How To Bite A Res Node

[Lito]

So you're muching on that RT, helping the team out. A marine comes near on the other side of the hallway, but you don't worry, you're protected by being behind the resnode. Thats what you thought until he pistolwhips you from across the hall.

There is a safe way to bite the res node:

Step 1: Pick the best angle. The best angle is the angle that is 180 degrees from where the marine is most likely to come from.

Step 2: Get in the body of the res node. That is, the main big fat part, near the top. You'll know you're in it because you can then see right through the res node. Make sure you're in the correct position then start biting now.

Step 3: While you're biting, this is the important part, Move to the left or right EXTREMELY slightly ONCE.

What does this do?

->When you position yourself at a 180 degree angle from the marine, the res node's hitbox blocks the marine's fire. This forces the marine to come VERY close in order to register any hits on you, in which case it is to your advantage.

->Even though you can crawl into it, the body of the resnode does have a hitbox, and will block bullets. Once in it, you can also see through it, giving you a visual advantage as well.

->Once in position in the body of the res node, moving slighty to the left or right causes you to turn SIDEWAYS. This allows your body to be completely covered by the res node, yet makes no difference to what you see.

You'll find yourself a bit slow getting into position at first, but once you practice, you'll be able to take down res nodes without fear of being pistoled from miles away.

Okay.  Here we have the Horseshoe node on ns_eclipse.  There is the skulk trying to kill it incorrectly.

nodebiting1

This is an example of the '180-degree' angle bit.  The red box indicates the direction of the marine if he was coming from Maintenance Hive.  The red X indicates where you should be.  The blue box indicates the direction of the marine if he were coming from marine start.  The blue x indicates where you should be in this case.

nodebiting2

The skulk gets up into the body.  The 'body' i was talking about is outlined in red here.  He is turned sideways for maximum coverage.  If he didn't, chances are some parts might stick out from the top or bottom, which are exposed to fire.

nodebiting3

Heres a look at a different angle

nodebiting4

Now lets take a look as if I were the marine, walking up trying to save the node.  You cannot see the skulk.  He is completely hidden.  In the game you could hear him bitting.  Proof that he is still there is the map in the upper right, clearly showing a skulk on that node.  There is no way to harm him from this angle

nodebiting5

I moved closer and to the right a bit.  Now I can see him.  I try to pick him off.  The third picture is a picture from the skulks point of view.  See how he can see me very well as I try to pick him off.  

nodebiting6

nodebiting7

nodebiting8

No blood.

nodebiting9

Lets try it when i'm this close at this angle.  Here a look from the skulk POV, too.  He is VERY close.  In fact, you could go out there right now and try to kill him, but he can't hurt you from there, so its better to wait.

nodebiting10

nodebiting11

Still no blood.

nodebiting12

Finally, If I shoot him from this angle, I see blood!  You can shoot him from here! But take a look at the map.  Look how close I am.  That is prime owning position for the skulk.

nodebiting13

Thanks to Sonic for help with the screenshots.

[GrayDuck]

hmmm... good advice albeit taking advantage a little bit.  I have more to add to it though.

When >1 skulk is chomping on a rt, pick a place to chomp and stay there.  The rt is the one place that skulks bite me ALL THE LIVE LONG DAY.  It is incredibly annoying, skulks who chew and rock back and fourth, or are pressing ‘forward’ while chomping so when the rt goes away they move and get a couple good chomps on you.

[Lito]

to avoid that, just bite in a different direction.  The 'neck' of the res node isn't the only place where it can be bitten.

[Quaunaut]

Thanks, this will be very useful

[Necrosis]

Hitbox "benefits" are handy especially when you're taking down tfacs.



I'd like to hear from Seth or whoever else has managed to learn a way to bite nodes with FF on and not hit a friendly skulk. I usually crawl up to the RT so that I'm at long range, but I've seen people be virtually stacked and neither has damaged the other.

VERY handy skill when FF is on.

