Looks like someone was stocking when military was high and bushel prices were lower. And is now growing quickly to prep for the destock. Should be interesting to see where they finish. It is creative, and from the back of the envelope calculation appears superior to me when bushel prices get this large.

Andrew: Except that Commies stocking lose almost 30% stock if they stock at all.

A) You lose 10% just selling military.
B) You lose another 10% buying food.
C) You lose another 10% buying back military.

Compare this to

A) Just grabbing and gaining land. Once you stop grabbing, you just cash and sell only enough military to fund expenses to spend turns to end of set (which you also have to do if you went the stocking method).

There is no way stocking beats gaining land, other than on Alliance server where land is so scarce you're better off just stocking.

I'm not sure why you would C) want to buy back military as a CI. Definately if you destock on the public you lose another 10% selling food.

The gain is that you are running turns with fewer expenses and you are making some money because bushels appreciate.

I think you are correct Xin. A commies best strategy is just to grow until the end of the set. If one were to stock though, it would be best to do it early.

It would be best to do it early, but doesn't that mean you're stocking on less land? So I think maybe it's not best afterall

Because if you don't buy back military as a CI, it means you only sold just enough military to spend expenses to end of set. Then that isn't stocking to begin with, there was no stock, you only bought enough food to last till the end of the reset. That is just doing the "you just cash and sell only enough military to fund expenses to spend turns to end of set".

Eh if you're hoarding food to cover 10 days of future turns instead of buying as you go then I'd consider that a form of stocking.

Yeah, but that isn't stocking in the traditional sense (storing surplus cash to jump NW with later).

I can certainly see how storing cheaper food earlier might gain you 1-2m NW, unless you recall the stored food enough times and lose enough $$ from not cashing said turns (and then another turn to restore them on market).

That is the Indy stocking method in primary. Grab until it mathematically makes sense to stop, then store enough food to cover consumption and expenses until sets end. Not to buy back military. This way you have a few more days at +1m income rather than a few more days at -$15m income at the end. If he bought his food at $45 on 56k land instead of $60 on 65k land he should have saved a few bucks.

YOu don't necessarily buy food to cover expenses though, I mean I do sometimes, but it depends on the food price. Because of commissions it's often not worth it to try to cover all your expenses with food imo

Oh for sure. I'm not storing $60+ food, I can wait a while. I might stock turns some more or do a few grabs again. Not sure, although I'm on holidays right now and couldn't give a fluff either way. At this point with building costs and buying more tech & oil, and jet losses, it's probably close to break even (grabbing or just cashing out).

Last set when I stopped at 60k, it gave me plenty of time to store food at an ok price.

I think you should have continued 1 PS a day, Serp.

There are some good top feed wars going on.. I chickened out and wanted no part of it. Especially since I'd have to start doing pretty risky grabs.

If only I ran my turns before that muffin man retalled me! I was way ahead of my land goal at that point... Blah! After that I knew I couldn't beat you Reps anyways. I fell 4 days or so behind because of that. Anyways it's Christmas time... Time for peace and love.