Suicidal kills: The dos and don'ts.

By Milskidasith on June 19, 2009 2:46:27 AM from

Now, a lot of people say "Never kill an enemy if you are going to die after doing it." Those people are wrong. However, you should know WHEN to do it, because you can screw it up and feed the enemy as much as, if not more than, you get.

Assuming that the enemy is weakened and fleeing into towers and you are weak enough the towers may kill you trying to leave (after the kill), here are some questions to ask:

Can I kill them for sure, even if I'm being hit by all the towers in range and the DG? If no, don't do it. Just becausee some people don't AA in towers doesn't mean that others aren't smart enough to realize if they can't run, they can do more damage by attacking you in the towers.

Are there any other enemy DGs around? If 1, it's probably a bad idea; you will get a kill, and then the other DG will kill you, so all that happened is that both teams got more cash. However, it is possible that you can give the enemy you killed gold as long as his death animation is still playing, so you could feed more than you get. If there are two enemy DGs around that aren't your target, don't do it. One, a 3v1 is a bad idea, and two, they will always get more money out of it.

Are you behind or ahead? If behind, it's probably a good idea to take risks. If ahead, play it safe; another enemy may be coming round the corner and gank you, and that could set off the enemy comeback.

Do you really need gold right now? Gold is always great, I admit. But, like the above, if you don't absolutely need gold right now, it may not be the best idea to chase an enemy because unexpected things can happen.

So basically, if you don't need the kill now for your success, or if you aren't entirely sure it is a 1v1 against the enemy DG, or if you aren't entirely sure you will kill him and get killed by the towers after his death animation finishes at the earliest (preferably not at all, of course), then don't go for a suicidal kill. But if you know you are going to die to the towers and can afford the risk, do it. A kill and a good amount of EXP for you is great, and since you and an enemy will be out of the game, it doesn't adversely affect you much.

+9 Karma | 56 Replies

It depends; if he's been using large potions, yes; if he's been using small potions, no; if he hasn't been using potions during combat, probably not (I'm generally more sure that they are picking big or small potions than that they have potions at all); if my foul grasp is about ready to be used, probably.

As I said, this is not a guide to "always suicide" this is a guide to when to suicide. If you have a stun that does 560 + ooze damage, a small HP potion is going to get burned out right there if he even gets the cast off, and a large HP potion is going to get him killed.

Quoting Milskidasith,

reply 1

You are midgame in a very close high level 3v3. You have a chance to suicide kill one of their guys as he runs through his center towers on cataract. You know for a fact that neither of his buddies are close enough to save him. You do not know whether or not he has a potion. Do you go for it?
It depends; if he's been using large potions, yes; if he's been using small potions, no; if he hasn't been using potions during combat, probably not (I'm generally more sure that they are picking big or small potions than that they have potions at all); if my foul grasp is about ready to be used, probably.

As I said, this is not a guide to "always suicide" this is a guide to when to suicide. If you have a stun that does 560 + ooze damage, a small HP potion is going to get burned out right there if he even gets the cast off, and a large HP potion is going to get him killed.

Suicide kills are never a good idea, its better to be an opsie after you get a kill than to spend thought cycles on is NOW a good time to go for the kill.

If you THINK about it, you missed the opportunity to kill and escape.

I generally prefer not to chase an enemy into his base if I think I am going to get killed in the process. But I DO understand how trading kills might pay off. However, why make a kamikaze kill when you can have some basic preparations to be ( relatively ) safe from getting killed by towers. From what I can tell, each DG has his/her own method to hunt down an enemy in his own base without getting killed.

Sedna has her healing spells (not to mention that all generals can buy priest idols).

Erebus can mist - then bat swarm out of danger.

Oak has his invulns, not to mention the fact that if he has divine justice he gets healed a considerable ammount when he lands a kill on an enemy DG.

Qot has bramble shield (plus, she's ranged so she does not have to run up to her victim and actually hit him/her ).

Regulus does not even have to chase an enemy, just snipe him (I have yet to see a Reg who does not have snipe).

UB is FAST ( plus a combination of inner beast and diseased claws will ensure that he does not have to chase an enemy too far into their base ) and also has spit so he does not need to actually chase the enemy DG in most cases.

TB can either fireball or slow a DG down with ice abilities.......or both.

Rook should not chase ANYTHING. The simple thought of rook chasing down something makes me laugh. He could only score a kill from a fleeing DG if he had his shoulder towers up and running. Rook is a lane holder and a tower smasher not an anti-DG.

Besides the DGs abilities, you could always invest in a combat potion or in boots of speed, or both. So yes, kamikaze CAN be worthwile, BUT with the right tactics you can nab a kill AND get out safely ( altough you might need a trip to the health crystal )

Suicidal kills: The dos and don'ts.

dont ever suicide. you are wasting valuable xp and gold.

Quoting StAcK3D_ActR,

reply 4

Suicidal kills: The dos and don'ts.
dont ever suicide. you are wasting valuable xp and gold.

Well, yes, you are wasting a lot when suiciding, but you can also potentially gain something. It seems to me that the purpose of this thread is to help us identify the RARE situations in which a suicide will actually benefit your team. I still prefer not to suicide, but the math does not lie. Sometimes, especially in the early game, it is better to hunt down an enemy and kill them, even if you die. It is, however, very complicated to decide when to do this, as you might get ripped off most of the time. As I said in an earlyer reply, you can take some basic preparations so you don't kamikaze, and STILL get your kill. But even those don't work sometimes.

I say, if you have played this game a while and you can quickly and CORRECTLY determine risks, then by all means, go for that suicide. But if you are a noob or intermediate.....well, just play it safe.

Trading a death for a kill is just not ever a good idea. If you push a player off the field of battle, you have plenty of time to go capture a flag or assist train another enemy DG that is buisy with a teammate of yours. Use this time of your original target crystal hugging to gain an advantage instead of getting yourself killed and leaving the battlefield even. 1000 gold is not as important as an extra flag, xp, and gold advantage of just being alive and on the battlefield.

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Suicidal kills: The dos and don'ts.