The above is most of a random game of Huttball from the other night. We did end up winning, and it was a hard fought game. I spent a lot of my time dying, as I've been doing quite often lately. Ever since I finished off my Champion gear set I've been getting focused on more and more often. I also seem to not get matched up with any healers, or not healers that actually heal me.
I did manage to score once, and I've annotated the video with some of my comments from the game. In the end I felt subpar on the scoreboard (as usual in huttball) since I spend so much time trying to protect/kill the ball carrier I don't manage to rack up many points doing anything else.
General Overview:
Out of the gate I rarely try to get to the ball first thing, whenever I do I end up getting stunned, smacked around and die in very short order. I'm not sure why I have such low surviveability at that initial moment, but I just do - so I've learned to live with it. What I do attempt, is to swing out wide to one side, and interrupt the Imp who is running toward the ball, hopefully allowing my team to grab it first. This usually ends up with me dying a very rapid death as well, but it is better served.
From that point on I am constantly on the lookout for the ball carrier. If the ball carrier is my teammate, I shield them, and stick to their side. When they are attacked, I attack their attacker and stun/cc them, then move on. If they are being focused on I'll guardian leap to slap on some damage reduction and throw out taunts where I can.
In my first few games of Huttball I tried to quarterback the ball more often, this led to mixed results. I find the pass mechanic to be VERY clumsy - having to click an AoE on the ground between multiple levels can take precious seconds to align properly, and even then it doesn't always go off properly. Others may find this less clumsy and easier to manage, for whatever reason I have trouble with it.
We do make semi-good runners. I say semi-good because we don't have any kind of speed boost or inherent mobility benefit. To be a good runner you are at the mercy of two things. A healer and your leaps. If you get snared down and are slogging along like you're wading through 10 foot snow trying to run uphill and are circled by 4 of their team beating on you - you're going to die - JG are not immortal, we die just as fast as anyone else under focus fire.
TIP: When fighting on the ramps try to keep your back to the long portion of the ramp, so that when you are knocked back, you don't go flying into the pit. Almost every class has some type of knockback and they all know how to use them. This is difficult in a dynamic fight where people are running all over the place, but do your best to be aware of who is a potential danger for sending you flying.
Carrying the Ball:
If you are going to be a ball carrier (which you probably are) then you have to do it smart. If you hadn't noticed, using those air boost things on the sides is silly. You get separated from your teammates, you get launched randomly all over the place, and you are just as likely to go backward as you are to go forward. I suppose people may disagree, but I only jump on these at very rare times.
Your goal here is to try and go where the fewest members of their team are so you aren't being focused on by the majority of their players. When you have the ball, take a quick look around, if they're stacked on the left side, go right - or vice versa. I know this may sound elementary, but I can't count how many people just arbitrarily run right up the center into a mass of the other team.
Don't force leap just to get ahead. There is a caveat here, if your push is on cooldown, it is actually a quick way to travel 60 feet (Leap, push, leap). But by then you better almost be at the finish line, or at least in a good position to score.
My default plan, is to jump into the pit on the opposing side. This has two benefits - you can easily score from here, and even if you die the other team has a long walk to get the ball back to your end. Why can you easily score from here? Because you leap. Even to this day the majority of people I see will rush to the edge of the pit and hit me with ranged attacks. I then leap up to them and run past to the score line.
If you can get a teammate to run to that same edge of the pit you can just as easily guardian leap up to him instead of attacking an enemy. When I'm running in a co-ordinated group there is always someone that rushes ahead of me to the endzone so I can get a fast leg up from the pit.
If this doesn't work for you, try running right up the center (middle) ramp. Often people will stop at the top center that you can leap up to. Or on the sides (ranged dps are frequently up there just waiting for you to jump to them).
This may go without saying, but don't run into the fire. Also, stand close to the fire if it's there, because people will quite often try to knock you into it, but will end up knocking you right through it.
