Zordracian Cliffnotes
Zordrac posted a tip list on the main forum that was a great basic summary of metal knight strategy. I tried to organize it a bit and added a few things but it is Zordrac's work for the main part. Good job! and Thank you.
Read the MetalKnight faq and go through the tutorial even if only briefly. As well, there are many tip pages out there to look through as you find time.
Picking a game:
- Only join games on turn 0.
- Don't miss your turns.
- Don't join games you might miss turns in ( quick8's when you only play once every 48 hrs. for example)
Placing your base:
- Place your base somewhere that can get you expansion, lots of cities, resources, and let you do well in later turns. Next to water, or next to a city/resource that is waterside is good too. Or on the road.
- Whenever possible, place by yourself, as many turns without having to fight will be much better than killing people. If you must place near to someone, try to make it someone who you can kill fairly easily.
- Don't box yourself in to a corner, but also don't let yourself be totally central, where 5 people can attack you. Have a balance. Try to attack only 1 person at a time, and choose your targets wisely. You may attack against 1 player, then defend against all others.
Starting out/expanding:
- $100 buys you 1 transport + 1 bulldozer + 1 soldier + 1 truck. This is a useful turn 0 purchase on almost any map. Buy 2 of these, lead them in opposite directions. Preferably towards your enemies.
- Use the mighty bulldozer - the best unit in the game. It can build roads to increase movement, put flags in cities and resources to slow down attacking enemies, build roads across water, make your base inaccessible by sea (for protection), make flags to increase attack - as well as making resources able to be mined. Use it, and use it well.
- As well as getting resources, cities and expansion, also try to get techs as quickly as possible. Once you have hercs out, you will be much stronger - even more crucially with getting sharks out on a map with wrecks on. Maintain a good balance with both aims. Don't sacrifice expansion and income to get techs, unless it is crucial.
Taxing:
- Set your taxes at the end of each turn for maximum income, depending on population:
- 1000-1020 - 50%
- 1030-1050 - 63%
- 1060-1090 - 75%
- 1100-1130 - 88%
- 1140+ - 100%
- You then alternate back to 50%, and when they are "starving", set the tax to 60%, or higher if you need to, to get the population between 900-990.
Defensive Strategy:
- Play last or 2nd last as often as you can, until you need to play the double turn - e.g. when you want to take someone's base.
- If you are under attack (or will be soon), put porcs in your base. Spend conservatively, if there is a chance of losing your base, and porc up instead. Similarly, protect your factories if they are under attack. Once you are dead, you are dead.
Offensive Strategy and Attack Units:
- When taking someone's base, don't do it when there's someone else nearby, who could kill you the next turn unless you can sufficiently defend the new base- try to take the base of someone who is only being attacked by you. Also try to take out the biggest threat in the game (if possible). Once again, apply a sensible balance of these two.
- Unless the kill is crucial, steal cities and resources of your enemy first, rather than going for the kill straight away, especially if it is down to just the 2 of you left. Depriving them of income can make a huge difference. Likewise, take cities from enemies the same turn before killing them (if you can use already bought units and the cost to you is nil) and take advantage of the extra city tax you'll collect as you conquer.
- If building an attacking factory, protect it properly, and don't place it too close to your enemy. When you have hercules, a tip is to place it 16 spots from their base, allowing you to attack the city next to their base and yet they can't steal the factory off you.
- Try to trick your enemy. Having 1 porc in a city when there are none in others indicates that there is a factory there. Try putting porcs in other cities as well, just to confuse them.
- Always have 200% surround (if possible). On rare occasions, you might need less, but a serious attack will require it. A simple way to do this:
- Transports - 4 transports full of 3 units each - and flags in each transport (i.e. buy a dozer).
- Hercules - 3 hercules full of 5 units each - and flags in 2 of the hercules (or have 1 hercule with only 4 units in it)
- City/resource next to base/city - Put 19 units in the city/resource next to their base, you will get surround for the city/resource as well - this is the preferred and cheapest method.
- Use Tigers to attack in preference to Strikers or Grizzlis (unless surround is an issue). They have 8 attack, and can take out a porcupine in a base most times, or at least kill a good portion of it. Next step up from Tigers is Artillery. Only attack with Grizzlis if you need them for surround, or you want to keep them there for defence.
- If attacking from a distance, use Elfs for surround. Elf/Artillery is a good attack, and you can then attack from 24 spaces away (with hercules), allowing for the surprise attack.
- Get radar whenever launching a serious attack if you do not already have it. Commandos are useful for spying as well.
- Don't over-tech. Hercules+Artillery is enough for most games. Considering going up to Scorpions. If you have more money, spend it on expansion rather than going up to Metal-Knight.
- If nuclear weapons are allowed, then get them as soon as possible, and use them well.
Additionally:
- Most games are over by turn 8, or turn 12 at worst. Try to finish them as quickly as possible, and don't think beyond when the game should be over.
- If someone offers you a peace deal they are not offering you an alliance. Just because someone signs a peace treaty with you does not mean they will never attack you. It is common to sign peace with those furthest away from yourself in the game to take advantage of the extra income. Once they are in striking range they may opt to break the peace treaty, pay the penalty and attack you.
- Whenever someone beats you (or sometimes if you beat them, but they did well), try to learn from what they did. Try to copy out their moves. This will make you better each game you play.
- Open a game in local mode. Try to copy good starts you have seen and experiment with ones of your own. Keep in mind a good start is not just what you get turn 0, but also what you will get in the following turns.
