Singles Flat Rate Strategy?

[Ray Rider]

Hey everyone, I recently started a couple of singles flat rate games (Game 6272000 and Game 6309521) and found out I know almost nothing about the strategy involved in such games. I've played a lot of doubles flat rate games with Laddida, the best doubles partner on CC, but singles is a whole different ball game. I've only played 12 games like that, and the last one was about a year and a half ago Sooo I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips and advice on general strategy in such games, or direct me to a thread detailing some strategies on the subject if it has already been discussed.

So far I've realized:
1. Bonuses are far more important than in escalating games.
2. The first cash in or two can have a huge affect on the game (later cash-ins don't make as much difference once people have built up the borders on their bonuses).
3. Wiping a person out is not worth it unless they are extremely weak with lots of cards.
...and that's about all I've learned.

[rockfist]

I never play Flat Rate with Fog off unless it is a Trips or Quads game. Flat rate can lead to build games and having fog off can make it even more difficult to win because its pretty obvious when someone gets a decent lead and then the hog pile comes.

Even with Fog on if people are talking its a tough game. Two general things I would say:

1) Always take a card, except in very rare instances.
2) Do not commit your main troops to battle if you can avoid it until you build up a good lead.
3) When you commit your main troops to battle go all out.

[laddida]

Hey everyone, I recently started a couple of singles flat rate games (Game 6272000 and Game 6309521) and found out I know almost nothing about the strategy involved in such games. I've played a lot of doubles flat rate games with Laddida, the best doubles partner on CC, but singles is a whole different ball game. I've only played 12 games like that, and the last one was about a year and a half ago Sooo I was wondering if anyone could give me some tips and advice on general strategy in such games, or direct me to a thread detailing some strategies on the subject if it has already been discussed.

So far I've realized:
1. Bonuses are far more important than in escalating games.
2. The first cash in or two can have a huge affect on the game (later cash-ins don't make as much difference once people have built up the borders on their bonuses).
3. Wiping a person out is not worth it unless they are extremely weak with lots of cards.
...and that's about all I've learned.

strap it down and get ready for a long ass game

[Ray Rider]

strap it down and get ready for a long ass game

lol I thought you never came here to the strategy section of the forum, laddida

I never play Flat Rate with Fog off unless it is a Trips or Quads game. Flat rate can lead to build games and having fog off can make it even more difficult to win because its pretty obvious when someone gets a decent lead and then the hog pile comes.

Even with Fog on if people are talking its a tough game. Two general things I would say:

1) Always take a card, except in very rare instances.
2) Do not commit your main troops to battle if you can avoid it until you build up a good lead.
3) When you commit your main troops to battle go all out.

Yeah, I'm finding out that it's a much longer game than escalating, and it seems to be best to just sit tight and build up as much as possible. However in Game 6272000 we're down to three players and I can't just sit and build up because the other two are always trying to get larger bonuses, so I'm constantly using my troops to break them. I don't see how any of us will get strong enough to win, unless one of the other two does some stupid moves. However the new player seems to have a good handle on the strategy, and even the cook hasn't been making many mistakes, so I'm not sure that will happen. I'm stronger than the other two players atm, but I know that as soon as I try to take a bigger bonus or anything, they'll gang up on me--green tried that and we knocked him down quite a bit.

Game 6309521 has been working more according to plan. Pink always breaks Green's second continent; Green always breaks Pink's continent; Blue is getting stronger but Green and Pink have been keeping him in check; Yellow is struggling to survive; and I've been able to stay out of the limelight so far and just build up my borders. We'll see how long things continue this way though.

Anyhow, enough with the specifics. Does anyone have more advice for singles, flat rate games?

[rockfist]

You will take that first game...and 14 rounds isn't that long at all. Just be patient...Yellow looks horribly weak and Green is foolish for trying to take NA.

[the.killing.44]

Get lucky.

[Jatekos]

In Game 6272000 I'd take out the yellow ones from Europe first so that the neutrals can be used for defence.

[Ray Rider]

In Game 6272000 I'd take out the yellow ones from Europe first so that the neutrals can be used for defence.

I attempted to take out a few there, but had pretty bad rolling. I could have tried to wipe out green, but the odds were I could only make it with average rolling (and I've had bad rolling recently), so I decided it would be safer to wait since I'm in a strong position right now anyway.

[AgentSmith88]

flat rate is much more like no spoils than escalating. there's a lot of building and not much attacking, except to get cards. I would say play it like it's no spoils, but be wary of any bonuses you get because an extra stack of 10 may suddenly show up there.

[Jatekos]

In Game 6272000 I'd take out the yellow ones from Europe first so that the neutrals can be used for defence.

I attempted to take out a few there, but had pretty bad rolling. I could have tried to wipe out green, but the odds were I could only make it with average rolling (and I've had bad rolling recently), so I decided it would be safer to wait since I'm in a strong position right now anyway.

I have just checked your game again. Yes, it would have been safer to wait. Let's hope that Green has a good set that he can cash in.

[Ray Rider]

In Game 6272000 I'd take out the yellow ones from Europe first so that the neutrals can be used for defence.

I attempted to take out a few there, but had pretty bad rolling. I could have tried to wipe out green, but the odds were I could only make it with average rolling (and I've had bad rolling recently), so I decided it would be safer to wait since I'm in a strong position right now anyway.

I have just checked your game again. Yes, it would have been safer to wait. Let's hope that Green has a good set that he can cash in.

Yeah I waited for one round, but when they agreed to gang up on me, I decided it was time to go all out. I thought the result would be either a or b:
a) I wipe out green, cash in again, break yellow's bonus = guaranteed win for me.
b) I try to wipe out green, but don't succeed. Subsequently I have a larger territory bonus, green is left weak, and yellow can't attack me from his North Africa army anyway.
Either option looked good. However it turned out that I left Green very vulnerable to yellow. If green can't cash in, yellow will wipe him out, cash in twice (probably), break my bonus and get a large territory bonus, tipping the balance in his favor.

Sitting around and building up isn't an option when you're being double teamed. In retrospect, however, I probably shouldn't have gone all out but maybe rather just taken Asia and left an army in Alaska.

[Ray Rider]

Just to give a conclusion here, I did end up winning both games in the long run. I won on the classic map largely thanks to a mistake by a cook, and on the Europe 1914 map thanks to another guy teaming up with me against the strongest player. I still don't feel confident in flat rate games however, and am open to hearing any good strategies.

[PLAYER57832]

Just to give a conclusion here, I did end up winning both games in the long run. I won on the classic map largely thanks to a mistake by a cook, and on the Europe 1914 map thanks to another guy teaming up with me against the strongest player. I still don't feel confident in flat rate games however, and am open to hearing any good strategies.

Flat rate is always a fair amount of luck. How much depends on the map. A large map is going to depend more on the drop. The key is to get a lot of territories. On smaller maps, the key is usually to be the first to get a set (by wiping someone out, if possible or just by being lucky). Medium-sized maps vary.
Then you have the "odd balls" (AOR, Fuedal, etc.) the strategies for each of those is unique to the map and not readily spelled out in two sentences. If you really want more on that, pm me.