Alright This is a guide designed to help people
understand and compete in the brand new UT2k4 Game mode
"Onslaught" I'll divide the guide up into sections and
from there i'll talk about what to do and what NOT to do.
People who are new to the game type will find this guide VERY
helpful and even Veterans might find some useful tips, so
Check it out.
Section 1 - The Concept of Onslaught and how to Win
Section 2 - The Vehicles and how to use them (New!)
Section 3 - The Weapons and how to use them (New!)
Section 4 - Techniques & Strategies (New!)
Section 5 - Contact Information (New!)
Alright. Simple enough? lets begin.
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Section 1
The Concept of Onslaught and how to Win
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Onslaught is a new team gametype that pits one
team of players against another, whats so new about this
is that its a large-scale vehicular combat mode, you will
probably see more vehicles roaming the level then you
will players, this really helps let UT2k4 compete with some
of the other titles, players who enjoyed games like Tribes
(i know i did) and battlefield 1942 will find themselves
*right* at home in this game type.
Each team starts off with 1 base, each HOME base has a
"Power Core" the objective of the game is to destroy your
opponents power core and effectively blow up they're base.
pretty simple right? Not quite. The concept really comes
into play with you take into effect that you CANNOT directly
attack your opponents base, you must LINK to it. this is
where all the strategy of Onslaught really comes into play.
In each level, there are a number of "extra" bases for the
players to take over. You start with the one(s) that are
linked to your OWN base and build off that. Using this
system you create a "connect-the-dots" type pattern to your
Enemies base. Once you establish a link to your opponents
main base, you may then attack and destroy it. The concept
of the game is very fun and requires a LOT of team-play and
tactics. People love Team-play and people love tactics,
its fact.
So ya got that? it's nothing too complicated. It should be
noted that 1 gun can interact with just about everything in
the game, and that is the Link-Gun. Make Sure you
understand what this gun is capable of when you play. The
link gun can (1) Repair your own damaged vehicles. and (2)
Repair your power nodes. The Main base power node (the one
your team starts at) cannot be repaired at all, its the only
exception to the rule. i'll dive more into the link-guns
uses in section 3.
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Section 2
The Vehicles and how to use them
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Alright. Now lets take a brief overview of the
vehicles, then ill go into detail about each one. The vehicles
present one of the biggest changes in UT2k4 and they're are
about 9 or 10 of them, you really should be aware of a vehicles
functions before you go romp around in it. I hope to clear up
not only what a vehicle is capable of, but also to provide some
great tips to help players out when driving or flying a vehicle.
There are a few very important rules that everyone should be aware of
with vehicles, your opponents can STEAL your own vehicles and you
can steal they're vehicle. you *cannot* steal vehicles that are NOT
in play, if no one *HAS GOTTEN INTO* the vehicle since it spawned,
and its not yours, then you cannot access that vehicle, stop trying.
If someone gets into a vehicle, drives it around, and then gets OUT
that vehicle is considered fair-game for ANY player to get into and
drive, always be aware of noobs jumping out of they're Goliath. you
can easily capitalize on the goliaths tremendous stopping power by
Stealing it, and shooting them in the face, even if it IS heavily
damaged.
Another Important rule, if you get into a vehicle, the FIRST thing
you NEED to do is Look around for teammates, I dont CARE what
vehicle your driving, if your vehicle is going to stay ON the ground
(Manta is included here) then you REALLY should offer a ride to
other players. "But k-wix! some vehicles have only 1 or 2 positions!"
WRONG! players are able to jump ON a vehicle and hang on for the ride
(Presuming of course the driver is sane) Always be aware and never
drive off in a vehicle while someone is running behind, tell him to
Get ON and support you with fire. 4 Players riding ON a Goliath
touting its full aresenal of weapons can be as devastating as the
Leviathan.
The Key to fighting in vehicles is to work in groups. Certain
Vehicles are increadibly vulnerable to other types of vehicles.
take note of this and try to follow a vehicle who is good at
killing what can kill YOU. A good combination would be a Raptor
and Goliath combo, the raptor can carry good air support while
the Goliath protects the Raptor. A Great Combination!
On a last note, if you want to know *anything* about the vehicles,
read below. You can also find out how to defeat the vehicles hear
aswell.
~armor~
pretty tough, a Goliath can take a beating and keep kicking,
be extra careful when getting out of a damaged goliath because they
are one of the strongest vehicles in the game, and they are easily
repairable by 2 people, i've seen MANY players steal a goliath,
repair it, and run back to they're own OTHER goliath, and bring 2
down on the enemy, Goliaths in pairs can be unstoppable at times.
~positions~
2 Positions, there is a driver (who gets to shoot the big ol'
cannon) and there is also a gunner (who sports the .50-cal machine
guns)
~speed~
I would say "Slow" would be a proper term, its not horrible, but
its definitely not good either. Its always a good idea to know
where your going in a Goliath. Try to avoid any insane stunt
driving. Go get a Scorpion if your into that.
~140mm Cannon~
The main weapon of the Golaith is a wonderful tool indeed, it
can destroy less-armored vehicles (such as the Manta, the
Scorpion, and the Raptor all in 1 shot) The cannon is slow to
swival and manta pilots will always try to outmaneuver the
cannon by flying in loops or big circles over the Goliath itself,
this is a pretty good strategy and tends to make the Goliath loose
focus on the Manta, this is bad because the constant damage
will eventually kill the Goliath. If your piloting one, be aware
of the Goliath killers (the Manta and Raptor) and make sure to
shoot them before they get to close. There are height limitations
on the cannons firing range, so if a Raptor climbs to high it can
be all over for you very quickly. If your driving and a Raptor
begins attacking, its a better idea to switch to the .50 cal and
try to shoot it down.
~.50 Cal Machine Gun~
The secondary weapon is great for taking out troops, lesser
vehicles, and attacking things that the main-gun cannot get to.
as a gunner it is your job to provide support fire for the
Goliath, take special note of any aerial units and take them
down as Quickly as possible, a well places aerial unit can end
a tanks life VERY quickly.
