Just hit A- what do i do?

[memk]

Not sure if this is the correct place or not (if not please move it to it's designated area mods) but I've recently hit A- after a tough time of hitting B+ 87, dropping to B 3 and climbing back up.

I was wonder how much different is the level of skill between the two ranks?

What should I know? What should I be doing? What should I use? etc

 

[Mendax]

I'd say the best thing to know when going from B+ to A- is movement.
too many B ranks, myself formerly included, stay in Kid form when moving short distances, or go head-on in 1-v-1's.
optimally, you want to stay in Squid form for as much as possible, only turning to Kid to either Shoot or walk along grates.
as for 1-v-1's, never approach an enemy head-on. that'll only get you a trade, at best. what I tend to do is shoot once, then swim off to the side and finish the job while they're still trying to aim at me. And, as soon as you get a kill, swim aside from where you were! Too often I've been killed simply because I've failed to move away from those last few shots.
Finally, if you can, try to perform "Squid-trotting". it might seem useless at first, considering Ninja Squid does the same thing, but it means you have 100% speed when you need it, you can sneak up on enemies at any time, and you can stack Swim Speed Ups to Squid-Trot even faster than Ninja Squid, if you want to.

If you're willing to co-ordinate timezones, we could probably have a match sometime this week, and I could demonstrate. Depends on where you are, though.

 

[ZainreFang]

SPAM KRAKEN

 

[Claus]

Congratulations, you've hit the A ranks!

Now you're here, follow these simple steps to quickly get accustomed to the new skill level you'll be up against.

1. Play a few matches
2. Win %30 of said matches
3. Rage intensely at anything that kills you, whether it was your fault or not
4. Get locked into a struggle between B+ and A-
5. Cry

But really, what I suggest is just play the game. You can try out all the techs in the world, but they'll only help you slightly (or maybe even greatly) in the long term. What really gets you places is experience, as you get more and more used to the higher skill level, the better you'll become naturally, and the higher you'll climb. It'll be a long way to the top from here, trust me buddy, but you will get there eventually through sheer perseverance and effort from acquired skill and experience. You will lose many matches and may even drop a rank and two, but those rage-fuelled losses just serves as another lesson for you to learn. Experiment with different playstyles and even weapons, find a one that suits you and go to town. You'll make it up there eventually! Believe it!

 

[SupaTim]

What should I know? What should I be doing? What should I use? etc

What should you know: A- is rough because, in my experience, there is a big skill difference within the rank itself. There are people who still play like B's and people who play like high A+. It is difficult to carry in this rank because you might play the best in your life and still lose, which is terribly frustrating (I went 17/4 once in TC and still lost as no one else on my team had a positive K/D).

What should I be doing: Like a previous poster said, get good at movement. Swim strafing in firefights, when to rush someone down, how to position when anticipating someone. Also, get good at re-positioning your aim after a swim strafe - this is often the thing that will let you win fights. It means nothing if you can out maneuver them but cant splat them. Get better at map awareness; use your peripheral vision to track people so that you don't get flanked as often. Map awareness also incorporates common paths that people take and trying to cut those paths off. Watch youtube videos and streamers to get a sense of some of these things: what patterns emerge, what are effective strategies, etc.

Keep in mind though, even if you know all these concepts about patterns, positioning, movement, etc, if you don't have solid aim or can't execute, then you will still struggle (this is my life right now). So, the best way to do this is to practice and not give up.

What should I use: First, use what you are comfortable with. You could try picking up the meta weapons (.96 deco, .52 gal, tentatek, etc.) but if you aren't comfortable with them then you won't win. You will have success with a weapon that you know; its limitations and strengths, its range and strategies. That being said, longer range weapons are typically the better performers. The Tentatek/Octoshot and the .52 Gal are generally considered the best jack-of-all trades weapons, and if you haven't already, I'd start with one of those. They are mid-range, but do just about everything. If you want a longer range weapon you could try the .96 deco, the forge pro, or the dual squelcher. The trick with these longer range weapons is to really use their range as you might be in trouble if people close in on you. The advantage is that you can often just sit back and splat people or push the objective from afar.

Good luck!

 

[memk]

Thank you all for your helpful tips

EDIT: And thanks to all your helpful tips I am now at A 30 after 7 straight wins

EDIT: now im A+ lol

 

[16bitdave]

Pray to sweet baby jesus and hope for the best