The Goliath of tiles is irrefutably the Z. The last letter of the alphabet is oft the first in the minds of every aspiring Scrabble adept, and rightly so. It is not merely a dangerous tool, even in the most inept racks it can be wielded lethally and with impunity. Knowledge of the Z confers far more than its ten points, it can make or break a game. The Z can be an albatross around one's neck or the Holy Grail of the game.
Short Z words such as ZA, ADZ, BIZ, COZ and ZEK are abstruse enough, but when you augment your word knowledge with behemoths like LUTZ, OYEZ, ZARF, ZEBU, ZYME, ZOUK and the like, large scores become titanic. However, the Z is as liable to hamstring the game as much as it helps. It can become an onus in the hand, turning 7 letters into six. The unadulterated power of raw memory makes the Z more than formidable and knowing the Z words is of utmost, unparalleled, importance.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Words of Mass Destruction: Part II
Finesse in Scrabble is governed by the single, overarching imperative of score. At its pith, finesse translates into force and is unequivocally embodied by the most august of the power tiles: the Q and the Z. Like rare gems, these singular tiles and their alluring applications in the English vernacular give way to a fascination bordering on obsession. However, these gems are not polished smooth surfaces which serve simply to adorn the board; they are rough, scabrous creations, equally apt to spearhead a massive score as they are to blight the entire board with their presence. The Z and the Q are both boon and blessing and are not to be trifled with.
But maybe that's just the poet in me.
The Q, at first glance, with its symbiotic relationship with the U surely cannot be a weapon. The average person would assume that the U would hamstring the Q and reduce it to such bulky words as QUEUE, QUICHE and QUILT. These words in themselves are capable of clinching sizable scores, but when one discovers that the Q can exist without the U, its full potential is realized. Words such as QI, QAT, QADI, QOPH and FAQIR create a whole new dimension of Q. The number of short Q words is more than one would think, and the repertoire of short Q words is present in the mind of every Scrabble veteran.
But maybe that's just the poet in me.
The Q, at first glance, with its symbiotic relationship with the U surely cannot be a weapon. The average person would assume that the U would hamstring the Q and reduce it to such bulky words as QUEUE, QUICHE and QUILT. These words in themselves are capable of clinching sizable scores, but when one discovers that the Q can exist without the U, its full potential is realized. Words such as QI, QAT, QADI, QOPH and FAQIR create a whole new dimension of Q. The number of short Q words is more than one would think, and the repertoire of short Q words is present in the mind of every Scrabble veteran.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Words of Mass Destruction: Part 1
Scrabble is a multifaceted pursuit but at its crux it is a chirocracy: ruled by force. To establish autarchic dominance over Scrabble one must become adept at those adamantine weapons of war: the power tiles. An acute knowledge of the J, Q, X and the Z is integral to developing one's game. The lesser of the titans are the J and the X which, though not as cumbersome as their 10 point kin, are nonetheless efficacious when used by the most green of novices. In the hands of a seasoned player they are deadly, if not fatal to an adversary.
The J is the more versatile of the two and the myriad combinations it engenders render the J a Colossus on the board. Several demotic words such as JAY, JAW, JUNK, JUKE and JINX can be used to great effect, which bodes well for the average player. However, when one has finesse enough to play words such as JUCO, HADJ, JEHU, JAUK and JEUX, the potential of the J can be fully realized. Larger and longer J words may translate into correspondingly massive scores.
The X is the more exotic, abstruse tile yet this endows it with the ability to be even more damaging than the J. It lends its wiles to the player with the most knowledge of how to use it and thus, in the right hands can be used several times to enhance ones score. The tyro will recognize the common conjugations such as BOXY, AXON, APEX, ONYX and WAXY. However, those are but a fraction of the X's power which encompasses words such as OXO, COXA, IBEX, ORYX and XYST. The X's vast range rivals J's but the X is the tool of the veteran. The 3-letter, 4-letter and 5-letter X words are assassin's tools.
