Guide Dissected: Combat

[C.O.N.Q.U.E.R.O.R 3,845]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello there! It's Conq, back from the dead after undergoing a long hiatus. This time around, I'll be examining combat in detail. Yeah, it's literally the foundation of Tanki, and it's a topic that you're already an absolute professional on.. but bear with me! Perhaps I can shed some light on the intricacies of the most essential part of Tanki Online.

 

Well, why delay any longer? Let's jump into it!

 

Those Q and E buttons:

 

Though you might already be proficient with tapping Q and E regularly, you'd be surprised at the number of people who ignore the existence of these two buttons. If you're part of the latter group, these two buttons will completely transform the way you look at Tanki. Literally. The Q button shifts your camera upward, allowing you to look over most walls, while the E button shifts it down so that you have a better view of what's directly in front of you. 

 

Typically, when I don't have someone in my sights, I'll alternate between holding Q and E to maximize my vision and ensure that my chances of someone sneaking up on me are minimal. If you get stuck in a stalemate where your enemy is hiding behind a house or wall, you can easily see if they're trying to edge away around the edge of the structure by holding down Q. This is also instrumental to keeping you more prepared for an attack from above. Or, if you're a sniper using Shaft or Railgun who wants to increase your field of lateral vision, keeping your camera angle as low as possible with E is preferable. Having your camera at the lowest possible angle generally also allows you to aim easier, so this angle is preferred for hand-to-hand combat.

 

Maximum camera angle

 

Minimum camera angle

 

 

The 5 key on your keyboard also exists:

 

I've seen so many of you going on and on about how many thousands of mines you have sitting in your garage. Well, you may as well put those mines to good use, right? I'm not just talking about the simple "drop-a-mine-if-someone's-chasing-me" technique (though that is a pretty good rule of thumb), I want to delve into creative and intuitive mining. I cannot count the times that I've seen people drop mines in open ground, and I just mentally face-palm. You've got about a 1/100 chance that someone blunders their way into that mine, and that's only if you use Twins Mammoth to shove them into it. The proper method of laying mines is to lay mines in small alleys or pathways, forcing your enemy to take a completely different route. At the very least, it will take a good two to three seconds of your enemy's time to avoid the mine.

 

A simple trick that works against Firebird and Freeze (and sometimes Isida) is to wait for them to start shooting at you, which will hide your mine from their sight. Their shot should hide the mine quite effectively, and only the most skilled tankers will be able to detect the mine. An idea related to this trick is to wait until they run over your mine to shoot at them if you are using a single fire turret (e.g. Hammer, Railgun); this will give them almost no time for them to try and active a Repair Kit. In effect, your shot becomes part of the mine's damage.

 

Mine position example

 

 

Being lazy is being effective:

 

This tip is directed mostly at Deathmatch and Juggernaut battles. This tip is also not something that you'll ever hear from anyone aside from me. Especially not your parents. And just a disclaimer, I definitely don't support being lazy in any situation other than in Tanki. But, in Tanki, it's quite true; being lazy certainly has it's benefits. Often, the best way to get a kill in DM and JGR is to steal it. All you have to do is poke a nearly dead tank with a stick, and all the credit for the kill goes to you. First off, this allows you to make sure that you always have a shot on hand if someone decides to confront you, while still allowing you to be very effective in getting kills. Second, it can get the person that you stole the kill from quite mad, which often leads to them chasing you into dumb situations where you can manipulate the terrain so that you have the upper hand. 

 

A common mistake I see inexperienced players make is to wander all over the map in search of prey. More often than not, the wanna-be predator falls prey to a more strategic tanker. But you don't have to be extremely mobile to be effective; let your enemies come to you. Often, the best thing you can do is to take control over a section of the map. This way, you can lay mines to defend your territory, and you'll almost never walk into a landmine placed by someone who is defending their own corner of the map. You'll soon see your crystal count, K/D ratio, placement, and overall welfare of your account taking a turn for the better.

 

 

 

Don’t go overboard with overdrives:

 

Attributes of a skilled player include intelligence, quick reaction speed, and the willingness to make sacrifices. What master of chess ever won a game without making a single sacrifice? In the context of Tanki, this means that you have to be willing to die in order to get extra kills. Overdrives are most effectively used when you can damage a large amount of tanks, instead of wasting your previous overdrive to kill one tank or to survive an extra five seconds. Pay attention to your health bar as well; a good rule of thumb is to never use your overdrive if you have less than a quarter of your health remaining or when you predict that you will die soon. 

 

A side note for free players: if you're an F2P player, remember that as a nonbuyer, you only have so many supplies before you run out, so make sure that you're using your drugs to their full potential. Try to ensure that your supplies won't be cut short by the battle timer. If possible, use repair kits only when your enemy is reloading or when you're safe behind cover in order to receive maximum repairs.

