my 2 cents on the strategy tip: I'd turtle... Don't increase any of the 1's, move everything up one rank, then bounce pieces back and forth to the first rank,

my 2 cents on the strategy tip: I'd turtle... Don't increase any of the 1's, move everything up one rank, then bounce pieces back and forth to the first rank, keeping each piece within 1 of at least two other pieces. I might have to have a couple 2's on the edges. That, or I'd try to restructure to a 3x5(+1) rather than a 2x8. I'd eventually have to increase a few numbers and break the shell a little bit, but by then my opponent will have far fewer 1's and a much more unstable structure from his attacks on me.