~Tips & Tactics~
Goliaths are Great assault vehicles, they're massive appearence
will send enemies fleeing in terror and it takes the focus off
of lesser vehicles on your team (if an opponent see's a Scorpion
and a Goliath, he will typically focus on the Goliath) Abuse the
Goliaths strength in combat and crush lesser vehicles and troops
as quickly as possible. Avoid getting out of a Goliath once
your inside because any intelligent opponent will steal one if
he can. Never forget that you can switch to your 50 cal if your
by yourself by hitting "2" use it as support fire where your
cannon can't reach.
~How to Defeat a Goliath~
These guys are imposing, but if you pay attention, they're are
some EASY ways to take these guys down. The easiest way is in
a Raptor, fly directly above the tank and reign down on it, if
the pilot of the Goliath is intelligent, he will jump in the
50. calibur and fire back, now start dodging, but keep your
fire on the now-helpless tank and with enough pummeling the
pilot will realize that he can't win and leave the tank.
destroy it. Another way is with the new weapons, the AVRiL and
the Mine Layer and the Grenade Launcher, any of these weapons
will deal out some punishment and they all can flank the tank.
be intelligent when engaging a tank, try to stay close, and
try to stay away from the big cannon. Use Grenades and Spider
Mines to pepper it from over a hill, stick the grenades to the
rear or treads and eventually you'll destroy the tank. Also,
don't forget the AVRiL. Simply Lock on and shoot it, BE careful
hitting a tank with an AVRiL saps 1/4th of its Hp so you will
instantly become a target, and unless you have some sort of
defense to hide behind, you'll be dead quickly. If you think
your skilled enough, another option is to engage the tank
in a manta, stay airborn as much as possible and try to keep your
fire centered on teh tank, avoid *running* from it once your
close because the tank *will* shoot you if you flee from it. one
shot and its all over for the manta fighter aswell. Good Luck.
~armor~
Gotta love the Hellbenders armor, its actually pretty good. Its
much better then a Scorpion or Manta and will keep the hellbender
ticking for awhile, The Hellbender is typically easy to repair
aswell so its not uncommon to see one person fully repair a
heavily damaged hellbender.
~positions~
3 Positions, there is a driver (who can honk and gets license
plate privilages) there is a Middle-Turret who shoots "EMP"
Projectiles, and then can shoot a beam to trigger them off in
a connect the dots fashion, and there is a Rear Gunner seat this
is probably the most useful Goliath feature, as it can easily
be the most deadly, its a charged Blast. It should be noted that
one person can effectively pilot a Hellbender by himself, i've
done it many times.
~speed~
Another very good Statistic of the Hellbender is its speed, it
really moves for the ammount of protection and firepower behind
it. Take advantage of this and push the hellbender to its limit.
Its also worth noting that the hellbender is unbelievably good
at Smashing targets. make absolutely sure to abuse this feature.
~HORN!~
The Hellbender deserves a special section just for this, simply
because too many players are unaware of the smashing potential
behind a hellbender, When your driving one, there really isn't
much that can stop you from going forward, so make sure you
take advantage of this and keep the hellbender moving and
active, crush as many troops as possible. Honking at them adds
to the terror.
iddle EMP "Link" Turret~
This weapon is one of the least-used weapons in UT2k4, why?
because its one of the hardest weapons to not only understand,
but to use effectively. Primary fire spits out these orbs, they
travel quite slow and you can spit out many of them, it functions
much like the Shock Rifle, Secondary fire shoots out a trigger
mode to trigger one of the orbs and then, in a link-fashion all
the surrounding orbs blow up one by one. suffice to say, it takes
some Skill to use this gun. The concept is simple, shoot out a
BUNCH of balls and ignite them all up causing devistation. The
blast radius isn't huge and most shots end up so off-timed that
the effectiveness of the gun dwindles to nothing, ontop of that
the balls of energy travel VERY slow, so it almost forces some
one to use it in close combat ONLY. That said, one important
technique when firing this gun is to aim for the ball you fired
*FIRST* because your chain will then travel backwords and since
the balls are traveling the opposite way, the chain blast will
happen MUCH closer to where you shot it, so the idea here, is to
keep track of your first shoot and follow it up in a circular
portion with other shots, then detonate from your first and watch
the fireworks. Still, this weapon is hard to use, but if used
appropriately, it can instantly kill Mantas, Troops, Scorpions,
and in some cases, even Goliaths.
~Rear Charge Turret~
This is probably the most effective Hellbender weapon. its like
a Sniper rifle, anyone who is good at popping heads with the
lightning gun will have a blast with this, it charges up and
unleashes a straight forward beam of Energy, the beam is rather
potent and can kill a Manta in typically 1 strike sometimes 2,
it depends on the life of the Manta, ontop of that, the turret
is very easy to aim and shoot, it has no really big limitations
and its extremely good at taking Raptors out of the sky, One
should note it *doesnt* have the firepower to compete with a
Goliath though, so a firefight with a Goliath will often result
in the doom of your precious Hellbender. One *final* important
note about the Charge turret, a fully charge Blast is not only
really damaging, but has the most actual force in the Game. One
Shot can send all of the lesser vehicles and including the
Hellbender itself Flying! I love hitting a Driving Scorpion with
One blast and watch them fly barrel rolls through the air. It
really just packs a punch.
~Tips & Tactics~
Despite all the usefulness of the Hellbender, it does NOT get
used enough, people play favorites with the Manta, Raptor,
Scorpion, and Goliath and as a result, this vehicle gets totally
neglected in combat use. One person can pilot this thing as
an effective sniper pilot, drive where you want to, Switch to
gun three and knock people over. A Fully Manned Hellbender is
impressive, especailly if each person is doing what they are
supposed to. A Hellbender isn't all that great at holding
assaults on its own, its more inteded for Dominance control in
a section, once a Node has been taken, its a great idea to
drive a Hellbender in and keep watch for the light vehicles
that would like to come in and steal the node, use gun 3 to
keep everything away, you outrange, outpower, and can kill
them 90% of the time. Excellent!
