The Heart of Hives game mode in Crucible is one of the most strategy-demanding game modes available, and we hope to see more like it in the future. At its core, this game mode is most similar to a MOBA, either like League of Legends or Heroes of the Storm in that there is a primary objective that serves as a clear win condition, and several other objectives that are equally as important in order to secure victory indirectly through gaining overall power over the opposing team.
5. Know The Strengths Of Each Hunter
This first tip sounds basic but is useful in every game mode to know the strengths of each Hunter and the role that they can fit in the early, mid, and late game. Some Hunters have outstanding mobility, others can farm effectively at early levels, while others are meant to be tank or support oriented.
Right now, the game is so new that most players have clearly not taken the time to learn the characters, endlessly being looped and kited, or simply being inefficient. Learn your Hunter by taking each character for a spin in training mode, understand their ideal roles, and help your team win!
4. Grab Medkits When The Opportunity Arises
Unlike the battle royal style Alpha Hunters game mode, Medkits seem to appear far less frequently here and should be picked up when found. Healing at a siphon is also a great idea between fights, and it is important to learn when best to use a Medkit, but keep in mind that they are fewer and far between in this mode.
3. Have A Heart! The Main Objective
The literal win condition of this game mode is to be the first team to capture three Hearts after a Hive has been defeated. It does not matter who defeats the Hive, and any player from either team can claim the objective. This means that players can fight before engaging the Hive, during, after, or something in between.
Since it takes a while to traverse a map, and all players can clearly see when the Hive will spawn, it is essential to have all players working together and on the same page. If two of the four players decide to keep farming other objectives, heading the Heart might be a waste of time because in a 2v4 or 3v4 of players with equal skill, there is nothing to achieve but giving the opponents some free essence. As a result, sometimes the best move is not to head to the Heart at all, but to engage in secondary objectives that will make your team stronger in the mid and end game.
2. The Importance Of Secondary Objectives – Farming Creatures, Amplifiers, Essence Siphon
Beelining towards the Hive and waiting for it to spawn is not a good idea, because there is so much to be done in the meanwhile. This game mode is designed to take a minimum amount of time, at least to spawn three Hives. This means that the mode cannot be rushed, and players need to think about a mid and late game.
Farming essence consistently may not feel like much at first but doing so consistently could mean the difference between your team being level seven and the opposing team being level five, making the later fights over Hearts a walk in the park. This also means that claiming and holding essence siphons is equally as important for the consistent stream of essence they offer.
Apart from farming essence, players can expect different modifiers to spawn, such as Damage Amplifiers, which are essential for mid to late game combat because of the permanent buff they provide. All of this is to say the trying to force a Hive fight is not always the best strategy.
1. Grouping Up Is Often Best, Even If Your Team Is Wrong
Solo queuing into a match of any online PvP game can be frustrating if it feels like the entire team is thinking differently from you. Unfortunately, sometimes the best thing to do is roll with the punches. This is because Crucible’s characters and combat plays less like Overwatch and more like League of Legends, which is to say that combat will almost always favor the larger team with exception made the major skill differences between players.
Is your team farming, going for a siphon, or an amplifier? The best bet may be to stick together, as that is far better than trying to 1v4 the opposing team at an objective. Travelling together when it comes to objectives is equally important for the same reason in that the opposing team should be travelling as a pack.
Bonus Tip – Communicate Always, Even Without A Microphone
Ideally, all players will have a microphone ready to go to clearly relay information about the objectives, ambushing Hunters, and more. Most players who solo queue may not use voice communication, but all is not lost.
Instead, the map ping wheel offers six symbols that clearly relay important information. Something as simple as an enemy ping can let your teammates know that there is someone that needs to be wiped out. The other options can inform them that the whole team should head to an objective, such as the Hive. So long as you do not spam these pings, they can be of great assistance to keep a team informed and ready to take on the enemy.
Source: Crucible
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