Flat Rate For Beginners

[stringybeany]

I might add some to this one, but I don't play it a lot so let's have your secrets first:

[EmperorOfDaNorth]

1. Try to get a Red, Green and Blue card on the first three turns respectively.

2. Get dropped with 3 territories in or immediately around Oz or South America.

3. Pray to the dice gods, 3 times daily.

(But please don't tell anyone, I don't want the secret getting out too far.)

[EmperorOfDaNorth]

2a : If you're not in Oz or S America yourself, a giant slug-fest is likely to ensue around Oz or S. America, so build & fortify close to it in order to move in when 2 or 3 others kill each other trying to get it.

2b : If this fails, kamikaze on the nearest low-ranking player(s) because the game's over for you no matter what.

[EmperorOfDaNorth]

1a : In a freestyle game, join it as the last player, then check if you're anywhere near Oz or South America with more than 1 territory. If so, start your turn immediately and grab it. If not, wait for other players to start slugging it out for those continents and grab the easy '1's in order to get said red, green and blue cards.

1b: In deciding who to attack first in Oz or S. America, attack the player who has the most territories nearby, and/or the player who does NOT have options elsewhere. Like suppose you're in S. America, with Red and Blue also there. However Red has 2 in/near Australia, and Blue is big in Scandinavia or something. Then kill blue first.

1c: If this fails, kamikaze on the nearest Cookie because the game's up for you no matter what.

[stringybeany]

That's an interesting approach, Emp. Doesn't the kamikazi part tend to piss people off?

[stringybeany]

I'll definitely back you up on the "stand back and let people kill each other going after oz" approach. That one works in many beginner games of all types.

[EmperorOfDaNorth]

That's an interesting approach, Emp. Doesn't the kamikazi part tend to piss people off?

Yeah, I was making a slight jab at people who do this.

I never do, I think the points-whores shouldn't throw their toys at the nearest guy who'd make them lose more points, but hey, the main culprit is in the points system itself.

Ok, sorry, back on topic.

[Iliad]

I think you should concentrate on the flat rate part than on the map.

Generally hand in Green sets(8) or mixed if you don't have those wait until you do.

Always see cards and think about how many cards do the opponents have

[stringybeany]

....

I think the points-whores shouldn't throw their toys at the nearest guy who'd make them lose more points....

That's a whole topic all by itself. If you launch a thread on that one, it might be best to go ahead and start it in flame wars.

[Spritzking]

just dont attack at all... unless you are going to win... build up in 1 country and only attack countries with 1 army in it... don't bother for continents it is not worth it...

[stringybeany]

t... don't bother for continents it is not worth it...

In flat rate? I don't know . . . I certainly wouldn't obsess over taking continents but if one is available and you are strong enough to hold it I'd say it's a good idea to take it.

[Aerial Attack]

1) You want to try and get a card every turn [realize that each card is worth about 2.5 armies - don't waste too many]

2) Look at the cards you have, if not too heavily contested and close enough - try to capture those terrs. The +2 is nice

3a) If you get a red set ... on 3 Cards [you only have a 33 percent chance of getting a mixed set at 5, but have to wait two turns - try to improve it via step 2, turn in if two areas have bonuses]; on 4 Cards [you have a 33 percent chance of getting a mixed set at 5, and only have to wait 1 turn]; on 5 Cards [ouch, that's some bad luck]

3b) If you get a green set ... on 3 Cards [you only have a 33 percent chance of getting a mixed set at 5, but have to wait two turns - try to improve it via step 2, turn in if one areas have bonuses]; on 4 Cards [you have a 33 percent chance of getting a mixed set at 5, and only have to wait 1 turn]; on 5 Cards [oh well]

3c) If you get a blue set ... on 3 Cards [mixed set only increases by 2 armies - don't wait unless you can improve via step 2, even then you sometimes might want to turn in]; on 4 Cards [mixed set only increases by 2 armies - don't wait unless you can improve via step 2]; on 5 Cards [nice]

3d) If you get a mixed set ... on 3 Cards [lucky you! - waiting won't hurt your turn in, unless you already have a bonus too]; on 4 Cards [same as 3 Cards]; on 5 Cards [phew you got your mixed set].

[EmperorOfDaNorth]

Yeah, that's pretty much what I do when deciding to turn in cards or not.

Of course the actual situation may prompt you to cash 3 reds on 3 cards, like you got dropped heavily in Australia but some Rabid-Cookie Oz-Junkie is barelling down Siam.. all the way from Siberia.. At that point you're committed to Australia so you have to nip that in the bud: Cash & Kill.

In this case, getting a set AT ALL on turn 4 can be considered fortunate, and is probably an advantage you have over many others who don't have a set yet.

Also, 'apparent dominance' of a continent' will make some newbies give up their intention of going for Oz or S. America. Cashing and establishing a big presence may make them give up. Waiting to cash 3 reds just means getting slaughtered there and having to start all over again in Siberia or something. In this case I also prefer to Cash & Kill. (Or Cash & Appear Big) This is especially true for Australia; as soon as you grab it and manage to put 6 or 7 armies on Indonesia or Siam, many will give up their efforts and go lust after South America or Africa.

In such cases I also believe that 3 (on Siam) and 4 (Indonesia) seems "Bigger" than '6' on Siam and 1 on Oz or ther other way around. It 'Seems like' 7 (3 + 4) though it's just a different configuration of 6 - 1. (And objectively, chance-wise I think it's also stronger. 1's are always easy to push over.

[stringybeany]

some Rabid-Cookie Oz-Junkie is barelling down Siam.. all the way from Siberia..

There sure seems to be plenty of those, and they aren't all cooks. OZ junkies go way up the ranks.

I watched a LT just about eliminate himself fighting over oz. Worse yet, he ended up winning the game by being next in line after a failed elimination try.

Sometimes there ain't no justice.

[MeDeFe]

Oceania is overrated, so is South America.

It's nice if you can get one of those early on, but it's even nicer if you can get and hold Africa, Europe or North America.


Don't overestimate the cards, they're a nice bonus and can be crucial when you're just a few armies short of what you need to take out an other player, but as was already said, they're only worth about 2.5 armies each, attacking a stack of as little as 5 or 6 armies just to get a card is not worth it.

[RobinJ]

I'm by no means a flat rate specialist, or even that good a flat rate player, but I have observed that being extremely aggressive early on is often a big mistake. For example, if you have a mixed set at 3 cards and cash in and, as a result, become the strongest player by a huge margin, you are in trouble - everyone else just goes, "Uh oh... that guy is way too strong... time to cut him down a bit when I get a set." For that reason it can be very beneficial to cash in last, at least early on anyway, as in escalating, because no-one will have a reply to your suddenly much larger army count

[stringybeany]

. For example, if you have a mixed set at 3 cards and cash in and, as a result, become the strongest player by a huge margin, you are in trouble - everyone else just goes, "Uh oh... that guy is way too strong... time to cut him down a bit when I get a set." For that reason it can be very beneficial to cash in last, at least early on anyway, as in escalating, because no-one will have a reply to your suddenly much larger army count

OTOH, if you cash the mix and use it to defend borders or expand slowly instead of making a territory grab, then cashing right away makes sense.

I've played in a couple flat rate games where my dice were hot and mixed sets kept coming with my first three cards. I even owned most of the territories on th ecards. The game ended pretty fast.

I've noticed this occasionally (very occasionally) happens in flat rate games. Lucky cards and lucky dice together make an unstoppable force in those games.

[remydog]

Lucky cards and lucky dice together make an unstoppable force in those games.

In all games, I would think.