Overview:
When you have Hammurabi, maximize economic growth subject to meeting opponent’s military timing. When your opponent has Hammurabi, create imbalance so you have a win condition. If you play perfectly, you should have close to 100% win rate with Hammurabi against any player and a chance to break Hammurabi.
Military timing:
The specific round where you are the strongest. A defensive army, for example, with Napoleon and aggression cards can break the game. A good player can hit this timing around the middle of age 2. To hit this timing, you need to (a) draw aggression, (b) draw tactic, (c) pick napoleon, and (d) build 2 swordsman and 1 cannon. a,b, and c are random but you have some control over the expected time you draw them. If you have 3 military actions you will draw a and b faster than if you have 2. You have much more control over d which requires 10 science and 11 resources. Beware how your actions change this timing. If you are at +2 science +3 resources and you build iron expending all 5 science you have, you delayed your timing by 3 rounds. Before every turn, I ask myself how many rounds it will be until my opponent hits their timing and declares war on me. I always assume they have the best tactics. After understanding your opponent's timing, your objective is to maximize growth while matching this timing.
Win condition:
You have a win condition if you draw one card or a specific sequence of events happen, you win. If you go full military, you can win if you get lucky with the early a,b, and c mentioned earlier. If you go full economic, you can win if your opponent builds military but gets unlucky and does not get a,b, or c before you are at +10 science, +10 resources, and plenty of actions so you can build an army in 1 round. You can win if opponent has computers but only bronze, and you pick Bill Gates. You can also win if opponent goes military, does not have 6 actions, and you pick Gandhi.
Creating imbalance:
Avoid racing for economic growth or going toe-to-toe in military against Hammurabi, as it leads to a slow death. Instead: aim to create strategic imbalances: if opponent pick alchemy and iron and discovered code of law, you go full military. If you get Napoleon, you have a chance to win, if not then gg next. You need to create a win condition. If opponent builds medieval army, you go full economic growth. If they don’t snowball you with aggression, they wasted 5 science, and you have a chance. If you are behind on military, try bluffing: instead of building another two cannons when you are -8 and do not have a single defense card against a plunder, confidently build your opera or other good stuff. They will assume you can do the math and place an event. You won’t believe how effective this is against master players (check replays).
If you play against the best players who use the strategy outlined in this article, it will be hard to create imbalance because they never commit to one strategy and remain flexible. You need to pick on really small things like opponent picking and building iron or discovering knight. If you have Hammurabi, then indeed, your job is to eliminate win conditions for your opponent. Avoid relying on one card or on a specific sequence of events.
Reflecting on my journey with TTA:
I decided to quit the game forever. I played my last game on April 30th, against a 600+ player. I played a flawless game. A top 10 player spectating makes it feel that much better. That match now plays back in my mind like a vivid game replay. During those last few turns, my excitement was through the roof, my heart rate racing as high as if I were running a marathon. I love this game. Whenever the game begins, I instantly enter the slow state, complete focus. I love the feeling. I’m addicted to the feeling. After the game I deleted my account. I want to quit this addiction and reset my dopamine mechanism.
It is not the first time I deleted my account. I am aware that my habit of creating new accounts has been a point of annoyance and confusion for others. I want to clarify that my intentions were never to disrupt or deceive the community but were instead a reflection of my struggle with addiction. Each time I deleted my account, it was with the intent to quit, yet I found myself drawn back in by my weakness.
Now, having shared my strategies and thoughts, I am ready to say goodbye for good. If you have shared this virtual board with me over the years, thank you for the games, good luck, and have fun.
When you have Hammurabi, maximize economic growth subject to meeting opponent’s military timing. When your opponent has Hammurabi, create imbalance so you have a win condition. If you play perfectly, you should have close to 100% win rate with Hammurabi against any player and a chance to break Hammurabi.
Military timing:
The specific round where you are the strongest. A defensive army, for example, with Napoleon and aggression cards can break the game. A good player can hit this timing around the middle of age 2. To hit this timing, you need to (a) draw aggression, (b) draw tactic, (c) pick napoleon, and (d) build 2 swordsman and 1 cannon. a,b, and c are random but you have some control over the expected time you draw them. If you have 3 military actions you will draw a and b faster than if you have 2. You have much more control over d which requires 10 science and 11 resources. Beware how your actions change this timing. If you are at +2 science +3 resources and you build iron expending all 5 science you have, you delayed your timing by 3 rounds. Before every turn, I ask myself how many rounds it will be until my opponent hits their timing and declares war on me. I always assume they have the best tactics. After understanding your opponent's timing, your objective is to maximize growth while matching this timing.
Win condition:
You have a win condition if you draw one card or a specific sequence of events happen, you win. If you go full military, you can win if you get lucky with the early a,b, and c mentioned earlier. If you go full economic, you can win if your opponent builds military but gets unlucky and does not get a,b, or c before you are at +10 science, +10 resources, and plenty of actions so you can build an army in 1 round. You can win if opponent has computers but only bronze, and you pick Bill Gates. You can also win if opponent goes military, does not have 6 actions, and you pick Gandhi.
Creating imbalance:
Avoid racing for economic growth or going toe-to-toe in military against Hammurabi, as it leads to a slow death. Instead: aim to create strategic imbalances: if opponent pick alchemy and iron and discovered code of law, you go full military. If you get Napoleon, you have a chance to win, if not then gg next. You need to create a win condition. If opponent builds medieval army, you go full economic growth. If they don’t snowball you with aggression, they wasted 5 science, and you have a chance. If you are behind on military, try bluffing: instead of building another two cannons when you are -8 and do not have a single defense card against a plunder, confidently build your opera or other good stuff. They will assume you can do the math and place an event. You won’t believe how effective this is against master players (check replays).
If you play against the best players who use the strategy outlined in this article, it will be hard to create imbalance because they never commit to one strategy and remain flexible. You need to pick on really small things like opponent picking and building iron or discovering knight. If you have Hammurabi, then indeed, your job is to eliminate win conditions for your opponent. Avoid relying on one card or on a specific sequence of events.
Reflecting on my journey with TTA:
I decided to quit the game forever. I played my last game on April 30th, against a 600+ player. I played a flawless game. A top 10 player spectating makes it feel that much better. That match now plays back in my mind like a vivid game replay. During those last few turns, my excitement was through the roof, my heart rate racing as high as if I were running a marathon. I love this game. Whenever the game begins, I instantly enter the slow state, complete focus. I love the feeling. I’m addicted to the feeling. After the game I deleted my account. I want to quit this addiction and reset my dopamine mechanism.
It is not the first time I deleted my account. I am aware that my habit of creating new accounts has been a point of annoyance and confusion for others. I want to clarify that my intentions were never to disrupt or deceive the community but were instead a reflection of my struggle with addiction. Each time I deleted my account, it was with the intent to quit, yet I found myself drawn back in by my weakness.
Now, having shared my strategies and thoughts, I am ready to say goodbye for good. If you have shared this virtual board with me over the years, thank you for the games, good luck, and have fun.
