Enhanced Guide (Screens/Videos) at: http://www.playhaven.com/guides/iphone/stickwars/beat-your-stick-army/al6xxz-yJ iqp/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Oo*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-oO || Beat Your Stick Army || || StickWars || Oo*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-*=-oO Written by: KatieGatto (http://www.playhaven.com/profile/KatieGatto/) Last updated: 2009-08-05 17:04:51 =============================================================================== Table of Contents =============================================================================== - How To Grow Your Army, and Keep The Enemy At Bay - Make Repairs Your First Priority - Collect Prisoners When Possible - Flick High - Don't forget that you have two hands, and many fingers. - Use Higher Level Offensive Tatics - Take Out Machines of War First =============================================================================== How To Grow Your Army, and Keep The Enemy At Bay =============================================================================== Stick wars may primarily be a test of your visual acuity, and reflexes, but playing it with a touch of strategy can help you to fend off hoards for as long as possible.  Here you will find defensive, and offensive strategies for a game that sets you on the defense. =============================================================================== Make Repairs Your First Priority =============================================================================== When you start to have more than the bare minimum of cash on hand, you may consider buying before you repair. This is never a sound strategy if you want your game to last.  If the walls are breached it will not matter how many prisoners you have lying in wait.  The game will be over. Always make repairs priority one. This means not wasting your money on extras until the basics have been taken care of. Your order of priorities for shopping should be this order: > * Repair existing damage to the walls. (Damage will carry over from one level to the next.) > * Fortify the walls. (This will let them take more damage before they breech, and the game is over.) > * Building a prison. (In time your prisoners will become your army. With a 100 percent conversion rate, you must be a master brain washer!) > * Expanding on your prisons. (Because more is better.) > * Making a repair shop. > * Building a bomb pit. (You know that you really want to, and when the siege vehicles come into play those bombs will be a lifesaver.) > * A wizard school. (So it's not exactly Hogwarts. The wizards can be a big advantage in combat.) Well, you may find that switching out the last two is a matter of personal choice. Just bear in mind that bombs can do some serious area damage. =============================================================================== Collect Prisoners When Possible =============================================================================== When you do have extra cash to build with make a jail, or expand on your existing one.  More prisoners mean more fighters if you have to unleash the hoards on your enemies. Do not try to get your unwilling new recruits during the heat of battle.  While you are dropping them off your wall will take real damage. So, when are the best times to get prisoners: > * At the beginning of battle, when the first few men are running out onto the field. These guys are the self-starters (or suicidal) stick figures. Either way, they show just the kind of willingness to be flung headlong into danger you want in stick figure fodder. > * At the end of battle. Cleaning up the last few, at the end of a level can be  the best time to get prisoners without damage. > * When they are bringing out the heavy equipment. Take out the operator of that equipment, and your enemies machines of war will be slowed down for a few seconds. > * Anytime the field has only a few enemies on it. The main goal is to not take damage while you gain people. These times will become more and more rare as time goes on, so get as many prisoners as you can during the lower levels. =============================================================================== Flick High =============================================================================== Flick high in order to kill your enemies, flick up instead of back.  If you flick back the enemy may survive and come back to attack your wall again. There is the chance that if you flick him high, he will fall back down in time to fall on another stick figure. This strategy works best when you keep them to the right of the screen where new enemies are entering, and the concentration is greatest. This works best with the spear men, who will hold onto the spears while they fall onto their own army. =============================================================================== Don't forget that you have two hands, and many fingers. =============================================================================== It is easy to play the early levels of this game that you can get into the habit of playing with one finger when it gets tough consider using more then 1 finger or hand. Here are some hand movements to consider. > * When faced with a large group close to your wall. Take three fingers, and sweep backwards. While you may not get the whole group, you will cut the numbers down to a manageable level. > * When you want to make a mess for income groups. Use two fingers on each hand an swipe the first arriving enemies as fast as you can. Swipe them back and up. As they fall they will fall into arriving troops. The point of using two hands is not only to double your speed, but to double your angle. You will have slightly different angles, and fall rates, with each hand. A stream of falling enemies. > * Pinch on the heavy machine operators. You can do more damage, and you have a greater chance of catching them the first try this way. This is the same motion you would use to re-size the text in a browser window. Now, smite your enemies in style. =============================================================================== Use Higher Level Offensive Tatics =============================================================================== You may be tempted to stay away from expensive moves, like building bomb pits or investing in a wizards school. Yes, it is expensive, and they take some time to reach full capacity, but these things will help you in higher levels. Build these as early as possible, without ignoring the priorities. Remember that these will require a bit more babysitting then your general army. Your bomber need to be released, then told when to detonate the bomb. The best time to blow up one of the bombs is in the middle of a crowd. Failing that, let your bomber get near the siege gear before he pops his top. Also, you want to be sure that he does not detonate right next to the castle walls. This can do damage to your walls, as well as to the enemy. Your wizards have two possible attacks. Use the fireball on the stick figures, and the meteorite on objects for the maximum effect. If you choose to add archers, be aware that you will have to deal with upkeep. Upkeep is both expensive and annoying. For most players money can be spent in better places, so think of archers as your last line of defense, not your first. Repair people, also known as engineers in the game, will help you to fix your walls during the game. This is great because it will reduce the amount you have to spend on repairs at the end of the level. Just be aware that they are not a sliver bullet. The odds are that you will not have a self healing castle unless you invest heavily in the engineers. Think 25 to 30 engineers before you see any real minimization of damage. Even then, after a tough level you will need to heal the walls with the menu. =============================================================================== Take Out Machines of War First =============================================================================== When machines first enter the field you will be nonplussed, but they get bigger and badder as time goes on. When the machines start showing up, you should make taking them out a priority. Machines of war can do some serious damage to your walls. This is a job for your bombs and wizards, since you cannot deal any direct damage to them. - IMAGE: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://media.playhaven.com/_WoPiP8p5sgoJXG3WZdVsQ/original/IMG_0015.PNG ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - IMAGE: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://media.playhaven.com/7yDTp9Xio36sIIEAMhDP0A/original/IMG_0016.PNG ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Field of Battle! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - IMAGE: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://media.playhaven.com/HTsgiKLZ9rulD76cSmhSvg/original/IMG_0017.PNG ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Victory! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - IMAGE: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://media.playhaven.com/0aNeaX7pzPwry3laJ1ph8g/original/IMG_0018.PNG ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upgrade Time ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All glory to the creators of the game, who own the copyright on the screen shots above. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This guide was created at http://www.playhaven.com/. See the full guide here: http://www.playhaven.com/guides/iphone/stickwars/beat-your-stick-army/al6xxz-yJ iqp/