Blast Network Tips and Tricks (v. 0.2)

As Aurora has been making numerous forays into the world of PvP lately, and several members have expressed a certain degree of interest in Blast Network, I decided to put together a brief guide to getting ahead in Spiral Knights Bomberman. Hopefully anybody at a beginner/intermediate level can learn something new from it!

Currently still very much a work in progress; I intend to flesh it out more with screenshots once I stop being lazy, as text explanations can be difficult to follow at times. These should hopefully be colored in with highlights to indicate safe areas, caution areas, and danger areas. Mostly just random scattered tips at the moment, but since we don't have anything else, I'll put this up for now.

The other BN players here are free to chip in! I'm sure I missed lots of stuff.


I. Basic Tips
---Death wishes are the enemy!
II. Bomb Chaining
---A big part of Blast Network
III. Techniques
---Fancy footwork
IV. Team Play
---Don't kill your teammates
V. Stage-Specific Advice
---Every match is different


I: Basic Tips
• A popular rookie mistake, and one which is almost certainly going to convey a message that you are new to the game, is to plop a bomb down right in the middle of your territory at the very beginning of the game, thus trapping yourself with nowhere to hide from the inevitable explosion.

Spoiler:

To avoid this, ensure that you can move at least two tiles away from your bomb before placing it. This will usually involve avoiding placement at an intersection. Take a few seconds at the beginning to think it out if necessary; the game has just started, and you don't need to worry about other players yet. Better yet, place your bomb so that there's an alcove you can duck into when it explodes - very useful when your bombs start getting more power.

• Avoid carelessly running around the battlefield, collecting powerups or otherwise. In Blast Network, your vield of vision does not (unless you have a very high resolution) extend to the edges of the map. There is always the risk that a bomb is lurking just outside of your view and waiting for you to run right into it. By running around, you also increase the number of at-risk areas that you pass through, resulting in an increased chance of you getting blown up.

• Do not attempt to chase another player while laying bombs. If you place a bomb, then run toward another player, the other player can trap you against your own bomb by laying his/her own. It may be tempting to run after someone to try and nail a kill, but don't do it when you will leave the equivalent of a wall behind you.

Spoiler:

• Use the minimap! You generally will be unable to see the entire playing field on the screen. The minimap, however, will display a map of the area and where other players are. It will not tell you where bombs are, but you can use it to guess at the intentions and actions of offscreen players.

• At the beginning of the match, you want to clear as much area as you can to collect powerups. Ideally, try to place your bombs so they clear away blocks hiding empty spaces. Doing so opens up both the space the block was on as well as the empty space for powerup collection. Until you are fairly confident in your abilities, I also advise avoiding moving toward opponents, but rather opening up your own space for more powerups - let them come to you while you improve your knight.

• If there is a power-up you are after, but it is in a risky location, use bombs to block off any access routes an opponent might have to the area. (screenshot)

• Try to prioritize collection of speed power-ups. This will prevent you from being out-maneuvered by a faster opponent, and allow you to collect the other powerups you need faster.

• If you are uncomfortable with the map or always die a lot, stay in a small area. You will be able to focus more on where the bombs are coming from. (i.e. if you are in the bottom-right corner, bomb blasts can only come from the top-right or bottom-left areas, essentially not needing to know a quarter of the map, or the top-left region)

• A good way to make sure you are hiding properly is to run toward a block you are standing next to. You will be safe if you don't slip out into the bombing lanes.

• Sitting on a bomb: When you place a bomb, you don't have to move away from it right away. In fact, in a confrontational situation, it is often helpful to remain on the bomb for a second or two to glance over your surroundings, so that you can move safely.

• Beware of straight dead ends. There is nowhere to hide from an explosion in these, and as there is only a single exit, it is easy for someone to trap and doom you in it with a single bomb. Unless you are absolutely sure that there are no enemy players who might reach you, don't go for any powerups you find in them. In a similar vein, be careful not to trap yourself in one if you lay a bomb at the entrance. (screenshot)

• Escaping a dead end: If somebody is pressuring you into a dead end and you're at risk of getting trapped if things proceed as they are, lay a bomb next to some of the breakable blocks to create alcoves, and possibly an escape route. (screenshot) Be sure to move back toward the entrance, however, as you don't want your opponent moving in to block you.



IV: Bomb Chaining
Chaining bombs is a pretty big part of the game, so it gets an entire section devoted to it! The basic idea is that bombs will be set off by another bomb's explosion. This can create various different exploson patterns, so you should get used to setting up and avoiding these as necessary.

