Skill vs spam

[Grimbolg]

I have 2 th13 accounts. Have been playing in legends about a year and if i really push trophies I am at the end of season around 6500-7500 in global ranking, trophies wary to get this result. I also participate in CWL ( at master 1 currently ) every month. I have noticed that during the last few months spam attacks have become stronger and stronger. When edrag spam was popular in legends it did not bother me much because sometimes they got 3 stars but often only 1. And it was base dependent you could make an anti edrag base. After that it was zap witches a few months ago and no base design helped you very much. It was always at least 2 stars often 3. Supercell was forced to nerf the zaps to correct the situation. Now it is tankwitchsuperwiz and it still works even after one nerf. And havent seen a base desingn that can really stop it getting at least 2 stars.

What about skill attacks like lalo, hybrid, all kinds of AQ charge attacks. Their power has not grown at all really.

This puts the game in not so good situation in my opinnion. You have to be really skilled to get better results with skilled attacks then you get by spamming. I certainly am not skilled enough. I switched to spam last CWL and it worked more 3 stars from tougher bases then ever. I now dropped my max acco out of legends and left the other there to farm walls with spam attack. I hope something will be done to balance the situation so that skill is not rewarded only at the ( very) top but also at lower levels of play. I do not mind if I get only one three star a week in legends or CWL if that is what it takes.

[Omega1]

The problem with skill is that it alienates the masses.

[winwin3as]

If your base can be dismantled by the "spam" attacks, then it is your fault or the fault of whoever the base originated from. I loot in LL using mass bowitch attacks and I am having fun using it. I also getting attacked by spam attacks but I do not have anything to say about them.

And I think at the very top of the competition, they rarely use spam attacks. Choosing between spam attacks or "skilled" attacks as you have said is a matter of preference.

[Darian[Supercell]]

The reason spam attacks are so popular is because they require the least amount of risk vs reward. You cannot expect the average person to constantly research and practice high level attacks, just as you can't expect a person who plays football with his friends to perform at the professional player level.

But if your base is falling victim to spam attacks, then perhaps it's time to look up an anti-spam layout. There will never be a single base design that is perfect against all types of attacks. Not only is it impossible, it just wouldn't be fun. So it's ultimately up to you what kind of defense you want to put forward.

[chilepepper101]

The reason spam attacks are so popular is because they require the least amount of risk vs reward. You cannot expect the average person to constantly research and practice high level attacks, just as you can't expect a person who plays football with his friends to perform at the professional player level.

But if your base is falling victim to spam attacks, then perhaps it's time to look up an anti-spam layout. There will never be a single base design that is perfect against all types of attacks. Not only is it impossible, it just wouldn't be fun. So it's ultimately up to you what kind of defense you want to put forward.

I mean, Mass valkyrie and rage spam is low risk and high reward IMO. But Coordinated attacks definitely increase the chance of 3 stars.

question: are anti spam layouts meant to defend against valk spam? because no matter the base layout, it always seems to end in a 2 star.

[Thegreatpuma]

I mean, Mass valkyrie and rage spam is low risk and high reward IMO. But Coordinated attacks definitely increase the chance of 3 stars.

question: are anti spam layouts meant to defend against valk spam? because no matter the base layout, it always seems to end in a 2 star.

Well, if they focus on 2 stars every attack, there's no reason even a spam player can't get that rather consistently (say 75%+ of the time) unless they just put zero thought into their attack, regardless of base layout. The goal for most base designs is to prevent 3, not 2.

[2222]

I have 2 th13 accounts. Have been playing in legends about a year and if i really push trophies I am at the end of season around 6500-7500 in global ranking, trophies wary to get this result. I also participate in CWL ( at master 1 currently ) every month. I have noticed that during the last few months spam attacks have become stronger and stronger. When edrag spam was popular in legends it did not bother me much because sometimes they got 3 stars but often only 1. And it was base dependent you could make an anti edrag base. After that it was zap witches a few months ago and no base design helped you very much. It was always at least 2 stars often 3. Supercell was forced to nerf the zaps to correct the situation. Now it is tankwitchsuperwiz and it still works even after one nerf. And havent seen a base desingn that can really stop it getting at least 2 stars.

