[Issue 44] Down to a Science: Rio

[sonofchrysalis3 3,719]

 

 

 

History

 

Rio was founded about thirty minutes ago by a guy named Murphy Rio who had two passions in life: eating spaghetti and building parking garages. His job as a lady bug counter just didn’t fulfill his need for adventure, so he moved out of his home in Mexico City and settled down in a nice little town south of Svalbard.

 

He soon got his dream job working for a construction company that built large, shapeless buildings in inconvenient places. Murphy had the time of his life, slapping up pointless shanties in people’s backyards, on their roofs, and in their living rooms while they stared in shock and bewilderment.

 

Eventually, one person became very upset at the unrequested shopping center that was assembled in his driveway, so he called the local law enforcement to report this breach of private property. The police took one look at the building and knew that backup was needed.

 

Over the next several weeks, tanks rolled back and forth around the city, sparring over the right to build and the right to not be built upon. Murphy Rio took over the city and renamed it, while the police took his dog and attempted to use it as leverage in attempted negotiations. This only angered Murphy more, and the fight continues to this day.

 

Overview

 

 

 

 

Deathmatch

Best hulls, in order from most to least effective:

 

1.     Hunter

 

2.     Viking

 

3.     Hornet

 

4.     Wasp

 

5.     Titan

 

6.     Dictator

 

7.     Mammoth

 

Best turrets, in order from most to least effective:

 

1.     Ricochet

 

2.     Smoky

 

3.     Hammer

 

4.     Twins

 

5.     Thunder

 

6.     Isida

 

7.     Firebird

 

8.     Railgun

 

9.     Vulcan

 

10.    Freeze

 

11.    Shaft

 

Capture the Flag

 

Best equipment to use, based on your role on the team:

 

Flag runner: light or medium hull, especially Hunter, and short-mid range turret, especially Ricochet or Twins.

 

Draft: medium hull, especially Viking, and short-mid range turret, especially Twins and Isida

 

Flag Guard: medium hull, especially Viking, and a mid-range turret, especially Ricochet and Twins.

 

Rover: medium hull, especially Viking, and mid-range gun, especially Ricochet and Twins.

 

Best routes to take when taking the flag from:

 

The red team

 

 

 

 

The blue team

 

 

 

 

Capture Point

 

Best equipment to use, based on your role on the team:

 

Capturers: light to medium hull, especially Hunter and Viking, with short-midrange turret, especially Twins and Firebird.

 

Guards: medium hull, especially Viking, and short-midrange turret, especially Firebird, Twins, and Isida.

 

CP mode in Rio is all about maintaining control of the three center points (A, B, and C). If you can hold them, the enemies can keep the two other points and you will still win. And when the enemies do come for the three center points, they will have to leave the other two, opening them up for your team to get as well.

 

Capturing Point A

 

Once you get onto the roof where Point A is, keep looking left and right at the two entry routes while you capture. Enemies may try to come up and attack, and if they do, you will have the advantage of height as you defend.

 

If you approach from the Red Flag: If an enemy is NOT PRESENT at the point, stroll right up there and start capturing. If an enemy IS PRESENT, wait for another teammate to help you attack. The enemy has a height advantage and will be hard to kill if you fight him alone.

 

If you approach from the Blue Flag: and no enemies are present, then go capture as I said a second ago. If an enemy IS PRESENT at the point, you can try to attack alone if necessary as the ramp coming from the Blue Flag’s side of the map rises higher than the ramp from Red Flag, giving you a more level aim.

 

Capturing Point B

 

If you approach from the road: beware of enemies camping on the Shelf. Thunders and Railguns will often sit there and protect points B and C, so use caution.

 

If you approach from Point A: you should still watch out for campers on the Shelf, but there are support beams sticking up out of the platform around the point that you can use for cover. Keep an eye over your shoulder, as your biggest threat is enemies coming from Point A.

