Morning Wood (Energy Use)

You wake up in the morning or you come home from school, work, or the unemployment line....
You need 516 points to level and you have 617 Energy Points. What to do?
Easy - Commit 514 (or 515) muggings.

"Why 514?" you ask.

I always stop 2 points before my next level, because you don't want bonus points taking you to the next level and wasting LOTS of points.

Then, find your most expensive job (like Shake Down a City Council Member job - around 80 points, depending on who you know) and do it. Yes, you lost 20 Energy, but its the best you can do.

Plus, you're getting LOTS OF jobs in - which makes you a more sure-fire pick for Mastermind...and gets several people sending you energy, just in case your best buddy is putting extra hours in at Piggly Wiggly.

Dammit! I'm Dead!...Again? Really? XD

There was once a time where i went TOTALLY POSTAL about getting killed. I mean P-O-S-T-A-L. It was Mobsters, but the effect is still the same. I got hitlisted and taunted on my account. I made direct threats to the other guy's life...over Mobsters.

I could've gone to jail. I should've lost my account priviledges. Luckily, I saw the light. My thought to you is:

IT's JUST A GAME FOLKS!

I'm gonna tell you why death in MafiaWars is A GREAT HING!

1. You only get one life in the real world... I'm barely 40 years old and I've lost two friends to suicide in the last year. Both were successful and both had multiple children. I've also lost an ex-girlfriend in the last week due to Uterine Cancer. I guess that's life.

And - lots of us are unemployed - or lonely - or are dealing with things like Depression, Cancer, AIDs, or just plain old age.

I live in Columbus, Ohio. This game has introduced me to new friends from Missouri, New York City, Indonesia, Morocco, Germany, and on and on and on...people I wouldve never known otherwise.

And after death, there's life in ALL THESE ZYNGA GAMES...ALL OF THEM.

Here are some other benefits:

1. I've lost SIX DAMN Experience Points!.
Really? That's It? If you do bad things in real life, youre REALLY PUNISHED. The reason for the no punishment, (I can only assume) is guys like me - taking it WAY TOO SERIOUSLy. SIX POINTS and a death. Waaaaaah! Get over it.

2. Dust yourself off!
Like Ive said before, Money is no object in Mafia Wars! THATS A GREAT THING! Nobody has to go home crying because they lost. NOBODY REALLY LOSES! And you get the adrenal rush of hit and runs, creating wars and so forth.
GOOD FUN!

3.Take a Break!
I have 3 Mafia Wars players...and if one is getting bothered so much it cuts into my 'chip stack' that just means maybe I should give it a rest. In all honesty, one bad thing of wars is that lots of people die and not much has changed. Rome is still Rome, Greece is still Greece, Germany i s still Germany, and Hiroshima is still Hiroshima.

And you dont get Cancer playing Mafia Wars...

SO DIE HAPPILY....

...its JUST A GAME.

The Facebook 'Add Mafia' Block

This is a quick and easy way to keep adding your friends to your Mafia, even if you have already used up that day's 16 invites allowed by Facebook. Simply copy the below url:

Code:http://apps.facebook.com/inthemafia/status_invite.php?from=

Tjem go to your friend's profile page. The url at that page will look like this:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1653363760

Erase the portion that reads "http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id="
- leaving only their profile ID.

Paste the url you copied at the beginning of this post so that you get:
http://apps.facebook.com/inthemafia/status_invite.php?from=1653363760

Hit "Go to" and you will have added them!

For Best Results:
Open your Facebook friends list in one window.
Open the "Your Mafia" page in Mafia Wars.
(This page shows you all of the friends that aren't in your Mafia.
Go to their profile, post in the above link, and automatically add them to your mafia!

Remember, this only works if the person you are trying to add is:A) Already your Facebook friendand B) Already plays Mafia Wars
In other words, you are out of invites for the day and want to add a friend, but they don't have a "Join my Mafia!" link on their profile page!

Adding Mob

One of the biggest hassles in Mafia Wars also tends to be the most rewarding - adding mobsters.

There are a few ways of going about this. The first is to find "add mob websites." My favorite has always been "Spuko.com" - This site lists all of the Zynga games, including Mafia Wars, and allows players to click on photos of other players. With moderate effort, a person could grow their mob to 500 in under two weeks.

I would recommend growing your mob to 500 as quickly as possible. The greater your mob size, the more fights you'll win. The more fights you win, the faster you advance and collect money. Also, each time you add 2 mobsters, you get two fantastic bonuses.

1. Mafia Mikes
I say this time and time again because this property is, by far, the best value in real estate. This becomes a compound effect, just like credit card interest. To succeed in all aspects of Mafia Wars, pleayers should start by buying early and often.

2. Limited Edition Loot.
Located in the "Home" tab, these loot items are the most powerful in the game.

COMPARISON

Awarded Item: Mini Uzi
COST - - - - - - -$10,000
UPKEEP - - - -$0
ATK-DEF - - - 22-21

Purchased Item: Chain Gun
COST - - - - - - $200,000
UPKEEP: - - - - $2,500.
ATK-DEF - - - - 16-14

The choice is clear: Add mob and win.