Do NOT leave your group of helping teammates to leap somewhere into a group of enemies. Your teammates are there to help you, if you can move as a group you are in a better position. Sometimes bunching up and killing everyone on the way to the endzone is the way to do it.
TIP: Running over a fire trap without a full resolve bar is just asking to be CC'd and burned to death. Be very careful doing this that either you aren't being targeted by a group of people (one of them is sure to have some kind of stun) or you have your CC breaker ready.
Protecting the Ball:
Guard is your single biggest advantage in Huttball. If you aren't carrying the ball, you should be next to the ball carrier guarding them. This is also my biggest pet peeve of the whole match. DO NOT leave your guard on players if you are not standing next to them. Don't guard someone coming out of the gate in Huttball, why? because you have no idea where everyone is going to end up. Wait until you actually see someone taking damage before guarding them. For the life of me I can't figure out why an active Guard doesn't remove a passive Guard from someone who is out of range.
So - in short - put Guard on the ball carrier and remove it as soon as they don't have the ball, or you leave the area.
Follow the ball carrier, stun/cc anyone that tries to attack them. Don't stick around to kill them, you don't put out enough damage anyway. If your stuff is on cooldown, taunt, and keep them taunted. Remember just because they aren't hitting you doesn't mean you aren't taking the damage, anything you can do to reduce that damage is a win for you. In the video you'll see me die just as we score from having my guard on the ball carrier. Happily I died first and they scored before dying - this is the power of guard.
You're also in a better position to bypass fire traps when you're guarding, you can still guard the person from the other side of the fire. If they're being attacked and won't make it, head to the other side for a pass. If you are fighting and they are crossing, keep fighting and keep the other team busy while they get across, then guardian leap to them when they're on the other side safely. You still have that ease of mobility to bypass a lot of the hazards here, make use of it.
Tip: Don't celebrate in the endzone, teams will often position themselves to get the neutral ball immediately after you score and start heading back the other way. If you notice that your team is behind it's actually better to get killed quickly in the endzone then to try and run back to catch up with the ball carrier. You'll probably get killed quickly anyway because the other team will be frustrated that you scored and bent on destroying you as quickly as possible.
Blocking the Ball:
The single biggest mistake I see people making is filling up the resolve bar of a ball carrier just before they start running into the flames. When you're trying to stop a ball carrier the flames are your friend. Root all you want, but save your stuns and CC for when they're actually standing over the flames! This means save your leap if you're specc'd for the stun. You aren't helping your team by leaping up to them and making them unstoppable for the next 10 seconds.
Kill or stop the healer. If you see a ball carrier that won't die because their health is being topped off, stop attacking them and attack the healer. I've actually found it more effective to push the healer away, then wait for them to stand up and leap to them for the stun. If that didn't fill their resolve bar drop a stun on them, then run back toward the ball carrier. Usually in that time the rest of your team can catch up and down the carrier.
Your job here isn't to do enough damage to kill the guy, instead your job is to protect your team while they are killing the carrier. Of course if there is no one else around focus on the ball carrier at all cost, but if you're in a group, peel off and defend your teammates instead.
You also have one of the most effective pushes in the game, make sure you are saving it for these situations. Knocking their ball carrier into your pit is excellent use of your push. Be very sure you are positioned properly to push them, because it can also go horribly wrong.
Strategy:
The most effective teams I have found, split up. A group of people will run the ball, and the other group of people will control the center. The reason controlling the center is so critical, is because whenever a neutral ball comes up someone is there to grab it and pass it ahead.
Other organized groups do equally well. With three people working on a game plan and passing ahead scores can come very rapidly. The most effective team I've found was a JG, Sage and Commando. The JG would grab the neutral ball, Sage would stand on the middle of the ramp on the opposing team's side and rescue. JG would then run either right or left through the first fire trap. Commando was on the middle ramp section and would start toward the finish line as well. The JG would either keep running or pass down to the Commando, then continue toward the finish. Commando would pass back, or run for it. If he ran, the JG would leap to him and guard him.
