Strategy

Players and teams have very different strategies. With that said, here are some of the goals and methods that have often been found to be helpful.

First, there are several goals to pursue that will increase a fold's score. They include the following:

• Compactness
• Hydrophobic Hiding
• Hydrogen Bond
• Sidechain Position
• Aesthetics

These goals should be considered at all stages of the game, from the opening to the middlegame to the endgame.

Tips

Several strategic tips that may prove useful include the following:

• Use rubber bands to pull together structures.
• Always resolve sidechain clashes.
• Find low-scoring areas (those that appear lighter green, tan, or red) and local wiggle them.
• Consider a rebuild on areas that score particularly low, that cannot be made more compact, or that otherwise look inappropriate.

Middlegame

• Local Rebuild Strategy -- This strategy is also a good one for players to try when they are first learning to use rebuild.
• Manual Rebuild -- discovered by Pletsch. For players who find rebuild too unpredictable or who seek greater compactness ahead of other considerations.
• Dejerpha's notes -- thinking like water, sidechain manipulations
• Banding Techniques -- notes from itskimo on banding to a guide.

Endgame

Some endgame strategies are as follows:

• Local Wiggle Strategy
• Global Lock/Wiggle Strategy
• Sad Local Wiggle Strategy
• and, almost more a way of using the interface than a strategy, but Use Undo Graph To Monitor Score Accurately

Suggested Methods

• Suggested methods

Evolver Play

Evolving is a team sport - explanation is here, with links to some evolver strategies, thoughts, and opinions.