Strategy

Strategy is how you put all the skills on your team together to be more effective as a group.

There are many different strategies for each situation, and the meta is constantly changing and updating.

This page introduces some basic strategies that have been effective in the past.

Overall plan

Every moment in Echo Arena requires a strategy, and that strategy might change depending on what your opponent does and how you are playing at the moment.

The more you know about the strengths and weaknesses of your team and the opposing team, the better you can match up your strengths against their weaknesses.

Overall Plan Videos

• Attack Vectors: SirDimwi explains how to think about offensive and defensive attack vectors.
• Yomi Layers: SirDimwi explains how to think about strategy and adapting to opponent's strategy.

Schemes and Plays

Teams have overall approaches when on offense and defense. They also usually have specific 'plays' for various situations like the offensive joust, defensive joust, and neutral joust.

Offensive

There are many strategies to how to score when on offense. There is no one 'correct' way and there are no 'incorrect' ways. There are better and worse ways depending on the situation.

Some teams decide to keep one player in the backfield (e.g. around Double Diamond or Bowtie) to catch opposing team clears or to be ready for a backpass / reset. Other teams elect to bring all players into the bubble to put more pressure on the offense.

 General tips for offensive success: 

 - Pass more: holding the disc makes you a target; passing moves the disc much more quickly. 
 - Know your advantage: when a defender is in the goal you have a 4v3 advantage in the arena
 - Spread out: use your 4v3 advantage to ensure the other team cannot guard all players at once
 - Backpass: often the most effective pass is backwards
 - Reset: often a backpass can be held while the offense sets up in a spread out formation

Offense Videos

• Offensive Joust: SirDimwi outlines strategies for offensive joust schemes.
• Bubble Offense: SirDimwi explains how to set up an offensive attack in the bubble.
• Bubble Offense - VRML Analysis: SirDimwi analyzes a VRML bubble offense attack.
• Turnover Offense: SirDimwi explains how to attack on offense after a turnover.
• Turnover Offense - VRML Analysis: SirDimwi analyzes a VRML match turnover situation.

Defensive

There are many strategies to how to play defense. There is no one 'correct' way and there are no 'incorrect' ways. There are better and worse ways depending on the situation.

Some teams decide to pressure wherever the disc is. Some teams decide to collapse into the bubble after the opponent gets through the mid-zone. Some teams pressure with one player while others pressure with a stack.

 General tips for defensive success:
 - Goalie runs the defense: the goalie should direct defenders to where the most threatening attacks are
 - Communicate responsibilities: tell your teammates where you are and which opponent you are guarding
 - Make the opponent pass: don't let the disc-holder into the bubble unopposed; pressure them and make them pass

Defense Videos

• Defensive Joust: SirDimwi outlines strategies for defensive joust schemes.
• Bubble Defense: SirDimwi explains bubble defense.

Neutral joust

The Neutral joust only occurs once per round. In that sense, it is the least important to practice. Still, getting a jump on the round and getting an early score is never a bad thing.

• Hyper aggressive / pub style: two stacks both regrab for the disc from tubes 2 and 5.
• Aggressive: One stack goes for the disc (from either tube 2 or 5), a back stack delays around nugget / nest. Back stack reacts depending on if the front stack wins the joust (back stack will then regrab to the disc) or loses the joust (backstack will either react to the disc or get back in goal).
• Safe: One stack goes for the disc, one person goes straight to goal, one person goes around shield/nest for defense.
• Conservative: No one goes for the disc. Let the other team race to the disc, and your team reacts to wherever the disc goes. This is emerging at higher levels when one team concedes that the other team is faster.

Necessary Roles

Some specific roles are necessary in Echo Arena because of how the game progresses.

Many teams separate into specific roles beyond these (see #Optional Roles), but many others decide not to put specific role titles on players. Work with your team to figure out your own philosophy, strategy, and where you should be positioned to help the team.

Quarterback

Quarterback is a necessary role because on the offensive joust someone must grab the disc and start moving it forward in the Arena.

Key skills for the Quarterback:

• Reading the defense to see how much pressure is coming and how quickly to get rid of the disc
• Accurate passing under pressure
• Movement skills with the disc to do basic juking under pressure and to move the disc forward if not pressured

Goalie / Backline

Goalie is a necessary position because once the opponent has the disc in your half of the arena you almost always need someone in goal to at least stop open three point shots from happening.

Everyone playing Echo Arena should develop minimal Goalie skills because you will often need to defend the goal for brief periods while your main Goalie gets back into position.

Often the Goalie will also be a 'back line' player that slowly moves up through the center part of the arena, staying behind the attacking players for a reset / backpass and also to intercept clears from the opponent.

Some teams elect to have their Goalie / Backline player stop at various blocks and never move past them (e.g. double diamond or bowtie on the offense half). Other teams will have their Goalie / Backline player move all the way into the bubble and score (e.g. moving onto shield while other players are on shoulder / clock / floor / ceiling).

Key skills for the Goalie / Backline:

• COMMUNICATION: The most important skill for a Goalie. Goalies must direct the defensive effort by calling out where the opponent is, where the threats are, and sometimes who should go where (e.g. 'Doc cover floor' or 'One left shoulder')
• Interceptions: Goalies / Backline players can hide behind blocks and jump out to catch clears. This is absolutely demoralizing to the opponent and a huge benefit to the team.
• Deciding when to leave goal to grab a loose disc: If the Goalie can reach the disc before the opponent, they should always do so. This is a hard decision and sometimes you get burned.
• Deciding when to leave goal to pressure in a 1v1: Goalies cannot sit in goal if an opponent is approaching 1v1 - they will almost always lose. Instead, Goalies must jump out to pressure the attacking player. Use one hand to stun and the other to grab the disc / save a shot. Most players are right-handed, so unless you know your opponent is left handed you should try to stun with your right and save a shot with your left.
• Quick reflexes: If all else fails, catch a shot or making a close steal with quick reflexes. Even the best Goalies have a low save rate when this happens.

Optional Roles

Players can specialize into specific roles depending on team strategy and player skill. These roles are not necessary (the game does not force you into these roles like with Quarterback and Goalie).

It is good for players to develop skill at every position (optional and necessary). Even if you don't specialize in these optional roles, it is helpful to learn from players who do and the situations they are in.

Striker

The striker is the player who is the most advanced forward on offense.

Striker Videos

• Striker Tips: Game explains how to think and act as a striker

Midfielder

The mid-fielder is usually in the middle of the field and supports the strikers. Mid-fielders often move up into striking position.

Midfielder Videos

• Midfielder Tips: JayWalker explains how to think and act as a midfielder.