Guides

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb7L3jETuO0 Learn how to effectively play Brawlball. This video will teach you about the basics of Brawlball strategy and game mechanics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teP0Rp1wd48 This video showcases some of the used team compositions in Brawlball, along with some popular teams that use these strategies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDe1Sp2CGuM This video explains how a team should work together in order to efficiently attack or defend against the enemy team, as well as showing why sometimes light attacks can be more useful than signatures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utnxM7Yrdlw This video highlights the usecases and effective usage of Weaponthrows. **__Weapon throws__** Weapon throws in brawlball are very often used in both defense and offense. The stun time makes it so that it's actually very useful in a lot of situations. Here are some instances where this tactic can come in really handy: __Weapon Throws as defense__ When the enemy team is successful in their defense and performs a swift counter which makes it so that the enemy runner was able to make some distance from the defender, a timed weapon throw here as last resort will make sure the runner may get hit by it. This will create little, but crucial time to try to either go in defense position and defend the goal or steal the ball from the runner and perform a counter. __Weapon Throws as offense__ There are three common situations where weapon throws in the offense are used. 1. During a counter, as the runner is getting to the enemy side while far away from the enemy team. The job of the defender (and supporter in some situations) is to pin down the enemy supporter and defender (since they can weapon throw as well). There will be times that their attacks will be unable to reach them, so weapon throws to stun them for a short amount of time, in order to remove some distance, is a very useful tactic. 2. As supporter, weapon throws can be used during a clear. More specifically, this tactic is used to stun the opponents so they cannot perform their defense actions in their base. This can most of the time be followed by a quick attack. 3. As runner, weapons are almost never used (obviously) since that your hands should always be free to be able to take the ball. However, there are moments where a weapon throw can be useful. The stun time that the weapon throw causes, makes it so that it's a lot easier to attack the enemy runner and steal the ball.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fybDa6R3doU This video explains what you are supposed to do in a Brawlball match. Highlighting the individual roles each player fills in his team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uTLY-yp0Tc this video is a showcase of the different ways a player can pass the ball in Brawlball.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt7gLBMsh4M this video explains in depth how the Brawlball gamemode works and how it should be played.

**__The Defender__** The Defender usually does not go further than the pillar of the opposing team. he is responsible for stopping the opposing runners attempts of countering and scoring. __coverage__ while the defender is behind the pillar, he can still help the Runner and the Support by hitting enemies through the pillar. Attacks that are considered projectiles will not hit thorugh the pillar. https://i.imgur.com/hVlU5OM.png __Lock__ The Defender's job, while his team is attacking, is to keep as many opponents as possible away from his teammates and the enemy goal. This is usually accomplished by using true combos to keep them in hit stun, by using vertical/reversal attacks to make it harder for them to get back or by Knocking them out so they have to wait to be respawned. https://i.imgur.com/CO1zO0q.png __Midplay__ Midplay is usually done in two ways, either the defender plays more defensive and does not advance further than the center pillar while the teams are fighting in the middle, instead using displacement attacks like scythe nair or Nix blasters nsig in order to remove enemies from where they are supposed to be. https://i.imgur.com/KLr86uh.png The defender can also be more aggressive and charge in, trying to get as many opponents as possible into his attacks. This is usually done with attacks like lance sair or Lord Vraxx lance ssig. In both cases the Defender can heavily impact the outcome since he can fully focus on hitting the opponents and does not have to protect the Runner or run himself. Winning a team fight in the middle at worst gives your team the Ball or at best allows you to score a free goal. https://i.imgur.com/RTmcHEb.png __Attacking__ The Defender should always stay behind the pillar when their team is attacking the enemy goal, however there are certain situations where attacking as the defender isn't as risky as usual. If the opposing team has lost their runner, it is a good idea for the defender to go help out the Supporter in clearing the goal, but they have to remain careful to not engage too far into the goal zone. If a Defender plays more aggressive they can also go onto the pillar, in order to help keep opposing players from defending their goal by keeping the in the air. However the aggressive defender has to be extra careful in this case to not miss when the opposing runner is starting a counter attack. https://i.imgur.com/lrcNOq7.png A Defender can also stay in the middle instead and not advance up to the pillar in order to be in a positional advantage against an enemy counter attack. https://i.imgur.com/fllUJkW.png

