Armada
Blown Out of the Water?
by: burg
 
Are you completely blown out of the water by the new game Armada? Do you not know of any possible strategies for the game? Well, here are some hints for ye mere land-lovers.

Firstly, defend before attack. I think that it is very important to set up a defence before going 'full-steam-ahead'. Often, the stronger your defence, the less likely the other person has to take over your ships, and you can counter every strike of theirs much more easily. For example, the best type of defence, I think, is the block-fort approach. This is what you are given to start with:
Now, extend your fleet out in all directions, like so:
You now have a very, very solid fort, for which to base your fighting on.

Now for some actually in-fight tactics. One of the worst I've seen, is when the opponent just takes a straight-ahead, "gung-ho" approach. As in, a straight line, to get to you as quick as possible. I'm sorry to say, though, this just simply does not work. No defence or power to attack with. Do not do this.

Never leave an opening right in the centre of your fleet. As you can see, this leaves you with defenceless, and once they move in, you are dead-out-of-the-water. This has so many holes in it. Like the instructions to the game say "Be careful... Those jumps can look good at first but have some dire consequences!"
Always plan ahead. It's much like chess, to a degree. You must come up with several possibilities, thinking of what the other person may do next. Also, even though I've given you the block-fort approach to start-off with, you can also keep doing this throughout the game, establishing your position and strength. When attacking, capturing the most boats all at once may not be the strongest way. Set your self up, surround your opponent from all sides, and then sweep in for the kill. Think diagonal crossing, especially across the island. Like so. You could go straight across to the right, but that may leave you weaker later on. If you go diagonally down, however, it will set you up to be able to surround your opponent, which will make it easier to defeat them.
Now for some Neopian Armada etiquette. It is just plain rude, unfair, and unseaman-like, to end a game if you are about to lose. This is annoying. Even if it seems completely hopeless, under no pretense should you cancel a game, just because you are not going to win. That is acting like a little kid. This has happened to me more times than I have been able to finish the game. So just keep in mind your opponent, they have just wasted however much time, and they don't get the satisfaction of a completed game. The only way to fairly cancel the game, is if your opponent hasn't made a move in over five minutes. Also, keep hitting the waiting button. This speeds up the game enormously, and increases enjoyment for both people. If you commit to a game, then you should do your bit to make it faster and fairer.

I know that what I have said may seem complicated and difficult to understand, and if you have any queries, don't hesitate to Neomail me, and I will be able to help out and then challenge you, so that you can put this into practice. Hopefully now, though, we will see some stronger pirates, and better competition for top dog. Good Hunting, Ye Lily-livered Land-Lovers!!
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