I've always opened most multiplayer games with a bunch of Tetrises, and that's worked pretty well so far... But now I'm considering branching out. Can anyone offer some advice?

(I've noticed that a lot of players on TOJ open with t-spin setups, so right now I'm looking into things like the Imperial Cross or DKI's DT Cannon...)

EDIT: I'm also trying this... Not sure if it has a name.
[fumen]105@7eJ6bIrhBOYBxkBPhB1fBMWBLXBCOBMVBaessobtsn?bssrbAwNPAUEzPEJG98AQmqhECDdCA7eFJAPAAPWBOXBFTP?PAUEzPEJG98AQmqhECDdCAAwNAAAAA[/fumen]

good openings:
- dont use up many Ts or Is
- let you downstack fast, ie you dont want to wait too long for certain pieces

i think wut ur showing is a form of purple rain ._. , tspins r gud to start and if u dont get a t piece for long or if ur opponent has a slow setup, u can get a combo setup with a tspin double at the bottom,

i personally dont start off setting up tetrises just in case i dont get any I pieces xp but thats just me,

i think learning lots of openings is good and then fitting ur style to the style of ur opponent ._.

I like combo openings. If you are good at them they send the most garbage.

They are easy to set up, and you can do it pretty fast.
It also sends continuously which would counter garbage you are receiving, so you don't have to worry about stacking high. And afterwards, you can go straight into downstacking if needed.

Quote from: Someone2knoe
I like combo openings. If you are good at them they send the most garbage.

They are easy to set up, and you can do it pretty fast.
It also sends continuously which would counter garbage you are receiving, so you don't have to worry about stacking high. And afterwards, you can go straight into downstacking if needed.

^agree^

btw, congratulations on ur 69th post looools

That's the STSD TSD combo where you get a Super TSD followed by a TSD.  Honestly, I don't think B2B T-spins are the best openings, because if you're playing a good player you might be under attack by the time you've finished your first T-spin.  Plus, if you have to set up your overhang for the second T-spin before you can take the first one you'll likely end up wasting your first T piece, and there's also a slight risk your opponent might do an All Clear opening on you before you can send them any garbage.

Quote from: Someone2knoe
I like combo openings. If you are good at them they send the most garbage.

They are easy to set up, and you can do it pretty fast.
It also sends continuously which would counter garbage you are receiving, so you don't have to worry about stacking high. And afterwards, you can go straight into downstacking if needed.

I like combos too (it quickens matches against less-experienced and/or slower opponents)...except when I fight t-spinners (and there are many).  I find myself powerless against expert t-spinners when I try a combo opening.  I get harassed trying to set-up and I usually have no choice except to downstack much earlier than I would like.  If I error while trying to combo against a t-spinner, my combo becomes wasted effort and I get stuck with a stack of pieces that I need to clear to get to my garbage.

Quote from: iphys
That's the STSD TSD combo where you get a Super TSD followed by a TSD.  Honestly, I don't think B2B T-spins are the best openings, because if you're playing a good player you might be under attack by the time you've finished your first T-spin.  Plus, if you have to set up your overhang for the second T-spin before you can take the first one you'll likely end up wasting your first T piece, and there's also a slight risk your opponent might do an All Clear opening on you before you can send them any garbage.

I never agreed with B2B t-spins openings either.


Currently, my strategy is to try and build a single t-spin double so that I have a chance to clear up misdrops I might make and prepare for incoming garbage.

that sounds like a good strategy Tomato. you can usually make one TSD without much trouble.

for some reason, whenever i get this order of pieces i can't help setting up this way:
[fumen]105@7eG1dIkhBnfBiaB+jBBcBAAA[/fumen]
but it's not so great because it leaves some junk in the far right column, and there's a T in the setup. i just setup this way because it's sleek and sexy

Thanks for the help, everyone. I've tried a bunch of B2B t-spin setups, but they all seem to have the same problem of stacking too high... I definitely agree with iphys there.

