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Natural Selection Wiki

Introduction

This article contains links to various community-authored guides that provide hints & tips on how to improve your skill in specific facets of NS2 gameplay. Increasing your knowledge and acquiring certain skillsets such as movement techniques and map awareness can help you to increase your Player Skill, and even ascend to Sanji Survivor !Tier 7

Some of these tutorials that seem to focus on competitive play in ns2 (6vs6), are still extremely helpful for normal pub-play! The main difference is, that your team on public servers is more likely to forgive mistakes than your team in competitive play.

Info Info: Community guides are primarily opinion pieces and therefore may contain conflicting information and information that is no longer relevant due to changes to game mechanics.


Movement

Title Skill Level Short Description Type Author Extra Links
Movement Techniques - all Lifeforms / Marines

Universal

Movement techniques
  • maintaining your speed
  • allows fancy dodge movements
Wiki Article
Videos
Handschuh, CrazyCat Handschuh's YouTube
Trickjumps Universal List of most important Jumps and how to execute them
Wiki Article
Videos
Handschuh
Spring, Pelargir
Handschuh's YouTube

Guides

Warning Warning: The Natural Selection Wiki is not responsible for the content of third-party sites.

Start

Title Skill Level Short Description Type Author Extra Links
NS2 Quick & Easy : 5 minutes to know the essential

Beginner Advanced

Quick guide for beginners and advanced players alike. The must-know essentials to not suck and not be lost in the game.
Text
Jackson
How to: ns2_veil

Beginner Advanced

In this guide, I will help you understand more and get better at the most iconic and most played map of Natural Selection 2 : ns2_veil.
Text
Jackson
ENSL Training Night 2021 Universal Uncut recording of the ENSL 2021 Alien Training Night with timestamps. Video loMe, schu, RangeR

Options ( including Advanced Options)

Check green Tip: Use screen settings to play at 144hz or at least as high as possible. Some screens support higher frequencies at certain resolutions.
Title Skill Level Short Description Type Author Extra Links
Options

Universal

Wiki Options
  • explanations
  • helps to find default / performance / quality options
Wiki Article
Mephilles' video
NS2Plus

Universal

NS2+ Options
  • explanations
  • helps to find default / performance / quality options
Wiki Article
Alien Vision Advanced Custom Alienvision
  • explanations
  • helps to modify Alienvision to personal wants and needs
Video
Mephilles
NS2+ Guides (2016)

Universal

NS2+ Explanations
  • ENSL Video (2016)
  • ENSL NS2+ Explanations in more detail (2015)
Video
Text
Mendasp, Mega

NS2+ Video (2016)
NS2+ Explanation (2015)

Commander

Marine Commander

Title Skill Level Short Description Type Author Extra Links
Commanding as a Sanji

Beginner Advanced

Katzenfleisch's (acknowledged pub commander and NSL Champion-Commander) guide to commanding Marines and Aliens
Text
Katzenfleisch (Build 331)
Marine Default Techpath

Beginner Advanced

A lot of Marines will complain or eject you at the start of the round if you deviate from the default start, especially if you do not communicate your intentions
Text
Handschuh
Beginner Commander Guide

Beginner

Note: Even though the Videos are from 2014 they are still mostly correct!

  1. Commanding HUB (including Aliens): Introduction to commanding
  2. Marine Commander Basics: In-depths explanation of the HUD, structures and commands available.
Video
It'sSuperEffective!

Video 1
Video 2

Advanced Commander Guide

Beginner Advanced

Note: Even though the Videos are from 2014 they are still mostly correct!

  1. General commanding guidelines, objectives, and common terms & actions definition.
  2. The 3 stages of the game explained, and what to do during each of them.
  3. Examples of opening strategies.
  4. Offensive tactics & Defensive measures.
  5. Closing strategies: how to properly end the game.
Video
It'sSuperEffective!

Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
Video 4
Video 5

Alien Commander

Title Skill Level Short Description Type Author Extra Links
Beginner Commander Guide

Beginner

Note: Even though the Videos are from 2014 they are still mostly correct!

  1. Commanding HUB (including Aliens)
    Introduction to commanding
Video
It'sSuperEffective!

Marine

Title Skill Level Short Description Type Author Extra Links
Field Marine Basics

Beginner Advanced

Describes common Terms
  • Lane-Blocking, Rotating, Pushing, Baiting / Trap
  • Balance between Agression and Defense
Pictures
Text
Warforce17
Field Marine Protecting RTs

Beginner Advanced

  • How to defend Extractors against Skulks
Video
Mephilles
Marine Basics

Beginner Advanced

Map Positioning
  • Lane-Blocking
  • Zoning
Pictures
Text
Kash
NSL Marine Training (2017)

Advanced Veteran

How to move and take Engagements
  • Movement, engagements, surviving ambushes


Video has timestamps!

