For beginners, dueling is a matter of aim and timing. For pros, dueling is a matter of intimidation, confidence, and patience. You need to have the first before you can gain the second.
The basis of dueling is energy management. You want to have more energy than your opponent at all times. The lower energy you both have, the more important this becomes. If you have less you would normally take defensive tactics that conserve energy. This includes single fire gunning, running, and skimming bombs. If you have more you would normally take offensive tactics such as gunning, gun rushes, and offensive positioning. Something most people don't realize is that dueling is not a matter of who hits whom more often. It's all about who has more energy. You shooting at me with two bombs and missing twice is the same as if I shot you with a bomb myself. You hitting me with ten bombs in a row doesn't do any good if those bombs are so spread out that I charge faster than you hit me.
An equally important factor is mentality. If you think you are going to lose, you probably will. Intimidated opponents shoot less and are less likely to exploit mistakes. There are times when I've dueled opponents in the past where I had less energy than they did almost the whole time yet they were the ones running. If you have your opponent thinking only of his own survival you can keep shooting without regard to energy usage and do so in aggressive postures. This is the strongest type attack possible, usually gets the kill, and is purely based on mentality. Overconfidence is also bad however. Overconfidence leads you to take more vulnerable attack positions, to use energy more quickly than is wise, and to concentrate less. Overconfident opponents are especially susceptible to turning and gunning. When you duel, the best possible mentality is to neither expect to win nor lose. Simply concentrate on the situation. If you have to think one way or the other though, it's better to think you are going to win.
General Dueling Tactics:
Intimidation Tactics
- Don't run. Dodge. This will give you the appearance of fearlessness.
- Skim bombs whenever possible to give the appearance of invulnerablitiy.
- Stay close to your opponent. If they start backing up, follow even closer. If they charge in smack them and stay close again.
- Never let up. Keep firing single guns to keep your opponent off balance while they try to charge. Anticipate your opponent's moves and move there before them.
- Anger your opponent. An angry, frusterated opponent has worse concentration and is more likely to take bad risks.
Advanced Tactics
- Shoot where your opponent will dodge to, not where they will be if they kept the same velocity. You'll find with experience that people have a tendency to do the same types of dodges in the same general situation.
- Likewise, do not be predictable in your dodging! Do the unexpected and you'll have the best opportunity to fully dodge and get a firing opportunity in.
- Beginners generally dodge in one direction. Advanced duelers generally dodge in that direction, then immediately reverse (feint). With beginners, shoot normally. With advanced duelers, wait till they do the reverse for the feint before shooting. You'll hit 70% of the time if you learn this simple trick.
- Remember the psychology aspect of the game. Don't fire bombs to keep your opponent away; fire bombs to kill your opponent. If you find yourself getting nervous and defensive, your opponent is probably also overconfident. Use this to your advantage.
- Try to avoid flying past your opponent when you throw bombs. You'll be more likely to succeed in this and 'stick' to them if you fire bombs from a closer range and a closer velocity. The key to pulling this off is getting your opponent to be defensive and so more predictable.
- If you are using a spider of a shark, hit cloak when you are both near 0 velocity and are going for the charge. You opponent will have to take 1/4 a second to hit X-Radar, during which time he/she will not be shooting. This is the same as a free firing opportunity for you and a lost one for him.
Beating runners and cowards
- Let them come to you! Act hurt or otherwise occupied. When they charge in you get the chance for a good series of hits, and might be able to finish them if you are quick enough when they turn to run.
- Don't chase them just because they run. If they don't come back to vulch stay in the general area and wait for them to make a mistake.
- Turn and gun tactics is 90% of what you have to worry about. Keep an eye open for this.
- Match their velocity, but not their path. They'll usually waste several mines while you do this.
- The best way to beat pure runners is by surprise. If you lose the element of surprise, get two or three friends to help you. If you manage to lead them into a closed area you have a good chance of getting the kill also.
- Purposely make 'mistakes' such as the lure tactic.
- Use multifire at long ranges. Throwing bombs wastes too much energy. Singlefire is too easy to dodge. Mutlifire however, improves spread with range and can bounce off surroundings.
Beating agressive players and shaking pursuit
- Run down narrow corridors laying mines.
- Wait for a rush, and hit them hard. Act like you are going to run again, and when they take the bait kill them.
