game leader, they never like competition. Sit back and watch the mayhem ensue.
In general: Don't attack needlessly

[EmperorOfDaNorth]

I think protecting your score can become a trap that steals the fun from your game.

You could try/buy another account and play different types of games.

(And before anyone yells, I think this SHOULD be allowed if it's out in the open and <obviously> you're not doing multi in the same games.)

Cheating multi's should burn in hell, but having/buying a different persona to play vastly different types of games just for the fun of it... I don't really see the issue; more fun for the player, more money for CC.

[MeDeFe]

A premium won't need it, they can play as many games as they want, and if the person in question does not buy premium it means more use of bandwidth and not a cent more for lack.

[EmperorOfDaNorth]

I know a Premium player can play as many games as he wants, the dilemma put forward by Stringy was the following:

---------

"Finally, after 3 months of hard work playing Escalating games on the USA map I am now finally a Captain!! Yay!!

Hmm.. those Escalating games on the USA map do tend to get a bit same all - same all.. It becomes a chore almost... Crickey, those guys playing Assassin games on <Some Really Fun New Map> seem to be having a lot of fun... But shit, I don't know that map, or the format, so I'd be like a newbie again! I'd lose my Captain rank for sure.. Oh No!!!!! "

---------

See, that's the issue that some people feel, perhaps subconsciously. "How fun it would be to register a new crazy persona and feel the fresh excitement again that I felt when I just started CC..! Play a bunch of Assasin games on Doodle Earth just for the heck of it!! Try that fun new historical battle map... Have FUN! "

See? It's not at all to cheat or anything. And because the player is Premium anyway and can do 1000 games simultaneously if he wants already, there's no extra load on the server either.

[riggable]

Quick and simple method for no cards:

Play the opposite as esc. games. When I play 4 player no cards(i do a lot) I always try to secure a bonus as fast as possible. Whether its 2 armies or 3, it always helps. The second step is to secure the boarders of said country. If you keep your boarders high enough that the opponents can't knock it out the next turn, you don't have to worry about rainbow set x factor like you need to in seq. games.
Once you get the boarders secured, the fun part begins. Your opponents should all be scrambling for their own countries to own, so do everything you can to keep them from getting their bonus. Remember, its basically a war of attrition now, and If you get more armies per turn than any of your opponenets, you'll eventually come out on top. Take over any countries with 1 army when you can, and just keep opponents from securing bonuses, and you'll have a very satisfyingly logical win

[Iliad]

Yeah. Because there are no cards and so no sets it is much easier to hold continents

[MeDeFe]

I know a Premium player can play as many games as he wants, the dilemma put forward by Stringy was the following:

---------

"Finally, after 3 months of hard work playing Escalating games on the USA map I am now finally a Captain!! Yay!!

Hmm.. those Escalating games on the USA map do tend to get a bit same all - same all.. It becomes a chore almost... Crickey, those guys playing Assassin games on <Some Really Fun New Map> seem to be having a lot of fun... But shit, I don't know that map, or the format, so I'd be like a newbie again! I'd lose my Captain rank for sure.. Oh No!!!!! "

---------

See, that's the issue that some people feel, perhaps subconsciously. "How fun it would be to register a new crazy persona and feel the fresh excitement again that I felt when I just started CC..! Play a bunch of Assasin games on Doodle Earth just for the heck of it!! Try that fun new historical battle map... Have FUN! "

See? It's not at all to cheat or anything. And because the player is Premium anyway and can do 1000 games simultaneously if he wants already, there's no extra load on the server either.

If a person can't have fun and have a high rank at the same time he's doing something wrong and should quit CC completely.

[stringybeany]

I know a Premium player can play as many games as he wants, the dilemma put forward by Stringy was the following:

---------

"Finally, after 3 months of hard work playing Escalating games on the USA map I am now finally a Captain!! Yay!!

Hmm.. those Escalating games on the USA map do tend to get a bit same all - same all.. It becomes a chore almost... Crickey, those guys playing Assassin games on <Some Really Fun New Map> seem to be having a lot of fun... But shit, I don't know that map, or the format, so I'd be like a newbie again! I'd lose my Captain rank for sure.. Oh No!!!!! "

---------

....

You are quoting somebody else there, so you might want to give them credit instead.

The idea is right though, when your mindset changes to "protecting score" instead of "playing risk", you've lost.

OK, back on topic:

[EmperorOfDaNorth]

Yeah, I was paraphrasing and applying some dramatic/artistic license.

[stringybeany]

Yeah, I was paraphrasing and applying some dramatic/artistic license.

oh, ok.

[Dvd Avins]

My firneds and I use to play our own version of no-cards Risk 25 years ago, but to stop the stall we put in other incenitves to do something.

Our usual rule was if you don't take a country when you're allowed to move, the following turn you get your armies but you're not allowed to move. It was bad (but not terrible) to be in that position, because your opponents could temporarily let their borders get weak if needed, letting them take more risks.

[Heimdall]

Fog of War really helps to keep no cards games moving.

[firstholliday]

90 % of my games are 'no cards" dubs or tripps.
A game lasts 2 weeks tops.

The good thing about no cards is, you have 1 less luck factor. So it will come down to skill a bit more. (however the dice rule)


It brought me to 2759 so i think it works.

In a classic map only aussie and sa are the conti's. You will NEVER hold another continent.

Same in every map. look for the small (easy) bonus and concentrate there. +2 in a no cards game is a HUGE advantage.

Have a nice day.

[EmperorOfDaNorth]

I don't agree luck is a lesser factor in no-cards.

Sure, the card element is removed, but in return there's the completely overpowering luck-element of the initial drop.. If you're dropped nicely in or near Oz or South America then you're basically sitting pretty.

Personally I think luck is less in Escalating games, where the card-luck-factor is also reduced because all sets are the same; So everyone gets the same bonus by turn 4 or 5 or so, depending on when they choose to cash.

And of course in Escalating, the drop matters the least. (As do continents)

[Shirls]

No cards games are my fave - and I prefer adjacent forts - the games can get long - but the strategy is so much more thick in my opinion - there are the occ games where someone gets the great drop and then the game is dumb but those are rare. I look at it this way - Esc Unlimited games are like MTV - and no cards adj games are like NPR - and yes that is a good thing in my mind. Key to no cards games is being comfortable attacking stacks that are much bigger than yours when appropriate to nibble away.

[KiwiTaker]

I got a no cards on world 2.0. It has stagnated a bit and become a war of attrition.

[loopinvariant]

My highest rank was Sgt. and currently I'm a lot lower than that so take these with a grain of salt, but I tend to only play no card games.

What I've learned:

• If someone is close to being eliminated, take them out at all costs. If you don't, they are going to fort up in one territory. It is tempting to leave them alone, but in 3 turns they have 10 armies and it becomes a real effort to rout them. Soon after that, they are a powder keg waiting to explode all over your country.
• Keep a strong defense. You don't have the crutch of bonus cards to throw extra fire power at your opponents.
• If you are playing with unlimited fortifications, on your first turn collect your chains into bigger piles, then use them later to overpower.
• Australia.