This topic was created to help those who want to play intermediate better. Any help you need please feel free to ask in the comments.
THE BASIC1) learn about the weapons used in intermediate scheme (maximum damage etc.) at
https://worms2d.info/Weapons;
2) download and watch game between good players at
https://cwtsite.com/archive;
3) use
WkToolAssist (
https://worms2d.info/WkToolAssist) to learn new things and improve faster your skills with mine (learn how to drop), jetpack, rope etc.
GENERAL STRATEGY1. Before an important game.Always start with a winning mentality. If you haven't got a winning mentality, every time you have a real chance to beat your opponent, you will make a mistake and lose concentration, becoming nervous. Here is some advice for getting less nervous and more stable:
a) Never sit in front of the computer to wait for a serious game. Do something before the game starts, drink a cup of tea, watch TV, etc. Have a 5 min break and don’t use your computer.
b) When you come back to the computer, try to prepare yourself. Imagine you have a very hard opponent, but realize that even if this opponent is easy, you should play without misses; if you play without misses, you always have a good chance to win, irrespective of who you’re playing.
c) Come to the game and be polite, but do not talk too much: it destroys your concentration.
2. At the start of a gameThe game is starting, players are trying to connect, you can see the map, and you have a few seconds to write "gl hf" and assess the situation on the map. The first thing to come to your mind is "what shall I do if I go first".
You should realize the following: when a game has started, you have already written "gl hf" and you are already thinking about your first turn, so if your turn is really the first and your worm became active it means nothing to you, you are already thinking about your move and planning your turn. Furthermore, you have 5 more seconds before the 45 sec turn starts. If your opponent is the first to start you can calm down and begin to plan your "reply" turn (read your opponent's turn is the first).
3. Your turn is the first.When your turn is the first you must always use the 5 seconds before the 45 sec starts. If you didn't use the 5 sec time and started before it ended: 1) The situation is very simplistic, and you really understand what to do everywhere on the map, including all possible moves of your opponent, 2) you are just going to do a worse turn then you could have done, because 5 sec is the time when you can watch the map whilst being calm and concentrated; when you start to control your worm, you always lose concentration a bit, and can easily miss something like an opponent's double kill, or possible pile (see later). If you see your opponent starting to do something very fast it is good for you: he will probably make a tactical oversight, which you will capitalize on in your second turn. Watch high level games with world class players, they play the following way: thinking and then move, thinking and then move, until the end of the round.
The first turn is the hardest stage of the game. It is not only about a good move with many kills, usually the first turn includes planning of 3-4 turns ahead. And the main problem is that you haven't got enough time to plan.
So, let's discuss what you should plan:
a) First of all you must think about possible double and triple kills your opponent can make. After this very fast analysing you have to decide how many worm selects you can use on the map. It depends on how complex the map is, and what placement you have. Never use 2 selects on the first turn if you have 5-3 or 4-4 placement (4 worms on the left side of the map, 4 worms are on the right). You can do it only if you may lose 3 worms in one turn. You should realize if your opponent can do a triple kill or not, it depends on his skill. If he can conceivably miss it, it is a reason to save one worm select.
b) Find the best attack you can do:
Never kill 2 low worms which stay alone and have to use one or two (!!) ropes to get to your upper worm.
Never kill two blocked worms (with a sheep, for example).
Kill any 3 worms if you can (doesn't matter how they are placed), if it doesn't take you more then 2 ropes and if they are not blocked too well, or these 3 worms need two ropes each to get higher.
If you have two pairs of worms you can kill, you should kill the higher pair, which can easily attack you next turn. The idea is to kill the higher worms of your opponent, to make him use ropes with lower worms).
c) Using worm select:
Now it is time to use worm select. When you use it, you must always (!) consider who the next worm is after the worm you control now. The main idea of using worm select is to destroy chances for any possible double and triple (!!) kills by your opponent.
