Good Glitch game

[Alvendor]

Me and ArtNJ had a very interesting game on Glitch.

Replay

I have FTA. We haven't met before so I don't know his playstyle etc..

1 - This is my most common opening on this map, it lets me apply pressure on both flanks. I put my soldiers just outside of his heavy's range if he moves it to bonus square.
3 - I move runner to check if he has boosted the heavy. If not I can kill it with my soldiers. It was boosted so now I attack on other flank.
5 - Many people screw up the defense on turn 4, but not him so I can't continue. The drawback with moving out the runner on turn 3 is that he can kill it just as he did. Might be better if I had put the runner where he couldn't reach it. That he had moved the heavy into the middle surprised me and I start thinking if I can punish it in any way. I prepare for a longer game.
7 - Note that either of us have much vision. I know he doesn't have many units on bottom. I plan to rush my soldiers for the back door of his base, but need a heavy to defend my base first.
9 - I create a runner to get some vision as I'm suspecting he has a scrambler somewhere. If I had been an Outwitter god I would have assumed he had a runner at the place he did (perfect placement behind frontline) and created my runner at turn 11 instead, unfortunately I am not =/
11 - Full flank attack incoming!!
13 - I realize I won't reach behind his base but can still dish out some damage.
15 - I can't finish him, so no point in sending reinforcement, just chip away at him and take bonus square.
17 - Took a huge bite out of his base! Also saving up for a bombshell.
19 - Want to put the bombshell in front of my double wall so it reaches his bonus square. Oh, and I have vision like blind duck.
21 - Moving out bombshell and notices he is attacking sooner than I expected.
23 - I attack his runner instead of the soldier that is running for the back door. I plan to take down the soldier with a well aimed bombshell.
25 - Oops I can't target the soldier, maybe I need vision? I move soldier to get vision. Nope bombshells can't shoot over walls #€"%#%!

It was a very fun game in spite of my massive blunder at the end =) Anything you think I should have done differently during the game?

ArtNJ will also give some comments which will be interesting.

[ArtNJ]

Comments on the game. Well played, but I think there were some minor errors which added up to give me an edge.

1. Good aggressive open, although the soldiers can be up one more as well. This way I cant see them, but I'm not sure it matters.

2. Its not safe to put a 4 hp heavy on the wit tile, but a runner is an alternative to this move. The soldier could possibly be deployed, but I like to wait and possible have more information.

3. I find this deployment a little questionable for two reasons: first, the medic is not in a good spot to buff multiple units, and two, it seems preferably to operate from the center rather than on both wings. I can and do box out the shark;

4. The 4 health soldier boxes out the shark, showing its misplaced. I trade runners so that I'll have a peak at his next deployment. The heavy moves over to be part of the closure of the middle and control of the center. Soon only the left wing will be open for attack. Notice that the heavy helps guard the left from its current spot.

5. The medic moves again demonstrating that it was indeed misplaced, and the shark moves as well.

6. I redeploy, achieving an admiral degree of central control. I feel at least equal, not like player 2 at this point. Attacking the soldier would have been premature -- if I flow into the center, he comes down the left wing and I lose.

7. Ok, this is something that can be fixed. You need to pick a spot for your medic where he can buff multiple units and leave him there. Things have gone wrong if the medic is moving for a 3rd time.

8. Deploying a safe runner for vision, and saving Wits for the Scrambler;

9. Good to get a runner out. Notice that the forces are really spread out...only the left side is open for attack, but the buffed sharks are elsewhere.

10. Deploying the Scrambler, but first I take his runner so that he wont see it deployed right away. Possibly I could have just saved the wits. I am now ready to go, planning to attack in the center.

11. Alvendor announces in chat that he is ready to rock and launches his attack a turn before mine.

12. The position here is highly interesting, and I am not sure I come up with the deadliest move. I dont think an all out center attack will work -- Alvendor will strike the base first. Probably the best strategy is to ignore the central shark, move the heavy over and kill the 3 health soldier. The brain then slides over and takes the lower 4 health soldier. The 4 health solider kills the runner and the 3 health soldier slides over to protect the brain -- 3 enemies eliminated and the brain is safe. Alvendor has no counter and is toast. What I do instead gives him a little bit more of a chance.

13. Alvendor goes for the logical looking and tempting targets. He comes out down from all the trades, but did he have anything better? Another key turn.

14. Forget the wit space, I have 4 offensive units to his two units. This is obviously a problem.

15. Alvendor should probably fall back and regroup to retain some chance at a comeback. Instead, he goes all in.

16. Carefully calculated...the shark is not a threat

17. Alvendor is all in, and tries the shark. If I have miscounted it wins.

18. I'm fine, the balance of power is very bad.

19. When massively outnumbered, a Bombshell probably wont help. The Bombshell is no Scrambler...some other try is probably required, but the position is pretty bad.

20. I deploy for an all out attack run confident that there has to be a win here. Skipping ahead a bit...

23. Is Alvendor right...if he ignores the runner and kills the soldier, is the position defensible? I dont think so, but having not exhaustively analyzed it I'm not sure. Sometimes I attack on faith, based on the sense that "there must be a win there". Alvendor ignores the soldier and the end is inevitable.

[nivra0]

Alvendor: You have a very aggressive playstyle that attempts to force your opponent to make errors on defense. I think the best advice would be to reassess better when your opponent shows adept skill at defense.

The first hint is ArtJ's initial defense on the right flank. You retreat well, but at this point you've lost the P1 advantage. You've moved your medic multiple times, moved your heavy twice unnecessarily, too. That's 4 wits lost. At this point, I would start going defensive, consider a bombshell, recruit a sniper.

Turn 11: Alvendor's runner kills Art's runner and sees the brain. Why proceed with the attack? You can see almost all his units(can't see the Medic and the two soldiers on the right side). His response can be predicted, and the result is almost always heavily in Art's favor. After seeing the brain, I'd retreat in the center, buff up the defenses, and keep enough flank pressure to slow down his push in the center.

After this, it's pretty hopeless.

[Alvendor]

(07-14-2012 10:06 AM)ArtNJ Wrote:  1. Good aggressive open, although the soldiers can be up one more as well. This way I cant see them, but I'm not sure it matters.

Good point, I should not be afraid of moving soldiers in range of opponents heavy if it's close to my base so I can pound on the heavy if it attacks.

(07-14-2012 10:06 AM)ArtNJ Wrote:  15. Alvendor should probably fall back and regroup to retain some chance at a comeback. Instead, he goes all in.

Yeah, if I had regrouped we would have been pretty much even.

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(07-16-2012 04:07 PM)nivra0 Wrote:  Alvendor: You have a very aggressive play style

Thanks

(07-16-2012 04:07 PM)nivra0 Wrote:  I think the best advice would be to reassess better when your opponent shows adept skill at defense.

The first hint is ArtJ's initial defense on the right flank. You retreat well, but at this point you've lost the P1 advantage.

I actually knew deep down that the opening I did probably wasn't optimal. But no one had beaten me before with it so I thought, what the heck. Won't do it again though.