Walls work best together
In both patterns below, the first two walls add nothing to your rival’s route. The last wall does all the damage. That is why they are hard to see coming, and why they are worth the three turns.
You can place walls anywhere they are legal. Place them so each one limits where your rival can step round the next.
Pattern 1: the edge pocket
Near an edge, a pawn has fewer ways round. Two walls leave it a small pocket, and a third closes the exit.
Teal has to climb out of the pocket, cross the top edge and come all the way back down. The three walls cost amber three turns and cost amber’s own route nothing, and teal now has 8 extra steps to walk.
Pattern 2: the lane and the cap
This one works in the middle of the board. Two upright walls make a lane, and a flat wall caps the end of it.
The lane is two squares wide, so the cap covers both. Teal has no way out at the bottom and must climb back out of the lane before it can go round.
Try it: cap the lane
Two of your upright walls (amber) already run beside your rival, teal. Pick the wall that costs them the most, and the engine will measure it.
Your rival has a straight 5-step run down. Choose a wall.
There are 17 walls to choose from. The best one closes the way out at the bottom. Every other wall on offer costs your rival at most 1 step, because they can already walk down the lane.
Why they work
- Less room, bigger detour.A pawn in the open sidesteps and loses one step. A pawn with walls and an edge around it loses many.
- The setup walls look harmless.Neither of the first two walls changes the route, so a rival who only counts routes may not notice what is coming.
- The cost is in turns.Three turns on walls is three steps your rival can walk. These patterns paid for themselves, but only because the last wall was worth so much.
How to avoid walking into one
- Look for two walls and a gap.If two walls near your pawn leave a single way through, one more wall can close it.
- Stay out of lanes.If you are already inside one, step out before it is capped.
- Be careful at the edges.The edge is a wall your rival does not have to spend.
- Keep a second route.A wall may lengthen your route, and the game will never let it close your last one. A second route keeps the damage small.
Questions
Can the computer build these?
Hard and Nightmare consider walls that extend structures already on the board, so don’t leave two walls near your pawn with only one way out. See the four levels.
Can a pattern ever shut me in completely?
No. The game refuses any wall that would leave a pawn without a way to its goal row. A pattern can only make your route long, never make it impossible.
Are there other patterns?
Yes, and you will find your own. These two are easy to spot and easy to measure, so they make a good start.
How do I practise them?
Play the computer on Easy. It mostly races, so you get time to lay the first two walls and close the third.
New to counting steps? Read when to wall and when to race first.