[That Annoying Kid]

Lito that was an excellent, informative, well thought out post


^__^

[Diablus]

I think every skulk I have seen knows how to bite res nodes

As for me, i go in deep so i can see through the Res Node model, and wherever the marine goes, i hold down "walk" and shift over in the other direction, PURE RES NODE PWNAGE :ph34r:

and sicne Lm uses FF if i do end up dying 2 clips over i at least know  at least 1 clip and a whole lota bites went into that rt.

[Lito]

bumped for screenies, check first post.

[CorvusX]

Wow, nice Lito :lol:

I'd like to hear from Seth or whoever else has managed to learn a way to bite nodes with FF on and not hit a friendly skulk. I usually crawl up to the RT so that I'm at long range, but I've seen people be virtually stacked and neither has damaged the other.

I'm not Seth.. but to do it:

Get the skulks up close to it, and aim straight up.  You'll be able to bite it, but won't bite the other skulks in the process (unless they jump where you're biting, which shouldn't happen).  At least thats how I do it  ^_^

[BobTheJanitor]

Also not Seth. To avoid hitting teammates:

1. Don't charge in like an idiot. This can't be overstated. So many people will just run madly into the res node (where a skulk is already chomping away) and either bite the player already there, OR (this is favorite) get bitten and proceed to yell "OMG NOOB TK BAN MONKEY FISHNUTS!" Approach SLOWLY, trying a few test bites to see if they connect (you get the obvious sparks). You don't have to hump the node to kill it. Just being near it works well enough.  Looking up, as mentioned, is the easiest way. Skulk bite has a small range in front of it, and a slight bit off to the sides. Looking up makes it easier to keep the cone of attack from overlapping a friendly.

2. Don't try to pack every skulk on the team onto one node. If there's ALREADY three skulks on it, it'll be down so fast that you shouldering in and chomping everyone's backsides isn't going to help anything. (This goes for you pushy onos too. Your wacky knockback bugs aren't funny after the first 500 times, and punting skulks off of res nodes is just in poor taste if there's already more than one skulk there. Let skulks do what they can, you go stomp a heavy or something.)

3. Be polite and attentive. If you're already on the node and another skulk comes to help, don't keep humping the node. Pull back and sit on the ground. If two skulks are on a node and a third comes, adjust yourselves to make room for him to help as well. Also, if you want to be especially polite, let the guy who did the bulk of the chewing get the points for the node kill. Even though points don't mean a whole lot, it's still nice to get some pseudo-reward for sitting around chewing a node forever. Having some skulk scuttle along and get the last lucky bite that kills it isn't very nice. When the node loses its last red bar, just pull back and let the first skulk put the last few bites on it. (Be smart about this. Obviously you don't do this when you're chewing an important structure in MS or in a siege base)

[SwiftSpear]

Stupid Lito, I've been using that trick for ages, and now everyone else will know and be just as good as me  :angry:

[Necrosis]

Aim up then? Sweet.



Have to implement this on my games tonight.

Just to echo an earlier post, you higher evos, if the structure is nonessential, leave it to the skulks and gorges NEAR you. If noone's near you, fire away. If you let a gorge bb a node then he gets a little res and can drop hives/chambers/rts. If you nab the extra res, it'll make no difference to you as you're a fade - while the gorge is being noncom and dropping the goodies, you're mashing rines and earning huge rfk. Think about the little guy. Ditto you Onos out there.

If its skulk and gorge, help out and then let the first guy get the kills. Tho I have to say, usually as skulk I always let the gorge get the kill - he'll spend that res for the team AND he's already a gorge.. he'll not use up 10 res going gorge before he can drop anything.

[SwiftSpear]

Necrosis, structures don't give res for kill...

[Necrosis]

Gah, I meant the points bonus.

Meh I shouldn't really post at 4 am my time.

[Malevolent]

That is come good advice there, Lito. I'll try it out today.

[Wiggles]

I just tried it on the server, and it works well. Thanks lito  

[Cartman2b]

Nice Lito. Very nice ^_^

[Necrosis]

It works, but because the marine needs to be so close range, I have to listen more. Need to find the balance between safe biting and how I can see through the node.

[Mr.Bill]

psssh, everyone comm knows the only reason you send marines to save a rt is to buy time so that it can elec.