Guide [Issue 33] Everything to do with... Speed!

[mcmonkey25 717]

 

Speed. We all love it. That ability to whizz around maps, outrunning other tanks in order to make breath-taking getaways with the enemy flag. Or in parkour, to make sure you go the extra mile (sometimes literally) and get to your favoured destination. Speed is a key part of Tanki Online and will always remain so. So strap yourselves in, buckle up and get ready for your quick tour of everything about speed in Tanki Online.

 

Uses:

Speed is all around us in Tanki Online and we have begun to become almost oblivious to its prevalence in the game; so let us just take a moment to think about the game without it. All tanks would go at the same speed. You wouldn’t be able to outrun anyone else, yet nor them you. Game balance would be massively disrupted due to only one key factor of differentiation in hulls (the protection), the only solution to which would be only one hull and no choice. Or, an even more dramatic scenario; no speed and no movement. Everyone would be sitting ducks, just rotating their turrets and shooting. Dull; very dull. I hope that I have now made you see how vital speed is to Tanki Online. And you can utilise speed in many ways…

 

 

Flags: It is undeniably easier to make a getaway with the flag (when there are no defenders) with Hornet or Wasp. One can grab and go in an instant and before anyone knows it, you’re back in your own base and have captured the flag. That feeling when you outrun a tank’s turret turning so they can’t shoot you is just brilliant. My advice is; if you’re looking to get the flag quickly, equip a fast hull and try to get in there before anyone else notices. If you can slip past the key defenders, then the hardest part of the task will be over.

 

 

Facing off: When you’re one versus one with an enemy in any scenario, it can be really handy to be light on your tracks. Dodging an enemy’s shot gives you precious time to reload or run off (if you’re that kind of player!) Moving in one direction, then quickly going the other way increases the chance of your opponent missing. Also, against turrets with slower turret turning, you may be able to ‘outrun the turret’ meaning that you can keep on moving and not lose any health.

 

 

Parkour: We’ve all tried it once or twice. Perhaps the ramp in Canyon (R.I.P) or 2042. Moving as fast as possible and jumping, perhaps with a flourish of a spin at the end. Speed is essential to parkour; you need the moment to get to those incredible spots. It’s very rare to see a mammoth achieving exceptional height (See Fig. 1). Running up a dictator or hitting a mine perfectly relies on the speed of your hull. The quicker you are, the further you’ll go and the more you can do.

 

 

Tricks: Speed can also be used to achieve small, yet useful tricks during battles. Monte Carlo is a prime map for this, where speed allows you to access the best route in and out of the enemy base. Without speed, we would all have to take the long way round, which is much less exciting. Another trick is the difficult ‘edge jump’. This involves hitting the edge of a wall (or other flat surface) with your tracks and continuing to move forward in order to perform a small jump upwards (See Fig. 2). This trick can help you to reach a more advantageous position or perhaps get in or out of the enemy base in a quicker and more interesting way. Without speed in this trick, it would be very difficult to make it work; I certainly couldn’t imagine a mammoth doing it!

 

 

Racing: Need I say more?

 

 

Speed in Practise:

This next bit is for all you lovers of Wasp or Hornet. These quick hulls can be utilised in many ways during battles, depending on your playing style and the map size. In large maps, I would advise attacking. With so many players in the battle, it will be tough for you to get in and out of the base with the flag, a job that would become close to impossible if you were using a slow hull. You just wouldn't be able to get away! One of the best turrets for this sort of thing is freeze. If you are able to quickly cover your opponents, then the job of them chasing after you becomes a whole lot tougher. As I said before, try to nab the flag before anyone notices, making sure that there is a very small number of enemies around. Then, use a nitro, or just the basic speed of your tank to move quickly out of the enemy base and into a safer part of the map.

 

It is harder to tell what to do in medium-sized maps. Attacking is a good idea because of the speed advantage; but if you want more diversity to your play, midfield can also work well. Zipping around the edge of the enemy base, perhaps with Smoky or Hammer, can be just as satisfying and productive as getting captures. If the enemy team can't get out of their base, how are they meant to get your flag? And if they go on the offensive, you have that great speed to handle a controlled retreat from the midfield to your own base until reinforcements arrive!

 

Small range maps are a completely different ball game though. As you are fast, you can quickly move from attack to defence, with or without the flag. The choice of where you play is completely up to you, as long as you are sure that you are a versatile player. You must be able to be a reliable defender but also a hard-headed attacker. Having one of your teammates dying continually and getting nowhere is of advantage to the enemy team only. The best turrets for this is either Railgun or Firebird. They are both good at attacking or defending (especially Rail, where you can take a shot from one base to the other with ease.) This means that you can quickly swap position in accordance to how well your team is doing and so ensure the best possible outcome.

