NOTICE: This guide was written prior to the Free-to-Play launch. Some information in this guide may be outdated and no longer applicable.
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Eliza Doolally is one of the most pivotal pieces to any team's composition.
She is a mobile, deadly freak of nature that will save the lives of your teammates.

The recommended loadout for Eliza is: Miasma mine, fire mine, bricks, force gates, health/ ammo stations.

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A common misconception for new players entering the world of Block N Load is that they don't have to do anything during the 6-minute build phase. An even more common misconception is that everyone has to help out with the cube defence. To any experienced defender, having random teammates who want to help build a defence are usually only a hinderance. Communication is key. Remember that you are the defender and you are the one who has to decide how to defend the cube. If you think an ally has a block than could help your defence, then instruct them to place it where needed. Any teammate contributions should be done near the end of the build phase. That way you have completed your initial set up and anything your teammates add should not get in the way.

Tip: Asking your ninja, sniper, or astarella to place caltrops on your cube may make all the difference.

The reason I include this bit in the guide is because you absolutely must understand that your defence will only be as good as your team allows it to be. If no one knows how to gather resources by doing cuts, you simply won't have the means to defend at the highest possible level. In this guide, I will be asumming that your team already knows how to do cuts and that you have already reached level 10 as Eliza.

Defenders have one main purpose other than keeping their teammates alive. That is to protect their cube.

I simply cannot tell you how many times I have had teammates say to me, "Don't cover the cube! They will block themselves in!" In many cube setups, it is very easy for an enemy to do just that if a defender is not paying attention. Remember what I said earlier? Your defence will only be as good as your team allows it to be. If a brawn-class has placed radars and if your sniper/ ninja/ astarella has placed caltrops on the cube or nearby, then you shouldn't have to worry too much. If caltrops are placed around the cube, an enemy cannot block themselves in without first removing the caltrops -- and they shouldn't have time for that!

That being said, you never want huge gaps in your cube design. At the very least, be sure to encase the cube with only 1 layer of bricks. As you become more comfortable with Eliza, you can branch out your cube design and make it larger, equipping it with firemines/ miasma and turning it into a death trap for opponents.


The helicopter cube design was made famous by |KK|. It's a very minmalistic design that is meant to be covered in caltrops. Notice the the cube is encased by 1 layer of bricks.




Not all cubes are the same! From the start, some are more exposed than others, depending on the map. So, one design may not work on another cube. As you become more comfortable as a defender and you can trust your team's chemistry, then it may be a good idea to explore new designs. As the defender, you must decide if you want your cube to be outfitted with traps or not. Firetraps are always a good choice and in many cases they are more beneficial than miasma mines.


If you do decide to equip your cube with traps, be sure to put them in places that are not easily visible. If you can hide them completely, then that is a plus. When using firemines and miasma, remember that they will activate whenever an enemy is next to it. So plan accordingly and think of ways to lure the enemy to certain areas of the cube. In this example, I am attaching a firemine to the bottom of a brick, so that if an enemy tries to stand on top of the cube, they will get burned.


As long as you are smart about it, then being a defender can turn out to be one of the most rewarding roles in the game. Those who enjoy building will fall in love with the defensive characters. Cube designs take a lot of trial and error, but watching your creation be effective in-game can be such a fun experience. Most definitely, defenders have to be the most creative and they also have to be well-rounded players.

Just remember to check what heroes are on the opposing side and what bricks they have before the game. For example, if the other team has 2 Cogwheels or a Genie, then building a roof above your cube may be ideal. If you understand how each character tends to behave, then you will find it easier to counter.

Side note: I will not be going over how to build walls in this guide. Just know that you absolutely always need one in the very front with health and ammo on it or nearby.

This is how you can win any 1 v 1 fight as Eliza. So pay attention, blockheads!

Firemines/ miasma can be placed anywhere. They don't have to only be used for a cube defence.