It doesn't matter how many worm selects you use, but when you use the last select it must be done the following way:
1) the next worm must be a worm from a possible pile of your worms which your opponent can make (or you think he is going to make) next turn, or a worm from a possible double kill.
2) the next worm must be a worm which can attack without ropes, or attack the higher worm(s) of your opponent When you use worm select you should also realize the following:
Let's say you have 4 worms: Laplandetz, Sportsmen, Grisha and General (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th worm accordingly), and you’re on Laplandetz. If you change to Sportsmen, but Grisha is 90% likely to be killed, your next worm will be General, and if General is blocked, you’ll probably (not a fact!) make a mistake changing from Laplandetz to Sportsmen (be careful with this situation!)
d) You should realize that the better you analyse future opponent's turn(s), the better the tactics you can use in your first turn, and the more advantage you will get after your first move, so analysing the near future is a part of the whole plan of the game and can effect a lot of coming situations, including a loss or a win of the round. Sometimes people say "I lost this round from the start", it means you did a good first turn. It doesn't matter if it was luck or not.
And some words about psychology:
If you miss your first turn, you must understand that it only means that your opponent goes first (nothing more), so you haven't got any reason to get very nervous, or to stop thinking about winning the round. So after you missed your first turn, you must start thinking "your opponent's turn is the first" and not lose your concentration; you have a lot of things to think about in the next 50-60 seconds.
4. Your opponent's turn is the firstWhen your opponent goes first he gets an advantage: he has a chance to hide his worms, and make an easy double or triple kill. But you also have an advantage which you should use as much as possible: you have a lot of time to think.
a) First of all, on psychology:
It is a usual situation where the opponent makes a triple kill at the first turn (or maybe even just a double kill), and you can see only one kill next turn, you start to think about double kills only, and as a result, you make a mistake or something. Making a mistake in such a situation is usually equal to a loss. So you must always realize that the result of your opponent's turn can't affect your next turn (it is very bad if it can). You must make an optimal decision even if you have 1 worm left after the opponent's attack. So just make an optimal move; if you can do only one kill, do it, and do not try to do something impossible.
Another situation: your opponent missed his first turn. Making a good reply can give you a win, and it is very important to choose a less risky move now. You should understand that there are two cases: 1) you try to risk over 70% (7 times from 10 without a miss) you do your move and win a round (almost sure), 30% you miss, and you continue playing, with your opponent's advantage restored (his turn is the first again), 2) you don't try to risk over 90% (9 times from 10 without a miss) you do your move and it’s just a bit less sure (let's say 10% less) you win this round. Obviously, it is the right decision to choose the second case – you almost do not risk playing when your opponent's has an advantage (it is an important thing for you), and you just have more chances to win (!!) ( 90% * ( x - 10% ) over 70% * x, if x is bigger than 45%, where x are your chances to win if you do a risky turn without a miss, obviously x bigger than 50 %).
b) About tactics: you need to analyse everything you would analyse if your turn was first, plus the following thing: which way of using worm select will give you a good chance to attack during the next 3-4 turns (without using one more worm select) high worms of your opponent and possibly without using a rope. The rest of the time you should try to predict the next turns of your opponent, plan defence, and plan your attack better. Your second turn must be perfect, because you have enough time to plan your move (attack, tactics), you have no right to miss.
5. The first and second turnsAbout "your first turn" and "your opponent's first turn": these two stages of a game are the hardest stages for our brain. Some players will understand these stages faster, some slower, some will analyse better, some worse, but you can improve, and improving concerns not only knowledge of this theory, but training your brain and thinking quickly as well. So, to play this way you need to be 90% concentrated on the game, you need to be in very good form, you shouldn’t be tired.
A little bit of advice for you: if you want to detect the moment when you really start to understand this theory, it is a moment when you feel that you just can't think fast enough to control the situation, it is a sign that you are on the right way, just continue trying and you will get there.
Article writen by Johnmir
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