Strategy Thoughts

[jezzell19]

O.K., I've been planning to post this since our match against Venom last week, but haven't had time. I posted part of it in the GB thread, but wanted to re-state it here.

Individually we're not that bad, but we really don't have the pack mentality that I notice the other teams using.

If I encounter one or two players from the other team, I can usually beat them (especially on foot), but the problem seems to be that I don't just face one guy, it's more like 3 at a time. When I try to take a zone, etc. I always end up squaring off with 2 or more of the opposing team (with one of them usually in a Warhawk).

We need to do the same thing. We have to get better at working in small squads/pairs if we're going to compete against the more organized clans. I think we do a great job of having a team focus/goal each game (thanks TB!), but it may need to be broken down a bit smaller is what I'm suggesting.

So, here are my specific suggestions (I’m going to post them in chunks to ease the reading burden):

[jezzell19]

Warhawk Team Death Match games - we split into 2 squadrons (Alpha, Omega, etc.), and split the map (left/right or front/back). People will know their group before we start, and the goal is to fly and attack with your group. If one-person dies, the others stay in their area (the other making their way back after re-spawn ASAP), if 2 or more bites it, everyone left hustles back to re-group and start again. It was almost impossible to shoot down their planes the other night because you couldn't just easily fly in and lock-on to a single; you would have to shake 2 of their other pilots or figure out who you had weakned enough to finish off. Safety and strength in numbers is the plan, and a simple even team split should do the trick in these matches.

Reg. Team DM Game: Same strategy...

Zones - We keep a squatter/spotter at home base (as usual), and everyone else employs the buddy system. We're assigned a partner, team name (red, orange, etc.), and maybe even zone assignments (depending upon how organized we want to be) pre-match. The goal here is to attack and defend in pairs, so TB and I (for example) would be responsible for having each other's backs for the entire match. We can decide between us who wants to do what (i.e. who wants to give the air support while the zone is being taken/defended). If he moves on to the next zone, I move on to the next zone, no exceptions unless your areas are secure and one of you wants to temporarily peel off and help a neighboring team in distress (we should never leave a zone area completly unoccupied, as that's a formula to lose an entire map).

[jezzell19]

Capture the Flag - We employ a similar squad approach. The 2 person Red team (for example) flag protects, Blue team is assigned map expansion and critical zone snagging duties, and green team are the retrievers. It seems like most of the CTF games consist of 3 zone (2 home base, and one neutral) maps, and in these scenarios you have to gain the neutral zone or you constantly have to traverse an entire map to attempt to steal a flag. It also applies on bigger maps, but the key zones become the ones nearest your own and the enemy's bases. Once we get into a pattern of re-spawning out our home base over-and-over, they've already won. Flag capture and support strategy is similar. When the flag moves into your area you support/destroy (obviously, if the flag is on the ground and you can make a run, do it, but one person should probably always stay on the original assignment).

I mentioned air support (and saved it for last), and that is another fatal flaw I've noticed in the few matches I've played; we need to keep other teams busy in the sky (we don't have to be better pilots, we just have to keep them on their toes). When we break into pairs/teams, it should be implied that one of the squad mates is to be the air dog. If we can consistently keep 2-3 planes in the air, we should be able to keep them from Warhawk poaching (what I'm now calling the act of people coming in with Warhawks while you're trying to claim/protect/flag capture, hovering over you and killing you with TOWs, etc.). This applies to the flag protection group in CTF. I can't tell you how many times the other team was able to fly in, hover over our base and TOW, etc. This shouldn't ever happen, because I've never been able to do it to them. Against the good teams, if you stop in a Warhawk, you die or at least chased.

[jezzell19]

This isn’t meant to criticize or nitpick (I’m the new one to clan fighting after all), I just know that we can do the same things these other guys are doing. I agree that many of these teams are going to practice more than we are, and will generally be a bit more organized (I don't think most of us have time to play as much as it would take for us to be dominate), but the good news is that if we tweak things just a bit I think we can be a tough group to deal with.

[twistedblister]

wow. i am running late but if there is time before tonights game i will read it. thanks all the same for any thoughts and suggestions.

[jezzell19]

wow. i am running late but if there is time before tonights game i will read it. thanks all the same for any thoughts and suggestions.

No hurry, I know it's a ton to read! It's just been on my mind since the last match... I think we've got some talent in our midst, and I know it's frustrating for everyone when you get your heads handed to you (even if you are just playing to have some fun). It might not even be the right thing to do, but it's what I've noticed (and I don't want to be the guy who plays and never offers feedback, and is never trying to be helpful).

[cloud945076]

Great suggestions

[Guest]

If only venom wasn't a great clan you guys should probably not want to challenge great clans because they are great lol. IMO try not to challege the following clans if you don't want to get base raped!

VLAD
WAR!
BSK
B.T.
XIII
ONI
/7
CCX
A3RO
AoD
=TE= ????