~How to Defeat a Hellbender~
The best way to Defeat a Hellbender is with the Goliath, hands
down. just assault and crush him with the cannon, a Hellbender
can only take about 3 Cannon blasts where you can take atleast
5 charge-up blasts, and yet you fire as fast if not faster, so
just crush him, if he gets out, shoot him. A Hellbender commonly
will keep moving if engaged with troops, and will often-times
run them over or try to shoot them with the EMP or in some cases,
try to snipe you with the Rear Turret, all three present specific
challenges and should be addressed differently, try to keep on
your toes and predict where the Hellbender is going to go, a
well-placed AVRiL will destroy it very quickly. Spider Mines
also are very nice to kill a Hellbender with, they will track it,
jump and eventually blow up. Quite effective. One should note that
if you are a Troop yourself and you see an enemy hellbender with
a Pilot in the rear-turret, be extremely careful, one charged blast
will crush you. Despite what anyone says, people can be exceedingly
accurate with it too, try to keep hidden.
~armor~
The manta sports what is probably the *Worst* armor in the game,
if your in a Manta always be aware that one shot from *many*
weapons can kill you in 1-2 Strikes (typically 1) These weapons
are: AVRiL, Raptor Missles, Hellbender Rear Turret, Goliath
Cannon, Scorpian Sticky Energy, Anything from the Leviathan Pilot,
The Lightning Gun, and the Flak Cannon. Suffice to say all of
these weapons are potent destroyers of Manta craft, ideally, stay
OUT of sight. Be aware that *you* as a pilot can take full damage
while in the Manta, its not uncommon to see a person killed
before the actual vehicle.
~positions~
There is only 1 position in the Manta, and thats the driver, who
can drive, Jump, Go Down, and fire the Plasma Gun. Its worth
Mentioning that the Manta is the *best* troop transport in the
entire game, 2 other players can hop on the Manta (one on each
wing) and tag along for the ride. This is one of the BEST features
of the manta, be absolutely sure that you crouch to let other
players jump on and drive them around. Not only is this a good
way to transport, but the firepower of additional troops is a
more then welcomed change to the Manta, a group of three in a
Manta can devastate.
~speed~
For the worst armor in the game, the Manta makes up for it by being
the most agile and quickest vehicle in the game. This is why it
also serves as the best troop transport, you can almost instantly
bring people to a node thats under attack and one of its best
features is saving a node thats under attack by a Goliath, Its
Unfortunate that most players don't seem to realize this yet and
focus on running people down. (which isn't a bad thing!)
~Driving the Manta~
Driving isn't so simple here as you can Jump and Crouch in the
Manta, This is not only a great dodging technique but a wonderful
way to take enemies by suprise, a Well placed Jump can be the
difference between life and death in a Manta, so be aware. Another
Great feature of the Manta is how sneaky it is, many players are
starting to realize that you can't really hear a manta coming, it
is almost completely silent, abuse this feature and run down some
unsuspecting players, you can really nail people when you learn
how to drive the Manta, its one of the most effective methods of
troop-killing. Nice. On a last note, never forget to pick people
up on the manta wings if they need it.
~Plasma Burst~
The Mantas main weapon (aside from running things down) is a twin
barrel plasma shooter, it shoots a nice burst-shot and deals a
very light damage with a nice fire rate. This gun is effective
at dealing out light damage to troops and some vehicles, but
thats about it, If you ever engage a Goliath (it will happen
often) your best bet is to run up close and pick at it with this
weapon.
~Tips & Tactics~
The biggest advantage of the Manta is its speed, you can *easily*
run away, come back, transport other players, and dodge in combat
very effectively. Be sure you don't let your opponent hit you, its
also a good idea to be aware of how high the manta can actually
jump! you can get to many areas that other vehicles can not, its
very common to see mantas jumping over other vehicles in an
attempt to dodge it. In closing, speed & stealth is your
*Greatest* weapon while you pilot the Manta, don't ever forget
to use it.
~Dee mann adds
You can also put Spider Mines on the Wings of a Manta, and they
will jump out at enemies when you pass by them, this is a Sweet
technique! It really ups the range and fire-power of the Manta,
id presume you could try it on other vehicles aswell, but it
would probably be most effective on the Manta simply because of
the speed behind it. Check it out!
~How to Defeat a Manta~
Well, Mantas are honestly one of the easiest craft in the game to
defeat, Many manta pilots will boast of they're ability to dodge
an incomming blast, but in the end its rare to see a Manta outright
dodge an oncomming Goliath Blast, or something of that nature. A
Mantas strength is speed, and its weakness is *distance* if you
have a Lightning gun, one or two shots can honestly outright destroy
it and its a big target for a lightning gun. So aslong as you keep
your distance you'll be fine.
Now there are times when a Manta will come at you at FULL speed and
you really wont no what to do so you'll just get Squashed, heres a
few useful tips for DODGING the Manta, because its easily done.
-Duck. Believe me, it actually works pretty well.
-Dodge. You can fake out a Manta pilot fairly well by dodging to the
side just as he is about to hit you.
-Shoot. If you have the AVRiL or the Flak Cannon, you can really
screw over the Manta pilot. One well placed shot when he's coming
at you will typically destroy him. Infact, if you see one coming,
try switching to the Flak Cannon, Crouch and aim up and shoot a
grenade just as he flies to you, you'll typically either kill him,
or prevent him from killing you. The best part is the manta pilot
probably isn't expecting that, and since Manta pilots LOVE the run
people over, it becomes easy to predict they're behavior.. they
will come right to you. A Lot of Manta pilots will also try to
"strafe" into you when in close combat, this is even easier to
dodge aslong as your paying attention! Shooting at a Manta pilot
while they are coming at you is critical to success.
~armor~
A Scorpions armor is below average, but its not nearly as bad as
the Manta, i've seen Scorpions survive a Goliath blast if the
shot isn't dead on, Another great tactic, of course is to repair
them often, a Scorpion you can repair in about 10 seconds and its
quick to become a fully repaired and operational vehicle. Be aware
that *you* as a pilot can take full damage while in the scorpion,
its not uncommon to see a person killed before the actual vehicle.
~positions~
The Scorpion only has 1 Position, but like the Manta, you can get
about 2 Troops ontop of it to ride along, it makes a great
transport. the man who drives gets both weapons, the Plasma String
and the Blades.
~speed & driving~
The Speed of the Scorpion is Great, for what it lacks in armor, it
really makes up for in speed, its the classic "buggy" of UT2k4 is
the fastest thing on wheels, it can be fun to drive around in it.
