guide Top Five - Toughest MM Battles

[Pythor 1,354]

Today we will be analyzing the MM battles that force you to pull your hair out in frustration. The ones that cause you to utter certain choice four letter words followed by an angry fist being slammed down on your innocent laptop. The battle that physically and emotionally drain your will to keep grinding stars and induce severe depression. Those that leave you with a measly 200 XP and a destroyed ego that will take a few consecutive six star battles to fully restore. The right combination of matchmaking map and mode that prompts what I like to call the “Check Effect”, called thus based on the event in Chess when a player’s king is “under threat”. This scenario is followed by endless high pressure moves by the opponent to achieve the ultimate prize - “Checkmate”. However, in reality countless turns later, after the attacker has tried to corner the king in every conceivable way, the game frequently ends in a tie… unfinished. And so it is with the following matches in Tanki. 

 

“Third time playing Parma Rugby today. Take me now Lord, lest I go through these dark waters once more.” - Abraham Lincoln, 1861

 

Coming in at number one, we have the infamous Parma Rugby mode. When researched under the official “Cedric’s TO Dictionary” the correct interpretation of this map + mode is as follows. “Seven minutes of brutal combat, including many instances of close goals being scored, numerous heart rending occurrences, many wasted supplies, and absolutely nothing to show for it.” 

 

The layout of the goals combined with the vast open areas of this map make it virtually impossible to score a touchdown, especially at M3/Mk7 ranks. There are only two ways into the team bases, what I call “Left Suicide Parkway”, and “Right Suicide Parkway”. In CTF and CP modes these lanes are the property of the blue and red teams where many Railguns and Shafts camp behind the decaying stone walls and snipe away at their foes. While capping a flag in Parma CTF is quite a challenge, it is definitely attainable and thus doesn’t deserve a spot on this list. However, when you put the goals on the opposing “cliffs” of the map, the lanes are turned into death rows. Whenever one team summons enough courage to push across one of the lanes, they are immediately spotted by the enemy squad, receive an unceasing rain of projectiles, and are left to mourn their wasted supplies and lick their wounds. True, another route of attack could lead you through the middle lowlands for a bit, but sooner or later you’ve gotta drive up one of the ramps and accept your fate. 

 

Now some of you may be skeptical at this point. You might be thinking of a time in bygone days when you scored 3-4 goals in one battle on Parma. Hate to break it to ya, but most likely this was under extreme circumstances (i.e. playing against a team with only four unskilled tankers). But yes, if you do happen to have the correct combos on your team and play strategically together, it’s quite possible you will score one or two goals even in normal situations. For instance, a couple Magnum-Titans stationed at the foot of the enemy cliff could certainly help clear out the defenders always bunched together by the goal. Additionally, one or two smart Isidas could provide a huge difference in staging your attack. However, we unfortunately face the reality that most of the time tankers only think about their own score in matchmaking battles, and teamwork is the only viable solution to break the “Check Effect” in this map. In my experience, 90% of the time Parma Rugby matches end with a big goose egg score for each side, and I don’t see this changing anytime soon. 

 

Coming in at number two, we have the one and only Wolfenstien CTF. I’m not going to spend a whole lot of time on this one because the strategy used is very simple yet deadly efficient. As we all know, both flags are situated on a high point within the bases, only accessible by driving up one of two ramps. When both teams excessively mine those ramps and plant a Titan or Mammoth near the flag, we again encounter the “Check Effect”. Even if one manages to enter the enemy base undetected, it’s nearly impossible to scale the ramps without getting killed or a least severely wounded by the aforementioned mines. 

 

Now for the ray of hope. You might be caught in the rut of thinking that there’s no way to bust through this blockade. However, I said it was nearly impossible, not impossible. There are three active things you can do to bolster your chance of success. (These are of course assuming you can not find/kill the tanker who placed the mines. Many times it is several different tankers.) 

 

1)    Equip the Spider protection module. When fully upgraded to M4, this module will give you a full 50% protection against those pesky mines. 

2)    Equip the Lifeguard drone. When used effectively at the correct moment, this will enable you to partially heal your tank while destroying some of the mines. 

