Tribes 2 Pilot's Guide by W2k last update 2001-04-21 - rev 1.0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, you wanna be a pilot eh? Cool. Tribes 2 may be a "first-person shooter"-style game, but it's loaded with nice opportunities for teamwork, and the vehicles constitute what is perhaps the best one of 'em. This guide will go through the airborne vehicles - the turbogravs - namely the Shrike scout flier, the Thundersword bomber, and the Havoc transport. In that order. Despite the title, this guide is not just for pilots - if you like playing the role of the tailgunner or the bombardier better, there's something for you in here as well. There's even a chapter for those who despise turbogravs altogether, and prefers shooting them down. Let's begin. To go directly to a specific chapter, use the links (bold) in the table of contents below. (0) Basics (1) Armor, Weapons and Equipment (1.1) Armor (1.2) Weapons (1.3) Equipment (1.4) Suggested configs (2) Turbograv Overview (3) Turbograv Tactics (3.1) The Shrike (3.1.1) Offense (3.1.2) Defense (3.1.3) Tactics (3.1.3.1) Soldiers (3.1.3.2) Ground vehicles, sensors, etc. (3.1.3.3) Other Shrikes (3.1.3.4) Other turbogravs (3.1.3.5) Hit'n'run flag grabs (3.2) The Thundersword (3.2.1) Offense (3.2.2) Defense (3.2.3) Tactics (3.2.3.1) Bombing (3.2.3.1.1) The Pilot's Role (3.2.3.1.2) The Bombardier's Role (3.2.3.1.2.1) Dual Heavy Blasters (3.2.3.1.2.2) Plasma Bombs (3.2.3.1.2.3) Targeting Laser (3.2.3.1.3) The Tailgunner's Role (3.2.3.2) Getting a Crew (3.2.3.3) Single-Player Bomber Tactics (3.3) The Havoc (3.3.1) Offense (3.3.2) Defense (3.3.3) Tactics (3.3.3.1) How to pilot a Havoc (3.3.3.2) Mobile Gunship (4) S-A/A-S Com1bat (4.1) Surface-to-Air Missiles (4.2) Avoiding incoming SAM's (5) Updates -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (0) Basics Just a few tiny details before we start. If you haven't played the single player missions (tutorials), do so first. They teach you some things you need to know, such as jetpacking properly. RTFM as well. This guide expects you to know how things work in the game - hence the above suggestion. If you don't know which bar shows your vehicle's energy, you're screwed. Don't believe everything you read here blindly. Go out and try it in the field. VTOL means "Vertical Take-Off and Landing" The three turbogravs in the game are the: Shrike (scout flier) Thundersword (bomber) Havoc (transport) The three ground vehicles are the: Wildcat (grav bike) Beowulf (assault tank) Jericho (mobile point base) The three armor classes in the game are the: Scout (light) Assault (medium) Juggernaught (heavy) The vehicles in the game are split into three groups: Turbogravs (flying vehicles, ie aircraft) Terragravs (hovering vehicles, ie hovercraft) Wheeled vehicles (ground vehicles with wheels) This isn't Quake, and it isn't Counter-Strike. To be successful in Tribes 2, you need brains, and you must know how to work in a team. All vehicle stealers must die. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) Armor, Weapons and Equipment While it is rather tempting to jump straight into a turbograv right after respawning, doing so is pretty stupid. Of course, jumping into a Shrike or aboard a Havoc is a pretty quick and easy way of getting to the enemy base, and if you're lucky you might even make it back alive. However, if you intend to make a difference other than to someone elses frag count, you should prepare. (1.1) Armor Simply put, you have to be either Scout or Assault if you're going to be anything but a passenger or a tailgunner. This is because of the game - it won't let you into the vehicle if you're Juggernaught class. Personally, I recommend the Assault class - unless you want to go sniping. If you don't, then there's really no reason to be a Scout - you don't need that extra mobility when you're sitting in a turbograv. Note that Juggernaught class players make excellent tailgunners, so if that's what you'll be doing, go for it. (1.2) Weapons Even though both the Shrike and the Thundersword have built-in weapons, carrying some of your own is critical to your survival - and if you're a tailgunner, your very purpose on-board requires you to be packing some hardware of your own. Pick whatever guns you like, however ... If you are the tailgunner, include the missile launcher and the fusion mortar. Assuming you can aim straight at the enemy for long enough, the missile launcher is a great way to get rid of attacking Shrikes, or other enemy vehicles. If you are the pilot or bombardier, include the missile launcher. If you get shot down or bail out, use it from the ground to take your opponent down with you. (1.3) Equipment Important: At least one crewmember should be carrying the repair pack, preferably the pilot. If your turbograv is severely damaged, you can always land somewhere far off and repair it, then return with a vengeance. The repair pack is also great for healing your crewmembers after a nasty crash landing. The tailgunner will want to be carrying flare grenades for fooling incoming missiles. (1.4) Suggested Configs Now for my own little what-to-wear suggestions. Pilot (light) Armor: Scout