https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7857413

https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7842709

https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7830593

https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7819206

https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7786213

https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7819207

https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7789575

https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7773288

https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7753610

https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7746013

These past 10 games I am 6-4 so I guess its better than my past 20 which is 10-10 or past 50 which is 20-30

Edited 1/17/2015 02:08:43

These past 10 games I am 6-4 so I guess its better than my past 20 which is 10-10 or past 50 which is 20-30
The reason you are 6-4 is because the matchup algorithm decides to join you up with the lowest ranked players, sorry. If there are enough low ranked players you will end up with a 50% win rate on the ladder for sure.

Edited 1/17/2015 03:15:28

These past 10 games I am 6-4 so I guess its better than my past 20 which is 10-10 or past 50 which is 20-30
The reason you are 6-4 is because the matchup algorithm decides to join you up with the lowest ranked players, sorry. If there are enough low ranked players you will end up with a 50% win rate on the ladder for sure.

I asked for advice, not knowledge on who I am playing and why.

You asked for critique and one of the games that you linked was a boot victory... Sorry but I can't take that completely serious.

First of all, the games you win are probably less important than the ones you lose. (Either you won by not getting booted or you won by attacking the enemy in their homeland *hinthint*)

Picking stage: Please stop triple picking. If you absolutely need to triple pick, don't put #4, #5, and #6 so close to your first three! Putting those three close to your first three just makes it easier for the opponent to counter with just one pick. Your picks are also sub-optimal in some ways, but we'll get to those later.

1: https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7842709
Your top three picks are SE Asia, Caucasus, and Middle East. While they work with each other to reduce the turn-counts to take them, if I took a pick there, you wouldn't be so well off.

You lost this match because he got to Asia before you got to Africa. Why did he get to Asia?
You let him go through Europe without any contest. Blocking Egypt was a good idea, but only if you also block France. You should have sped off to France ASAP. Turn 11, you should've taken Italy, turn 12 be in France. In addition, you should've finished of West Russia, and possibly Scandinavia. Instead, you waste so many armies attacking him in Oceania whilst he's able to expand, overtaking you in income and pushing the offensive, causing you to lose.

2: https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7746013
SE Asia, Caucasus, and East China in this one. Why do you pick stuff that's on the edge of their borders? East China's a 3-turn from that position, so is SE Asia (cancelled a bit by Caucasus). 2-turn bonuses (West/Central Russia) are better, which you ranked 7 and 8 (AKA doesn't matter you only need 6). Kris has better picks than you, but I would have preferred South America to South Africa.

You lost this match because he surprised you in Asia and you couldn't do a thing about it. Why did he surprise you in Asia?
You failed to take Iran. Iran is a vital territory that borders two of your bonuses and three of your territories. That is the worst thing that can happen on defense because they have so many choices. If you had held Iran (a really good choice), you would have seen his attack and would have been able to counter with superior income. Easy win.

3: https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7830593
You lost this match because you didn't take the offensive. Why did you expand in such an unsafe area?
You really could have won this, but you made the opposite mistake in this one. You border him in two territories and have four to attack. If you had just attacked him in Caucasus (anywhere) with all of your armies, you would have had a good chance at winning. Remember, in a 1v1, denying your opponent of a bonus is just as good as taking one yourself.

4: https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7819207
You lost this match because he blocked your only route of expansion. Why did you depend so heavily on one bonus for expansion?
This is why you don't triple pick. As soon as he blocked Malaysia, you lost. SE Asia was blocked, East China's not safe, and Caucasus takes too long.

---

tl;dr

• Triple picks have obvious flaws and aren't a good idea most of the time. (Game 3, Game 4)
  
• Keep the enemy away from your main source of income. (Game 1, Game 2)
  
• Similarly, try to take the fight to their main source of income. (Game 1, Game 2)
  
• Taking and defending vital chokepoints helps a lot with defense. (Game 1)
  
• Don't let the enemy surprise you; take areas that your enemy could possibly launch an attack from. (Game 2)
  
• Denying an enemy's bonus is just as good as getting your own. [Only applies to 1v1/2 team games, FFA is a different beast] (Game 3, Game 4)
  
• Try to pick starts that are self-sufficient and fast; two-turns by themselves, or a 1-turn double pick. (Game 4)

I'm willing to play Strat 1v1 against you (and give advice after) if you invite me to a game. (Multi-day only.)

Edited 1/17/2015 06:35:50

You asked for critique and one of the games that you linked was a boot victory... Sorry but I can't take that completely serious.

I linked my past 10 games.

Thanks for the help Riyamite, I made a Strategic 1v1 game

Well, that was quick >.> https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7865131

First of all, picks: Why didn't you pick in Asia? Your picks were spread a bit more, but Asia is pretty much free of all wastelands, so you absolutely needed a pick, if not two, there. Secondly, as you can see, it took you a long time to capture East US. I really don't recommend starting with such a big bonus, as they take too long to take.

My picks started with an FTB in Asia and then the rest in the America/Africa zone, ensuring that I get at least one pick in Asia and 1 outside of it. If you note the moves I made, I was expecting you to be in the Russia/Scan area.

Most of your turns are fine (for now, anyway), but the most major mistake you made is expanding into South America instead of Australia. You knew I was in West Africa, so Australia is safer (yes, in hindsight, I had SE Asia, but I might not have noticed it.)

---

Alright, so, most people in the lower levels win/lose on picks. I guess I should help with that...

Below, there's a map of ME, colored in to represent different regions with good bonuses to start in. In red, there are territories that are often used to attack these bonuses. Now, usually, I recommend covering the America/Africa area and one of the two in Asia. Australia/Greenland are borderline.

If you notice your picks, most of them are centered in the America/Africa area. My picks have the first two in East Asia and the others in America/Africa, guaranteeing me at least one in those two areas.



Note: dividing a map into different regions isn't just for Medium Earth, either. You can do this on any other strategic map, too.

Side note here: https://imgur.com/a/Iqsiy
In this album there are 2-turn bonuses (S. Am, E. Af, Indonesia), 3-turn bonuses (W. Af, E. China, SE Asia), an FTB (Scandinavia), and a contested FTB (Antarctica). In general, you want to go for 2-turn bonuses and FTB's, and if you have the Antarctica situation, it might be best to just pick the counter.
Anyway, the only way to get better at picks is to think about them. So, a question to you: What would you pick in this map, and why? https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=7753610

Edited 1/18/2015 00:27:38

Southeast Asia, East China, and Sweden or South Pole, but probably Sweden because there are Caucasus, West Russia, Central Russia, all without wastelands in the middle of the 3 picks

East China and Southeast Asia are pretty decent on that map. Good protection if you get both of them, and it allows you to make an attack towards a Russia player late-game. Sweden is also a decent pick, and if you can control all of Asia, good for you!

The best counter I can find to that strategy is Antarctica-Australia-Central Russia, which allows for an early attack on Southeast Asia. If you had South Pole instead, maybe Central America-Scandinavia-Central-Russia would work.

(Of course, in a real game, you can't just pick 3 and expect to get them all. :P)