Awesomenauts Guide .

Despite its simplistic look, Awesomenauts is a relatively deep game. Whilst it may not have all of shavings that other MOBA games have, there is definitely enough meat on the bone that it will keep you chewing for a while. Getting into Awesomenauts can be a bit overwhelming for the first time player, so that’s why I’ve put together this handy little guide on what’s what, and what Naut’s to play. So grab yourself a cup of tea/coffee, get yourself comfortable, and get ready for a good read in this Awesomenauts Guide that’ll leave you a master of Awesomenauts (kind of).

Basics of the game

Awesomenauts Lonestar

Awesomenauts is just like any other MOBA when it comes to core gameplay and objectives. Each team has a base which is protected by various turrets. These bases periodically spawns minions, which will march to the enemies base, the enemy’s base also spawns minions which will march to your base. The minions move forward to the turrets and begin to attack them. The turrets will destroy the minions; however the turrets have a limited amount of HP. Once a turret loses all of its HP, it is destroyed, allowing the minions to move closer to the base. The aim is to destroy the enemy’s turrets, and eventually their base, with the aid of your minions.

Before you jump into a game and start playing, you’ll need to first choose the ‘Naut (character) you’re going to play as. There are fifteen ‘Nauts to choose from, all with a unique set of abilities, strengths and weaknesses, so be sure to choose wisely. Of course, since you’re just starting out, it’s better to just choose a ‘Naut that you think looks cool and has some serious style. I think I had better note at this point that you only begin with a few ‘Nauts, and you’ll unlock more ‘Nauts as you play and gain levels. Once you’ve selected your ‘Naut you’ll be required to choose the upgrades which you’ll be able to buy in the shop in-game. You can only choose three upgrades each. You can choose upgrades for your two abilities, your basic attacks and your Utility upgrade. It’s important that you pick wisely, and think about how you’re going to want to play in the match and what type of role you want to be with regards to your team, because you’re not going to be able to change what upgrades you can have. For more on upgrades, go to the relevant section in this article.

Awesomenauts

Once you have selected your ‘Naut and your upgrades, you’ll be launched into the game via a pod, which will see you fly down to the planet and land with a big explosion. Awesome, right? At this point I should probably explain the in-game currency, Solar. Solar is little silver and gold cubes dotted around the maps. A silver cube is equal to one solar, where as a gold cube is equal to five solar. You use solar to purchase upgrades from the store and upgrade your character. At the beginning of the game you’ll generally start off with very little solar, however as the match continues you’ll gain more and more. Solar can be earned by killing minions, when a minion dies they drop Solar as well, and as killing jungle creeps. You can also earn Solar by killing enemy players, which will give you +60 solar, and will give the rest of your team +30 solar.

Anyway, once you’ve landed, and your minions have spawned, you can push with your minions and destroy turrets and gain objectives. Unfortunately there will be enemies against you, so it’s up to you to determine when you push, and when you go to destroy the enemy players. You’ll push, and slowly gain more Solar, picking up more upgrades which will allow you to push harder and do kill more enemies. You’ll eventually make your way to the base, and destroy it. Well done for playing your first game, hopefully you didn’t lose, but if you did, then it’s no biggy. Awesomenauts is definitely a game you get better through experience. Having said that, here’s a few tips and tricks to help you out.

Best ‘Nauts for newcomers

Getting into Awesomenauts can be tough, especially when a lot of the ‘Nauts in the game are so very different. Here’s a list of some of the best Awesomenaut’s for newcomers:

Lonestar:

Lonestar is one of my favourite ‘Nauts, and one of the ‘Nauts that got me from a leaderboard ranking of ten to three. Lonestar is the only character in the game who specialises in pushing lanes and getting objectives. He has a dynamite skill which does massive damage to turrets, as well as a skill that summons a giant bull who can also damage turrets. Spam Lonestar’s dynamite and push the minion waves like crazy!

Coco:

Coco is another one of my favourite ‘Nauts, she’s an excellent poker, using her long ranged “Ball Lightning” ability to poke enemies from afar. This electrical ball can even go through transparent floors, allowing for easy poke down on unsuspecting enemies. Coco also has a slowing ability, Blaze, which sends out electric shocks which slow enemies in their path. Use Coco’s move-ability to your advantage, and you’re bound to win.

Raelynn:

Awesomenauts Raelynn

Raelynn is a sniper character who can easily kill enemies from afar. Her “Snipe” ability requires a short charge before using, however when it’s fully charged it can hit enemies from far and do massive damage. She also has a “timerift” ability that slow enemies, as well as (once upgraded), spawn ally droids to help you. She’s a powerful ally on any team, but be sure not to telegraph where you’re going to use the snipe ability, as it’s fairly easy to avoid.

Best upgrades for newcomers

Generally choosing what upgrades to get can be a bit overwhelming for a new player. I’d highly suggest, if you’re a newcomer, choosing the upgrades that give your abilities more damage. This will allow you to become a strong, unbeatable ‘Naut during the late game, and also allows you get a better idea of what your abilities can do and how they can be used. Having said that, there are some ‘Nauts, such as Lonestar, where it’s best to add some utilities to their spells.

For Lonestar’s dynamite, for example, get the Bounce upgrade which will allow your dynamite to bounce along making it easier to harass enemies and poke down turrets. With regards to utility upgrades, always get the upgrade which will increase your character’s movement speed, allowing you to run away from enemy threats. I’d also suggest getting the upgrade that increases your health regen, as this will allow you to stay in lane more, as well as getting the upgrade which gives you more starting solar. Getting the upgrade that gives you more starting solar will allow you to purchase your two abilities from the start of the game.

Match advice

Awesomenauts

To wrap up this guide, here’s some closing advice. Map control, that is making the enemy team afraid to go into certain areas of the map, is important, and it’s important to keep constant control of the map and to also push your minions and get hits on the turret whenever possible. Having said that, try not to over extend too much, as dying too many times to the enemy can give them a large advantage and make it very hard to come back into the game.

Keep an eye on your map at all times, don’t over extend to get the turret when none of your allies are around, and when you don’t know where the enemies are. Ten bets are that if you can’t see any enemies on your map, and you know that they’re not dead, then they’re probably coming to kill you. With that in mind, when pushing, be sure to always keep your ‘Nauts escape ability off-cooldown, because you’ll need it to run away from the enemy when they eventually come a knocking.

Also, be sure to push when defeating an enemy or two. Ideally if you kill more than one enemy ‘Naut, you should try to split push. Split push is the act of pushing two lanes at once, so one your allies will be in one lane pushing down the turret, and your other allies will be in lane pushing down another turret. This will make it almost impossible for the remaining enemy team member to be able to protect both of the turrets. Remember pushing, and getting turrets, wins games, getting loads of kills doesn’t. If you keep getting kills on the enemies, but don’t use the downtime to push your lanes and get some of the enemy turrets, then you’re wasting time.

With that, I wish you luck in Awesomenauts. You may be a bit rusty at first, however, I’m sure that after a few rounds, you’ll find yourself being able to rough and tumble with even the best of players.