Upkeep Shouldnt Keep You Up at Night

Constaly in the MW Forums, I see people complaining about the "High Cost of Upkeep."

Before you buy your first item requiring upkeep, do the following two things:
1. Attain level 20.
2. Earn 1 million per hour.

That first million should be easy to obtain. There are several reasons for this. First off, you won't be losing income to upkeep. In Mafia Wars, a penny saved is truly a penny earned. Secondly, as an associate, you can do jobs for free goodies. You can invest that savings in extra properties, which means extra money.

UPKEEP WORST CASE SCENARIO

If you have 500 people in your mafia, The most it should cost you to outfit your mafia is $2,650,000.

ITEM........................................HOURLY RATE..............x500 MOB
Chain Gun...............................................$2500.............$1,250,000
Body Armor...............................................$400................$200,000
Towncar...................................................$1200.............$1,200,000

If you go into fights with 500 mobsters, you're likely to win most of these fights until level 30, even with Hacksaws, Bullet-Proof Vests, and Delivery Trucks.

My first upgrade was 500 motorcycles, which I kept until about level 40, then I changed over to Towncars as quickly as my income would allow it. It's a much better philosophy to have 500 guys with Baseball Bats and Body Armor than 25 with Chain Guns and Towncars.

Collections and the Vault

There are several non-fighting items that you can loot that have an indirect effect on your abilities. Below is the list of items, where they're found, and what benefit they serve. These Items can be found in any job with the label "Chance to Loot Special Items" label and Question Mark below the job name.


ITEMS...........................................LEVEL...................VALUE
Diamond Flush............................Street Thug..............+1 Energy
Heart Flush..................................Associate.................+1
Poker Chips ..............................Soldier...................,,..+2 Attack
Sculptures...................................Soldier.......................+3 Defense
Club Flush....................................Soldier.......................
Cigars.........................................,Enforcer.....................+2 Energy
Spade Flush..............................,.Enforcer......................+2 Stamina
Billiards........................................Enforcer........................
Boxing Items................................Soldier..........................
Rings...........................................,Hitman.......................+5 Defense
Ties..............................................,Hitman.......................+6 Defense
Paintings.....................................Capo..........................+6 EnergySculptures
Cufflinks.......................................Capo..........................+10 Health
Barber Shop Items......................Capo..........................
Race Horses...............................Consigliere...............+7 Energy

Loot - Found in Fights

These Items turned up during fights with other Mafia Wars characters. Like all looted items, these do not incur upkeep expenses, which gives them added value. Any item that can be looted in jobs can also turn up in a fight, but only if you've "unlocked" the item in a previous store looting. Even when a Boss fights a Boss, a pair of Brass Knuckles can turn up at the end of the fight.

ATK-DEF - - - - - - ITEM NAME

WEAPONS
AR-15 Assault Rifle (32-10), Bodyguard (8-25), Bookie's Holdout Pistol (24-12), Butterfly Knife (2-1), Fire Bomb (4-2), Grenade Launcher (14-10), Rocket Launcher (20-12), Tactical Shotgun (3-2)

ARMOR

VEHICLES
Armored Limosine...............................................16-36
Armored Truck......................................................4-8
Armored Car........................................................14-15
Harley Davidson 'Fat Boy' Motorcycle..............18-6
Humvee................................................................26.22
Luxury Yacht..........................................................10-20
Police Cruiser.......................................................22-28
Porsche 911.........................................................20.14
Private Jet.............................................................12-38
Prop Plane............................................................5-20

MISCELLANEOUS
Blackmail Photos.....................................Used for "Influence Harbor Official"................(Consigliere)
Concealable Camera..............................Used for "Obtain Compromising Photos"...............(Hitman)
Illegal Transaction Records.....................Used for "Fix the Big Game"...........................(Consigliere)
Untraceable Cell Phone...........................Used for "Flip a Snitch"...............................................(Capo)
Untraceable Cell Phone...........................Used for "Dodge an FBI Tail"......................................(Capo)

Loot - Consigliere, Underboss, Boss

Here's a QuickList of Loot Items rewarded after speically noted jobs in the Consigliere and Underboss levels. With looted items, YOU DONT PAY ANY UPKEEP for these items, which makes them worth as much as $25,000 per day.

ATK-DEF...ITEM......................................................JOB

CONSIGLIERE
10-20........Luxury Yacht.........................................Infuluence a Harbor Official
20-14........Porsche 911........................................Ransom Businessman's Kids
24-12........Bookie's Holdout Pistol......................Fix the Big Game

UNDERBOSS
26-22.......Humvee.................................................Break Into the Armory
32-10.......AR-15 Assault Rifle............................. Rip Off the Armenian Mob
2-30.........Falsified Documents............................Take Over an Identity Theft Ring

BOSS
15-25.......Federal Agent.....................................Buy Off a Federal Agent
12-38.......Private Jet............................................Make Deal with the Mexican Cartel
22-28.......Police Cruiser......................................Blackmail the District Attorney
16-36.......Armored Limosine.............................Shake Down a City Council Member

Loot - Capo

Here's a QuickList of Loot Items rewarded after speically noted jobs in the Hitman level. With looted items, YOU DONT PAY ANY UPKEEP for these items, which makes them worth as much as $25,000 per day.