Video
Herakles Part1
Part2
Spectator
Positioning

Veteran

Map Positioning and Teamplay
Text
few Pics
Tane
Trickjumps Universal List of most important Jumps and how to execute them
Video
Handschuh
Spring, Pelargir
How to use ns2_range Universal Small set of instructions and tips to utilize the custom map ns2_range to improve your aim.
Wiki Article
Kopunga

Alien

Check green Tip: All Alien Lifeforms require you to learn advanced movement techniques. For those see Movement or Movement Techniques.

Skulk

Main article: Skulk
Title Skill Level Short Description Type Author Extra Links
loMe's Skulk Tutorial

Universal

  • Setting up ambushes with Skulks
Video
loMe
Alien Secret Weapon: a guide to PARASITE

Beginner Advanced Veteran

Text
Jackson
Engagements

Advanced Veteran

How to take Engagements
  • Baiting, Parasiting, Ambushing
Video
ALF
NSL Skulk Training (2015)

Universal

  • Wallhopping, Zoning , Engagements
  • + tons of extra stuff (long video)
Video
Golden
Skulk Model on walls

Advanced Veteran

Skulk Model
Video
Wob
NSL Skulk Training (2017)

Beginner Advanced Veteran

  • Wallhopping, Zoning , Engagements, + tons of extra stuff (long video)
Video
loMe Link
Spectator

Gorge

Main article: Gorge
Warning Warning: The Gorge Tutorials are all older then the recent 327 Build and thereforce partly outdated.
Title Skill Level Short Description Type Author Extra Links
Gorge Basics Tutorial

Advanced Veteran

How to Gorge: Structure Placement, Gorge Tools, ...
Video
Luftwaffel

Lerk

Main article: Lerk
Title Skill Level Short Description Type Author Extra Links
NSL Lerk Training (2017)

Advanced Veteran

How to play Lerk:
  • Engagements, ...
Video
Tyr, asdf ADHD

schu

NSL Lerk Training (2015)

Advanced Veteran

  • Teamwork, Engagements, + tons of extra stuff (long video)
Video
schu

Fade

Main article: Fade
Title Skill Level Short Description Type Author Extra Links
NSL Fade Training (2017)

Advanced

How to play Fade:
  • Engagements, + tons of extra stuff (long video)
Video
Tyr, asdf asdf

spectator

Effective Fade Movement

Advanced Veteran

Showcase
  • Effective Fade Movement with explanations
  • Engagements
Video
loMe
Decision making

Advanced Veteran

Engagements:
  • vs Shotguns, long thread with tips
Picture
Text
rantology
NSL Fade Training (2015)

Advanced Veteran

  • Blinking, Engagements, + tons of extra stuff (long video)
Video
loMe

Onos

Main article: Onos

Competitive / Other

These Guides are topics that are about other topics or tailored for Competitive NS2 e.g. 6vs6 play.

Title Skill Level Short Description Type Author Extra Links
Newcomer Guide for Competitive NS2 (6vs6)

Advanced Veteran

Introduction on how to play 6vs6


  • explanation on all stages of the game (early, mid, late) in regards to the tech and lifeforms
  • explanation for Lifeforms, Tech, and their roles.
Text
Doggo, Kmacg, whii
Optimal Position / Hive push spots

Veteran

  • Map Usage, Positioning / Map-Awareness, Hive push spots
Pictures
Text
Trademark and loMe
Voice Chat Behaviour

Veteran

  • Competitive Voice Chat behaviour
Text
Mega
Mapping

Universal

  • All resources related to creating maps
Wiki Page
Crosshair creation

Universal

  • How to make your own Crosshair
Wiki Page
Kopunga
Cinematic Editor Basics

Universal

  • Introduction to the Cinematics Editor
Video
IronHorse
Setting up a Server on Windows

Universal

  • Step-by-Step instructions on how to install and setup a dedicated Server on Windows using SteamCMD
Wiki Page
Kopunga
Setting up a Server on Windows

Universal

  • Step-by-Step instructions on how to install and setup a dedicated Server on Windows using SteamCMD
Video
Kopunga
NS2 Modding Guide Universal
  • Introductory guide to NS2 modding
Text
Brute

Achievements

These tutorials showcase how to get select Achievements in Natural Selection 2.

Title Skill Level Short Description Type Author Extra Links
The Last Straw Achievement Beginner
  • Guide to get "The Last Straw" Achievement
Video
Kopunga
Clogbeard's Treasure Achievement Beginner
  • Guide to get "Clogbeard's Treasure" Achievement
Video
Kopunga
Terminal Velocity Facepalm Achievement Beginner
  • Guide to get "Terminal Velocity Facepalm" Achievement
Video
Kopunga
Darwin Award Achievement Beginner
  • Guide to get "Darwin Award" Achievement
Video
Kopunga

External Guide Collections

Tutorial Collection of all up to date guides.
Russian Tutorials including Trickjumps by CRaZyCAT
Tutorial Section of the ENSL Forum


Tip List

A tip list is currently being developed that can be currently accessed in discord and is planned to be implemented in-game and included in the wiki.

You can already access them in the official Discord and several community Discords that have the HiveStalker bot.

On the official Discord the bot is currently in the channel #hive-queries, use the !tip command.

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