Hi all. Newbie here. I am still playing my first game and both enjoying it and stressing out over it at the same time. I will likely give it 5 stars when I rate it. With that said it seems, to me, that this is going to be one of those games where it is impossible to win if you are winning.

Please correct me if I am wrong. It seems that unless the leader has somebody playing kingmaker helping him, that he will be crushed by everybody teaming up to take him out.

I am having a great time with this game. Hopefully I can get my friends to try it with me for a truly epic match.

Side question. Does second and third place earn points in ranked play?

It's always fun to beat up on the guy that's winning when it's inevitable that you are going to lose. Saying that, it doesn't mean that will always be the case. Some people are happy to take second or third place. Damn it I'm happy just not coming dead last.

Play how you want to play. There's nothing stopping you sneaking in and stealing the win for yourself.

As for the earning points, I'm not entirely sure. Hopefully someone else can come and clear that up for you.

Yeah, it all depends on the alliances you've made. Oftentimes it's smart to make an agreement with your ally at the start of the game that you'll both try to out-mine each other but not attack.
Another thing is that Subterfuge is a very very long race. Like any marathon, make sure to pace yourself. Don't sprint out way ahead, or you'll be an easy target. When you do make your move for first, be sure you can handle an attack on all sides. (And always guard your queen!)

To answer your last question, yes you do get credit for 2nd and 3rd in an 8-player game. If you check the leaderboard, it'll show you what places get a medal. And in ranked games, you gain/lose points based on your position.

I find it helps making as many deals/alliances as you can at the very start of the game and from then on try to keep your neighbors occupied with someone else at all times. As long as your not the first person to make a mine you can usually achieve major ground that no one can hope to catch up on simply because everyone is consumed with bickering from early mistakes made at the start of the game.

rask, are you suggesting to not go for points but to instead build up? At some point you have to go for point. If everybody is playing to win, then nobody should honor any deals after it becomes obvious they will lose. Is it possible to get into a position that you're strong enough to fend off everybody?

A strategy that a lot of players employ is to remain in second or third and prepare their territory to build a few mines all at once so you don't become the common target.

Sometimes I would play where I can suddenly build a few mines within the same moment to suddenly leap out to first and cause panic for the player that was sitting there most of the game.

You'd be surprised how hard it is sometimes to convince everybody to attack the person in the lead. When you are coming 2nd and you need a coordinated attack to steal the win it never seems to come...

While you're in game, if you tap on the intelligence reports and tap on the left side where the numbers and medals are displayed, in a rate game, it will switch to how many points you'll receive for that game.

As you rank up in the leaderboard, or rank down, these points change. I've been in a game with 8-10 players where I needed First or Second to even get positive points. 3rd place would yield me 0 points and 4th on down negative. This is an incentive to constantly play with challenging opponents.

Also, when making alliances it's important to keep your word; at least in my experience. Often, if your allies are trustworthy, they will not attack you when and if you take the lead as long as they are not far behind. But games can and do change very quickly so keep your back guarded.