Conquer Club

Step 1: Go to the game finder and search this:

Waiting for players
2 player
Sequential
No Fog

Step 2: Look through the results. If any are started by a higher rank than you, join them.

It doesn't matter if you don't know the map. Just read the legend and see what they are doing, since they probably already know how to win on it.

Step 3: Look at how this person is playing. They are probably better than you, so copy their strategy.

aka. if they go for Oases on the Oasis map, you should be doing that too. If they are breaking your bonuses before taking some for themselves, you should be doing that too... etc... etc...

Step 4: Go back to step 1.

I was stuck with a high score of 1200 until I thought of something:

The Neon Peon, a long time ago, wrote:Hey, I seem to keep losing. Maybe I suck at this game. Maybe the people that keep winning are good at this game. Maybe if I do what they are doing, I'll get the same result.

I got up to captain in less than a month, and never dropped out of it since, with three exceptions:
1. When I got premium and played a bunch of random games without stopping to thing before I took my turn in the next one.
2. When I left the site with just over 100 active games and deadbeated them all.
3. When I recently started 120 two-player doodles, and did nothing but autoattack my opponent until I ran out of troops.

For some reason, I've never managed to make higher than a low major doing this. I went to different types of games and have had no trouble making and keeping major and colonel on various types of maps and settings. Right now, I'm seeing if I can make colonel playing a majority of flat rate/no spoils games. I'd assume that the looking at how other people do it helps you learn other settings faster as well.

Best of luck.

The Neon Peon wrote:Step 1: Go to the game finder and search this:

Waiting for players
2 player
Sequential
No Fog

Step 2: Look through the results. If any are started by a higher rank than you, join them.

It doesn't matter if you don't know the map. Just read the legend and see what they are doing, since they probably already know how to win on it.

Step 3: Look at how this person is playing. They are probably better than you, so copy their strategy.

aka. if they go for Oases on the Oasis map, you should be doing that too. If they are breaking your bonuses before taking some for themselves, you should be doing that too... etc... etc...

Step 4: Go back to step 1.

I was stuck with a high score of 1200 until I thought of something:

The Neon Peon, a long time ago, wrote:Hey, I seem to keep losing. Maybe I suck at this game. Maybe the people that keep winning are good at this game. Maybe if I do what they are doing, I'll get the same result.

I got up to captain in less than a month, and never dropped out of it since, with three exceptions:
1. When I got premium and played a bunch of random games without stopping to thing before I took my turn in the next one.
2. When I left the site with just over 100 active games and deadbeated them all.
3. When I recently started 120 two-player doodles, and did nothing but autoattack my opponent until I ran out of troops.

For some reason, I've never managed to make higher than a low major doing this. I went to different types of games and have had no trouble making and keeping major and colonel on various types of maps and settings. Right now, I'm seeing if I can make colonel playing a majority of flat rate/no spoils games. I'd assume that the looking at how other people do it helps you learn other settings faster as well.

Best of luck.

I definitely agree with this strategy. My sole reason (excuse?) for not getting any rank is that I dearly love the 8-man game (way more than caring about rank).

I hate 2 player games. There's just something about them that doesn't work for me. They don't have that warm fuzzy feeling of a good multiplayer game...

So, I'll pass. I've no use for a bigger e-penis anyway...

well, it works, but once you hit major 2player games isnt reall the way to go anymore unless you know the map really well and/or only play captains and up..
the pointdistrubution is not exactly fair once you hit a rank of major and so on you will loose points even if you keep an high win% when lowranks can win one in 5 games by luck and still leave you points negative with 4 wins..
so at major either start playing more teamgames or grind the maps you know inviting people and joining, rather than just putting games up waithingg for peolpe to join..
if you get good at a map you can get to captain/low maor pretty easy 1v1 just putting enough games up there,,

if this doesnt work you can always do like most topranked players and play freestyle speed on nonbasic maps and reward anyone who beats you with a good old FOE

Captain by 200 isn't really that hard if you can play standard 4-8 man games well. Two of my buddies (in China) made 1800 before 100 games playing large standard games...I made 2300 by about 80 games with this kind of game selection.

Patience is the key if a new player wants to go this route.