 

Capturing Point C

 

If you approach from the Red Flag: roll up onto the roof and drop onto the point; don’t try to drive across the incredibly narrow platform that most mistakenly consider a “shortcut”. If you do so in anything other than a Wasp or Hornet, you will likely flip over. Once you are at the point, watch for enemies on the Shelf and fire back if needed.

 

If you approach from Point A: A safer approach than coming from the Red Flag. Do not use the ramps; drop straight down from the roof.

 

Capturing Point D

 

Approaching from either side is the same in the way of advantage and danger. Tanks on the buildings in the center of the map very rarely shoot at you if you are on the Shelf, unless you make a big to-do and draw their attention. Your biggest threat as you capture this point will be enemies who spawn up here or drive up the ramps.

 

Capturing Point E

 

Technically the safest point on the map, the beach point is usually an afterthought and is only visited by those who have their heads in the game enough to think of the points that aren’t sitting right in front of them. You will almost never be shot at from the buildings, so just watch for tanks coming through holes in the fence that marks the perimeter.

 

Locations of the points:

 

 

 

 

Team Deathmatch

Rio is a great place to camp with a long-range turret and blast away at pedestrians. On the map below are the best places to camp:

 

 

Goldhunting: Find that Drop Zone!

 

NOTE: No matter the map or battle mode, you should always press the DELETE button as soon as you hear the Gold Box siren. You will have ten seconds to dart around, searching for the box’s drop zone. When you respawn, you will likely be dropped in wherever you haven’t already checked, and you will have all your supply cool-downs reset.

 

 

 

 

Despite its relatively small size, Rio is a tough map on which to goldhunt. The drop zones are spread out evenly across the whole map, but the two most common landing zones are the Shelf (including the street in front of it) and the beach. Most tankers head for the roofs as soon as they hear the siren, simply because it’s the hardest to get to, but that is not necessarily the best thing to do, especially if you have a heavy hull or non-recoiling turret (meaning you can’t jump down to the street if you see the gold somewhere else).

 

A tip for duelists:

 

When dueling at Rio, your biggest challenge will be getting at clear shot at your opponent. The map is loaded with obstacles, so acquiring a clear, safe shot is a feat in and of itself.

 

My advice is that you don’t go onto the beach or the Shelf. Those might be the safest places in CTF or CP, but that’s because the crowd of enemies is focused mainly on the flags and points in the center of the map. In a duel, however, your enemy’s focus is killing you, so it won’t matter where you are.

 

Instead, you should go up onto the roof and wait where point A is located in CP mode. If you sit there, it is impossible to shoot at you unless the enemy comes up onto the roofs, too, where you will not only see him coming, but you will also have the height advantage.

 

Edited December 7, 2015 by sonofchrysalis3

[Cor7y 13,862]

Nicely written, but you forgot to mention that Rio is one hell of a buggy map, and Supply and Gold boxes just pass through you when you jump from heights. Also, when you are trying to capture the Red flag, the best way to go is from the top.....

[wow349 4]

nice article :)

 

Nicely written, but you forgot to mention that Rio is one hell of a buggy map, and Supply and Gold boxes just pass through you when you jump from heights. Also, when you are trying to capture the Red flag, the best way to go is from the top.....

oh well with the internet and computer i have, doesn't matter what map i play on it'll always go trought lol

[sonofchrysalis3 3,719]

Nicely written, but you forgot to mention that Rio is one hell of a buggy map, and Supply and Gold boxes just pass through you when you jump from heights. Also, when you are trying to capture the Red flag, the best way to go is from the top.....

In all my months of playing at Rio, I have never had a "buggy" problem. That's not saying the map isn't buggy for some players (I tend to have a lot of technical problems at Berlin), but it may be a computer issue on the player's end.

 

And by "go from the top" I'm assuming you mean to jump off of the building and land on the blue flag. While that certainly is the quicker way, it requires just the right hull, recoiling turret, and timing to keep from hitting the roof of the smaller building below and flipping over short of the flag. The jump from the top is something most players simply can't pull off.

 

The ones that do, though, dominate Rio every time.

