原文地址：http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thr ... e-on-basic-strategy
作者：Andrew Rae
译者：anf
介绍 Introduction
Acquire是我的TOP5，平衡了运气、自主策略和竞争。 机制简单，股票市场的主题好。
此文适合玩过Acquire或读过规则书的读者，详细讨论了基本策略。
开局阶段
原则 1 – 永远为合并公司而投资
最初你要做两个关键决定：建哪个公司？投资哪个公司？如果有机会，大多数玩家都会新建公司，因为有免费股份，基本上可以算是一些红利，游戏早期就这样。
如果有机会建两个公司，你应该选择建最有可能发生合并的公司。在游戏中局通常你会把钱花完，唯一赚钱的途径就是通过并购和卖股票。因此游戏开始时你的初始股票组合会决定你中局的成败。
如果没有其他公司了，你应该建的就是在版图中心靠近其他板块的公司，因为未来发生并购的可能性大。
如果你手头已经有未来会造成合并的板块，你也可以先投资所涉及的公司。
原则2 – 公司规模（大小）很重要
如果你只能投资版图外围的公司，我建议你投资贵的公司，投资也不能多（最多用一个回合买3股，加上初始送股一共4股）。如果有人要和你争大股东，你也不用管。除非有很大可能发生合并，否则不要为公司控制权掐架。[b]切勿在不会发生合并或发展吃力的公司上投资太多[/b]。通常，昂贵的股价会让其他玩家去其他地方，留下你来控制这个小公司。
如果公司有好的前途，也在版图中部，最开始你应该建一个中等大小的公司。可以让你花较少的投资，中局可以获得回报。
小公司适合观望。可以在保持控制权的情况下最小化风险。
偶尔你可能在缺钱时建公司。此时选择小公司，可以保住控制权，等到横财来到。除非贵的公司可以很快合并，否则不要投资。当有合并红利的时候，多的这一二百元不算什么。
中局阶段
原则 3 – 一份股票就像彩票
在中局，一个新公司经常在几个回合后就发生合并，此时一股也可能让你坐到第二股东的位置。而且还可以防止对手独占公司而独吞大股东和第二股东的红利。
原则 4 – 公司的控制与合并
很多时候，买那些你无法控制但是有可能发生合并的公司的股票是有用的，尤其是当股票还便宜的时候。由于换股是2:1，因此买小公司的股票不仅是股票便宜，而且在别人回合发生并购时你的股票就能升值。
原则 5 – 持股
除非你太穷，否则通常都是持股比卖股强。合并时的大股东红利最少也是$2000。玩家在中局经常建新的公司来拿免费股，此时你持有的之前停业公司的股票就会获得新生。
收尾阶段
原则 6 – 保持活跃
保持建立新公司并持股，直到机会消失。
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Introduction
Acquire fits squarely in my list of top five games and offers me a competent balance of luck, self directed strategy and competition. One might think that a share market game would bore you with a barrage of economics, but the mechanics are simple and the share market is a nice theme for game.
You will need to have played the game or read the rules to get benefit from this article. If you have then it will bring the learner quickly up to speed and hopefully provide the familiar player with a little hint or to they may have missed.
Further I have labelled this comprehensive knowing that it will immediately attract the critics amoungst you bless your souls. In doing so I hope we can get a fuller discussion of basic strategy and provide the aspiring player to brilliance.
The early game
Principle 1 – Always invest in merging companies
In the beginning you have two key decisions, which company to build and which company to invest in. Given the opportunity to build a new company most players always will because of the free share. This basically a bonus to your portfolio and should always be taken in the early game.
Given the choice of building two companies you want to build the company that is most likely to merge. Eventually in the mid game you will run out of cash and the only way to get cash is through merging and the sale of shares. Hence the beginning of the game and your initial portfolio will determine the success of your mid game.
If no other companies exist then the best company to build is the one closer to the middle and closer to other pieces already on the board. Companies in the middle of the board have more companies adjacent and hence more companies likely to merge with it.
The exception is if you have specific tiles which will allow you to merge companies in the future. These provide you with an advantage and early investment in these companies is permissible knowing that the money can be recouped at any time.
Principle 2 – The size of the company is important
If because of your playing order or the fall of tiles you are forced to build and the invest in a company on the outside of the board then I would suggest this be a expensive company. I would also suggest that the investment you make in this is strictly limited. At most you will spend one turn buying 3 shares to give a total of four. Four shares may well give you the majority for the near future but if someone is convinced they want to fight you for it, let them have it. Unless it has a great chance of merging then never fight for control of a company. The short way to a Acquire graveyard is to invest heavily in a company that will never merge and struggle to grow all game. More often than not though, the expensive price of shares will force others elsewhere and leave you with control of a tidy little investment to return on later on in the game. A good response to a bad starting position
If however the company has fine prospects and sits in the middle of the board then initially you ought to build a medium sized company. Medium sized companies balance the cash you are required to invest (and a good company will often be competed for) and the return on investment in the mid game.
A small company is the excellent response to indecision. Small companies maximise the amount of cash that you have and if you build it and have the advantage you can comfortably defend a small company if it’s prospects rise. Ultimately you’re unsure of the future for this guy so a small company can minimise your risk while maintaining control.
Occasionally you will get the chance to build when you are reasonably short on cash. Take the small building and you may well be able to keep control until a cash windfall comes your way. It may be tempting to take a more expensive company but don’t unless it’s likely to merge immediately. What is an extra 200 when there are merging bonuses to think about.
The mid game
Principle 3 – One share can be like a lottery ticket
One share can often pay off for you big time. More often in the mid game a new company will be formed and then merged within the space of a couple of turns. Therefore if the company is not owned by two players a single share can sometimes be enough to earn you a second place bonus and valuable cash in the mid game.
There is subtle little rule tucked into acquire that only comes into play very rarely. It says that if a one person is the only shareholder in a company when it is merged that owner gets both the first and second place bonuses. A single share is enough to deny your opponent that bonus.
Principle 4 – Company control and merging
There are many instances where it is useful to buy shares in a company that you cannot hope to control and is likely to be merged at the expense of investing in a relatively untouched one. This is especially true if the shares are cheap. Merged shares can be traded at a rate of 2:1 into the merging company. Investing in the smaller company not only gets you cheaper shares in the company it allows you to increase your stake holding without it being your turn. This may be what gains you controlling interest in a large expensive company.
Principle 5 – Keeping shares
Unless you are poor it is almost always better to keep shares rather than selling them when companies merge. A controlling interest in a company is a minimum of $2000 and is likely worth far more. People will almost always form a new company in the mid game if they can simply for the free share. If you can afford to retaining shares in a company that is yet to be formed constitutes extra action and a sound financial return.
End Game
Principle 6 – Keeping active
Keep making new companies and retaining shares until the opportunities have run dry.
Conclusion
I hope that as you next play Acquire you can begin to see some of these principles in play. Learn them, practice them and then improve on them and you will become a far better player than I am.
