[SPOILER] Casino Tip: How to Win M&M

[Sasho]

M&M and How You Will Win!

I thought I'd give another review about M&M as I've been playing more. I've posted a couple times already on the Casino Feedback forum but I've had a lot of people /t me for tips, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to give an elaborate play-by-play here.

Yesterday I played for about 2 hours at the High Stakes table (which starts you with a +5 health bonus and a healing potion). I GOT 9 WINS. Around seven of those came because of 2 particular table buffs:

1) Extra die on saving rolls
2) Extra die on eating corpse

These two buffs, along with going for an Execute/Lurk build was literally yielding around a 50% chance of getting a win every time. Those buffs aren't easy to get, but if you get them you can capitalize like crazy on them.

**Tips of my play-by-play to help you get more wins**

Using the High Stakes table makes a huge difference. I've won at the regular tables too only 2 times so this strategy is designed for High Stakes - which is 250 more councils per game.

This strategy is BEFORE any table buffs, and with table buffs I still do the same things - they just get A LOT easier. But still the majority of my wins came without table buffs. I've gotten a couple wins using Prey/Lurk, but it's not my favorite. I've also gotten wins with Crush/Execute, but I've played hundreds of games now and Execute/Lurk is by far the best winning combination. So yes, sometimes I will start/drop a game 5 times in a row until I get this combination. I understand that it's expensive, but the way I see it is that I'll get 20k+ councils when I win, but more importantly I'll get Red Wing Tokens (around 10 per win) and those coveted Crown Tokens (2-3 per win).

Execute/Lurk means that you ignore the other skill whether it's Mindgnaw or Crush. No points go into Mindgnaw or Crush ever.
Execute is still okay being left at level 4 (5 is ideal but not necessary), Lurk needs to be level 5. After those are established, generally points start going into Healing Bombs. Only a couple times did I invest in Damage Bombs because I had a surplus of those (had 5 at the time and only 1 health bomb). Just always go for healing bomb levels. But I'll get more into bombs further down.

Two things still stand to get a win:
1) Always eat the mushroom (however if you have over 45 base health with your hat you don't necessarily have to risk it because your odds winning are pretty good, and the later encountered mushrooms require you land a saving roll of 13 which isn't easy)
2) Get a +healing hat. Either the +9 health/+9 healing; +11/+11; or if you have 45+ base health, consider the +0/+24 hat. (I'm not saying it's not possible, but if you're going for a +damage hat you're only making it more statistically difficult to win. You'll need a base health at 45+ and you'll be beyond desperate for doubles. Most likely you'll also exhaust all your healing potions. Chances are you'll run dry a couple battles shy of the final boss) Sorry to say, but just the +0/+7 hat is also going to make winning near impossible. The final boss has 75 health and does 2D+4 dmg.

Play-by-play

1)First fight - Lurk, then repeat Mindgnaw/Crush until you're within damage range to use Execute. My opinion on "damage range" is that if I have any chance to kill with Execute I will use it. Sometimes I'll even supplement with a bomb but I'll get more into that below. (No using bombs before level 4)
--After the first fight, level up Lurk (no healing).

2)Second fight - Lurk, then repeat Mindgnaw until you're within damage range to use Execute. Or Lurk, then repeat Crush until enemy health is 10 or less, then use Lurk again until within damage range for Execute.
--After the second win, level up Execute (no healing).

3)Third Fight - Lurk, Lurk, Lurk, etc. until you're within damage range to use Execute (you never use Mindgnaw again). Or Lurk, then repeat Crush until enemy health is 11 or less, then use Lurk again until within damage range for Execute.
--After the third win, level a skill if health is 10 or more (before your free 1D healing roll), otherwise eat corpse.

--If you die, who cares. Start over, but more than often I easily survive with a few health. This strategy is about winning M&M. (NO USING BOMBS UNTIL LEVEL 4)

--POSSIBLE ENCOUNTER - If you run into the sheep. Befriend it, because it gives +2 potions. Otherwise you can eat it if you advanced with that 10 health and got bad luck on your +1D health roll. If it only gives you the option to eat the sheep and you have 25+/30 health, just ignore it. You will easily win that health back later with your future corpse eating heals, so not worth throwing the run away in case you get poisoned.

