You play the game to win. Once you flag, you no longer play the game to win.

The only etiquette is to honor a non-aggression-pact against the leader, #1 on the board to which you are conceding to. Fighting anyone else on the board, so that you place 2nd or as high as possible is only normal - so long as you stay outta #1's way and dont block him off.

Is it shitty to attack one of two players contending for first? not really, because you could have done the exact same thing while NOT flagged, ykno?

Well, the issue here is the "who by the way is respecting the flag for 2nd" part of the equation. If you flagged and that player has respected it and then you rip him up, then you are kind of a douche.

the point is though, when you just blindly throw up a flag and dont say that you are flagging to anyone in particular, and then someone else sees this flag and moves his big stacks away from you, and you rip through him from behind on the next turn...that doesnt seem right to me

A player should always ask "green, we cool?" or "blue, can I respect your flag?" etc.. if they are not the #1 on the board and you flag. If they assume - then THEY are the idiot, not you.

A flag and then hitting #1 on the board or the seeming leader (by flanking if he moves away like that IS beyond weaksauce).

If two people are fighting for first, and you're in second, odds are there's no need for you to flag second to begin with, as you'd still have a good chance at first if you join in.

But anyway, yeah. Flagging is a promise that you won't attack the players that are ahead of you, and I consider that to include players that will potentially be ahead of you.

Anyway, if you do flag, then when first place is determined, the loser of that competition will be in third place, and you will be able to defend your flag for second. It's best not to attack, 'cause you'll have second one way or the other, and get it without pissing people off. It's extremely unlikely that the loser will flag second and compete with you. If he can lose that much and still flag second when he no longer has a chance at first, odds are your flag for second was BS.

If two people are fighting for 1st and you flagged 2nd, it's a pretty safe bet you'll be fighting one of them to retain your 2nd place status.

I find it best to declare in chat WHO the flag is for. Then you're free to defend your position as you must. I see no reason to allow someone else to play for 1st unless they promise me they will flag 3rd if they lose their fight.

Get the 2nd flag up let the other beat each other up while you pick off some weak lands then pwn them both steal all the dom and offe to let whoever flags 2nd to your now dominating 1st have it and kill the other one.

Grun, that is the ultimate weaksauce, go strong with the weaksauce or go home thats what I always say.