Published on: Oct 19, 2015 @ 13:11
Learn more about Crucible Radio
Starting with the important things, the guys pick out their favorite of the new emotes, and then get into the Iron Banner in Year 2. As the meta slowly settles, Crucible Radio has been solidifying their loadouts – they have a few guns in common but a couple wild cards as well.
What are you using in Iron Banner?
[divider]
A Week in Review
Looking back on another busy week of Destiny, Crucible Radio first analyses how since the Taken King was released, Bungie has induced a hotfix or patch every single week. This is a nice gesture to remember whenever a frustrating subject comes up (Sunbreakers, lag, etc).
Episode 18 w/@SportPsychNYLI is out today! Join the discussion and find links to listen here: https://t.co/Z5KYrU8t3M
— Crucible Radio (@CrucibleRadio) October 19, 2015
Like always, the hosts reiterate their mantra – adapt, adapt, adapt. This can be tough when certain aspects of the game seem unbalanced, but it’s important to consider that the only way to improve is to get back into the Crucible, react, and adapt.
Destiny released a new set of emotes from the Eververse Trading Company, and CR loves them. The ability to taunt and express some personality in the Crucible adds a whole new level to psychological warfare and the mental game.
Weekly Update
The BWU from last Thursday was chock-full of interesting information, a lot which applied to the Crucible. The most notable piece of news was the delay of Trials of Osiris. There’s supposedly been a lot of improvements made to it, so that’s really exciting! It was a tough call for Bungie to make, but at least we get more time to grind in Iron Banner.
A few other topics were mentioned, with no changes scheduled, but it’s important to realize what’s on Bungie’s mind. Both Crucible lag and Sunbreakers are being evaluated – changes to these issues will be welcomed by most.
[divider]
Iron Banner
This controversial and competitive PvP mode has returned in Year 2, and some of the same issues still apply, but teamwork and competition seem to be the names of the game. It can be tough to go solo, if you look at it like a raid – you must have a full team to compete – it makes sense why teamwork is everything.
The drop rates leave something to be desired though, but the rewards themselves are worthwhile.
Loadouts
Now that the metagame has begun to settle, Birds, Bones, and Swain have found guns they truly love. Here’s what they’re working with, and what they recommend:
Swain – Sunbreaker with Immolation Fists
- Primary – Hawksaw (Vendor roll)
- Secondary – 1000-Yard Stare (Quest roll)
- Heavy – The Smolder
Birds – Gunslinger with Young Ahamkara’s Spine
- Primary – Hawksaw (Vendor roll)
- Secondary – The Chaperone, Stillpiercer
- Heavy – Truth
Bones – Stormcaller with The Impossible Machines
- Primary – Not Like the Others, The Jade Rabbit and Tlaloc
- Secondary – 1000-Yard Stare (Quest roll)
- Heavy – Qullim’s Terminus (King’s Fall)
More weapon recommendations below!
[divider]
The Mental Game
Steve Cohen is a professional sports psychologists who works with athletes as well as with the US Military to prepare for combat exercise and competition on mental level. A gamer himself, a lot of what he does professionally can be applied to anyone who wants to get better in the Crucible.
On the road to improvement, Steve suggests first starting with specific, achievable goals. Instead of vague and broad goals like “increase my kill/death ratio”, think of smaller things like “use cover more” or take snipes from shorter distances.
Though some competitors come with a natural set of gifts, Steve reminds us that they also have developed skills through rigorous practice. Good practice starts even before you turn on your console – it’s important to consider your mood and energy before you start playing. How you feel while you play has serious implications on how you perform. Staying healthy and sticking to good routines will allow you to hit your stride quicker and for longer periods of time while playing.
Crucible Radio has discussed “tilt” in the past, and he confirms that monitoring this is extremely important. A major cause of frustration comes from a focus on the past – previous days, recent games, or even recent deaths. Staying in the moment and reevaluating each life will make them last longer and keep you in a sharper state of mind.
Crucible Radio always stresses communication, but what is the best way to communicate? Bones asked a question about giving advice to teammates, and Steve clarified the best way to help out your friends: make sure your advice is specific, and applies to what a player can control. There’s nothing you can do about a good player being good, or lag, or shotguns, but you can control your own play. Mentioning what a teammate is doing well is just as important and will foster good communication.
As a final note, he urges variety as a way to both enjoy the game more, as well as learn more about each weapon and subclass. Experiencing a variety will teach you how they work, which in turn allows you to counter things with greater knowledge of how they operate. But as always, stick to what feels good – growing with what’s comfortable will result in a good synergy and mentality for improvement.