These tips are a big summary. There are lots of exceptions.
- Usually don't take tasks of low values if you have that card.
- Usually don't communicate if you see no problems in achieving the task. Reserve communication for problems.
- On the other hand, don’t try to keep your communication for later. If the game could be lost in one trick, usually communicate immediately.
- Mentally calculate the tricks performed when choosing tasks. This is particularly helpful when there are multiple tasks of the same suit.
- If you have 2+ rockets OR at 5 players, it may be a good idea to take a task of a suit that you do not have any cards of (or have just 1 of it), especially in later missions. If you got only 1 rocket, try to avoid it (higher chance other players get high cards on that color).
- If you have rocket 3 and rocket 4, play rocket 3 first as a means of communicating your rockets. (commander always have the rocket 4)
- Draining rockets by playing them first is usually not a good idea (except if you got at least 3).
- Take the lowest task you don't hold first when picking tasks: it's easier for someone to gain a task which is higher than his higher card of the color, than to win a low task he is holding.
- In variant specific missions, give more value to later calls. They got more information to make their choice.
About communications:
As a general rule, always assume the communication means the minimum amount of cards (so communicate y3 is the lowest yellow card tells he got only two yellows, potentially yellow 3 and yellow 9), then wonder if that makes sense to tell it or not:
- If yes, assume that until you get contradictory information (the first card discarded by that person is really important).
- If no, and it’s in a color he holds a task, and winning it with it is difficult/impossible, that means he got a rocket, and wants to win the task of that color with it.
- If no, and it’s highest on a color he holds no tasks, that seems to say he wants to win his other task(s) using that color.
- If no, and it’s lowest while he holds a task of that color, that seems to say he got his own task.
For a detailed guide, go here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w4rU2aaTluTH91sfSKyxd0shhHKpnPCaZCTxkl4PHOQ/edit (skip to part c) if you already read this).