Hi, my name is W00PW00PW00P, and I'd like to let you all in on how I play KDice. Since I don't tend to play more than a couple games per month, almost all of my games take place at 0 and 100 tables. As most people know, the game is quite different at this level than it is at the 500+ level. Instead of complaining the play at these low tables and dismissing it as just a stepping stone to higher level tables, this guide will embrace the madness. To further clarify: this guide assumes you're interested in placing as highly as possible as often as possible rather than scoring the most number of points per minute.

The first rule is: never sit or flag out. People at low levels usually don't care that much and, as such, are very likely to lose interest/get drawn away or suicide. Furthermore, a lot of people at low levels care too much but are too emotionally volatile to channel this effectively. These people will often develop vendettas due to the most innocuous loss of dice, causing them to take a mutual enemy or themselves out. The end result in both of these situations is the same: you achieve a higher place as people who were apparently ahead of you fall to the real world or meta-game.

The second rule is: play players against each other. This is essential at any level of play but can be more extensively abused at low tables. People who play kdice, especially at low tables, have a greatly exaggerated, if not downright misplaced, senses of morality and civic duty. This coupled with the aforementioned emotional volatility of players can cause players to become so affected that they'll stir into a rage; encourage/provoke this if it'll benefit you (e.g. make someone look like a lunatic so to get the table to turn against them) and discourage it when it'll hurt you (e.g. when a truce partner or whatnot is at risk of turning the table against himself, or worse, you). Additionally, don't be afraid to make self-righteous claims that you don't believe in if it might get someone to protect you from your soon-to-be executor. Words are just a strategic device just like the dice. Just because we usually use them to express ideas doesn't mean you have to use them that way in kdice. That is, don't be afraid to use them to create an affect rather than to communicate. And finally, remember: no one playing is your friend or enemy outside of the context of the game – don't get played yourself.

The third rule is: make the flagging system work for you. Another way to put this is: take a very pragmatic approach to the flagging system. If you haven't put up a flag, the game will not force you into that final position, and so trying for a higher place is allowed regardless of what words you may have put in the chat. If 'verbal flagging' to someone will allow you to expand more quickly and more safely without causing resentment from other players or other issues later on, do it! You can always just not flag later! This requires foresight, however; if you flag to someone early on, you will often get 'trapped' in a small corner of the map or asked to put up a 'real flag' (in which case, if you don't, every still playing will likely turn against you for 'backstabbing') and so should only be used when you have a very clear plan. Making the flagging system work for you as has been outlined will provide you a distinct advantage over those players who are adhering to proper flagging manners. If this approach sounds unfair or repulsive, the next section is for you!

The forth and final rule is: don't be afraid to be a bit of a sociopath! Remember that this is a game, that none of this is actually about deeper issues of morality or whatnot. You are within your right to play only by the rules that are literally built into the coding of the game. By only assuming those rules, you can harness the full enjoyment of the game, for it leaves more room for creativity and cleverness! Be open-minded enough to consider the pros and cons of following the prevalent manners in place; be confident enough to go against the manners when you think it'll make you a better player and the game more fun; be resilient enough to not give into the typical play style when you make a miscalculation and get verbally abused.


This final section is comprised of specific strategies I'm particularly fond of:

One Flag, Two Flag, I Flag, You Flag: If two or more people are flagged for nth place, and n people are left, the flagee with the fewest territories will be forced out followed first by the flagee with the second fewest and so on. This allows you to steal higher places late game while protecting yourself early game. For example, if you're one of three people left and you're fighting for second place against a foe who already has his second flag up, put your second flag up if the player in first requests. After you've beaten your fellow flagee down to only a couple territories, start attacking the player in first. Best case scenario: you kill the player in first place and the other flagee flags out first, giving you first. Worst case scenario: you start to lose against the player in first and you are forced to execute your fellow flagee, giving you second.

Stall and Ball: If everyone in a game is away, the system instantly assigns places based on who sat out when – with the players who sat out first getting the lower finishes, and the players who sat out last getting the higher finishes. Therefore, if there are only a couple people left in the game, if you can get them to sit out before your turn, you can sit out during your turn, and the system will hand you victory. The most common example of this is when only you and someone who is much larger than you is left. Instead of trying any glorious comebacks that will likely land you with mostly single stacks, just play to delay the game as long as possible, making sure to only attack or end turn when there is a single tick left in the turn count down timer. Your opponent will likely lose focus and forget to attack or hit 'end turn' at least once, and you'll victory will be secured. If not, when you only have a couple lands left, try to provoke them into talk a lot (e.g. call them names via very poor spelling or ask them pseudo-philosophical question); hopefully your opponent will become so consumed in his answer that he'll forget to 'end turn' and, once again, hand you your victory.



Note: I'll likely come back later to edit this and add some more particular strategies.

Enjoy!
W00PW00PW00P