Weapons: Blaster, Chaingun, Plasma Rifle or Spinfusor Pack: Repair Pack Grenade: Whiteout Grenade or Concussion Grenade or Grenade Pilot (sniper) Armor: Scout Weapons: Chaingun, Plasma Rifle or Spingfusor, Laser Rifle Pack: Energy Pack Grenade: Whiteout Grenade or Concussion Grenade or Grenade Pilot (medium) Armor: Assault Weapons: Chaingun, Spinfusor, Plasma Rifle, Missile Launcher Pack: Repair Pack Grenade: Grenade Tailgunner Armor: Juggernaught Weapons: Chaingun, Plasma Rifle, Grenade Launcher, Fusion Mortar, Missile Launcher Pack: Repair Pack or Ammo Pack Grenade: Flare Grenade -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (2) Turbograv Overview Let's take a look at our three turbogravs. A small word on ammo: All weapons on the turbogravs use the craft's internal power supply. Therefore, you have unlimited ammunition, even for the Plasma Bombs. Shrike Type: Fighter / Scout Flier Crew: Pilot (1) Weaponry: Blasters (2) Speed: High | Armor: Low | Shields: Medium Note: Functions as a mobile sensor array, excellent for surveying enemy bases. Also good for taking out enemy vehicles and such. Thundersword Type: Bomber Crew: Pilot (1), Bombardier (1), Tailgunner (1) Weaponry: Heavy Blasters (2, turret-mounted), Plasma Bombs (2) Speed: Medium | Armor: Medium | Shields: High Note: Requires at least a crew of two to do anything but fly around and look stupid. Plasma Bombs do massive damage. Havoc Type: Transport / Gunship Crew: Pilot (1), Tailgunner (1), Passengers/gunners (4) Weaponry: None Speed: Low | Armor: High | Shields: High Note: While unarmed, this ship can do extreme damage if carrying heavily-armed soldiers. Now, how to use them. Neither turbograv is really hard to fly - if you liked remote-controlling the Redeemer missile from Unreal Tournament (crappy game, but that nuke was cool IMNSHO), you'll soon recognize the feeling when piloting a Shrike. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (3) Turbograv Tactics This is the important stuff - read carefully :) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (3.1) The Shrike Requiring only one player to operate fully, the Shrike is excellent for anyone who can't be bothered to wait for his teammates, or simply feels he can do more damage on his own. Shrikes are useful both for offense and defense. Basic Shrike manuevering is done with the same buttons you normally use for moving - the jetpack is now the Shrike's afterburner, which you can use to gain extra speeds or to gain altitude without moving forward - just fire off the afterburner without simultaneously pressing forward, and you'll climb vertically instead. Instant VTOL! (3.1.1) Offense Simply put, attacking the enemy base with the shrike is not a good idea. It's just far too easy for an enemy solider, or several enemy soliders to grab some missile launchers and turn your precious flier into debris. It won't take many shots for an enemy AA turret either, and spider clamp / landspike turrets can kill you as well if you fly close enough to make yourself their target. On offense, the Shrike is good for five things: Killing enemy soldiers (particularly snipers) Killing enemy vehicles Destroying rooftop sensors (usually on some distant tower which noone cares about) Hit'n'run attempts to grab the flag General Harassment You'll be surprised how often the last one works. Human players generally get pretty pissed of if attacked by a Shrike, even if they don't take much damage from it. And if a player is spending his time hunting you, he won't be doing anything else - protecting his base, for instance. (3.1.2) Defense The Shrike has some excellent defensive uses. For example, it's great for shooting down enemy bombers. Here are some uses for the Shrike in a defensive position: Killing enemy attackers in general Killing incoming enemy turbogravs (such as bombers) Killing enemies shooting at your turrets/sensors from a distance The Shrike is excellent for getting places fast, this can be very useful if you have a widespread base with several points needing defense, with some of them far from your spawn point. (3.1.3) Tactics Now for the how-to's of proper Shrike flying. (3.1.3.1) Soldiers Killing an enemy soldier is usually fairly easy to accomplish with a Shrike, so long as he's not carrying a missile launcher. You can either just shoot him down OR, if you're really skilled (and have a low ping), you can run him over just as if you were driving a terragrav - just bump into 'em, either on the ground or mid- air. Note that Juggernaughts have a nasty tendency to survive such collisions. If using the blasters, I recommend either following the player as he flees or tries to fight back - you have unlimited ammo, so fire 'til he's dead. Remember that you don't need to keep the Shrike moving, you can hover using the afterburners - very useful when attacking snipers and other stationary or semi- stationary targets. (3.1.3.2) Ground vehicles, sensors, etc Firstly, when I say ground vehicles, I'm really only talking about the Beowulf Grav Tank. The Jericho is far too beefy for you to be able to take out with just a fighter, and the Wildcat Grav Cycle is just too fast and