Dice Wars - includes puzzle!

The Wizard introduced us to this game a few years ago, but I would bet all of us grew tired of it, including Michael - I certainly quit playing it. 

I found it again - works for me during this isolation order

Perhaps somebody can solve a puzzle: In a battle of equals, does the attacker or the defender have the advantage?  Leaving out the question of tactics in a multi-territory game, that is. edit: in other words, just the question of who has the advantage in that single event of all the dice rolled for this one battle?

The attacker loses ties, so on first thought it would appear to be the defender who has the advantage unless greater numbers prevail. However, the attacker attacks with all dice available in a battle, but upon losing does get allowed a retreat of one unit. If a defender loses, all units are lost. This helps even it up. Of course no one can win without attacking, and success brings reinforcements, but it does seem to have little penalty overall to be very aggressive. Certainly a player can easily get over-extended, and everybody needs luck as well. 

I don't have proof to the answer to the puzzle - I'm guessing it's about an even match, setting aside tactics. 

I'll share strategy later. This is the site I found the game at,

https://www.kongregate.com/games/trucbidule/dice-wars

the more I think about this, I realize it's too hard to get to the matter

of course in a single battle of equals, all other considerations of tactics aside, the defender has the advantage due to ties. The ability to retreat one unit complicates things beyond asking a simple question about it I think

sorry

but we can discuss tactics/strategy

I addressed this question in Ask the Wizard #279. The second table shows that in an 8 vs. 8 battle, the attacker still has a net get of 0.066365 dice after the battle.

I just posthumously gave you credit as the "asker."

Quote: Wizard

I addressed this question in Ask the Wizard #279.  The second table shows that in an 8 vs. 8 battle, the attacker still has a net get of 0.066365 dice after the battle.




I just posthumously gave you credit as the "asker."

Thanks! you know I like to rack those up

"pr(attacker wins)*(defender dice)+pr(defender wins)*(attacker dice -1)" is not beyond my capabilities as far as being able to come up with that myself, but I lack confidence since I screw up my attempts too frequently. This time I feel a little ashamed, but then it looks so easy once shown it by the master. 

The strategy of course goes beyond the thus implied strategy of *always attack at even or better strength* as a player needs to be able to see future position development as in chess and many other games. Also, there is strategy in gaining power through territory size and likewise dividing up the opponents territory. The AI of the computer opponents shouldn't be as good as you at this, giving the human player a chance to dominate while still often going down in defeat due to variance. There's the opponent in many games with an eerie ability to win battles. I find you can truly hate some of them LOL. 

If you choose a two player game, whoever goes first should win save the most rotten luck. Best strategy is to attack in as many 'even or better' contests as present themselves without regard for more complicated strategy; the opponent will not be able to recover almost no matter what. In games selecting 5 or more , somewhat debatably a strategy of holding back almost entirely at first is the best strategy, even if a player goes first wait until all other players have gone before attacking [usually]. The computer will use the same strategy that it uses in a 2 player game and you find all your opponents have over-extended to the max. The human should win many games but often one player gets too powerful by chance and cannot be taken down. 

No chance at all that I'd be back at this save for the shelter in place thing. Anybody else playing?