1vs1 will only get you so far, about captain in fact, unless a player develops it into a farming ploy with a ridiculous win rate. Once a player hits 2000 the point gain/loss becomes prohibitive. However, the 1vs1 play leads more easily into dubs and trips (as they are all short games) while the large standard player has to really learn a whole new game when he gets to teams.

So my point is that there are quicker ways of reaching captain than 1vs1 play, but I am increasingly coming to the conclusion that beginning with 1vs1 play on various maps leads over the long-term to the happier CC player. I am one example (though I can think of others) who are limited by their very specialisation to playing just a few maps and styles...at this point (+2800) going on to new maps and taking on captains who frankly own them doesn't really appeal.

The reason I like this method of reaching captain, is that you will no doubt learn a ton of new maps along the way. After using this method to reach captain (it took less than 200 games when I started to use it, I am counting in the parts when I was a noob that just joined), I've never had a problem learning how to play well enough on a map to give a fight against experts on it in 3 games yet many others are saying stuff like Waterloo and Forbidden City make no sense.

And yes, like I mentioned in the first post, this will never get you to major. I think I spent around 50 games within the 200 point limit of the rank of captain before I realized that I might as well just start playing on different settings.

I think I made 2000 after 20 games played. Its not hard to get those first points. I personally thought I could make a much higher rank, but after an obsession with World of Warcraft I quickly realized that it would consume me. I made it in the start playing flat rate 8 player games mostly on W2.1. Now I just go for medals and its fine...after I stop playing public Terminators, Doubles, and Assasin, my points will go up. Its just a matter of knowing what your game style and ideal maps are and sticking to them, which I don't right now.

Flat rate or no spoils eight person games on large maps are really easy games for me to get points in. But I don't play them and haven't for months.

I tend to think either you have it or you don't at this game. My brother got to 2000 after maybe 30 games also.

The one thing I can say is other than a speed game I have never played a teams game with people I don't know. Playing a team game with people you don't know is a good way to lose points. When you play with the same team a lot, you don't even need to talk much. I've played games where we win and we say maybe 2-3 things in an entire Trips game; we are going to try to play some without saying anything and there are Trips teams that would hand us our heads. So random teams = very bad idea.

Hey I'm a major, and i just found a map i was good at(aor2) and i started from there. I picked up other maps too, like aor1, route 66, and WWII Poland. I used to be a cadet, mostly, until i found aor2, then i started shooting up. And here is where i am now. However, i did used to do neon peon's method for awhile XD

Best way to get to captain in 20games is.... Start as brig, attack out like a cook. Loss against ? marks. Easy, I think I could do it in 18games even.

I can probably make captain in 20 games or so from where I am now.... haha

But seriously, the one good thing neonpeon pointed out that is true if you want to rank is very simple. Play what I refer to as point positive games. Play against players or teams that have a higher point total than you or your team. If its 1v1 and you think you will win the game 50% of the time, then play people ranked higher than you and you will go up! Same concept for a team game.

If you want to get a little more complex then you can start figuring statistics on map rank. For example, if I win this game 63% of the time then I can play someone a little lower ranked as long as you run an equation showing that over time you still come out point positive.

how to get to captain in 200 games?! i think you should use Bogans method, as if you cant hit major in 200 games there is something seriously wrong with your gaming...(i broke major first time when ive finshed my 80th game... went below only once, when i played ton of assassin city mogul games... went to major again after some 150 finished games and i havent gotten bellow since... )

and easiest way? take 100 games to figure out escalating. then use another 100 to get points.

as anonymous said, after you hit major, 1 vs 1 games are usually killing your rating. and the first real obstacle is around 2300. i was there for some 3-4 months, and broke it one only after i abandon playing 1 vs 1. also, playing 1 vs 1 may get you some points when you are low in ranks, but you aint gonna learn how to play the game...

Yes, I know that achieving captain in 200 games means nothing. The only reason I used that is because that's how long it took me to get there so I wouldn't feel right putting a lower number. - kind of pathetic, I know. Took me a lot longer than most to get to the higher ranks.

The reason I made this thread is because there are some people with thousands of games that go to the GD and post "congrats to me for getting sergeant for the first time" and stuff like that.

But to be honest, I can't say that I care about my score with a straight face. The times when I did:
1. When I reached major for the first time (because that made me the highest rank in my clan back then)
2. When I noticed I was within 10 points of colonel, and decided to get back up there
3. The several times that I gave a quick boost to my score to join some nice colonel+ games
4. The time when I recently managed to drop my rank beneath sergeant (I'd never actually dropped out or it even with my occasional lux 1v1, doodle assassin, and other addictions) - Terminator tourney with everyone being lieutenant down... my colonel hat kind of made me a big target.