The Scorpion also has great turning ability, Especially when you
count the handbrake, you can spin the Scorpion around very quickly
and do a 180 if you hit the space bar during a turn.
~Sticky Plasma String~
The Sticky Plasma String. This is a *very* controversial weapon but
in the end, you will find that once you understand it, its VERY
effective, basically its a chargeable gun that shoots out a "string"
of plasma with "dots" on it, these "dots" attach themselves to
things and the rest of the wire wraps around and eventually the
string pops and deals some seriously damage to the target. This gun
is *very* effective against the Manta, infact i'd call it the
Manta killer. One well placed shot will instantly destroy a manta.
This weapon is also effective for ensnaring troops and other
vehicles like the Goliath, its the Scorpions best weapon against
other vehicles. ALSO! make absolutely sure that you use this
weapon against the enemy base, the nodes have a tall part, you can
shoot the middle and the web will fully wrap around the enemies base
and deal a GREAT ammount of damage, this makes the Scorpion very
effective at killing the enemy base, quickly and painlessly. Its
cool to see a Scorpion drive in biiig circles around an enemy node
shooting web on it while the enemies struggle to catch/shoot the
buggy, very effective. It should be noted that the weapon in
general does quite a bit of damage and fully charged blast that is
stuck to an enemy unit will injur it significantly.
~Scorpion Blades~
Alright, used in conjunction with driving, a player has the option
of extending the blades of the Scorpion to cut players up. Any
soldier struck by the Scorpion Blades is slain instantly and
typically cut in half. Its not easy to get players usually, they
will often-times dodge your blades so its typically have to
suprise them. A good technique is to drive at a player and slam on
the brakes while turning, side-swiping the unsuspecting player, if
timed right you can slam your back end into them and kill them.
This technique is even more deadly with your Blades out.
~Tips & Tactics~
The Scorpions best weapon is the Plasma String so make sure you
understand how it works, Its a good all-around weapon and aslong
as your shooting targets you should be doing a pretty good job.
The Scorpion is especially good at killing the Manta so make
sure you openly engage with mantas, the green string is attracted
to the fan of a manta and will quickly destroy it. A Fully-charged
web shot will also devestate a Goliath, if you can get the web
to wrap around it fully, you'll reduce its health by atleast 3/4s
if not more.
~How to Defeat a Scorpion~
The AVRiL poses one of the Biggest threats to the Scorpion, its
impossible to dodge a well aimed shot and the damage is devastating.
Another Strong force is the Goliath, if your in one, one shot will
almost always destroy a Scorpion. A Raptor is also a great way to
defeat a Scorpion simply because a Scorpion really has no defense
against it, but to be honest.. a Raptor is more effective elsewhere.
~armor~
The Raptors armor is "average to poor" it can take a few shots,
but nothing really big. Most Raptor pilots will use the Raptors
great aerial agility and dodge things rather then take it directly.
1 well placed canon shot will destroy a raptor, and 1-2 AVRiL
missles will take you down.
~positions~
just 1, the Raptor is pretty much a solo-flying ship, take off and
start dominating the skies, the Raptor is great at getting quickly
from one place to another.
~speed~
The Raptor has Excellent speed. Its very manueverable and stays in
the air nicely, a good Raptor pilot can dodge missles effortlessly
and have some nice shots on ground units. Try to avoid staying
still in the Raptor, your armor isn't that good.
~Plasma Blaster~
The main gun is quite similar to the Manta, it fires a steady blast
that deals "decent" damage, the key to the success of this weapon
is how accurate you are, its especially easy to rain down terror
on Goliaths, If you encounter one of the monster tanks, quickly
fly over them and shoot down, they wont last long. You can also
take out a few scorpions if your accurate enough.
~Homing Missle~
The Homing missle only actually "Seeks" 2 other ships, those 2 are
the Manta and the Raptor itself, the missles arent increadibly
accurate, but the missles pack a good punch, 2 solid shots will
always take a Raptor out of the sky, 1 usually will destroy a Manta.
the best part is that MOST mantas are not focusing on the air, this
makes it exceedingly easy to take out manta's in the Raptor.
~Tips & Tactics~
One of the biggest things you will encounter while in a Raptor is
the dreaded "Missle Lock-On" a lot of pilots get scared when they
see this and tend to flee and look around for the damned missle.
This technique isn't horrible, but there are a few things to
remember; first off: there are only a few things that can lock on
to you, Another air-craft or someone with the AVRiL. If its another
air-craft you should be alright because you can atleast have a decent
shot a dodging. However, if the missle is from the AVRiL, you are
in some serious trouble, aslong as THAT person can keep a lock on
you, you cannot dodge the missle, So let me ask you, fine players
whats the *best* way to prevent someone on the ground from seeing
you in a Raptor? Lower yourself to the ground. If you see missle
Lock on, the FIRST thought that should enter your mind is to go
down and get close to some terrain. Make sure you openly engage
with Goliaths and don't stand still for long either. Also, the
Raptor is *GREAT* for capitalizing on unprotected nodes, you can
sit there and pour fire down and slowly destroy the enemies node.
~How to Defeat a Raptor~
The best way to take a Raptor Down is with the AVRiL. its really
hard to dodge and will stop the pilot from doing whatever he is
doing and focus on you. If your in a Goliath and see a Raptor in
the distance, a well placed shot will destroy it and earn you an
"Eagle Eye" award. The Hellbenders Rear Turret is extremely
effective at taking out a high-flying Raptor, most pilots don't
expect this, either. A Third Option would be use the Lightning
gun, a few well placed shots will really injur a Raptor, its a
fairly easy shot too.
~armor~
The Leviathan's armor is one of the strongest aspects of the
vehicle, it dons an amazing ammount of strength and resistance
to just about anything. This makes the Leviathan extremely
powerful in combat. The Leviathan is one of the vehicles where
you don't really need to care about most attacks. The armor,
however is exceedingly vulnerable to air units while exposed.
Be extra careful when deploying in Raptor-infested areas. A
good raptor pilot can destroy a Leviathan with some well
placed blasts & missles.