tiny. Taking out a Beowulf with a Shrike can be troublesome - it's got a lot of armor and strong shields, but on the other hand, it's ill-equipped to fire back at you, as neither of its weapons are very useful for combatting airborne vehicles. Hover above it and let your blasters do the talking. The same goes for sensors and such - just hover and fire, moving is good for avoiding attackers but will do horrible things to your aim. The faster you destroy one target, the sooner can you move on to the next. (3.1.3.3) Other Shrikes Here's where you get to test your l33t piloting skillz. Assuming that your vehicles start out equally damaged, and that none of you are getting help (from other players, towers etc), winning a Shrike-to-Shrike fight is all about hitting your opponent, preferably more than he hits you. Try to get in behind him if possible, and if he gets in behind you, do a quick 180 turn and let him eat your blasters. If both players use this approach you will eventually end up hovering nose-to-nose - and when that happens, whoever aims better wins. Note that once the shields are down, it takes very few shots to bring down a Shrike. One slightly unconventional, yet strangely effective, tactic is to simply bail out from your Shrike and fire off a few missiles at your enemy - if you're successful, he will either die or crash-land, at which point you can either kill him in man-to-man combat or jump into your old Shrike and leave him to his misery (or finish him off). Note that players bailing from crashing Shrikes are usually pretty low on health after landing, so try and hit him with a Spinfusor disc the moment he lands on the ground. One last thing. Colliding your Shrike into another player's is really stupid, unless you bail out in time. It is however a quick way to end a fight if you get bored :) (3.1.3.4) Other turbogravs Shooting down a bomber or transport with a Shrike is fairly easy, assuming the target doesn't have a tailgunner with a missile launcher - if he does, your best bet is to fly past at high speeds, dealing a little damage every run. This is unlikely to actually destroy the enemy ship, but drains the target's energy supply and annoys the crew beyond belief. You can also kamikaze-burn straight into the enemy craft - this will take out even a Havoc, but won't get you any frags even if the entire crew perishes. (3.1.3.5) Hit'n'run flag grabs One of the key benefits of the Shrike is its ability to get you anywhere really really quickly. A hit'n'run flag grab is accomplished in the following manner: Make sure that the enemy flag area is as clear as possible - preferably, there shouldn't be too many turrets or enemy players about. Get your inventory. Since speed is important, you might want to be in the Scout armor. Go to the vehicle station and get a Shrike. If you're into ground vehicles, a Wildcat will work as well. Burn straight to the enemy base, avoiding enemy turrets in one of the following ways: Circumnavigate them (by taking a detour) Fly too fast for them to hit you (350+ KPH or so) Fly below or above them Park your vehicle close to the enemy base, however not in plain sight. Since the Shrike can VTOL, a deep chasm will work fine if you can find one. Go get the flag. Don't die. Head back to the Shrike Fly back to your base and capture (duh!) Repeat from step 1 Continue until either praised for your skillz or kicked from server -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (3.2) The Thundersword The Thundersword is the most formidable piece of hardware you'll ever come across in Tribes 2 - not taking into account all the vehicles mod makers are likely to invent later on, of course. Equipped with both blasters and bombs, a properly flown Thundersword will bring death and destruction to the battlefield, and tons of it. (3.2.1) Offense Obviously, the Thundersword is primarily an offensive weapon - you're not going to be dropping those bombs on your own base, because no matter how much fun it would be, all those defenses your team has spent time building up will be reduced to ashes if you bomb them, right along with any enemy attackers. Same goes for your team, of course - bombing your own base will get you kicked from the server for TK'ing sooner or later. So don't! Ok? :) The offensive uses for the bomber are pretty straightforward. Bomb enemy defenses Bomb enemy vehicles Bomb enemy soldiers Bomb enemy bases Looks easy, doesn't it. Of course, if you prefer the blasters over the plasma bombs, they will work just fine for all of the above, albeit with less efficiency. (3.2.2) Defense As I mentioned above, the defensive uses for the Thundersword are severely limited - sure, you can use the bomber as a flying turret, letting the bombardier fire away with the blaster (along with the tailgunner using whatever weapons he's got) but that's pretty boring, and there are other vehicles better suited for that purpose. However, you can use the Thundersword to ... Bomb enemy soldiers and vehicles ... ...who are on their way to your base. Because so long as your bombs don't hit anything important, it's no crime to drop them in other places than the enemy base. Enemy tanks