 

Advantages:

As shown, speed can be used in many ways. It helps us to move around maps quicker than others, or get to place we never thought we could reach. Used correctly, speed is one of the best things in the game, topped only by protection, health and damage (in my opinion). Speed offers hull variety, essential for great gameplay and game balance. There is also a very definitive pattern when it comes to speed. One can easily grasp the concept of which hull is fastest. We all learnt, from very early on in our Tanki careers that Wasp was fastest, then Hornet and so on. Speed isn’t complex but is still a very effective tool and almost any high ranker would recommend learning how to master it early on.

 

Disadvantages:

Obviously nothing is perfect and speed does have its downsides. The faster you go, the less control you have; especially when it comes to Railgun. As you move, you have to look around, charge up and take an accurate shot. This can be hard when you’re moving quickly as from when you charge up, to when the shot fires, you will have moved a fair distance. Most skilled XP/BP users (unfortunately not me) have mastered this, but it can take time. Also, the faster your tank is moving, the more erratic your movements when you try to turn. This causes a lack of control over the tank which leads to small mistakes such as perhaps failing to pick up the flag or accidentally hitting a wall. However, these can all be mastered with practice. The main disadvantage of having speed is the compromise you have to make. The speed of a hull will always be proportional to the protection it has; faster hull means a weaker hull. This gives you a choice which is all down to preference. If you have a playing style more attributed to speed, you should choose a faster hull. If you prefer to ‘camp’, defend or generally stay around the edge of the enemy base, then there is no need for speed. You should stick with a heavy hull that offers you the protection you want.

 

 

So, what have we learnt? Speed is great. It can be used in all manner of ways to do awesome tricks, captures or kills. But, you must be aware that speed comes at a cost; practising is the only way to master speed. Make sure to keep to your own mixture of speed and protection so that you can enhance your gameplay as much as possible!

 

Fig. 1 - ToT doing Mammoth parkour in style! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU6hGFJDDNU

Fig. 2 - A great example of this is by @SwiftSmoky shown here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xChWsZhYSs 

Edited July 30, 2017 by Hexed

[deadtoyou 2,502]

Nice article! Hope you go far as a new reporter! ^_^

[Penguin40 1,714]

Lovely article. Though I've mastered Wasp thanks to my experience with it since around WO1. I think of it as my only M1 hull, and the best one around. Speed allows me an amazing advantage over enemies.

[liverpoolaum 811]

nice

[PetertheGeniusGamer 74]

I just bought M2 Wasp. It is AMAZING. :wub:

[jazz20 1,181]

I think the best way to use speed to its full benefits/advantage is to know how to fight backwards while moving away. This is very effective in CTF matches.

[Superlative 500]

Now, I really found the importance of speed. A well written article. Would like to read more from you. :)

 

 

 

 

 

Speed. We all love it. That ability to whizz around maps, outrunning other tanks in order to make breath-taking getaways with the enemy flag. Or in parkour, to make sure you go the extra mile (sometimes literally) and get to your favoured destination. Speed is a key part of Tanki Online and will always remain so. So strap yourselves in, buckle up and get ready for your quick tour of everything about speed in Tanki Online.

 

Uses:

Speed is all around us in Tanki Online and we have begun to become almost oblivious to its prevalence in the game; so let us just take a moment to think about the game without it. All tanks would go at the same speed. You wouldn’t be able to outrun anyone else, yet nor them you. Game balance would be massively disrupted due to only one key factor of differentiation in hulls (the protection), the only solution to which would be only one hull and no choice. Or, an even more dramatic scenario; no speed and no movement. Everyone would be sitting ducks, just rotating their turrets and shooting. Dull; very dull. I hope that I have now made you see how vital speed is to Tanki Online.

Yea, true. That would truly suck. 

 

Flags: If you can slip past the key defenders, then the hardest part of the task will be over.

What if all defenders are strong?

 

---

Edited March 28, 2015 by Superlative

[mcmonkey25 717]

What if all defenders are strong?

Perhaps try and wait behind some stronger tanks, let them weaken the defence, then nab the flag. Or, if there are no Freezes, try to have a fast Isida behind you.

Edited March 28, 2015 by mcmonkey25

[Penguin40 1,714]

Correct. But you can take out the defenders from long range too.

[Superlative 500]

Perhaps try and wait behind some stronger tanks, let them weaken the defence, then nab the flag. Or, if there are no Freezes, try to have a fast Isida behind you.

There's a pretty good chance that they might nab the flag, first. Not sure if any Isida would be willing to risk it with you. 

[deafeat1 271]

This is useful :O

[DeathByCupcake 0]

Wasp with double speed is like a rocket.

[thunderousrailgunner 1,934]

Wasp with double speed is like a rocket.

A LazerJet  :ph34r:

[SwiftSmoky 8,445]

Parkour Fighting <3

[snipe3000 678]

Kitties!

[TankDestroyer890 135]

I already <3 your stuff