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I'm curious how veteran owners would play this.

I'm in the Finals against a better team who has HCA and has (best I can tell) played TIE all season. So I'm quite sure he has a solid Ent advantage, too. I don't think I'm totally outmatched, but I think there are some big challenges to overcome.

My question has to do with Ent strategy. Do you think it's better to go CT in the first game or hold off and use it the last two games (hoping you get a 3rd game)?

Or something else entirely?

I don't want to give away what Ent level I'm at exactly, but I'll say it's good, not great (it's at least 10) while I assume he's got to be at 14 or 15.

Last edited by redcped at 2/24/2013 5:44:17 PM

I'm not a vet, but IIRC you can't go into a game with more than 12 ent? The way I see it, either TIE first game and CT the next two (you'll have HCA on the second of three games). Or CT the first (hope you win), TIE the second and CT the third. Although everytime you CT you won't have HCA.

Yeah. In your position last season, I went G1-PON; G2-POCT; G3-POCT. I won the second and got spanked in the two away games. But forcing a game three will at least give you extra income.

I think your decision also depends on what you think the other guy'll do. If they TIEed every game this season, maybe they'll PON the first game, and you might be able to steal it if you POCT. Then you'd have HCA and a shot at taking home the trophy with HCA in game 2. But if you lose game 1, at an effort disadvantage, you'll almost certainly go down in 2, unless they throw it.

You might also consider switching PR-managers so that you have a Nat'l Appeal guy for both the away games and a crowd involvement guy for the home game. That's expensive, but it can swing some points your way.

Frankly, looking at the ratings of both conference finals, I think he's a solid favorite. So I'd go with forcing game three and hoping for a miracle (injury or quick foul out).

There is also the PON, PON, POCT strategy. In which you PON the first game to build enth when they have the HCA. Then PON the second game thinking that they with likely PON as well (in effort to get 3 games revenue) and win with HCA on your side (and hopefully better enth if they POCT'd the first game). Then POCT the last game with the enth adv gained the day before.

The thinking being, there is only 1 day for ENTH to drop for game 3, so, not by much.

I think PON/PON/POCT is the riskiest strategy because it depends on your opponent POCTing G1 and and throwing G2 (like a greedy bastard). If they don't POCT the first game you're totally screwed. And if they've got HCA and the better record, they likely also have the better team and are therefore less likely to POCT.

In this situation, I'd expect a G1 PON from the opponent (based on the OP's description to the team). So I wouldn't recommend this approach. But for a team in this situation that was expecting a G1 POCT, I'd go for it.

The other thing to do in these games (if you're not doing it already) is to blank and LCD. That can squeeze a little more out of your guys.

Last edited by rhyminsimon at 2/24/2013 11:42:42 PM

your opponent POCTing G1 and and throwing G2 (like a greedy bastard).

How does that make them greedy? When you have HCA, even if there was no money involved, throwing G2 in order to build enthusiasm for G3 when you're back on home turf is strategically sound. Of course the opponent could also foresee that and take advantage of it (by going PON-PON-POCT), but you can't seriously blame a guy for choosing not to push for an away victory when he can get a much easier one the next day.

I'm a personal fan of the PON, PON, POCT because although it is ricky, it seems like the best option for a team that is playing away and is undermatched. Most playoff home teams in the finals will play POCT, PON, POCT because that is the normal natural thing to do. The only catch is you have to hope that you are good enough to win at home without putting more effort in and hope that with the saved up enthusiasm, and their lack of enthusiasm for POCT the first game (which many teams will do), you can beat them in the third match. I simply hate the POCT, POCT (Hope you win it in two games) method because if you don't you are pretty much screwed in the last game.

@Xamos: When I say "throw" I'm not talking about PON-ing. I'm talking about leaving your starters on the bench or not dressing them. (I was being a little tongue-in-cheek when I said "greedy bastard." You're right, the game gives every incentive for managers to want three games. The only disincentive is the increased possibility of injury in playing a third game for a superior team with HCA.)

PON, PON, POCT all depends on what you think will happen in G2. Let's look at it in the different scenarios:

1) You are the superior team and can survive on -1 effort @ home.
• Concede G1, take G2, flip the coin for G3

2) You can win at home on equal effort, but not at -1 effort.
• Concede G1, pray they PON G2, pray for a miracle in G3

3) It's a toss up at home on equal effort.
• Concede G1, pray they throw G2, pray for a miracle in G3

4) You will lose at home on equal (or less) effort.
• Concede G1, pray they throw G2, pray for a miracle in G3

In scenarios 2-4, the team with HCA is likely to PON, PON, POCT. And if you match their strategies, you neither gain nor lose any advantage and are stuck praying for a miracle in G3. But you can improve your chances if your opponent POCT's G1 – which might make a difference in scenario 2, but won't do you a lot of good in scenarios 3-4.

In scenario 1, you can win if you can either steal an away game on equal effort (in which case you're clearly the superior team) or your opponent POCT's G1 or G2 (in which case they've basically given you the trophy).

After pondering all these strategies, I was inspired to make a strategy guide: (236531.1) It'll show you what I think.

After pondering all these strategies, I was inspired to make a strategy guide: (236531.1) It'll show you what I think.

And in studying, you must have learned that man is mortal so you would have put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.