Common Sense Compendium: Now with more General Advice

Share and discuss strategies for playing the game, and get help and tips from other players.

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Rigor
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Re:

Post by Rigor »

Wesnothian wrote:Nice tips and advices and such,
I like them very much and has helped me alot in the beginning.
But now as I look at it (because I got better) I think they are all basic to me
but they did help me when I was a newbie!

Thanks alot to those who've made these.

A little more advanced advice from my side here:

sometimes, when you are defending, it is smarter to make a roundhousekick to damage several units of the opponent, and killing none.at the same time, create a zone of control with about 3-4 units (one unit, two hexes free, one unit, 2 hexes free, one unit....form a triangle or a trapezoid) that will trap your opponent for the next few turns. because you are the one being attacked, you can pump units from your keep and send them to the battlefield with every turn that your opponent is trapped in your zone of control.

this works pretty well when you play daytime dependent factions, for instance pinning down a troop of loys at dusk and kill them all by dawn, plus all auxiliary troops that will try to break your zone of control. usually when your opponent realizes that he cant save his units he invested too much already and you will most probably have an advantage that will decide the game.
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ninjabolT
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Re: Common Sense Compendium: Now with more General Advice

Post by ninjabolT »

Great tips, but as you stated, mostly common sense. But common sense isnt that common anymore... :?
TheSilentOne
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Re:

Post by TheSilentOne »

Tmoiy wrote:
Vilan wrote:Likewise, if an enemy unit is close to levelling, attack him with something big to make sure it dies before it can level/heal.
I'd disagree. Taking "something big" to be a leveled unit, it would award multiple experience points to the target should it survive. Typically, two level 1 units deal more damage than a level 2 form of those units.
"something big" could mean something with good damage output, and there is also the problem of accesibility to your targets, you can't allways get 2 units to attack, so I think the advice is quite valid.
TheMathKid98
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Re: Common Sense Compendium: Now with more General Advice

Post by TheMathKid98 »

Another common sense mistake people often make in multi is allowing their leader the be attacked by an ulf. This may be a bit pacific, but you'd be surprised how many people are careless and let their leader get attacked by a full health ulf. It's always fun to ulf the enemy's leader when you're losing. :D
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Xandria
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Re: Common Sense Compendium: Now with more General Advice

Post by Xandria »

Especially Drake players should be wary about their leaders - sure, they're fast and hit like a freight train, but two spearmen or dark adepts can bring them down from full health to dead in one go.
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Yoyobuae
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Re: Common Sense Compendium: Now with more General Advice

Post by Yoyobuae »

Xandria wrote:Especially Drake players should be wary about their leaders - sure, they're fast and hit like a freight train, but two spearmen or dark adepts can bring them down from full health to dead in one go.
Wary? I'd rather use my (drake) leader freely. When my leader is killed, then I know I put him in too much risk. But without using your leader and dieing quite a few times, how is one supposed to learn how much risk is too much?

Then again, I don't ever calculate any CTK. It's kinda lame, IMO. I'd rather learn to estimate by gut feeling. It is far more fun than using some program/mental calculation to do it.
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Thrawn
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Re: Common Sense Compendium: Now with more General Advice

Post by Thrawn »

TheMathKid98 wrote:Another common sense mistake people often make in multi is allowing their leader the be attacked by an ulf. This may be a bit pacific, but you'd be surprised how many people are careless and let their leader get attacked by a full health ulf. It's always fun to ulf the enemy's leader when you're losing. :D
I would say that this isn't anything more than a specific application of the common sense idea of seeing what enemy units can reach your units. ALthough ulfing a leader is a huge example of the result of neglecting this common sense, it's an application of common sense, rather than the boiled down sense ;)
...please remember that "IT'S" ALWAYS MEANS "IT IS" and "ITS" IS WHAT YOU USE TO INDICATE POSSESSION BY "IT".--scott

this goes for they're/their/there as well
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Maiklas3000
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Re: Common Sense Compendium: Now with more General Advice

Post by Maiklas3000 »

Thrawn wrote:3b.not being able to be attacked
If you are out of the movement range of the enemy, you can't be attacked by them, can you?
In many cases, attacking a unit has the same distribution of outcomes as if the roles were reversed and you were the one attacked. The attack is the same either way if neither unit can be killed by this combat and there is no weapons special like Marksmanship, Poison, Slow, or Charge. There are times when you should move a unit into range of attack, while hoping that it will be attacked. On your subsequent turn, you can then retreat your unit (if necessary) and counterattack with other units. Beware doing this when the opposing unit has offensive weapon specials, especially Charge. Also beware doing this when the opponent can use a different mode of attack against which your unit cannot effectively retaliate (e.g., a ranged attack versus a melee-only unit.)
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TheBladeRoden
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Re: Common Sense Compendium: Now with more General Advice

Post by TheBladeRoden »

Pay attention to the damage calculations. (unless you are that quick at doing the math in your head) For instance i would hold off on attacking with AMLA unit if he has a greater than 50% chance to kill, and attack with my non-AMLA unit that needs the exp more if he has a greater then 50% chance to kill
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HomerJ
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Re: Common Sense Compendium: Now with more General Advice

Post by HomerJ »

I don't know if (or to what extend) this has been posted here but I noticed the importance of this recently.
A campaign player should always keep in mind that there is no need to waste 8-4 magical ranged damage (or any other damage) on a grunt that has 6 HP left. Unless you are in desperate need of the XP, or you have badly injured units in the reach of the grunt, just leave it alone this turn. AI will never effectively retreat it so that it will become a threat later. Just attack the next best unit and watch the AI suicide the grunt in the next turn. Weakening units is more important than killing in campaigns because of the (often times) unbalanced economy.


