Overview
In this guide I will detail some of the core principles of reflex & how you can apply them to your own game.After reading this guide you will have a solid foundation to build upon & improve.If you follow all of the points in this guide, you will go from a clueless noob, to a competent dueler in no time.
Introduction
When you first start reflex, it can be a very overwhelming & daunting experience. I know from my own experiences, getting routinely stomped 30-0 for months on end was rough… The biggest obstacle I found however, wasn’t grasping the weapons or movement, but instead I couldn’t find the knowledge I needed, to improve my game.
I was stuck, I was lost… I knew I was doing something wrong but what exactly was I doing wrong? More importantly, what SHOULD have I been doing? I couldn’t find this information anywhere.
Nobody has fun being stomped… We all share that same drive to be better, to improve our game… BUT WHERE do you find this secret knowledge to git gud?
It can be very hard finding out what to do/what not to do… you end up learning the long and hard way, purely through experience.
This guide aims to help new players gain & learn the skills they need to become a better player in reflex.
Constantly pressure your opponent
Try to deal damage to your opponent at every opportunity. There is 0 benefit from dealing 100 damage to your opponent, if you hide whilst they pick up health and armour.
A general rule of thumb is your opponent wont have more than 300 stack (stack = total health & armour) so try to deal 200+ damage every 30 seconds or so.
Remeber Reflex is a game all about damage, if you aren’t constantly damaging your opponent, you will find it very dfficult to win the game.
Get a Weapon first, Armour second
Do not get an item (red armour/yellow/mega health) unless you have a good weapon to defend yourself with.
There is no point jumping on a red armour, only for your opponent to blow you away in 3 seconds, whilst you fire hopelessly away at them with your burst gun.
The rocket launcher is definately the best weapon to defend yourself with, however other weapons can be equally as usefull in the right situation.
Think about what you are doing
Have a goal driven playstyle. Do not mindlessly rush your opponent, or hide in fear the entire game. GET INVOLVED! Challenge the armours, punish item pickups & most importantly have a goal in mind throughout the entire game.
You got a rocket launcher? great now you can attack the red. Opponent gets the red? get into position to take/deal damage on the next item! DO THIS ALL GAME.
This is the most crucial lesson a beginner can learn. You can have the best aim & movement the world has ever seen, but if you don’t THINK about what you want to do, you will never improve.
A turned back is an easy target
Only turn and run if you are DESPERATE to stay alive. Walking backwards and dealing damage to your opponent is a MUCH better option.
If you ever turn and run, it’s basically telling your opponent “i’m an easy frag, come and get it”.
This also ties into the first point, if you turn your back, you can’t deal damage, therefore you can’t pressure your opponent.
If you are going to die, rather than turning and running (dealing no damage atall) try to deal as much damage to your opponent as possible.
This will give you a better chance at regaining control in the near future, since your opponent will have less health & armour.
There is more to aim than mouse control
Struggling with aim? PRO TIP. Focus on where the opponent is going, rather than where you are aiming (you don’t look at your hands when trying to catch a ball).
Another thing to add, aim is half mouse control, half positioning. You can easily deal more damage with the rocket launcher if you have a height advantage.
PRO TIP number 2! Use the A & D keys to help you aim when using the ion cannon.
Focusing on where the opponent is going, & anticipating their movements is crucial to being effective with your aim. The way the reflex movement system is, and how fast players can move, they are rarely stood still. So prediction & anticipation will help your aim much more than mouse control will.
A stolen armour can loose you the game
Prioritise getting/denying the armours rather than chasing for frags. If you control the map well, the frags will come naturally. If you chase for the frag too much, the opponent can get a free armour, they can then use that armour to break your control, and turn the game in their favour.
Reflex is so fast & the maps (generally) are small enough that you cant avoid your opponent forever. Keep going for the armours instead of the frag, and your opponent will make a mistake, and more often than not… walk straight into your path.
Starve your opponent of resources
Almost always deny the armours from your opponent. (you can leave them up as bait or anticipate a fight there and leave it up so you can fall back on it, but this is for more advanced players)
If you find yourself stood on top of an armour and you can’t pick it up, (because you have too much armour already) as quick as you can blast yourself with the rocket launcher and take that armour.
It is always better to deny the armour from your opponent since it only takes 1 yellow/red and the opponent can use that to regain control.
Consistent rockets
Aim for the feet with the rocket launcher! 100 damage rockets are nice, but consistent 50+ damage rockets are even better.
When you do pop somebody up in the air, go for the direct rocket! And don’t hesitate! Do it with speed and aggression! That extra 100 damage could really turn the fight in your favour.
I would also add, speed and aggression with the rocket launcher makes you a much more deadly opponent.
If you are slow with the rocket launcher you become very predictable (and vulnerable since you are not dealing damage), and your opponent can easily dodge your rockets.
On top of that, if you fire your rockets at the maximum fire rate, you become even more predictable! Since your opponent will know exactly when you are going to fire.
Make your opponent work for the frag
Only ever take a major fight if you have 250+ stack (stack = total health & armour). A major fight in general is where control is split (you are both even on stack) and you decide to go all or nothing and attack your opponent.
If you win you have the ability to gain full control, if you loose you could loose control completely.
If you dont have a big stack, don’t take a major fight. Harass and avoid your opponent, try to spam items with weapons like the grenade & rocket launcher, or try to hit some bolts and run away.
A lot of people dont like this way of playing, but it’s a very effective way of dealing damage when out of control.
Remeber, never give anything away for free. Especially frags.
Practice securing the frag
Practice finishing off your opponent.
The main 3 weapons for finishing your opponent off are the Bolt Rifle, Ion Cannon & the Shotgun.
Now you might be thinking, “But when do I use the ion cannon rather than the bolt rifle? when do I use the shotgun rather than the ion cannon?”.
- Use the bolt rifle to finish opponents who are mid/long range
- Use the ion cannon to chase your opponent down if they’re running away.
- Finally you can use the shotgun to finish the opponent off if they are close range or you lack a bolt Rifle/ion Cannon.
- You can also use the shotgun at close range (to finish your opponent off) if you dont want to risk using the bolt rifle at close range due to the long reload time.
The ability to spawn frag is crucial
load a map offline, and study the spawns!
If you study the spawns, in some situations you can be virtually certain where you’re opponent will spawn.
Knowing this is crucial not only to come back from X frags down, but to also quickly gain a big lead on your opponent!
Closing Thoughts
It can be difficult at first, learning how to time items, learning how to use the weapons effectively & understanding how to move correctly… But once you have a good understanding of the basics of the game, the game really opens up and you will start to see it, and enjoy it in a different light.
Last, but definately not least… Have fun! Reflex is an amazingly fun, satisfying and very rewarding game! Have fun, best of luck to ya!