- If you plan to fight, don't back up. Keep confident, if you start backing up you lose the ability to accelerate to dodge while you opponent has double the ability to do this. Your bombs are also very easy to dodge this way.
Killing Negkillers
- Mine the safe zones. If know their general area maintain the element of surprise by mining first and attacking second.
- Get a spectator to help you find them.
- Be patient. Don't try for all out attacks. This is what they are waiting for. Think to yourself of it as any other duel and act accordingly.
- Negkillers love to run. A leviathan is best for chasing runners.
- Negkillers love to turn and gun. A weasel is best against this tactic.
- As with any runner get friends if you can. Even the worst negkillers are hard to kill when they run after every hit.
- Keep antiwarp on. This prevents regular warping and stops portals as well.
Killing Negs
- he best method is with bombs at medium range. Maintain range, while accelerating your bombs to hit and deaccelerating to not overshoot. You don't have to worry much about gunrushes to counter this.
- Some negs or runners go towards the nearest safe zone or doorway. Anticipate this before they turn that way and fire AT the doorway or safe zone. As often as not they wind up kiling themselves going in anyway.
- If negs run into asteroid fields, maintain close range but don't fire unless you get a sure hit. The easiest way to lose the neg is to overshoot and bounce off a rock.
- Use a leviathan, spider, or shark for best results.
Offensive Dueling Tactics:
3 Bomb/Bullet:
Speed: Slow
Vulnerability: High
Difficulty: Extremely High
Damage: 1800
Range: Variable, usually medium
Technique: Accelerate in a straight line from 1/2 maximum speed or less while firing bullets. After the third bullet shoot a bomb.
Counter: Fire single bomb and dodge then gun rush
This is a difficult to achieve type of fire that if successfully executed will result in 1800 damage, thus killing anybody instantly. This tactic takes superb aim and usually requires the element of surprise. Best done with the Warbird.
Doubled up Bullets:
Speed: Medium
Vulnerability: Medium
Difficulty: High
Damage: 600-1000
Range: Medium
Technique: Accelerate in a straight line shooting two or more bullets possibly until maximum velocity is reached.
Counter: Fire single bomb and dodge
Since the later bullets will have a higher velocity than those before they will eventually catch up. Because of this, the normal delay between bullet hits is negated and your opponent loses that second or so of recharge. For three bullets, if you can maneuver to the perfect range and hold your opponent for the second it takes this can do up to 1000 damage with only 200 overall energy cost. This can also be done with two bullets for a faster but less effective attack.
Doubled up Bombs:
Speed: Very Slow
Vulnerability: Very High
Difficulty: Medium to High
Damage: 400-2400
Range: Long to Extremely Long
Technique: Accelerate in a straight line shooting two or more bombs until maximum velocity is reached.
Counter: Dodge and gun rush
This is a common tactic in bases to get quick kills. It is easy to do as a random vulch as well although harder as a killing maneuver. Done perfectly, you will time all three bombs to reach the same area at the same time, which also happens to be where your opponent is located at the time. This is not usually done in dogfights except possibly as the opening fire. This is more effective with the Leviathan.
Non-linear Doubled up Bombs:
Speed: Very Slow
Vulnerability: High
Difficulty: Extremely High
Damage: 400-2400
Range: Extremely Long
Technique: Pick a spot from 1 to 45 degrees off your velocity vector to fire at. Shoot your bombs at this spot while modifying thrust if necessary to keep within firing range and ensure your bombs will hit this spot at the same time. Correctly done, your first bomb will be slower because of the arc of the fire but still slightly faster than your ship. Your second bomb should be slightly faster than your first bomb, and your arc should be less. The velocity vector of your last bomb should be very close to that of your ship and should be fastest of all. All bombs should overlap at the same spot at the same time at the spot you chose to fire at..
Counter: Dodge the bombs and try for a direct hit bomb yourself
This leaves you much less vulnerable than the standard method of doubling up bombs because you fly in a parabola. However, it is one of the hardest techniques in the game. It also requires your target be far away, near the edge of the large radar.
Turn and gun:
Speed: Very Fast
Vulnerability: Medium
Difficulty: Easy
Damage: 400-1500
Range: Extremely Close
Technique: When an opponent is following too closely while you are running, you quickly turn to face them and gun while accelerating through them.
Counter: Keep your concentration and bomb when your opponent attempts this. Afterwards gun rush if your opponent doesn't start running fast enough.