Really what the above shows is the power of passing the ball. Many teams will completely focus on the ball carrier and ignore anyone else in the general vicinity. The real danger comes from the person that runs ahead of the group waiting for the pass.
I did manage to score once, and I've annotated the video with some of my comments from the game. In the end I felt subpar on the scoreboard (as usual in huttball) since I spend so much time trying to protect/kill the ball carrier I don't manage to rack up many points doing anything else.
General Overview:
Out of the gate I rarely try to get to the ball first thing, whenever I do I end up getting stunned, smacked around and die in very short order. I'm not sure why I have such low surviveability at that initial moment, but I just do - so I've learned to live with it. What I do attempt, is to swing out wide to one side, and interrupt the Imp who is running toward the ball, hopefully allowing my team to grab it first. This usually ends up with me dying a very rapid death as well, but it is better served.
From that point on I am constantly on the lookout for the ball carrier. If the ball carrier is my teammate, I shield them, and stick to their side. When they are attacked, I attack their attacker and stun/cc them, then move on. If they are being focused on I'll guardian leap to slap on some damage reduction and throw out taunts where I can.
In my first few games of Huttball I tried to quarterback the ball more often, this led to mixed results. I find the pass mechanic to be VERY clumsy - having to click an AoE on the ground between multiple levels can take precious seconds to align properly, and even then it doesn't always go off properly. Others may find this less clumsy and easier to manage, for whatever reason I have trouble with it.
We do make semi-good runners. I say semi-good because we don't have any kind of speed boost or inherent mobility benefit. To be a good runner you are at the mercy of two things. A healer and your leaps. If you get snared down and are slogging along like you're wading through 10 foot snow trying to run uphill and are circled by 4 of their team beating on you - you're going to die - JG are not immortal, we die just as fast as anyone else under focus fire.
TIP: When fighting on the ramps try to keep your back to the long portion of the ramp, so that when you are knocked back, you don't go flying into the pit. Almost every class has some type of knockback and they all know how to use them. This is difficult in a dynamic fight where people are running all over the place, but do your best to be aware of who is a potential danger for sending you flying.
Carrying the Ball:
If you are going to be a ball carrier (which you probably are) then you have to do it smart. If you hadn't noticed, using those air boost things on the sides is silly. You get separated from your teammates, you get launched randomly all over the place, and you are just as likely to go backward as you are to go forward. I suppose people may disagree, but I only jump on these at very rare times.
Your goal here is to try and go where the fewest members of their team are so you aren't being focused on by the majority of their players. When you have the ball, take a quick look around, if they're stacked on the left side, go right - or vice versa. I know this may sound elementary, but I can't count how many people just arbitrarily run right up the center into a mass of the other team.
Don't force leap just to get ahead. There is a caveat here, if your push is on cooldown, it is actually a quick way to travel 60 feet (Leap, push, leap). But by then you better almost be at the finish line, or at least in a good position to score.
My default plan, is to jump into the pit on the opposing side. This has two benefits - you can easily score from here, and even if you die the other team has a long walk to get the ball back to your end. Why can you easily score from here? Because you leap. Even to this day the majority of people I see will rush to the edge of the pit and hit me with ranged attacks. I then leap up to them and run past to the score line.
If you can get a teammate to run to that same edge of the pit you can just as easily guardian leap up to him instead of attacking an enemy. When I'm running in a co-ordinated group there is always someone that rushes ahead of me to the endzone so I can get a fast leg up from the pit.
If this doesn't work for you, try running right up the center (middle) ramp. Often people will stop at the top center that you can leap up to. Or on the sides (ranged dps are frequently up there just waiting for you to jump to them).
This may go without saying, but don't run into the fire. Also, stand close to the fire if it's there, because people will quite often try to knock you into it, but will end up knocking you right through it.
Do NOT leave your group of helping teammates to leap somewhere into a group of enemies. Your teammates are there to help you, if you can move as a group you are in a better position. Sometimes bunching up and killing everyone on the way to the endzone is the way to do it.