• When you have space to yourself, you can do more than just lay individual bombs. Instead, you can chain together several bombs in sequence, which will create explosions in different directions and in quick succession.

• Try to vary how you chain your bombs. It is OK to leave an empty row, either to set a bomb further away or to have a hiding spot to duck into. Predictability is bad, and you can get trapped if you focus too much on chaining and not your opponents.


III: Techniques
Delayed bombs (targeted)
Used for: A chance to blast an opponent who is capable of hiding from your initial bomb explosions.
How to: After you've laid your original bombs, take a few steps back (away from the opponent) and chain another bomb behind the initial set.
Explanation: Enemies will attempt to leave their hiding areas when it is safe to do so, which is usually after the wave of bomb explosions has passed and the corridor is clear. By lining up bombs in this fashion, you create a momentary lull in your chain of explosions, which can trick someone into running out and right into your follow-up blast.
Countermeasures: If you are already in your hiding spot before the bombs go off, take a moment to glance at the minimap and see if you have an enemy who is roughly lined up with you, but relatively far away. There is a fair chance that he/she is setting this up. If the explosions are already passing without you having the chance to look at the minimap, remain where you are for a few additional seconds. It will take some practice to estimate a maximum amount of time to wait.
Advanced: Instead of chaining the follow-up bomb directly, you can place and sit on a bomb in a safe area. Once your explosions have passed, you can run out into the corridor where the opponent is/might go and chain a blast from the bomb you were sitting on. This gives you some more control over when the delayed explosions pass through the corridor; place the "safe" bomb soon after setting up the initial bombs if you want a short delay, and pause before placing it for a longer delay. You can adjust your timing as necessary depending on how long you think the target will be in hiding.
Countermeasures (2): See Counter bombs below.

Delayed bombs (dispersed)
Used for: Large-scale matches with opponents capable of hiding from explosions.
How to: When you are hiding from waves of explosions, place and sit on a bomb in your safe spot.
Explanation: Bombs tend to come in waves, as I mentioned earlier, and people will generally expect that. By doing this, you create a series of explosions which is not tied to a large chain, and can nail someone who is expecting a safe opportunity to lay bombs.
Countermeasures: Overall caution when moving. If both you and an opponent are hiding in the same corridor, then move out of it when it is safe to do so, as they may be sitting on a bomb.

Counter bombs
Used for: Players who are chaining bombs relatively far away, and ducking from their own explosions. That would be most players. Particularly when both you and the target have a long blast range.
How to: Simply chain one of your own bombs where one of the opponent's blasts will go.
Explanation: After the opponent's bombs have exploded, he/she may consider the corridors they were in to be safe, as the immediate explosions have passed. By chaining your bombs onto these intial explosions, you can take advantage of this by blasting them in the face as they walk out.
Countermeasures: Like with most long-range bomb tactics, a glance at the minimap is helpful. If that is out of the question or provides no useful information, remain in your safe spot a little longer or take a detour.
Advanced: If you have time to spare before the bombs go off and there are enemies nearby, you can make a short chain of your own to get the others.

Bomb drilling
Used for: Blasting an opponent who is hiding behind breakable blocks
How to: Chain together several bombs in the line where the opponent and blocks are.
Explanation: Each block will stop one, and only one bomb. If you have enough chained together, one of the blasts can make it through to hit your target.
Countermeasures: If you are hiding next to a breakable block and you see someone placing a line of bombs aligned with your location, move out of the way if it is safe to do so.
Advanced: Use a delayed bomb together with the initial drill effect. Players may emerge from hiding once the initial wave of explosions has passed, and walk right into the follow-up blast.
Countermeasures (2): Same guidelines as with delayed bombs. When someone lines up bombs to prepare for this tactic, keep an eye on the minimap to see if they move away and pause again. Remaining a few extra seconds may be helpful.

Run-through trapping (direct method)
This is a risky move!
Used for: Trapping an unsuspecting or inattentive player who is not standing in an intersection
How to: Place a bomb next to the player. Run toward and through the player, and quickly place a bomb on the other side of them.
Explanation: Doing this provides a quick way to trap an opponent between two bombs (both yours) for a kill.
Countermeasures (1): This option is best used if you are hiding and know there is an imminent explosion that will pass by you. Lay a bomb down when an opponent approaches you. You will prevent him/her from running through you.
Countermeasures (2): This option is best used if you are of equal or faster speed relative to the opponent, and in no immediate bomb hazard zones. If you suspect someone will do this, quickly take a step back and lay a bomb where the opponent's second bomb would have gone. If they try to carry through with this technique, they will trap themselves between your bomb and theirs.