This is the favorite tactic of runners and negkillers. This takes so little time that you can usually get free hits. Done at longer range it will do more damage while making you more vulnerable. Done at closer range you will be less vulnerable but do less damage. Best done with the Warbird.
Gun Rush:
Speed: Medium-Fast
Vulnerability: Medium to high
Difficulty: High
Damage: 400-2000
Range: Close
Technique: Face your opponent and charge through them while firing guns. Doesn't work if your relative angular velocity is too high when initiated.
Counter: Quick positioning dodge, then counter rush
This move can kill if done correctly, but is unlikely to succeed. Works best against slow opponents or if you have much more energy than your opponent. The closer you are when you do this the better, and the better you manage to double up your bullets the more damage you will do. Done from medium range will certainly result in getting hit by a direct hit bomb. Done from long range will not only get you hit by a direct hit bomb but will also enable your opponent to counter rush and probably kill you. The most important secret is the lower your relative angular velocity the easier it will be to hit your opponent.
Single Bullet/Dodge:
Speed: Very Fast
Vulnerability: Very Low
Difficulty: Low
Damage: 200-300
Range: Medium
Technique: Fire a bullet to directly hit your opponent (usually with a small bit of acceleration first) and IMMEDIATELY dodge.
Counter: Gun rush at opponent's anticipated location.
This takes little energy and usually suffices to keep your opponent off balance long enough for you to charge. Can also be done to hold off aggressive opponents, or to make your opponent make a mistake.
Fencing: (Warbird only)
Speed: Fast
Vulnerability: Medium
Difficulty: Very High
Damage: 300-1400
Range: Close to very close
Technique: Stay at close range to your opponent firing doubled up bullets while dodging them yourself.
Counter: Fencing
This is the art of gunning/dodging at extremely close range. Only a Warbird can manage this. This is the perfect situation to take advantage of mistakes. Your opponent is too close to run without risk and too far to bomb or mine. This is the best way for the Warbird to kill non-Warbird ships.
Direct Hit Bombing:
Speed: Variable
Vulnerability: Usually High
Difficulty: Very Easy (if your opponent makes a mistake)
Damage: 800
Range: Medium
Technique: Fire a bomb when your opponent makes a mistake
Counter: Not making mistakes in the first place
This tactics usually involves your opponent making a mistake, such as charging of some sort as happens with gun rushes, or inattentiveness.
Bullet positioning with bombing:
Speed: Medium
Vulnerability: Medium
Difficulty: Extremely High
Damage: 400-500
Range: Medium
Technique: Fire one or two bullets with perfect accuracy. Immediately fire a bomb where your opponent would have to be if he/she turned to dodge the bullets.
Counter: Wait for charge then gun rush
This only works when your opponent is very low on energy (300 or less) and running at full speed. It is also inefficient and at best costs 1:1. If done right several times in a row you can get the kill even against an opponent openly running.
Lure: (Warbird Only)
Speed: Fast
Vulnerability: High
Difficulty: High
Damage: 1400 or more, usually death
Range: Close
Technique: Close Range/Skim a bomb and then fully turn around and run. Your opponent will chase you firing guns 90% of the time. Keep at close range, dodge the first one or two bullets, then either turn and gun or do a reverse fire.
Counter: Don't fall for it
This works best against aggressive gunners, especially negkillers. Since you have the element of surprise AND the positioning advantage at that point you'll win the gun fight. If your opponent does not react fast enough or is overly aggressive he/she will be dead before he/she knows what's happening.
Defensive Dueling Tactics
Reverse fire:
Vulnerability: Low
Difficulty: Medium
Damage: 1000 or more, usually death
Range: Close
Technique: When an opponent gun rushes you, reverse and turn so the back of your ship faces away from the opponent's movement vector while keeping your nose pointed at them and firing bullets.
Counter: Jerk to the side, then continue firing straight in or use a bomb.
With this move, for the first second or so, while your opponent's angular velocity is matching yours, your opponent will be shooting where you WERE while you will be shooting where your opponent IS. Because of this, and the element of surprise, you can get anywhere from three to all of the bullets into your opponent before you get hit yourself. This ONLY works at close range however. Done at very close range, you will only get two or three bullets in and your opponent will rush past you. Done at too far range and you will wind up moving parallel TOWARDS the opponent's initial bullets and be worse off than if you had done nothing.
