Yolo Swaggins
07-07-2013, 09:51 PM
I've been playing on the server for a while now and not a map goes by without someone complaining about team stacking. More often than not there are enough players with enough levels on the losing team to unstack the game without changing players at all.
Most people who have played with me probably know that I usually try to switch over to the team that is losing in a stacked game. I do this because I have a simple set strategy on dealing with a stacked team that honestly works 8 times out of 10 and that's with just me doing it. Most people who have played with me can also tell you that my skill level is average/low-average at best. Despite my lack of gaming skill I tend to be one of the higher up players due to the fact that I play smart.
In this post I am going to try my best to explain how I counter a stacked team and sometimes manage to pull a few wins out.
RECOMMENDED READING:
Erdenay's WCS Guide (http://www.ibisgaming.com/forums/showthread.php/10562-The-Complete-Guide-to-WCS-or-How-Not-To-Be-A-Noob!-v0.6). If you aren't aware of all the races, their skils, and weaknesses this is a must-read. I tend to stray from what is written there in my own gameplay but I still consider it a great starting point for anyone who isn't set up with their own strategies for each race.
When on a losing team in a stacked game you will want to follow these steps:
1. Use playerinfo to check the races of the top 3 or so players on the winning team. More often than not it's the top 3 players on a team who are causing all the problems that your team is having.
2. Figure out what strategy the winning team is using to take out your team.
3. Pick a race that counters the top 3 player's races and their current strategy.
Seriously. That's it. I'm going to give a couple examples to show how effective this simple strategy is. (if I have time later I'll try to record some demos of my gameplay in each of the example situations to show how I implement my strategy)
SITUATION EXAMPLES:
1. Rushing: The situation here is that the winning team is using speedy races to quickly be in their enemies spawn and kill half or more of the team in the first 20 seconds. This is definitely the most common stack that happens.
The most common races I notice used in this are Jack, Spiderman, Vagabond/lion, Molecule, Santa, Archmage, Hells Demon, Undead, Die Xonvert, Strider.
Speedy races all have one inherent weakness in common: Slow(eg shadowhunter slow/wards, bash, roots, webs, medusa gaze, etc) . With the exception of the absolute best players, most speed race players are used to moving fast and being slowed down or stopped when they don't plan on it throws them off.
There is also a common weakness to any game-plan involving rushing: Campers. I'm not saying camp the whole round, but when your enemy is rushing you'd have to be half retarded to rush back when you're getting rolled over.
2. Camping: In this situation you are often dealing with hard hitting and usually invisible races that are waiting for you to enter an area where they will do their best to kill you within a second or two of you entering said area. The most common races I see here are: Human, Shadow Hunter, Crypt Lord, Eye Ra, Raiden, Vagabond/lion, Bloodmage, Orc.
There isn't really a one size fits all counter for all of these races but you can be sure that if you don't buy a lace, you will have a hard time in this situation. Fortunately being on the losing team means that laces are usually pretty cheap.
Another good counter to this is races that can deal damage through walls or without necessarily finding them or going to the camp trap.(read crypt lord, orc, raiden, shadow hunter, bloodmage)
Bonus Points:
1. voiceenable 0 is your best friend. having voice chat off gives you a huge hearing advantage over your opponents as the server is often noisy with chatter.
2. CHECK YOUR RADAR! combined with voiceenable 0 this gives you a pretty good idea of what's going on around you at all times.
3. walk, don't run. If footsteps give you a good idea of who is near you guess what yours do for the enemy. If you can sneak in when they're looking the other way you get a free kill, if you run they will hear you coming and be ready.
4. Strategize your shit. In each of the maps that are often played (there are probably 10 or so that are played every day by more than 4 players) make sure you identify a relatively easy to defend location near your spawn. Once you find that spot try to make a strategy for the best way to guard it and one for the best way to attack it. these spots are commonly swarmed because they are commonly defended. If you guard the spot well you can get a few kills, if you have a good idea of how you should attack it you have a spot you can go most rounds for some kills.
