instead of learning how to properly stack for t-spins against advanced players i've started getting way quicker at stacking for tetrises. probably wont hold up in the long run but. oh well. they can't beat me if they can't catch me
Okay, some things happened this morning that I'd rather not get into, but everything's alright now, so let's ffffriggin' go!
First things first:
A guide to my favorite Tetris openers, by Guy
Okay, so a thing about Tetris that people will have to understand first.
The Super Rotation System: It's basically the new way that Tetris functions, regarding how piece rotation works.
In all honesty, I have no real way to explain it other than the fact that it's the only reason why T-spins exist. There's a site I know that goes further into it, but these are some of the core concepts:
This is how pieces rotate in modern Tetris(Basically Worlds and after). It probably looks complicated, but here's the basic gist of it:
If there's a wall next to the piece you're rotating, it'll push itself away from the wall on the next rotation, causing a "kick". You'll see it if you rotate the T piece clockwise next to the rightmost wall and then rotate it counterclockwise. By the way, peep how the T piece in particular rotates. It's essential, I assure you.
(The O piece is the exception, since it's basically stationary in its rotations.)
Here's another few paragraphs from the site that explains how that stuff works.
With that sorta settled, I can show you guys how T-spins work... Kind of. It's not hard, really, but it's something that I don't understand perfectly yet.
Okay, so T-spins are really easy to do, at least the simple ones. If you're fast enough, you can even do one in the '89 Tetris for NES and all that(You can only do T-spin Doubles, and they don't give you a point bonus).
First, there's the Mini T-spin. It sounds hard, but you only really need one piece to do it if you have a wall.
You see that hole that the S piece makes? Try to get the T piece to slide into it while it's facing left, and rotate it clockwise once. Simple, right? Fill the space in on the left of the S piece, and it would be a Mini T-spin Single.
(These techniques are universal, and can be flipped on either side of the board. Just make sure to use the opposite pieces for it, for this and the other strategies to come.)
It doesn't do damage unless you have the Back-to-Back bonus, but it's great for setting up Back-to-Backs, since it's technically still a T-spin. On occasion, it can even fix a simple misdrop.
Just make sure the wall is two blocks high, or the T piece'll just rotate itself in place. The wall is there to set up the kick the T piece makes, forcing it to slide into the slot. And... Don't rotate too early. It's painful to witness.
Next, the T-spin Double, the one everyone's used to.
There's a million and five ways to set this one up, but this is the most consistent way if you're just starting a match or just got a PC:
This one's a little different in execution, but the same concept applies. Make sure that the T piece is facing right when it's in the hole, and rotate it clockwise once. Just like that, bam, you understand like 50% of competitive modern Tetris. If you want to make it a Double, make sure that two lines on the left are filled.
Now, here's where things get a little complicated.
The T-spin Triple. It's also not too hard, but you have to practice how to spot them in a wild match, and you'll need to learn heavy risk-and-reward stuff, 'cause it can really mess up your board if you were already stacking for a Tetris or something.
Again, you can do it virtually anywhere, but this is a start-of-game setup if you just want big damage.
I screwed up a little, but the I piece can be one space away from the T and J contraption. It doesn't have to be an I piece. It could be a L piece, for instance. It could be an O with an upside-down J on it.
But, whatever you do, make sure that there's an overhang on the wall right of the T and J pieces, like this:
What pieces you use for the right side of the board aren't specific, but just make sure that the bottom three lines are filled completely.
With those concepts sorta settled, and the wiki on your side, let's talk about my setups.
Fun fact, you've actually seen two of them already: The T-spin Triple, and what's called the TKI(I think).
There's also this one that's called the STSD, or the Super T-spin Double. It's called that, because of the way it's formatted. It's made with the intent to get to consecutive T-spin Doubles, the second one being stronger thanks to the Back-to-Back bonus.
First, do the same rotation that you'd do for the T-spin Triple. It gets the same wall kick I mentioned earlier, so it'd still count. Don't worry about what happens after, it's supposed to only clear two lines this time.
By the time you're done with that, the board should look something like this:
From there, do the same thing you'd do for a normal T-spin Double; Spin the T until the flat part is facing upward. Once again, how you fill in the board on the right doesn't matter.
The STSD can also be extended for more T-spin potential, but I'm gonna pretend that I know how to do that.
Okay, now here's time for my go-to strategy:
The PC, or Perfect Clear.
A bit of a disclaimer first: It's not very consistent, having only around a 70% success rate. But, the payoff is so worth it: If you get it to work, you'll send a whopping 10 lines of damage to your opponent, or half the friggin' board.
To understand how this works, you need a bit of a grasp on the 7-bag randomizer that modern games use.
Piece generation isn't totally random. Instead, the game guarantees that you'll get one of every piece every seven pieces. Basically, if you've gotten an I piece, you'll get another one within the next six pieces, guaranteed.
Anyways, the PC requires an understanding of the 7-bag to work properly. I'm gonna show you how to use the Center PC setup.
First the J, L, O and I pieces have to be set up so that they make a square. Also make sure that the square is on a far edge of the board.
Next, place the T piece on the opposite wall of the square you've made, making sure that the flat side is on the wall.
Assuming that the T is on the right side of the board, place the S piece flat on top of the T, and slide the Z piece under the T.
By the end, it should look like this:
Now, here's the fun part!
You can technically fill the middle section however you want, too many to list off. It's like a puzzle in that sense: There's multiple ways to get a Perfect Clear, but it's all dependent on what pieces you get. Again, it's not a guaranteed strategy, but I'm confident that you guys can turn a failed PC into a T-spin of some kind. I believe in y'all!
And, with that, those are the main openers that I use when I'm playing Tetris with someone else. I'll probably make a part 2, covering more complicated things like the DT Cannon and Imperial Cross. And...
...
Maybe I'll teach you the forbidden Jutsu that is the 4-wide. But, you have to promise to keep it a secret, alright?