**__The Supporter__** The Supporter is generally responsible to protect the runner from any attempts of the opponents to take the ball off of him. As well as clearing the goal so the Runner can score. __Clearing__ There are generally two ways to clear a goal, either with a big signature or with a true combo or string. Using big signatures like Lord Vraxx lance Ssig or Ada blasters Dsig can work very well but is also very easy to defend, since they are slow and can be avoided and punished. https://i.imgur.com/4R55921.png True combos or strings like spear Slight Dlight or axe Slight Dlight on the other hand are harder to defend because the starting attack is a light attack, which is way harder to react to and also harder to punish. The Supporter can also just use one light attack to clear the goal, this however is sometimes not enough, but it can be seen as some sort of a middle ground of using a big signature and a light attack combo. Leaving you less vulnerable after using it but also not incapacitating opponents that much. https://i.imgur.com/TZb4t6G.png __Mid play__ The Supporter wants to clear the way for the runner, this means he is normally either very close to him or slightly ahead or behind him. If ahead, his job is to carve out the runners way to the goal. This can be done especially well at the opposing pillar with attacks like spear recovery or axe recovery as they move the Support towards the pillar and keep him ahead of the Runner. https://i.imgur.com/sncino5.png If he is behind the Runner he can either use attacks like hammer Dair or scythe Nair to keep opponents from following the Runner or use attacks like blasters Slight or spear Sair in order to hit enemies away from afar that are closer to the Runner. https://i.imgur.com/8BRO4Gu.png However the Support has to keep in mind that he still has to clear the goal for the Runner so he should try to get over the pillar at the same time as the Runner as quickly as possible. __Attacking__ Generally there is two ways to get into the goal zone, one is using movement and dodges in order to avoid being hit back up over the pillar, the other is using attacks to stop the opponents from trying to hit him away. https://i.imgur.com/tEL8e1S.png Additionally the Supporter can play defensive or aggressive, aggressive Supporters try to go behind the enemies or into the goal zone fast in order to hit the opponents first so they cannot react or punish the incoming attacks. A defensive Supporter usually attacks from closer to the pillar, trying to remove defenders one by one, always ready to disengage if a counter happens. Both playstyles are viable in tournaments however and leave room for a lot of player expression and mix-ups.

__Runner__ The Runner plays unarmed and tries to ***pickup the ball as quickly as possible, keep it as long as possible and carry it as far as possible into the opponent's goal.*** It's his job to actually score goals or secure the Ball ***when his team is defending.*** __Grounded play__ Due to the Runners goal of not being hit, he wants to be ***fast and unpredictable***. In Brawlhalla there are a lot of movement options that he can use, however the Runner should try to be ***grounded as much as possible*** since then he has the most options available and is faster than in the air. When in the air he has to be careful not to waste his options otherwise his landing can easily be punished. __Passes__ When doing Double Runner or when trying to fake out your opponent, passes can be very helpful. Either passing to a teammate or to oneself can allow for more freedom and mix-ups. Passing can lead to easy goals if done correctly and opponents are far away from the goal but an unarmed teammate is at the opposing goal. Passing forward if an unarmed teammate is ahead can also be very beneficial, ***if that teammate is not preoccupied with supporting the Runner.*** Self-passes like throwing the ball up and using recovery, then catching the ball again to gain height can be a nice mix-up. Same with using bounces off the pillars or the ground to ***self-pass.*** __Underpass__ The Underpass ***(also referred to as 'Sharking')*** is a technique for runners to reach the goal from below the stage. It is ***generally a risky move and not that easy to execute*** but can also pay off immensely. alone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBw0xyVXo5c together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ801RzL0Qk __Mid-play__ The ***mid-play*** for the ***Runner*** is pretty simple. Use mix-ups like dodges, dashes and jumps in order to get to the Pillar. __Attacking__ When attacking, the Runner can either choose to instantly go in and try to score, lining the opposing ***Defenders*** up to be cleared by the ***Support***. Or try to wait for the Support by using mix-ups and***/or passing the platform above the goal***, until an opening in the goal is created. __Airpass__ The Airpass is a technique for runners to reach the opposite field when you have the ball at the beginning of the round. As well as the underpass is a risky move specially **at the beginning of the execution** and **at the end** of it due of the danger in the landing. However, in some occasions it can be a key move to **avoid all the chaos in the middle of the field** at the beginning of the round and if you catch the opposite team off guard, it could result in a direct goal. https://youtu.be/4mO3SEca59w