or an enemy Jericho MPB will be reduced to ashes fairly quickly, since neither have a good defense against high-flying bombers. (3.2.3) Tactics A successful assault using the Thundersword bomber depends on the bombardier and the pilot (and the tailgunner, if any) helping each other out as much as possible. Of course, the pilot has the most important role. (3.2.3.1) Bombing As indicated above, most of the Thundersword's uses involve bombing. What you are bombing is relatively unimportant, the procedure is the same every time, with a few variations, which I'll leave to you to figure out :) (3.2.3.1.1) The Pilot's Role As the pilot, your have three tasks: Get the bomber to the target Approach and pass the target in a way which facilitates the bombardier's job Keep the bomber from being shot down Now, how to accomplish this? Getting the bomber to the intended bomb target is a fairly straightforward task. Take off (note that like the Shrike, the Thundersword can do VTOL), then fly to the bomb site. While flying, try to gain as much altitude as possible, as flying too close to the ground will make you an easy target for enemy defenses. The afterburner is great for accomplishing this. However, don't fly too high. If the map is foggy, the bombardier won't be able to see the target, and the targeting reticle will be too small for him to make out. Also, don't overuse the afterburners - when you reach the target, your survival and the effectiveness of the bombing depends on you having enough energy. One more thing. No joyriding. Sure it's fun to fly low and show off your l33t skillz, but at the same time the chances of you getting a missile up your backside, or crashing into the ground before even getting to the target increase by about 1000%. If you want to fly just for fun, get a Shrike - they're much better suited for the job, AND you won't be wasting other players' lives and time if you crash. Summed up: Gain altitude while en-route to the target Flying too low will get you shot down Flying too high will complicate the bombardier's task Save energy A full, or nearly full energy supply is critical to a successful bombing run, since ... The bombardier needs energy enough to drop the bombs The shields need enough energy to at least partially absorb at least one missile No joyriding, we have Shrikes for that Second, the approach and actual bombing run. It is very important that you, the pilot that is, keep a straight course and constant speed while passing the target. A straight course is very important since the bombs will then fall in a predictable manner, making hitting the target much easier for the bombardier. Constant speed isn't as important but also serves to help the bombardier. I've found that a speed of about 150-200 KPH is ideal for the bombardier, however you might want to fly faster to avoid being shot down. However, you must never ever use the afterburner during the bombing run. It uses too much energy, and the vehicle will fly much too fast for the bombs to hit with any precision what-so- ever. Summed up: Fly in a straight line over the target - any turns will screw up the targeting Maintain the same altitude - as above, changing course will screw up the targeting Fly at a constant speed Higher speeds will reduce the risk of you getting shot down Lower speeds will facilitate the bombardier's job Do not use afterburners The bombardier and the shields need the energy Finally, the stay-alive part. Since you pilot the Thundersword, you have to steer it away from any and all dangers - this includes incoming missiles. When you hear someone trying to get a missile lock on you, use one of the missile avoidance techniques described in section 4.2 (below), but not during a bombing run. Remember, since you can respawn, bombing the target is more important than making it out alive. If someone fires a missile at you while doing the run, you're better off hoping that the shields will hold than trying to escape it. Also note that due to the slowness of the Thundersword, using the afterburner to escape from an incoming missile is a very ineffective tactic, even though it does work on occasion. When a missile is fired at you, only use the afterburner very sparingly to gain speed, then go around a corner - the missile will probably lose you and hit the mountain instead. Remember that once the bombing run is complete, you can use the afterburner to quickly put some distance between you and the enemy. This is especially useful when the enemy is trying to get a missile lock on you, but has yet to actually fire the missile. Rapid speed increases and course changes will make it much harder for the enemy to get a lock. Summed up: Bombing the target is more important than making it out alive Therefore, don't try to dodge missiles during the bombing run, as this will make the bombs miss their targets The shields/armor can usually take at least one missile hit Don't try to afterburn away from a missile - let your shields charge instead You can "tap" the afterburner to gain speed without using up too much energy That's about it. Good luck. (3.2.3.1.2) The Bombardier's Role As the bombardier, you have the most