You don't need a vault full of mythics to win the Duel Machine, but you do need a plan. After a few rough wagers, I started treating every round like a tiny base-defense game, not a brawl, and it clicked fast. If you're still learning what's worth fighting over in Steal a Brainrot Brainrots, focus less on flex picks and more on how your tools chain together, because that's what actually decides who gets launched across the arena and who walks out with the steal.

Build a loadout that plays for control

The most reliable kit right now is simple: Turret, Beehive, Attack Doge, Subspace Trip Mine, and Missile Launcher. Not because each item is "OP" on its own, but because they cover different jobs. The Turret holds space. The Beehive makes that space annoying to enter. Doge forces movement and punishes hesitation. The Trip Mine is your "nope" button when they rush. Then the Missile Launcher finishes the argument when they think they've finally got momentum.

Open fast, don't "save" your stuff

A lot of players waste the first ten seconds circling like it's a boxing match. That's where you get out-built. The moment the round starts, place the Turret where it can see the objective lane, then drop Beehives to choke the safest approach. Send Doge early. You're not trying to be polite; you're trying to make them react. Once they're reacting, they stop setting up. That's when you're already ahead, even if no one's grabbed anything yet.

Steal second, knockdown first

Here's the part people hate hearing: don't touch the brainrot the instant it spawns. If you grab while they're upright, you're basically volunteering to get interrupted. Wait for a knockdown or a forced stumble from your Turret/Doge pressure, then move in. If they get desperate and sprint straight at you, that's when the Subspace Trip Mine earns its slot. Plant it on the line they keep taking, not randomly. You'll start seeing the same habits every match, and you can farm those habits.

Closing the round without throwing

The Missile Launcher is the closer, not the opener. Hold it until you actually see them carrying, or until they commit to a pickup animation. One well-timed shot usually means a drop, a ragdoll, or at least panic movement you can punish with your zone. And if you're the one carrying, don't run in a straight line—cut behind your Turret's sightline and drag them through the bees. If you're gearing up for bigger wagers and you'd rather skip some of the grind, a lot of players use EZNPC to buy game currency or items so they can test builds faster and stay competitive without living in the lobby all day.