At first glance,Brawlhallamight seem like the usual 2D fighting brawler. However, this Blue Mammoth Games title provides a more complicated twist to its fighting game, with new gameplay options and fast-paced combat. Outside its 50+ Legends,Brawlhallaoffers a two-weapon based system and a mixture of Signature Moves that add personality. There’s a ton of opportunities to personalize one’s playstyle and wreck opponents.
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Unfortunately, the potential of fast-pacedBrawlhallacan be overwhelming for newer players. Multiple weapons and multiple combos leave room for failure that can ruin matches. For newcomers, what mistakes should they avoid during theirBrawlhallamatches?
10Forgetting Map Control
Players should remember that the map itself is an element of success in any platform brawler. Enemies often secure the match by controlling the way players interact with the map. This happens when the enemy sticksclose to a Weapon spawnwithout picking new equipment, waiting for the player to climb the edge of a cliff, or forcing players to get to them up high or down low.
Whoever dictates how everyone interacts with the map has the best odds of winning the match. In turn, players can get map control by staying close to Weapon spawns, or creeping up on opponents about to climb on ledges.
9Skipping Footsies
Fighting game enthusiasts and martial arts fans know thatthe right footworkcan decide a match.Brawlhallaand other platform brawlers follow the same principle. Players should remember that rushing headfirst into battle is almost always the reason they lose.
Despite the boring premise, proper footsies or footwork can ensure a player’s survival. Essentially, footsies is comprised of strategic movement to setup combat. This involves the intricate balance of moving far enough to avoid hits, but getting close enough to dish out combos. Players need to understand how their Legends move in order to pull off footsies that help in combat.
8Ignoring Light Attacks
Why bother with other attacks when Signature Moves exist? Unfortunately, if players keep trying to dish out their Signature Moves, they’re also screaming that Signature Moves are all they will be doing throughout the match. This makes them predictable in the opponent’s eyes, especially since some Signature Moves work best in specific situations.
To avoid this mistake, players should remember that Light Attacks function as a buffer for Signature Moves. Signature Moves might be powerful, but they’re slow and leave openings for punishments. In contrast, Light Attacks have low damage, but they’reextremely fast and string well into combos. Finding the right balance between these two attack types can ensure domination.
7Keeping The Chase
Players who win their first few matches will get to know the value of a good chase. Keeping up the pressure against an opponent will give them fewer options to recover and turn the tide of combat. However, players should remember that aggression gives way to carelessness. Those who let their guard down just a little bit will give their enemy an opening for an upset.
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Players should be wary of justhow much pressure they want to give opponents. For the most part, pressure is a good way to give enemies a harder time to get back to the field. Enough pressure also gives players room to make mistakes and even score KOs. However, some enemies work well when excessively pressured, as some Signature Moves help with position switches and recovery.
6Moving First
Players sometimes forget that one moment can cost them the match: approaching the opponent. While players who make the first move will force the enemy to react, it’s that “need to move” thatleads players into the enemy’s trap. This is exactly why footsies exist in the first place: players need to determine the right opening, where their initial attack can punish opponents with the lowest chance of a counterattack.
When players realize that they “have” to make that first move, their opponents are probably leading them into a trap. If players know they have to attack their opponent from afar, they could try to mitigate risks via feinting the attack to force the enemy out of position. Even if this doesn’t result in a decent attack, it at least returns the battle to a neutral position.
5Forgetting About Recovery
Similar to other platform brawlers, most attacks inBrawlhallaserve as a means to knock Legends off the main arena. In turn, players should treat getting off the stage as an inevitability, to the point where they should treat the open air as extra difficult terrain. This also explains why the game shows a Legend falling even if they’re off-screen: Legends always have room to recover from a tight fall.
Thus, it’s smart to remember a Legend’s available recovery options. In addition to limited numbers of Jumps and Dodges, some Legends have attacks and special moves that can help. With the right timing, players can use these special moves to get to the edge of the arena and get back up.
4Panicking Is A Death Sentence
As with all fast-paced games, multiple events in aBrawlhallamatch can cause panic in players. Endless combos become frustrating, falling off a ledge registers a “no way to fight back” feeling, and a knock-out is one less chance of winning the game. However, panicking means losing focus, which enemies can use against players all the time.
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Resorting to button-mashing may as well mean conceding the match. In moments of panic, players should remember their available options. Approaching an unfavorable match strategically can help players spot an opportunity, and get back in a game with a stunning upset.
3Skipping Contingencies
Players know they’re facing a pro when their opponent always find a way to take control of a match. Somehow, an enemy can counter a player’s combos with throws, dodges, and predicting the player’s next move. This isn’t cheating, but rather enemies knowing how their Legends can best counter certain situations.
Players should always try to enter a match with contingencies for emergencies. They should check how their Legendscan escape attacks from various ranges, how to maximize their Dodges, and their best counter-attack options. That way, in fast-paced encounters, players don’t rely on button-mashing for that lucky strike. Instead, they’ll know exactly what to do to counter an enemy’s move.
2Sticking To One Playstyle
Given that there are 53 Legends inBrawlhalla, it’s not uncommon for playersto stick to mains and characters that fit their playstyles. Considering Signature Moves and Weapon preferences, most players to have their preferred Legends in most matches. However, players who constantly stick to one playstyle will find their matches repetitive. And it’s inevitable that one or two Legends can counter exactly what their favorite Legend does.
To avoid these situations, it helps for players to have more than three or four Legends they can use well. Preferably, players should have melee specialists, long-rangers, and tanks to rotate. That way, they have Legends they know can soak damage, dish out combos up close, or deal damage from afar.
1Ignoring Keybinds
Fighting games – and even brawlers – remain popular for their intense combos strings. It feels great to pull off those Signature Moves at just the right moment. Pros, however, pull off these strings much more easily by changing controls in their favor. With the right keybinds, players can make movement and attacks much easier to process and execute.
Ideally, players should choose keybinds that correspond to their natural finger movements. That way, movement and navigation feel more accurate and attacks become much easier to chain.
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