TIP: Running over a fire trap without a full resolve bar is just asking to be CC'd and burned to death. Be very careful doing this that either you aren't being targeted by a group of people (one of them is sure to have some kind of stun) or you have your CC breaker ready.
Protecting the Ball:
Guard is your single biggest advantage in Huttball. If you aren't carrying the ball, you should be next to the ball carrier guarding them. This is also my biggest pet peeve of the whole match. DO NOT leave your guard on players if you are not standing next to them. Don't guard someone coming out of the gate in Huttball, why? because you have no idea where everyone is going to end up. Wait until you actually see someone taking damage before guarding them. For the life of me I can't figure out why an active Guard doesn't remove a passive Guard from someone who is out of range.
So - in short - put Guard on the ball carrier and remove it as soon as they don't have the ball, or you leave the area.
Follow the ball carrier, stun/cc anyone that tries to attack them. Don't stick around to kill them, you don't put out enough damage anyway. If your stuff is on cooldown, taunt, and keep them taunted. Remember just because they aren't hitting you doesn't mean you aren't taking the damage, anything you can do to reduce that damage is a win for you. In the video you'll see me die just as we score from having my guard on the ball carrier. Happily I died first and they scored before dying - this is the power of guard.
You're also in a better position to bypass fire traps when you're guarding, you can still guard the person from the other side of the fire. If they're being attacked and won't make it, head to the other side for a pass. If you are fighting and they are crossing, keep fighting and keep the other team busy while they get across, then guardian leap to them when they're on the other side safely. You still have that ease of mobility to bypass a lot of the hazards here, make use of it.
Tip: Don't celebrate in the endzone, teams will often position themselves to get the neutral ball immediately after you score and start heading back the other way. If you notice that your team is behind it's actually better to get killed quickly in the endzone then to try and run back to catch up with the ball carrier. You'll probably get killed quickly anyway because the other team will be frustrated that you scored and bent on destroying you as quickly as possible.
Blocking the Ball:
The single biggest mistake I see people making is filling up the resolve bar of a ball carrier just before they start running into the flames. When you're trying to stop a ball carrier the flames are your friend. Root all you want, but save your stuns and CC for when they're actually standing over the flames! This means save your leap if you're specc'd for the stun. You aren't helping your team by leaping up to them and making them unstoppable for the next 10 seconds.
Kill or stop the healer. If you see a ball carrier that won't die because their health is being topped off, stop attacking them and attack the healer. I've actually found it more effective to push the healer away, then wait for them to stand up and leap to them for the stun. If that didn't fill their resolve bar drop a stun on them, then run back toward the ball carrier. Usually in that time the rest of your team can catch up and down the carrier.
Your job here isn't to do enough damage to kill the guy, instead your job is to protect your team while they are killing the carrier. Of course if there is no one else around focus on the ball carrier at all cost, but if you're in a group, peel off and defend your teammates instead.
You also have one of the most effective pushes in the game, make sure you are saving it for these situations. Knocking their ball carrier into your pit is excellent use of your push. Be very sure you are positioned properly to push them, because it can also go horribly wrong.
Strategy:
The most effective teams I have found, split up. A group of people will run the ball, and the other group of people will control the center. The reason controlling the center is so critical, is because whenever a neutral ball comes up someone is there to grab it and pass it ahead.
Other organized groups do equally well. With three people working on a game plan and passing ahead scores can come very rapidly. The most effective team I've found was a JG, Sage and Commando. The JG would grab the neutral ball, Sage would stand on the middle of the ramp on the opposing team's side and rescue. JG would then run either right or left through the first fire trap. Commando was on the middle ramp section and would start toward the finish line as well. The JG would either keep running or pass down to the Commando, then continue toward the finish. Commando would pass back, or run for it. If he ran, the JG would leap to him and guard him.
Really what the above shows is the power of passing the ball. Many teams will completely focus on the ball carrier and ignore anyone else in the general vicinity. The real danger comes from the person that runs ahead of the group waiting for the pass.
0 comments:
Post a Comment