Will I be killed?

[cantab]

Being a lowly cook, if I joined games against higher ranks would I just get smashed?

[Skittles!]

Not all the time. It is possible to win.

[hecter]

Just unlikely. Try contacting wacicha about joining his clan that's dedicated to teach cooks.

[gdeangel]

If you see a public game with a "page 1" (i.e., above major), there are three things that could be going on:

1) It's a team game, and you will be pwnd because these guys tend to play with people they know are good on their team, and you'll be playing in a rag-tag bunch on the other side most likely.

2) It's settings and/or map that the higher rank guy owns. Watch for freestyle or no-cards games on really confusing looking maps, e.g., waterloo. With enough practice, you can have a shot, but for your first game on a map, well, you know...

3) It's an honest attempt to play some new people, maybe learn a new map, make a new friend, hold hands, go for walk in the park, exchange witty banter, and loose themselves in your charm. This one is not too likely...

Join society of cooks. Or join any clan where they try to pair up strong and weaker players for team games. Or just join and get hosed until you pick up their tricks, and then beat them at their "special" settings (that's what I try to do).

[oVo]

gdeangel's #1 point is a good one... high ranked 'teamers' tend to have mad skilz with the maps that they set up games on and your odds of survival are very slim.

If you choose to join a game with higher ranked players, it's a good thing... be patient, pay attention to how the game develops, don't spread yourself too thin or do anything rash and you've always got a shot. Make an effort to NOT be the path of least resistance, you will live longer and be a contender.

Also if things aren't going well in the beginning, don't give up and make desperate moves... just hang tough, fort all you can and try to make your occupied territories as costly to conquer as possible.

[cantab]

Thanks for all the advice guys.