Reigning Supreme: Lunchbox Construct KOTH Gameplay Analysis
By subtheorist | Published: June 5, 2008 8:41pm EST
 Understanding how to play King of the Hill is extremely important on the Pro Circuit due to its frequency of use. Additionally, Team King is arguably one of the most tactical gametypes. Tactics and teamwork, rather than raw gun skill, take a prominent role. However, both are important in order to find success. Here is a video of a Construct King of the Hill match, taken from Winners Bracket Round 4, between Final Boss and Instinct. In this match, Lunchbox provides us with a great example of a playstyle balanced between slaying and playing the objective. 0:15 – Power weapons take precedence-- Lunchbox is able to grab the sniper rifle after StrongSide, Ogre 1 and Ogre 2 are killed. He holds the hill momentarily until his teammates are able to take over. He then leaves the hill to find a position where he is able to give his teammates support. Never hold the hill with a power weapon unless it is absolutely necessary. 0:43 – Every bullet counts-- After attempting to line up a shot on StrongSide, it becomes apparent to Lunchbox that the shot simply is not there. Instead of taking a sure-miss shot, he holds off and saves the ammunition. You never know - that single bullet could be the difference between life and death. 1:05 - Make use of your surroundings-- After entering a losing battle with Ogre 1, Lunchbox makes a last ditch effort to get away by jumping into the lift. This forces Ogre 1 to take the extra time to finish him, allowing Victory X to come along and take care of the pursuant Ogre 1. The move also squashes any possibility of a double kill by Ogre 1. 1:20 – Don’t over-reload-- Lunchbox takes multiple shots on Ogre 1, then immediately jumps down to put shots on StrongSide within the hill. While most players would’ve been tempted to reload before jumping, the precious seconds saved by not reloading allows him to out-BR StrongSide. 2:12 – Don’t be overly aggressive-- After losing his shield to to a well placed grenade, Lunchbox decides to go back for more instead of taking the safe route and heading into the lobby. Doing so allows Ogre 2 to put one more shot on him, which subsequently finishes him off. A life is a terrible thing to waste. 3:30 to 3:46 – The best kind of opponent is a dead opponent-- Here Lunchbox kills Walshy near the rocket spawn, travels through the closed lift, and watches as Walshy spawns right before his eyes. A few well placed shots later, Walshy is back at the death screen. This sequence of events took Walshy out of commission for over 20 seconds, forcing Final Boss to play 3v4 during a crucial point in the match. 4:30 – Know your environment-- Directly after killing Ogre 1, Lunchbox turns around to witness something no player wants to see: StrongSide standing behind him with rockets. With very few options at hand, Lunchbox jumps up onto the platform in front of him. Aside from a direct hit, this left StrongSide with nowhere to shoot his remaining rockets. 5:05 - Think fast!-- Immediately after spawning, Lunchbox instantaneously puts a beautiful shot on StrongSide who is in the hill. The single shot is enough to finish him off, clearing the hill and preventing Final Boss from gaining any additional time. 6:03 – Use hill changes to your advantage-- Directly after the hill change, Lunchbox is aware that Final Boss will be leaving the bottom hill as they make their way to the new hill. Watch as he is able to put shots on multiple opponents, managing to distract Final Boss from moving directly to the hill. 7:17 – Make use of your surroundings… again-- Knowing that StrongSide will be coming up the closed lift, Lunchbox prepares for battle by tossing grenades. After StrongSide appears, watch as Lunchbox uses the pillar and ramp as a shield from StrongSide’s barrage of bullets. Doing so allows Victory X to once again come in and clean up the kill with ease. 10:22 – Lifting the smart way-- Lunchbox has just spawned and Victory X is directly in front of him; They both head for the open lift. Instead of following directly behind Victory, Lunchbox waits roughly three seconds before lifting. Doing so allows Victory to scope out the action and communicate to his teammates on what’s happening. Lunchbox’s patience pays off as he catches an unsuspecting Walshy for the kill. 12:00 – Always leave yourself an exit-- As he nearly falls victim to Walshy, Lunchbox manages to make a slick getaway into the closed lift. Even though StrongSide is waiting for him at the top, this is still a great example of how to escape a bad situation quickly. |
