[CONTEST] Awesomenauts - Flanking, Minimap Awareness and how to React to it.

A broad look over of the Flanking Routes most Commonly used in Awesomenauts while also trying to explain the use of the Minimap.

Header

Greetings all, and welcome to the Awesomenauts - "Flanking, Minimap Awareness and how to React to it." Guide!

In this guide I will go over how to flank on each map, how to read the minimap and use it to your advantage over your foes, and of course, how to react to it if your enemy gets the same Idea.

Without much more, lets get to the content.

Flanking Routes, and How to Use them

Let me explain flanking.

Flanking is the act of moving across the map in an effort to pin your enemy's into a position where your team is at an advantage in a fight, an example.

One of your teammates is chasing an enemy team member down a lane, your teammate doesn't have the speed to catch up to the enemy by himself leading to the enemy getting away, but you have the advantage here, you can Intercept the enemy slowing him down long enough for you and your teammate to kill him.

Thus we have flanking, an act in which you intercept an enemy giving your team the advantage.

Now each map has its own individual flanking routes and ways to utilise them each, I will be marking each flanking route with lines of different colours to showcase what teams are more effective at using each ones, there will be a colour ledger at the bottom of this post, with that sorted let's go over each map Individually.


Colour Ledger.
Red: Red Team.
Blue: Blue Team.
Green: Both Teams.

Ribbit IV

Ribbit IV is the first Map I'll be taking a look at, being a very vertical map it offers a lot in regards to flanking in it as well as very good defensive routes if your the one being flanked.

Let's start off with the center of the map, as you can see below it has two jumppads that lead into a very Long tunnel that cuts through the jungle into the top lane, this offers a lot of use in regrades to flanking where if you have a timed burst that needs a moment to set up (See: Raelynns Snipe, Clunks Explode) you can set it up as you are being bounced it ready to use it right away on top lane


Examples.
Raelynn Jumppad Snipe: https://gfycat.com/BlaringSleepyAsp
Clunk Jumppad Explode: https://gfycat.com/OldAliveFirefly


Next up is the bottom turrets, or more specifically the jungle area above the bottom turrets.
As you can see below I have marked both sides of the map for a better Idea of how to approach from each side, and also to show that the middle is a viable route to take if you are on either team.

If you are worried about jumping into the turret range if you decided to go for a rather aggressive flank then It's okay to be worried about that, but it also means your thinking outside the box and that might be what you need to get a flank off and have it net your team a kill.

A very good Awesomenaut to use this route is Sheriff Lonestar due to his Bull pushing people back, you can use it to pin people against your turret if you are using it to get down to your turret quickly.

Another good Awesomenaut to use is Sentry X-58 with his Blackhole also stopping people in their tracks.


Examples,
Sheriff Lonstar Bull Pin: https://gfycat.com/UnimportantHotErmine
Sentry X-58 Blackhole Pin: https://gfycat.com/MellowWeightyHapuka


Next up is behind the Tier 1 (Front) turrets on top lane, keep in mind this will only work if a Tier 1 top turret has been destroyed, removing the team barrier.
As you can see we have two green routes you can take even thou they are in front of a bottom lane Teir 1, now of course you can take this route if the turret is till alive, but it's recommended to destroy it before hand as it can deal damage that might break your flank.

There is also the middle tunnel flank that can be taken to get to the back end of the turrets, although it is slower yet safer then coming from the bottom Tier 1 turrets.

All in all, not a great flank spot, but it can come in handy.



Finally as a more risky flanking spot but if used effectively can be very useful for your team, the fake out flank, as you can see you use the jumppad and stop midway through the tunnel (example below of how to do so) to loop back around and come down from the jungle in front of your enemies Teir 1 bottom turret.

As I said it is a more risky flanking route, but if you can pull it off it could make or break a fight.


Examples:
Stopping Midway by hitting the Edge: https://gfycat.com/AccurateDarkFly
Stopping Midway bu Jumping: https://gfycat.com/AmusingEasyInsect

This concludes the Ribbit IV portion of the guide.

Ai Station 205

Ai Station is the second map I'll be looking at, another very vertical map in the same relm of Ribbit, but in this case your main jumppads are behind your Teir 1 turrets instead of in the center, the map also features a dangerous map gimmick in the form of fire that periodically engulfs the center area of the map between bottom and top lanes.

