u/showmehomie

I know most people despise this mode, and I get why. It seems like it's completely random, and winning seems more based on luck than actual driving skill. It's frustrating somehow getting knocked out by a level 6 car in the first three minutes when you're still in the starter Honda.

While the mode is deeply flawed in many ways, I still find myself coming back to The Eliminator time and time again. Something about getting that win is just so addictive to me. The mode rewards your knowledge of the map, cars, and mode itself, and I find that satisfying.

Having played this mode extensively in FH5 as well, I've developed some tricks that have helped me rack up wins. My current win rate in FH6 is 17.9% (45/252), and my win rate when I make it to the Final Race is 54.2% (45/83). When you know what strategies to use, winning doesn't feel so random, and the mode is much more enjoyable. Some of this info may seem obvious, but it works for me, and I want other people to enjoy this mode more like I do.

TL;DR

1. Pick a spot with long sightlines to find a good car drop right away
2. Win Head-to-heads
3. Make it to the Final Elimination
4. Try to predict where the final finish line will be to get a head start
5. Sometimes, it's faster to go around an obstacle than through it

Starting Location Finding a decent car drop at the start of the match is important, but not critical, to setting up a win. At the start of the match, it seems like there are very few car drops, and finding one can be a really frustrating experience. The solution is to pick a starting location with long sight lines so you can spot drops ASAP and upgrade your car right away. Here is my favorite place to spawn:

https://imgur.com/a/DKwiJmV

85% of the time, you'll see at least one drop behind you or in front of you on the highway, or 1-3 in the field to your left. I rarely pick up a drop unless it's a level 3 car or above. If I don't see any drops after I spawn, I continue west on the highway to hopefully spot one along the way. If you still can't find a single drop, don't quit just yet. Wait for the circle to shrink to the next level and for more car drops to spawn.

https://imgur.com/a/7KiSsMM

Picking a First Car Drop

If you spawn near a car drop and it's a level 2 car, just keep driving and looking for another drop. It's not worth the time and slowdown. Level 3 and above are all you should be looking for. If you're lucky, level 6, 7, and 9 cars can all be your first drop (level 1 > level 9 in the first minute of the match). This doesn't guarantee a win, but having a high-level car early on can keep you from getting eliminated early on so you make it to that final race. Once you're in the final race, your chances of winning go up dramatically.

Challenging People to a Head-to-head

Once you've secured a level 3 or better drop, try to find someone to beat in a head-to-head so you can start leveling up your car. The earlier the better. If you've found a decent car drop quickly, it's relatively simple to drive towards the nearest opponent and take them down, especially if they're still in the starter car. If you're in a level 3-6 car, keep checking the drops. You could find a level 7 or 9 drop and upgrade quickly.

Head-to-head Tricks

It's not always possible to know where the finish line will be, but you can make an educated guess. If you're outside or on the edge of the circle, the finish line will be towards the center of the circle 100% of the time. You can use this to your advantage. As the circle shrinks, you'll notice you'll sometimes get the same finish lines again and again. You can use this to your advantage. A prime example is challenging someone while driving toward the next circle. If they are stopped or traveling in the opposite direction, you can challenge them, zip past, and you're already on the way to the finish line while they're still turning around.

Map Knowledge

One complaint that people make against The Eliminator is "oh you just drive in a straight line and whoever has the fastest car wins." This is... true, but only some of the time! Sometimes, knowing that it's faster to go around an obstacle than over it is crucial. I've beaten level 7 cars in the starter car simply because I knew the fastest route is indirect. I go around a mountain while they get stuck trying to go over it. No real tricks here--you just have to know the map. A couple examples are the big river and steep hills in general. Once you know where these are and how to best go around them, you'll start seeing opponents get stuck when you know to go a different route. The city has a ton of shortcuts and faster routes that the blue GPS route to the finish line doesn't tell you about.

Car Knowledge

Some high-level cars are just not good, and some low-level cars are sleepers. Obviously, AWD is preferred. I really like the F150 Lightning (level 4) and the Rivian (level 6). They don't flip easily and can carry a lot of speed and momentum. The RWD and FWD cars are just inferior. You always want AWD first and foremost, so if you're in an AWD level 4 car, it might not be worth it to pick up a level 5 car with FWD or RWD. I haven't noticed a big difference in the level 10 cars. They're all super fast and AWD. The Ferrari seems a little bit slipperier than the Lambos, the Porsche, and the Merc, but they're all good.

The Final Race

This is where you put everything together. Map knowledge, car knowledge, mode knowledge-- it all comes into play here. Hopefully, you've obtained a level 10 car by now, but I've won in level 6 cars by driving smart. First, you need to see what part of the map the final circle is on. Sometimes it's way up north or south, so you can get a really good idea about where the final race will end (if the circle is down south, you'll be going north). No matter what car you're in, you'll want to build up a lot of speed and exit the final circle in the direction of the finish line along the straightest path possible. You can time it so that at about 3 seconds left in the countdown, you're already outside of the final circle heading towards the finish line. The countdown will end, and the elimination zone disappears, so you'll be safe. Be careful not to exit the zone too early and get eliminated by the zone just before the final race starts. I've done this a few times, and I feel like a total idiot when it happens lol. Sometimes you'll guess wrong, and you'll end up the farthest from the finish line, but if you get it right, you'll be ahead of everyone by a good margin. From there, it's usually best to stick to the roads if you're in a high-level car. Straight-line speed with a few turns often beats trying to take a 918 over a mountain at 200mph.

If the final circle is in the middle of the map, you can take a guess at where the finish line is going to be and wing it, or you can chill in the middle of the circle or around the highest concentration of other players and forego the advantage of being at the edge of the final circle. Both strategies have their pros and cons.

Conclusion

Winning The Eliminator takes a lot of luck, but there is a lot more skill involved than many people think. I see why people hate it, but if I can help just one other person enjoy it more and get more out of FH6, the game they paid for, I'd feel good about that. I'm by no means the best at the Eliminator, but I'd say I'm pretty good, and hopefully these tips can help you get a win or two!

https://imgur.com/a/PC8Oq1o