LUCKY ISLANDS GUIDE
I guess one could say: ”just play more” and it would be true. But getting some good advice always helps, - I would have loved to have had this kind of guide when I started off in my noobness. This guide is not about game mechanics or how different wands and bows work. It’s a guide about how to improve how you play. Obviously we all would prefer reading how on earth pro-players like KLOSKA regularly manages to make us cry ending up in a wet puddle next to our computers, but hey - at least it’s something, right? ;) I started playing 3 months ago and currently have 376 wins and 1500+ kills in solo mode.
1. Use the right kits
I laugh when I think about how I misunderstood the whole kit-thing in my noobier days. TOTALLY wrong. I thought that buying a kit meant that I could use it ONE GAME, then I needed to buy it again. I was happy to realise this wasn’t the case! XD :D
Anyway, in my opinion the Diamond kit is the best for 95 % of the maps. I usually use it to craft a diamond sword + diamond pants. I then have 3 armor and the best sword from the start. If I get a fire sword or enchanted stone sword in the lucky blocks I often craft a diamond chestplate instead of dia sword. I usually get a diamond sword from other players soon.
In clouds, frost and some other maps I craft sword and diamond pickaxe first, since there is diamond blocks/ores and iron to get quite easily. In Ruins I typically use Miner to get the diamond pickaxe and then rush to get the 2 diamond blocks close to starter islands.
2. Manage your hot bar & inventory better
This is way more important than some people think. In stressful situations you wanna be able to improvise and react fast. That is impossible however, if your hot bar is a mess. Choose one way to organize it, and stick to it.
I know many people like having the sword in slot 3 or 4 since those keys are close to W. I prefer to have this setup:
I like keep my inventory as clean as possible and discard things when I have the time. It’s great cause you wanna be able to get all the loot from dead players without standing around while being hurt from the battle. But DON’T stand in open areas sorting inventory and especially not close to any void-edge.
When I am using the rushing tactic I obviously don't have time to be picky about order in the same way :)
3. Learn circling enemies & critical hits
My two favorite techniques to get the upper hand in sword duels is circling and critical hits. Learn to strafe around your opponent in circles, and try to be on their side or behind them as much as possible. I used this yesterday on a guy with enchanted dia armor AND golden apple (I had just dia pants!) I managed to hit him around 15 times before he could kill me thanks to the circling technique (but his armor and g-apples was too OP that time).
The second technique is critical hits. You get it by hitting your opponent while you are in the air falling downwards. So basically you jump and hit on your way down. With a diamond sword it gives you 0-4 more damage. This takes some practicing and I am not that good at it yet, but I use it when surprising people from behind, chasing fleeing enemies and one or more times in the middle of most duels.
4. Learn to speed bridge!
One of the most common ways to die in Lucky Islands is getting shot down while building a bridge. Since speed bridging reduces the time you are exposed it is really helpful. The trick is to press A+D and look diagonal while placing blocks. It’s hard to explain by words, so just search for “speed bridge Minecraft” on YouTube. :)
5. Trick the Knockback 2 sword users...
Since the introduction of wooden sword with knockback 2, even noobs are a serious threat. This is how I defeat K2-people: I let them come close and activate Shield wand just before they hit me! I am then safe from falling into the void and can finish them off (they usually panic!) If I don’t have a shield wand I kill them with automatic bow or avoid meeting them close to any edges.
6. Don’t show your stuff!
I often see people running around with a knockback 2 sword, an ender pearl or potions. This is not a good idea since I then know how to approach them. So don’t show what you got and try to surprise others! If someone is about to bridge to your island, you don’t want them to see your bow! ;)
7. Be smart when facing enemies with better armor
It’s usually smarter to engage weaker or same strength enemies and gradually build up your gear, but at times it’s simply unavoidable to fight someone with better armor. I try to have weapons who evens the odds close to my sword (slot 2-4) like automatic bow and potions. Poison and Instant damage can be a game changer. Another cheap but effective way is to attack them just after they’ve finished off another player... :p A final trick is to ambush them from behind when they’re close to an edge.
8. Make good use of the automatic bow!
Overall I like to save my automatic bow to use in close range. It can kill a low-armor guy and seriously injure an good-armored one. But it’s also does a great job pushing people over the edge from medium distance. I guess I just really like that bow... :) Maybe it’s a bit OP and should have longer cool-down or have the number of arrows it can shot reduced, but it does a good job balancing the power of the “diamond guys”. :)
9. Make a QUICK start!
Even if you don’t intend to rush other players, it’s crucial to be a quick as possible in the beginning. Try to fix your kit, food and open the starter island Lucky blocks as quickly as possible. It minimizes the chance of someone rushing you and you have a head start in the game. In most maps I always have the same routine, and I’ve improved my “start up time” a lot.
10. Use the left hand right (I know)
Some players have the fire sword there since right clicking sets players on fire without the need to switch from the dia sword. That’s probably great, but I prefer to have my food there (one is eating bread like crazy in this game!) That saves up a slot in the hotbar, and it doesn’t leave me vulnerable when I’m eating (since my dia sword is in my right hand).
