(Originally written for www.tastyspleen.net condensed by Aeon6911)

Watch good players play
It is how the lore of the game is passed around to new

generation of players. You don't need to reinvent the art

of 1v1'ing, you simply just need to mimic it. Simply put:

watch good players play and try to steal their gameplay.

Of course you can't get it all at once, but you'll be able

to change small things here and there, and just those

small things will make you a better player. For instance,

when watching someone play the q2dm1 map the first you'll

notice is that the player in control will spend a lot of

time inside the mega-room or by the entrances to it. Also

notice how they fire controlling rockets (what people will

call spam, but it's actually a skill based a lot on

soundknowledge) at entrances and openings where the enemy

MIGHT peek out. Notice all the things they do when

playing, how they use the guns, how they move around,

where they get the most kills, how they sneak up on the

enemy, what areas of the map they spend their time.

Focus on the opponent
1v1 is all about your opponent, and people may forget that

at times when they play. Even though you are not directly

in combat with your opponent try to figure out what he is

up to. Sounds are of course the key here, listen to the

sounds of the game. This is important when you try to

figure out where they are, and what they are carrying.

Also you need to read their minds, try to put yourself in

their situation, what would you do if you were low on

health after a combat? What are the focus of his game

right now? Is he gonna attack me? A quick mind will tell

you that after a combat where he gets low he will most

likely run. If you act smart, you'll cut him off. If both

of you are low, he might even let the guard down cause he

don't expect an attack, and you'll suprise him.

Know the map
People often think that since "I got better aim and I beat

him on this and that map, I am gonna win on any map", this

is actually not true at all. The maps when it comes to 1v1

matters a whole lot, and knowing the map is so important I

can't stress that enough. I could write a essay on how to

learn the map, but luckily I can just link to a great

guide already written about it: http://www.clutch-

gaming.org/essay1.htm

Know when to attack/retreat and play offensive/defensive
Unlike in FFA where you don't get rewarded for defensive

play, in duels knowing when not to attack is just as

important as knowing when to attack. People often fall

victims of being overly aggressive and overly confident.

Confidence is good, but no need to take chances all the

time. Play it safe most of the time, and take chances now

and then to vary your game. A good rule is never to attack

unless you have 100/50 in health/armor or if you know you

have more health than your enemy. I often go by the rule

if I can't survive a direct hit I retreat/play defense

unless in a direct battle with opponent who has equal or

lower health. Also at times you may need to hold your

position even having low health in order to hinder your

opponent to take the mapcontrol. By doing this you need to

be sure of your opponent movement and where he is at all

time, spamming defensive fire at entrances whenever he

approaches.

Suprise your enemy:
This is the way to go if you play someone in defense or

someone more defensive in his style than the one mentioned

above. These players will not recklessly chase you, they

will wait for you to attack (so they can get the advantage

of the first hit). In order to suprise your opponent you

need to make moves that he doesn't expect. Stealth or fake

sounds or are the keys, and fake an escape and suprise

attack him instead as he let his guard down.

Play the right players
Play players better than you for learning how to play

defense and get your aim/thinking up to par with the best

players. Do not play players who are way above your

skillevel all the time though, getting beating too hard is

not something you'll learn all that much from in the long

run. Find someone who can beat you consistently, but where

you can get a frag or two.

Then play someone at your own level or below so you'll

learn how to control the map, work on your timing routes

and mapcontrol. Work on the spawnraping, try to outsmart

the opponent and cut his escapes off. Then go back play

the better player again and notice you may get a better

hold of him when you are in control than you used to.

Improve both parts of the game, and remember that everyone

(and I mean everyone) loses now and then!

PRACTICE!!!
PRACTICE!!!
PRACTICE!!!