Skimming: (Warbird Only - Positioning tactic)
Vulnerability: Low
Difficulty: High
Damage: One to one energy loss - Position advantage
Range: Medium
Technique: Dodge bombs at the extreme edges of the explosion maintaining a close/medium range to your opponent.
Counter: Don't be too trigger happy
With this move your opponent will spend as much energy shooting and you take in damage. Neither player will gain energy advantage, but the skimmer gains positional advantage. The player firing bombs can easily make a mistake (close range bombs or susceptibility to gun rushes) which the skimmer will be always ready to take advantage of.
Ducking:
Vulnerability: Medium
Difficulty: Medium
Damage: 600-1200
Range: Close/Medium
Technique: When you are not moving and somebody is trying to gun rush you from the side, thrust forward long enough to make your opponent turn to adjust. Immediately reverse thrust before the first shots hit you (ducking the bullets). If timed right, as you drop down your opponent will fly past you, with your nose right under their ship. Forward thrust and fire into them, doubling up bullets if possible.
Counter: Reverse fire when your opponent tries to shoot at you after the duck.
This move is most effective with the warbird since it relies on the quickness of the thrust. It highly depends on the aggressivness of your opponent so is best done when the rate of closure between your ships is high and your opponent is not trying to dodge.
Inside Slip:
Vulnerability: Low
Difficulty: Medium but opportunities are rare
Damage: Death
Range: Medium
Technique: This depends mainly on seeing the opportunity and taking advantage of it as it is hard to setup. The following conditions must exist: You are moving at medium speed, your opponent is moving at full speed in the same direction as you but with distance still decreasing, the minimum distance your opponents position will be is medium, and your opponent shoots a bomb at or behind. When these conditions exist, rather than back up behind the bomb or back away accelerate forward past the bomb (and match your opponent's velocity). Once you hit full speed do a gun rush at your opponent. He will only be able to slow down or maintain velocity and will be unable to immediately shoot guns. Even if your opponent does shoot guns he will be behind you in energy by the cost of a missed bomb. Either way, your opponent will be easy to hit and will most likely lose a direct gun battle. This technique results 75% of the time in a kill.
Counter: Back up as soon as your opponent slips the bomb.
This technique does two things at once: Dodges a bomb and sets up for a perfect gun rush. This sometimes happens in duels when your opponent tries to attack but is too nervous to close the distance. It also sometimes occurs near walls when your opponent who you are chasing will alternately slow down then speed up along the wall.
Close Range Bombs:
Vulnerability: Medium
Difficulty: Medium
Damage: Energy Advantage
Range: Close
Technique: Manipulate your opponent into firing bombs at close range
Counter: Don't be too trigger happy
Most people don't realize that if you shoot a bomb and your own ship registers damage AT ALL the total energy loss for yourself is greater than that of your opponent. Not only does your opponent lose that much less energy, but you lose that much more. This rarely happens at such a range as to cause instant death for the player firing, but it happens quite often close enough to gain an energy advantage for the player dodging.
Feint:
Vulnerability: Low
Difficulty: Low
Damage: Enemy loses energy by cost of a bomb
Range: Medium
Technique: When both you and your opponent are at near zero velocity facing each other, rather than firing a bomb as anticipated turn to a 90 degree angle and thrust in an anticipatory dodge.
Counter: Delayed Gun Rush
Your hopefully opponent will fire a bomb straight at you (as in counter to a gun rush or as the only possible move at that range) and miss. This situation happens most often after you charge past each other and both turn to face each other.
Weaving:
Vulnerability: Low
Difficulty: High
Damage: Usually none
Range: Medium
Technique: When chasing or closing in on an opponent rather than rushing at them head on weave the nose of your ship back and forth between 45 clockwise and counterclockwise relative to your opponent.. Every time your nose passes them fire a bullet..
Counter: Dodge the Bullets; No counter to defensive part
This is a defensive maneuver that gives you inherent dodging ability making it much harder for your opponent to guess where to shoot and providing automatic bomb skimming..
Preemptive bombing:
Vulnerability: Low
Difficulty: Easy
Damage: 500-600
Range: Medium
Technique: Shoot a bomb as soon as you guess your opponent will advance an attack. Shoot the bomb before the opponent starts to move and he'll charge into it.
Counter: Feint
This works best against agressive opponents. A miss results in the loss of energy cost of one bomb
