Monday, September 16, 2013

CPS Milan

I can't decide what I think of this layout but I can tell you the first important decision to be made is whether to run or shoot OTB. (The correct answer of course is to run AND shoot.) With Home as an SD oriented like that there is little to no cover provided to one much less two shooters despite some decent lanes. At the same time the gaps are enormous so getting wide could prove difficult (relatively high risk) and unlike the Paris-Chantilly layout your primary insert options are limited. So the first order of business is to decide what to do. You must make an effort to control your opponent's breakout so you must find ways to effectively lane OTB. You must also keep your opponent honest which means you will have to attack the wire OTB often enough to keep them guessing.
Pro Hint: Run coordinated pairs. For example, player A is running for D1. He stays low and takes as straight a line as possible. Player B runs and guns the corner trailing the D1 runner attempting to disrupt the shooters laning for his teammate. Alternatively if your opponent has been consistently laning for the D1 runner send the corner runner first and trail the D1 runner. The primary shooter will elevate his lane when he sees the corner runner and the trailing D1 runner goes low under the adjusted lane.
For examples of how and where to find lanes OTB look at the red dots near the Home bunker. Snake side lanes are more accessible closer to the start than the Home bunker and there is also limited dead zone space behind the Pin to work with. On the dorito side the best lane (if any of your shooters can put it in place quickly enough) is tight to the wire side of the MT in order to catch both or either wire or corner runners. the wider the lane the greater the divergence between the two running lanes. There is also a much larger dead zone on the D-side that will allow you to set up lanes to either side of the field as needed.
Pro Hint: as a general rule when using a dead zone if you slowly move toward the wire before (sidestep while laning) making your break to your delayed primary you will avoid most attempts to counter your laning. (A player's natural tendency is to shade back toward Home if counter laning gets close and that more often than not only increases the likelihood of getting eliminated.)
Find a variety of OTB laning positions and incorporate them into your breakout plans but remain flexible enough to adjust the shooters positions (or lanes) if or when your opponent catches on.
The orange surrounded CK illustrates how many useful lanes exist in this snake. Bumping to snake 3 is a tougher position to play without gaining a lot and also increases the risk of being rundown. (I'm not advocating staying back in snake 2, only pointing out if the point bogs down or you are down on numbers snake 2 may be the place to be.)
The corners (in red) have real value but the D-side is less important than the snake side corner. The snake side corner is the only contain on snake movement. The average player will tend to play this position conservatively but whenever possible it should be played on your feet in order to attack both sides of the mirror corner, the insert MR and the MT. Obviously this needs to be done carefully but the improved elevation makes the corner much more effective and dangerous to your opponent too.
The MTs (in purple) can be doubled if or when you are having trouble getting players wide. Doubled up the MT's allow for secondary rotations to the corners or the wires using the wire player to help suppress the opposition.
The upfield MD (in green) at first looks isolated but it does offer enough options to be playable. The MD has contain lanes to both wires and may be more effective shooting snake side because there are fewer counter lanes. When shooting D-side the MD can be aggressively countered from the corner Can and MT but early in a point taking the MD allows a player to lane the gap feeding D1 and the corner. From the MD it is possible to move upfield to the Can or A and it is also possible to make the move to the wire as well.
Pro Hint: If the D-wire is your opponent's weak side and your opponent(s) have moved to the wire (D1 and corner Can) it is an easy rotation from the MD to either the T or D1 to counter.
In closing note the blue arrow with branching sub-arrows that illustrate a good, easy run to the center of the field or the MD or the Can. Note too that both sides of the A can be played OTB in order to cut down rotations to the wire (even though a Pin partially obstructs the gap feeding the snake.)

Since my comments for this layout are more abbreviated than usual if you have any questions concerning anything I've mentioned or that you are curious about feel free to put them in the comments and I'll respond in as timely a fashion as I can.

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