Run-through trapping (indirect method)
Used for: Inexperienced to moderately experienced players who will lay a bomb in front of you, then run back.
How to: Run straight at the opponent, and through him/her. Keep going so that you are a step ahead (for them, behind), and place a bomb.
Explanation: If the opponent is in the habit of stepping back after placing a bomb, you can use that habit against them; they will not expect you to be behind them, and trap themselves against your bomb when they backstep.
Countermeasures: Take a moment to pause when you lay down your bomb, so you can decide on which direction to move.
Countermeasures (2): If you place your bomb first, the opponent will run at your bomb for a brief moment, allowing you to perform a run-through trapping (direct method). This carries the same risks and counters as above, so be wary.

Reaching
This can be risky when lag is present.
Used for: Performing actions in adjacent squares while remaining standing on your own previously placed bomb
How to: Lightly/quickly tap your preferred directional key to edge into an adjacent tile of interest, making sure not to step completely off of your bomb
Explanation: Your own bombs are not solid to you until you have completely stepped off of the tile they are on. However, you can affect tiles which you are not standing completely in. This can allow you to grab power-ups from a location where you might otherwise get trapped. Take care that someone doesn't circle around you and cut off your escape route while you are focused on the slight movement.
Advanced: If you trap someone into a dead end with no hiding spots using your bomb, but the trapping bomb won't score a kill, you can edge into that corridor to place a bomb that will guarantee a kill. Be warned that you will have to step further to do this than you would to pick up a powerup; don't get too ambitious and gain a death wish.
Countermeasures: In a situation where the above (advanced) tip could kill you, your only hope is that either you or your opponent's bombs do not have enough blast range to fill the corridor, whereupon you can use some of the tips specified in "escaping a dead end". If your opponent does, but you don't, you can lay a bomb where the opponent would edge his bomb in to prevent him from doing so, and attempt to escape as above.

Corner dodge
Used for: Avoiding bomb blasts when there are no safe areas to hide in
How to: Hide in the corridor with the bomb that will explode last (see bomb chaining). When the first line is clear, quickly move from your current location into the (hopefully) cleared row.
Explanation: Depending on how the bombs are chained, there may be a slight delay between the different explosions reaching you. Performing this dodge allows you to treat the chained bombs as dodging two separate blasts, instead of trying to avoid both at once.
Countermeasures: Chain a second bomb to the bomb that will explode first. This makes dodging into the area of the first bomb useless, because there will be more explosions in that row.


IV: Team Play
There are a few special considerations when you are playing in a team. While there is a certain degree of individual ability involved, you also have to be able to coordinate your actions in order to trap your opponents, not your teammates. Remember that your bombs are still impassable to all players, including your teammates.

First and foremost, avoid running after a teammate if you can. If you are following in someone's tracks, there is no place you could have set a bomb that your ally could not have placed himself. If you lay a bomb behind an ally, you've just cut off one of his escape routes, making it that much easier for him to get trapped by an enemy. I couldn't tell you the number of times I've laid a bomb in front of someone and relied on their teammate to complete the trap, and got a kill because of it. This also means that you should avoid running in front of a teammate who appears to be inexperienced, and to be especially careful with where you lay your bombs and where you move when you have someone behind you.

It is better to split up, and go at an opponent from different directions. You can sandwich the enemy team members - not your own - and set up a field of bombs around them which could not be done individually.


V: Stage-Specific Advice
Gridlock (I, II):

Crystals (I, II): It is very easy to get lulled ino a false sense of security by the respawning crystals. Remember Basic Tip #3. As the match proceeds, the crystals offer very little protection from long-range explosions. Respawning crystals can cut off your escape routes - be quick about them. Standing on top of respawn plates when the crystals are about to respawn will stop them. Bombs can be placed on the respawn points so that crystals spawn on top of them; doing so hides the bomb, but allows it to explode as if the crystal were not there (the crystal will be destroyed in the process).

Rockets I: Rockets will set off bombs if they explode on the same tile as the bomb. This can occur if you are standing on the bomb, or if there is a bomb next to the switch in the center when a rocket hits. Be careful around the center, as it is easy to get trapped in one of the corners. The long corridors at the beginning of the match are easy to get trapped in; be careful about leaving bombs behind you in those areas, and don't forget Pitfall #3.

Rockets II: Anything is better than dying, and that includes a rocket to the face. Take the stun if you have to; don't wait too long for a rocket to pass and get blown up by a ticking bomb. As in Rockets I, a rocket will set off bombs if they explode over one. Be careful with sitting on one of your bombs in a rocket-prone area.