important part to play once the bombing run has begun. Your duties are as follows: Use the Thundersword's on-board weapons to fight off attackers Release the plasma bombs during the bombing run Destroy or damage the target by successfully hitting it with the bombs If the pilot does his job properly, this is actually very easy to accomplish. Your position in the bomber gives you a 360-degree view of the land below you. Somewhere on the ground, you'll see the red targeting reticle (it appears no matter which weapon you have selected). You have three weapons at your disposal. (3.2.3.1.2.1) Dual Heavy Blasters These work similarly to the blasters on the Shrike, with two main advantages: You needn't fire in the direction the vehicle is moving, since the turret can be rotated, and the heavy blasters do much more damage than the ones on the Shrike. The blasters will also generate some "splash" damage on impact, so pin-point accuracy isn't too important. (3.2.3.1.2.2) Plasma Bombs The plasma bombs are the Thundersword's main weapon, to be dropped with more or less accuracy on more or less unsuspecting enemy targets. You have an unlimited supply so long as there's enough energy available - one click of the fire button releases two bombs in quick succession. The bombs detonate on impact with anything except air, damaging or destroying everything in the blast radius, including you if you're flying too low. A direct hit on a player will usually result in instant death for him or her. Note that both the blasters and the bombs use up energy, especially the bombs. Don't shoot more than you have to (although too many bombs are always better than too few) and don't fire unneccessarily - en-route to the target, you should save your energy for the bombing run (fire only when fired upon), and when moving away, the pilot will want it for the shields and afterburner. (3.2.3.1.2.3) Targeting Laser While not a weapon as such, the targeting laser is great for indicating to the pilot where you want to go, or for marking targets for later bombing. Once fired, the point it hits will be marked out to you and the pilot, even if you turn off the laser or switch to another weapon. The targeting laser does no damage. (3.2.3.1.2) The Bombardier's Role (cont'd) Using these weapons is by no means difficult - just press the fire button, and there you are. However, the bombs will not fall straight down unless the bomber isn't moving (speed is 0 KPH) - if it's mobile, which it will be 99.9% of all bombing runs, you have to drop the bombs before the aircraft passes over the target. This is because the bombs will be moving forward at the same speed as the bomber immediately after being dropped, gradually slowing down as they accelerate towards the ground. Fortunally, you needn't bother your brain with trying to estimate where the bombs will fall - the bomber will do this for you. On the ground, a red marker will be painted - if you drop your bombs at any given time, the red marker (known throughout this document as the "targeting reticle") will give you an estimate of where they will land. Right before, while, and right after the reticle passes over something you want to bomb, drop the bombs and enjoy the mayhem. Summed up: Use the heavy blasters for taking out attackers and targets which you can't reach with the bombs Use the targeting laser for marking bomb targets and destinations for the pilot Bombs will fall where the targeting reticle is Drop bombs right before, while, and right after the reticle passes over the target Easy enough, isn't it? (3.2.3.1.3) The Tailgunner's Role It's all to easy to discard the tailgunner as unneccessary - I mean, to make a successful bombing run, all you need is a pilot and a bombardier, right? RIGHT. BUT, if you want a slightly greater chance of survival, the tailgunner is a must- have crew member, assuming he knows what he's doing. Here's why: If equipped with a missile launcher, the tailgunner can shoot down attacking Shrikes If equipped with a repair pack, the tailgunner can repair the bomber on-the-fly If equipped with a sensor jammer, the tailgunner will block the bomber from all sensors If equipped with flare grenades, the tailgunner can throw them to fool incoming missiles The tailgunner can use his own weapons to attack from the air The tailgunner can use the bomber solely as a means of transportation. The first two, and the fourth, of the six possible tasks mentioned above are the most important. If the tailgunner is Juggernaught class (which he ought to be), he will have a healthy supply of missiles, if he's got the missile launcher (which he should). These are excellent for shooting down enemy Shrikes, who have an annoying tendency to shoot down the slower Thundersword bomber when given the opportunity. Shove a few missiles their way and they will quickly reconsider :) When a Shrike attacks, track him in your sights until you get a missile lock Fire one or more missiles at him Laugh The second task, repairing the ship, can be very very important at times. It's very hard to do bombing runs over enemy territory without sustaining any damage whatsoever, and if the ship can be