I always recommend trying to save as much money as possible, without neglecting your cube's traps. There will be instances in any match where you must leave your cube and go search for an enemy or engage them in combat. If you have the money for firemines and you are in a close-range combat situation, use them! If you see a ninja coming towards you, place a firetrap nearby and let them jump into it. If you do this while hitting them with your Globe Gun, you should be able to win any fight. Also, be sure to use Eliza's F ability, as it heals her/ nearby allies.

But sometimes you just don't have time to place a firemine while engaged in combat. So think ahead! During the build phase, hide firemines underground. You can even disguise them as radars if you wish. At any rate, remember where you hide them. That way you have a place to run towards if you are in a bad situation.


A firemine is attached to the bottom of a block at the top of the stairs on Last Bastion. An enemy will most likely run into it if they choose to take the stairs.


Ninjas and Astarellas especially tend to go through the windows on Last Bastion in an attempt to reach the high ground. If you place firemines here ahead of time, you can kill them before they get the chance.

Remember when I said that you must be a well-rounded player in order to defend properly? As a defender, you need to think of key areas in every map that you know there will be traffic. Place a firemine there and then by the time they engage one of your teammates, they will be too weak to win a fight.

You have to be smart. Thinking ahead will win you games.

Don't be afraid to leave your cube. In any team composition, there should be 2 defenders and 3 attackers. You can think of it like ice hockey. Whenever one defender moves out of position to engage, the other defender must move over to cover both his area and his teammate's area.

As an Eliza, having a sniper to support you on defence can help you feel less worried about leaving the cube area (If they have placed tikis nearby).

Whether it's engaging an enemy, searching for a respawn, going out for a supply drop, or setting up early for the Blockbuster, you have to take risks as a defender. You cannot be passive. Your teammates' lives are in your small hands. Pay attention as to when certain enemies are dead. That way you can run out to place health/ ammo in the midfield if it is needed.

Do not rely on your traps to kill enemies. Usually, you would want to get your enemy down to low health and have your traps finish them off as they make their way to the cube. But if you can kill them before they activate any of your traps, then that will be ideal.

Don't wait for them to come to the cube area to attack them! You have to be aggressive, but smart. Understand when you have to take risks and when leaving the cube area may actually hurt your team. You learn all of this from experience. As Eliza, you cannot be stationary. You have to always be moving.

Admittedly, this is something that I never used until just recently. Doc's alt-fire with the Globe Gun is meant for close-range combat. The projectile does not go as far, but the splash-damage is intensified and the firerate is much faster. To use Doc's alt-fire, simply right-click.

I recommend using it whenever an enemy is attacking your cube.

Remember that if you hit a teammate with the Globe Gun, you will do a little bit of damage to them. So, if a teammate is nearly dead and engaging an enemy, be cautious about where you aim to support them. If you are too close to your target, you may end up hurting yourself as well. So be careful!

More often than not, it is Eliza's job to set up early for the Blockbuster. Since the boost arrives at the 15 minute mark in the middle of the map, you want to have the midfield absolutely controlled by the 14 minute mark. The earlier the better. Preparing and defending the Blockbuster offers the opportunity to really use your miasma mines. Place them where the BB will fall and focus on killing the enemy before trying to break the buster if possible. Remember that you also have your Chem grenades! Gas out the area and make it hard for opponents to get to the middle.

If the enemy team does get the Blockbuster, you need to have miasma ready at your cube, It's possible that the enemy will still hit your cube without activating the miasma, so be prepared to fire at your own cube in order to activate it from afar.

If the enemy has Blockbuster Extreme, then you may want to consider temporarily placing another layer of bricks on your cube.

If you have made it this far, then I truly hope this guide has helped you and has given you some insight on how to play a defensive Doc.

There are many things I could have talked about in this guide, but I wanted to go over what I felt was most important. This guide is heavily opinionated based on my play-style. As you use Eliza, you will develop your own habits and find your own ways to defend.

If you are unable to view any of the images in this guide, please let me know in the comments.

Thank you for reading!

-Dayr