Again, a simple mate-in-two

Easy to do the computation -- but what's your instinct?

Viewing Game #689711
Tournament Legal challenge, copying communication from game 689206
This game was last modified on Fri Feb 19, 2010 14:12:59

* Next Turn * Player: Russian *2^12th game cookie* *Ngozi's Disciple* * Next Turn *
Button Man: Dirgo Score: 80 (6.6 sides) Rounds Won/Lost/Tied: 2 / 2 / 0 (out of 3 round(s))
Captured Dice: 30-sided die, 30-sided die

Dice	20-sided die	20-sided die
Value	20	12
Dice	30-sided die	Option 6/30 (with 30 sides)
Value	13	10

Player: ElihuRoot *Dead Dude* *Fanatic*
Button Man: Vincent Score: 70 (-6.6 sides) Rounds Won/Lost/Tied: 2 / 2 / 0
Captured Dice: X Swing 20-sided die, 20-sided die

OPTION 1: take the die with value 5 with my 6-sided die.
OPTION 2: take the die with value 16 with my 20-sided die.

There's a tradeoff, right? This is not so hard to compute outright, but which one does your gut tell you to do?

Button Men Game #689711
Tournament Legal challenge, copying communication from game 689206

Skills in this game: Option, X Swing
Player: ElihuRoot *Dead Dude* *Fanatic*
Your Button Man: Vincent (30 30 30 6/30) Score: 38 (-34.6 sides) Rounds Won/Lost/Tied: 2 / 1 / 0 (Out of 3 wins)
Your Captured Dice: 20-sided die

30-sided die	Option 6/30 (with 6 sides)		30-sided die
29	6		16 Captured last turn
20-sided die	20-sided die	X Swing (with 20 sides)
5	4	16

Opponent: Russian *2^12th game cookie* *Ngozi's Disciple*
Button Man: Dirgo (20 20 20 X) Score: 90 (34.6 sides) Rounds Won/Lost/Tied: 1 / 2 / 0
Captured Dice: 30-sided die, 30-sided die

Do you see the issue here?

I know what I did, but I don't know what's best.

Button Men Game #685189
Reverse Battle From Game 684571

Skills in this game: Twin, Reserve, X Swing

Player: ElihuRoot *Dead Dude* *Fanatic*
Your Button Man: Phil (8 8 (10,10) 20 X) Score: 26.5 (-13 sides) Rounds Won/Lost/Tied: 2 / 2 / 0 (Out of 3 wins)
Your Captured Dice: None

8-sided die	8-sided die	Twin Die (both with 10 sides)	X Swing (with 17 sides)		20-sided die
7	3	16	2		4 Captured last turn
4-sided die	6-sided die	10-sided die	12-sided die	12-sided die	8-sided die
1	2	3	9	3	7

Opponent: theAlmighty *heavenly* *Silver Medal in Men's Basketball* *Silver Medal in Men's Fencing* *Silver Medal in Men's Judo* *Gold Medal in Men's Table Tennis*
Button Man: Sailor Venus (4 6 10 12 r4 r8 8 12) Score: 46 (13 sides) Rounds Won/Lost/Tied: 2 / 2 / 0
Captured Dice: 20-sided die

Low but safe for now -- is that good enough?

I think it's clear that I must take his 18-sided die -- but does it make more sense to
take it with my 6-,20-,and X9- dice, thus rerolling the very low 20-sided die [but leaving
my own 18-sided die to be taken in a skill attack that will reroll HIS 20 sided die] -- or should I reroll the 18-sided die, leaving the 20-sided die quite low (but safe for the next turn, since he has no way to take a die with value 7 at the moment.] and risk him being able to reroll his 20 sided die to be the largest die on the board?

Button Men Game #684849
This game is 'for fun' and does not count for player rankings.
Arena Game: Random TL BM from 2002 Rare-Promo

Skills in this game: X Swing
Player: ElihuRoot *Dead Dude* *Fanatic*
Your Button Man: MAX(p) (4 6 18 20 X) Score: 28.5 (1 sides) Rounds Won/Lost/Tied: 1 / 0 / 0 (Out of 3 wins)
Your Captured Dice: None

4-sided die	6-sided die	18-sided die	20-sided die	X Swing (with 9 sides)
1	6	13	7	4
4-sided die	6-sided die	18-sided die	20-sided die	X Swing (with 6 sides)
4	5	17	4	4

Opponent: SliderDF *slider*
Button Man: MAX(p) (4 6 18 20 X) Score: 27 (-1 sides) Rounds Won/Lost/Tied: 0 / 1 / 0
Captured Dice: None

My beloved Crab (but I'm not playing her)

Is it worth it for alaric to take the initiative? Any suggestions of what he should do with the focus dice?

