I have been testing xC's Rule #7 this month in a form somewhat modified from my test of it in the first half of last month. My test of the rule was as follows:

Last month: avoid less than 2-dice advantage attacks on the first two turns.

This month: avoid less than 2-dice advantage attacks on the first turn, and 2 v 1's are OK.

Results: Eschewing less than 2-dice advantage attacks in the first two turns reduced my incidence of 7th and 6th place finishes, but also reduced my number of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd finishes. Under the current scoring system, where 7th is no worse than 6th, using xC's rule #7 for 2 turns will not help. When I changed to using xC's rule #7 for only one turn, my percentage profile got a healthier look, but differed in an unexpected way. Normally I have more firsts and thirds than seconds, but this month I got more seconds than firsts and thirds. My experiment may have not been sufficiently controlled this month because maximum score limits for tables were also instituted for the first time. I may have been facing a lower quality of opponent at the lower level tables than in the previous month. Also, I hid my stars. What effect this had, either good or bad, I do not know, but in previous months my stars and low score would attract negative comments once or twice a month from players like frankstur.

General observation:

Order of start is likely a more important shaper of strategy than what turn you are in. If you move first or second, it is more likely that whatever you do will be overrun by someone else (as in our new diversion, drawball painting). So it would be better to be more cautious. If you move sixth or seventh, it is better to take whatever option is left rather than wait.