5.
....... I'm really high now so I'll continue writing this later.
Most people who have played with me probably know that I usually try to switch over to the team that is losing in a stacked game. I do this because I have a simple set strategy on dealing with a stacked team that honestly works 8 times out of 10 and that's with just me doing it. Most people who have played with me can also tell you that my skill level is average/low-average at best. Despite my lack of gaming skill I tend to be one of the higher up players due to the fact that I play smart.
In this post I am going to try my best to explain how I counter a stacked team and sometimes manage to pull a few wins out.
RECOMMENDED READING:
Erdenay's WCS Guide (http://www.ibisgaming.com/forums/showthread.php/10562-The-Complete-Guide-to-WCS-or-How-Not-To-Be-A-Noob!-v0.6). If you aren't aware of all the races, their skils, and weaknesses this is a must-read. I tend to stray from what is written there in my own gameplay but I still consider it a great starting point for anyone who isn't set up with their own strategies for each race.
When on a losing team in a stacked game you will want to follow these steps:
1. Use playerinfo to check the races of the top 3 or so players on the winning team. More often than not it's the top 3 players on a team who are causing all the problems that your team is having.
2. Figure out what strategy the winning team is using to take out your team.
3. Pick a race that counters the top 3 player's races and their current strategy.
Seriously. That's it. I'm going to give a couple examples to show how effective this simple strategy is. (if I have time later I'll try to record some demos of my gameplay in each of the example situations to show how I implement my strategy)
SITUATION EXAMPLES:
1. Rushing: The situation here is that the winning team is using speedy races to quickly be in their enemies spawn and kill half or more of the team in the first 20 seconds. This is definitely the most common stack that happens.
The most common races I notice used in this are Jack, Spiderman, Vagabond/lion, Molecule, Santa, Archmage, Hells Demon, Undead, Die Xonvert, Strider.
Speedy races all have one inherent weakness in common: Slow(eg shadowhunter slow/wards, bash, roots, webs, medusa gaze, etc) . With the exception of the absolute best players, most speed race players are used to moving fast and being slowed down or stopped when they don't plan on it throws them off.
There is also a common weakness to any game-plan involving rushing: Campers. I'm not saying camp the whole round, but when your enemy is rushing you'd have to be half retarded to rush back when you're getting rolled over.
2. Camping: In this situation you are often dealing with hard hitting and usually invisible races that are waiting for you to enter an area where they will do their best to kill you within a second or two of you entering said area. The most common races I see here are: Human, Shadow Hunter, Crypt Lord, Eye Ra, Raiden, Vagabond/lion, Bloodmage, Orc.
There isn't really a one size fits all counter for all of these races but you can be sure that if you don't buy a lace, you will have a hard time in this situation. Fortunately being on the losing team means that laces are usually pretty cheap.
Another good counter to this is races that can deal damage through walls or without necessarily finding them or going to the camp trap.(read crypt lord, orc, raiden, shadow hunter, bloodmage)
Bonus Points:
1. voiceenable 0 is your best friend. having voice chat off gives you a huge hearing advantage over your opponents as the server is often noisy with chatter.
2. CHECK YOUR RADAR! combined with voiceenable 0 this gives you a pretty good idea of what's going on around you at all times.
3. walk, don't run. If footsteps give you a good idea of who is near you guess what yours do for the enemy. If you can sneak in when they're looking the other way you get a free kill, if you run they will hear you coming and be ready.
4. Strategize your shit. In each of the maps that are often played (there are probably 10 or so that are played every day by more than 4 players) make sure you identify a relatively easy to defend location near your spawn. Once you find that spot try to make a strategy for the best way to guard it and one for the best way to attack it. these spots are commonly swarmed because they are commonly defended. If you guard the spot well you can get a few kills, if you have a good idea of how you should attack it you have a spot you can go most rounds for some kills.
5.
....... I'm really high now so I'll continue writing this later.