11. Be smart about the game modes
In normal and crazy mode I like to fix my kit first, since getting silver fishes, witch, blaze etc and not having a weapon isn’t that much fun. In a crazy mode game in Clouds I got mob after mob in the Lucky blocks, and flew away thanks to a shulker. I landed on the arch roof on one of the diamond block islands with 1 heart left, just to see ”Zombie invasion” on the screen... :(
In blessed mode I usually open lucky blocks first to see if I get a good sword (so I can craft Diamond chestplate instead of legs).
12. Use headphones
Might seem silly, but with headphones you can hear people bridging to your island, landing after grapple hook etc MUCH better. Be sure to lower the audio of friendly and enemy mobs though. Those villagers can drive you mad as they suffocate to death (which they always do, at least for me).
13. Kill off cats and dogs from a distance
Whenever I see a player followed by cats or dogs I try to kill the animals with bows or some kind of explosive. Facing a player with those evil OP-animals in a sword duel is one of the main reasons I die these days. Especially the cat is OP, since it’s hard to hit because of its size and it fights so close to your feet. Hitting it makes you loose sight of the player. I usually tries to kill the cat before attacking the player, but not if they are so low-armor that I think I can kill them quickly.
14. If you see KLOSKA, don't get nervous and mess up
Self explainatory...! ;)
No but seriously, when meeting pro-players, - just have fun and know that you will get better at it AND that there are players that experience YOU as an impossible pro. I remember in the beginning how I got totally overwhelmed when I met players who actually could use potions. Or do the Freeze bow + TNT trick. Today I regularly does both. So I guess the point is to don’t give up and have fun while you’re at it. Stick to what you know, but at times try to step out of your comfort zone and try something new! Eventually it will come naturally for you.
15. Have fun and interact with other players while playing!
I realise some people are dead serious and don't want to get disturbed, but I really enjoy chatting, making some jokes in those fun situations and so on. When I engage more the chance of people inviting me to a party increases dramatically.
SUMMARY
Actually being able to implement these things as you play requires you to play quite a lot to begin with. Hope some of it was helpful! Feel free to disagree with me, I know there are several ways to play Lucky Islands :) And again, there definitely are players that are more pro than me, but this is what I've learnt this far anyway!
See you on the those lucky islands!
/Skyfire_swe
I guess one could say: ”just play more” and it would be true. But getting some good advice always helps, - I would have loved to have had this kind of guide when I started off in my noobness. This guide is not about game mechanics or how different wands and bows work. It’s a guide about how to improve how you play. Obviously we all would prefer reading how on earth pro-players like KLOSKA regularly manages to make us cry ending up in a wet puddle next to our computers, but hey - at least it’s something, right? ;) I started playing 3 months ago and currently have 376 wins and 1500+ kills in solo mode.
1. Use the right kits
I laugh when I think about how I misunderstood the whole kit-thing in my noobier days. TOTALLY wrong. I thought that buying a kit meant that I could use it ONE GAME, then I needed to buy it again. I was happy to realise this wasn’t the case! XD :D
Anyway, in my opinion the Diamond kit is the best for 95 % of the maps. I usually use it to craft a diamond sword + diamond pants. I then have 3 armor and the best sword from the start. If I get a fire sword or enchanted stone sword in the lucky blocks I often craft a diamond chestplate instead of dia sword. I usually get a diamond sword from other players soon.
In clouds, frost and some other maps I craft sword and diamond pickaxe first, since there is diamond blocks/ores and iron to get quite easily. In Ruins I typically use Miner to get the diamond pickaxe and then rush to get the 2 diamond blocks close to starter islands.
2. Manage your hot bar & inventory better
This is way more important than some people think. In stressful situations you wanna be able to improvise and react fast. That is impossible however, if your hot bar is a mess. Choose one way to organize it, and stick to it.
I know many people like having the sword in slot 3 or 4 since those keys are close to W. I prefer to have this setup:
- Dia sword
- Knockback/firesword/blaze rod
- Automatic bow
- Other bow/wand
- Other bow/wand
- Potion
- Potion
- Frost path/ender pearl/grappling hook
- Blocks
I like keep my inventory as clean as possible and discard things when I have the time. It’s great cause you wanna be able to get all the loot from dead players without standing around while being hurt from the battle. But DON’T stand in open areas sorting inventory and especially not close to any void-edge.
When I am using the rushing tactic I obviously don't have time to be picky about order in the same way :)
3. Learn circling enemies & critical hits
My two favorite techniques to get the upper hand in sword duels is circling and critical hits. Learn to strafe around your opponent in circles, and try to be on their side or behind them as much as possible. I used this yesterday on a guy with enchanted dia armor AND golden apple (I had just dia pants!) I managed to hit him around 15 times before he could kill me thanks to the circling technique (but his armor and g-apples was too OP that time).