ATK-DEF.......ITEM...................................................................JOB

WEAPONS
14-10..............Grenade Launcher............................................Repel the Yakuza
5-20.................Prop Plane........................................................Steal an Air Freight Delivery
18-6.................Harley Davidson "Fat Boy" Motorcycle..........Run a Biker Gang Out of Town
Steal Bank Records

ITEMS NEEDED FOR CAPO-LEVEL JOBS
Untraceable Cell Phone..............Found in "Rob an Electronics Store"..............................(Enforcer)

NOTES:
Computer Set-Ups, Illegal Transaction Records, and Untraceable Cell Phones can also be looted in fights.

Loot - Hitman

Here's a QuickList of Loot Items rewarded after speically noted jobs in the Hitman level. With looted items, YOU DONT PAY ANY UPKEEP for these items, which makes them worth as much as $25,000 per day.

ATK-DEF - ITEM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - JOB
WEAPONS
14-10......................Grenade Launcher..................Repel the Yakuza
16-11.......................50 Caliber Rifle......................Disrupt Rival Smuggling Ring
20-12......................Rocket Launcher.....................Sell Guns to the Russian Mob
25-9........................Napalm.....................................Exterminate Rival Family

ARMOR
8-25......................Body Guard................................Protect Your City from Rival Family
5-16......................Night Vision Goggles................Assassinate Political Figure

VEHICLES
14-15...................... Armored Car...........................Invade Tong Neighborhood

NEEDED FOR CONSIGLIERE LEVEL JOBS
Blackmail Photos.....................................................Obtain Compromising Photos........(Hitman)

Loot - Recruitment Awards

Here's a QuickList of items that could only be gained through recruitment, but are no longer available (except for the current item, which I've also listed).

Most of these jobs were picked up by "recruiting mob members." For every 2 mob members you recruit into your mob, you can buy one of those items for $10,000. The added bonus is that YOU DONT PAY ANY UPKEEP for these items, which makes them worth as much as $25,000 per day.

ATK-DEF - ITEM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - JOB

22-21 - - - - AK-47- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Recruitment - No Longer Available
18-16 - - - - Bloody Chainsaw - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Recruitment - No Longer Available
24-22 - - - - Cupid's Tommy Gun - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Recruitment - No Longer Available
22-21 - - - - Meat Cleaver - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Recruitment - No Longer Available
23-22 - - - - Mini Uzi - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Recruitment - No Longer Available
23-22 - - - - Police Baton - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Recruitment - No Longer Available
18-16 - - - - Silenced Pistol - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Recruitment - No Longer Available

Loot - Soldier

Here's a QuickList of Loot Items with between 5-20 ATK or DEF, along with the jobs where they're found and the ATK/DEF values:

ATK-DEF - ITEM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - JOB

WEAPONS
4-4 - - - - - Automatic Rifle - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bust Made Man Out of Prison
5-2 - - - - - C4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Destroy Enemy Mob Hideout
5-4 - - - - -Semi-Automatic Shotgun - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - Fight Haitian Gang

ARMOR
2-5 - - - - - Stab-Proof Vest - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Kill Protected Snitch

VEHICLES
4-8 - - - - Armored Truck - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - Smuggle Across the Border

Loot - Street Thug and Associate

Here's a QuickList of Loot Items dealing less than 6 ATK or DEF, along with the jobs where they're found and the ATK/DEF values:

ATK-DEF - ITEM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LEVEL - - - - - - - - - - JOB

WEAPONS
2-0 - - - - - .22 Pistol - - - - - - - - - - - - Street Thug - - - - - - - Beat Up Rival Gangster
3-2 - - - - - 9mm Semi-Automatic - - - Street Thug - - - - - - - Rob a Pimp
3-2 - - - - - .45 Revolver - - - - - - - - - - Associate - - - - - - - - Take Out Rogue Cop
2-2 - - - - - Brass Knuckles - - - - - - - Associate - - - - - - - - - Rought Up Dealer
2-1 - - - - - Butterfly Knife - - - - - - - - - Associate - - - - - - - - Collect Protection Money -
3-2 - - - - - Tactical Shotgun - - - - - - - Associate - - - - - - - - Perform a Hit

3-2 - - - - - Revolver

Making Money with Mafia Mikes

After you've established a basic income, it's probably a good thing to start investing in high-value properties. The best bang for your buck will ALWAYS be Mafia Mike's.

Currently, I own 595 Mafia Mike's. To purchase a new Mafia Mikes, I need to add two nwe members (free) plus pay $484.000. The property nets 12,000 hourly. Doing the math, that means I'd have to purchase an abandoned lot at about $480. No property EVERY COMES close to that value.

So, get out there, recruit your mafia and add Mafia Mike's properties as fast as possible. It's one of the three reasons I have over 1500 mafia. I'll talk about the other one in a later post.