We shall start with the center of the map, as you can see below it is filled with platforms to move around on and also acts as a way to move between the lanes, this starting flank is a very aggressive flank as it all depends on which angle you come from, if you pick an angle the enemy can work with then its very easy for this to go sideways due to being stuck between them and their turret, even worse if the fire is on.

Speaking of fire, don't be afraid to drop through the fire to execute a flank, It acts as a false safehood for the enemy due to them thinking that you probably wont risk dropping though the fire to flank them, keep in mind the healthpack in the center of the fire that can top you up on health while fire flanking.


Example.
Fire Flanking: https://gfycat.com/ShamelessNervousArthropods


Next up is the very simple jungle flank, nothing too special going on here, but it can be useful to keep in mind, most often I will use this to get behind someone who think's I've gone to heal from the jungle, or use it to set up a flank on the bottom lane by using it to loop around and go through the center.



Next up is the jumppad cut off flank, this one will require a bit of an explanation.
As you can see there is a new line colour added into this example, white. White is to show (in this case) an enemy Awesomenaut your teammate (show'n as the smaller red and blue lines on the top lane) is chasing towards the exit of top lane, which is where the longer blue and red lines come in, in the example your teammate(s) are chasing the enemy(s) into the exit, while you are using the jumppad to flank around in front of them, without letting them know your coming by coming from infront of them.

Jeaz that was a mouthful.

This is an excellent flank to pull off as most times your enemy's wont expect it and often ends with a free kill if the enemy doesn't react in time.
It also goes without saying that the bottom Tier 1 turret has to be down to do this.


To end this is more of a chasing route then a flanking route, but I felt the need to trow this in here, this is a very aggressive route as it basically ends you smack down in the middle on an enemy turret, but going back to the first flanking route I show'd on Ribbit IV (the cental bounce pad tunnel) we can use this route to pre-charge burst on a bounce pad (Examples Below).


Examples:
Raelynn Jumppad Snipe (Red): https://gfycat.com/UncomfortableCalculatingIndianjackal
Clunk Jumppad Explode (Blue): https://gfycat.com/JaggedOpenDromaeosaur

That concludes the Ai Station 205 portion of the guide.

Sorona

Sorona is the third map I'll be looking at and is possibly the oddest map in regards to flanking, due to it being so open and expansive yet having small tight clusters in certain areas, mostly behind the Teir 1 Turrets and a little bit in the center.

The gimmick of Sorona is the giant button in the bottom lane, spawning a worm devouring all that may come in contact with it, sadly there are not many flanks you can use around said worm as its very easy to see when someone is trying to set it up, that's not to say you can't and I will point out where you can try to, but be warned it will not be a prominent point of this section.

One point to be made about Sorona, due to how the map is so open a lot of the flank routes are shared by both teams, due to this, prepare for a lot of green.

This first flank is a personal favourite of mine, using the jumppad to boost into the middle area can be a very effective tactic for breaking a team, or picking off someone who wasn't expecting it, do take caution while doing so however, as it has a very high chance of backfiring if you do it too much and the enemy begin to expect it, keep in mind this can also be used to escape enemy's but more often then not will just be used to move around the map.

The secondary flanks are effective at being offensive and defensive, but I'd say its better for being offensive myself, putting you basically in front of the enemy turret can be a bad thing, but its a perfect position to cut off escapes or set up a kill for your team if you can pull it off.

Example.
Jumppad into Middle: https://gfycat.com/SaneTastyElephantseal


This next one looks a bit complicated I know, but stick with me and I'll try and explain it.
Due to being able to cancel a jumppads momentum by jumping (example below) you can stop mid-way though these jumppads to get behind your foe rather easily, or you could keep the full momentum and drop down in front of the turrets with pre-charged burst, both are risky plays but can be very rewarding if pulled off.

Examples.
Jumppad Momentum Cancel: https://gfycat.com/GentleDisloyalKitfox
Turret Drop: https://gfycat.com/UnlawfulSorrowfulAzurevasesponge


This final area is Interesting, as it is one of the few times a flank route starts at the base, as you can see it uses the jumppad to get to the top jungle, more useful then you think it would be at first glance, as people of both teams like to use the jungles on both sides for healing.