**__Defense__** when defending it is important to have team synergy, 2 players attacking the same person can already allow the opposing team to easily score a goal. https://i.imgur.com/aVLehnt.png __Defender:__ The Defender usually focuses on the enemy Runner, if the Ball is dropped by the opponent the Defender either tries to defend it or if they are the only person around the ball for a long time they should pick up the ball and either pass it to the runner or run with it themselves. https://i.imgur.com/aSNeoj7.png __Support__ The Support should try to stop or slow down the enemy support, since they are likely a bit behind their teams Defender they cant reach the runner. So stopping the enemy Support makes the most sense. https://i.imgur.com/FIFNorL.png __Runner__ The Runner should try to help the Defender hit the enemy Runner, but also be ready to pick up the ball as soon as it is dropped by the enemy Runner. If the Runner is alone they should pick up a weapon and try to defend by themselves to get the ball. https://i.imgur.com/HxkRtBv.png __Positional advantage__ when trying to defend it is generally optimal for the Runner to stay either on the platform or close to the pillar, in order to not be hit by the enemy Support and to be able to quickly grab the ball and initiate a counter attack. The Support should be pressuring the enemy Support from behind or close to the pillar to not be hit if the enemy Support uses a big Attack to clear the Goal. The Defender should chase the Runner and try to hit him as fast as possible, then try to keep him away from the ball. After the Runner has grabbed the ball in order to counter attack, the Defender should try to keep as many enemy players in his goal zone as possible to make it easier for the Runner and the Support to score. https://i.imgur.com/CcLy1jw.png

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ801RzL0Qk This video showcases some double runner strategies to complete a full underpass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBw0xyVXo5c This video showcases the ways a runner can do the underpass in Brawlball

**__The Usual Team composition__** Usually a team consists of one Runner, one Defender and one Supporter. This covers almost everything that's needed in order to succeed. **__Double Runner__** This team composition is often played by fast and aggressive teams that have a very strong Defender and a Supporter that can play the Runner position fairly well. It consists of a Defender, a Runner and a Supporter that dynamically switches to the Runner position when attacking. In this composition there are a lot of passes between the Runner and the Support/secondary Runner, additionally the secondary Runner usually stays close behind the primary Runner when attacking and going over the pillar in order to immediately catch the ball if the primary Runner gets hit. **__Dynamic Team composition__** This is a variation on the usual Team composition, where every player plays every role depending on where they are on the map and what state the game is in. Generally the unarmed person closest to the ball or closest to the enemy goal plays as the runner, while the player with a weapon closest to the enemy goal plays the Support and the player furthest away or the one controlling the most enemy players plays as the Defender. **__Unplayed/unexplored compositions__** Double Defender: In theory this would work in a way where the two Defenders would try to catch as many opposing players as possible in a team combo or on their own so the runner either can score alone or only has to score against one enemy. Triple commit: This is sometimes used in games but usually not as a composition for the entire match, here all 3 players go beyond the pillar and try to support for their Runner. Which usually ends in a counter goal so it is very risky and has to be done very carefully! Triple Run: Basically a Meme Comp, that is really fast but barely works. Here all members of the Team are unarmed and pass around each other in order to score fast.

___Ball Pickup___ Your reach to pick up the Ball is pretty wide. This lets you for example pick up the Ball when it spawns on the middle pillar by hugging the wall below without being on the platform. It also makes it very forgiving to catch or intercept a passed Ball. **The reach to pickup the grounded Ball behaves just like a weapon-spawn.** https://i.imgur.com/usKo2vT.jpeg ___Ball Reset___ Throwing out the ball on your side makes it respawn on your side. However, if you carry the ball into the blast-zone and get KO'd with it, it will respawn in the middle instead. __GC-Taunt__ While carrying the ball and trying to score in a goal, you can use a gravity cancel taunt in order to stay in the air for longer and to avoid landing punishes ___Platform cancel___ Like in stock you can platform cancel dashes and Dlights or Dsigs, this is important since platform cancelling dashes allows for immense speed when chasing or running. __Platform/Pillar Bug__ It can happen that by dodging into the red/blue Platform from the side or by being hit with attacks similar to scythe Nair or hammer Dair, a player gets clipped into the blue/red platform or pillar. This is very easy to escape from however, you can just walk out of the platform to the left or right and jump out of the pillar to the left or right. ___Resets___ Intentionally dying in order to reset your own damage back to 0, throw up the ball before entering the blast zone to delay its spawn. ___Super dash jump___ Dash off of a platform or stage and use an aerial jump right after dashing to gain the horizontal momentum of a dash and the vertical momentum of a aerial jump.

