Professional PUBG: Movement, Positioning and Rotations with Ziphon
We sat down with DIG's Ziphon to make a professional PUBG guide about Movement, Positioning and Rotations!
We sat down with DIG's Ziphon to make a professional PUBG guide about Movement, Positioning and Rotations!
When you watch tournaments, you'll quickly learn that the key to outplaying professional opponents isn't about the fact you're a better aimer or not but rather about the game-sense that all of the players have. Getting an advantageous spot will give you the edge over other high-level players and that's what helps you grow. This is why we sat down with our very own Ziphon from the #DIGPUBG team to construct a guide that covers these important topics. With that in mind, let's get right into the guide!
Movement
Movement is probably one of the hardest parts of the game to learn and it has many aspects to it, especially in PUBG with 3 other players on your team. It's always important to keep moving even if you're looting, healing up, or keeping track of the map.
For example, if you get shot at from an unknown direction, you should never walk in a straight line but instead dash to the side every so often. You can also use the method of spamming the crouch key so you quickly switch between 2 movement speed amounts which may confuse your enemy causing him to shoot in front of you.
If you have access to water and it's getting too hot for comfort, always jump in the water. Most players struggle to hit enemies when they're in the water and you can just peek, shoot and when they notice you just quickly go back into the water. Just keep in mind to always stay underwater and avoid floating on the surface.
With vehicles, it's different. When you know for certain that enemy players are close to you, zigzag as much as you can. If they're far away from you, mostly drive in a straight line so you don't get flipped over or even killed when you fall off your motorcycle. If you know where the enemies are and they are further away than 100 meters you can also use your vehicle (except for the 2 motorcycles) as cover to fire back and potentially kill the enemy since escaping is not always an option. This decision should always be taken when more than one wheel from your vehicle has been popped since you can drive with most vehicles that still have three out of four wheels.
Just a little tip - if you want to pop your tires without making too much noise, just punch them a few times and they'll pop even though the hit registration doesn't make any noise.
Keep the two different methods of transportation split apart from each other because you can't really use them for the same purposes. If you want to sneak up on someone, wouldn't it be kind of counteractive to use vehicles that make a lot of noise and give away your position really easily? Keep this in mind for late game, especially when it's a really open play zone.
Positioning
Movement and positioning go hand in hand with each other, together with having a certain standard of aim, as the difference maker between a professional player and a normal player. Positioning is very different each and every game and you must use smokes, the terrain around you, and available vehicles to your advantage.
You can always prepare your positioning in the early game. Pick up as many smokes as you can and find as many vehicles as possible (preferably three or four, but two are fine) so you have a choice between multiple options later in the game.
The position we mostly use is the centre of the circle - this position is very beneficial to have, but you should be prepared before you go there. Be sure that you have enough loot and preferably three players to camp the central compounds. It's such a good position because the circle will almost always be close to the centre and teams will fight for the compound you're in - and since it's general knowledge defending is advantageous in PUBG, it can't really go wrong.
Example of a Stalber/Severny circle. This is an uncommon circle, but if we played centre we would most likely choose the compounds North-West of Yasnaya. There are some strong compounds to hold there and you have good terrain around it.
Playing the edge of the circle is the second option that's fairly good. It's a good method to get some kills and it's especially effective for the first few circles. A lot of people will walk into the zone from the edges and you should keep in mind where the plane's flight path was to camp the right edges of the circle.
If you have access to vehicles in the late-game, you can make a fortress anywhere you want in the play zone using vehicles - preferably using UAZ's since they are the largest currently available in the game. Try to make a "V", "L", or "U" shape with those vehicles, possibly using them with the terrain around you (for example, a tree or some bushes). If you don't need to move anymore, you can also pop the wheels under your own vehicles to gain more cover since they can't shoot under the UAZ anymore when trying to hit your legs.
Example of a V-shaped fortress using a white Dacia and a UAZ without a hard-top against a tree that forms the base of the "V".
If you don't have any vehicles, you should use your LOS (line of sight) as much as possible. Try to stay around as much cover as possible preferably a couple of trees that you can hide behind on a hillside. High ground is also good to make use of for extra cover.
The very last option you have is in the late game when your squad got killed and you're solo. Lying prone in almost the exact centre of the circle is a good option, removing your backpack, 2nd weapon and vibrant colors from your body so you're almost completely invisible. Make use of wheat fields and bushes while trying to pull this off.
Rotations
Rotations are the part of the game that leaves you very vulnerable and depending on the terrain and distance that you need to travel, you should adjust the way that you're going to rotate.
First off, you should always prepare yourself before you're going to rotate - in squads especially. Communicate with your team where you want to go and use the in-game marker system to your own benefit to pinpoint compounds that you're going to camp in or to mark potential enemies. I would recommend to start thinking about your next rotation within the first minute that the circle dropped and hold onto enough time to scout out multiple options to see which compounds have enemies in them and which don't.
Again, the two different maps aren't the same when it comes down to rotating. If you're better at fighting and are able to push enemies but come out on top most of the time, Miramar will be easier since the nature of the map allows for more engagements and less camping. Erangel is different but also more strategic due to terrain usage which you'll have to adapt to just by playing the game. Dying happens but shouldn't impact your performance in-game!
In the image shown above, you'll see the almost completely empty space between Monte Nuevo and Pecado. These empty spaces between larger loot spots tend to stir up more fights once you get spotted. For example, once you're stuck behind a rock when enemies pinned you down, you're forced to fight.
In earlier parts of the game, try to get as many vehicles as possible to cross over large fields since it isn't worth it to even try running the distance when you can loot more inside the circle which results in better gear later in the game.
The hardest part about rotating may be the situation that you need to cross a road or a large open field. This is the worst situation you can be in if it's late game or that you know people are watching that area and it'll be a guarantee that they spot you. You should use all of your Smoke Grenades when you're caught in a situation like this on foot and be sure to pick up as many as possible when you're looting. Waiting as long as possible before the zone pushes you away from your position can also really help since they'll most likely focus on something or someone else.
Concluding
It's impossible to explain what you should always do because every game of PUBG is different whether you're talking about the zone, the flight path, loot that you'll find, and where you'll meet enemies. Try to adapt yourself to the game and learn the general knowledge to make up strategies on the go. The tips provided in this guide will at the very least help you on your way to becoming a better player in general since every aspect of the game is impacted by your overall movement. We want to thank Ziphon for his time and essential input for this guide and we wish every single one of you the best experience on the battlefield!
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