--POSSIBLE ENCOUNTER - The treasure chest. Open all treasure chests until level 3 then stop. The extra money is good incase you get a lucky early encounter from the friendly spider or goblin who sells hats. Beyond level 3 the money isn't important, and the chest can spring a trap or unleash a nasty mob.

4) (Assuming you didn't level up something after the 3rd fight) After the fourth win, level up Lurk.

At this point all your fights will be Lurk, Lurk, Lurk, Lurk, etc., until within striking distance for Execute. You will only be using Lurk and Execute moving forward (no more Crush or Mindgnaw ever).

--POSSIBLE ENCOUNTER - The rouge. If the rouge is asking for your hat and money then intimidate the rouge back. No one takes my hat!

--POSSIBLE ENCOUNTER - The rouge. If the rouge is trying to ambush you, always avoid it.

5) The grind starts here. Fight using Lurk & Execute. If your health is ever below 50% (before your free 1D healing roll), eat the corpse. If it's above 50%, then put a point alternative into Lurk & Execute, trying to get Lurk to 5 and Execute to at least level 4. **Prioritize Lurk!

--POSSIBLE ENCOUNTER - The injured Orc. Always attack the injured orc.

--POSSIBLE ENCOUNTER - The spiders. Attack the spiders if your health is over 70%. However, if it generates a saving roll and then warns you about the 1000's of baby's the spider just hatched then always avoid the fight. If you lose the saving roll, you should be okay surviving because you went in with 70% health.

6) Lurk and Execute will probably be around level 4 and 3 respectively at this point. You may be stuck in a rut for a few battles. You'll be fighting, eating corpse, fighting, eating corpse, etc. Basically you'll be treading water until you encounter a hat, and that will make the game change. If you don't get a hat, then consider cashing out because a win isn't going to happen.

Once you get a +7 or higher healing hat, you're over the first hurdle. (most runs that make it past here have a good shot, maybe 25% chance of winning). Keep trading up the hat until you get one with +9/+9 or +11/+11 stats.

7) With your hat at this point you'll have plenty of fights where you're health ends at 50% after battles. HOWEVER, at this point you'll want your health at 60%+ (before your free 1D healing roll), before putting points into finishing Lurk/Execute/healing bombs. So you might be doing more, fighting, eating corpse, fighting, eating corpse, etc. But with your hat the odds should work well for you. And when you end a fight with 60%+ of your health, put a point into those healing bombs. Sometimes healing bombs will get to level 6 and you'll be throwing one bomb for D+12. ALSO -- YOU CAN USE BOMBS NOW! -But sparingly. Let's say you got a +11.+11 hat and 24/40 health, and the enemy has 13 health. Throw a bomb, lower his health is 9, then cross your fingers that execute takes him out that way you can use your next turn to put a point into a skill. Maybe throw 2 bombs, but USE YOUR BOMBS AS AN EXENTION TO EXECUTE, as a way to progress your skill levels. Now with your free +1D healing die you might be going into the next fight with 32/40 health or something, which is fine. ALSO -- YOU NOW NEED TO WATCH THE DAMAGE WITH EVERY MOB MOVING FORWARD. You need to know how much the enemy hits for, so if the enemy does 9 DMG with rolling 1D for 4, then you know he's 1D + 5. That means the most he can hit for is 11. If your health is 10, you're risking death by not using a potion if you can't immediately Execute. Sometimes I risk it, sometimes I don't. In these cases sometimes I'll try to toss a damage bomb or two (because I value my healing bombs over damage bombs) and try to Execute and end the game with my 10 health, in hopes when I eat the corpse I'll heal back up to a fair amount.

--SAVE SOME FOR THE HAT! Never use a healing bomb if your health is over 50%. If you have 20/40 health, maybe the most an enemy can do is 2D + 4 which means his max damage is 16. It can't kill you, so don't use a healing bomb in the off chance you land a doubles, and it hits for like 6 damage. That way the surplus healing has a place to go and now you have 25/40 health. If you can then Execute and end the fight with 25/40 health, that means you both saved a potion and are ending with 60% health - which is perfect for investing in another level of Healing Bombs. Only use a potion when it's life or death to do so. Otherwise, toss those dice and prey you get doubles.

