You hear the word used in just about everything. Strategy. Even a game as simple as Yahtzee boasts strategy, so what does the word really mean? (Don't worry, I won't bore you with the classic “Webster states....")

For our purposes, strategy is the reasoning behind everything you do in Conquest, from domain construction to how you manage your campaign through the various stages of a war. While you might have a few fan favorites (feel free to tell me yours in the comments section), how you construct your domain should be based on strategy. (i.e., trying to win) To take this one step further, we want to develop a core strategy.

Developing your core strategy
Now, this really isn't as daunting as it sounds. When it comes to Conquest, I tend to think of most individual resources as very simple, while the strategy is very complicated. (And frankly, I think that's how it should be. Who really wants to have to read the text on a card over and over again to try and remember what it does?) The nice thing about this is that once you've defined a core strategy, building the domain itself really isn't that difficult.

Let me walk you through this mental exercise. Let's say I want to build a domain that takes an early lead. While there's plenty of resources that can accomplish this, I want to use fervent crik and fervent anrace, two creatures that can jump into play able and ready to go. Since these units take one less term to get into the battlefield, they are perfect for an early lead.

Now I need to think about what other resources will enhance this strategy. To do this, it's sometimes helpful to brainstorm what goals your army should accomplish. Here are mine:

• I want to ruin my opponent's upgrades and locations quickly, hindering his/her income.
• I want to deploy as many units as I can.
• I want to take early control of the battlefield.

OK, that's a pretty good base. So first up, I want to find resources that will help me ruin upgrades and locations. I decide to snag a Sevidore catapulter for the domain. (Note that now that I've added the catapulter, I've committed to Industrial as my second alignment.)

Now, I want to add some inexpensive, hard-hitting units to snag an early lead. Order has some troops that fit that description, so I decide on Order as my third alignment. And with it, I select Teradone infantry and Leypar soldier to join my cause.

Lastly, I want to take and retain control of the battlefield. Since I already have plenty of great units to battle with, what I really need are a few good resources that will destroy anything that sets foot in my battlefield. (See, I'm getting possessive already!) So, I add quickshot assassin and dissever to keep the foes at bay.

Summary
Here's a summary of the resources I've used and why:

Fervent Crik – Great for an early lead, jumps into the battlefield on term 1.
Fervent Anrace – Great for a surprise attack, or simply to get in the action sooner.
Sevidore Catapulter – Can quickly ruin a large quantity of upgrades and locations.
Teradone Infantry – Powerful and without an upkeep.
Leypar Soldier – A hard-hitter that keeps on hitting, even after it's ruined, by allowing you to acquire additional soldiers.
Quickshot Assassin – Can easily ruin one (or two!) units that foolishly step into the battlefield.
Dissever – Can wipe out enemies in the battlefield or in an opponent's locations. Also great for finishing off the spoils of combat.

To sum up, before you even start building your domain, consider the core strategy you want to accomplish. From there, its all about selecting the best resources for the job, and continually refining what you've started.

As for me, I need a few more units and supporting resources (items, actions, conditions), as well as all of my locations and upgrades, to finish up this domain. What else would you use?

Shoot your suggestions for my domain by email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Or, send me your own domain idea, and let me know what your core strategy is!