~positions~
there are a grand total of 5 positions on this puppy, they are
all unbelievably important. The first position is the driver,
who fires the homing missles and can deploy the base for the
big cannon to fire, he can also pack up the base at will. the
other positions are all corner turrets, despite what anyone
will tell you, these are *VERY* important, they supply the
support the Leviathan needs to remain a heavy battle unit.
~speed~
The Leviathan has the worst speed of all the vehicles, and it
should, this monster of a vehicle is unbelievably resistant
and as such, its speed is so dauntingly slow that its avoided
until a match really begins to progress, if you have a long
distance to take the Leviathan, you best sit tight, and odds
are they will know your coming.
~Homing Missles~
As the main position gunner, you can fire homing missles at
an increadibly fast rate, these missles are a *bit* weaker
then traditional missles but still pack a punch, the twin
missle packs will auto-track anything you fire them at, this
includes troops, vehicles, or anything, this is the Leviathan's
MAIN weapon and it makes players focus more on dodging then
attacking, make special care to spit these out at Aerial units,
as they pose the most threat to the Leviathan.
~Corner Turret Blaster~
As a Corner Turret, its your job to Support the main cannon,
this gun is probably the fastest firing of all the vehicles
and actually does some decent damage, make sure you lead your
shots (like the link-gun) so you actually deal out some
damage with it, its hard to hit moving targets at long
distances so its better to fucus on the closer targets if
possible. If your in this position, and someone else is
Driving, you should get out and REPAIR the Leviathan as
often as possible, this is one of the best features and yet
it is often overlooked, you can practically run by the side
of the vehicle as you repair it, four players using this
technique can make the Leviathan Unstoppable.
~Negative Singularity Charge Cannon~
The "Main Beam Cannon" of the Leviathan is Daunting, you
first have to deploy the Leviathan, sacrificing not only
all your movement, but some of your armor too. (the core
seems to be especially vulnerable to attacks) When firing
this, it shoots exactly where you point it, it then
creates a huge blast similiar to the ION Cannon, it seems
like if you hold the button down, you create a bigger
blast effect. This gun will pretty much kill anything and
everything in one swoop, a Deployed Leviathan outside of
an enemy base will nullify it very quickly. The Cannon
can actually be used again and again with a rather small
recharge rate, despite how vulnerable you are, the power
balance makes it worth it. Watch out for Aerial units
when deployed, you have NO defense or offense against them
really if your deployed.
~Tips & Tactics~
This is the best Assault vehicle in the game, Especially
when it is fully manned, it becomes The strongest force
in the game, its not uncommon to see people actually
running from the Leviathan. You should deploy ONLY when
needed, when you want to Deploy it more-so as a Siege
weapon, the Leviathan becomes extremely potent. Be wary
of any Raptors in the area, make them a target. One should
realize that for every bit of power it gives, it is VERY
slow, there are a few maps where the Leviathan is actually
in the starting base, make sure you don't all hop in it to
go get the first spawn point, it will take forever and you
will be quickly overwhelmed by the quicker opponents. Always
keep in mind that no matter how strong the Leviathan is, it
can only be at 1 spot at one time on the map, and if your
opponents are smart, its a very easy task to avoid it most
of the time. The Leviathan is most useful when the opponent
HAS nowhere to run or hide.
~How to Defeat a Leviathan~
Heh.. now thats a damn good question. Unless you yourself
have a Leviathan, there isn't too much your going to be
doing. I suppose the best offense is a Raptor, try to pepper
it from the skies, your agility is superior to the homing
missles so avoid them at all costs. its typically better to
Engage the Leviathan at a *DISTANCE* rather then close up,
just keep pounding it and try to press the terrain to your
advantage, an intelligent team will hide and strike when
the massive vehicle isn't ready. Another strategy all-together
is to avoid the thing, and take the nodes that it *isnt* at,
you can cover way more terrain then the Leviathan can.
Remember that when a Leviathan's "core" is exposed and its
firing its big cannon, its most vulnerable. shoot the part
thats shooting the beam!
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Section 3
The Weapons and how to use them
--------------------------------------------------------------------
This section will try to focus on not only what a weapon
does, but How it can be used effectively in Onslaught. kay?
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ShieldGun
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~Primary
A Charge-Up Blast that lets you push stuff, you can hit enemies
with it and typically kill them in one good shot. You can also
aim down and boost yourself, but this is hardly worth the
ammount of life you loose.
~Secondary
A Shield that defends you, not only does this defend you, but it
also reflects enemy energy fire. Ontop of all that, if you ever
eject from a Raptor, pull this out, Aim Down and turn the shields
on to save yourself from the fall.
~Tips & Tactics
Besides saving yourself from falling, there really isn't much use
for the Shield gun in Onslaught mode, I've seen a few people try to
drive a vehicle in and get out with the Shieldgun charging up trying
to strike people with it, but the tactic doesnt seem to hold much
water as its fairly easy to kill whoever jumps out at you.
~How to Beat a ShieldGun
Shoot them. don't let them get close, guns with good range will
make things easy, make sure to backpedal and they typically will
follow you.
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Assault Rifle
--------------------------------------------------------------------
~Primary
A basic rapid-fire shot, its simple, semi-accurate and deals
decent damage to other enemies.
~Secondary
A Grenade, if you have nothing better, this becomes a sub-decent
option for attacking a vehicle, the grenade can do considerable
damage to a Manta, but there are better weapons out there.
~Tips & Tactics
Get another gun quickly, the primary and secondary fire won't
help you much against a vehicle. There are weapons that are
just plain better, still.. if you have no better this makes
for a great side-arm. If your forced to engage with it, keep
medium distance and try to outlast your opponent, Also keep
a grenade charged for when you first spot someone.
~How to Beat an Assault Rifle
Put some distance between your opponent and out-match him.
if he's using an assault rifle odds are he has nothing better
so be sure to capitalize on this and take him out. Don't let
him get to close unless you have a close-ranged weapon like
the flak cannon.
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Bio Rifle
--------------------------------------------------------------------
~Primary
Shoots out a bit of "goo" that your opponents can step on and
be hurt, the "GooberGun" is very effective at laying traps for
vehicles, although the goo doesnt last that long, the fire is
very damaging, and with enough of it you can quickly take down a
wheeled vehicle.
