Recent tournament logs show players increasingly favor early‑board expansion, leveraging the outer rings to secure resource flow. This shift aligns with the introduction of the new “Fortress” tiles, which reward territorial dominance but also expose opponents to counter‑attacks if over‑extended.
Conversely, the mid‑game phase now rewards flexible reallocation of pieces, as the updated scoring algorithm values adaptive positioning over static strongholds. Observing how top‑ranked competitors balance these phases uncovers a nuanced rhythm that separates fleeting victories from sustained mastery.