[Cor7y 13,862]

^ I meant if you wanted to capture the Red flag, and you are a blue, then its better to go from the top.

[HichigoShiiro 4,378]

 

And by "go from the top" I'm assuming you mean to jump off of the building and land on the blue flag. While that certainly is the quicker way, it requires just the right hull, recoiling turret, and timing to keep from hitting the roof of the smaller building below and flipping over short of the flag. The jump from the top is something most players simply can't pull off.

 

The ones that do, though, dominate Rio every time.

imho you need more experience in this game before you start writing guides, this one is terrible. Its at the same level I would expect from TWG. 

[TheUpstartRonin 8]

I believe that shaft is far from the least effective turret in this map. I do agree, however, that Ricochet, Thunder, Twins, and Hammer deserve spots up there. Shaft plays a crucial role in defending the red team's flag, using the camping points on the shelf and beach is extremely effective, since they're hard to hit and give wide angles of opportunity to hit approaching enemies. On the blue team, using the shelf and back spawn area (where the blue team's repair kit drops) is important, for the same reasons as the red team, except the blue team's shelf camping area has little cover, so it is more vulnerable than other spots. I appreciate your inclusion of CP strategies though, I find myself having to play CP on Rio more and more as time goes on.

[MandolinMarc 874]

Nice article Chrysalis! I have two critiques for you:

 

1. The introduction bit of your article is entirely humor, and the rest is entirely serious and technical. I think it would be best to weave the two together, and create an article which is both intriguing and amusing throughout its entire length. Also, I'm not really a fan of the decision to start out with full-on humor ("Rio was founded about thirty minutes ago"). The best forms of humor, at least in my opinion, and subtle and sneaky ;)

 

2. I don't like the idea of ranking the best turrets and hulls. Being told what to play with is no fun, nor is it effective; part of the beauty of Tanki is experimentation and developing your own playing styles.

 

As for my reactions to the content of the article, I agree with all of your CP tips, but I believe your red flag capture route isn't the best one. Instead of taking the second right, I'd take the first right and pass by the center DA zone so that you're under the buildings for more time while getting out of the enemy base, which is better since it provides far more cover. This route is a little longer, but the extra time is spent in your own base where you're relatively safe.

 

Let me know what you think about my 2 critiques... I'd be interested to hear your responses!

[sonofchrysalis3 3,719]

The second half of what you say, MandolinMarc, can be summed up by saying "to each his own", and that is entirely true in Tanki. Some players can use a Mammoth Smoky and capture flags in Lost Temple. That. as I said in the introduction of the first DTaS, is the beauty of Tanki: anyone can use any equipment to become a legendary player. So I completely agree with you there.

 

My list of ranking is for the average tanker, based on my observations of what works best for the majority of tankers. It is not intended to mean "you must use this stuff or you will lose", it is just there to show what everyone else usually does well with.

Edited December 5, 2015 by sonofchrysalis3

[Zenyth 6,494]

IMO this one is quite basic.. 

Great introduction though! :D

[DevastatorDragon 1]

I really like these 'down to a science' articles. Keep up the good work!

[KillerGnat 3,135]

Loved it Strats, keep it up.

[MessagerAngel 33]

My favorite artical straits ;)

[MessagerAngel 33]

I believe that shaft is far from the least effective turret in this map. I do agree, however, that Ricochet, Thunder, Twins, and Hammer deserve spots up there. Shaft plays a crucial role in defending the red team's flag, using the camping points on the shelf and beach is extremely effective, since they're hard to hit and give wide angles of opportunity to hit approaching enemies. On the blue team, using the shelf and back spawn area (where the blue team's repair kit drops) is important, for the same reasons as the red team, except the blue team's shelf camping area has little cover, so it is more vulnerable than other spots. I appreciate your inclusion of CP strategies though, I find myself having to play CP on Rio more and more as time goes on.

