Rocket League Boost Management Guide

Rocket League Boost Management Guide by IJtrippin

Boost management is one of the essential tools of every Rocket League player. This guide explains the background of the design and provides information regarding boost, its management and how to best utilize different aspects of it.

Pick-up based design

• For Rocket League, boost is a pick-up based design, creating resource limitations that are positional. The boost does not refill by itself, and can only be gained via pick-ups (either pads or capsules) that can be found on the field. This creates an aspect of field positioning. Certain styles of positioning yourself on the map allow for more convenient paths to gather boost. Below is a map of the field and its boost positions:

• Blue dots represent a full charge capsule (100 boost, respawn time ~10 seconds)

• Yellow dots represent a small charge pad (12 boost, respawn time ~4 seconds)

The lines and the figures (10280 and 8240 are measurement of length of the field in Unreal Units)

Players boost meter is 0-100 units. Each player starts with 34 units (1/3 of the boost meter) filled at every kick-off.

Basics of Boost Management

The methods of boost management are varied, however they all attempt to achieve the same goals:

• Maximizing your current boost amount for team

• Minimizing the downtime of refill for team

• Minimizing the current boost amount of opponents

• Maximizing the downtime of refill of opponents

Simplified, your aim is to have as high amount of boost as possible, whilst avoiding picking up unnecessary boost capsules in case your team mate is available to pick one up. The offensive part of boost management is boost denying, in which case you attempt to make sure that whilst you play, you negate opponent’s chances of picking up boost (especially the 100 capsules, since they refill boost to maximum, and they have the lowest respawn rate). Managing to completely starve your opponents of boost is difficult, but if successful, your team can apply massive amount of pressure on your opponent, typically resulting in a goal.

When you start positioning on the map, try to drive in a way that if you are not in need of a boost capsule, drive along the boost pads (as shown on the map, they are everywhere), this way you can keep your position whilst refilling boost, since each time you go for a 100 capsule, you create a gap in your positioning, as the capsules are located at the corners of the map. This means only go for the boost capsules in case it is absolute necessity to do so, and there is a timeframe which allows you to do so. Players often blindly aim for the boost capsules, even if their boost was at example 50, which isn’t a requirement, only few situations require you to spend the whole boost meter, and you can quickly refill yourself up by just driving over few boost pads.

A good rule of a thumb is to have 12 boost available at all times (boost worth of 1 pad), as it allows a small aerial and the capability to block any incoming shot towards the goal. The absolute worst case scenario of boost management is to be completely starved of boost (less than 6) in which case you cannot use boost even for the slightest speed increase.

If as a player you find yourself being out of boost a lot (The aim of boost management is to make sure it never happens), there are few, if not multiple things you do inconsistently, or you as a player do not manage your boost, which is a simple necessity.

Tips & Tricks

• Your car will not go faster once you reach supersonic, once you reach supersonic avoid using unnecessary amounts of boost (holding it down)

• Forward and backward dodges are a handy way to reserve boost, as they provide exponential speed increases and allow you to travel through the map quickly

• You move backwards as fast as you move forwards (both backward dodges and regular driving), however you cannot boost backwards. This however can be circled around by jumping backwards and doing an inverted, low aerial. So essentially flying backwards = boosting in reverse.

• Pay attention to the clock each time you see a boost capsule being picked up (especially at your end), this way you’ll know a good timeframe when the boost is about to respawn, once you master this technique you can pick them up by driving over them at the exact moment of their respawn, combined with good map awareness this gives you an edge you may possibly need in a match, in addition it allows greater chance of denying your opponent of boost

• Are you pressurized or on defense and cannot risk going to the corner to pick up an entire capsule? Fear not, there are plenty of boost pads available right next to your goal, and since their respawn time is low, you can pick them up repeatedly for worst-case scenario

• Learn to drive along the boost pads, once this process becomes automated you have much lesser chance of ever being low on boost

• Boost is a necessity for majority of plays, think before you use it