--Also as a side note, I've tried observing how it happens but sometimes I'll land "doubles" when doing Execute, even though I'm only throwing 1D. So sometimes your hat will even activate with Execute which is another reason to SAVE SOME FOR THE HAT.

--POSSIBLE ENCOUNTER - The Bone Dragon. Always avoid. He drops artifacts or kills you, and if you roll again to communicate with him then at best you'll get a +health hat, but that's overlooked because it doesn't give +healing.

8) If you are sitting on Lurk 5, Execute 4, a few healing bombs at level 4, and a +11/+11 hat, I'd say you got over a 50% chance of winning. If you've eaten a couple mushrooms and have base health (before the hat) of 40+ with those same levels at hat, I'd say you got an 85% chance of winning.

9) Fight and eat corpses. Lurk, lurk, lurk, etc., until execute. Eat corpse. Repeat. When you get a lucky fight with a few doubles boosting your health to 60%+ by the end of the fight, throw a point into healing bombs. If you need to, consume a health bomb during the fight to offset the fact that you passed up eating the corpse.

10) Get to the final boss. He's got 75 health so he's not hard to spot. He does 2D + 4, so the most he can hit for is 16. Believe it or not, mobs you will have faced up this point are pretty much comparable. Open with Lurk, then throw any leftover damage bombs, and keep using Lurk till Execute. Once he's dead continue forward (honestly I've never tried cashing out even though it gives me the option and I wonder if it does anything different), and it will give you an option to level a skill like normal. Do whatever you want there, and the next immediate action is to CASH OUT and collect your reward.

Congrats! You've won! Go celebrate by bartering for a crown.

--Remember, M&M is a game of odds. What you're doing is playing the odds, and you will come out ahead with this strategy. You won't win every time, but you will win a lot. A lot of M&M is just being familiar with what lies ahead each round. When you know what you expect as you advance you'll be able to plan better, and you might make slight tweaks to this strategy.

If you have any questions please feel free to /t me in game. I'm happy to help everyone succeed.

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[Citan]

Very interesting writeup! I wanted to mention that when Execute gives you "doubles" if you roll a 1, that's an intentional feature. (It may get removed, actually, but the point being that it's intentional.) There's a phantom "1" die that it matches to, basically.

[Niph]

My opinion on "damage range" is that if I have any chance to kill with Execute I will use it.

Small difference with how I play: when I only have Execute 1, i.e. 1D+1, I'll use execute only if I win with a 5. The reason for that is, for example, you have Execute 1 and the opponent has 7 health, and you roll a 1, it has now 5 health and you still need 4+ to win, so a decent chance of letting them hit you twice. On the other hand, with Crush or Mindgnaw you roll 2D and it's almost certain the next Execute ends the fight. I prefer this certainty.

[Daguin]

Can vouch for @Sasho's general strategy! Used it to take my first win ever (high stakes table, multiple buffs).

[rosabella]

You're so cool! I don't suppose to learn something like this before. Thank you for sharing this

[Tagamogi]

Just wanted to bump this for anyone who may be looking for it in 2019.

Also, now that I finally read this post in detail, one very very late question for @Sasho : Are you sure about the extra die on saving rolls being a good buff? Maybe I've just been unlucky but I'll actually switch tables to avoid this buff. Rolling double 1s on a saving throw is an insta-death, so it is this weird situation where the extra die raises both your success chance and your utter failure chance. I think I'd rather take the higher chance of a standard failure that can at least be recovered from.

[Vish]

i much more prefer to use Mindgnaw over Execute, Execute only for finished move. When i bet game i have Mindgnaw 4 Execute 3 and Lurk 5 and Potion Mastery at 6 and +0/+24 hat, and+10 HP from eating mushroom, so some variation would work too

[Sasho]

To be honest my sample of games isn't high enough to say that an extra die on savings roll is 100% better because of this risk of double 1's, but I'd still take the buff any day over not having it

[Sander]

The sample of games may not be huge, but I think it's enough to draw some conclusions. Well done, Sasho.