Filler — Strategy

Cutting off a region

A free region the opponent cannot reach becomes yours at once. This is the fastest road to the equator: one move that closes a passage sometimes brings more cells than five ordinary ones.

Close the passage

Look for places where the board narrows: a corridor between the edge and your area, a neck between two parts of the board. Take the cells across the passage — and everything behind it becomes yours. On squares this is easier than on hexagons: a hexagon has six neighbours, so a wall there is longer.

Count to the equator

The game ends as soon as the leader has more than the opponent can reach in the best case. So it matters not only how much you have but also how much the opponent could still get: every region cut off from them brings the end closer just like your own capture. Watch the distance to the equator on the scoreboard: when it gets small, look for the move that closes a region, not one that just adds a couple of cells.

Don't get cut off

The flip side: if the opponent is closing in on a narrow spot between you and a big free region, break into that region before the passage closes — even at the price of a smaller capture now.