repaired in mid-air - even during a bombing run - then that's even better. If the bomber is recieving constant repair while in the process of being shot at, you have an infinitely greater chance of surviving. Repair the Thundersword whenever takes any damage Repairing uses none of the bomber's energy, so you can do it constantly if you want to As for the sensor jammer, using it should be as easy as simply turning it on - unlike the repair kit, you can do other things while it's in use. Turn the sensor jammer on to block the bomber and its crew from all sensors No turrets will fire at you while the sensor jammer is active The flare grenades have a great use on-board a Thundersword - namely their ability to make any missile miss its target. When a missile approaches, throw a flare grenade, and the missile will home in on and impact with it, leaving your turbograv unharmed. Throw a flare grenade when a missile is closing in Each grenade can only fool one missile One of the main advantages of being the tailgunner is that you can use your normal weapons - you can't use the plasma bombs which the bomber carries but a few well-aimed grenades, mortars or spinfusor discs can do the same task - damage, destroy and annoy. Spinfusor discs or balls of plasma impacting close to or on enemy solders, vehicles and bases may not do much damage, but they will distract. Heavier weapons such as the aforementioned mortar can even function as a supplement to the plasma bombs, even though aiming is harder than from the bombardier's seat. Just don't forget that you have limited ammo. Use your own weapons to attack the enemy from above Fusion mortars and grenades dropped in the enemy base has an effect similar to that of the plasma bombs Unlike the bombardier, the tailgunner's weapons usually don't have infinite ammo Finally, using the bomber as a convenient way to get to the enemy base. This is kind of a bad idea since the crew of the Thundersword won't be helped one bit by an extra piece of luggage in the back - however, there's certainly nothing preventing a passenger from helping out if he's carrying something useful (like the missile launcher). All in all, I don't recommend jumping into the tailgunner's position just for the ride, since the pilot and/or bombardier might actually be expecting you to help them out. If all you need is a ride to the enemy base, either jump on a Havoc or get a Shrike/Wildcat and go there yourself. Sitting in the tailgunner's seat is a quick and easy way of getting to the enemy base ...but try not to - that's what we have Transports for. Help out if you can That's it, folks. (3.2.3.2) Getting a Crew If you have a problem with finding a crew for your newly-spawned Thundersword, here are some tips. Use the voice commands ... VNP "Need pilot for turbograv!" VNB "Need a bombardier!" VNT "Need a tailgunner!" VNS "Need vehicle support!" VNG "Gunship ready! Need a ride?" VSTV "I'll get a vehicle ready!" If you're looking for a turbograv to board, there's also ... VNH "Hold that vehicle! I'm coming!" VNR "I need a ride!" Fly the bomber to your base or some other place where there are many of your teammembers. If your bomber is missing a crewmember, chances are one will jump in. If many people are on or around the vehicle station, don't take off until you have at least a pilot/bombardier. (3.2.3.3) Single-Player Bomber Tactics It sometimes happens that you are sitting alone in a bomber when something nearby comes under attack. Of course you'd like to help, but you can't do much without another crewmember .. what to do? If you are the pilot ... Take off and fly towards the battle. Apart from distracting the enemy, this means someone might jump in to be your bombardier or tailgunner. Crash into the enemy, or run 'em over. If the enemy is attacking with vehicles, crash the bomber into one of them. Bail out and join the battle on the ground If you are the bombardier ... If you're close to the ground, shoot off a few rounds with the blasters straight down. The splash damage won't hurt you, but you'll be tossed up a bit into the air, allowing you to fire off some shots at the enemy. Switch to the pilot's position and follow one of the above tactics Bail out and join the battle on the ground If you are the tailgunner ... Help as best you can from where you are - the bomber's shields will protect you from enemy fire. Switch to the pilot's position and follow one of the above tactics Bail out and join the battle on the ground That's all! On to the Havoc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (3.3) The Havoc Big, ugly and hard to take down. Does it sound like somebody you know? The Havoc, while big and slow, is far from a useless flying dumpster - it's excellent for coordinated attacks as well as being a quick way of ferrying troops to any place on the map. It's also really hard to shoot down due to its heavy armor and powerful shielding. (3.3.1) Offense Since the Havoc doesn't have any built-in weapons, it isn't really made for attacking as such. However, it will do an excellent job of ... Transporting friendly troops into combat Being a mobile gunship The former of these tasks is easily