Different types of strong player:
There are a few main strategies.
Energy player: Usually used as a secondary account, can get loot quickly, all points go into energy. Weak fighter.
Low level fighter: Powerful only compared to its level (decent if you buy skill points), relatively useless against much higher levels unless they're energy accounts. Achieved by putting all sp into attack/defense, a slight amount into energy.
High Level Fighter: Energy/stamina to get high level, then feed att/def: very effecient way to create fighter (best for daily playing minimum and free players, i.e. after time, through mastery sp etc this is the best option).
Stamina player/Energy-stamina hybrid: Main ability = autolevel, not great for getting loot or much really.
Former styles:
Hitlist rider: High health and defense. Exp gained from one hitlist session has been reduced to 50xp, seeing most of these accounts adapt to balanced fighting.
Gameplay:
"The best strategy is to buy as many properties as possible and upgrade your energy a lot."
This is the fastest way to level up but not always the 'best' option. First you need decide what your goal is from playing the game, do you want to have a higher level than your friends or do you want to be a stronger player than your friends?
If your only goal is to climb the levels as fast as you can then buying and upgrading energy is exactly what you need but if you want to be a stronger player than others then you need to improve your fighting stats; health, defence, attack and stamina - which will of course come slower as your sacrificing energy improvements to get them.
personal choices will matter the most, i personally improved energy until i had a nice high amount to grow with and then started pumping all my upgrades into the other stats to improve my abilities in a fight/robbery.
Major hint:
Build every day from chop shop etc. for skill points, and get 500 or 501 mafia (different strategy) if you're really serious.
You should spend your money on property its money you can rely on getting every hour. Yes although property is good and very reliable doesn't mean you shoudn't buy things from the inventory. No i don't mean to buy a weapon or car you think is cool, but buy things that allow you to do high payout jobs. This is what I do and make billions. :) You also should make sure that once you are able to rob, you need to purchase enough armor equal to your level, and you need just as many mafia. Otherwise you will be robbed constantly and lose your income. It is expensive to fix and protect your property.
if in terms of items, the best defensive item is the Crocodillo APC which is rewarded to you when you finish the El Padrino job tier in Cuba. it has 52 defense skill and also a high attack skill.
You can go to war with your friends by going to the "Fight" tab and then clicking the subtab: Declare War. Choose the friend you want to go to war with then take out one of his top mafia by attacking them....you will then receive help from your top mafia when they receive the message and they will attack your enemies top mafia.
Whoever has the most men standing wins...including yourself.
If you win you can click "Reward Mafia" and you will receive the special loot item on the home page. As of 12/30/09 the special loot item is the Ugly Sweater.
you will win a war in Mafia Wars if you got enough help and killed all the opponent's top mafia and the opponent himself before the other side destroys you.
Put all your stat points to Energy and get strong mafia members and put them in your top mafia to gain more experience with less energy cost.
You can visit "ADD ME" pages in facebook where you can meet new users who play mafia wars and add them as facebook friends first and then to your mafia...
Play the game
on energy for jobs
When they go to war their 6 top mafia is displayed. these are the ones that have to be killed to win the war.
you will win a war if you have more friends who help you fight in the war regardless of the rank.
You find you've wasted your life on a pointless waste of time
No such item exists in mafia wars
On your Mafia Wars Home there's a notification table
shut up you can't win Answer: try your best?
claymore is an item sold in the Godfather special offer a few months before. it is even given as a reward before for mafia members who helped a mafia win a war. it is not available at this time.
get stuff and click attack
win the lottery
When they go to war have a look at their top mafia.
You cannot heist any more in Mafia Wars because Robbing has been replaced by Declare War.
Looted items in Mafia Wars helps you to win more fights if the looted items are better then your current items you already have.