Coach Axiom · 33k PRBefore you rotate
You have three options on every rotation: go through, go around on a covered route, or stay out. Scout first, then decide.
1. Scout before every rotation
Check your route and the players around it before you go, especially from the midgame on. Going in blind gets you bad rotates, run-ins you did not need and mats you will miss later. From a box, scout by opening the edit on your cone. In the edit menu you can see through it. The only exception is a forced rotation, when the storm is ticking or a fight is right behind you.
2. One opponent in the way is not a reason to stay
Box up once and check if it looks free. If it obviously is, you may not even need the box. If you can get past him without spending a lot of mats and heals, go. If getting around him costs a lot, leave it. Most of the time you get past one player for free.
3. Players boxed in front of you
If you are edge and three or more players are boxed in front of you, you cannot go early. If you are already deeper than edge and only one player is boxed in front of you, go early, because he most likely wants to go early too. Pre-build a little with wood and it is usually free. From deep you can go early pretty often.
4. Take the covered route
If the direct path is blocked, use natural cover like trees, hills, houses and mountains. Walk behind it without building and out of everyone's sight. That costs no mats and does not give away your position. Only stay out when going through and going around both cost too many mats and heals.
5. Midgame: around POIs, not through them
Go into a POI only for a vending, to reloot when you are not stacked, or when you are outstorm, where it is less likely that someone is inside.
On the rotation
In Zone 5 and 6 you do not want to fight on a rotation. See it through as far as you can, because position is what matters most there and a fight costs you exactly that. If someone keys you on the way for no reason, that is not on you.
- Getting shot on the way: In the endgame someone is always shooting. A player opens an edit and pumps you for 60 as you rotate past, from above, below or the side. That is not a fight, so keep rotating. To take fewer of those hits, scout well and pre-build as much as you can.
- Fighting anyway: If you still have to fight in Zone 5 and 6, you left too late or from too far out. That decision is made before the rotation, so look at when and where you left.
- Rotate in stages: Do not throw one risky high Shockwave across the whole lobby. Go in stages and pause in between. If you fly over everyone in one go, the players behind you tag you and key you.
- Late high shocks: If you go late and shock high, a few players will shoot you. That is the price of that rotation. The other option is to skip the high shock, use the Shockwave on yourself for the effect and run.
Which material to build on the way is in Mats and heals.
How many Shockwaves you need
In solos you can carry six Shockwaves at most. One rotation item is enough, and a second one costs you a heal slot.
Midgame
If Shockwaves are your rotation item, you want full six. Three is far too little, and playing a game with three most likely turns into a time-waste game. You can still fix it: go to a vending, reloot somewhere outstorm or take a fight, ideally before Zone 3. Playing the whole game with three is a big mistake.
A vending detour is right when something is missing: you are under six Shockwaves or you have no good heals. If you already have everything (cap mats, six Shockwaves, a Chug Jug and biggies) and the detour makes you come in late and edge, it is a mistake.
Zone 6
Get to six by Zone 6. After that you rarely get to a vending, unless the zone pulls to one and you are the first one there. Without Shockwaves you end up having to go for a refresh within about two zones.
Endgame
From Zone 7 on, three Shockwaves is on the low side but okay. That gets you through about three more zones at most.