accomplished by simply moving the Havoc while one or more soldiers are occupying the "passenger" slots. The latter works the same way, except the "passengers" all fire at any enemies they see. If the passengers have heavy weapons such as the fusion mortar, a Havoc can leave a trail of devastation whereever it goes. It doesn't take much brainpower to imagine what kind of damage a Havoc, loaded with four fully-armed juggernaughts can do - not to mention how much damage the juggernaughts will do when they all arrive at the enemy base. (3.3.2) Defense Obviously, transporting friendly soldiers back to the base from the battlefield is not one of the Havoc's more usual tasks - however, there's certainly nothing keeping it from transporting them to intercept approaching enemies. And if your base is widespread, it can be a useful tool for quickly getting troops out to defend the parts which is currently under attack. Also, the mobile-gunship tactic described above works just fine for defense, especially against vehicles. Transporting friendly troops into combat Mobile gunship Pretty much the same as the offense, isn't it? This is easily explained by the fact that the Havoc is a support vehicle, a means of getting troops to the battlefield rather than being a weapon of destruction in itself. All-in-all, the Havoc is a pretty uncomplicated vehicle to use. (3.3.3) Tactics While I did say that the Havoc isn't too complicated to use, there are still some things to keep in mind. As the pilot of a Havoc transport, you are responsible for getting the passengers to wherever they want to go. (3.3.3.1) How to pilot a Havoc While big and slow, the Havoc is far from a sitting duck when it comes to dealing with potential AA guns, soldiers with missile launchers, et cetera. You don't have to fly high like with the Thundersword, because the very nature of the tasks usually carried out by the Havoc make flying close to the ground necessary at times and constantly convenient. The Havoc is slow enough to be easy to manuever (so your chance of crashing into a mountain is less), durable enough to survive the futile attempts of ground soldiers to bring it down with spinfusors and chainguns, and the soldiers will appreciate it if they don't have to jetpack for half an hour just to get in or out of your high-flying pleasure craft. Besides, that huge bulky shape floating past with an enemy IFF marker is just too annoying NOT to shoot down - so the fewer people see you, the better. Also, if the soldiers you're transporting are keen on shooting down any hostiles you encounter, flying low will make their work easier, since they'll see more of the ground and be closer to the enemy. Fly low, in order to ... Facilitate loading and offloading of soldiers Avoid being shot down Make it easier for the soldiers to shoot down any enemies encountered en-route That covers altitude. As far as speed is concerned, that depends pretty much on what you're doing. If your sole purpose is to get your passengers to the enemy base, use the afterburners and get there as soon as possible (stay above 50% energy though, otherwise your shields will be too weak once you get there), offload and return. Repeat until shot down. However, flying fast can be bad for a number of reasons. If flying low (as recommended above), higher speeds will increase your risk of crashing Any friendly troops wishing to board or leave the Havoc while en-route will have a difficult time doing so, especially those trying to get on it. Afterburners use energy, and as you know, so do shields. Which is more important? That's about it. Remember that slowing down isn't a crime, if someone wants to get on and you have a free slot, "pull over" and let him hop in. The more, the merrier. I've also heard that it is actually possible to stand on top of the Havoc while it's flying, allowing it to take even more passengers. I have yet to see this in action for myself, though. If you are the tailgunner, go and read section 3.2.3.1.3. Just replace the word "bomber" with "transport" and use your common sense if you've got any - practically everything in that section applies to being the tailgunner of a Havoc as well. (3.3.3.2) Mobile Gunship Suppose you were to put five juggernaughts, each fully armed, inside a bunker. Assuming they did their jobs, would anything be able to pass or even come close without being turned into chili sauce? The answer is, of course it would. It would only take minutes for an enemy sniper, mortar-carrying soldier or player or even a Thundersword bomber to clear out that bunker and take it over. But what if the bunker had shields. What if it could change position. What if it could fly at 200 kilometers per hour. And repair itself. A bit harder to kill then, eh? Yet that is what a fully-loaded Havoc is like. Assuming at least one of the passengers, or the tailgunner, is carrying a repair pack, the Havoc can stay in one piece indefinately so long as it doesn't encounter enemy fire of too big a caliber (such as a base turret). The main problem with accomplishing this is that it takes teamwork, and a lot of it. The Havoc has room for six people: Four passengers (or