The second flank is similar to the jumppad flank from the center, except this time you come down from your jungle for a surprise attack, same basic Idea, pre-charge something, hop down.

Finally for the last flank of Sorona is a fantastic one if you can pull it off, slightly more risky then the other two flanks as it can quickly go sour or just not work if the enemy decide to run out of the bottom lane or just outright counter attack which can go into their favour very quickly.


Example.
Drop Bursting from Jungle: https://gfycat.com/UntriedFixedGermanshorthairedpointer

This concludes the Sorona section of the guide.

Aguillon

Welcome to the fourth map I'll be covering, this time Aguillon (try and spell that three times fast) which is possibly the most interesting map for flanking there is, due to the maps gimmick a, "Invisibility Orb" in the center of the map.

Now of course I can't cover every single route on this map due to the Invisibility Orb opening so many possibilitys for unconventional flanks, but I will try and cover everything I can, just remember one thing, every single flank on this map is made easier with the Invisibility Orb.

With that out of the way, lets get onto the first route.

This first route is pretty basic but one you'll end up using a lot, there are two jumppads in the center of the map as you can see below, both boost the player into the center area with the Invisibility Orb and also leads into top lane, fairly standard routes, with an added bonus of dropping back down into bottom lane once you start, be careful thou, the low roofs on bottom lane can make it very easy to trap someone, which is not always a bad thing.



Next up is a incredibly useful flank, the hidden area on top lane, since no one can see you up there on the enemy team unless they jump in there with you, it provides a lot of possibility when getting ready to flank, whether its defensive or offensive, this Spot is great.



Following the top hidden area, why not the bottom hidden area too.
Another fantastic spot albeit a bit more cramped making it easy to blockade someone in the tunnel, but of course you can use that to your advantage. nothing much to say on this one, really just another spot like the top hidden area.


These next two flanks are interesting, its an area that will see a lot of traffic but at the same time veers off into a jungle and back down into the bottom lane, It's another fake out type route but has its risks as it leads strait back into an enemy turret.
As you can see it also has its defensive property's as well, Looking back to Ribbit again, Sentry-X58 and Sheriff Lonestar as very good at using these flanks defensively.


Examples.
Sheriff Lonestar Bullpin (Red): https://gfycat.com/ZanyDarlingAsiaticmouflon
Sentry X-58 Blackhole Pin (Blue): https://gfycat.com/ImprobableQuaintAnnelid


This next flank spot has a lot of ways to go with it, as you can see below you have three options that all become viable depending on the situation.
First we go up to try and cut off an escape or punish someone for trying to push a Teir 2 (Back) turret.
Second is back to the hidden area under the jungle, which I've already gone over just above.
Third is down into the bottom lane to once again, cut off a chase or punish someone for trying to push.

Finally we have the two green lines, both are useful for different reasons, if your being offensive with them it lets you block off common escape routes that the enemy will use, or stop someone from trying to chase out of it, these are two good routes to use if you can.


These last flanks are rather odd, you will probably not use them often, but it's always a good thing to keep in mind whenever someone is behind a Teir 2 turret, can be used offensively and defensively hence the green Line, but be cautious as its a risky spot later on in the game.


That concludes the Aguillon portion of the guide.

Starstorm Station

Welcome to the final map of this guide, Starstorm Station. Get ready for something a little complicated as this map's gimmick is Teleporters that teleport you to different locations around the map. To start off, I have marked where each portal goes to just below, if you need to please consult it for this section.


Let's start off with a simple flank that doesn't involve any Teleporters as you can see below, this flank is very simple yet can be dangerous as theres not that many ways to recover from it if it goes wrong, your options are gonna go going down which may lead to death, or towards your own turret which is often safer.


Next up is a safe flank that can go very unsafe if the enemy's whole team decides to show up mid way though, as can happy on Startstorm Station due to the way you move between the lanes, the flank is also very risky as the lane is so small your almost guaranteed to take some turret fire while doing so, but can be rewarding to pull off.


The Teleporters on the top lane allow for a lot of flanks where your enemy might not expect it, for example below you have the middle Teleporter that is often used by both teams to get to the top lane quickly, this is also an area where you can pre-charge some burst then drop in and let it go once your in position, very similar to the jumppads on Ribbit IV.

