Conquer Club

What is the reasoning behind not taking a spoils card on the first turn? I've seen it done in both automatic and manual deployment games on the Classic Shapes.

I understand on automatic that you don't want to run your 6 into a 3 and lose and then have your now 2 armies be the feeding frenzy for easy cards for opponents. But on manual deployment,...what is it?

Right when i get a set, I just drop those 3 cards for a measly 4 and then I attack without mercy, WITH ALL MY MEN, NO ONE WIMPS OUT, The reason of 2 or 1 dice/die vs 2 defending is NOT SUFFICIENT. ATTACK, I say! And without mercy!

85% win chance with that strategy. I guarantee it.

On manual deploy, maybe they haven't got a clue??

In a 6 or 8 player escalating game, you might want to cash in your set last, in order to knock someone out with the extra 15 armies.

Trephining wrote:What is the reasoning behind not taking a spoils card on the first turn? I've seen it done in both automatic and manual deployment games on the Classic Shapes.

I understand on automatic that you don't want to run your 6 into a 3 and lose and then have your now 2 armies be the feeding frenzy for easy cards for opponents. But on manual deployment,...what is it?

Sometimes players opt to be the last to get that 1st card so if they are the last 5 card cash in it's worth a lot more than the 1st one that cashes on esc spoils. Flat rate it doesn't make much sense to skip a card draw. But sometimes they want to have a little bit of a pile.

It also depends on the drop to set one self up for an early bonus grab vs getting that 1st card.

On manual deploy nippersean's answer seems to be correct.

would it not be easyer to have that 1st card and then wait at the 4th? that way you also know if you have a set or not..

I think the disadvantage to that would be that once you have three cards, you may have competing priorities. You may need to attack something for position or to shield an eventual target, but that gets you the card you wanted to avoid. On an earlier turn things haven't shaped up as much yet.

Trephining wrote:What is the reasoning behind not taking a spoils card on the first turn? I've seen it done in both automatic and manual deployment games on the Classic Shapes.

I understand on automatic that you don't want to run your 6 into a 3 and lose and then have your now 2 armies be the feeding frenzy for easy cards for opponents. But on manual deployment,...what is it?

Good question. Here's your answer. In an escalating 6 player game position is important. I will drop 1 guy on 3 territories that I don't want to loose. I will also fort another territ that I want to keep. Since I only want to have 4 or 5 territs when the kill rounds start, this is perfect. Also, its hardly worth killing 3 troops for a card in the first round. In the second round someone should have forted, and I can drop on one of my 4 stacks and kill a 1 for a card.

Georgerx7di wrote:Good question. Here's your answer. In an escalating 6 player game position is important. I will drop 1 guy on 3 territories that I don't want to loose. I will also fort another territ that I want to keep. Since I only want to have 4 or 5 territs when the kill rounds start, this is perfect. Also, its hardly worth killing 3 troops for a card in the first round. In the second round someone should have forted, and I can drop on one of my 4 stacks and kill a 1 for a card.

This is true. 6v3 is often risky. Depending on the situation, I will attack once. If i lose 2, it's now 4v3. At that point I will usually stop attacking and wait for the next round, rather than risk weakening myself further and not getting a card.

The simple answer is cards mean nothing the first few turns. Armies and board placement do. I assume we are talking about going 6v3 for a card. Why go for a card 6v3 when next turn you can have easy 1s?

I like to watch new folk tear each other up thinking that getting a card the first round will win the game or they have to at any cost. I have never witnessed anyone win a game in escalating with a card cash of 4 armies.

Trephining wrote:What is the reasoning behind not taking a spoils card on the first turn? I've seen it done in both automatic and manual deployment games on the Classic Shapes.

I understand on automatic that you don't want to run your 6 into a 3 and lose and then have your now 2 armies be the feeding frenzy for easy cards for opponents. But on manual deployment,...what is it?

The same reasoning applies to both: If you're better off strengthening a terr or two than weakening "to get a spoil" then it does not make sense to attack; whether this is flat or escalating spoils. Similarly, in no spoils games, you may be better off building, even if the other player stacks right next to you... especially if you can fort for extra strength.

manual blows like the Great Blue Whale i'm in some games now and when they are over will quit the tourney so much for being buzzed and joining my bad but never again