The second technique is critical hits. You get it by hitting your opponent while you are in the air falling downwards. So basically you jump and hit on your way down. With a diamond sword it gives you 0-4 more damage. This takes some practicing and I am not that good at it yet, but I use it when surprising people from behind, chasing fleeing enemies and one or more times in the middle of most duels.
4. Learn to speed bridge!
One of the most common ways to die in Lucky Islands is getting shot down while building a bridge. Since speed bridging reduces the time you are exposed it is really helpful. The trick is to press A+D and look diagonal while placing blocks. It’s hard to explain by words, so just search for “speed bridge Minecraft” on YouTube. :)
5. Trick the Knockback 2 sword users...
Since the introduction of wooden sword with knockback 2, even noobs are a serious threat. This is how I defeat K2-people: I let them come close and activate Shield wand just before they hit me! I am then safe from falling into the void and can finish them off (they usually panic!) If I don’t have a shield wand I kill them with automatic bow or avoid meeting them close to any edges.
6. Don’t show your stuff!
I often see people running around with a knockback 2 sword, an ender pearl or potions. This is not a good idea since I then know how to approach them. So don’t show what you got and try to surprise others! If someone is about to bridge to your island, you don’t want them to see your bow! ;)
7. Be smart when facing enemies with better armor
It’s usually smarter to engage weaker or same strength enemies and gradually build up your gear, but at times it’s simply unavoidable to fight someone with better armor. I try to have weapons who evens the odds close to my sword (slot 2-4) like automatic bow and potions. Poison and Instant damage can be a game changer. Another cheap but effective way is to attack them just after they’ve finished off another player... :p A final trick is to ambush them from behind when they’re close to an edge.
8. Make good use of the automatic bow!
Overall I like to save my automatic bow to use in close range. It can kill a low-armor guy and seriously injure an good-armored one. But it’s also does a great job pushing people over the edge from medium distance. I guess I just really like that bow... :) Maybe it’s a bit OP and should have longer cool-down or have the number of arrows it can shot reduced, but it does a good job balancing the power of the “diamond guys”. :)
9. Make a QUICK start!
Even if you don’t intend to rush other players, it’s crucial to be a quick as possible in the beginning. Try to fix your kit, food and open the starter island Lucky blocks as quickly as possible. It minimizes the chance of someone rushing you and you have a head start in the game. In most maps I always have the same routine, and I’ve improved my “start up time” a lot.
10. Use the left hand right (I know)
Some players have the fire sword there since right clicking sets players on fire without the need to switch from the dia sword. That’s probably great, but I prefer to have my food there (one is eating bread like crazy in this game!) That saves up a slot in the hotbar, and it doesn’t leave me vulnerable when I’m eating (since my dia sword is in my right hand).
11. Be smart about the game modes
In normal and crazy mode I like to fix my kit first, since getting silver fishes, witch, blaze etc and not having a weapon isn’t that much fun. In a crazy mode game in Clouds I got mob after mob in the Lucky blocks, and flew away thanks to a shulker. I landed on the arch roof on one of the diamond block islands with 1 heart left, just to see ”Zombie invasion” on the screen... :(
In blessed mode I usually open lucky blocks first to see if I get a good sword (so I can craft Diamond chestplate instead of legs).
12. Use headphones
Might seem silly, but with headphones you can hear people bridging to your island, landing after grapple hook etc MUCH better. Be sure to lower the audio of friendly and enemy mobs though. Those villagers can drive you mad as they suffocate to death (which they always do, at least for me).
13. Kill off cats and dogs from a distance
Whenever I see a player followed by cats or dogs I try to kill the animals with bows or some kind of explosive. Facing a player with those evil OP-animals in a sword duel is one of the main reasons I die these days. Especially the cat is OP, since it’s hard to hit because of its size and it fights so close to your feet. Hitting it makes you loose sight of the player. I usually tries to kill the cat before attacking the player, but not if they are so low-armor that I think I can kill them quickly.
14. If you see KLOSKA, don't get nervous and mess up
Self explainatory...! ;)
No but seriously, when meeting pro-players, - just have fun and know that you will get better at it AND that there are players that experience YOU as an impossible pro. I remember in the beginning how I got totally overwhelmed when I met players who actually could use potions. Or do the Freeze bow + TNT trick. Today I regularly does both. So I guess the point is to don’t give up and have fun while you’re at it. Stick to what you know, but at times try to step out of your comfort zone and try something new! Eventually it will come naturally for you.
15. Have fun and interact with other players while playing!
I realise some people are dead serious and don't want to get disturbed, but I really enjoy chatting, making some jokes in those fun situations and so on. When I engage more the chance of people inviting me to a party increases dramatically.
SUMMARY
Actually being able to implement these things as you play requires you to play quite a lot to begin with. Hope some of it was helpful! Feel free to disagree with me, I know there are several ways to play Lucky Islands :) And again, there definitely are players that are more pro than me, but this is what I've learnt this far anyway!
See you on the those lucky islands!
/Skyfire_swe
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