To beat the computer at Ludo, play the odds better than it does and use its habits against it. It rolls the same dice you do, so you can't out-luck it. A computer player follows fixed priorities, and once you know them you can predict most of its moves.
Lumi AI, the computer opponent in Ludo Fighters, makes a good example because it comes in five personalities that each play differently. It sees the same board you see and never knows what the next roll will be.
What each personality does
- Rookie is still learning. Close to half of its choices are random, so it misses captures and walks into trouble.
- Aggressor hunts your soldiers and takes risks to do it.
- Guardian is careful. It protects advanced soldiers, likes safe squares and runs from danger.
- Strategist weighs progress, captures and the real odds of each of its soldiers being hit.
- Commander does what Strategist does and also looks one turn ahead, checking how the next squad could reply to each of the six possible rolls.
For the setup and the modes, see playing Ludo offline. The details of how it decides are on the Lumi AI page. This guide is about winning.
How strong each one really is
We ran each personality in four-player games against three opponents of a fixed strength, using the game's own move-choosing code and default rules. A fair share is 25%.
| Who is playing | Win rate vs 3 Rookies | Win rate vs 3 Strategists |
|---|---|---|
| Random moves | 10.3% | 1.1% |
| Rookie | same strength | 3.1% |
| Aggressor | 57.0% | 19.1% |
| Guardian | 64.7% | 23.1% |
| Strategist | 67.1% | same strength |
| Commander | not tested | 23.4% |
| Our plain checklist | 63.8% | 21.5% |
Three things are worth pulling out. Hunting is the weakest of the serious styles: Aggressor trails Guardian against both opponents. Rookie is a long way behind everyone else. And Commander, the only one that thinks a turn ahead, came out level with Strategist in this test, at 23.4% against a fair share of 25%. With 1,500 games that is within the margin of error, so we can't say it's stronger or weaker.
Results are within about one point either way, except Commander, which is within about two. Rows marked same strength would be 25% by definition, so we didn't run them.
The habits that beat it
Stay seven squares ahead. From one to six squares back, a chaser hits on one exact number, 1 in 6. At seven it needs a 6 and then a 1, which is 1 in 36. Strategist and Commander work out the danger to their own soldiers from enemies within six squares, so they also treat seven squares as out of range. You should treat it as the line you want to be past. The odds guide has the working.
Bring soldiers out on every 6. The simplest way to lose to a strong opponent is to run one soldier and leave the rest at base. It gives you no choices when you roll an awkward number.
Make it choose. A careful opponent like Guardian protects whatever is in danger. Threaten two of its soldiers at the same time and it can only fix one.
Bait the hunter. Aggressor wants captures badly enough to take risks. After it charges forward to take a shot, check whether its soldier now sits one to six squares in front of one of yours. That's your capture.
Think two turns ahead against Commander. It looks one turn ahead and only at the squad that plays next. A threat that doesn't exist yet, one that opens up after your next move, or one from a squad further round the table, gets less attention from it.
Finish cleanly. Near the end, keep your last soldiers needing different numbers. If you need an exact 2 and nothing else, most rolls do nothing while Lumi AI keeps moving.
How to practise
Start with Rookie until you win most matches, and use those games to learn the board. Then go straight to Strategist or Commander, which are the honest test. Aggressor and Guardian are worth playing for their habits, since each teaches you a specific way to punish a style of play.
Tap Play vs Lumi AI for a quick game, or go to Custom match to pick the personality, the number of squads and the house rules. Lumi AI also fills the seats in Pass & play and Online squads, when you choose to have it there.
Common questions
Does the computer cheat at Ludo?
We can only speak for Lumi AI. It rolls the same dice as you, sees the same board and doesn't know future rolls.
What is the hardest Lumi AI to beat?
Commander and Strategist are the two to worry about. Commander also looks a turn ahead, but in our simulation the two were level.
What is the best strategy against a Ludo bot?
Bring out soldiers on every 6, keep them out of the one-to-six range of enemies where you can, and take captures when they're on offer. The full checklist won 63.8% of games against three Rookies in our simulation.