In general advice

(You can always comment if there is something you want me to cover in this topic)
Well, if you want to tryhard to be in high ranks, you MUST practice close combat/catching tackling(dashing to opponent to drop their ball). Know your dash range, know timings to perfect catch up to overcharge 4.

If you are a causal, you can also just learn by playing for fun but it will take longer time.

Nonetheless my fakes/feints part of the guide will help everyone for sure.

Simple tricks and their counterplays

 

Simple tricks

 

Passing
Pass to me! Pass to me!
Anyway, it is really important (especially in lower leagues or in close ranks) most people can’t even catch overcharge 1 balls. (It cannot overcharge a ball more than tier 1 oc, but it will keep it’s current tier)

“Ultimate Ball” (Throwing your teammate with full charge)

This is a very efficent strategy to use if your enemy is not very well, you can utilize rooftops or jumppads to bounce off and surprise your opponents. In some maps you can even spend 3-4 seconds in rooftops bouncing and then performing a surprise landing on the otherside.
Note that you will be vulnerable after landing, if you think you can’t score a KO try to land in a safe position, or behind the enemy lines to receive a pass or a surprise attack.

(If the enemy plays well, you will simply give away a point)

Counterplay:
Throw a Ultimate Ball right after enemy does (1 second), and make sure your Ultimate Ball lands on theirs, free KO.
OR; grab a teammate and stay near but not so close to enemy ultimate ball, and throw your teammate as soon as enemy ball lands, this will also give you a free KO.

Tackle! (dodge/dash onto the enemy)

Most important close range trick, you should do this to disarm enemy from the ball and get the ball yourself (by simply double jumping after it, press E/Q when you start to fall from your jump for maximum height)

Counterplay:
Putting a distance with a enemy, preferably get close but not in the enemies tackle range. As soon as they try to tackle you, jump back and throw a ball. Some players tend to catch right after they miss a tackle, so first press F to fake them after their miserable dodge, then throw it.

Zoning (1 v 1) (When you have the ball and they don’t.)

DO NOT THROW THE BALL UNTIL THEY MAKE A MISTAKE OR YOU ARE SURE THE BALL WILL HIT. (or you can slowball it as listed in my feints, feint 3. It is almost an all in)
Charge the ball, move toward the enemy and spam F Q E, if they press “catch”, shoot it at them. If they fail a tackle, shoot it at them. Don’t throw it unless any of those scenerios happen.)

(In lower ranks you can throw it away, doesn’t matter much, but in higher ranks people will 100% catch it, slowballing it might work though.)

Counterplay:
Well.. this basically doesn’t have a counterplay if your opponent is better than you, you should always have a ball for that, don’t throw your ball unless you can get a new one. Playing well is the key, being able to catching balls/tackling enemy at the right time is the key. Practice point-blank range throws.

Situational Tricks

 

Being backripped
LISTEN TO THE BALL. You can tell it’s distance and it’s speed. (If it is overcharged and you know that you might try to catch it, because it might hit you during your dodge’s windup)
If you aren’t sure where the ball is OR it’s speed, just dodge it. Don’t try to catch it, you can always pick it up later. If you think it is a slowball, turn your back and try to perfect catch it. Or If you think it is a fastball you might try to turn back and catch it immediately. BUT if it ends up being a slowball instead, you will take the slowball to the face at the end of your catch animation.

Counterplay: (Backripping)
If you are in middle-long distance try to throw the ball slowly, so if the enemy is greedy and tries to turn around and catch right away they will be hit.

In close range, try to throw the balls right away with charges, if you charge the ball while looking at a wall (So the enemy only gets red indicator when you throw the ball, not while you are charging it), then shoot the charged ball to a enemy from their back, it is most likely a KO/hit. (Especially when you had just received a pass.)