It really makes the game more enjoyable if you don't care.

The Neon Peon wrote:Yes, I know that achieving captain in 200 games means nothing. The only reason I used that is because that's how long it took me to get there so I wouldn't feel right putting a lower number. - kind of pathetic, I know. Took me a lot longer than most to get to the higher ranks.

The reason I made this thread is because there are some people with thousands of games that go to the GD and post "congrats to me for getting sergeant for the first time" and stuff like that.

But to be honest, I can't say that I care about my score with a straight face. The times when I did:
1. When I reached major for the first time (because that made me the highest rank in my clan back then)
2. When I noticed I was within 10 points of colonel, and decided to get back up there
3. The several times that I gave a quick boost to my score to join some nice colonel+ games
4. The time when I recently managed to drop my rank beneath sergeant (I'd never actually dropped out or it even with my occasional lux 1v1, doodle assassin, and other addictions) - Terminator tourney with everyone being lieutenant down... my colonel hat kind of made me a big target.

It really makes the game more enjoyable if you don't care.

i agree

I like variety, but i like points too. that's why i've played in efery single map here, and with erey single settings. Yes, every map.

I've never been Major, but i really want to. I found that in battle of iraq most of the time people join and doesn't now about it, so i usually capitalize it, and that's the main reason that i could put my rank upper Sergeant 1st Class.

But overall, it's hard for me above Captain; every loss is a huge drain of points, and to boost up again it takes more and more games. Some asssain games just put me on back on road again, with victorys that represents 200 points each, but is not too usuall. Team games , is a crazy thing because I don't have partners here, so always my team is random.

I found that higher ranks tend to play between them, and only between them, to care their points, and because they know each other I think, but doing a high rank as a "independent", is a hard thing to achieve i think...

freakns wrote:how to get to captain in 200 games?! i think you should use Bogans method, as if you cant hit major in 200 games there is something seriously wrong with your gaming...(i broke major first time when ive finshed my 80th game... went below only once, when i played ton of assassin city mogul games... went to major again after some 150 finished games and i havent gotten bellow since... )

and easiest way? take 100 games to figure out escalating. then use another 100 to get points.

as anonymous said, after you hit major, 1 vs 1 games are usually killing your rating. and the first real obstacle is around 2300. i was there for some 3-4 months, and broke it one only after i abandon playing 1 vs 1. also, playing 1 vs 1 may get you some points when you are low in ranks, but you aint gonna learn how to play the game...

I only broke major by my 2500th game... first half of 2009 i was mostly private, 3rd quater was mostly sergeant and last quater was mostly lieutenant, so far, mostly captain

Falkomagno wrote:I like variety, but i like points too. that's why i've played in efery single map here, and with erey single settings. Yes, every map.

I've never been Major, but i really want to. I found that in battle of iraq most of the time people join and doesn't now about it, so i usually capitalize it, and that's the main reason that i could put my rank upper Sergeant 1st Class.

But overall, it's hard for me above Captain; every loss is a huge drain of points, and to boost up again it takes more and more games. Some asssain games just put me on back on road again, with victorys that represents 200 points each, but is not too usuall. Team games , is a crazy thing because I don't have partners here, so always my team is random.

I found that higher ranks tend to play between them, and only between them, to care their points, and because they know each other I think, but doing a high rank as a "independent", is a hard thing to achieve i think...

For team games go to callouts where there are a couple of threads from keen people looking for partners. Find a partner and get challenging.

My recommendation is to take on the highest rated opponents you can, unless it's their specialist settings. Also in tournies you have better chance at avoiding being noobed or tag-teamed (and they're fun)

Here is what humble morsels of wisdom i can share from my heroicv exploits:

Step 1: Join games with 5-8 players, escalating cards. nice straightforward maps like classic. Don't worry about who the opposition is, play all comers.
Step 2: Dont waste your armies
Step 3: Gobble people up and take their cards
Step 4: cash them in and gobble more people up.
step 4: gobbble everyone up.
Step5 : Remember to collect peoples points at the door on your way out.