I agree that shaft should have a higher place though. :)

[MandolinMarc 874]

The second half of what you say, MandolinMarc, can be summed up by saying "to each his own", and that is entirely true in Tanki. Some players can use a Mammoth Smoky and capture flags in Lost Temple. That. as I said in the introduction of the first DTaS, is the beauty of Tanki: anyone can use any equipment to become a legendary player. So I completely agree with you there.

 

My list of ranking is for the average tanker, based on my observations of what works best for the majority of tankers. It is not intended to mean "you must use this stuff or you will lose", it is just there to show what everyone else usually does well with.

Fair enough! In that case you might just want to make it a little more clear that the lists aren't hard and fasts rules, they're just hulls/turrets that you've found tend to work better. Or instead of listing them in a definitive way, you could write a paragraph or two about the best/worst turrets and hulls on this map on why.

[thunderousrailgunner 1,934]

Why shaft is at last , it is better than freeze on that map . I have even seen many people just dominate with it , even TKP .

[TheUpstartRonin 8]

Fair enough! In that case you might just want to make it a little more clear that the lists aren't hard and fasts rules, they're just hulls/turrets that you've found tend to work better. Or instead of listing them in a definitive way, you could write a paragraph or two about the best/worst turrets and hulls on this map on why.

This dude talks some sense! FINALLY! Hardly anyone on the internet even cares about logic anymore! Anyway, this is a good idea... since it's easy to write about the best/worst turrets or hulls, but kinda hard to rank the middle of the list. 

[Drac0nian 4]

This is good, and I look foreward to more. I have a question; what do the Draft and the Rover in the CTF equipment section mean?

[sonofchrysalis3 3,719]

This is good, and I look foreward to more. I have a question; what do the Draft and the Rover in the CTF equipment section mean?

A Draft is a tank that follows the flag runner closely. If the flag runner is stricken and destroyed, the draft grabs the fallen flag immediately and becomes the new flag runner.

 

A Rover is a tank whose job is to attack and weaken the enemy team so the flag runners and drafts can work safely.

[Nimtiz 7]

In all my months of playing at Rio, I have never had a "buggy" problem. That's not saying the map isn't buggy for some players (I tend to have a lot of technical problems at Berlin), but it may be a computer issue on the player's end.

 

And by "go from the top" I'm assuming you mean to jump off of the building and land on the blue flag. While that certainly is the quicker way, it requires just the right hull, recoiling turret, and timing to keep from hitting the roof of the smaller building below and flipping over short of the flag. The jump from the top is something most players simply can't pull off.

 

The ones that do, though, dominate Rio every time.

To be fair though you wouldn't say so, as that would be posting dissent about the game, and that is not allowed by people who have an avatar on the forum. Doesn't mean you never faced problems, just that your word is less valuable .

Edited December 10, 2015 by Nimtiz

[goodeone 0]

amazing topic and extremely well written this must have taken a long time. This is perfect because now I know all of the drop zones and camp spots perfect :)  :)  :rolleyes:  :rolleyes:

[Shahirah 30]

^ I meant if you wanted to capture the Red flag, and you are a blue, then its better to go from the top.

I think it's not considered the best because it's too easy for snipers to get you. 

[Drac0nian 4]

A Draft is a tank that follows the flag runner closely. If the flag runner is stricken and destroyed, the draft grabs the fallen flag immediately and becomes the new flag runner.

 

A Rover is a tank whose job is to attack and weaken the enemy team so the flag runners and drafts can work safely.

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for a great article!

[momy950666 960]

nice as always

[H.E.A.T9 0]

In all my months of playing at Rio, I have never had a "buggy" problem. That's not saying the map isn't buggy for some players (I tend to have a lot of technical problems at Berlin), but it may be a computer issue on the player's end.

 

And by "go from the top" I'm assuming you mean to jump off of the building and land on the blue flag. While that certainly is the quicker way, it requires just the right hull, recoiling turret, and timing to keep from hitting the roof of the smaller building below and flipping over short of the flag. The jump from the top is something most players simply can't pull off.

 

The ones that do, though, dominate Rio every time.

i can with m1 wasp and fire 80 percent of the time