3)    Using a mid to long range turret, position yourself on the castle walls looking into the enemy base. Deal as much damage as you can from there before staging your attack. 

 

Don’t get too cocky though. Odds are, your plans will still somehow get foiled. Just blame it on the map (or devs). 

 

 

 

For number three we have the elusive Brest Rugby mode. While not the most common map to be found when playing in MM battles, it certainly is a tough one. Unlike the CTF version of this map, Rugby mode has its goals shifted over to the left of the bases. The objectives being in such an open area, attackers are faced with three possible routes, none of which are normally effective. 

 

Route 1 follows the side trench and up a ramp into enemy territory. The problem with this route is the sheer amount of open ground you’ll have to cover to reach the goal. Most of the time, attackers are killed before even traveling half the distance. 

 

Route 2 brings you through the castle like structure in the enemy base. While the distance of uncovered ground between the castle and the goal is considerably shorter when compared to route 1, route 2 exposes the attacker to the always present Magnum or Shaft camping on the second story of the building. This vulnerability is further heightened when you add in the fact that a high percentage of enemy respawn spots are located within this structure. 

 

Finally, route 3 follows a path similar to route 2, except instead of exiting the castle through the ramps directly in front of the goal, you would travel up to the second floor. From here, a quick jump off the ramparts would place you a hairs breath away from the goal, highly boosting your chance of success. If you get lucky enough to time the push perfectly when there are no enemies waiting on the top floor, this route is the most reliable way to go. 

 

However, this doesn’t alter the fact that many Brest RGB matches end 0-0, or at least with very low score.

 

 

Next, lets take a look at number four on the list - Highland CTF. This is a familiar map for most tankers, so my readers should know that this definitely deserves a spot on the list. Highland is a tricky course to cap a flag on due to the combination of a small map size, but boasting a high player count. A claustrophobe's nightmare, Highland’s claim to fame is the fact that you can’t move a foot without running into another tanker, whether it be a fellow teammate or an enemy. These cramped conditions induce a very high paced gameplay, which in turn leads to minimal scoring, if any. When placed in this battle, using a short range turret such as Isida, Freeze, Fire, or Hammer combined with Hunter would be an ideal choice. A slow, methodical approach into the enemy base would most likely end in a slaughterhouse, so I’d recommend employing more of a hit and run tactic. A quick attack and smart use of Hunter’s overdrive should bide you enough time to whisk up the side ramp present in both bases and put much needed distance between you and your opponents. By the time their tanks are fully functional once more, hopefully you’ve covered enough ground to evade their attempts to slay you. If you prefer to be more on the defensive side, I’d recommend the iconic Rail-Hornet combo. I personally have experienced extreme success using this in Highland CTF and have witnessed countless other tankers quickly switch to this combo when in this match. It is especially potent when coupled with the High-Caliber Rounds alteration and the Booster drone. 

 

Another thing I’d like to point out is the fact that Highland CTF is an unparalleled map. This makes it different than the other maps on this list, and allows for slightly differing strategies and gameplay elements depending on which team you find yourself on. 

 

 

Finishing the list off at number 5, we have Massacre CTF. As its name suggests, this map is a real killer, consisting of one huge open swampland with many small hills and craters scattered throughout. Following the common theme in the maps previously discussed, Massacre’s flags are situated on vulnerable ground, with only a small grouping of cabins separating the bases from the wide open middle. If one could reach the cabins without getting spotted, it is possible he could bide his time and attack during a lull in enemy activity. However, the buildings are far enough in opposing territory to ensure this hardly ever happening. Another route one could take follows a hook like motion which actually brings you to the left or right of the cabins, then sharply turning and positioning yourself in the “encampment” area. If unnoticed by the majority of your opponents, you have the upper hand but DO NOT rush your attack. Timing is key to capturing a flag on this map. I cannot stress this enough. However, just as attacking too soon may thwart your plans, so will waiting too long. If you stay and spawn kill for a certain length of time, soon the whole enemy team will know your exact whereabouts and hunt you down. Being smart with your initial move and a correct application of your supplies should enable you to at least bring the flag far enough away to initiate some help from your teammates. But don’t blame me if you end up getting Massacred. 