# Yumiko: Yumiko Hammer N-sig can hit grounded inside the enemy goal area, this while not being an amazing supporting tool due to the nature of a grabbing signature, can be used to surprise opponents without being punished by grounded enemies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FynjNDSD59U # Zuva: Zuva Hammer D-sig can consistently trap people in the platform inside the own goal area, this is a great way to remove one person from a defense situation for a few seconds or to stall a returning opponent. Hammer D-light from ontop of the platform can be used to further stall the trapped opponent as it covers a large area and has low knockback making it follow up into itself nicely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA3VBG7QeFI # Thor Thor uncharged Hammer D-sig while touching the pillar will hit grounded opponents in front of him. this is a great tool to cover a large area at the pillar, but be aware that it is quite easily dodged with a dash dodge and leaves thor stuck in active and recovery frames for quite a while. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaeC9hXVXaM

# Lance: Lance S-light can hit people backwards from behind the Pillar. This can be used by the defender to push people away from their goal zone and reduce the amount of opponents his teams Support and Runner have to deal with. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2hroU9yqkc # Vector: Slidecharging dsig ontop of the pillar platforms side that is closer to the center allows you to land on the center platform with a D-sig. While quite predictable and slow, failing it isn't too punishable as you either still get a D-sig just further away from the center or you stay back in a more defensive position. If succeeded it can almost always guarantee Center control or at worst good coverage for the team. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJg6mjEc1qA Slidecharging S-sig fully towards the center from one of the main stages allows you to use the grounded version on the center platform. While also pretty slow it can confuse opponents sometimes and functions as a high priority burst option that covers a lot of the center platform. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rykh3-rMwLc # Scarlet: Using N-sig directly at the pillar cancels a lot of its active and recovery frames. This compliments her rather slowly and predictable Lance D-sig pretty well as that is usually used to cover a large area while this can work as a quick close range or stacked option without having too much recovery frames or ending up in a bad position. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsqUXVpcsY8

# Sword: Inside the own goal area grounded D-light into gc N-light or gc S-light is true. This enables Sword to stall players much more consistently and keep runners from getting the ball. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QIFDkJXV8Q # Hattori: N-sig can hit grounded inside the enemy goal area. A good way to avoid grounded defense attempts and covering the air when your Runner hovers inside the goal for long. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwzS6bBugSI

# <https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/brawlhalla_gamepedia/images/7/75/SkinIcon_Reno_Classic.png Reno> The first 3 shots of N-sig can drag people back close to the enemy pillar while the last shot sends them diagonally up. this is a nice way of covering the pillar and at the same time pushing back opponents that try to defend too close to the Pillar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NumpcG4NGZ4 # Isaiah Depending on how far away Isaiah stands from the enemy Pillar he can control how high his drone's hitboxes on S-sig come out. this allows for great control and mix-ups, making it harder for the runner to escape with the ball as they have to guess how high the hitbox comes out. Additionally because the second part of the S-sig reaches a bit further through the Pillar it can be used to cover a second player that is trying to help the enemy Runner escape. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtpSOeMiPqg

# Mirage N-sig will still create all 3 spears even when up against a Wall and can create 3 stationary Spears instead of going forwards. Allowing the player to create a wall of hitboxes wherever there is a structure to N-sig against, it can also be used to only stack the last 2 spears on-top of each other if done far enough away from the wall. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-qEZCOLNXw # Seven Fire S-sig can get stuck on a ceiling allowing it to be much more stationary than when used on the ground. This lets her cover a big area for a while instead of going through the goal, however it only hits aerial opponents inside the goal area. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzVK5ZVDe4A

# Axe S-light N-light is a true combo in the own goal area, allowing for more stalling opportunities and letting you keep the enemy runner in stun for longer to stop him from recovering the ball. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK2-WXkakvc

# Ember Ember N-sig can pull people back when close to the enemy pillar. Not only is it a really big signature but this also allows for coverage behind the Pillar and pulling oppnonents out of their own goal area. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcjj33PakMQ # Diana N-sig if hit against the center pillar can push people down and through it. This lets her push people far down under the platform while getting a Chasedodge to reposition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQvbWBLYuQc # Zariel Zariel ssig hits people backwards off the wall when ending close to the pillar, letting him keep players away from following his own team through the Pillar without using Weaponthrows from range. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m0mdSlD5_o