in this case, gunners), one tailgunner, and one pilot. If they don't know what they're doing, an endeavour like what is described above is likely to fail horribly. Therefore, this tactic is best suited for clan matches and LAN games where the players have been able to plan using this tactic beforehand, because just hopping into a Havoc while playing on the standard meat & potatoes Tribes 2 internet server is NOT a good way to get a gunship together. A lot of players have an annoying tendency to use the Havoc as they use an ordinary real-life bus! They get on and then do nothing until they want off. If you find yourself piloting a Havoc like this, crash it nose-first into a mountain near the enemy base. Those who don't have the brains to bail out in time should stick with Quake and Counter-Strike. The others will fight, die, and eventually respawn, ready for another go. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (4) S-A/A-S Combat This section deals with Surface-to-Air combat - because on occassion, it is necessary to shoot down enemy turbogravs from the ground. Surprise, surprise :) (4.1) Surface-to-Air Missiles The best weapon for accomplishing the above is the missile launcher - unless the target is stationary, in which case most weapons will do nicely, especially the ELF and the Chaingun, Plasma Rifle or Spinfusor. The missile launcher requires you to track the target's movements until a lock is attained - once the missile has been fired, however, you need not maintain the lock, unless you want to fire again. Different turbogravs can take different amounts of punishment before crashing or exploding mid-air. However, a missile hit while the aircraft in question is flying close to the ground, or close to a mountain, can be more lethal, since the force of a missile impact can push the target nose-first into the ground, or upside-down into a mountain, usually killing all aboard in the process. If using missiles on a turbograv in mid-air, it will usually take at least two missiles to bring the target down. All of them can take one missile without suffering any damage whatsoever if there is enough energy for the shields. The Shrike is the weakest of the turbogravs, and will usually sustain light to moderate damage from a missile impact, if it doesn't have full shield energy. The shields use the same energy as everything else on-board, so expect the shields to be low right after an attack, a missile impact, or an engine burn (using the afterburners). When the shields are low, one missile will usually either destroy the Shrike completely, or damage it severely. The Thundersword bomber can usually take one missile impact without suffering too much damage - one hit won't use up all of its energy. However, it is vulnerable right after a bombing run, since the plasma bombs it drops take a lot of energy. Your best bet is to have a teammate, or several teammates, firing missiles at it before it reaches its intended bomb target - two or more missiles will definately put a dent in that hull, or at the very least, drain the Thundersword's energy so fewer bombs can be dropped. Finally, the Havoc - use the same tactic as with the Thundersword, team up and take it out with multiple missiles. It has enough shields to withstand a lot of punishment, but is too slow to escape - expect to be able to shoot more than one missile per player at it. (4.2) Avoiding Incoming SAM's For the poor pilot, the above scenarios are a nightmare - those missiles come at you fast, they do lots of damage and they're hard to escape. NOT! In fact, there are many techniques for escaping an incoming missile or two. With the Shrike, your best bet is to simply outrun the missile. If you let your shields charge up, you'll probably survive, but that only works for one missile and you still have to let your energy recharge afterwards. Not good. Instead, at the sound or sight of a missile on its sweet way towards your backside, punch in the afterburner and let it eat your dust. With the afterburner, the Shrike can reach speeds exceeding 400 KPH, more than enough to outrun a missile. Once you put enough distance between yourself and the missile, it will detonate, and you're home free - do a 180 and have at 'em again. Just don't forget, the same faggot who tried to shoot you down on the first run might try it again. The Thundersword isn't fast enough to outrun a missile - most of the time, anyway. Your best bet with the Thundersword is to go around a corner, or face the missile head-on but dive at the last second, effectively causing it to miss its target (you). Going around a corner is the most effective of these techniques, as the missile is far more likely to hit whatever you went around than follow you - missiles just aren't manouverable enough. For the Havoc, use the same tactics as with the Thundersword. Outrunning won't work, so go around a corner or rely on your beefy shields to protect you. Both the Thundersword and the Havoc have a really good way to avoid missiles - flare grenades, dropped by the tailgunner (or one of the passengers on a Havoc) will lure the missile away. More about this in section 3.2.3.1.3, above.