The team side teleporters are another story, as they are very good defensive flanks with options for Sheriff Lonestar and Sentry X-58 Pins against turrets, the only thing needed to look out for is if the enemy decides to drop down into the bottom lane before you get there.

The team side Teleporters also offer a great offensive route as you can cut people off who are trying to escape behind their Teir 1 turrets and surprise them by jumping on them in an area they thought was safe.

Examples:
Sheriff Lonestar Bullpin: https://gfycat.com/TerrificAlarmingHaddock
Sentry X-58 Blackhole Pin: https://gfycat.com/OptimalExcitableJapanesebeetle
Pre-Charging Burst in the Teleporter: https://gfycat.com/IllegalPartialGander

This last flank is a basic defensive flank that can lead into another defensive flank via the Teleporter, due to the tight constraints of the turret its rather easy to blockade someone in next to it, making it very easy to get a kill, but do be careful as they can also use the Teleporter to escape and depending on how the games gone it could lead you into a trap.


This concludes the Starstorm section of the guide.

The Minimap, and How to Read it

Welcome to the minimap portion of the guide, here I'll be talking about what the minimap is, how to read it, and how to use it against your enemy's.

To start off let's have a basic overview of a minimap.

Here we see Ribbit IV's minimap, as you can see it shows how many turrets are alive and jungle creeps, the map will also show the location of friendly droids, and friendly Awesomenauts, thou for now we will stick with the basics.

My goal of this section is to teach about how to read this minimap and how to use it effectively in the game and in conjunction with flanking, using what we have learned about flanking from the previous sections, its all about looking really.

Here's an example.
Here we see your teammate and an enemy on the bottom lane, meanwhile you are on the top lane, you do not have a current location on the enemy's teammates, the enemy on bottom lane is running away and your teammate is struggling to catch up, how would you go about helping your teammate?


One option is dropping down through the middle to try and catch up to the enemy for your teammate, but will often fail.
Another option is staying on top lane and clearing the lane out, then following your teammate down bottom.
Finally your last option is to execute a flank route from top lane to bottom lane using the jungle as your route.


As you can see you had options during that engagement, but we didn't know what exactly to do in regrades to making a move, and this is a point I would like to get across now.

It's one thing to try and flank, its another to plan and execute one.

Due to not having a location on the enemy team there was no way to safely pull of a flank in this situation, but that dose not mean you can't try and pull off the flank, if its by surprise then odds are something may still happen, but if you don't know the location it has a higher chance of going sour.

Now of course, that's not to say you can't pull off a flank, that's why I have called many of the flanks before hand risky, as a lot of the time you will be going in blind to where your enemy is and hoping for the best, this is not a bad thing but It is something I feel the need to point out.

The Minimap, and How to React to it

Next up I will be talking about how to react to the minimap if you do have a location on the enemy team, let's just jump right into it.

Here we can see that bottom lane is empty yet top lane has the entire enemy team, your team is on their way back from the store and are heading to top lane, do you push the lane or retreat back and try and defend top?

If you push you risk the entire enemy team collapsing on you and potentially getting a free kill and a free push on bottom lane.
If you fall back to defend and meet up with your team odds are you will be able to make the enemy team back off at which that point you can split off from the team to push bottom.


Reading and understanding the minimap is important for situations like that, as you can see you had an escape route open by going to under the bottom lane, but there was the chance that you may die before getting their, or that the enemy team may cut you off from said point.

If you just blindly pushed without watching the minimap it was more then likely that you would of died from the enemy team due to how easy it is to drop down from bottom to top on Starstorm Station yet it would of dragged them off your top turret for a moment for your team to get their.

Reading the minimap isn't going to make you understand how to use it, but looking at the situation that's happening around you and reacting to it will help.

In short, don't blindly follow the map, read it and judge your options based on what you see.

Ending Card

As we have reached the end of our time together, I would like to personally thank you all for reading this far and I really hope you have learnt a thing or too about flanking, minimap awareness and how to react to it.

Feel free to ask any questions about specifics down below and I'll be glad to answer them.

Cheers all.
-Blue

[Blue - The Queen]

@SpaceAdmiralLaika Why bother doing it uninformatively when I can do it informatively.

[Laikadaisical]

dear mother of god, this is comprehensive o_o