Brawlhalla is a perfect example of accessibility in fighting games. Not only is it free-to-play and available on so many platforms, but also its mechanics allow absolute beginners to the genre to grab the controller and immediately have fun playing.
Alas, this level of accessibility doesn’t mean you will have a straight road to success in Brawlhalla. The game wouldn’t be so popular among dedicated gamers if it did not have such depth of tricky combos, innovative gameplans, and multiple unpredictable combinations. In the reality of a casual player, that means you reach a specific level and suddenly start struggling in getting more victories — and therefore, in experiencing the same level of joy.
The game is awesome! Although most players meet some obstacles, they can be easily destroyed. This article will help you do so and breathe fresh excitement into your Brawlhalla playing sessions.
So many Legends!
On the one hand, this variety of Brawlhalla characters is a totally great feature. You have lots of tools to express your fighting style (and probably even personality). On the other hand, though, some of the most annoying obstacles (or should we call them traps?) are based on such a big roster.
The first thing to understand is that you can’t play every Legend the same effectively. You need to choose one character you like the most and make them your main. It’s a good idea to have one-two additional Legends to bring diversity into your Brawlhalla crew. That’s it! Focus on that/those characters to master their abilities.
The game has a weekly rotation of free characters. It’s a good feature to learn weapons and try different Legends. Be brave to spend Gold and purchase the character of your choice to be able to practice with them regularly, consistently.
The variety of matchups
To win fighting games matches, you should know your opponents. This obstacle is quite similar to the previous one — the variety of Legends, but the approach here is very different.
You need proper practice against all Brawlhalla characters (or at least the most popular ones). To remove this obstacle, take your main Legend to the Training mode and play against different opponents. Changing the bot is not a straightforward process. While training, open the Settings menu and the Bot Setting tab. Here, you can change the dummy and make it fight.
To learn various opponents, you might add playing random characters to your daily practice. It’s a very good way to know the abilities of other Legends — and who knows, you might reconsider your main character.
Dodge
Everyone loves landing powerful attacks in Brawlhalla. And no one enjoys when it is their Legend who’s getting hits. The game has a very good tool for avoiding the opponents’ attacks and preventing damage. It’s dodge! Not so many beginners use it, though.
It’s actually pretty understandable — Brawlhalla matches are super fast. You barely have time to press the attack buttons. How on Earth is it possible to choose proper moments for dodging?
You need to remind yourself about this option regularly and then intentionally bring it (almost force it) into your fighting style. Initial attempts might be clumsy, but don’t give up. Continue practicing this technique, and it becomes the same natural part of your in-game toolset as the Light and Heavy attacks.
Movement
Jumping and running around the platforms — such actions are essential to succeed in Brawlhalla. They allow you to be unpredictable in offense and give you additional options in defense.
Pay proper attention to your movements. Jump a lot. Enter the Training mode and explore different maps. You need to feel how far your character can move out of the platforms — for example, by using walls to return to safety.
Try to be as fast as the wind but at the same time perfectly precise. Your Legend should stop at a specific distance to deliver attacks or to surprise the chaser. Bring this idea to your fighting matches and try to become that fighting wind.
Heavy Attacks
It’s such a great feeling to land your Side Heavy Attack and launch that impudent opponent into oblivion. On the beginner level, this strategy might work well. Other players also explore the game and often don’t know what to expect. Using Heavies often proves to be effective in the Free-for-All casual multiplayer as it’s rather a chaotic mode. For 1v1 Ranked Matches, you definitely need to change the strategy.
It might be weird to hear that Heavy Attacks are your obstacles. But they are — if you use them in the wrong moments. Heavy attacks require time to hit the victim, and it’s pretty easy to use that time to punish your Legend with a Light Attack. However strong these hits are, they become effective mainly as combo finishers and tools to KO highly-damaged opponents.
Using Light Attacks as your primary offensive power is a better idea. They are quick to catch the victim, and they are good for dealing that initial damage.
Chains of attacks
Everyone who becomes interested in fighting games knows the importance (and excitement) of combos. Brawlhalla is no different. You find an opening with a Light or Air attack and use the temporary stan of the opponent to land the next one. The more links are in these chains, the bigger damage dealt to the victim.
The transition from landing separate hits in Brawlhalla to chaining at least two attacks is not easy. You need some dedicated practice to develop muscle memory and actually do even small combos during fast-paced matches. The obstacle is based on the desire to use the familiar beginner strategy instead of trying to use something new. Potentially, that new trick will help you grow further, but for some period, your attempts to land a combo might cost you victories.
A good plan here is to work on one combo at a time. Repeat it on a dummy in the Training Mode. Work on it in offline fights. Bring it to the casual matchmaking.
Then practice another combo with the same pattern. Add it to your arsenal and use both in multiplayer fights. It’s easier to learn new combos when you have the experience with at least two.
The next step here is to practice movements to expand basic chains of two-three attacks to really breathtaking combos of pro matches. The trick is being able to catch the launched opponent and deliver the next combo starter.
Practice
“How is Practice an obstacle? It’s a tool to remove obstacles!”
Well, that’s true — practice makes perfect, and you absolutely need it to win Brawlhalla matches. The problem is keeping your motivation to practice. It might be hard to do so when you are confused by the variety of Legends, can’t feel all matchups, forget to use dodge, don’t move enough around the maps, rely too much on Heavy Attacks, and drop every single combo attempt. With so much pressure, the practice itself becomes an obstacle.
Hey! Stop right there! Stop and breathe out. Relax. It was you who created that pressure, and you can easily remove it. Generally speaking, your desire to win matches prevents you from enjoying the fights. Let it go! Allow yourself to play Brawlhalla and have fun here and now.
Of course, you need to add all the practicing elements from this article (and beyond) to your day-to-day fights. But don’t make a chore out of them. Keep your Brawlhalla practice fun and lighthearted — and it’ll really be the most powerful obstacle crasher.