Right now, I think my favorite opening is a TSD while keeping an eye out for a possible TST lead-off. Something like
[fumen]105@7ePSQWjAzOEXE0oo2AEszQEwOZyDFbMLEuoo2AU9UT?AS4Q5DHt+CAXiBMhBmdB5UBrDPmA0S88AwUrGEJmZTATD88?AQoTeEF2W5DBD98AQZjXEFbEwCzOBAA1UPOATo2TASo/QEF?bEwCzOBAAiaBMXBrMBJ+OAAHKB9QPDAUN2BAGHPAAKQPlAw?CpyDFbkzDPDVTASIc5DU988AQS88AwnoRBPM98AQe88AZAA?AAAwNsAEnVKETPckDrow2BFbMLEyoo2ATPckDroo2AVJ98A?QZjXEFbsiDvU+ME[/fumen]

EDIT: I think I like this, actually... A few games ago, I messed up and accidentally did a B2B2B TST.  

I don't think you should be discouraged from going for B2B T-Spin setups. I've seen many players regularly start with a quick DT cannon or TD Attack if they have a good preview.

Combo starters, when executed well, are killer against me. I have yet to figure out any counter measure other than a longer combo.

The standard TKI T-Spin Double opener is probably most popular.

Another start I like is Kaidan TSD followed by B2B Tetris. Benefit of this is you can use it if you get an S and Z start.[fumen]105@7eCcbIVnBucBTeE3kbE3kbE3ubAAA7eCt9clNPPAUE?zPEJG98AQmqhECDdCAAwNAAJeI3gbI3gbE3hbB30bAwNYAC?QGDEkoo2AVJ98AwsrGEloo2AtXyrD7eCpuqAApOPGAUouXE?p9BAAAwNAA[/fumen]

With the SZ start you can also go for an ST stacking style TSD instead of the Kaidan TSD, which gives you the option to then go for a TST by overhanging an L or J over the remaining cell of your Z or S.  It's a bit risky, but not as risky as double triple cannon, the triple double combo, or magic key.

Deleted

i don't like starting with combos because
first off..i always end up fitting doubles & triples into them when those aren't the most efficient way to stack combos..
second..i see a lot of ppl who do stack them die early from a slight add cause they stacked too high [same reason you shouldn't do a 5 tst set up unless you're THAT much better than your opponent..then you should be playing someone else!]
third..i'm not terribly slow..but i know there are faster ppl. most of the time in the same room as me. i'm sure if i practiced combo starts i'd get faster at them but i'm fast at TSD starts.
fourth..if i misdrop somewhere ok it makes me think half a sec more
fifth..if i misdrop somewhere bad it kills the whole set up n then i have just made my own garbage to clean!

besides..by the time i finish setting up and executing 1 TSD [possibly turning it into a TST] they're only halfway done with their combo set up
then i stack a tetris or another TSD depending on where my pieces landed holes and by the time i finish that they're in the middle of their combo & we end up with the same level of garbage. [they cancel out my BTB tetris probably with combo. but my TSD garbage is still there]

however, if i were super speedy i'd probably do combo starts :3 ..then again my TSD BTB tetris opening would be faster too! ahh iono :s

also depends on which game you're planning on playing :s

It's tricky to decide what to do/when and with all the variables are far as what your up against.  In general I like to leave 3 from side open for combo like a lot of ppl tend to do.  Or start just TSDing.  One I like a lot that has a lot of potential is TST to combo.

[fumen]105@7eB2kBLhBTeusnbsshbNRnbNRtbLhB7etaXBJLBJ3A?JjAAAALjBLiBrXBrYBrOBrNBrHBrDBrEBr9ApUBpABpsApY?AJPAj6Aj5AjzAjwAjvAjpAjlAjmAjfAjbAjcAjVAjSAjRA9?gBVlBqaBRpAsQBtLBuGBPCBZWBibBAAAAAA[/fumen]

Bare with me I'm noob to Fumen.

When I used to face comboers on T Party I'd just stack for 2 tetrises or a tetris and a TSD and wait till they stacked more than half way up the screen to send both at once.  They'd have no means to cancel garbage if they hadn't already started their combo, and no means to clear more than 1 or 2 lines, so they'd be toast.  I think stacking up for a combo is especially dangerous in 6p where everyone could send you a TSD or tetris all at once, especially if people are targeting garbage.