Viewing Game #682752
Tournament Legal challenge, copying communication from game 682408
This game was last modified on Mon Nov 2, 2009 12:06:57

* Next Turn * Player: alaric *Sci-Fied* *Silver Medal in Men's Boxing* *Silver Medal in Men's Marathon* *Silver Medal in Men's Synchronized Swimming* *Gold Medal in Men's Wrestling* * Next Turn *
Button Man: Crab Score: 35 (10.3 sides) Rounds Won/Lost/Tied: 0 / 0 / 0 (out of 3 round(s))
Captured Dice: None

Dice	8-sided die	10-sided die	12-sided die	Focus 20-sided die	Focus 20-sided die
Value	3	8	12	10	5
Dice	2-sided die	4-sided die	6-sided die	10-sided die	X Swing (with 17 sides)
Value	2	2	2	4	10

Player: ElihuRoot *Dead Dude* *Fanatic*
Button Man: Uncle Scratchy Score: 19.5 (-10.3 sides) Rounds Won/Lost/Tied: 0 / 0 / 0
Captured Dice: None

is this a tough choice?

L. is forced to capture my 8-sided die, and he only need capture one of my 10 sided
die after that to draw, assuming I don't manage to reroll my poison. He definitely wants to avoid rolling into a speed attack (how can he best do this?) -- but does he also need to consider the risk of rolling low, since I have a reasonable chance of capturing all three of his dice without losing any 10 sided die?

Viewing Game #682143
Tournament Legal challenge, copying communication from game 681973
This game was last modified on Wed Oct 28, 2009 08:01:52

* Next Turn * Player: Limax *Wombat* *Is a MAN* *Fanatic* * Next Turn *
Button Man: Von Pinn Score: 22.5 (3 sides) Rounds Won/Lost/Tied: 0 / 1 / 0 (out of 3 round(s))
Captured Dice: 12-sided die

Dice	4-sided die	10-sided die	W Swing (with 7 sides)
Value	3	3	3
Dice	8-sided die	10-sided die	10-sided die	Poison Shadow Speed V Turbo Swing (with 10 sides)
Value	1	10	10	10

Player: ElihuRoot *Dead Dude* *Fanatic*
Button Man: Werner Score: 18 (-3 sides) Rounds Won/Lost/Tied: 1 / 0 / 0
Captured Dice: 20-sided die, Poison Twin Die (both with 6 sides)

I've probably lost this round

but what maximizes my chances? taking the 1-sided die with my 6 sided die? or taking the 20-sided die with the 12-sided die?

OK, maybe that's too easy. But what if I was only behind by 20 sides instead of 25 [i.e. keep everything the same

in the game except pretend the 2-sided die I've captured already was actually a 9-and-a-half sided die. ok a 10 sided die,

it doesn't change the argument -- just keep the dice in play the same, but somehow give me another 7.5 or 8 points]. Would that

change anything?

Skills in this game: Focus, Reserve

Player: ElihuRoot *Dead Dude* *Fanatic*
Your Button Man: Kakita (6 f6 10 f12 20) Score: 15 (-25 sides) Rounds Won/Lost/Tied: 2 / 0 / 0 (Out of 3 wins)
Your Captured Dice: 4-sided die, 2-sided die

Focus 6-sided die	Focus 12-sided die		10-sided die
3	12		3 Captured last turn
1-sided die	10-sided die	20-sided die	2-sided die
1	8	11	2

Opponent: McCulloch *Professor* *Bronze Medal in Men's Archery* *Gold Medal in Men's Balance Beam* *Birthday Boy*
Button Man: Luna and Artemis (1 4 10 20 2 2 r8 r8) Score: 52.5 (25 sides) Rounds Won/Lost/Tied: 0 / 2 / 0
Captured Dice: 20-sided die, 6-sided die, 10-sided die