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Team Strategy:

When you're cruising around the game lobby finding random teams, you usually won't have the luxury of actually getting together and figuring out a strategy. But if you're playing with friends in the room (the best way to play!) or if you meet good players online, you should take a couple of minutes to figure out your strategy.

Zone or Man-to-Man? Decide if you're doing zone defense or man-to-man coverage. Playing your man is easy if everyone does it; the round starts and you just stick to the guy in front of you like glue. On the Freestyle forums most players argue that this is the way to go. If you've got a good mix of players, though, zone defense can work -- it's how the team here at FilePlanet rolls. The only thing you want to watch is if you're playing a team with multiple guards -- an open guard WILL score the three if his coverage backs away to cover the paint, so adjust your defense accordingly and never leave someone with an easy shot.


Team Balance: Is center-guard-forward the perfect team? It's certainly a balanced setup, but it's not the only way to play. From our experience, having a center really anchors your defense around the hoop, and having at least one guard is essential for edging ahead on the scoreboard. One strategy is to go with two guards -- they can ping-pong that ball all over the court and they'll be really hard to defend against. Regardless of your team mixture, make sure never to leave anyone open and be sure to have plenty of coverage to pick up rebounds.

You're on a Team! Once one player decides his buddies can't cut it, the game falls apart. Keep it together, even if your team falls behind. If you find yourself on a team with new players, help them figure out a winning strategy. Talk it out. Regroup. Change up your defense. Once you stop acting as a team, you're going to get STOMPED, so save the trash talk for your opponents and keep it fun.

Final Notes:

Although your character's stats will get better over time, there's no substitute for player skill. So practice! Don't be afraid to lose -- the more you play, the better you'll get. You'll be amazed how quickly you go from being a complete loser on the court to being a massive threat, snatching rebounds and blocking shots. It's not about stats; it's all about practicing!

Enjoy the Freestyle Alpha test on FilePlanet. If you keep your eyes open, you might see the FilePlanet crew rocking the court.

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