~Secondary
a Charge up Blast that deals increadible ammounts of damage, this
is the best way to typically use the Bio Rifle, when you pick it
up immediately start charging up and when you encounter something,
Blast it at just the right moment. This is especially useful when
dealing with a Manta.
~Tips & Tactics
As stated above, make sure to charge up teh secondary fire, then
follow up with Primary, a Fully-charged burst is potent to anything.
Its range has been reduced slightly so its more a medium-to-close
ranged weapon but a well-placed blast can really put the hurt on
someone or something.
~How to Beat a Bio Rifle
Distance is the key here, some guys can get pretty accurate and
a fully charged blast will instantly kill any player, no matter
what he has. Watch out when your close, once the initial blast is
done, its a good idea to rush them or stay back and pop them
depending on what you have.
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Mine Layer (NEW)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
~Primary
What an inventive weapon! primary fire spits out a Spider-Drone.
you can have up to 8 on the screen at once, and command them. The
spiders act as sentries and attack anything that gets to close.
The biggest thing here is that the spiders last for aslong as YOU
are alive, its always a good idea to spit these out for base defense.
~Secondary
You can command your "troops" right click and all of the spiders
will MOVE to where you tell them, this is a really cool idea and
the weapon becomes increadibly effective. NICE!
~Tips & Tactics
There is a huge tactic i've discovered in combination with the
Grenade Launcher, if you have both lay a few spiders out, and
stick a few grenades ON the spiders, the creators of UT2k4 expected
this, and as a result for each grenade you double the potency of
the Spider-Mine, but on the flip-side the Spiders speed is reduced!
So if you ever have both guns, stick a few grenades on your spiders
for some strong anti-vehicle support. Probably the best defensive
weapon in the Game.
~Dee mann adds
You can also put Spider Mines on the Wings of a Manta, and they
will jump out at enemies when you pass by them, this is a Sweet
technique! It really ups the range and fire-power of the Manta,
id presume you could try it on other vehicles aswell, but it
would probably be most effective on the Manta! check it out.
~How to Beat a Mine Layer
if you see any spiders coming at you, start running backwords, they
move only slightly faster than you and are easily dodged, ontop of
that, they are easy to destroy. If you kill a player who used
the mine layer, all of his spider mines will instantly destruct,
so focus your attack on the player while avoiding the spiders.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Shock Rifle
--------------------------------------------------------------------
~Primary
the classic shock rifle shoots out a nice beam, the beam is always
perfectly accurate and covers distance instantly, this makes the
shock rifle really powerful at long range. you can use it as a
Sniper Rifle if your accurate enough, the fact that it can lash
out at a distance gives it priority over many other weapons.
~Secondary
the secondary fire spits out a ball of plasma that travels much
slower, this is great for targets that are mid-close range, and
if you shoot a ball with the primary fire, you create the ever
classic "Shock Combo" the Shock Combo is a lot more effective
in Onslaught simply because it deals a lot of damage, and vehicles
have a harder time dodging it.
~Tips & Tactics
Make sure to use distance to your advantage, thats what the
Shock Rifle is all about, captilizing on distance between you
and your opponent. If your opponent has a Flak cannon, get away
and peck him, if he has a Sniper Rifle, get close and blast him.
~How to Beat a Shock Rifle
Its nothing to rough, the key is to use a gun that can cover most
distances fairly well, another shock rifle is a good choice, or the
lightning gun, your you could try to bull-charge with the Flak
Cannon. The key is to remember that while the Shock Rifle is a
Great gun to have at *all* distances, there are better guns for
those distances.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Link Gun
--------------------------------------------------------------------
~Primary
Primary fire shoots out a nice little ball of energy, the key with
the link gun is to line-up and be accurate with your shots, they
don't travel that fast, so it becomes difficult to hit with the
link gun compared to other weapons, the damage and repeat rate of
the gun make it a great competitor.
~Secondary
The most important gun in Onslaught is the link-gun. its the ONLY
gun that can Repair/Build a base, and its the ONLY gun that can
Heal a vehicle, be sure to build your bases up completely so you
can get the vehicles for that base and make sure the opponent won't
take it so quickly. Its also of note that you can link to anyone
else with a link gun, and if you DO link, you can increase how
fast you repair/build a base/vehicle. it quickly becomes a
very important weapon.
~Tips & Tactics
As stated above, BUILD and REPAIR with the link gun, its always
important to keep this gun and a fresh supply of ammo ready incase
your hellbender takes a few missles or something.
~How to Beat a Link Gun
The Link gun has been very controversial in usefulness through
UT2k3, and even now, it still seems as if they're are better guns
out there, if you can distance yourself enough you can make yourself
increadibly hard to hit with the link gun. Just run back and hit
him with a gun, the Stream has a reach limit on it, and once your
that far away, the blasts are much harder to hit with, so just
capitalize on distance.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Mini Gun
--------------------------------------------------------------------
~Primary
Shoots a constant stream of bullets, like you would expect, this
seems to be the least accurate of the modes, but more damaging if
your in close-range combat.
~Secondary
A bit slower, but the bullets dish out more punishment, this is the
best mode to use at long distances, and on-top of that its great
against Vehicles if you have nothing better.
~Tips & Tactics
The key to remember is that the Mini gun has average distance, and
its very hard to miss with, you can keep a nice flow of damage on
the opponent, and aslong as you can keep him from hitting you, you
will eventually emerge victorious, so the best thing to do is to
avoid getting hit while peppering the enemy with fire.
~How to Beat a Mini Gun
Use a quick-killer weapon like the Rocket Launcher or the Flak
Cannon. Both of these will effectively dispatch of the target. Try
to predict his movements and don't get too close unless you have
to.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Flak Cannon
--------------------------------------------------------------------
~Primary
Ah the Flak Cannon, Primary fire spits out a nice helping of Flak,
it shoots out a nice burst of it, fairly accurate, feels kind've
like a shot-gun blast. its pretty effective against vehicles.
~Secondary
This spits out a nice high-powered grenade that explodes with flak.
Its effective for killing vehicles and trops alike, feels like a
grenade launcher, the key is learning how to aim the secondary
fire so you can pop those flak grenades exactly where you want
them. This is one of the better weapons to engage vehicles with,
Especially if your going up against a Manta or a Scorpion, a few
good shots will take them down no trouble.
