What, exactly, is wrong with triple picking? I've never done it because I read people on the forums saying how bad it is, but I have been beaten with it several times?
How do I counter it?

try it and you will find out.

(given the perfect mixed strategy, triple picking is occasionally right thing to do)

all relative to the settings ofc.

It will depend on the template as to how viable a triple pick might be but lets talk about the 1v1 ladder template (strat mme aka the auto game template)

The main benefit to triple picking is fast early income, usually a large first turn bonus which would be advantageous if you meet the enemy in the next 1-2 turns as you will probably have an income advantage.

However triple picking isn't generally a good idea due to all your income being in one area, meaning once your enemy has found one bonus, he's found them all. From here it's usually very easy for your opponent to break all bonuses while expanding safely elsewhere. He is threatening all your income and you are threatening none of his.

Triple picks ie if you pick a large bonus or an area as your 1 2 3, is risky as if your opponent picks just one of those and gets it, he has rendered two of your picks useless with just one of his and you only have one safe area with your other pick to expand in while he has 2 other areas to expand in.

Countering a triple pick would require you to pick the three territories as either your 3 4 5 or your 4 5 6 or you could risk putting your first pick there and hope you get first pick. If you go 3 4 5 on the triple pick, you are guaranteed at least 1 start there, however if you get your 3 and 5 or your 3 and 4 or your 4 and 5, you are again at a disadvantage since that means your opponent has one pick there which renders your two picks useless since you can't expand safely. If you pick the area as 4 5 6 you risk not getting any picks there as you could get your 1 2 3.

Another thing you can do to counter a viable triple pick, is to pick another territory that isn't in the triple pick area but that borders it as either your 1 2 or 3 to guarantee a presence there. Just make sure it is an efficient bonus that you're picking, ie that you can take it in 2 turns or less or that it doesn't have a lot of territories to take for the value of the bonus compared to other bonuses of the same value on the board. For instance don't pick a 3 bonus if it is more than 4 territories as this would be an inefficient bonus and would hamper your expansion.

Triplepicking is a better strategy if the rounding mode isn't sr but wr. If expanding is more costly having a high early income is super important. Often more important than coverage.

On sr, you can overcome your opponents income easier by just expanding like crazy while you try to flank his bonuses. Early income loses power here

Styxie you're wrong about pick order. If you 3 4 5 a triple pick you can lose all 3 picks.

How to pick a triple pick map:

https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=11746847

3/4/5 can work too, like this: https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=11740491

I still expected the triple pick that map, just didn't rely on getting part of it to beat it.

But yes, the second game is an example of 3/4/5 not guaranteeing you anything there. It's why 3/4/5/6'ed the area. If you get 1st pick you get 1, they get 1/2 you get 2, and something in their triple. But if they got first pick, they get 1, you get 1/2, they get 2/3, you're getting 6, fully missing their triple.

Edited 8/11/2016 18:37:23

Styxie: very well written and useful.

Buns157 is correct. 3 4 5 does not guarantee a spot. Say the opponent gets first spot with their 1 in the triple zone. Say you then get your 1 2 away from the triple zone. The opponent can now fill up the triple zone with their 2 3.

2 3 4 and 2 3 5 both guarantee a spot. 1 2 3 and even 1 2 guarantee a spot.

>>>>>>>>>>>
Here's an addition to Styxie's info.

Triple picking rarely gives good income beyond turn 2 and may not give an income advantage at any time (depending on wasteland/warlord configuration).

On the 1v1 ladder template (MME 0% SR, 4 armies per territory, 5 income base) a 4 bonus is the best FTB (first turn bonus) triple picking can give you. You can not get a 5 bonus like Australia on the first turn.

With only 1 spot in Australia it's possible to complete it on turn 2--the same as a triple pick(!). However, triple picking Australia on the right map configuration (aka the Boston triple) can lead to a good turn 3 income if it's not countered.

In general, for a potential set of picks it's helpful to figure out the best case income for turns 1,2,3 (before the first encounter). Then you can do a risk/reward analysis. On the 1v1 ladder template, triple picks are usually high risk and low reward.

Edited 8/12/2016 03:23:51

Styxie, that advice about picking was very intelligent but completely useless. It's impossible to know where the triple pick is going to be.
I think the screw-up in this game was letting the other guy take out my border bonus.
https://www.warlight.net/MultiPlayer?GameID=11747517

Oh boy. I guess it's indeed impossible to tell where "Zaphod Beeblebrox" will place his picks.

"It's impossible to know where the triple pick is going to be."

No, it's not. Look at the warlords. Decide what triple pick options there are. Check players past games if it's a ladder game, if not a ladder game, assume if they have a low winrate that they may triple pick. Pick to beat the triple pick.


In your scenario you not only gave him a triple pick, you gave him a ftb.


"I think the screw-up in this game was letting the other guy take out my border bonus."

You played bad from the word go.

Here's how you should play this game after picks, to win, easily.


Turn 1: Deploy 3 to Antarctica, hit 3v2 to both Novo and Scott. Hit Sweden 3v2. Deploy 2 to Indonesia, hit Southeast Asia final order.

Turn 2: Move leftovers in Antarctica back to South Pole, deploy 5 in Scandinavia, finish taking Scandinavia. Just sit in Southeast Asia.

Turn 3: Deploy 1 in Antarctica, 7 in Southeast Asia, finish taking Antarctica, the game is now won. Whether you attack depends on what he's done the first two turns, but losing from this point on is nearly impossible.

There wasn't "a screwup", it was multiple errors, but if I had to summarize it as concisely as posible it'd be: Play more aggressively.

Edited 8/11/2016 20:56:00

but completely useless.

Bit harsh, especially when its someone trying to help you. Her advice besides the picking order was right.

Also if you think its impossible to know where your opponent is likely to triple pick then maybe you need to learn what makes good picks in general first.

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Or if you're Roman... V

1 2 3 4 5 c-c-c-c-c-COMBO!!!!!

How about we not spam in the strategy forum?

Omniscient III: Return of the Ban Hammer

Triple-picking suxx

Strategy!

In my defense, it was addressing the picking advice, not the general advice, which was very good.

Thank you to all, especially Omniscient and Styxie