 

Yeah.. we don't talk about this

 

 

Being selfish will come back to haunt you:

 

In team battles (CTF, TDM, RGB, CP, ASL), don't be selfish. In fact, be nice to your teammates! If your teammate was about to capture the flag, try your best to return it to the player. If someone's more capable to, say, capture a flag, you should drop the flag by pressing F; you will still receive a decent amount of points, rather than you being destroyed and the flag returned. Sometimes it's necessary to use your tank as a barrier to ensure that your teammate can escape with a flag or ball. It's a sacrifice, but ultimately, your goal is to win the battle. Your crystal income will thank you for it.

 

All of these actions and things like it will increase the chance that your teammate will lend you a hand when you need help. Chatting amicably is also encouraged, as it makes your team generally more happy with you. On the other hand, if you offend someone by "stealing" their flag or cussing at them, it isn't uncommon for the other party to shove you into a wall or block your path. Many times, they'll dedicate the rest of their battle to knocking your aim off target or sabotaging you. 

 

You'll probably become uncomfortably familiar with this position if you don't follow this tip

 

---

 

Well, here's where I sign off and where you resume your busy day after reading another one of my boring articles. What other tips do you have for maximizing potential in combat? Share your advice in the comments below! Good luck in battle - though I'm sure you won't need it!

 

 

[Flexoo 6,980]

Hello readers. It's time to give you something new to read again, and this time we will look into the very basics of Tanki - the combat. Give it a look because there might be more than you think to this relatively explicit concept.

[Zak 2,532]

Molt iz back!!1!1!!

Nice article mate :>

[Person_Random 4,991]

Nice my good sir... now ples answer my SOS call.

[subrocks 2]

Finally, Some Awesome Tips! :D

[ByeByeBye 1,747]

These are all great tips and were very effective in the pre-hull-specific-ODs Tanki.  But now, with the advent of the new ODs...especially Wasp's bomb, I don't think there is enough time between spawn and death to utilize these tips much.  Over a long period of time those oldie players that already have these skills will come out slightly ahead still, but in the current environment, a player that hasn't practiced these already probably won't ever get the chance to employ them much anymore.  The constant Star quests don't help either since they change players motivation and therefore they way they think. 

 

Tanki has devolved into a rapid pace arcade style game mostly based on luck, where strategy has significantly less to do with the outcome than it did previously..

 

Nicely written article though...fun, very clear, and easy to read.

Edited May 22, 2019 by ByeByeBye

[C.O.N.Q.U.E.R.O.R 3,845]

These are all great tips and were very effective in the pre-hull-specific-ODs Tanki.  But now, with the advent of the new ODs...especially Wasp's bomb, I don't think there is enough time between spawn and death to utilize these tips much.  Over a long period of time those oldie players that already have these skills will come out slightly ahead still, but in the current environment, a player that hasn't practiced these already probably won't ever get the chance to employ them much anymore.  The constant Star quests don't help either since they change players motivation and therefore they way they think. 

 

Tanki has devolved into a rapid pace arcade style game mostly based on luck, where strategy has significantly less to do with the outcome than it did previously..

 

Nicely written article though...fun, very clear, and easy to read.

Haha true. I haven't played all that much recently, so it's easier for me to accept that my info is probably a little bit outdated. I'll keep that in mind for my next article  ^_^ 

 

Thanks for the positive feedback, always helpful!

[niki1232 30]

Nice.

[Initiate 1,306]

The basics - learn how to get luck on your side. Is skillful and strategic combat really the most important thing in Tanki right now?

[Dyslexia 7]

i swear, you must've used my stats for that image. they used to be extremely similar, if not the same a few days ago

[Person_Random 4,991]

Haha true. I haven't played all that much recently, so it's easier for me to accept that my info is probably a little bit outdated. I'll keep that in mind for my next article  ^_^ 

And when will that be?

[Truthteller 4,204]

Nice tips

[Bydo 20,119]

good points too remember.. now please do an artical on how to take a photo of the front of your tank.. been trying for years and still can't do it.. ugh !!

[C.O.N.Q.U.E.R.O.R 3,845]

i swear, you must've used my stats for that image. they used to be extremely similar, if not the same a few days ago

 https://ratings.tankionline.com/en/user/TotaI_SkiIl  :P

 

 

good points too remember.. now please do an artical on how to take a photo of the front of your tank.. been trying for years and still can't do it.. ugh !!

Have you checked this guide out? http://en.tankiforum.com/index.php?showtopic=265820&page=1

 

 

And when will that be?

 be patient  :ph34r:

[r_Given6 859]

good points too remember.. now please do an artical on how to take a photo of the front of your tank.. been trying for years and still can't do it.. ugh !!