[jezzell19]

If only venom wasn't a great clan you guys should probably not want to challenge great clans because they are great lol. IMO try not to challege the following clans if you don't want to get base raped!

VLAD
WAR!
BSK
B.T.
XIII
ONI
/7
CCX
A3RO
AoD
=TE= ????

I agree that some of those guys on your list are hardcore. However, I've played with/against members from most of those clans in ranked servers by myself (really all I did in Warhawk until I came over here), and while most of them generally rank in the top 5 or 10, so do I (I almost always play zones, so I can't comment on the other match types).

My point is not to brag (I ain't that good!), but to say that you've got to play the best to get better. We would never learn how to play better as a team by playing/watching only bad teams. There is a reason why those guys are good, and we need to emulate that (not the a##hole-ish ness, but the strategy).

We should pace ourselves for sure (not schedule only tough guys), but we shouldn't constantly play inferior teams either.

[twistedblister]

Hey Jez i hate to short change anyone but i am skiming. please keep posting thougts.

Our Sat 10-19-08 is issued by me to a clan lower on the ladder then us. So my first step in trying to correct our beatings is that i am no longer accepting challanges from clans higher then us :-) well excpet for mxg and nnn or other buddy clans. who idont mind getting beat by.

[jezzell19]

Hey Jez i hate to short change anyone but i am skiming. please keep posting thougts.

Our Sat 10-19-08 is issued by me to a clan lower on the ladder then us. So my first step in trying to correct our beatings is that i am no longer accepting challanges from clans higher then us :-) well excpet for mxg and nnn or other buddy clans. who idont mind getting beat by.

I think that's a good idea to give us a chance to get our feet back under us!

[twistedblister]

I like the ideas Jez. we are / have been trying to do assingments with DW in some of the training games. What did not work i think is that the palyers in the training game were not the same ones in the challnage game. But Buddy system or zone assignment are good ideas. same with all modes. but especially CTF. all good thoughts and suggestins Jez. thanks for the input

[twistedblister]

Ha. ugh. yeah kat challanging the best teams out there is not going to build moral or confidence.

[hippo99]

Ha. ugh. yeah kat challanging the best teams out there is not going to build moral or confidence.

i know right

[jezzell19]

I like the ideas Jez. we are / have been trying to do assingments with DW in some of the training games. What did not work i think is that the palyers in the training game were not the same ones in the challnage game. But Buddy system or zone assignment are good ideas. same with all modes. but especially CTF. all good thoughts and suggestins Jez. thanks for the input

Someone mentioned only letting those that practice be able to play in the games that week, etc. Not such a bad idea really, or at least make the spots for those games open to those that practice first.

As you know, I've only made one practice, and that wasn't really a practice, so I'm not tooting my own horn here.

[hippo99]

I like the ideas Jez. we are / have been trying to do assingments with DW in some of the training games. What did not work i think is that the palyers in the training game were not the same ones in the challnage game. But Buddy system or zone assignment are good ideas. same with all modes. but especially CTF. all good thoughts and suggestins Jez. thanks for the input

Someone mentioned only letting those that practice be able to play in the games that week, etc. Not such a bad idea really, or at least make the spots for those games open to those that practice first.

As you know, I've only made one practice, and that wasn't really a practice, so I'm not tooting my own horn here.

me too

[twistedblister]

I like the ideas Jez. we are / have been trying to do assingments with DW in some of the training games. What did not work i think is that the palyers in the training game were not the same ones in the challnage game. But Buddy system or zone assignment are good ideas. same with all modes. but especially CTF. all good thoughts and suggestins Jez. thanks for the input

Someone mentioned only letting those that practice be able to play in the games that week, etc. Not such a bad idea really, or at least make the spots for those games open to those that practice first.

As you know, I've only made one practice, and that wasn't really a practice, so I'm not tooting my own horn here.

That is interesting. i would say 50 % or maybe 60 % of those who jump in practices do show up on the game lists. but that is somthing i might want to consider. Yeah. or the other way. if you are playing you need to show up for a practice for those maps one night durring the week for maybe 20 to 30 min.s

:-)

[jezzell19]

Yeah. or the other way. if you are playing you need to show up for a practice for those maps one night durring the week for maybe 20 to 30 min.s
.

I think that would be a great way to do it...

[beamblast]

Woah!? This thread was made in october and its still on the first page? Any way, Your ideas seem good. (I've never battled in a clan match on spectate halo ones friends are doing.) I say float this thread.

[DWOMT]

Clan battles can either be very challenging or brutal, depending on who's playing. I've played some clans we where we rocked them, battles where it was very close, and other battles where a clan that practices 24/7 massacred us lol. So it can be any type of situation.

[twistedblister]

Hey beam its in its on private directory IE GZ, WH, WH practice so its not the big board. Warhak general is pretty big so is talk about anything.

[hippo999]

i use CHUCK NORRIS powers to pwn them