The J is the more versatile of the two and the myriad combinations it engenders render the J a Colossus on the board. Several demotic words such as JAY, JAW, JUNK, JUKE and JINX can be used to great effect, which bodes well for the average player. However, when one has finesse enough to play words such as JUCO, HADJ, JEHU, JAUK and JEUX, the potential of the J can be fully realized. Larger and longer J words may translate into correspondingly massive scores.
The X is the more exotic, abstruse tile yet this endows it with the ability to be even more damaging than the J. It lends its wiles to the player with the most knowledge of how to use it and thus, in the right hands can be used several times to enhance ones score. The tyro will recognize the common conjugations such as BOXY, AXON, APEX, ONYX and WAXY. However, those are but a fraction of the X's power which encompasses words such as OXO, COXA, IBEX, ORYX and XYST. The X's vast range rivals J's but the X is the tool of the veteran. The 3-letter, 4-letter and 5-letter X words are assassin's tools.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Oh,so my Ki is Ka
As my Id is by my ego, vis and vim up via ton of Ki as we tew and hew out pep and own our ole for the max rec: Scrabble! I hope anyone perusing this appreciates that I had to trek through the upper echelons of difficulty to create that agglomeration of twos and threes and the higher reaches of audacity to pretend it is coherent. But I digress: on to the twos.
Here are the list of acceptable two letter words in Scrabble.
And their nefarious cousins, the threes.
However, herein lies the rub: to know the words is facile, but to implement them in your game requires an aptitude for creating hooks. For example: AA (a rough cindery lava) can be hooked by not only adding an s, but also adding an h (as in the interjection AAH) or by adding an l (AAL - an east indian shrub). To create a succesful base for one's game, one must be perspicacious enough to identify nooks and crannies where not only one, but myriad hooks can be created. Exponents of this scrabble discipline are capable of layering i.e. they can lay words directly on others, like a brickmason creating a wall e.g.
AZURE
NAMED
AN, ZA, UM, RE And ED are all acceptable words. A proficient player can go even further, with concoctions such as:
GATES
AZURE
MOPED
There are manifold combination that can be used to refine your game. In order to become habile in the use of such words it is necessary to augment your knowledge of two and threes, especially the hooks.
Next week I will delve into the wells of power manifested in the Q, Z, X and J.
Here are the list of acceptable two letter words in Scrabble.
And their nefarious cousins, the threes.
However, herein lies the rub: to know the words is facile, but to implement them in your game requires an aptitude for creating hooks. For example: AA (a rough cindery lava) can be hooked by not only adding an s, but also adding an h (as in the interjection AAH) or by adding an l (AAL - an east indian shrub). To create a succesful base for one's game, one must be perspicacious enough to identify nooks and crannies where not only one, but myriad hooks can be created. Exponents of this scrabble discipline are capable of layering i.e. they can lay words directly on others, like a brickmason creating a wall e.g.
AZURE
NAMED
AN, ZA, UM, RE And ED are all acceptable words. A proficient player can go even further, with concoctions such as:
GATES
AZURE
MOPED
There are manifold combination that can be used to refine your game. In order to become habile in the use of such words it is necessary to augment your knowledge of two and threes, especially the hooks.
Next week I will delve into the wells of power manifested in the Q, Z, X and J.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
My Return
After an egregiously long hiatus I have returned from my peregrinations in the labyrinthine halls of education to bask in the edenic ethos of summer. Accompanied by only my Mjolnir: a tattered and careworn board, I ventured into the scintillating summer sunrise set simply on one goal: Scrabble. Yes, like a cloistered and cantankerous monk I shall now abjure the sisyphean pursuit of hedonism and with epicurean ardor devour word and phrase in hope of achieving the rara avis of Scrabble mastery, and of course, routing all in my path. Join me as I build the mammoth and marmoreal monument of Scrabble Knowledge over this summer regressing to the atavistic roots of a consummate game: the perfidious and potent 2 and 3 letter words.
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