Check this one out, too.

http://en.tankiforum.com/index.php?showtopic=377264

[Bydo 20,119]

 

Have you checked this guide out? http://en.tankiforum.com/index.php?showtopic=265820&page=1

 

 

 be patient  :ph34r:

 

 

Check this one out, too.

http://en.tankiforum.com/index.php?showtopic=377264

Thanks guys will read this over the weekend.. never knew he had this all ready done.. great see you guys in the photo contest  hehe..

[Pun 902]

interesting , nice!

[Groonter 89]

Amazing advices, I will practice especially the mine, because it is the one that fails me most :)

[bossman161 276]

The basics - learn how to get luck on your side. Is skillful and strategic combat really the most important thing in Tanki right now?

As someone who used to be here during the glorious ten crystal box drop days...no...it seems skill won't help you prevail over someone who plopped a handfull into the game sadly. Constantly running into M3's. I only have around 5 M2's. The advice offered here is laughably basic. Why not offer advice on how to successfully counter inexperienced buyers who have kits? Oh wait...you can't.

[Initiate 1,306]

As someone who used to be here during the glorious ten crystal box drop days...no...it seems skill won't help you prevail over someone who plopped a handfull into the game sadly. Constantly running into M3's. I only have around 5 M2's. The advice offered here is laughably basic. Why not offer advice on how to successfully counter inexperienced buyers who have kits? Oh wait...you can't.

That's so true. It is really basic. If anyone didn't know these already...

[C.O.N.Q.U.E.R.O.R 3,845]

As someone who used to be here during the glorious ten crystal box drop days...no...it seems skill won't help you prevail over someone who plopped a handfull into the game sadly. Constantly running into M3's. I only have around 5 M2's. The advice offered here is laughably basic. Why not offer advice on how to successfully counter inexperienced buyers who have kits? Oh wait...you can't.

Hey there, thanks for your feedback! While I do appreciate any feedback, feedback that is offered with a more positive attitude is nicer to read and generally makes the forum a happier place. More in-depth feedback is also better and allows us as writers to put your criticism into action more effectively. 

 

While I don't have time in the near future (maybe someday!) to write a full guide on how to fight back against M3s, I can offer some advice. Yes, buyers do have a significant advantage. A very significant advantage; I'm not denying that at all because you can't deny facts. At your rank, matchmaking'll definitely put you into M3 battles the majority of the time. It's difficult to fight those, so what I would suggest is mission grinding. Just log in once or twice a day, only doing missions. Especially with containers having become more accessible and the addition of weekly containers, this should get you a really good amount of crystals in about a month or two's time. At your rank, I'd guess that you already know how to save crystals, so just keep hoarding those until you can afford a good product kit. You seem to be into Shaft Hornet, so might I suggest Centaur? It's also on the cheaper side of M3 kits.

 

Good luck!

 

 

That's so true. It is really basic. If anyone didn't know these already...

You too, thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it! I'm currently working on a part 2 for this series and I hope I'll be able to meet your expectations. As a guide-writer, I have to keep the fact that I have different skill levels as my audience in mind. You'll notice that some other forumers were able to learn some things from my guide. I'll see if I can focus more on those with a higher skill level next time around  ;) 

[Jade 1,420]

Can't forget about the basics  :D

Very insightful article, a great help for starters!

[Initiate 1,306]

Hey there, thanks for your feedback! While I do appreciate any feedback, feedback that is offered with a more positive attitude is nicer to read and generally makes the forum a happier place. More in-depth feedback is also better and allows us as writers to put your criticism into action more effectively. 

 

While I don't have time in the near future (maybe someday!) to write a full guide on how to fight back against M3s, I can offer some advice. Yes, buyers do have a significant advantage. A very significant advantage; I'm not denying that at all because you can't deny facts. At your rank, matchmaking'll definitely put you into M3 battles the majority of the time. It's difficult to fight those, so what I would suggest is mission grinding. Just log in once or twice a day, only doing missions. Especially with containers having become more accessible and the addition of weekly containers, this should get you a really good amount of crystals in about a month or two's time. At your rank, I'd guess that you already know how to save crystals, so just keep hoarding those until you can afford a good product kit. You seem to be into Shaft Hornet, so might I suggest Centaur? It's also on the cheaper side of M3 kits.

 

Good luck!

 

 

You too, thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it! I'm currently working on a part 2 for this series and I hope I'll be able to meet your expectations. As a guide-writer, I have to keep the fact that I have different skill levels as my audience in mind. You'll notice that some other forumers were able to learn some things from my guide. I'll see if I can focus more on those with a higher skill level next time around  ;) 

Thanks for actually being nice :)