Check the **#theory-and-strategy** channel on the [Killer Queen Black Discord](wiki:/discord) server.
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# Basics
## Objectives
Fundamentally, a round of Killer Queen is a race. In order to win a round, you must finish your win condition before the other team finishes theirs.
This means that the first thing you must do as a team is choose an objective, or win condition. Generally speaking, that means Economic or Snail. Military victories generally happen as a result of pressuring the other team with your progress towards an Econ or Snail Victory. It is possible to go full military ("stingers out" in KQA parlance) but this is risky because the other team can continue pushing snail and/or berries while your team endlessly chases their queen around.
Your objective can be decided either via the built-in voice chat or with pings. Ping your own hive to suggest berries, or the snail to suggest snail. If people send a heart emote after your ping, that probably means they are agreeing.
### Running Economic
If both teams are running berries, here are the factors that will determine the round:
That means that you must get all of your berries in before they get theirs in.
- Platforming and throwing skills + efficient routes for workers (Berry Running)
- Military presence blocking the opponents' berries (Ledging). SUPER IMPORTANT!
- Military presence that prevents the opponents from ledging you (Clearing)
The queen shouldn't be the primary player blocking berries -- get a warrior up to guard the opponent's ledge!
### Running Snail
- Snail is faster than berries, but reversible.
- You can feed yourself to the snail to slow it down! The person riding the snail will be trapped there until they're done eating you, and you will live if someone can kill that drone before it's done.
- If you're on a snail, try to jump away and juke your attackers! You'll waste their time and you might survive to keep riding the snail.
- Speed snail (getting a speed upgrade before riding) is rarely worth it. Try to just hop on snail make whatever progress you can.
- Snail can be used to divert the opponent's resources! Ride snail to force them to move their military away from your ledge or queen.
- If your opponents are running snail, try to run the snail back to the center to reverse their progress when you can.
- Try to maintain military dominance if you're going for the snail! If your opponent can't upgrade to warriors you'll have an easy time to win. 2 Military, 1 Drone is ideal.
- Go snail if you are confident in the ability of your teammates to play well as soldiers and of your queen to maintain control of the gates on the map.
### Objective Focus
If the enemy team is clearly pushing one win condition (berries or snail) and you're doing both, they'll win faster than you! Try to pick one objective and focus on it.
Some reasons to break this rule (or go for a "Split Strat" are):
- You're being dominated militarily
- You're trying to distract your opponents from your primary objective
- You need to 'run back' the snail to make sure your opponents don't win
## Communications
Communicating is CRITICAL for a team trying to get good at Killer Queen. One person can't keep track of the entire game state while also playing their role well -- but with effective callouts, you can make sure that your team knows and can react to everything that happens in a match.
### Useful Callouts
Especially as a drone, it's critical to communicate the game state to your team. Let people know what's going on so you can make better decisions together.
- Call out when you enter as a warrior ("We're up 2 now!")
- Call out when you die as a warrior ("We're down 1-2 Warrior")
- Call out when there are dangerous enemy warriors on the field (Speed or shield warriors, or guns)
- Call out when the opponents are pushing an objective -- especially if they're running berries and nobody's ledging!
- When you die or get into a gate as a worker, survey the game state. e.g. ("We have 2, they have 1, we have 2 berries left, they have 3, snail is close to tunnel")
# Advanced
## Map-Specific Strategies
Your gameplan will shift dramatically with the map you're playing on, and the competencies of your team. Visit the map-specific pages to learn more about what strategies are strong where.
## Military
At all levels of play, having a military advantage is CRITICAL. Having more soldiers prevents the opponents from pushing their objective or getting up on military.
- When you have an advantage, focus on blocking the opponents from using gates and pressuring the opposing queen.
- When you have a disadvantage, keep your remaining warrior (if they exist) alive at all costs and try to get another warrior up ASAP.
- A complete lockout (a team having no military without any gates) can be devastating. See the tactics guide below for turning this advantage into a game-winner.
## Tactics
#### 2v1
Always try to engage opponents with a numbers advantage. Call out individual opposing warriors to 2v1 with another warrior, and watch for moments where the queen can be pincered. If you're on the receiving end of a 2v1, run away if you can.
#### Lockout
If the other team is wiped, have someone call it out! You can keep your overwhelming military advantage to "Lock them out" of getting any warriors up, and win on an objective without the other team being able to do anything.
Your queen should follow the enemy queen -- they'll be trying to tag gates to get a military advantage, so by following them you can untag gates before anyone can get to them.
- Only engage the opposing queen with 2v1 fights -- you're not trying to get queen kills, just to maintain the lockout and win on an objective!
- Your Queen should NOT take stupid fights, under any circumstances! The only way the opposing team can break the lockout is if you make a mistake here.
# Drills
Running drills with your team can improve your fundamentals. Find a list of drills [here](wiki:/strategy/team-drills), or make up your own (and add them to the page)!
# Helpful Videos
Find the video library [here](wiki:/strategy/video_library)