Being outnumbered (only when you are alone 1 v 2and 1 v 3)

If the enemy is shooting in a sync;
Please do not try to catch the ball, if you catch one the other ball might hit you (even if you perfect catch the first you can catch the other but no need to risk it.) Just dodge it. please.
If you have dodged all balls but 1, perfect catch it and try to implement my “feint 2”. (go to feints section)

If they are not shooting in a sync
Try to catch every ball, then try to shoot them in different owners, especially against those who are not fighting with you (In a 1 v 2,try to shoot it at the 3rd guy..)
If there is a ball coming at you when you are throwing, try not to take damage do not try to damage them, so focus on catching it instead of throwing your ball.
REMEMBER not taking damage> damaging

Counterplay: (while you are outnumbering them ) (for 3 v2 try to spread like 2 v 1 and 1 v 1, 1 v 1 should only focus on surviving)
Throwing at the right time is the key, if it is played well you CAN NEVER lose a outnumbered situation. For example if you time your balls one hits 0.2 secs after the other does, enemy can do nothing but dodge. You can simply have 2x overcharge 1 balls (just pass), and watch for enemies movements, throw one, if the enemy dodges shoot the other one for a guaranteed hit, if the enemy catches next time shoot both of them in a sync.)

Caught enemy brawler
Cage ball , or just caught doesn’t matter. Try to throw them to out of bounds, many maps has oppurtinities for those, edges or some specific places.
If you are sure to hit a player with enemy brawler much better! Do it while you are next to a ball, the brawler will be stunned after being thrown, so hit a ball to them as well!
If the caught brawler has a heart, throw it to ground while there is a ball next to you, and hit them with a ball while they are stunned.
NEVER EVER TRY TO THROW THEM OUT OF BOUNDS WHILE LOOKING UP, THEY WILL GLIDE BACK.

More 1 v 1 tricks
Always carry a ball. ALWAYS. If you can’t receive a new one just don’t throw it. Seriously don’t.
Or you will be zoned out to receive a guaranteed hit.
Try to be at high ground/behind the walls (so you can aim on the enemy while they can’t on you), if they are walking towards you simply surprise them by jumping off the wall and throwing it right away (if in point-blank range), otherwise you can simply charge the ball and aim at them, while they can’t aim at you.

Always try to arrive at the ball that which zone shrinks, if enemy has no ball, try throwing all balls away except one, and use that one to zone your opponent. (see zoning part above)
You might try to slowball an overcharged ball (e shot if too close, so it takes more time arriving at opponent in case their muscle memory thinks it is an overcharged ball coming in the way and catches the air :3)

Tip
After hitting an enemy in close range, try to double jump and get your ball right away, then you might IMMEDIATELY e shot it ,if the enemy is under you it will hit them from their rear and they cannot catch it.
(Same after dashing to each other and both being stunned)

Special Ball Tricks

EXPLOSIIIVE BOMB BALL!
EKSPUROSIIOOON, ALMOST A GUARANTEED HIT!

In mid-mid low range (Half the range of hideout bot’s range for reference), it is a guaranteed hit. (even if they dodge/catch because it explodes infront of them if timed well!)
It explodes around 8.5 secs after PICKING UP, so try to throw them at 7.5 seconds, precisely when it changes sound to the last tier practice it and you will understand what I mean. Practice this for other distances as well (adding or substracting 0.1-0.4 secs depending on the distance), if they catch it it will blow in their hand, if they try to dodge it it will still blow so close to the opponent for a guaranteed hit as well.

It also explodes 0.5 secs after colliding with terrain, so you might try to pass it NEXT TO your opponent, they can’t react to it. (Pass because if you try to normal shoot it , it will auto-aim towards your enemy)

KAMIKAZE (one for one is always worth when you are ahead, because if you guys get one point each and so on, you will win.)
Just grab the ball and run next to enemy at the very last 3 seconds, so even if they tackle you they will get damage while pushing you out of explosion area, if they don’t tackle, you both will take damage. (Can be effective if you are on 2 heart and enemy is on 1, or when your team’s point is 9 and they are less than 8)

Counterplay:
Idk lmao. Jk jk.
Only thing to do is running at your opponent so they also take damage, since it is guaranteed for you to take damage if the enemy plays well.
IF the enemy doesn’t play that good, just take the ball from them by tackling or catching, then use the strategy above.

Cancer Ball(Sniper Ball)
You can always shoot this straight, requires a line of sight. (You can’t Q-E shoot it)

Most people tends to catch when you press F While aiming with it, this is kind of a support ball. Try to support group fights with it as a flanker from their rear or higher ground. Otherwise it is kind of fairly easy to get behind a wall by dodging. (Since it cannot go around the walls)
DO NOT THROW IT RIGHT AWAY AFTER PRESSING F, EVEN IF THEY GET FAKED, THE CATCH ANIMATION IS TOO LONG FOR THIS BALL’S SPEED, IT WILL BE ENOUGH FOR THEM TO CATCH IT.