 

Well there they are. What are, in my opinion, the five toughest matchmaking battles to compete and excel on. The battles that many times finish with a 0-0 score. I hope you’ve found the tips in this guide to be useful and I encourage you to apply or consider incorporating them into your playing style. (Please ignore my intensely pessimistic voice throughout the article). Drop a like if you enjoyed reading my first attempt at a guide, and leave a comment relating your personal experience when battling in the matches discussed in the article. Would you add or remove one of the battles included in the list? Let us know!

 

“You can’t cheat the grind. It knows how much time you’ve invested. It won’t give you anything you haven’t worked for.”  - Eric Thomas

[kaisdf 3,320]

Tankers! This week, the Newspaper brings you a humorous (and painfully relatable) guide to the 5 hardest matchmaking games in Tanki. Featuring tactics, personal woes, and quotes from Abraham Lincoln, it provides a fantastic read!

[Hex 11,520]

Quick and easy read, good job. Personally I would prefer using a non-map related header image (like a illustrative textual design) and then opted to somehow use visual images of maps to divide between the sections. Nonetheless, the first Lincoln quote made me chuckle, so...

Spoiler

IT'S A YES FROM ME!

 

[Benefactor 6,888]

Massacre is awesome.

[SporkZilla 1,775]

20 minutes ago, Benefactor said:

Massacre is awesome.

I like Massacre too, but I was hating it a lot yesterday when I was in the red team on ASL (cap flags daily mission) and most of my team mates that weren't carrying flags were staying near our base instead of trying to control the high points in the middle and help the flag carriers

[Benefactor 6,888]

21 minutes ago, SporkZilla said:

I like Massacre too, but I was hating it a lot yesterday when I was in the red team on ASL (cap flags daily mission) and most of my team mates that weren't carrying flags were staying near our base instead of trying to control the high points in the middle and help the flag carriers

Any map sucks when you are paired up with a bad team. Sorry to hear. 

[Pythor 1,354]

1 hour ago, Hexed said:

Quick and easy read, good job. Personally I would prefer using a non-map related header image (like a illustrative textual design) and then opted to somehow use visual images of maps to divide between the sections. Nonetheless, the first Lincoln quote made me chuckle, so...

  Reveal hidden contents

IT'S A YES FROM ME!

 

Thought it was finally time to write a shorter article 

[Sacrifice 2,278]

Nailing it as always! Btw those purple dividers are goals, really added to the presentation

[Virtue 207]

If I were the one writing this article, the top five would be, Massacre CTF, Massacre  RBG, Massacre  ASL, Massacre TJR, and tops would definitely have to be Massacre SGE (for sure)   

[Viking4s 10,791]

Massacre is hard to play, bumps, obstacles and holes every where.

Spawn killing at the best and a long long way to get to the enemy base.

[MartinGarrix15 21]

Massacre is such a hard map to perfect.

[The_Pakistani 16,768]

Whenever I join Massacre , I press

[0tsutsuki 21]

Honestly Massacre and Parma 

btw put in some pictures in the newspaper

[Viking4s 10,791]

22 hours ago, The_Pakistani said:

Whenever I join Massacre , I press

Same for Archipelago, this map serves no purpose.

And stadium of course.

Edited March 4, 2020 by Viking4s

[The_Pakistani 16,768]

14 minutes ago, Viking4s said:

Same for Archipelago, this map serves no purpose.

And stadium of course.

+

[The_Pakistani 16,768]

Sandal Map is also tough.

Cologne CP also sucks, always hornet magnums up there n do spawn destruction.

[RaKaZa 104]

highland? that is one of the easiest of MM, the others i agree

[Deathline2 13]

On 2/28/2020 at 9:54 PM, Virtue said:

If I were the one writing this article, the top five would be, Massacre CTF, Massacre  RBG, Massacre  ASL, Massacre TJR, and tops would definitely have to be Massacre SGE (for sure)   

YESSSS.

Edited March 16, 2020 by Sacrifice
Avoid flooding please, thank you. ^_^

[Venerable 2,967]

Parma RGB? 1st?

Hop Hopper Hop!