~Tips & Tactics
Stay Random and leap all-around, kind've like a Monkey. (:O) Pepper
the enemy with grenade blasts and shoot the flak if he drifts to
far or reflect the flak off the wall if he turns a corner or
something.
~How to Beat a Flak Cannon
Many people claim the Flak Cannon is very difficult to beat, and
this is partially true because the flak cannon delivers instant
death at close and medium ranges, Never *ever* run from someone
with a flak cannon or he'll kill you. The Trick really is to
out-distance your opponent, at long-range a Shock Rifle or
Lightning gun will do the trick perfectly, as you get farther away
the Flak and Grenades become MUCH easier to dodge, thats very
important.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Rocket Launcher
--------------------------------------------------------------------
~Primary
Shoots out one rocket that can potentially lock on if you keep
your crosshair on the target. The lock on are pretty good for
unsuspecting targets, but if someone can see the missle coming, its
typically No-Good.
~Secondary
Loads three rockets and fires all at once, assuming you hold the
mouse button down, you can hold the Primary fire down to shoot the
missles in a circular motion rather then a straight line. You can
also lock on in the mis method aswell, all of the missles will home
on the target.
~Tips & Tactics
Aim for the Feat if your engaging other people, stay at medium
range and launch a few blasts, try to go for the feat because the
explosion will hurt them even if its not direct. Locking is NOT
really that effective on vehicles, sometimes it will hit, but 90%
of the time you are better off with the AVRiL.
~How to Beat a Rocket Launcher
First off, try to avoid the "medium distance" zone, rocket people
LOVE to get to medium distance and play hop-around with the Rocket
launcher. Stay very close or very far, Remember that the damage
from a Rocket can hurt them too, so if your close they will
hesitate, use this to break they're concentration. You can also
stay back and avoid the rockets while firing back with something
faster, like a Shock Rifle.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Grenade Launcher (NEW)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
~Primary
Shoots a Grenade that lights up a bit, they will stick to anything
besides the ground (players, vehicles) the grenades stay put until
either you die, or they are detonated. if you *do* die every
grenade that you have laid down will explode.
~Secondary
Detonates all your shot grenades, you can have up to 8 grenades in
play before you do this.
~Tips & Tactics
There are a lot of tactics for this gun, it really depends on how
you want to use it. In Short, its first major function is a "trap"
gun, you can lay all sorts of traps and stay hidden aslong as you
want to, and then blast the enemy when they are least expecting it.
Another use is vehicular combat, the Grenades stick to the vehicle
and this makes combat with them rather easy, on-top of that if the
vehicle kills you, the vehicle will probably take quite a bit of
damage. There are other various ways of using this weapon, but
those are the basics. Using this weapon in conjunction with other
players will only enhance its effects, 4 Players could, for
instance lay a huge grenade trap around a critical node that the
enemy MUST take, like a required one, and then detonate them all
at once, if each player can lay 8 grenades, 8x4=32. Thats a lot of
firepower.
~How to Beat a Grenade Launcher
The grenade launch is only lethal if they can attach grenades to
you. the key is to keep moving and try to dodge the shots. If
possible, put some distance between your opponent and use something
that can dish out a bit more constant punishment, like the minigun.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Lightning Gun
--------------------------------------------------------------------
~Primary
This gun shoots a Stream of lightning that is VERY accurate, and
also very deadly, one shot to the head will typically kill an
opponent, and this gun packs quite a punch to vehicles aswell, if
you see something far off in the distance, ESPECIALLY a Manta or a
Raptor, smack it a few times with the Lightning Gun, it wont last
long.
~Secondary
Zooms in and out, its fairly simple, zoom in to get a better shot.
~Tips & Tactics
The lightning gun is great at tagging vehicles or anything at a
distance, one shot is increadibly powerful too. Mantas are
especially vulnerable to this technique. Presuming you are accurate
enough, this gun also becomes potent at the medium and in some
rare cases close range distances. A Very impressive weapon. You
*CAN* snipe the unsuspecting Manta and Scorpion pilot OUT of the
vehicle which is very cool.
~How to Beat a Lightning Gun
I would say to getting close is your best bet, or trying to match
it if you can, your best bet would be Another lightning gun. Stay
moving and varied (that means NOT one direction) and you typically
wont get hit all that much. People tend to snipe so if your killed
by one, you can just as easily go back and kill the sniper because
he'll be in the same spot.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sniper Rifle
--------------------------------------------------------------------
~Primary
Shoots one bullet, its untrackable but it creates a cloud infront
of your face when you shoot, so its hard to keep track of your
targets when zoomed in. The shot is very strong against people, but
not vehicles. its the typical Sniper Rifle.
~Secondary
Zooms in and out, its fairly simple, zoom in to get a better shot.
~Tips & Tactics
Its a Great gun to snipe with, so get a nice position and start
Sniping. You *CAN* snipe the unsuspecting Manta and Scorpion pilot
OUT of the vehicle which is very cool. As with the Lightning gun,
with enough accuracy this gun can be used effectively at close
range, as 1 to 2 shots will take someone down.
~How to Beat a Sniper Rifle
Read the Lightning gun, as the tactics are undoubtably the same,
but the Sniper Rifle is harder to track where it came from so try
to be careful on the maps that *do* contain the Sniper Rifle.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
AVRiL
--------------------------------------------------------------------
~Primary
Fires a Missle, a huge saving grace for troops who want to fight
vehicles as this poses the greatest threat. Its pretty much
undodgeable and delivers a NICE blast to the vehicles, it can
destroy some in one hit.
~Secondary
It lets you Lock Onto a target once you have fired a missle, so
first fire a missle, then find an enemy vehicle and Right click on
it and hold, you will zoom in and stay there and your previously
fired missle will track the target. Its cool to watch.
~Tips & Tactics
Be aware that the AVRiL is horrible in troop combat, the missles
take time to get up to speed and as a Result, they are very easy
to dodge in close combat, The blasts don't seem to hurt players
Nearly as much as they do vehicles either. One of the AVRiL's main
roles is anti-air, it is simply put the BEST method for taking down
aircraft, so if your under fire from above, be positive to use this
they will run from you.
