Second Warlords in The Choosing

[Tomag Ironfist]

I'd like to confirm my spot in the 2nd Warlord's game!

[Jumpingfist]

This is what we agreed to for our warlords game. Feel free to use or not as you would like. Not even sure if the bonus part is possible but thought it was fair based on comments about the first team game played.

Played 2x a week. Thursday/Sunday

Draft HH style with these options
A: 1, 8, 10 (19)
B: 2, 6, 11 (19)
C: 3, 5, 12 (20)
D: 4, 7, 9 (20)

Draft zones then send kingdoms after selecting last of three zones.

For draft order if you are bumped down to your third draft choice you will receive 25k for your last selected zone/kingdom, if you get your last choice of draft preference which has not happened yet you would get 25k added to your last two zones/kingdoms selected.

Standard Silent rules apply (these are basically no ingame or external communications. Can only ally your own team. council issues must be silent and can not benefit another team.)

[HeadHoncho]

I would recommend biding one moment on this as we may apply learnings from the very first draft to tweak slightly.

[wfrankenhoff]

Since Warlords is my favorite format, I'll take a place in this one as well

[Lord Thanatos]

Since Warlords is my favorite format, I'll take a place in this one as well

Me too.

[Lord Thanatos]

Tomag, I am interested in your thoughts . . .

In the first Warlords game we are using HH draft method developed for 2nd Cycle. Three of the four of use got our first selection of draft position. The fourth player got his fourth choice and will receive 50k (25k to each of his last two kingdom selections). We do not yet know which player gets their fourth selection and 50k. With the four of us playing it doesn't actually matter since we are all quite experienced and, therefore, none of us is likely to drop until on the brink of elimination. Here is the HH draft method (designed for 2nd Cycle):

A = 1+8+10 (19)
B = 2+6+11 (19)
C = 3+5+12 (20)
D = 4+7+9 (20)

Since Will and I (your two opponents so far in this contest) both agree that in The Choosing pick 12 is likely to be PI/UN and we both agree (with 16 Warlord wins between us) that the UN was least suitable for Warlords contests in 2nd Cycle we are discussing the following draft method. The intent is to link the 12th selection with the first selections in rounds one and two to offset (along with advance knowledge that PI/UN is highly likely to be the third kingdom) pick 12. In 2nd Cycle the 12th pick was an advantage.

Your thoughts on the following, please:

A 1+5+12 (18)
B 2+6+11 (19)
C 3+7+10 (20)
D 4+8+9 (21)

The goal is to eliminate the likelihood of any player dropping and to maximize the utility of each draft position.

Would you prefer 25k gold if you got your third draft position and 50k gold if you got your fourth draft position? Or would you prefer linking the 12th selection with selections 1 and 5 with no gold provided to any player?

Also, it has been discussed that the first pick in the final round (pick 9) is always best. While I disagree, if one subscribes to this position the picks of 4+8+9 are slightly worse than picks 4+7+9.

WE STILL NEED A 4TH PLAYER . . . (all player opinions I am interested in).

[Jumpingfist]

No draft order is perfect. In your order list player C would know 2 of player D kingdoms and the 3rd would be one of two others. Though I like D to ensure my team stays together. I would likely select pick A first everytime figuring I would just be playing a set of southern kingdoms. No matter the order that was not the reason I proposed the gold in the first place.

The gold is there to give a player that made a choice he would like to draft a certain order then was not given his preferred choice something to settle on and make it still feel he did not just loose out. So it is not just about the 12th pick that is why I did not try to link the gold to picking 12th. The gold could be completely mute if Rick does not allow it anyway. It is there in response to a real issue that happened and I think should be considered.

[Lord Thanatos]

No draft order is perfect.  In your order list player C would know 2 of player D kingdoms and the 3rd would be one of two others.   Though I like D to ensure my team stays together.  I would likely select pick A first everytime figuring I would just be playing a set of southern kingdoms.   No matter the order that was not the reason I proposed the gold in the first place.

The gold is there to give a player that made a choice he would like to draft a certain order then was not given his preferred choice something to settle on and make it still feel he did not just loose out.  So it is not just about the 12th pick that is why I did not try to link the gold to picking 12th.  The gold could be completely mute if Rick does not allow it anyway.  It is there in response to a real issue that happened and I think should be considered.

Each of the draft positions would deduce some other selections (C would know 2 of D and the 3rd would be one of three others, I acknowledge).

1) The Magic contest is vastly different from Warlords and shouldn't be compared.  [In my mind Warlords is the best format and Team Magic the worst.]
2) If a player/team doesn't want their 3rd or 4th choice they should not be signing up for Warlords or Magic in the first place.
3) Free gold is an indirect manner of addressing the perceived problem and doesn't increase synergy between the selected kingdoms at all.
4) If the draft choices are as balanced as possible it won't matter which selection a player gets!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5) My post wasn't intended to address your perceived problem (or that others have) but my (and Will's) perceived problem.  [With lots of Warlord victories we both agree UN is not well-suited to this format.  Therefore, whoever selects PI/UN has only one real choice.  I agree with Will even though I have won a Warlord contest with UN in the past.]
6) I am not certain adding starting gold to the Warlord contest is a positive change.
7) I was hoping to generate a conversation on a topic I greatly enjoy = Warlord contests, including the drafting method.
8) I would rather a player/team drop out before the draft than require being placated in some fashion because they don't like their draft position.

I said many times that I would play Warlord with HH draft method without any gold at all.  I still will.  If nobody cares to compare HH method to my suggested method that is fine . . .  If someone would like to have a discussion on this topic, please share your thoughts.

[HeadHoncho]

I think I prefer LT's proposal, slightly tweaked. (I don't think my original proposal sufficiently balanced for the undesirable nature of pick 12.)

A 1+5+12 (18)
B 2+8+10 (20)
C 3+6+11 (20)
D 4+7+9 (20)

[Jumpingfist]

I think I prefer LT's proposal, slightly tweaked. (I don't think my original proposal sufficiently balanced for the undesirable nature of pick 12.)

A 1+5+12 (18)
B 2+8+10 (20)
C 3+6+11 (20)
D 4+7+9 (20)

small tweet makes it much better.  I would still take pick A most the time.  But the important thing is I do not see a clear bad pick with this set up. Well A and B are bad picks if someone does not understand how to draft.