The escalating game is about to finish up, and I loved those settings (not just because I'm going to win
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It's kind of like reverse fog of war....you get a lot MORE info than normal. You get to see your opponents maneuvering about for position, which is normally not possible in escalating because you have to protect people so much. You also get to make large attacks without fear of hanging someone so you can use strategies that never get employed in regular escalating.
The whole thing is slower paced- watching troops advance, waiting for the right time to strike, etc. And it doesn't seem to be as dependent on luck because having a set with 3 cards or missing a set with 4 cards is not likely to change the game. Cash in order no longer matters, board position and strategy become much more dominant.
I would like to see a high ranking adjacent attack game just to make sure it doesn't turn into a protective stale mate.