Tanx: Feb 8, 2010

NOTE: This blog is no longer being updated; Abandoned. Some parts of this blog exist on my other blog, http://ckwlife.blogspot.com

That blog is the one I currently use.

This is about what makes you successful with Burrow. Most of the time I spend at planet mofo, which you get a day where all of the better mofo players seem to converge. These players are all different in their strategies. some are skilled without superflags, but when they get a ST are very difficult to beat. But, for me, It is necessary to get BU to ensure my victory. If I don't get burrow more often then I should, well it becomes a struggle to stay, or get to the top of the scoreboard. I need someone to get killed with burrow in order to track it. If it stays in it's place It's quite easy to track (I use directions to picture where BU is). If it dissappears I'll go for a flag I see that appeared on radar. But, two things can go wrong: 1. It's a different flag (If this occurs I have to search flag by flag) 2. I don't see any appear (I will check flag on building, and then place where flags are tightly gathered together. If this fails I search flag by flag).

Once you get BU. Basic keys to success
1. check surroundings to be aware of other tanks
2. seek and destroy.
3. stay away from buildings in case of tanks
4. consider Burrow variables (more later)
5. Reaction (more later)

Dangers to Burrow. These are the dangers to burrow (at mofo). considering your skills with BU are not great.

1. N
2. GM
3. SW
4. TH
5. V
6. BU
7. WG
8. A
9. T
10. self inflicted kills

Now begins the advanced Burrow skills part of this post.
Advanced keys to success.

1. Reaction time
This is very important to success. You absolutly need fast reaction time. Reaction time as a key to success refers to how quickly you react to a threat to your Burrowed tank. This is what makes me very good with Burrow. I see a threat and quickly know how to respond to it. It is very important you know how to react and do so fast.

2. Threat awareness (this is the same as checking surroundings)
The diffence here is that Threat awareness means you know where the threat is (or at least know it's there). Personally when I see no threats I look at the scoreboard for any major threats to me (ex: GM). Don't look too long or you might get killed by a newly spawned tank.

3. Accuracy
accuracy here is important, since If you miscalculate you might ricochet it back and kill yourself or teammates. (for my personal keys to success this ranks #2)

4. Be Aggressive yet passive
This may sound confussing but it's not. You need to be aggressive against tanks on the ground with a tank size/speed modification that increases their chances of killing you. This is why I don't die often. I actively seek out these tanks, and pursue them, so they never have a chance to get behind me. Even if they do I already have a plan to take them out. You also need to be passive against flags that modify tank shots, except G. If you are always agressive against GM, and SW you won't last very long. More details later.

My personal danger rank to bu (rank of my personal ratings of dangers to BU)

1. Myself (account for >50% of my deaths) -threat: extremely major-
2. ST -threat: medium-
3. BU (for the fact it can hit me)(this is an unknown BU) -threat: medium-
4. SW (These are SW that I didn't know were there) -threat: medium-
5. GM (This is GM's that I didn't realize were alive) -threat: medium-
6. newly spawned tank -threat: medium-
7. TH -threat: medium-
8. V -threat: medium-
9. GM (known) -threat: minor-
10. A -threat: minor-
11. SW (known) -threat: minor-
12. G -threat: minor-
13. WG -threat: minor-
14. other tanks -threat minor- (rated minor because I most likely underestimate them)
15. N -threat: negligible-
16. T -threat: negligible-

This scale is most likely infated other them myself. I'm giving Narrow too good of a reputation by even listing it. It's threat is that of a tank with Useless (if I don't underestimate useless). The last time a Narrow killed my was last year sometime. I believe it may have happened 5 times. regular tanks killed me more too.
Narrow is not a threat, because my aim (which is normally a 6 or so)with BU rates 9-10. my aim against N when I'm using Burrow is 100 out of 10. It's really easy to do.

Threats:

Narrow

Threat: hard to hit, usually user swerves in a wave pattern to avoid bullets.

Solution: most people will come back at a point so you need to fire bullets so when they do it should hit them. Always keep a few bullets in reserve in case they don't. The key to hitting N is to shoot, when in your target you see that the line (narrow is the line) divides your aimmer precisly in half. You need to be aggressive by shooting, but just in case I always look for rico that could hit from the side. personally sometimes I don't need a aimmer to kill a narrow (I once killed a N behind me with a rico that went backwards hitting the narrowest point, I also did this but not hitting that point). Even If I'm in a corner you always need to know when to run away (just before they ensure that you can't get out.)

High Speed

Threat: speed

Solution: To save yourself from a V behind your tank you need absolutly great reaction time or it will be too late. Also BU at mofo has a high turn angle then V does so that you can turn and shoot a rico at the V tank. also like before you must know your tank's limits (the threshold of when it's too late to turn and shoot upon the V). I always look for ricos, not necessarly to kill, but to slow them down until I get to an area that is in my favor (has good ricos)

Wings

Threat: The threat to BU from wings you may not yet know, or have wondered how the Wings killed you without squishing you. He did use squish, but not on you!! He used it on himself, so that when he landed he was swuished down enough to be able to kill you with his shots.

Solution: On mofo if you see a wings around the hieght of the Large Planet Mofo object in the sky Be wary of them!! the easiest way to stop the threat is to not to allow the wings to land and shoot. the normal squish factor is not enough for this to happen (on mofo it is).

Burrow

Threat: all shots can kill you.

Solution: (if behind) If there's no ricos you can see then start turning so after he shoots (and you dodge them) that you can shoot him, always saving a few shots for if he dodges yours (shoot one of those at him as he's turning at you from dodging yours). I sometimes position myself so that he shoots himself, or the more skillful placement of dodge his shots so he tk's (yes I do try this).
If you see him from a distance (out of radar range) then shoot at him out of range so he thinks that they are regular shots when they are not). This flag has the most skill used when engaging (You need the most skill for this threat). Personally I have yet to meet one who can beat me (some have killed me more then I them but I had to always kill them when they were behind me, and when they always shot at me outside radar range). I also outright destroyed them a few days later. (does killing them 3 times in one burrow session sound like utter destruction to you?)*they had bu all 3 times, and came behind me* I then went on to kill myself *sigh*

against every flag that poses a threat I have a predetermined number of possible responses to them. The only one that can have exeptions is BU. Narrow may work on all other people that use BU, but it doesn't work on me. I actually try to instigate N battles, because I love how people think that N is the perfect flag against BU.
recently people that know me at mofo have avoided me when they have N.

final note: I not gloating, but even if you have seen me with BU, you most likely haven't seen me at my very best. When I'm on an Unstoppable reign Every single one of my skills is a 10. Unstoppable reigns with BU are not easy. The day of Thanksgiving 2009 was when my Burrow skills were almost past natural (I had 3 unstoppable reigns with BU). I always (95% of the time) get a rampage with BU *dang self inflicted deaths*.

If you are good with BU I invite you to fight me. "Iron sharpens Iron" iron cannot be sharped if there is no iron to sharpen it against. my BU skills have been at this level for awhile. I want them to get to their best, but I can't without any real challanges. I did play someone 4/5 my skill a mofo a few days before thanksgiving, and look what that did for my skills (they were great on thanksgiving, *they were at their best at thanksgiving*). If you want more help with BU just ask