Chaining

== Aims of chaining ==
Chaining is the act of attacking a province repeatedly in a small space of time to cause them to be overpopulated and force troops to desert. 
Some players use chaining to mean only strings of attacks that cause desertions within one tick, others have less strict definition that is closer to targetting attacks at a particular province over time. In both cases the aim of focused attacks is to cause overpopulation and make their military desert. For this reason chain targets usually have high peasants and it is counterproductive to do ops like fireball before a chain. 
== Preparing for chains ==
Chaining can include preparation activity to do more damage e.g. (these are possible options, not recommendations):
* reducing defense
** mystic vortexes to remove MP, GP or town watch
** burning forts, 
** Night Strike to kill troops
** Nightmare to put troops into training. 
* improving gains
** burning guard stations
** Mystic vortex to remove mist
* limiting the target's ambush options
** choose units for higher ambush costs, e.g. more specs on large hits
** adjusting hitting order of attackers 
** using anonymity (which reduces gains)
The disadvantages of chaining include:
* hitting through MAP (especially in hostile /start of war) 
* hitting outside of ideal gains range to focus on the same target, so fewer overall acres taken
* leaving 'non chained" enemy provinces with an opportunity to grow if not controlled with magic and thief ops
To maximise damage from chaining attacks are usually done in netowrth order, which requires activity and synchronisation to not leave teammates waiting for each other. Some kingdoms choose to use the approach selectively, chaining a target or two hard early then easily hitting them with spare generals later while moving to max gain attacks.http://forums.utopia-game.com/showthread.php?620415-An-interview-with-AquaSeaFoam on 06/04/24
== Types of Chains ==
=== Target with army home ===
Chains can be targetted at a province which has its offensive armies home, so that the overpopulation caused delays that provinces being able to attack and may force the player to release troops. This is because with their army home, they have no incoming acres to boost their max population. 
Advantages 	Disadvantages
High likelihood of causing desertions or the player to release units. 	Attacks are against a higher defence value with elites home, so likely to mean fewer attacks are possible per wave.
Casualties from the attacks also affect offensive elites, so can lower the target provinces offence more than a chain with army out.	Desertions cause large drop in the target's networth, so gains would decrease if attacks are not done quickly.
=== Target with armies out ===
Targets with armies out on attacks are usually easier to attack, with lower defence. When their armies return, they usually have incoming acres which helps increase the target province's population and means they may have to release less to be able to attack. for this reason provinces that have made non-land attacks like massacres, may be selected as chain targets. The amount of time until armies return will affect how many ticks of troop desertions take place, so if target armies are not synced one with a longer return time might be targeted to do more damage with a chain. 
Advantages 	Disadvantages
Provinces with attacking armies out tend to have lower defense, allowing more attacks.	If returning armies bring back acres, it will be easier for the province to reduce overpop and attack again.
=== Semi Chains ===
Semi chains are focused attacks on target enemy provinces that do not involve as many hits and so do not reduce their acres as much. These are sometimes done to reduce popspace or when military units are low so there is less benefit to desertions, such as in an Out of Protection war at the start of the age when all provinces are low draft. 
=== Nightmare Chains ===
Nightmares can be used to lower a targets defense or to manipulate its networth for better gains before a chain. These are often done in bulk, with several provinces using most of their mana on nightmares before a wave. 
There are differing opinions on whether its better to use night strike following nightmare casts:
* Nightmares put thieves into training and so lower the targets TPA, making NS easier and increasing success
* Night Strike removes units which take up population space, so it takes more attacks to get provinces into overpopulation and they would not be as deeply overpopulatedhttps://discord.com/channels/398211456174260224/398332751025143810/1223457563161530519. The Nightstrike ops also do not affect troops in training, so kills will be lower after nightmares.