Clan Competition Strategy Discussion

[Dionysus9]

I've been enjoying the clan competition aspect of MP, where you move up or down tiers based on how many map areas you control. I've had some frustrations too (mostly the unbeatable mega clans with 100,000 members and MM issues) but this thread is intended to be a discussion of strategy for maximizing your chances to advance to a higher tier (or otherwise avoid relegation) so lets minimize negative discussion, please.

Since you get more clan influence points when you win a battle in a map area surrounded by other areas you already control, it makes sense to carve out a region of the map for your clan. It also makes sense to build up influence in all the border areas around the perimeter of your region, so that clans will have a harder time penetrating into your region (they wont get the bonus influence for controlling surrounding areas).

I've also thought it would be fabulous to ally with another clan and try and become the top two clans in your tier so you could advance. Has anyone been able to contact another clan in your tier and make an alliance? So far I haven't been able to reach anyone at the clans I've wanted to ally with. The "add friend" function in steam doesn't seem to recognize their Shogun 2 names. Am I doing something wrong?

Likewise, it makes sense not to start a war with the other top clan in your tier. If you two are warring over certain territories, it gives other clans a chance to edge in on the territories you aren't paying attention to. So in our group I've been trying not to pee on the big dog's leg.

Our clan footprint on S2 is pretty small right now-- 9 guys, and our competition in tier 4 is pretty equal.

Right now I'm favoring a strategy of sitting in about 3rd or 4th place and building up influence in our regional perimeter and a little in the interior of our region The idea is not to make yourself look like a contender until the end of the competition period, meanwhile building up a lot of influence in your region to make it very difficult for other clans to take away land. Then, in the last few days of the competition period start taking as many scattered map areas as you can to put you up into 2nd or 1st. your opponents wont be able to assault your home region and will instead be forced to try and take back the areas scattered around the map-- you can then fight for specific areas without any real risk to your homeland.

Anyway, thats the strategy I've come up with an I'm trying to employ so far. If you are facing a mega clan in your tier, the strategy differs somewhat. If you are facing relegation it differs also (forget trying to expand, just hold onto enough areas to avoid relegation).

I'm sure other folks have some good thoughts on this topic. Let's talk strategy.

[Cecil XIX]

Your insights make sense to me. To tell the truth, it seems unsporting that the the two strongest clans have every incentive to work together against the smaller clans. Perhaps CA should make it so that the #1 clan moves up two spaces?

[Dionysus9]

... or perhaps the 2nd and 3rd clans have an incentive to gang up on the biggest clan? Or maybe 3&4 will attack both 1 and 2?

Everyone has an incentive to cozy up to the biggest clan, if possible, but it can only take 1 ally with it to the next tier. It could make for some intrigue, like the game of Diplomacy-- but not if we can't talk to the other clans. So far I haven't seen any cooperation or alliances at all and I havent found a reliable way to contact the other clans in my tier.

But ultimately, if there are enough participants, the tiers are going to shake out into clan size. Tier 1 will be all the mega clans. Tier 2 will all be large clans and skilled medium-large clans, etc. We're in tier 4 right now and I don't feel like we're done moving up. I think tier 3 is gonna be tough for a clan with only 9 dudes playing-- but I'm looking forward to it.

[Cecil XIX]

It's true that everyone can create their own personal incentives, but the only incentive the game itself provides it the gain of moving up a tier and loss of moving down.

[CanCritter]

is no chance for the smaller clans to compete..they just get bowled over by larger clans re numbers and give up so in this essence this part of the game is f*****d to..big surprise

[Dionysus9]

Well like I said there is no doubt the big clans will all gravitate to tier 1. But that is okay, really, the fun is in the competition not just being rank 1 tier 1. Our little clan of 10 Shogun 2 players is neve going to be able to beat a 100+ member clan. But we've had to fight against them before as they wore moving up through our tier and it was a challenge to try and hold even a single province so that we could be #2 and move up with them.

Anyway, there is lots of fun to be had I think-- at least until we get locked into a tier we can't move up from. Right now we are in tier 4 and can still move up if we play our cards right.

If you and ichi go Hunter, that would make 12 of us. We'd be a shoe in for tier 3. Think about it Critt ;) you always have a place at Hunter castle:

http://clanhunter.informe.com/index.php