Spikes:
Two Tone:

Islands:
Division:
Backdoor: Respawning crystal rows can trap you. Amusing, but if an enemy comes along, it's very easy to get trapped in the long corridor.


VI: Exercises
Coming soon eventually probably not coming :c

There should be a side note saying "These tips work unless your name starts with a Det and ends with a theepicventur."

Aw, I can't say that!

I feel that a lot of BN is just developing good habits and figuring out what not to do. I'm putting many of these out there mainly so you can get a head start on that without the usual learn-by-dying situations~

Thanks for posting this, Kupoo -- very comprehensive Blast Network strategy and tips. If anyone wants to get better at BN: read this guide!

There are a few things I want to add to this guide, besides the obvious.

1. When starting off in the beginning or from a re-spawn, your priority is to get speed-ups until you max at 5. This will allow you to run away from faster opponents and quickly get all the other powerups you need.
   (For advanced players, take away powerups from freshly spawned players, especially speed-ups. Powerups can also be used for bait such as a long range bomb)
   
2. If you notice any familiar names (usually players who are good and play a lot), OR if you find certain players with a very long blast range, try to avoid their bombs. This would mean spotting them on the mini-map and go to the opposite corner as them, or be close to them but not actually try to attack them, so that you see where the bombs are placed.
   
3. If you are uncomfortable with the map or always die a lot, stay in a small area. You will be able to focus more on where the bombs are coming from. (i.e. if you are in the bottom-right corner, bomb blasts can only come from the top-right or bottom-left areas, essentially not needing to know a quarter of the map, or the top-left region)
   
4. Do NOT use the mouse to play - usually those truly new to the game would do this. Use the keyboard. That being said, say if there are bombs in the rows above and below you and you need to stand in the middle, a good indication you will be safe from those bombs are if you run towards the block and don't shift out into the bombing lanes. (i.e. If bombs are going across the screen and you are in-between the blasts, go left or right to make sure you are in-between.)
   

An exercise would be to play a BN match with the focus of not dying. Strategy is to get speedups asap, then dodge bombs either by running away from people or stay close to know the exact bomb location.

Also an FYI: Try not to complain if someone lays a bomb and you get 'pushed' into a spot you weren't in. Basically, if you are stuck with four blocks/bombs surrounding you, it is still possible to move slightly towards each edge, keeping in the same spot. What happens is if you are on the 'edge' of that spot, there is a possibility that you may get 'pushed' into the adjacent spot.
For example. I run up towards a block in the middle of the screen. Now I am on the top edge. I run to the side so that the top space is empty. If someone lays a bomb where I am standing, there is a possibility that I will be pushed upwards.

Lovingly wrote:
[*]Do NOT use the mouse to play - usually those truly new to the game would do this. Use the keyboard.

You have a problem with me Lov?! D:<
(uses mouse) lolll

Kupoo wrote:1) Use the minimap! You generally will be unable to see the entire playing field on the screen. The minimap, however, will display a map of the area and where other players are. It will not tell you where bombs are, but you can use it to guess at the intentions and actions of offscreen players.

It's especially useful if you want to know whether or not it's safe to move south, since you can't otherwise see there.

Kupoo wrote:2) Reaching away from your bomb: Bombs that you lay down do not become completely impassable until you have fully left the square that they are on.

Quick note: this is an incredibly risky technique thanks to lag.

Valene wrote:

Lovingly wrote:
[*]Do NOT use the mouse to play - usually those truly new to the game would do this. Use the keyboard.

You have a problem with me Lov?! D:<
(uses mouse) lolll

Probably a problem with the inability to strafe or move at cardinal angles.

Two techniques to surprise others:

Placing bombs in areas that are not cross sections will likely not be caught in chains and go off later, catching other players off-guard. You can also use this if you only want to send the blast along a horizontal/vertical line. Watch where your teammates (if you have any) are!

Placing bombs on crystal respawning tiles right before the crystal respawns will trap the bomb inside the crystal. It will then explode from this crystal as if the crystal wasn't there to begin with.

Excellent points! I'll write them in with the next update. Currently in the process of accruing some suitable screenshots.

Kupoo wrote:Excellent points! I'll write them in with the next update. Currently in the process of accruing some suitable screenshots.

Instead of having to wait for opportunities to get good screens, I could create diagrams of them. I've already tried a couple, but wasn't quite positive what you meant by some of your explanations. So, a little more detail and I can do that for you, including an animated diagram where needed.

Thanks for the tips in this guide because when I followed them I started to do a lot better in blast network!

