Strategy: Pillbox "windfalls"

From: fprefect@ambrosiasw.spamproof.com (Matt Slot)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bolo
Subject: Strategy: Pillbox "windfalls"
Date: 7 Nov 1997 09:36:07 GMT

Most of the better players will carry a pill or 2 as a handy tool when the opportunity arises. If you can catch such a player offguard, especially after taking down other pills, you can earn yourself a handful of pills. What do you do with them?

The best case scenario is that you are in/near the enemy backfield, and have free reign to spike and rape. You have certain options here: spike them out, claim a signficant corner or area, or plant them on the enemy side of a pill war you've been fighting.

• Spike them out - If you have enough boxes to span the spaces between *all* their bases, then do so. If you don't have enough to spike or rape one or more bases -- then don't try. A good player can turn a viable base and 30 seconds into a free corner. Only spike them out if you are certain you can maintain the stranglehold. You *must* babysit the pills to keep enemies from fueling or taking them down.
• Claim some ground - If you can't finish the game in one swoop, then pick an important strategic area and capture that. Double or triple spike the corner and rape those bases, or plant so that the enemy forces/territory or divided (and can't support each other). Even if they start pressing into that area quickly, you've a window of opportunity to reinforce or work elsewhere.
• Plant them near a pillwar - If there is a pillwar in progress, a few pills just past the enemy boxes may suffice to help your or your ally decimate the "surrounded" pills with little chance of rebuild. These boxes can then be used to push into (now undefended) enemy territory. Be careful, however, that you aren't cut off from defending them.

The next scenario is that you are near the front or near a dangerous enemy tank. You are still at risk of losing the pills.

• Duck and hide - Use a handy pillbox (heated up) to discourage pursuit. A few mines may also help.
• Build quickly - Risk the LGM while you are being pursued, just to shake off or kill the pursuit.
• Reinforce the pill line - Perhaps you could even set up an easy pill take, and leverage your windfall into even more pills.
• Rest on a base - If you have strong base, you'll have a chance to refuel while the enemy tries to shoot his way through. Be careful of nearby pills (esp green ones), and of leaving a corner of your tank off the base.
• Find your ally -- He can always distract or eliminate dangerous pursuit, while you gloat about your luck.

Finally, there are cases where you just have nothing pressing to do with this batch of pills.

• If you don't have a builder, be careful. Hide behind friendly pills at the first sign of trouble. Only trade with your ally if (a) he has an LGM himself, (b) there are no enemy tanks nearby (c) someone has enough shots or mines to make the trade fast, and (d) he actually knows you are about to die for him. (I can't count the number of times a newbie ally will ignore these common sense rules.)
• Support the pillwar - Drop a pill or two at key points in your pillwar. Maybe even donate a pill to your ally on his front.
• Defend your bases - Often pillwars will drain the defenses of your backfield. A box at a key base can prevent base rapes, and offer a measure of protection to fueling tanks.
• Just plant them - If you *really* don't know what to do with them, just build them on the ground. A cluster of pills in the middle of the backfield are much better defended than a single tank who may get vultured. You can always go back and place them in better locations when the opportunity arises.

In general, the first set of suggestions are only useful *if* you have a free avenue to the enemy backfield and time to exploit it. If you don't do it right, you may end up abandoning the pills because they are simply too far away to be defensible.

To this end, a player *must* be aware of the disposition of his ally. If one gets lucky behind enemy, the other should make a 110% effort to help exploit the advantage: fast rapes, killing tanks, defending hard spikes, or just making fast work of vulnerable pills.

If one player makes the enemy stagger, they will need to regroup: figure out which bases are viable, build blocks and fuel, find a target). This means a window of 30-120 seconds where they are almost entirely distracted, and you can deal the final death blow or prepare to harass them. At worst, defend the spikes so that your ally can go home and refuel.

Most importantly, don't get sloppy. Don't try for that last dead pill when you are already carrying a bunch. Watch for vultures and base-shooters. Carry enough mines to cover your ass, and enough trees to build on the spot. Keep tabs on your ally, so that you can support his work, or that he can help you shake pursuit.

   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
   *  Reality: Matt Slot, Bitwise Operator           *
   *  E-Mail:  fprefect@ambrosiasw.com               *
   *  Web:     http://www.ambrosiasw.com/~fprefect/  *
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From: will+sp@cs.cmu.edu (William Uther)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bolo
Subject: Re: Strategy: Pillbox "windfalls"
Date: Fri, 07 Nov 1997 10:22:33 -0500

Again a great post Matt. Thanks.

I have just one quick comment...

Matt Slot wrote:

>The best case scenario is that you are in/near the enemy backfield, and have
>free reign to spike and rape. You have certain options here: spike them out,
>claim a signficant corner or area, or plant them on the enemy side of a pill
>war you've been fighting.
>    * Spike them out - If you have enough boxes to span the spaces between
>      *all* their bases, then do so. If you don't have enough to spike or
>      rape one or more bases -- then don't try. A good player can turn a
>      viable base and 30 seconds into a free corner. Only spike them out if
>      you are certain you can maintain the stranglehold. You *must* babysit
>      the pills to keep enemies from fueling or taking them down.
>    * Claim some ground - If you can't finish the game in one swoop, then
>      pick an important strategic area and capture that. Double or triple
>      spike the corner and rape those bases, or plant so that the enemy 
>      forces/territory or divided (and can't support each other). Even if
>      they start pressing into that area quickly, you've a window of
>      opportunity to reinforce or work elsewhere.

The main point here is fairly simple: Pills are actually fairly weak by themselves. Their power when grouped is more than the sum of the parts. Grouping them in one corner and REALLY taking that corner is often better than weakly spiking two corners and just giving them away.

Also note that it's not ONLY other pills that incease the power of a pill. A pill and a tank is worth MUCH more than either the pill or the tank individually. A loose spike in two corners, but also taking a single usable base in one of those corners so you can stay around to defend the spikes is also very effective.

\x/ill :-}

--

William Uther               "I dont suffer from insanity,
will@cs.cmu.edu                I enjoy every minute of it!"
Dept. of Computer Science,               - Anon.
Carnegie Mellon University         http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~will/

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