~How to Beat a AVRiL
If your in a Vehicle, and one of these are fired at you, get OUT of
the vehicle and the missle will loose its track, but then your
vehicle becomes easy prey to theives and such, so its a hard thing
to do. If you know where the missle is coming from try to put some
distance between yourself and missle and try to find somewhere to
hide, if all else evacuate the vehicle and engage in troop combat.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Super-Weapons
--------------------------------------------------------------------
~Primary
The Superweapons in this game (The Ion Painter, the Redeemer, and
the Target Painter) all pretty much serve the same purpose, and
that is to quickly destroy an opponents base, it is Extremely
effective to blast an enemies base with one of these weapons.
especially the core, because it is unrepairable, one simple blast
from these weapons can *end* an Onslaught game.
As you play, you will see players invent they're own strategies to
the game, some being more effective then others. Here i will list
some of the things i've seen players do that could potentially
lead to more benefitial & effective team-play. I've mentioned some
of these things earlier in the guide, but this will cover it fully.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Grenade Attachments
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I've seen players attaching grenades to some *very* interesting
things, including OTHER players and they're own vehicle, and the
more you think about it, the more interesting the strategy becomes.
You could effectively make a human sacrifice by having two or maybe
three players Cover him up from head to two with grenades, and send
him on a Suicide mission, when he dies both players trigger they're
grenades and blow up whoever is there, now the combined force of
8 to 16 grenades at once is very impressive, and I'm sure it could
take out a Goliath atleast. A Cool idea.
I've also seen players shoot all 8 Grenades onto the front end of a
manta and get in and drive around, they will drive the manta into
an enemy base or something and leap out while moving at full speed
and detonate all of the grenades inside the base, this will firstly
create a huge blase and probably kill a vehicle or player if aimed
right, and ontop of that it spits the Manta back to the player!
awesome!
Lastly, you could attach 8 grenades to the Underside of a Manta and
leave it as a Trap for an enemy soldier, the minute he car-jacks
it, you detonate the grenades and blow him to holy-hell! a great
technique.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The AVRiL Defense
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I've seen like 4-6 players group together with the AVRiL Gun, they
will never switch and hunt vehicles, this is an increadible way
to establish dominance over vehicles and almost force your opponent
to travel on foot. Its almost impossible for a single vehicle to
stop 4 to 6 troops with AVRiL weapons.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Goliath + Raptor Combo
--------------------------------------------------------------------
These two vehicles are perfect support for each other, each vehicle
can destroy the vehicle that could cause the other harm, two
players in each vehicle, working in conjunction with each other can
proove to be an amazing force, if an air unit attacks the tank, the
Raptor takes it down, if a hellbender appears to Shoot the Raptor
down the tank can easily take care of that. It really limits an
opponents options.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Base Setup
--------------------------------------------------------------------
There are certain ways to begin a match, and one of the best is
to get as MANY bases set up as possible early on, the best way to
do this is through communication, 1 man goes to Point (A) while
two others go to point (B) and Point (C) Now in order to start
building B and C bases, Point (A) needs to be completed, now
when the person at Point (A) gets completed, the people at (B) and
(C) begin work on they're bases, this is the quickest most effective
way to set up a good base, while B and C are being set up, A then
goes to engage at point (D) (the middle, in this scenario) get it?
*EDIT* - There is a much faster way of getting the bases setup then
this, although this is still effective, the *quickest* way is below
on the "link a node *quickly*" Check it out.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Mine Layer = Defense
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Always remember that Spider mines are EXCELLENT base defense, if
you have on on hand, you should be sure to lay some at a medium
to close range from the base, this will prevent many troops from
entering or atleast be wary, besides, once the Spider mines are set
you can switch weapons and move on. Its Great!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Taking on the Leviathan
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Suffice to say, theres no easy way to deal with this massive
vehicle, but one thing you should always be aware of is that while
one person is useless against a Leviathan, Multiple Units attacking
from Multiple Directions can really cause some Havoc! when you see
a Leviathan on the enemy team, immediately tell everyone
(chat/voice) that the enemy has one and where it is! Always remember
that an enemy that is divided is a weak enemy.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Need a Lift?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Many of the Vehicles in the game that only have one spot can carry
More Troops, all they need to do is JUMP on, this not only increases
the potential power of a vehicle, but offers transportation for the
troops! make sure you offer, especially if your in a Manta. (its the
easiest one to ride on, and also the most effective transport)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Lightning Gun = Raptor Death
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I dont know if i stressed this enough, the Lightning Gun is one of
the best tools for taking down an Enemy Raptor. you will quickly
dispatch of the Airborne unit.This is *especially* useful when you
don't have access to an AVRiL. Besides that; its practically
impossible for a pilot to dodge it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
link a node *quickly* (NEW)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The *Fastest* way to get a node up is to get multiple people linking
link-guns together to build up a node, if you have 2 you can cut the
time in half, if you have three you can build it in about 5-10
seconds, and if you have 4 you can build the node almost instantly.
When your in a pinch, get your team together and build a node
quickly, you can also use this strategy at the beginning of a match
to take nodes quickly, this can be increasingly important depending
on what the other nodes on the map contain (such as the laviathan)
It should be mentioned that three people on a Manta can really build
up a base quickly, get two people on the wings and go build!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Unlink a node *quickly* (NEW)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Most people are familiar with the ability to link a node quickly,
what MOST people don't understand yet is that you can *unlink* a
node quickly with the same technique. If you can get 3 or 4 guys
attacking one node, if you all link together you can destroy an
enemy node in about 5 seconds. This strategy is increadibly useful
in Onslaught matches, the only problem is that its hard to get
everyone to do it. This strategy, when utilized properly leads to
devastating results. If you see an unprotected node, consider it
wise to contact your team and tell them to assist you in taking it
down with gun #5.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Section 5
Contact Information
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, i guess thats it for now, im done ^^ if you want to submit
some Tactics and what-not, feel free to IM or Email them to me, im a
pretty open & relaxed guy. ...most of the time. ^^ If i don't
respond, odds are im busy.
UT2004 Handle: "k-wix"
Email: k-wix@buckeye-express.com
AIM: l K Wix l
