Welcome to the next portion of the derby post series “Mind Over Ability.” This time, I’ll be going over how to best utilize one of the most frowned upon, if not THE most frowned upon category of derby abilities – Lane Drops.
The Lane Drop derby abilities consist of the following:
- Banana Peel
- Bananas!
- Bombardier
- Bomber
- Dead End
- Oil Slick
- Slick-N-Slide
- Stonewall
Why might these abilities be useful? If used correctly, derby abilities that drop pesky items such as walls, bananas, or bombs into racing lanes can be quite the annoyance for your opponent. Lane drops can cause your opponent to slow down, force your opponent to change lanes, or even result in missed hurdle or star opportunities (all of which are great for you!).
To make the most out of your lane drop ability, try using the tips below.
- Don’t use it at the very beginning of the race. At the start of the race, everyone is in separate lanes! Dropping an item behind you will result in a wasted opportunity. In addition, there usually aren’t any hurdles at the very beginning of the race (more on that later).
- Take note of what’s on the track and where. Where are the hurdles located? What about the stars? Being aware of what’s on the track will help you play your lane drops at the right time.
- Place lane drops directly before hurdles. Hurdles make or break a race. When your opponent is running low on morale, they’ll need to jump/duck hurdles in order to regain some more. If you place a lane drop directly before a hurdle, your opponent will not only slow down, but they could also hit the hurdle, miss it, or even be forced to change lanes (resulting in no more morale replenishing and better odds for you!)
- Avoid spamming your ability whenever you can use it. Like I mentioned in the previous bullet point, lane drops are best used directly before a hurdle. I know it can be tempting to use an ability as soon as it becomes available, but sometimes it’s better to hold off and wait for the right moment.
Using these 4 guidelines, any racer can use lane drop abilities to their advantage. Stay tuned for future tips on different types of racing abilities!