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ayearhasgone
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Re: Common Sense Compendium: Now with more General Advice

Post by ayearhasgone »

Some simple tips, but they can be real life-savers:

Before you begin a scenario, look at the map. If you take into consideration the terrain, and the strengths of the opposing faction, you can make an educated guess as to where the enemy units will flow. And using this, you can select favorable locations to engage the enemy. Of course your options depend on your movement points, the enemy's movement points, time of day, and so on...

Here's an example. When I was new to Wesnoth, I couldn't even survive the first few turns of the first Scenario in The South Guard. I was rushing blindly across a river to snatch villages and attack enemy units, and getting handily cut into pieces as I did so. After quite a bit of reading, I realized that holding my units on my side of the river would be to my advantage. The enemy would get the first strike and hold onto the villages on the other side, but they would be forced to engage me in the water. Even with this temporary disadvantage, the tactic worked, and I broke through enemy lines with no problems after using the terrain to my favor.

Another tactic that has helped me quite a bit is the use of fodder. It all depends on your income and current situation, but if you can afford it, fodder can control the flow of battle. Using weak troops to ZOC the enemy while your main force swings around the rear and attacks is a tactic that can work well. You can also use fodder to fence off favorable terrain and villages. Sending units on suicide missions behind enemy lines is useful for distracting the enemy.
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Reepurr
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Re: Common Sense Compendium: Now with more General Advice

Post by Reepurr »

I'd like to add a few helpful tips for players stuck (as I am) on Dark Forecast. I've seen at the end of turns
Spoiler:
but I've never actually won. So, bearing in mind I've never done this MP scenario, here's my tips:
(these can actually help with many co-op games, and people already mentioned quite a few, I see)

• Share with your ally - take all the villages on one half while your ally takes the other.
• Co-ordinate your strengths with your ally's weaknesses - say, if your ally was playing Drakes, you could play Undead (Drakes are pierce/cold weak and Skeletons are pierce/cold resistant); you can also do the same thing with basic stuff like recruiting spearmen to protect magi.
• The enemy mostly comes from somewhere on the west side of the map, sometimes north or south, so cover separate halves of the edge while you wait for extra spawns.
• Never let any unit on the edges of the map go alone if you're expecting a spawn. I once saw someone take that submerged village in the top left hand corner, a spawn arrived and killed their unit.
• Deal with the various spawns depending on the ToD - it's better to attack a Troll Whelp than an Elvish Fighter with a lawful unit at day, for example. (Trolls are chaotic and elves are not)

Hope all this helps people!
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kiraice
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Re: Common Sense Compendium: Now with more General Advice

Post by kiraice »

for example : If you have two attacks and are attacking someone out in the open with a 40% defense. There is roughly a 40% chance that both hits will hit. So if your enemy hits you twice, he's not getting exceptionally lucky, he's just one of about four men out of ten.
I am a newbie here and try to get knowledge from veterans, but this gets my attention what seems to be a wrong description. If I didn't read this wrong, it said two facts beforehand:

1. hit chance 40%
2. hit twice

Then he concluded an argument:

"There is roughly a 40% chance that both hits will hit"

Actually there are 4 different results after 2 attacks. They are:

1. hit-hit
40%*40% =16%
2. hit-miss
40%*60%=24%
3. miss-hit
60%*40%=24%
4. miss-miss
60%*60%=36%

Therefore I have my conclusion:

1. Both attacks hit will be 16% chance.
2. One hit and one miss will be 48% chance.
3. Both attacks miss will be 36% chance.

I don't think it is "roughly a 40% chance that both hits will hit". 16% chance is obviously different than roughly 40%, and which can be considered as very lucky. Don't you agree? It actually is "roughly a 40% chance that both hits will miss". So if your enemy hits you twice, he's exceptionally lucky, he's about one man out of six.

This is my two cents.

#2

Think over. Now I think i must read wrong. What is "40% defense"? If that means 60% to hit, then the description will be right again.
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Rigor
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Re: Common Sense Compendium: Now with more General Advice

Post by Rigor »

its actually not only about %. if one hit at a 1 hp unit strikes home, thats it for this unit, no matter what funny CTK (chance to kill) it was b4 it actually happened. good players know about the psychological effects it has when the other guy is forced to take a chance at a unit defending on 60%, or even 70% (footies, thieves always have this annoying 60% when on "default terrain, and a boost when on 70%.").

most units have 2-3 attacks, so if u attack units on 40% u have a chance to strike this unit that is 48%. thats like "50%" in your ears, while 36,1% sounds like "40%", what makes it so irresistible for most players to sound like "50%" again :lol2:. hence, hitting once is therefore quite probable, making calculations easier when your planning operation overlord inculding 10 units to move, attack, and occupy villages this turn.

something else that you should not forget: those % change dramatically when u are the one with the first strike. if a unit is down at 1hp, and it dies, you wont get your deserved damage with a chance of 60% because it can no longer deal it to you. campers, sorry, but here you are at a major disadvantage. and orcs and the undead can use their first strike advantage during the first night to take out many, many units.

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krotop
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Re: Common Sense Compendium: Now with more General Advice

Post by krotop »

kiraice wrote:If I didn't read this wrong, it said two facts beforehand:

1. hit chance 40%
2. hit twice
It rather said "defense 40%" which is then 60% chance to hit.
Don't trust me, I'm just average player.
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