In this guide I will explain the basics and some tips with advanced techniques to be a pro at brawlball.
Other Brawlhalla Guides:
What is Brawlball?
All credit goes to Edrick Musico!
Brawlball is a very cool minigame that was released on brawlhalla beta. This gamemode never recieved the love it deserved, because it is extremely fun but no one plays it at all. Usually, when people play brawlball there are 2 teams which can go from 1 to 4 people each (usually 2). The main objective is to get the ball to the other side of the map, where the base of the other team is located.
The ball must be held by a person for about a second while standing on the opposite zone in order to score a point. The opposite team can attack the offensive in this time, leading to the lose the ball and geting 0 points.
Most of the times people score having a runner and a center to defend the path, but we will discuss that topic in the positions section. Now that you know the basics of this game. time to get started.
Positions
Like every team sport, there are several positions the members have to fill in order to have a good performance. Brawlball is a very versatile game which requires a lot of individual skills for reading movements. We can separate the players in 4 different categories:
The runner: Everyone’s favorite position, the runner is the person who will score most points, bypassing the defenses of the opposite team with elegant and fast movements. They are the fastest characters in the game in most of the cases, like Lucien and Hattori. A good runner doesn’t pick a weapon unless he is going to throw it, they must have reading and dodgin abilities in order to score, and the skill to catch passes and perform a quick followup is also vital for having an ideal runner. This position would be the equal to a running back in real football.
The defense: No one likes to play this position at all, because it is the least exciting one. However, this is one of the most important positions and the player who has to be the most reliable. This player has to carry in his back the weight of not letting the other team score by all matters, he is the pillar of the group and if he fails at his job, it will cause a huge cheer drop. They concentrate on defending their zone, and they don’t participate on the offensive, usually at the middle of the stage to prevent a counterattack. Eventhough fast characters can also perform well at defending, the ones with better sigs which can cover large areas are usually the ideal ones, such as Ada or Teros. Speed is also crucial sometimes when they have to prevent counterattacks. This would be the equal to a line man in real life football.
The center: A mixup of those, he focuses on opening the path for the runner by attacking and slowing down the defenses. They need to have good vision and good combo knowledge for more effectiveness. The center defends and attacks, he can score if the runner is struggling and he can also return fast to defend. Usually, center players are characters with balanced stats such as Bodvar or Ragnir, they have to do more things than the rest of the team. They are like the support of their team. This position would be the equal of a tight end.
The quarterback: Specialists on passing, they have a wide knowledge of every pass that can be executed on this minigame (which we will see later). Quarterbacks have a great accuracy and aim, in order to give the best pass possible to the runner and center. They usually operate at their side of the court, but sometimes they can participate on the offensive if it’s necessary by giving short passes to his teammates. Pretty much every character could be a quarterback, but I recomend the ones with high speed or strength (since they can perform as centers too). Needless to say, these are based on real life quarterbacks.
These are the 4 basic positions. There are some hybrids, but these are the ones who add up to create other ones such as wide receivers or corner backs. By now, this is everything you need to know about positions, and it is up to everytime how do they decide to run their lineup considering skills, playstyles and number of players.
Characters I recommend
Hattori: She specially exceeds at this game because of her high speed (8) which is the highest on brawlhalla. Speed is crucial, and thanks to her weapon set she can be an excellent defender with her spear and down sig, and a perfect center because of all her comboing potential. I can say without fear of mistake that she is among the best bball character choices.
Lucien: He is excellent because of his high speed, making him a good running back sharing the record for highest speed with hattori. However, he isn’t as good as Hattori on other positions. His weapon set helps him to get the ball fast by attacking the enemies, so he is almost equal to Hattori as a center. His defense is solid if timed properly witih guns signatures and katars neutral sig.
Asuri: She is one of the best rounded characters, with her high speed and dexterity she excels at everything. Her set of weapons makes her an excellent center and one of the best of the entire game. Her sigs are excellent for defending and making space for the runner to get in and score.
Brynn: Best defender in game, her weapon set makes her cover a huge portion of the score zone. Her rounded stats and high speed make her the perfect character for being a quarterback. since she can run fast and return fast to defend with her huge coverages. Her sigs are so good for stopping dodges inside her, since they have a ♥♥♥on of active frames. One of the best choices for passive gamestyle.
Ragnir: His balanced stats and weapon set makes him ideal for a quarterback, defense or center. His sigs are ideal for defending and catching the opponent by surprise. He isn’t anything excellent, but he is solid and consistent and can support well if used properly.
Vraxx: His only reason to be here is that his sigs are among the best for spacing and giving chance to the runner to get in and score. both of his side sigs have a lot of force and can grant an easy point if used properly. His high dexterity and decent speed makes him a worthy center.
