You are out of your mind, if you ever use a castle as bait.

I not so sure thats true.
In one my games I took over a castle from an innactive
early on. However, for some reason all the walls and buildings were removed. Most of my kills, and exp in that game have come from killing off failed take over attempts. I built a barracks in the center and kept some troops on the side nearist me just out of view. I would let troops land on the castle and then use the 150% movement and 20% less damage in castle bonus to my advantage. A second castle isn't much more than a upgraded gold mine, why not use it as a preffered battle field.

Last Edited : Sunday, 27 October 2002 - 17:25

Rio-- do your best-- not worried about your gold mines-- have plenty of gold-- come on.

Well TT, may I call you TT? That may be the case in lower level games. Your opponents abilities may be somewhat limited. But if you use your castle as bait in a level 20+ game, you wont last long.

Don't take this as debate material, take it as advice.

TT is fine. Thanks for the info. But what fun is a game if you don't occasionally experiment? More importantly how does a vet go about setting a trap?

Last Edited : Sunday, 27 October 2002 - 18:59

If your going to use something as bait, use something that, if fails, is not irreplaceable as a castle. For instance, troops and resource bldgs. Split your forces, set one up to be bait, and when he attacks the smaller force, they run like chickens while the other force moves in for the kill, target pre determined.

The thing is when the abilities are about equal and the force about the same size, a simple thing like first strike can indeed give you the advantage. You can never win a war fighting defense. At some point you must be prepared to go on the offensive. If you pull your forces back to your castle, I'd simply take all the surrounding resources, zip through the tech levels faster than you, build a fwd barraks or 2 and some towers. I'd simply put you in siege. Very tough to break a siege without outside help.

(I corrected some pathetic misspellings)

Last Edited : Monday, 28 October 2002 - 11:46

when i take over a castle, i must have lots of troops. So i don't really need the towers. i usually sell the 4 towers, one barracks, blacksmith, training guild and marketplace. this way i get enough resources for a tech boost. sometimes i sell all walls too.
I don't use the second castle as bait but as place of regrouping and go further. nobody ever tried to attack my second castle...
would you try to take over an almost empty castle but with some troops in it and belonging to a strong player that is searching for his next victim?

Last Edited : Monday, 28 October 2002 - 02:50

An even stronger player also searching for his next victim.

CoD, lightly defended castles are what players take over first...so you're second castle would be gone if someone wants it. And the troops you had in it would be slaughted by a small slightly organised seige.

BigAmigo is right, use only expendable bait. I remember how he used his expendable units to slow down my main army returning to my main castle area, very effective bait.


8^)

There is more to sleeper strategy then just staying low profile and avoiding contact. Use different strategies in different environment, against different opponents and in different alliances.

Now i am in a sleeper slow game
Nobody wants to join the game and i wait there for a month already.
What if i quit the game before it starts? Do i lose points or something?

I think "Sleeper Strategy" can only be used in a normal game (not last man standing).
You can hide yourself by some players but fight anothers to get points. You attack only if you're sure that you can win the battle. Then if you are 1st or 2nd in rankins just quit the game before the other players see you
This way you get points and you're invisible. :p

I do this sometimes but it's not a nice game.

Last Edited : Friday, 1 November 2002 - 02:07

Personally, I would just stay "schtum" (quiet :-) and then only start the fight where I know I can win it (or have a veyr good chance). Which is sort of a sleeper play - or is it just caution? Where does 'caution' end and 'sleeper' begin?

"Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory."

Caution is not sleeper play. Caution is needed in all battles and sleeper strategy can be used in all campaign game. Only game you can't use is Battle's games.

Again the usage of the strategy depends on your environment, your neighbours and what turns it is. Surrounded by neighbours as stronger as you or stronger than you, it is better to be in a low profile. Surrounded by weak neighbours, it is better to go on the offensive and take over their resources. When to abandoning sleeper stand is just as important if not more important.

Yes! the usage of the strategy depends on environment neighbours and turn.
But i don't think a low profile helps when you have strong neighbors. If i am a strong player and i see a inactive or poor neighbor, i attack him first.
If i'm surrounded by stronger players, i search for NAP od alliances.

Also i think is good to start fighting in first ...let's say 40 turns. If not, all your first level toops will be useless and a waste of resources. It's important to rise some army of first level troops to avoid being elliminated at start but you must USE those troops if you're not under attack.

Last Edited : Saturday, 2 November 2002 - 05:53

"Surrounded by neighbours as stronger as you or stronger than you, it is better to be in a low profile"
-- genming

that doesnt necessarily have to be best, since it might also be wise to appear strong if you are weak(er than your neighbors), right? appearing strong might work best if you are in contact with the realms around you, perhaps. if you simply sit there without expanding and conquering, you might seem weak.

and forging alliances is also essantial, often. keeping such a low profile that you even refuse to communicate with your neigbors will mean that you have no real chance of winning allies ...

Last Edited : Saturday, 2 November 2002 - 13:21

Keeping in a low profile here means not being aggressive.

Yes, but posting on the forum "I am the best player in Game 5683 and I am using a sleeper strategy and being very cautious" doesn't generaly help

hahah

That's right CTDXXX

Sleeper strategy.....hehe...it has its weaknesses.....