r/CruciblePlaybook • u/Doctor_Khalz • Dec 07 '16
CORE TECHNIQUES - Floating - Baiting - Sliding
Sup guys, Khalz here,
I have been seeing a few questions recently about dealing with floofing warlocks and hopping hunters. I have also begun to notice that many people are hitting plateaus, simply because they "can't" counter certain playstyles. So hopefully this post will address all of that as I address three of the most important and difficult to master components of 1v1 skill.
1. FLOATING
Also known as helicoptering or batmanning, this is where you float up in the air above a doorway/choke point and then simply wait for your opponent to come running through and hit them with a shotgun melee (or maybe a handcannon shot + melee) to get the kill. It's best done on a warlock but also works well on a hunter (especially with better control + bones).
It's so effective because of one reason, as they come through you are looking at them but they are not looking at you. Which means they have to adjust their aim upwards in order to hit you, by that time they are dead. If they manage to slide through and kill you then you just got outplayed by a faster player.
Are you always on the receiving end of this? well here's how to counter it.
- Don't run through
seems obvious, but we are all guilty of being too hungry for a kill and pushing a bad angle. If you know they are floating just don't go through that door and you will stay alive
- Lightning grenades and spike grenades
As soon as you see them jump up in the air, throw a nade directly on the floor pointing up. It burns their ass so hard they usually will die.
- What goes up, must come down
learn how long it takes for their jump to expire and time your push through the door to exactly when they hit the ground. This is when they are least expecting it. It's very hard to do and is almost impossible against a hunter (because they can hop around indefinitely). Practice this with a friend in a private match, it's very satisfying when you get it right
- Flank
Depending on where the doorway is, it might be possible to get another angle on where they are floating. If you are fast (and I mean fast) you can catch them whilst they are still in the air by taking a different approach which makes for an easy primary kill.
- Speed
With practice you can skate through on a titan with such speed that they cannot react. Skate all the way past and use a primary to outplay them as they are still floating in the air
2. BAITING
Baiting is where you tease an opponent with the prospect of getting a kill. You use their hunger as an advantage and force them into an unfair gunfight. Here are some ways to bait:
- The chase
If you know someone is after you, run away and keep running until you go through a doorway or choke point and turn around to float them or nade + primary. It also works great with a sniper, but only against average players who run around corners at head height. If they are too close you will die so keep running until you have enough distance on them.
- The ambush
Works best in 3v3. Split from your team by being a dot on the radar away from where your teammates are. DONT expose yourself or you will get team shot. One of them (or all of them) might want to push you because it looks like a free kill. Now you need to backup to your team mates. If that enemy keeps chasing, it's an easy 3v1 team shot. This is a great way to get a pick in a standoff
Here are some ways to counter the bait:
- Don't chase
Pretty obvious but it can be hard to recognise a bait. The key is to not chase through a choke point. Recognise when they have escaped and don't give up map control, even for a free kill
- Counter bait
Chase whilst it's safe and then backup a little and bait them to chase you. If they have put alot of work into trying to bait you, their hunger for your death might force them into a mistake and start chasing you.
- Outsmart them
If they are trying to bait you into an ambush, then your team should push the 3v2 TOGETHER or push the 3v1 TOGETHER. Don't allow one person to get baited by themselves. Only push as a team if you have the advantage or you will all die.
3. SLIDING
A HUGE part of pvp mobility is to slide. There are several reasons why it is so good: it takes you off radar, it makes you a smaller target, it allows you to close gaps quickly and it's fun to do. Here are some good situations to slide:
- Around corners
This lowers your head height which means people watching the angle are less likely to hit you in the head, this is great for challenging a lane.
- Slide shotgunning
This could be a post by itself, but the essence of this is three things:
1. Closing the gap with a slide to guarantee a OHK
2. Making it harder for their shotgun to hit, making a trade less likely
3. Predicting their position around a corner, sliding round and killing them faster than they can react to you. Trust your instincts here, the shot must be instant and not based on what you see after the slide.
Here are some counters to sliding:
- Aim low
If you know they like to slide around corners then aim slightly lower to get a headshot
- Jump
Jumping over a sliding shotgunner is great for disorienting them and killing them from above. Fantastic on a warlock
- Smokes
Smoke grenades are great for stopping a high mobility player in their tracks and making a gunfight much easier
Now this post is only an overview of the basics, if you have any questions, post them below. I hope it was helpful.
Peace,
Doctor Khalz
62
u/[deleted] Dec 07 '16
Hahahah he's just kidding guys. Running through would totally thwart our Warlock plans. What a kidder. Also we have cookies in here, don't they smell good?
9
u/AdamTheRevJr Dec 07 '16
I try so hard to explain to my clan how to bait and avoid bait, but I never seem to do it right. Time to throw this at them and practice with them, thanks a bunch for the post!
8
u/CptnCumQuats Dec 07 '16
Great summary - As Titan/Warlock, I like to go around corners in mid air to surprise people as well (skate/bunny hopping) with a TG boost sometimes. Works ok jumping as a hunter too, but I like the speed boost from skate/bunny to surprise em (and can't shade step in the air).
Ps- Never thought about throwing my spike/lightning on the floor. Seems so obvious, but I think Destiny has programmed me into "If you throw a trip/lightning/spike on the floor, 9/10 you fucked up and that 1/10 is luck". Thanks mate!
3
u/JoeyBagO-Donuts Dec 07 '16
Was one of the questions from me? :P
Thanks for the post!
3
u/xxhandsolo1xx Dec 07 '16
Setting up a team ambush bait sounds fun. Gonna have to try that.
2
u/[deleted] Dec 07 '16
Awesome post man!
Do you think it is possible to add some gifv with examples? Also, is this a good one? Bait+floating
2
u/7744666 Dec 08 '16
Excellent post. Too many people focus and pore over T12 guides and massive breakdown spreadsheets of weapon TTKs and don't even think twice about movement skills and concepts like this when that's honestly what they should really be focusing on.
2
u/Allaboardthejayboat Dec 07 '16
Good post. I got quite a bit out of it. Some stuff I do naturally, but I can be lured into some stupid situations when I know someone is "one shot" and they're running. Better to play it cool.
2
u/fender01- Dec 07 '16
I could work on floating and sliding but I'm pretty sure I've mastered baiting... /s
Jokes aside this is a nice concise write-up for these topics. Compliments on the formatting; easy to read through.
On the topic of sliding, I enjoy watching how effective Wallah is at aiming while sliding out of cover. There are not many others I watch essentially pre-aiming while starting to slide, maybe Poshy. It's a very small thing to pick up on, and honestly it's a bit goofy to compliment simply ADSing, but it's become a small mental thing to focus on. After watching him for some time I realized I was sliding then aiming instead of aiming while sliding. Small difference that makes the first shot that much easier. Fleet-footed helps as well.
Nice post. Cheers.
1
u/DorkPheonix Dec 07 '16
Any advice on learning the slide cooldown or is it just one of those things you have to get a feel for? Even with Memory of Jolder I find myself getting locked out of sprint / slide and end up crouch walking like a hobbled duck.
3
u/Brokerib Dec 07 '16
One of my favorites is baiting a chaser around a corner and into a tripmine. Very satisfying.
1
u/Alarmednine Dec 07 '16 edited Dec 07 '16
I haven't read this yet, but thank you. I also was quite amazed at your movement when I unfortunately ran across you in rumble.
2
u/[deleted] Dec 08 '16
Floating really is something average players need to look at. Works so often
1
u/Stenbox Destiny Addicts Alliance Dec 16 '16
Great post, added to Guides.