Coach Axiom · 33k PRKnowing when you have been seen
When you sneak up on a player, the way he reacts tells you if you are still unseen.
- He keeps looting or fighting: He has not noticed you yet.
- He suddenly starts building: He has seen you.
- He looked your way right before he started building: He has seen you for sure.
If you get spotted while you sneak in on two players who are fighting, disengage and let them keep fighting.
Silence is no confirmation
When the shooting in a fight you are watching stops, it does not have to be over. Either it really is over and you can go for the clean up, or both are healing and actively scouting while they do it, and then you are more likely to get spotted. Before you push, confirm with your eyes or your ears which of the two it is.
What to watch and listen for
In solos nobody covers you. There is no second box next to yours, but you do not need a different spot because of that. All you need is to scout the full 360 degrees so you do not miss anything. Nobody can pre-edit you in solos, so in the endgame a spot you can scout from matters more than where exactly you stand.
Endgame
- In solos it is mostly box, check the zone, use a Shockwave, box again, and keep an eye on players who still have to rotate or who walk right past your box.
- Crouch in your box so nobody hears you.
If you take a bot or NPC fight, keep your awareness up, more in Take or leave.
How to avoid getting third partied
In endgames there are no third parties. Before that, your risk depends mostly on where you fight and how you take the fight.
- Where you fight: Up to Zone 4 the zone almost always pulls you through or into the middle of the map, so when you fight in midmap, other players show up. A fight on the outside of the map or on the deadside is less likely to get third partied, but that does not mean nobody comes. From Zone 4 on, fewer fights start, because the zone gets smaller, players sit on top of each other and everyone focuses on rotating.
- Scout first: Before you start a fight, check if anyone else would notice it. In the offspawn, if you see one glider land to your left and one to your right, and you land on the right too, do not fight the one on the right. The third party will come from the left, so disengage or let the two of them fight. Even a five second fight can draw a third party, and there is not much you can do about that except scouting beforehand.
- How long a fight can go: A 10 second fight is quick. Over 30 seconds is a bit too long, but it is still okay, on the deadside too. Keep checking if a third party is coming. Take fights only with entry and end them quickly, so a third party has less time to get there.
- When a third player shows up: Get out of the fight. Box up right away and heal. He is fresh, you are not. Behind your walls you are no longer the easy target, so in the best case he goes for your old opponent instead. Running into a building only makes sense if one is right next to you.
- After your kill: Box up and heal first, then loot, or loot while you heal. Whoever just fought is the easiest target for a third party.
How to third party a fight
When two players fight near you, your timing decides if the third party pays off.
1. Pick the right target
A quick fight, around 10 seconds and then silence, means the winner is good and lost almost nothing, so he is not a good target. A longer fight is worth sneaking closer to. Look for a player with no awareness, like one getting sprayed by someone else, or one you can hear getting cracked once you are close.
2. Never go in while both are still fighting
Both hear you, box up and nothing happens. Nobody dies and it drags on until it is not worth it anymore. If you attack one box, the other player can come out and third party you. Wait until only one is left, then go straight in with a Shockwave and pressure him, he is probably still low. Even if both heal a bit while you wait, waiting is still right.
3. The one exception
If an easy, low risk kill on one of them opens up while you sneak in, take it. Box up on his loot first, then decide if you leave or also take the other one, who might be low.
4. Commit for a kill or 100 damage
Keep sneaking closer until you can kill someone or deal at least 100 damage. If you only do 40, leave right away. 40 is nothing. It only drags the fight out, and the other players from that fight come for you.
5. Only if you need it
Ask yourself if you need this fight right now and if you can afford to waste a lot in it. If you need the kill for mats or heals, it is always worth it. If you are stacked, you do not have to take it. Shortly before the endgame, your loot decides. With around 200 of each material, go for it. With cap mats on all three, stay out.