Day One: PIP Deflection
Master the defensive art of PIP deflection to become unpredictable and harder to hit. This advanced technique shifts your momentum in directions not parallel to your current trajectory, creating evasive patterns that throw off enemy aim.
Understanding PIP Deflection
PIP deflection is a defensive-oriented technique that shifts your ship's momentum in a direction not parallel to your current trajectory. Unlike PIP extension (which moves along your current path), deflection creates lateral movement that makes you significantly harder to track and hit.
Defensive Tool
Primarily used to avoid incoming fire by creating unpredictable movement patterns that disrupt enemy aim predictions.
Momentum Shift
Changes your inertia direction without following your nose, making your flight path harder to anticipate.
How to Perform PIP Deflection
Step 1: Neutralize First
Always neutralize the PIP before attempting deflection. The closer to neutral, the more effective your deflection will be.
Warning: If you don't neutralize first, your PIP will only gradually move towards your new direction, making you an easier target.
Step 2: Roll for Optimal Strafe
Roll your ship to align your stronger strafe rates with the direction you want to deflect. Most ships have stronger vertical strafe than lateral.
Step 3: Apply Strafe Input
Apply strong strafe in your chosen direction to shift your momentum vector away from your current trajectory.
PIP Deflection Tutorial
Tactical Application
Effective Scenarios
- • Long-range engagements (easier to dodge)
- • Knife fighting (quick direction changes)
- • Breaking enemy lock during jousts
- • Escaping focus fire from multiple enemies
Speed Wall Consideration
The closer you are to the speed wall, the more prominent the deflection effect becomes.
- • High speed = stronger deflection
- • Low speed = weaker deflection
- • Plan deflections based on current velocity
Critical: Use deflection sparingly! Constant deflecting won't prevent the majority of damage and will throw off your own aim. Time your deflections strategically.
Practice Drills
Drill 1: Basic Deflection Timing
Practice the neutralize-deflect sequence:
- • Fly at various speeds and practice neutralizing
- • Once neutral, apply strong strafe in different directions
- • Observe how quickly your vector changes at different speeds
- • Return to neutral between each deflection
Drill 2: Combat Deflection
Apply deflection under fire:
- • Engage a practice partner at medium range
- • When they achieve good aim, neutralize and deflect
- • Practice maintaining your own aim during deflection
- • Work on quick recovery to offensive positioning
Drill 3: Combined Techniques
Mix deflection with other PIP techniques:
- • Alternate between neutralization, extension, and deflection
- • Create unpredictable patterns using all three techniques
- • Practice smooth transitions between techniques
- • Focus on maintaining combat effectiveness throughout
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Deflecting without neutralizing
Skipping neutralization makes your deflection gradual and predictable, defeating the purpose of the technique.
❌ Constant deflection
Over-using deflection makes you erratic but not necessarily harder to hit. Use it strategically, not constantly.
❌ Ignoring your own aim
Don't sacrifice all offensive capability for defense. The best pilots deflect while maintaining firing solutions.
❌ Poor roll management
Not rolling to optimize strafe rates reduces deflection effectiveness. Know your ship's strafe strengths.
Pro Tips
Combine techniques - Mix deflection with extension and neutralization to create complex evasion patterns that are nearly impossible to predict.
Time your deflections - Don't spam deflection. Use it when you see enemy shots converging or when breaking through a joust.
Maintain offensive pressure - The goal is to dodge while not compromising your own aim. Practice deflecting while keeping guns on target.
Know your ship - Different ships have different strafe capabilities. Learn your ship's strongest strafe axes for optimal deflection.
Last updated 4 hours ago