Orion: He is kind of tricky. He got balanced stats and his sigs can be extremely good or worthless depending on the wielder. I found both of his dsigs ideal for defending. His lance side sig can get the point for the runner by opening a spot using the force. bot his neutral sigs can be great anti airs. The only downgrade of this is that they have a huge recovery time, so if missed and Orion being the last line of defense can make the easiest point for the other team.
Queen nai: She isn’t a good runner. Her only task is to stop other people from scoring at all costs. She got the weapons and the signatures to do so, since each of them are reliable for stopping people from getting in the zone. His weapon set is also ideal. Her big flaw is her terrible speed and dex, so she needs to have very good reads since she got the same problem as orion. Her stats suggest her to strictly stay at her side of the stage.
The rest of legends can also be used if enough practice is put on them, but the ones I listed before are the ones I consider ideal for a competitive tier.
Some Position Tips
Each position has a crucial role in order to make the team succeed. If you want to help your team as much as possible, it is key for you to know at least some of these tips if you want to imrpove your performance.
Tips for the runner:
As we stated before, runners need good dodging skills. WIth chain dodging, Runners have won a more versatile way for fighting, and have became more annoying too. Check out these if you wanna become the new Sena Koboyakawa of your team:
Never pick up weapons: A runner should never pick up weapons, since the only thing they want to pick up is the ball rather than a sword or guns. The only case where this is acceptable is if you are going to throw it so you gain some space to get yourself into the scoring zone.
Always look for the ball: You are nothing if you aren’t holding the ball, so always be aware if someone loses it so you gain fast possession of it and pull of a killing counterattack.
Preserve your dodge: The most difficult part of being a runner is the time where you have to get over that barrier that is blocking your way and go in a straight diagonal line into the goal which tends to be full of defenses. Remember you only have an aerial dodge every 3 seconds, so you may want to keep it until it’s use is completely necessary.
Jump when you want to score: Alright, you have managed to get yourself into the scoring zone. Now you just have to wait around a second to gain that point for your team. It sounds very easy, but one of the most skill taking action of the entire game is to get that whole second inside the zone without injuries. Most people jump when they are on the zone, so the defenses attack and dodge by jumping.
Be unpredictable: Doing faints and changing pace is key for a runner. Using direction changes desarticles the defense usually leading to a point, so try to use fakes and dodges to make yourself a spot into the goal.
Always be there for your quarterback: If your team get’s a succed defense and you get back the ball, you already have to be on the other side of the court so your quarterback passes you the ball and gets a sweet point. Most of the times if done correctly you will get a 1v1 against a defender which you have high odds of winning depending on how good you play your cards.
Tips for the defense:
Never leave your spot: When I mean never, it’s never. You are the last man, the last barricade the opposite team needs to get through in order to score. It’s not an easy task, and it’s pretty obvious the fact that you are crucial. Always remember that.
Use your signatures: A lot of defensive play comes from signatures as they cover large areas and can launch opponents far away. Regardless of who you pick there are some signatures that are best suited for this ask than others, try to identify them and apply them when it is needed.
Be prepared for a counterattack: If you succesfully stopped the opposite team, chances are the ball will be free for anyone to pick up. If your runner isn’t there to grab it you might want to do it quickly and throw a large pass to him.
Get the weapon at the start: You are the one who must get the weapon at your base, since you are gonna defend with your signatures.
Tips for the center:
You are the support: You will support your team by attacking the enemies and letting your runner pass through the defense.
Learn to infiltrate: Knowing the right spot and right time to enter and do a powerful move or show up for knocking the other team with a big combo can make the difference on whether getting the point or not.
If you lose possession, do not go back but try to retake it: Do not go back, even if it seems like the best team, trying to take the ball from their hands just at the time they got it can be sturding and cause them confuse and make a mistake, besides it will get you time for your runner to get back or even aid you as well.
Be ware of your surroundings: It is pretty self explanatory, but enemies can take the ball from you if you are not focuse!
Tips for the quarterback:
Organize the team: You are the leader, you tell them where to move. You will be the one making the plays and leading your team to the scoring spot. Do not hesistate in ordering them where to go, someone’s got to do that, and you are the most capable.
Learn the techs: There are some special techs for passing that will make your offensive richer in diversity, such as the wormhole pass which consists on throwing the ball upwards, doing a recovery and then spending your jumps and dodge jumping forward so you can get to be at the middle of the stage, and launch a 45 degree pass to the bottom right which will not only be fast but is directed to the scoring area.
Learn to position: You gotta be wherever they need you, whether it is to help the offense or aid the defender if he is having a hard time, you always gotta be there and you gotta be the fastest to reach that place. Prediction is a huge deal on this situations and being one step above your opponent can be the winning factor.
You can also run: If no open routes are available you can always run the ball by yourself, until your runner gets closer and you force an aperture.
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