Top 10 Tips
Here are ten things you can do during training to improve your game. Some of these are new player specific and may be bad advice for experienced players. Enjoy!
Stop looking at the base while you take it
Why do so many people stare at the base while taking it? It’s not going anywhere. People have even been seen doing this in grand finals games. If you’re guilty of this, then it’s time to stop. It might cost you a few bases until you get used to the shot but once you master it you’ll be amazed at how often you’ll be able to shoot someone before they can deny you.
Stop taking so long to take the base
Spend some time practicing taking the base down quickly. Sometimes you know it’s going to be tight before someone spawns. If you’re spamming at the base, cut that out too. You should be able to (easily) take out a base after stunning someone. You can see huge gains with just a little bit of practice in this skill. You’ll know you’ve got it perfect when the base lights don’t turn off between shots.
Stop sniping
A common new player trap is trying to stay at a distance and get points from the edge of the battle. I’m not saying that sniping is a bad tactic, just that you don’t learn as much while doing it compared to other stuff. You learn the important skills MUCH faster playing in the thick of the battle. Even if you want to specialise in sniping, you will need to master brawling because you need to be able to win a contest for the best spots.
Play the positions you’re bad at
At the beginning of a game, when everyone’s deciding what position to take, how often do you hear “Put me on defence: I’m bad at attack”? Just like many of the tips above, going outside of your comfort zone might be a temporary setback but will make you a better player in the long run.
Count bases while you’re on defense
This one is pretty simple. Each time your base goes down make sure you know who got it and keep track of how many times each team has your base. When you leave the base, make sure you tell someone the count. When you get back, try find out what the count is (if other people have been keeping track). Even if you’re not the one making decisions on your team, reporting this information to your captain can change the course of the game.
Play Lord of the Rings
A lot of new players stay away from this format because they think it’s just for experienced players or are too chicken. Even if you’re bad, this format can be a lot of fun and is a great way to improve your close quarters work in the maze. If you get matched up with someone a lot better than you, there’s a good chance they’ll happily give you tips while you play.
Listen to the experienced players
If you have a question about the game, don’t hesitate to ask someone. Most of the experienced players have a wealth of knowledge and are happy to share. If you play with someone a lot, they’ll more than likely have some great tips for you on what to work on and how you can improve. Take everything you hear with a grain of salt though; even the best players disagree about certain elements of the game.
Play solos
A famous player once said, “If you don’t enjoy solos that means you don’t enjoy improving”. It’s true! Solos is a great way to focus on your pure pack scoring ability. If you’re bad at solos, then the skills you are lacking are probably hurting you in teams. There are a ton of ways to improve your game but when you are new, the biggest thing holding you back is pure pack skill. Doing everything you can to improve it rapidly is the best way to get to where you can compete with the pros.
Back yourself
When you think a base is clear, take it. Don’t wait for your team to yell “Take!”. Don’t ask if you’re clear to take. Just go. It’s amazing how often wasting those extra seconds getting confirmation from your team will get you denied. Remember, most games you play are not tournament games; they are members or league night games and ultimately the results don’t matter too much. You will learn what a safe take is MUCH faster by getting it wrong a bunch of times, instead of only taking when you are sure beyond a doubt.
Play everything
When you’re new the main thing you’re working on are your packs skills. This is your muscle memory for your aiming, your reactions, panelling, timing, phasor holds, etc. Improving these skills is vital. You can be a master strategist with perfect calls but if you can’t compete in close quarters you still can’t reach the top. A lot of the best players don’t go to the more casual events, but you would be surprised by how many of them did when they were new. Until you’ve played around one thousand games you can still learn a lot from playing the more casual games, even the silly stuff like vampire.
