Aggressive Play on the Phoenix 2010 layout
In this, my first column, I'd like to focus on everyone's favorite topic: aggressive play. I'm talking about they type of play where you're on the other side of the snake and shooting people in the back in the first minute of the game. We have all seen this phenomenon at our local field occasionally, but to be able to pull it off consistently requires a formulaic approach. You really need to know the mechanics of the snake: it's weaknesses and strengths, and how to play to them to achieve a result. That's what this column is about.
Myth: This type of play is dangerous and isn't worth the risk.
While pushing a snake player hard is more dangerous than having him sit back, there are ways of mitigating that danger into something that is tiny when compared to the benefits of having a player all the way down the field. When properly played, this method will win you many, many games.
Why do we want to be on their side?
This may seem obvious to you, but it's important to know what the advantages of being far up in the snake are. Beyond the obvious ability to get a good angle on your opponent, being far up in the snake freaks people out. They either focus on you and tuck in or they try to bunker you and run to their deaths. Just by lying there you are freeing up the field for your teammates and making the other team worry about you. Your presence in the opponent's side of the snake is huge, even if you're not actively shooting your gun.
The Method
Get your snake guy in the snake quick!
This means in the first 10-20 seconds of the game. The easiest way to do this is to have your snake player just run there. Another possibility is to have your snake corner player shoot in the back center laner either on his way out or after getting to his bunker. This is where the majority of the risk is taken, so run fast and shoot straight.
Have as many guns shooting tape as possible.
Have your snake and corner players shoot tape immediately. Possibly one of the coolest and unique things about linked snakes like the Phoenix 2010 snake is that there are only two positions that can shoot you as you crawl up: the snake corner and the snake. So shoot at them. If possible, put a third guy close to the tape and shooting at the corner (*cough* the brick by the snake).
Make sure you have a player watching for the run through on the inside.
You don't want to shoot your way to the end of the snake only to get cornholed by some jerkoff. This means putting someone up the middle with a dedicated job of watching your snake player's back, either in the center dorito or in the snake side tall aztec.
Get down the snake!
Your snake player should now have it easy to crawl down the snake, staying on tape the whole way. He should take it one knuckle at a time, pausing to make sure the tape is shot in well before he scurries around. Remember, he doesn't have to focus on the inside shots until he is far up the snake.
How far should I go up the snake?
Good question. As a general rule, you should go as far as you can go without being exposed to an immediate bunker opportunity. An immediate bunker opportunity is when an opponent can bunker you by moving to the next bunker down field, sticking his gun around it and pulling the trigger. For example, if there is another snake player, you want to be one knuckle away from him (unless you're trying to bunker him yourself). If there is a player in the brick by the snake, you want to be in the second to last knuckle. Otherwise you want to be at the end of the snake to achieve maximum thorn-in-sideocity.
There you have it.
Simple but effective. Put guns on the tape, crawl down the snake and protect your snake player with the corner and a guy in the middle. Again, the real risk comes with getting in the snake. When you're there, you will have a gunfight with odds that will either be in your favor 2:1 (against only the corner) or in the worst case equal. Enjoy and happy hunting.
Next Week: Crossing the Gaps: Moving up quickly and efficiently!
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