# Caspian S-sig lets you phase through the enemy pillar from the enemy goals side if the enemy is standing inside it. This lets Caspian play much more aggressive as a defender since he could go in and push back through the wall by hitting an escaping player, even if the enemy team is using the double runner team composition. but it also lets Caspian help the defender quicker by not having to go over the enemy Pillar if a counter happens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5COriE-Yrs # Onyx D-sig can pull people back when close to the enemy pillar, still activating the second part of the D-sig but not hitting it on the pulled player. With this Onyx can both pull back an opponent and still cover the pillar again for her Runner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzIZdL8VqPw

# Scythe N-light S-light is a true combo in the own goal area. using that, Scythe can stall players for an even longer time and keep the runner from recovering the ball. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUDbXkFyJoA # Artemis S-sig can pull people back if used close to the enemy Pillar and true combo into reverse S-light or N-light. This lets Artemis pull players away from their own goal area and keep them away for a prolonged time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAj1Vl9xjTM

# Cannon At higher damages dlight nlight is a true combo in the own goal area. With this Cannon retains a great KO option in the goal area to remove the most dangerous player quickly if he is in higher damage ranges. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1fOSCIJCFY # Isaiah S-sig can pull back or hit upwards when close to the enemy pillar. While not having a lot of range, the S-sig can stay out for quite a while, posing a prolonged threat for anyone trying to get close to the pillar to avoid the Supports clearing attempts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGMhqVd_yzA # Lin Fei By using D-sig right as she touches the enemy pillar she can use the aerial version on the ground, if she uses D-sig a second later or before touching the enemy pillar it will come out as the grounded version. This may allow Lin fei to use whichever version she prefers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En6ke-dFsdE # Onyx S-sig will pull back when used close to the enemy pillar and if hit at close range not activate the 2nd part of the sig. Onyx can catch people off guard with a quick S-sig in close range and not be worried about recovery frames. While at the same time having a pull back Signature with decent range, in turn for longer recovery frames. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7kl97eo9VQ # Seven When using her N-sig against the top of the center pillar she can shoot both cannon explosions exactly at the same place. this is great for center or pillar coverage but can also create openings in the center when the enemy team is approaching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4bNr-i9p5g If she uses her S-sig without a dash she can charge it from the pillar and land in the goal area. letting her charge her Signature from a different position and enter the goal area in unique ways. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpq1fy2OIC8

# Orb S-light can pull people back if used close to the enemy pillar. This lets the Defender pull back anyone trying to escape or run to the Pillar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSvPnBZ34o4 # Thor S-sig will pull back when used close to the enemy Pillar, allowing for opponents to be pulled back and the pillar to be covered at the same time if a second player approaches. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKXIKVqvzNc # Red Raptor When using S-sig on the pillar if its used on the front half of the pillar it wont reach the center platform but when using it on the back half of the pillar it reaches the center platform. With this Red Raptor can completely cover the center platform while hovering slightly over the ground. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjVZcoWbDeQ

# Jaeyun D-sig closer to the enemy pillar has less range than a perfectly spaced grounded D-sig slightly further away from the pillar. The red line in the Image shows the center between the legends feet lined up with the dragon horns outline on the blue side and the front feet Lined up with tip of the Birds top feather. https://i.imgur.com/vIaoWB3.png https://i.imgur.com/HjWrBaZ.png https://youtu.be/kzH-n0x863Q

# Battle Boots By alternating active input S-light on either side of the enemy pillar two players can trap players in an infinite combo. This lets the Defender and Supporter trap any amount of opponents in a combo leading to very easy KOs and goals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zab2tszT8tY # Raptor N-sig can hit grounded in the enemy goal area while staying airborne. Since not many Signatures cover the ground from above it can surprise opposing defenders and avoid some common defensive plays. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JTy8DxeIa8 # Thea When using S-sig on either side of the center platform, not on the Pillar itself, towards the middle Thea will stop just before crossing the center but the Hitboxes will travel forwards normally. This gives Thea a much needed ranged option in the center. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xJ-h-ly8WQ

# Chakram When using S-light right at the Pillar it will hit opponents backwards in one hit instead of pulling them all back with the animation, in order to pull them back normally you have to stand a bit away from the pillar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dvi1O_odpc