YORKTON - When it comes to board games there simply are not many that achieve the greatness of Hive, although that admittedly is from the perspective of a ‘guilder’ who is an abstract strategy fan.
Is Hive the best of the genre?
Some days I’d say yes, others I’d edge toward one of several other games that all vie for top spot in my mind on any given day, but Hive is always in the thought process and is always near ‘best-of- status.
Hive is hard not to like. It is an amazing game, one I almost missed myself as noted in a recent review here. The initial releases, both the early wooden piece edition and the first ‘bakelite-like’ one came with multi-coloured pieces which had me thinking ‘kids’ game’ and it took me some time to actually buy the game.
When the beautiful black and white ‘carbon’ edition was released it was a must have -- just gorgeous – so I have two sets.
And the pieces are very much heirloom quality – they should last forever.
As noted in a recent column on game gift ideas, if you have someone who likes a mind-to-mind game challenge Hive is ideal. I can imagine a grandparent gifting a set to a 10-year-old, and that youngster growing up and playing the same set for 60-70-80 years, and handing it off to a grandchild they taught.
Given how good Hive is, it’s always fun to catch up with the annual online world champion to talk about the game.
The 2022 champ is Joe Schultz who returns to top spot for a third time, previously winning in 2017, and 2020.
So is a third win sweeter?
“It is,” said Schultz via email. “The game has more talent playing it than ever before, and I never expected to be able to reach the top once again.
“I tried my hardest and it worked out for me -- with a little luck.”
Schultz suggested playing online is not all that different from sitting across a table from an opponent in some respects, but diverges in other aspects.
“Online play and face-to-face are very similar but very different at the same time,” he said.
“The face-to face-games are more fun, from my experience, because you have someone to talk to and joke with, and also the hive is a little more messy — harder to see things.
“The digital online play is a little easier to see all the options — more tidy, and it is easier to zone yourself into the game without exterior distractions.”
But the biggest issue with face-to-face is connecting with other top players.
“Another hurdle for face-to-face games is that it is much more difficult to play the world's best,” said Schultz.
“If we had a way to all come together and play face-to-face, that would be my preference, although it is non-realistic logistically.”
Schultz noted the competition is becoming keener, so we were curious for him to explain that a little more.
“Yes, the competition gets tougher and tougher each and every year,” he reiterated.
“Sometimes new people come to the game and make gains right away. Maybe they have chess backgrounds or other games, and they are able to fit right in.
“On the other hand, my progress, after years of play, has diminishing returns --meaning that I am not getting better at a fast rate.
“But I am glad that I am at least slightly better than I was even last year.
“So, the competition is tougher for sure. I was also playing at my best performance-wise and I have the added benefit of experience/wisdom.
But, what does Schultz see as the biggest development in terms of gameplay from win one in 2017, to this title?
“Good question. Back in 2017, the gameplay seemed to represent ‘control’ quite a bit more — players would make sure to try to win the ‘ant game’ (a power piece in Hive), and control the other player into strings, like a bowl of spaghetti,” he offered.
“Now, in 2022, the gameplay of the best of the best seems to have morphed/evolved into more ‘anti-control,’ meaning that when the opponent tries to control you into strings, they cannot successfully hold you down.
“Players have found better ways to win the ‘inner-hive game’ and make things messy and uncontrollable.
“In fact, that is how I won my most important games in the tournament: win the inner hive game, and beetle game, with a strong beetle presence through the middle of the hive. I was able to devise what appeared to be some unstoppable attacks that way, that even the strongest controlling players couldn't defend.”
So does Schultz have a particular approach to game play?
“Aside from dominance in the inner-hive/Beetle game like mentioned before, I also have an approach to studying my opponents that helps me a lot,” he offered.
“I devise a plan for each and every opponent, where I can predict their opening with enough confidence to find an answer that allows me to open the game in a way that will give me an advantage.
“This is always different, but an example is that ‘RAID’, a dangerous opponent, would always play Black with a buffer opening -- another bug distancing his queen from my army. So I devised a way to get Beetles involved very early and make that distance nothing exceptional.
“Or, against Stepanzo in the finals; he always plays an ‘anti-spawn defense’ (queen sandwiched in between two friendly bugs), so I devised ways to punish that play from the start -- coincidentally with Beetles going through the inner hive early).
“Couple that inner-hive / beetle game dominance, with my knowledge of control strategies, etc. and I always have something to fall back on if things are not working out quite right.”
Like chess, Hive has a variety of pieces, all with their own movement and mechanics. Schultz likes the mosquito quite a lot among the varied options.
“The Mosquito is always a dangerous character, for white and for black,” he said.
“The Mosquito on the attack can act as an Ant to get into place. It can act as a Beetle to climb if necessary. It can join forces with the enemy Pillbug and harass the opponent with his own power.
“On the flip side, stopping the opponent's Mosquito can prove to be a very beneficial accomplishment. Without the enemy Mosquito able to provide defense, it is easier to finish an attack.”
Out of curiosity we had to ask a champ’s thoughts on the much maligned spider, a piece many, (myself included) see as the least useable in Hive.
“A friend of mine claims the Spider as his favorite bug in Hive,” said Schultz.
“The reason is that it is the weakest or at least among the weakest of characters, so if you are able to use a Spider successfully, it is very powerful in that it provides you with an accomplishment of some sort (attack, defense, control, etc.) but leaves the rest of your higher rated bugs to do extraordinary deeds later on.
“I agree with that assessment, however, I wouldn't consider the Spider to be my favourite.”
So is Hive best in its basic game, or with the three expansion pieces in play?
“I prefer Hive with the three expansions -- ladybug, mosquito, pillbug,” said Schultz.
“In fact, I and most people call Hive with all the expansions ‘Hive,’ whereas, base Hive is the version that needs the differentiator ‘base’" built into its name to distinguish it as being different from normal.
“The expansions balance the game in a very nice way, especially with the Pillbug.
“And ‘base-Hive’ heavily favours white/attack, where the expansions offer a lot of defensive options; and more attack options too.”
So, could the game use a boost from a new piece?
“As a novelty, sure,” suggested Schultz. “But, that doesn't mean that it should happen.
“The players who would play more because of a new piece would slowly dissipate and we would be left with a Frankenstein game, is my fear.
“I feel the balance of the game (with P, L, M) is perfect and very delicate.
“Adding or removing a bug from the ecosphere really could break the game as we know it.
“I have serious doubts that a new bug would make the actual game better.
“To me it is an odd consideration when people suggest new bugs. It is fun to think that you have a good idea for a new bug, and I have even come up with some, but I tend to compare it to chess a bit; could you imagine people advocating for a new chess piece?”