Sincerely,
Pickle

pickleofdoom wrote:Here is what humble morsels of wisdom i can share from my heroicv exploits:

Step 1: Join games with 5-8 players, escalating cards. nice straightforward maps like classic. Don't worry about who the opposition is, play all comers.
Step 2: Dont waste your armies
Step 3: Gobble people up and take their cards
Step 4: cash them in and gobble more people up.
step 4: gobbble everyone up.
Step5 : Remember to collect peoples points at the door on your way out.

Sincerely,
Pickle

Isn't that the strategy for ALL esc games? What other strategies do you have?

jleonnn wrote:

pickleofdoom wrote:Here is what humble morsels of wisdom i can share from my heroicv exploits:

Step 1: Join games with 5-8 players, escalating cards. nice straightforward maps like classic. Don't worry about who the opposition is, play all comers.
Step 2: Dont waste your armies
Step 3: Gobble people up and take their cards
Step 4: cash them in and gobble more people up.
step 4: gobbble everyone up.
Step5 : Remember to collect peoples points at the door on your way out.

Sincerely,
Pickle

Isn't that the strategy for ALL esc games? What other strategies do you have?

Get to captain in 60 games and try to maintain your score for another 140 games.

Seriously: I agree with what Pickle wrote, but I would add that Step 1 works with flat rate and no spoils games as well (and maybe even with nuclear). Not everyone likes escalating games.

Step 2 is very important in my opinion, it can make a difference. People with lower ranks tend to attack more than those with higher ranks. If an attack would cost you more than what you would benefit from it then just don't attack (or attack another region).

I think if you had never played risk before, it would be hard to make captain in 60 games.

I played quite a lot before i joined CC so that was an advantage. For me the key moment was when I participated in a cooks club training game. (I also had a lot of other games on the go). One really useful piece of advice i got was to be thinking who i can possibly eliminate right from the word go. Now i find that, if there is a player down to 15 armies or so on turn 2, i am already starting to line them up. And also i keep half an eye on any other players who i might be able to line up.

This strategy seems to work well on conquer club where 3 armies on each start location is the norm.
On other servers there may be random inicial placement, leading to less blocked situations whereby it becomes important to have a big army just lurking about to race across the board for a kill when the oportunity arises. But for the 3-on-each starting positions, access to a kill is tricky and u must work to get it from the earliest rounds, dont leave it to chance.

I learned this at the cooks club, but i dont think it is advice just for beginners. It could help u crack the higher ranks too. I started that game as private and ended the game as captain.
Probably if you can master the kind of third-party forward thinking (how can i stop player B from lining up player C etc.) starting at the earliest rounds, you can get further. But I am not very good at that. Someone mentioned earlier the practice of imagining you are each of the other players in turn, this sounds like good advice. Personally i find this easier to do when i am watching other peoples games. It does not come so easily when i am playing, i tend to get so focussed on my own plans.

The later stages of a game is more a matter of technique of maneuvering large armies around the board to make or block kills. I guess this is just a matter of practice. It may take more than 200 games to get the hang of it if you have not played much risk before.

Jatekos wrote:Seriously: I agree with what Pickle wrote, but I would add that Step 1 works with flat rate and no spoils games as well (and maybe even with nuclear). Not everyone likes escalating games.

Tis a fair point. each game has its own subtleties and strategy.

Jatekos wrote:Step 2 is very important in my opinion, it can make a difference. People with lower ranks tend to attack more than those with higher ranks. If an attack would cost you more than what you would benefit from it then just don't attack (or attack another region).

Yes. Even on a big map like World 2.1 i find it unnecessary to go hitting other players too much and will only break another players income if there is a very clear-cut reason for doing so (im talking about escalating card games. i can not offer any sensible advice on the other type of games cos i am not very good at those games.).

Speaking of getting (down) to captain:
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This is my "hit captain in 115 games with a 28% win rate" celebration post.

I did it with a mix of assassin, terminator, standard, and triples games (one quad) and escalating, flat, nuclear, and no spoils on about 11 maps:
Classic
Draknor - Level 1
Conquer 4
Supermax: Prison Riot!
Arctic
Chinese Checkers
Rail USA
Poker Club
USA Rockies
USA Southwest
World v2.1

reset my score to 1000 and I can do it under 50 games easily.

ha,Reset my score to 1,000 I bet I can clear 3,000 in under 200 games easily....