Counterplay;
You can throw a ultimate ball at them to interrupt their channel, or even just a normal ball since they have to catch/dodge it, if it is so slow they might just still shoot at you though.
Or simply go behind a wall and yell for help.

Multi Ball
If you are approaching them from enemies behind, try to charge the ball while looking at a wall, then shoot it at the enemy, then spam the rest with Q-E or E E, most likely to hit at least one.
(Because if they catch one, they might assume others are just as fast because muscle memory. And they get 2 of them hit in the face, if they dodge the first or second third is most likely to hit)
(Note that if you perfect catch a ball, catch cooldown is near 0, and a good player can perfect catch all 3 of them.)
Or you can simply spam them at point-blank range. For real. do it. it works idk why
(You can wait at a corner and spam them to an unsuspecting enemy)

Counter play:
Just be careful of your surroundings. or if the enemy is way too close just tackle them.
Or if they are far away, easy dodge. And probably a free catch for 3rd one if they are spamming.
(Or try to practice it with a friends for a triple perfect catch, which is slightly greedy and risky. But you can’t dodge at very close range so only thing to do if can’t tackle them, because you’d get hit during your dodge’s windup)

Fakes/Feints (Screenshots/Gifs will be provided for them later)

Most of them works very well in 1 v 1 , for teaming second and forth one area good.

Counterplays: (In general) DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR OPPONENTS HANDS LISTEN TO THE BALL. Easy. Practice that. You can tell how/where is the ball coming from as well. Try to catch accordingly. For being safe mid+ range just dodge away as soon as the ball leaves their hand. (doesn’t matter if it is a slowball feint, or just a fast ball)
Don’t try to dodge to a wall, you will get stunned and remain stationary for a free hit 🙁 (30% of my deaths)

Feint 1: Just F.
o7 Respecc, jk it’s the F key for real.
While the ball is charged (doesn’t have to be overcharged) Just press F, you can do it during E or Q for more confusion, especially works well in close range or after their failed dodge/tackle.
You might force a catch for a free hit. (If the enemy is close don’t throw it right after their catch, animation might be long enough for them to catch it, if you do it slowly they will recover their catch and catch it as well.)
If you think you can’t make it in time, after their catch F them again 99% of the time people will catch again because they will think “my catch failed, so they will throw a ball at me”. Do not do this more than 2 times against a single person or they might tackle you knowing second time is the bait.
Useless as long/mid range because they will recover their dodge/catch cooldowns untill ball has arrived. Unless ball is supercharged.(Overcharge 3+)

Feint 2: Swapping targets
You are my target! Ah.. He was!
Charge a ball while aiming a target, just before throwing it swap the targets, (better if it is overcharged when you had just caught or received a pass) it is most likely to hit because enemy will have MUCH less time to react unless they are careful.

*Feint 3: Unexpected slowball
It WORKS against good players as well, because of their muscle memory and their eyes will deceive them.
(works 7 of 10 times)
Charge a ball, (or catch/receive a pass for an overcharged ball), then press shift (running to interrupt charge) then E throw it (short to mid-short range) IMMEDIATELY AFTER. If range is longer throw it normally, if they are SO close Q throw it. or just F it.

If the opponent wants to play it safe in mid range by dodging it, they are most likely to avoid it. But hits all the greedy players.

*Feint 4: Throwin… NOPE PASSING!
While charging a ball looking at an opponent, pass your ball to a teammate near/behind them, this most likely baits their catch or dodge the pass receiver mostly gets a guaranteed hit. (He might try to F once to make sure)

Feint 5: SPAMMING F Q E
Works. Honestly it does. It is actually a mindgame if done properly, have no intention to throw the ball and E Q F spam, BUT at a point of match, just fake 1-2 times the enemy will not expect you to throw it after 2 fakes at that point because they expect tons of fakes.

Hope you enjoy the Guide about Knockout City™ – KO City Advanced Guide (Tips&Tricks&Fakes/Feints), if you think we should add extra information or forget something, please let us know via comment below, and we will do our best to fix or update as soon as possible!