This is a great guide! the best tip I could give is that not dying is better than getting kills. Getting kills doesn't give you any additional points (in random team) which seems wierd but the points a team gets is the amount of deaths that the other team has. I can't count the number of times I've won from hiding in a spot and not going near anyone, this means you keep your power-ups and then you can place a fully powered bomb at an intersection with no risk of you dying but other people are generally stupid and run into it!(me included) xD

Thanks for this guide. I have played no more than 10 games and still have not much of an idea how to do it. All I can do (and the few unfortunate ones that have played with me will confirm that) is die a lot. And just for your info I didn't try to die as often as possible I really tried to stay alive.
I must say this is one part of the game I do really fail.
Sorry to all but I better stay out of this all together.

dummymummy wrote:
I must say this is one part of the game I do really fail.
Sorry to all but I better stay out of this all together.

What I would do is see how you die each time. This could show some answers as to what you are doing wrong. Also I watched a clip on youtube called blast network tips and tricks which helped me a lot. i hope that will help you to enjoy the wonderful game that is bombeman!

i honestly couldnt tell if this was in there.... its very similar to the 'chain bombing' Kupoo talked about. I personally call this particular type of 'chain bombing' 'carpet bombing' because it is similar to the type of real-world bombing where a row of planes line up side-by-side and drop bombs aimlessly over a town.

Blast Network Carpet Bombing
Note: this is only viable if you have a relatively high blast number (maybe at least an 8 or 9) and max placement power-ups and max speed power-ups. This i good choice on maps with a lot of wall to wall paths (like gridlock). once adequate power-ups are obtained, go either close or to the very edge of part of the map (it is best from the bottom because they can't see you in most cases) and begin by laying a bomb in front of one of the paths, then go over 2 blocks and lay another one in front of the next path, then the next and the next until you have covered 4 or 5 lanes. then duck behind a barrier of some sort and wait for them to simultaneously set each other off and fill a large portion of the map with death.
Pros

• easily kills inexperienced players
  
• clear out some blocks across the map, making more open space
  
• its good to already have max power-ups, because it will wipe a lot of power-ups off the map
  
  Cons
  
• you might blow yourself up if you don't run away quick enough
  
• if somebody is right next to you when attempted, they can trap you easily
  
• it isn't accurate; its a matter of how fast people react
  

it can also be used as the base for a chain bomb sequence. by doing this in smaller scale perhaps in a corner or something, you can make something like this:

Spoiler:

this is much harder to dodge and would count as a specific example of Kupoo's 'chain bombing.'

hope it helped and leave any questions or comments.
~Mushy

Recently I've started to use a technique which gets me so many kills. I think you may have mentioned it but I can't remember and I can't be bothered to read it again
This is when the map isn't all blown up and when there are sort of corridors where stuff has been blown up. you need and least 10 power otherwise it doesn't work. What you do is when you are one side if a corridor and an enemy is the other side, you go half way and place a bomb down. Then you come to your side and put another one down. What happens is the first ogre blows up sending a wave down to their side which they easily dodge since they saw you put that bomb down and another wave to your side, this hits the second bomb and sends another wave down their side which has a delay of 10 or 15 blocks. for some unknown reason everyone seems to die. This is great on early parts of gridlock, crystals and two islands, but it is absolutely perfect on ring (my favourite level :3)
Btw the ogre in the middle was autocorrect and i thourght I might leave it in the lols

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

Rewrote some portions to provide a more active point of view, and shuffled some things around.

Diagrams would be very useful, yes! But I still think screenshots would be best, so you can see things as they happen in-game.

yes yes... screenshots are best.. i agree. :3 i was too poor to do a BN at the time when i wrote my thing tho

this is coming very nicely! it will sure help people! keep it up Kupoo!

Ownage

https://aurorask.forumotion.com/t89-misses-bn-guild-match#648

Check out the link in my comment.

mmm, awesome guide, thanks alot. btw, is there any ld guide already?

SeriousSimon wrote:mmm, awesome guide, thanks alot. btw, is there any ld guide already?

I'm working on one myself, but I started only recently so it may be a few weeks. I'll post it on the forums when it's ready.

alphappy wrote:

SeriousSimon wrote:mmm, awesome guide, thanks alot. btw, is there any ld guide already?

I'm working on one myself, but I started only recently so it may be a few weeks. I'll post it on the forums when it's ready.

There's my bombing and Val's sword guide at the moment. Nothing on gunning or class-play (unless you count the latter two as guard and striker =P)). Yet.

SeriousSimon wrote:mmm, awesome guide, thanks alot. btw, is there any ld guide already?

Um... I think Mushy made one a couple months ago.

And i still lost xD

Spoiler: