Opening moves

[AEON]

Well have been playing this game since it came out and have yet to see a forum on opening moves. Just like chess which has many opening moves, I just wanted to discuss with other players what they think is the best opening moves for each level and for first player and second player. I would consider opening moves being turn(s) 1-6 after that should be mid game

[EkoFox]

I don't think there are any specific opening moves that are "best." Really any moves (besides obviously stupid moves, like walking your medic down the field) are viable and still make for interesting and complex play. Of course everyone will stick to their "favorites," but I think everyone can give valid reasons why they choose their openers.

[Phyresis]

Usually, unless there is a specific order you need to follow, grabbing wit spaces, and setting up medics is the best plan of attack.

[keny01]

There are definitely opening moves. But mostly there are some really bad opening moves. The thing is, since no one has written a book about the game, a lot of bad openers arent punished. So you don't really realize how bad your opener really was. Especially true if you only play league games.

Don't ask me for any though. Im just giving my theory, I don't have any examples.

[Avantir]

It completely varies by map. For example, stuffing your units around the spawn on Sharkfood island is not a good idea, buffing your heavy on glitch is practically necessary. I can't say you have to buff your heavy on Reaper though, because, well, you have no medic.

[=) Random Task (=]

I recommend watching Super Titan game replays for getting a feeling what the best openings are for each map.

[Emuchu]

As a Super-Titan, the truth of opening moves is that the nature of many games are decided based on what you did on the first few turns. I'll just give a few examples, by map:

Sharkfood Island: A common P1 tactic is to spawn a Runner during Turn 1. If P2 also spawns a Runner... there goes their Medic. It's very difficult to make that up, and forces P2 into a passive role, which is why you always see P2 do the same opening here.

Long Nine: Adorables players often send a suicide Runner to bite the base for 1 HP during the opening, before the opponent usually commits to blocking the entrances. This leaves a constant threat of a Runner + Mobi-Sniper sneak attack for the rest of the game, forcing P2 to play very conservatively.

Glitch: P1 can have a Sniper spawned and moved once by Turn 3, but usually has a tell when he does this. There's a bit of a meta-game here as both players have to guess who spawned their Sniper first, with the slower player forced to withdraw from the center bridge quickly. I personally buff the Heavy here, since it makes him annoying to kill without a Sniper.

Foundry: P1 has a few options, but they're all some variant of "attack the Sniper" and "charge the back door". This map has more standardized openings than any other map I've seen... besides P1 Adorables on Reaper, of course.

Peekaboo: Feedback has an incredibly dangerous opening consisting of spawning 3HP unboosted Soldiers in rapid succession, backed up by a Scrambler.

Sweetie Plains: This one, surprisingly enough, has a very dangerous opening for all races: drop everything and storm the Wit side. It's a shockingly aggressive map for its size.

Reaper: The Mobi Rush. Do I really need to talk about this one? P1 Adorables usually win by Turn 9.

Thorn Gully: This is the only map that I don't know any good openings to.

So yeah... most of the maps do have one or two right ways to open the game on either side. It's very important! In the lower tiers, players tend to choose inefficient openings, so it might not feel like the first moves are that important, but in the higher tiers, poor openings get punished very severely!

[Gf!sh]

(01-26-2013 07:35 PM)Emuchu Wrote:  Sweetie Plains: This one, surprisingly enough, has a very dangerous opening for all races: drop everything and storm the Wit side. It's a shockingly aggressive map for its size.

This one is a bit funny to me. I usually just let the opponent come to me, and do a counter once my opponent has exhausted his resources. Wins 80%.

[Emuchu]

(01-26-2013 07:35 PM)Emuchu Wrote:  Sweetie Plains: This one, surprisingly enough, has a very dangerous opening for all races: drop everything and storm the Wit side. It's a shockingly aggressive map for its size.

(01-26-2013 07:43 PM)Gfich Wrote:  This one is a bit funny to me. I usually just let the opponent come to me, and do a counter once my opponent has exhausted his resources. Wins 80%.

In the iPro clan, we developed (well, Exzachtlee developed) a hyper-aggressive opening where we storm the Wit side before a fort can be built. The thing working in the aggressor's favor is that both of his spawns are in range to attack: each turn, you can spawn a Soldier from the side spawn and a Runner from the center spawn, and move them both into attack position.

We're sort of keeping it to ourselves, so I don't think this particular opening is common knowledge, yet. The attack usually begins during Turn 5-6, and can be launched either as P1 or P2, and often simultaneously in our matches. Would you be ready by then? Passive defenses to this rush haven't been working out for us.

[nezoshins]

It is a good opening until everyone is using it, it would be common and a counter would be made, becoming a risky opening