Coach Axiom · 33k PRMidgame means deep or outstorm
From Zone 2 to Zone 7 you want one of two positions when the zone closes: deep in the zone, or outstorm with a plan. Edge is the position to avoid.
1. Deep
Go deep early. From there the next rotations are easy, and one Shockwave per zone is enough (Rotations).
2. Outstorm
Loot outstorm, get stacked and come back in deep. The full plan is in Storm and deadside.
3. Edge
Edge snowballs: you come in edge because you were edge the zone before, see Playing zone. Even if nothing happens on the rotate, staying edge was a mistake. In Zone 2 and 3, a bit deeper than edge is still okay.
4. Few players alive
That does not change it. If the way deep is free, go deep and do not stay edge.
5. Do not get greedy
Going too deep is greedy. At some point you get shot. If you are already a good bit deep, box up and take it. How hard you fight for a spot depends on the lobby. If a lot of players are still alive after the first two or three zones, the lobby is stacked. Surge almost always goes on and good spots get claimed, so focus on getting one. If not, the perfect spot is not worth the risk.
Why you stay off the edge in the midgame
Your first priority on every rotation is not to end up edge. Going deep midzone and playing outstorm with a plan are both ways to avoid it.
Edge is where the scuffed players are
At the edge of the zone you get griefed the most, and your next rotations are the hardest. From deep, the next rotations are easy. You can go early, watch the others and you do not get scuffed.
The zone close counts
In the midgame you want to be deep when the zone closes. Once you are a good bit deep, box up instead of going further, see above.
When staying edge is fine
Staying edge although you could go deeper is a mistake. It is fine in these cases:
- Late zones: from Zone 8 on, going further in can get you lobby sprayed.
- Healing after the storm: you just came in from outstorm, for example after a long deadside rotation, and need a quick heal.
- No way in: three or more players are boxed in front of you. Staying boxed and stacked is fine then, see Rotations.
- After a fight: someone keyed you on your way deep, you won and stayed edge for the fight and a while after.
- With height: you stand on edge with height.
Edge in Zone 4 is where the snowball usually starts, see Playing zone. In the endgame it depends on the situation, see Storm and deadside.
What makes a good deep spot
Two players can stand the same distance from the middle and still have very different spots. Check these in this order.
1. Not edge, with a free path
Pick a spot with a path as free as possible, so you can rotate even a max pull easily.
2. Height, if you have the choice
Most of the time you cannot pick much. When you are midzone very early, look for a hill, a mountain or any raised position. You see more and shock more easily, because you are higher than the others. And nobody can box up in front of you.
3. Something to refarm
Look for good brick to farm or a house you can replace nearby. Especially in Zone 4, 5 and 6, you want to build your box and then refarm the mats you used right away.
4. No dip, and some distance
If you box under a hill, you can scout a lot less. Go at least high enough to look over it, so you can plan the next zone. Do not box right next to an opponent either. Keep some distance, so you can shock into the next zone with less trouble.
5. Deeper beats height
If you can go deeper, go deeper. The exception is a hill where you shock and scout better, while deeper would put you in a dip. You want to go as high as you can, but the highest spots are usually taken. If there is a mountain, do not box at its foot. Go a bit up first.
If you got midmap early and your spot stays deep, sitting in your box and staying sneaky is well played, even for several zones.
The transition into the endgame
The endgame starts with the moving zones, when the zone keeps pulling right after it closes. The two zones before that, Zone 7 and 8, are the transition, and that is where it goes wrong the most.
- Two good rotates: That is all you need in the transition to reach the endgame. It takes a well played midgame, so you arrive with stacked loot.
- Zone 7: Sit somewhere that is not edge and not where everyone is, so you can rotate early. Do not pick your endgame spot yet, because where the zone pulls is random.
- Low on mats: Mats come first. If you sit in Zone 8 with 100 mats, look for a kill now, so you do not die because you ran out of mats. Missing three minis while your mats are decent is no reason for that play.
- Getting that kill: Find someone you can jump. Do not go to a fight 100 m away. This close to the late game, a lot of players can be looking at you.
- Check yourself: When the endgame starts, check if you are stacked. Good weapons and heals but almost no mats means you have to risk a refresh, and the mistake was in your midgame.
- Reading a single player: It is hard. Look at their build material and their position. Brick and metal mean stacked, wood usually means low on mats, and stacked players tend to sit deep or high layer.