Capture the Hill! Today is all about the classic game mode that definitely is more complicated than most realize — King of the Hill!

Welcome back to the Spider Tanks Showcase! Today we’re going to be diving into a classic game mode in the arena where two teams square off in the ultimate turf war.

That’s right, today is all about King of the Hill. The idea of this game mode seems pretty basic — control that circle. There is often a little more to it than that, however, and there is a wide array of strategies that Pilots employ successfully in battle.

King of the Hill Summarized

TLDR⬇️: Control the point by getting in its radius. Don’t let the enemy in. Blow up all who oppose you!

If you’re interested in a more technical description of how the rules work for King of the Hill, check it out below. If you feel caught up on the fundamentals, read on!

Whoever can possess the Control Point in a King of the Hill match will continuously receive points from it every second until the other team takes control. This scoring is interrupted, however, if an enemy is in the Control Point’s radius.

An enemy team will move control of the point towards themselves when they are in the radius. Two Tanks in the radius will have more effect than one, but adding a third does not increase how fast you can take control.

If an enemy Tank is not in the Control Point’s radius, control will rapidly move back to the team currently in control. This can be accelerated by a friendly Tank entering the radius. If no one is controlling the point it will not move after leaving the circle unless prompted by an enemy Tank.

Offense Vs Defense

One of the biggest keys to successful strategy on King of the Hill is a Pilot’s ability to adapt to the challenges at hand. What may be successful while the point is firmly in your control probably won’t work when you’re trying to take it back from the enemy.

Offense

While you’re trying to regain control of the Command Point from the enemy team, the difference between a winning and losing strategy is often down to the timing. If you’re not in control of the pace of combat, then the enemy is. If they are in control of the pace and the positioning then it will be a long match for you.

When your team attacks the point, you need to overwhelm the defending team and ruin any defensive plans they have. This means tactics like scattering healers and artillery, focusing fire on vulnerable targets, or approaching from different directions to thin out their fire.

Not every team is perfectly practiced and coordinated with each other, but it doesn’t take much to get used to what your teammates are likely going to do after one or two assaults. Attacking together is often the most important thing to remember on offense in King of the Hill.

Defense

On defense, your job is in some ways the same but very different. While defending, you necessarily control the positioning advantage. Every Control Point out there has arena features and obstructions around it that make for defensible choke points. Use these.

Think about how the enemy is likely to approach you and how you respond. As we said above, they’ll be looking for ways to confound your defenses. Think about multiple scenarios. Are you going to run to the south to provide covering fire unless that Flamethrower is close by, or are you going to bait that flame in and throw a grenade behind the pillar?

Your battle is also about timing on defense. Even if you or your teammates are destroyed, as long as you can successfully slow the enemy down until reinforcements arrive you’ll keep the point. Find ways to dull enemy attacks from one side or to separate opponents. Chase them away from their objective… or make them chase you. It’s not about kills, it’s about keeping that point.

Knowing Your Role

What makes King of the Hill so distinct from other game modes is that it’s nearly impossible for one person having a really good match to effectively carry their team. On the other hand, it’s a game mode where someone can easily be incredibly effective without super high damage… or even really good aim!

The Duelist

If you have single target damage dominance, single out one defender or attacker. If you can harass them enough you’ll distract them from their plan even if you don’t kill them. This will work particularly well for straightforward, linear Weapons such as Triple Threat or Cannon.

Be relentless and hound your targets. Keep them occupied so your other team members can do their jobs.

The Gnat

Even if you don’t think you can take any of the other team one on one, that’s ok. It’s not about kills. It’s about winning.

If you position correctly and use Abilities wisely, you can be so annoying that you may get multiple enemies trying to gang up on you. This creates essential openings for your allies.

The Behemoth

You are the vanguard. You’re heading for the point. This one may not go so well for your kill/death ratio, but that’s ok. Your job is to stay alive and contest the point, whether that’s by dodging or sheer force of bulk.

On offense this will mean aggressively attacking the Control Point, on defense it’ll often mean interrupting when the enemy tries to.

The Rear Guard

You help your team by staying out of trouble. Whether you’re a Brambler hurling thorns at the enemy or a healer providing much needed relief, you do your best work when you’re not under threat.

You not being threatened by an enemy means that at least one of your team is being threatened by more than one, so make it worth it and act as a force multiplier.

Keep Watching the Point

Regardless of what role you fit into when the shooting starts, remember the point is… well, the point. You’re trying to get the enemy away from it so you can control it. Don’t get so caught up in fighting that you miss opportunities to snag control of the game!

Arena battles are a team sport, and that’s especially true in King of the Hill. Hopefully with the knowledge you’re now armed with, you can always be an asset to your team… whether it’s two strangers from the queue or your highly disciplined tournament team.

Keep your eyes on that prize and don’t get exploded too often.

Good luck out there Pilots! We’ll be back next week with a spotlight on Shrouded Shrine. Have tips or tactics on this tightly packed arena in the jungle? Make sure to shoot them to @Spider_Tanks on X, and you may even get featured in your next Spider Tanks Showcase!

Did we miss big things in this King of the Hill breakdown? Let us know in the comments!