What about skill attacks like lalo, hybrid, all kinds of AQ charge attacks. Their power has not grown at all really.

This puts the game in not so good situation in my opinnion. You have to be really skilled to get better results with skilled attacks then you get by spamming. I certainly am not skilled enough. I switched to spam last CWL and it worked more 3 stars from tougher bases then ever. I now dropped my max acco out of legends and left the other there to farm walls with spam attack. I hope something will be done to balance the situation so that skill is not rewarded only at the ( very) top but also at lower levels of play. I do not mind if I get only one three star a week in legends or CWL if that is what it takes.

There are base designs that make 8 quakes wasted (8 quakes is a common part of the mass attacks you describe, I say mass rather than spam, there is a difference). Some of those same designs also make it a waste to use the launcher, another popular part of those designs. I'm running tank/witch/superwiz on one of my accounts and you see those bases pretty often once you get above 5400-5500 or so. Those are almost always low % 2 stars for me. While you refer to the mass attacks working on "tough" bases, I'd say, yes, it works on upgraded bases (after all, you're using a max offense) but not bases designed well to counter the meta.

The mass attack works well on poorly designed bases, often getting 3 stars. On better designed bases it is more likely a low % 2 star. A more skilled multi-phase attack will perform better on those base designs, getting higher % and more 3 stars. Sounds like a good balance to me.

[joshsgrandad]

I mean, Mass valkyrie and rage spam is low risk and high reward IMO. But Coordinated attacks definitely increase the chance of 3 stars.

question: are anti spam layouts meant to defend against valk spam? because no matter the base layout, it always seems to end in a 2 star.

Well, if they focus on 2 stars every attack, there's no reason even a spam player can't get that rather consistently (say 75%+ of the time) unless they just put zero thought into their attack, regardless of base layout. The goal for most base designs is to prevent 3, not 2.

There are base designs that make 8 quakes wasted (8 quakes is a common part of the mass attacks you describe, I say mass rather than spam, there is a difference). Some of those same designs also make it a waste to use the launcher, another popular part of those designs. I'm running tank/witch/superwiz on one of my accounts and you see those bases pretty often once you get above 5400-5500 or so. Those are almost always low % 2 stars for me. While you refer to the mass attacks working on "tough" bases, I'd say, yes, it works on upgraded bases (after all, you're using a max offense) but not bases designed well to counter the meta.

The mass attack works well on poorly designed bases, often getting 3 stars. On better designed bases it is more likely a low % 2 star. A more skilled multi-phase attack will perform better on those base designs, getting higher % and more 3 stars. Sounds like a good balance to me.

There ya go.. sorted in 3 posts.
Surgical, well planned multi phase attacks should always give the highest chance of the 3 star, but is far more difficult to execute..
Hence why only the top players consistently use it.

Mass attacks are far easier to execute, and certainly safer for lesser skilled players, so obviously more popular..
I recently changed my base to less compartments, but with no cluster of key defenses, and rat runs that let the skellies bypass allowing access to the witch itself, or to let the tanks move past, and has impacted well on the defensive success against Tank/mass.

But one has to define what they consider a successful defense..
I am a war player, so anything less than 3 stars by same or higher hall to me is success..
It may not help with LL, but in war, if stars are defended, then the chances of the win increase.

[Grimbolg]

The problem for me in the current meta is that my limited/average skills with Aq charges and other ”skilled” attacks are useless. I get same average result with mass ( lets not call it spam) attacks that require much less planning. Options are that I use mass attacks or start to FC like crazy to better my skills a lot. I do not have the time for lot of FC:s so I will be content to use mass attacks now.

[joshsgrandad]

The problem for me in the current meta is that my limited/average skills with Aq charges and other ”skilled” attacks are useless. I get same average result with mass ( lets not call it spam) attacks that require much less planning. Options are that I use mass attacks or start to FC like crazy to better my skills a lot. I do not have the time for lot of FC:s so I will be content to use mass attacks now.

Yep mate.. Same here.
My attacking skills are on par with my typing skills, and I spend too much time here..
By the time I type a reply, I usually been ninja'd 3 times and could have done half a dozen FC's..
So its spam.. erm.. Mass for me too.